This was the first night Cassie had been home in a week, and she was glad to see her own messy apartment. She walked to her overstuffed reclining chair, and started at the big black T.V screen. She took a breath and reached for the remote. She then pointed it at the T.V, and turned it on. She flipped threw the channels, passing old episodes of soapopra, old X-flies, and the
Jerry Spinger show. Finally she made it to the news and lifted it there. On the T.V, the Reported said, " Good evening forks. To night is night the Former Jake Berenson, from the Animorphs, has return to Earth with his friends Marco Litteral, and Tobias Handfal." Cassie blinked her eyes. She heard the man speak of what they were doing off of Earth and of the people that where also back with them. The T.V flipped and there stood a woman in her late twenties. She had long golden blonde hair and Blue eyes. She was there with Jake. They where standing in front of the spaceship they had took to save Ax. Cassie then tried to pay attention to what they where going to say.
"Thank you John," The women said turning her head to Jake. "Now Mr. Berenson is it good to be home." Jake took a deep breath. Then, he looked at her.
"Miss. Jacqueline—" he was about to say, but was interrupted by the reporter.
"Please call me Jacky." She said smiling.
"Ok. JACKY. Yes, it is good to be home." He said.
"Well, Mr. Berenson, what do you plan to do now that you are home." She said
"See family, old friends." He said.
"Now, Mr. Berenson, the plan was successful. Right?" she asked moving the microphone a little closer to his mouth. A smile turned into a frown as Jake's eyes lowered to the ground, and for a moment he could not speak.
"He call himself "The One." We stopped him, but there was no way to save Ax." Jake said "We are happy to have stop "The One," but…losing Ax hurt us a lot." Right then, to Cassie Jake looked older than he had in years. She could also feel tears in her eyes as she thought of Ax.
"Well a sad ending. We all wish you well. Back to you John." The reporter said Cassie turned the T.V off and walked out of the living room. She felled sick to her stomach, and didn't think she could walk much more. She lay on her bed, and cried for a moment. The thought of Ax dead was unreal, like Rachel's death…so unreal. She then got herself together, and went to change into her P.J. Then she walked into her bathroom and washed her face also remembering to brush her teeth.
She then returned to her quiet bedroom. All she could hear was the sound she her cycling fan going around and around. She looked, and saw how her bed sheets were all over the bed. She had always been that way, messy. She straitened the sheets, and climbed into bed. The sheets where cold, but felled good to the skin. She laid her head on a flat pillow, and started to think about Jake being home. I miss him. She thought to herself. I really do miss him. She was glad he was home. Maybe now she could sleep at night, and quiet worrying about him. Thinking of him, she drifted to sleep.
About a week later, she was walking into work. She was dressed in old blue jeans, and an organ tank top. She wore hiking boots and thick socks. She walked into her office ready for work. She thought to herself I may of dress better then this, but today I was planning to work outside with the Hork--bajir. To make sure they where healthy, and everything. She walked into her small office to grab her bag of tools to check the Hork-bajir. Then after garbing her bag she looked at the doorway, and saw Jake standing there. Cassie stood still not wanting to move. She didn't know what to say. He stood there alone to and finally said "Hey Cassie."
"Hey Jake." She said "What brings you around here."
"I hum…wanted to talk." He said. Form the sound of his voice Cassie knew what he was talking about.
"I know about Ax." She said with a very sad sigh.
"How?" he asked
"I hum…saw you on the news." She said, "I think the interview went well."
"I was nerves. You know I hate reporters." He said smiling.
"Jake…how did he die." Cassie asked not really wanting to know the answer.
""The One" was some how attach to Ax's hole body." Jake said sliding his hand into his pocket of his blue jeans. "To kill "The One" we had to kill Ax."
There was suck a silence in that room. No one spoke. Cassie wanted to cry, but not in front of Jake. Then in some weird way Cassie knew why Jake had come to see her. He wanted to know something. Was it his fault? No she thought. He was just trying to save Ax. If he hadn't of kill "The One" there was no telling what would of happen. She walked up to Jake slowly. Then placing a hand on his cheek, she said "Jake it wasn't your fault." His eyes looked at her, and for a moment, she saw the old Jake. He gave her that look…the look he gave when Rachel died.
"How do you know?" he ask
"Jake I'm sure Ax would rather be dead then have that thing controlling him," she said
He just looked away unable to speak.
"It wasn't your fault Rachel died, and it wasn't your fault Ax died." She said, "Rachel died in battle. She died doing what she loved doing. Her rage killed her, and Ax. His death was necessary."
"I just…" he said "I always thought…"
"Jake, Rachel would say to get over her. What's done is done is done. There is nothing you can do to change it. Ax would just be glad he was free." She said
"I just can't expect that." He said
"Jake expect it. It's over." Cassie said, "There was nothing you could have done to save them."
Jake looked at her. Cassie knew that Jake would never expect what was the truth. To him being a lead meant that if you made one wrong decision it was the end, but to Cassie it was the only thing Jake could do.
"How is Marco?" Cassie asked
"When he got Ophra had him on her show, and his T.V show was put back on the air. He racked in another million." He said "So his fine."
"And Tobias." Cassie said
"He went back to the Andilight home world to tell Ax's parents the news. Think he may stay their a wail. He may also tell them that he is Elfangor's son. He didn't really say. I just think he wanted to get away." Jake said
Cassie knew Jake was right. Tobias did need to get away. Tobias had nothing left on Earth. Maybe he had something there.
"So…" Jake said "What's up with you and Ronnie?"
"He got move to work in another state." Cassie said "He wanted me to go, and really…I wanted to go, but…I just had to many memories here. The war and my work with the Hork-Bjiar."
"Hey," Jake said, "I understand."
"Why did you come back?" Cassie asked
"I hoped for a new life." He said, "I want to put my war and leadership behind me."
"Same here, but I just…can't." Cassie said
"So what are you planning to do to night?" Jake asked
"I plan to go home. Pop in a T.V dinner in the oven, and then set by my T.V the rest of the night." Cassie joked.
"Why don't we go out to eat later tonight." Jake said, "Just to catch up on old time."
"Ok where at?" Cassie asked
"I guess Ruby Tuesdays." Jake said
Cassie was surprised to go out someone where so big with Jake.
"Ok." Cassie said
"About eight o'clock ok?" Jake said
"Sounds great." Cassie said
Jake walked out of the office with out another word, and Cassie thought she was going to faint. She never thought her and Jake would be together. She went out side to where the Hork-Bjiars where waiting. She knew they must be a little mad, and she apologied for it. She tried to do her best with each Hork-Bjiar, but her mind wouldn't keep track on them. She keepped think of Jake. How great it would be to have him again! She thought.
By the time, work was over it was already seven so she had to race home to get ready for the date. As soon as she got home, she jumped in the shower taking the sweat of the day off her. She then got out, and dried her hair and put it in a bun. She put her make up on and then walked to her closet. She didn't have any dressy close. This is when she thought of Rachel. She knew that the second Jake left she would of called Rachel and told her. She would have made her take the rest of the day off, and go shopping for a dress. She knew Rachel would have done all the things you do before a date. Pluck her eyebrows and then do her nails. Cassie looked down and saw the dirt between her nails. She could just hear Rachel "Cassie you know that Jake well kiss your hand when he sees you, and well look at your nails." She could see her grinning away on her nails. Scraping and painting and buffing them all. Then, she could hear herself screaming because of her plucking every eyebrow on her head off. She smiled at the thought of having Rachel back. That Tobias would be happy, but she wasn't coming back. Cassie had faced that, but Jake and Tobias didn't. Moreover, Marco, Cassie didn't know what to think anymore. She hadn't talk to him in such a long time…no more thinking. Have to get to work. She walk over to her desk and got a nail fill. With what she could do with her scrawny nails, she cleaned them. Then she went to the eyebrows. She plucked them just enough to give them an arch. Then return to her closest. She pulled out a dress she hadn't seen in ages. This well do, She thought. A black tank top dress came to about her knees. She liked the look and put it on. Finally, she was able to leave. She got in her car and drove to the Restraurant. When she got out of her car she walked up to the front and saw Jake standing there.
He wore kakie pants and a light blue Tommy Hillfigure shirt.
"You look nice." Cassie said
"Thank you." Jake said.
"You look wonderful." He said taking her hand and kissing it.
Her eyes light up as she said "Thank you."
They walked into the restaurant. Jake had called ahead and made a reservation. They where seated quietly. The waiter asked "What to drink."
"Tea." Jake said
"I guess a coke." Cassie said
The waiter knotted and walked on.
"So what are you getting?" Jake asked.
"I guess the salad bar. Since I don't eat meat." She said smiling.
"I am getting a Stack with a Banked potato and a small salad." He said
"You must be hungry." Cassie said
"No," Jake answered "I just haven't had earth food in for ever."
"So did the Andilights pack any real food?" Cassie asked
"They pack honeybuns." Jake said "I never want to see another one of those things, as long as I live."
Cassie laughed and saw the waiter walking out with their drinks.
"Are ya'll ready to order?" The waiter asked.
They both place their order and the waiter went on.
"Well I am going to go fix my planet." Cassie said getting up and walking to the salad bar.
She got a planet and start to fix the salad placing the leadus and pickles and tomatoes and so on. Then she went to the fruit, and started placing pieces of pineapple on her plant with some peaches and some Jell-O also. She returned to her seat to find Jake deep in thought. She sat down and was quiet for a moment then he said," How are things at work going?"
"Well great. There was some kind of decease going around, but we found a vaccine and things are great." Cassie said taking a bit of her salad.
"Good." Jake said, "I was think of doing some volute work up there."
Cassie knew Jake was lying, but it didn't make any difference. Cassie ate her food and thought nothing more on him. His food was soon brought to him soon.They ate silently for a wail then Jake said," I think I am going to go on a vacation."
"Where would you go?" Cassie asked
"To the beach, or to New York City." Jake said "Truthfully I don't know."
"I wish I could just leave." Cassie said watching Jake cut his stack.
"I missed you a lot when you left." Cassie said
"I thought about you a lot too." Jake said, "I thought about all of us. Being a team again. I thought of Tobias not hating me, and Rachel still being alive. What would we have done if things where different?"
"I don't know." Cassie said, "I don't think things could be different. I mean things must always stay the way they are. So why think what if?"
"Do you ever dream about her?" Jake said
"Yeah." Cassie said "I think of what she would have done if she would of known we won they war. I think about her, and Tobias and how much he loved her."
"I dreams about reliving thoughts moments when I told her to kill Tom. To me I was giving her, her death sentence." Jake said
Cassie reached for Jake's hand and took it.
"Jake, Tom had to be killed, and non of us but Rachel could have did it." Cassie said
"I think of Ax. If there was just another way…" Jake said
"There was no other way." Cassie said
"How do you know? You weren't there." Jake said
"I know because I see it in your eyes. You know that there was no other way." Cassie said quietly.
"How do you do that?" Jake said
"What?" Cassie said
"Read my mind?" Jake said
"It's a gift." Cassie said smiling.
Cassie looked at her watch and saw it was ten o'clock.
"Well I best be going home." Cassie said getting up.
Jake got up also and went to pay for the food. After, that Jake and Cassie walked to the front of the restaurant and, walked out side. It was a beautiful starry night. There were no clouds in the sky and you could see anything. Cassie faced Jake.
"I had a wonderful time." Cassie said
"I did too. Thanks for coming." Jake said.
They where both about to walk off, but couldn't. Cassie knew that what ever happen then would change everything forever. Jake walked up to her and placed his hand behind her neck. Then slowly and gently kissed her. She put her arm around his, wasted and pulled him close. Jake kissed her with all force not wanting to let her go, but finally he did. They looked at each other for a moment. Cassie kissed his cheek and said good-bye. Walking away form him to her car, all she could think about was, everything changing, and how much she loved him.
