Rachel ever so slowly opened her eyes. She would've cursed aloud, but all that came out was sickening gurgling sound. She blinked; thinking everything was going in super-slow motion. Her entire body felt numb, and incredibly cold. Not the-air-conditioner's-put-too-low cold, but a cold she could feel down in her bones. It felt like she'd been in a cave in the arctic for the last hundred years.
She groaned, however lowly, as she felt the painful rush of blood returning back into her veins. She couldn't move so much as a finger or twitch her nose, because of the pain. It was something like your foot falling asleep, and feeling that pins-and-needles feeling, only a thousand times worse. It was horrible. Rachel thought she was in hell, but a very, very cold hell. Her vision was ever so slowly clearing, and she thought that just maybe, she could make out the tiles on the white floor above her. She heard the faint whispering of voices somewhere in the background, but couldn't bring herself to make out a single word. Everything seemed to be going so…slow for her. It seems she'd been in the arctic for a hundred years and her brain had shut down around then.
"She really is awake!" She heard someone shout, just now able to make out the faint words. The voice sounded familiar, but she couldn't place just where she'd heard it. She struggled to sit up, blocking out as much of she shooting pain she felt as she could. She squinted, trying to place the voice she heard before.
"Rachel?" There it was again! She head snapped, slowly, around, eyes locking on a rather short, tanned fellow with a cocky look on his face. She knew him; she knew it. She struggled to get rid of the fog in her brain, then work her mouth. It was a hard, hard thing to remember.
"M-Marco…?" There! She had managed to get it working. A grin crossed her face, thoroughly happy with the accomplishment.
"Never thought you'd be so happy to see me," Marco, she believed, chortled in his little corner.
Rachel slid off the...medical bed? A few tubes popping out of her skin as she did so. She winced, cursed, and staggered before standing ever so slowly off the metal-like surface. She needed a good long nap. Right. Now. "I'm not happy to see you, you idiot…" She mumbled, flexing her fingers slowly. She narrowed her eyes as Marco's expression turned to that of hurt. Oh, that boy could get on her nerves sometimes…And she actually remembered he did.
"You aren't happy to see me? Why, Rachel. After being frozen for five years, I'd think you would be!" His voice had that bothersome hint of sarcasm to it. She twitched. Before she realized he said something about her being frozen.
"Excuse me? Frozen for five years?" Well, maybe she had been in the arctic for a while. It seemed to be a good thought…
"Well damn, Rachel. I'd think you remember." He turned to an Andalite (why hadn't she noticed the lot of them till then?), and mumbled something Rachel couldn't hear, before he tucked his arm around hers and starting leading her off. A quick snap, and his arm was dislodged. Then she had to concentrate on getting her legs to work.
"Where. Are we going, Marco?" She paused, watching him rub his arm, "And I don't need an escort."
Marco rolled his eyes, jogging along beside her. "We're going to a coffeehouse. I think you need that…" He steered her along, practically herding into a Starbucks as soon as they got out of the hospital. Or at least she thought it was a hospital; she wouldn't know why in the world she'd be there of all places. She didn't remember being hurt. But then again, she didn't remember that she was frozen either.
"So I've been frozen for five years?" Rachel asked as she sat herself down at a booth. She was quite dumbfounded over that fact. Why in the world would she be frozen? It didn't make any sense at all.
"Yep. Don't you remember it at all? You were on the Blade Ship. Tom, remember? Jake sent you to kill him off…And, you were pretty much killed," He started grinning at the look crossing her face, "And you were shot off into space by his crew. Now, we almost cremated you. But the Andalites said that they could fix you up good as new if we gave them some time. So, five years later, here we are. Happy as can be."
Rachel scrunched up her nose, eyeing Marco. "Speak for yourself," she muttered, now beginning to put in bits and pieces of memories together. A snake…A polar bear… "Where's Tobias?" She quickly asked, almost shouting it out.
"Calm down girl. He's…somewhere. Pretty much thinks your dead, I believe. Until we can coax him out of wherever he's hiding, I'm your tour guide."
She almost cursed him out right about then. She didn't want Marco, of all people, as her chaperone. Good god, no! She just grunted in response, staring stonily ahead of her. Yep, she'd died and gone to hell. At least she could fight Yeerks if she were alive…But instead she'd be wandering around town with Marco. Marco. She'd have to survive this torture somehow… "Where are Jake and Cassie, then? They'd be much better company."
Marco twitched. "They went on some suicide mission to get the Blade Ship. I would've went, but I guess they figured I was too set in my life to go. Never told me a word till they were already in orbit. I think Tobias hung around thinking you'd wake up sometime…"
And that's when she actually felt a pang of sympathy for him. His best friend had abandoned him, and her had pretty much done the same thing. She shifted, staring uncomfortably at the table. "Sorry, Marco." She didn't have anything to apologize for, though. Must've been the deep freeze she was in for a while.
"Bah. Not your fault. Now, you want to go look around good ol' Williamsburg, or just go right over to my place?" And that's when Rachel reached over to punch him as hard as she could in the arm.
"Freak."
*********
Rachel had to admit Marco was a decent tour guide. He'd moved to Williamsburg, Virginia soon after Jake and Cassie had ditched him for that mission. She didn't know a single thing about the circumstances leading them to disappear like that, she'd like to, but Marco didn't like that subject much. He'd just joke and ignore the question for the most part. But he had dragged her to almost every sight seeing there could be in the city. He knew the place pretty well, and she was almost, almost, glad to be stuck with him until Tobias came to his senses.
The only downside was that Marco took her to some of the strangest places in town to eat. Now, the Prime Rib House was one thing, but some of the other restaurants were just downright odd. The lucky thing was that tonight, he took her to what he believed to be an extremely fancy place. When he said he'd take her someplace real nice, she started to think that the Outback Steakhouse was on the menu. But instead, she was happily picking out pasta, watching him stare stupidly at the menu.
"Rachel? What the heck is that?"
"Figure it our yourself, smart one."
He scrunched up his nose, "Last time I'm ever bringing you here, Miss Ice."
Rachel quickly took a sip of her raspberry tea. He was actually looking cute when he did that. She forced him to order as quickly as possible, trying desperately to avoid him asking about every single item on the menu. She'd kill him if he did that; she swore it.
He managed to evade any further prosecutions during dinner, all the way up to desert. Then dragged her out of the restaurant as soon as he could. She definitely didn't supposed she'd be going there again with Marco. Maybe Tobias would go…
"Hey, you heard from Tobias?" Her voice was swamped with hope. She was direly in need of company other than her current escort.
"I'm hurt. You no like my company?" He paused at the look he was given. At least he had sense enough to do that, "No, haven't heard a word from him. You're still stuck with me."
They walked back to her hotel in silence. She was thinking over, and worrying, about Tobias. But she couldn't think about that for long, because the night just looked so gorgeous. The temperature was just right; the stars were blazing in full glory; the lights of the city cast just enough light on the street to make it mysterious, but still beautiful. And, oddly enough, she started thinking she had a rather good-looking man walking next to her.
"I had a nice time," she confided, the words simply slipping out of her mouth. She going insane, she had to be. She was telling Marco she had a nice time at dinner with him. It wasn't a date! Was it?
"I'm the one that's supposed to do the joking, remember?" Marco leaned against the doorframe to her hotel room, looking thoroughly amused at what she had said. And oddly enough, she didn't get angry.
"I'm not kidding, Marco. Stranger things have happened than me having a nice time at dinner."
He just raised his eyebrow. Stranger things had happened, but Rachel giving up always fighting and becoming a nun wouldn't top this. "Head back into your room, and stop pulling my leg."
"I'm not pulling your leg," Rachel mumbled, staring him straight in the eye. She inched forward, laying a kiss flat out on Marco's lips. Yep – she was insane. The affects of being frozen were still there; but at that moment, she didn't care one bit. Not even as Marco, after overcoming his shock, started to return the kiss. She would've happily put that moment on pause, but she broke away. "I need to go to bed," she whispered, ever so slowly opening the door.
Marco stood there for who knows how long after she went into her room, just staring after her. That, was the strangest thing he'd ever witnessed.
*********
Rachel could barely drag herself out of her room when Marco came knocking on her door the next afternoon. God, she didn't want to face him. Maybe he would've forgotten everything.
She opened the door to Marco's grinning face. "And, are you ready for another night on the town?" He asked, moving to pinch her side. She swatted him away. She didn't know what signal she wanted to give him last night, and she didn't think this was the one she wanted him to interpret.
"Can we just go?" She crossed her arms, watching as he didn't even move the slightest muscle at her request. Not that she was watching his muscles…
"Let's talk first. You seem to be Ice Woman yet again, care to explain?"
"How about we go?"
"Not until we talk, doll."
"Please, Marco!" She couldn't talk about what happened. She was far too confused. She had no idea what she had done, and didn't really want Marco to see that. If he said one more word, she was considering beating his tail. She definitely could not have that conversation.
"Fine. But we will talk about this later. And if that was a joke, I stand on the fact that it's my job to do that." Rachel could've kissed him right then out of pure happiness, but she figured that that wouldn't have a good effect.
He herded her out of the hotel, ignoring the occasional fan as he headed towards Colonial Williamsburg.
"It's one of the days for the Revolutionary War, figure you'll like that, eh? Just promise me you won't beat up any the soldiers your—"
Rachel wondered for a split second why he had stopped in mid-sentence before a stunning blow rammed into her head, knocking her to the concrete below.
*********
Was I frozen again? Rachel wondered as she opened her eyes. She was groggy, and there was a splitting pain in her head. She snapped up with the realization she'd been attacked, along with Marco, only to have her head hit the cold metal of a small box she'd been crammed into.
"And the second one arises," Someone said from outside of the cube. Rachel strained to find a small air hole at the top of the box and see whoever was talking, "Welcome Rachel."
"What the hell is going on?" Rachel shouted, eyes locking on a similar box near her. Marco. He had to be okay, or else she'd never forgive herself. She should've been on guard! She had to morph. Get out and save Marco.
"You're my honored guest, Animorph. Here to give you your awards for saving the world," the voice paused, and Rachel searched to find the speaker. "And don't even try to morph. Powder everywhere, and that metal's rather tough stuff."
There had to be some other way to get out, and Rachel struggled to think of any one of them. There weren't many choices for her to choose from. "Let. Me. Out!" It was worth a shot.
"Possibly, I will. On one condition."
"What?"
"I get my revenge."
That threw Rachel off track. She didn't even know this person. Why would he want revenge for something she didn't even know about? "What are you talking about?"
"I am, was Visser Seven. I was on the fast track to becoming Visser Three. Then the Animorphs stepped in. I could've been something. Back then, I had access to a Kandrona whenever I wanted it. You know what I'm reduced to now? I have one day left. Did you ever stop to think about the poor souls abandoned on this planet? Or the lives you'd ruin? No. Of course not. We're just filthy Yeerks. You don't care about us. You had to destroy our lives! You and those other Animorphs had to barge in and ruin our chances for this planet! Leave us to the Andalite scum. I want my vengeance."
Rachel blinks for a moment, before her mouth opened in a gasp. "Did you do anything to Marco?"
"Why? Worried about him? Don't want him to have a little accident?"
"Nice going Rachel. I had everything under control until you had to say something," she heard Marco murmur just before her cage was sucked into slits in the ground, as well as his, leaving them both sprawled out on the floor.
"How about I give you a proposition? If I kill your little buddy here, I'll let you go free. What do you think about that?"
"No!" Rachel screamed, eyes widening. She'd do anything to stop that from happening, but she couldn't think of any plans. The Visser had a Dracon trained on Marco, if she morphed, they'd both be dead before she could twitch an ear. "Let. Us. Go." She hissed. It was the only thing she could possibly do, especially as she watched a crooked grin slide across her captor's face.
"I said, if you let me kill him, I'll let you go. Doesn't that sound like a wonderful thing? You know he's obsolete. The Animorphs aren't needed. He's not needed. Save yourself."
Rachel stared, flicking her eyes to glance at Marco. She couldn't be responsible for him dying. She wouldn't, couldn't have that happen. "Don't kill him."
The former Visser inched forward, leveling the Dracon at Marco. He looked like he was ready to fire on a whim, and Rachel was afraid he would.
"Why shouldn't I? I know your personality, Rachel. Let him die, and you'll live to fight more. Isn't that what you want?"
"No! I…" She paused, not sure of what to say. Her mind of a soup of various different thoughts, and she couldn't sort out one thought out from the next. She didn't even know what she was really saying right now.
"You what? Are friends with him? You're loyal to him? It's an opportunity to be the strong one Rachel. Isn't that what you want? You can escape and live to battle. What's one life to step in your way?"
That simply struck a nerve, and Rachel managed to cry out a clear sentence, "I love him!"
The Visser paused, obviously stunned at her statement, far too stunned to comment on her words. Marco was standing there, staring at her, mouth agape as he stood in shock over her words. Rachel herself couldn't even believe her words, but she couldn't think about that, there were bigger matters at hand.
And then door was knocked in, and a massive Hork Bajir barged in afterwards, going straight for the Visser. The man didn't even have a chance to raise his weapon before his head was rolling across the floor, an elbow blade rammed through his chest. Rachel stood in silence as the Hork Bajir melted down into a slightly aged red-tailed hawk.
"Tobias," she gasped, staring in awe. He seemed to have wonderful timing, and also, in some senses, the worst, "Why are you here?"
"Well, I heard that you two were kidnapped in the middle of the street, and of course I had to help out." A smile spread across his now-human face, "I missed you Rachel."
"I…I missed you, too," she managed to choke out, glancing over at Marco, who was staring at the floor as if he didn't hear anything. She watched, almost in terror, as Tobias took a few steps nearer to her. He leaned forward, ever so gently kissing her. She jerked back.
"Rachel? What's wrong?" His soft eyes flooded with worry. With more of those looks, he was going to break her heart without even a word. She didn't know how to tell what had happened. How could she just go back to him now?
"While…While you were gone. Something, something pretty unexpected happened." How could she tell him she cared for Marco? She couldn't break his heart. Oh God why couldn't she be back fighting Yeerks? It was only fair.
"What happened Rachel?" His voice was eager, tinted with faint streaks of unease.
Please don't think I have something good to tell you, Rachel thought to herself, turning her gaze to Marco, who was watching her intently. "Tobias, I…fell in love with Marco."
She could've died, hearing that gasp and staring at Tobias' look of betrayal. She didn't want to break his heart. That was the last thing she ever wanted to do, but it was obvious she had by the look on his face.
"What? Is that true?" Tobias whispered, staring straight into Rachel's eyes.
She could barely bring herself to nod, not daring to look into Tobias' eyes. "I'm sorry," she murmured, and by the time she looked up, he was already shrinking back into a bird of prey.
I understand. I just wasn't around in time. With a flap of his wings, he was in the air, slowly flapping off. She didn't want to see him like this. She prayed it would just stop.
"Tobias…" She whispered. But it was too late. He was out the door, no doubt souring through the skies.
"Now," Marco mumbled, inching towards her, "We definitely need to talk."
"Oh lord, Marco. Do we have to? I love you, and that's it."
Marco grinned, mouthing an 'I love you, too' before gently kissing her on the lips. At least that was something that would get her mind off the past, and onto the future.