Disclaimer: I don't own anything, you know the drill. Yadda-yadda-yadda.
Chapter 2
Locating Cassie was easy. I WAS a spirit-like creature, was I not? Almost nothing was very difficult for me.
Anyway, I found Cassie at a hotel in Washington, D.C. She was staring off into space while tapping her pen on a notebook, sitting at the desk in her hotel room.
I made myself visible. Cassie nearly had a heart attack when she saw me.
"R-R-Rachel?" my best friend stuttered. She shook her head hard. "Oh, gosh, I'm seeing things. It must be from not sleeping last night from worrying about Jake and the rest of them." She slapped her forehead. "Get a grip!" she told herself.
"Cassie, stop! It really is me! Believe what you see!"
"What? You're real? You're talking to me . . . Rachel? How did you get here? You . . . well . . . you died!"
"Well, maybe TECHNICALLY I'm dead, but I'm sort of a spirit, similar to the Ellimist . . . you see, when I died, he came to me. He had an idea . . . he said that I could be his helper, like the Drode is to Crayak. I accepted immediately. Anything for a chance to see Tobias and you and everyone else again."
Cassie burst into tears. "I thought I'd never see you again!" she sobbed.
"Well, here I am, in the flesh . . . well, sort of."
Jumping up, Cassie attempted to hug me. But her arms went right through me. I wasn't human anymore, exactly.
"Oh," she said, looking crestfallen.
"Yeah, one of the drawbacks of my job is that I'm not exactly alive," I joked weakly. "Well . . . what are you doing with your life?"
Cassie told me about her work with the Hork-Bajir, Taxxons, and various other alien species. I thought that the big-snake-idea was ingenious. Leave it to Cassie to think up an idea that would protect the Brazilian rainforest as well as make the Taxxons and Yeerks happy!
"Oh, oops, I almost forgot! I'm writing another book! It's called Morph Therapy. I tested the theory on Jake."
"On Jake?" I sighed. "He must be feeling guilty about sending me with Tom. Ugh, get over it, Jake! You know, Cassie, that if he hadn't sent me I woulda gone anyway, right?"
"Yep. He doesn't seem to understand that, or if he does understand, it doesn't make him feel any better. Since your death, he hasn't been the same. It's so sad."
Mischievously, I said, "Speaking of Jake, are you two engaged yet?"
Cassie looked extremely uncomfortable. "Rach . . . we hardly speak anymore . . . I'm with Ronnie now . . . what we had before, it was during the war. He just doesn't need me like he did. The war was a whole different time. Things are totally changed now. Jake and I are . . . over."
I was shocked. And embarrassed.
"You're not together? Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. But that isn't right. You guys were made for each other. This is terrible!"
"Is it?" questioned Cassie. "Ronnie's a great guy. You'd really like him, Rach." Even as she said this, she didn't seem as sure as she had been. It was practically like she was trying to convince herself now.
Letting out an exasperated groan, I said, "Cut the crap, Cassie. I know you still have feelings for Jake. One thing I can do now if read minds—like a Leeran. Oh, man, do you remember our adventure with those psychic frogs? Well, anyway, I'm really, really, really sorry, but I couldn't help it. I had to know if you still loved him. And you do."
My best friend looked like she wanted to punch me, but obviously she couldn't—her fist would pretty much slide right through me. Then her face softened, and she suddenly burst into tears. She sobbed, "I didn't realize it . . . but you're right. I love Jake still!"
I didn't know what to do. I wanted to hug her but I wasn't able to. Instead I walked over to the bedside table and grabbed a box of tissues. I was very annoyed because although I could touch, pick up, and hold material, non-living things and they wouldn't go through me, I would be like air to anything alive. Usually this didn't bother me at all, but here on Earth I was steaming mad.
"Cassie, I am so sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry . . . but at least you realize that you have to get back with Jake. Tell you what, I'll bring him back to Earth right now. With silly old Marco . . . and Tobias. I hear they're looking for Ax or something?"
"Oh, no! I don't think you should! Jake probably doesn't love me anymore!"
"Don't be silly. Well, let me sort through HIS thoughts and find out." I focused on Jake's image and name. Then I established a mental link with him, making it easy to find any specific thoughts about Cassie. This wasn't too hard—his most recent thoughts were, "Goodbye, Cassie. I love you." Wait a minute—"Goodbye, Cassie"?!
"Cassie, I'll be back," I called as I transported myself to what I like to call Command Central. It's where Toomin and I can keep an eye on all the strands of space-time. I found Jake, Tobias, and Marco and removed them from wherever they had been—I wasn't paying a lot of attention to the name of their location—and put them in Cassie's hotel room. In a flash, I transported myself there as well. I nearly jumped when I realized Ax was there as well.
"What? Where are we? Cassie?" mumbled Jake. The three boys—or were they men now?—and Ax in his normal Andalite form had their backs to me. Marco was the first to turn around, but only after Ax's stalk eyes spotted me. Ax said, What is going on?
"Xena?!" Marco exclaimed. "Dude, life just gets weirder and weirder!"
Jake and Tobias spun around.
Tobias looked as though a feather could knock him over. After what seemed like a full minute, he regained his composure. "Rachel!" he cried, running over to me. He embraced me, kissing me tenderly. "What are we all doing here? You're not dead!" He looked as though he would begin dancing any minute. But how could he touch me?
Chapter 2
Locating Cassie was easy. I WAS a spirit-like creature, was I not? Almost nothing was very difficult for me.
Anyway, I found Cassie at a hotel in Washington, D.C. She was staring off into space while tapping her pen on a notebook, sitting at the desk in her hotel room.
I made myself visible. Cassie nearly had a heart attack when she saw me.
"R-R-Rachel?" my best friend stuttered. She shook her head hard. "Oh, gosh, I'm seeing things. It must be from not sleeping last night from worrying about Jake and the rest of them." She slapped her forehead. "Get a grip!" she told herself.
"Cassie, stop! It really is me! Believe what you see!"
"What? You're real? You're talking to me . . . Rachel? How did you get here? You . . . well . . . you died!"
"Well, maybe TECHNICALLY I'm dead, but I'm sort of a spirit, similar to the Ellimist . . . you see, when I died, he came to me. He had an idea . . . he said that I could be his helper, like the Drode is to Crayak. I accepted immediately. Anything for a chance to see Tobias and you and everyone else again."
Cassie burst into tears. "I thought I'd never see you again!" she sobbed.
"Well, here I am, in the flesh . . . well, sort of."
Jumping up, Cassie attempted to hug me. But her arms went right through me. I wasn't human anymore, exactly.
"Oh," she said, looking crestfallen.
"Yeah, one of the drawbacks of my job is that I'm not exactly alive," I joked weakly. "Well . . . what are you doing with your life?"
Cassie told me about her work with the Hork-Bajir, Taxxons, and various other alien species. I thought that the big-snake-idea was ingenious. Leave it to Cassie to think up an idea that would protect the Brazilian rainforest as well as make the Taxxons and Yeerks happy!
"Oh, oops, I almost forgot! I'm writing another book! It's called Morph Therapy. I tested the theory on Jake."
"On Jake?" I sighed. "He must be feeling guilty about sending me with Tom. Ugh, get over it, Jake! You know, Cassie, that if he hadn't sent me I woulda gone anyway, right?"
"Yep. He doesn't seem to understand that, or if he does understand, it doesn't make him feel any better. Since your death, he hasn't been the same. It's so sad."
Mischievously, I said, "Speaking of Jake, are you two engaged yet?"
Cassie looked extremely uncomfortable. "Rach . . . we hardly speak anymore . . . I'm with Ronnie now . . . what we had before, it was during the war. He just doesn't need me like he did. The war was a whole different time. Things are totally changed now. Jake and I are . . . over."
I was shocked. And embarrassed.
"You're not together? Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. But that isn't right. You guys were made for each other. This is terrible!"
"Is it?" questioned Cassie. "Ronnie's a great guy. You'd really like him, Rach." Even as she said this, she didn't seem as sure as she had been. It was practically like she was trying to convince herself now.
Letting out an exasperated groan, I said, "Cut the crap, Cassie. I know you still have feelings for Jake. One thing I can do now if read minds—like a Leeran. Oh, man, do you remember our adventure with those psychic frogs? Well, anyway, I'm really, really, really sorry, but I couldn't help it. I had to know if you still loved him. And you do."
My best friend looked like she wanted to punch me, but obviously she couldn't—her fist would pretty much slide right through me. Then her face softened, and she suddenly burst into tears. She sobbed, "I didn't realize it . . . but you're right. I love Jake still!"
I didn't know what to do. I wanted to hug her but I wasn't able to. Instead I walked over to the bedside table and grabbed a box of tissues. I was very annoyed because although I could touch, pick up, and hold material, non-living things and they wouldn't go through me, I would be like air to anything alive. Usually this didn't bother me at all, but here on Earth I was steaming mad.
"Cassie, I am so sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry . . . but at least you realize that you have to get back with Jake. Tell you what, I'll bring him back to Earth right now. With silly old Marco . . . and Tobias. I hear they're looking for Ax or something?"
"Oh, no! I don't think you should! Jake probably doesn't love me anymore!"
"Don't be silly. Well, let me sort through HIS thoughts and find out." I focused on Jake's image and name. Then I established a mental link with him, making it easy to find any specific thoughts about Cassie. This wasn't too hard—his most recent thoughts were, "Goodbye, Cassie. I love you." Wait a minute—"Goodbye, Cassie"?!
"Cassie, I'll be back," I called as I transported myself to what I like to call Command Central. It's where Toomin and I can keep an eye on all the strands of space-time. I found Jake, Tobias, and Marco and removed them from wherever they had been—I wasn't paying a lot of attention to the name of their location—and put them in Cassie's hotel room. In a flash, I transported myself there as well. I nearly jumped when I realized Ax was there as well.
"What? Where are we? Cassie?" mumbled Jake. The three boys—or were they men now?—and Ax in his normal Andalite form had their backs to me. Marco was the first to turn around, but only after Ax's stalk eyes spotted me. Ax said, What is going on?
"Xena?!" Marco exclaimed. "Dude, life just gets weirder and weirder!"
Jake and Tobias spun around.
Tobias looked as though a feather could knock him over. After what seemed like a full minute, he regained his composure. "Rachel!" he cried, running over to me. He embraced me, kissing me tenderly. "What are we all doing here? You're not dead!" He looked as though he would begin dancing any minute. But how could he touch me?