Once We Were Five
AN: I got this idea whie reading my printed copy of an e-mail forward I got that really touched my heart. Just say Tobias is human and Animorphs ended differently, with no deaths and they can't morph anymore. This takes place almost when the Anis are 16. The forward bits and pieces are between asteriks.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own this forward (I've long since forgotten its title) and I do not own Animorphs.
NOTE: the first part is through the griever's eyes. You'll have to find out who after. Then it goes to 3rd person and you find out who died, who killed them and who the griever is. And forgive me my choice in cars, I am no automobile person.
*Near to the door
He paused to stand
As he took his class ring
Off her hand
All who were watching
Did not speak
As a silent tear
Ran down his cheek*
The only thought in my mind was 'Why?' Why did he do it? Was he aware that this would happen when he did it?
*And through his mind
The memories ran
Of the moments they walked
And ran in the sand (hand in hand)*
The last time I saw her, she was laughing and beautiful, as always. It was the afternoon before the dance and she was driving home by herself.
I should have gone with her. I keep thinking I should have gone with her. Everybody keeps telling me "It would have done you no good to have been killed with her, would it?" I know they're right, but it doesn't help anymore than it does knowing who it was that was responsible for her death.
*But now her eyes were so terribly cold
For he would never again
Have her to hold*
She's gone now. And all because he decided to have a few too many. And he only had one. The light of love in my life is gone, snuffed out by the crash of windshields and crunch of cars.
*They watched in silence
As he bent near
And whispered the words
"I LOVE YOU" in her ear*
I did. I truly did love her. Ask anybody. They would tell you that she and I, we were meant to be. She was there when I needed her the most and I never left her side.
*He touched her face and started to cry
As he put on his ring and wanted to die*
I don't think I can handle this pain anymore. I've felt pain, but nothing like this.
I've nearly died a couple million times from pain of all sorts. I've been through pain, believe me. But this pain, this grief, it takes the cake. It's deeper than I could have ever imagined.
*And just then the wind started to blow
As they lowered her casket
Into the snow...*
Oh, god, the wind's picked up again. The pain is welcoming, the snow stinging my cheeks and burning them, it feels, to a crisp.
Just what I'd like to do to her killer... if I knew who it was. But she's disappearing, going down beneath 6 feet of earth and snow, and I'm being left without her.
*This is what happens
To man alive...
When friends let friends...
Drink and drive.*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It had all started just a week ago, maybe. The winter dance was that night and all the Animorphs were excited, except poor Marco, who didn't have a date, and Tobias, who wasn't too keen on dances (he just went to them for Rachel's sake) and who hadn't shown up at school that day, any how. Rachel claimed he'd said he had been under the weather, but Jake and Cassie thought elsewise. Marco just plain didn't care.
"I can't believe this!" Marco said as the group was walking in the parking lot on their ways to their cars that afternoon. Even if Tobias had been at school, he wouldn't have been there with them because he didn't have a car. A license, (and a debt the size of the Americas, trying to pay off Drivers Ed., the 2 tests that went along with it, and the licensing), but no car. "Why can't I get a date for one stinking dance?"
Jake sighed and said "Beats me Marco. Now would you just shut up about it?"
Marco shut up and sulked as he threw his Chevette into gear and roared out of the parking lot.
"What's with him?" Rachel asked, while laughing, as she opened the door to the van that her mother had let her borrow for today. She bade Jake and Cassie goodbye and then she too left the lot.
"See you tonight, Cass." Jake said, hugging her tightly before releasing her to the pick-up she wangled out of her father. She too left in a hurry and disappeared around the corner...
And out of the Animorphs' lives forever.
It was 6:30, 15 minutes before Jake was supposed to go pick up the girls and Tobias, when the phone rang. He threw his suit on the bed and howled in frustration, and Tom yelled up the stairs "Yo, Jake! It's for you!"
Jake picked up his extension gratefully and said "Hello?"
"Jake?" It was Tobias, sounding crackly and faint, but that was because he had a cheapo cell. "It's me."
"Man, where are you?" Jake demanded, hearing screams and intercoms and beeps and sirens and sobbing that was suspiciously close.
"Highway." Tobias said regretfully. "Jake, there was a car accident. Cassie's in real bad shape."
In a split second, Jake was off the phone, down the stairs and out the driveway, explaining quickly what the problem was to his parents along the way. He had agreed to meet Tobias and Rachel at the hospital. He attempted to catch Marco on his cell, but the line was 'temporarily out of order'.
10 minutes later, he reached the hospital same time as the ambulance. Rachel and Tobias were already inside, Tobias' usually bright blue-green eyes darkened, not only because of the black eye and bruises around his face and Rachel hidden in his arms, the right wrist Ace bandaged. "Tobias? Rach?" Rachel looked up at Jake. Jake saw her tearstained face and red eyes, and didn't feel in the least bit relieved.
The stretcher came in like a flash and Jake was by the side in the same amount of time. The paramedics and doctors shoved him away and he glared at them, then reluctantly joined Rachel and Tobias in the waiting room for a long while.
"How in the world did you get here, anyhow?" Jake asked Tobias finally.
"I, uh, kind of, uh, took my uncle's car." Tobias said sheepishly. "Without him knowing."
"You STOLE your uncle's car?" Jake asked incredulously, but quietly.
"I prefer the term 'taking without planning to return'. And besides, I would have had to return it anyhow. So really, it isn't STEALING, per say." Tobias answered, wincing and flinching as Rachel grabbed his bad wrist when a doctor emerged from the Trauma room. "Johanson?"
Jake, Rachel, and Tobias stood up, just as Cassie's parents came in. "What's going on, Jake?" Michelle asked. Jake shook his head. "That's what we're about to find out."
The doctor led them into a small room, and closed the door.
Now it was the 23rd of December, Cassie's funeral. The past week was filled with cops, and well-meaning people. Cops especially in Tobias' case. For reasons unknown to the teens, they seemed to suspect him of being the one who killed Cassie.
Rachel and Jake were both numb, as if time had frozen them. Marco drank himself into oblivion and Tobias never came to school, which Marco did for a few days and Jake and Rachel for the memorial service. Rachel suspected that between the media and the cops, Tobias couldn't even breathe without being peppered with questions. Jake, however, just held a grudge against the Red Baron.
Tobias was frustrated to the extremes of his nerves. Why would he kill Cassie? Deep in his heart, he knew who had killed Cassie, but if he told Jake, Jake would blow him off, and if he told Rachel, Rachel would go after the real killer.
He had wanted to go to the memorial service and the funeral, but police had placed him under house arrest. He had tried to explain it to Jake, but he hung up on Tobias. Marco was simply too drunk to understand. Rachel was a bit more compassionate, but Tobias knew that she too would move away from him. Everybody did.
Nobody had ever really trusted him, besides the Animorphs, but Tobias could feel the hatred beginning to grow in Jake's heart for him. Marco was never sober, so he really couldn't tell what Marco was feeling. Rachel... Tobias didn't want to think about how she would feel right now...
The funeral was a windy day, outside and with quite a few people. Rachel knew there was something Tobias wasn't telling her, and it was eating away at her.
After the funeral ended, Rachel and Jake were in his car on the way home when Marco's now familiar slurred voice was on the cell when Jake answerd it ring. "Hey, Jake. Got thome newth fow you."
"Have you been drinking again?" Jake asked, with a more of an underquestion being "How much did you have this time?"
"Doethent mattew. Anywayth, Tobiath is awethted thith mowning."
"WHAT!?" Rachel shrieked from her eavesdropping spot next to Jake.
"Yep. The copth thaid he wath guilty." Marco said. Then he hung up.
Rachel and Jake stared at each other for a good long time. Then Jake threw the car into life and zoomed out of the farm as fast as he could with the speed limit restricting. Rachel was quaking in terror. She couldn't handle another loss.
Marco sat back down on his bed and cackled away in glee. He took one last swig on his beer and cackled some more. "Thay goodbye, Tobiath. They'll nevew believe you. You'll get the death thentethe and then I can be fwee!"
****************************************************************************
AN: yes, I know, I know, it's evil of me to leave you hanging like that. If I get some good reviews on this one, I'll be making the sequel. And FYI: Marco's drunk language is his R is now a W and and his S is now TH.
AN: I got this idea whie reading my printed copy of an e-mail forward I got that really touched my heart. Just say Tobias is human and Animorphs ended differently, with no deaths and they can't morph anymore. This takes place almost when the Anis are 16. The forward bits and pieces are between asteriks.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own this forward (I've long since forgotten its title) and I do not own Animorphs.
NOTE: the first part is through the griever's eyes. You'll have to find out who after. Then it goes to 3rd person and you find out who died, who killed them and who the griever is. And forgive me my choice in cars, I am no automobile person.
*Near to the door
He paused to stand
As he took his class ring
Off her hand
All who were watching
Did not speak
As a silent tear
Ran down his cheek*
The only thought in my mind was 'Why?' Why did he do it? Was he aware that this would happen when he did it?
*And through his mind
The memories ran
Of the moments they walked
And ran in the sand (hand in hand)*
The last time I saw her, she was laughing and beautiful, as always. It was the afternoon before the dance and she was driving home by herself.
I should have gone with her. I keep thinking I should have gone with her. Everybody keeps telling me "It would have done you no good to have been killed with her, would it?" I know they're right, but it doesn't help anymore than it does knowing who it was that was responsible for her death.
*But now her eyes were so terribly cold
For he would never again
Have her to hold*
She's gone now. And all because he decided to have a few too many. And he only had one. The light of love in my life is gone, snuffed out by the crash of windshields and crunch of cars.
*They watched in silence
As he bent near
And whispered the words
"I LOVE YOU" in her ear*
I did. I truly did love her. Ask anybody. They would tell you that she and I, we were meant to be. She was there when I needed her the most and I never left her side.
*He touched her face and started to cry
As he put on his ring and wanted to die*
I don't think I can handle this pain anymore. I've felt pain, but nothing like this.
I've nearly died a couple million times from pain of all sorts. I've been through pain, believe me. But this pain, this grief, it takes the cake. It's deeper than I could have ever imagined.
*And just then the wind started to blow
As they lowered her casket
Into the snow...*
Oh, god, the wind's picked up again. The pain is welcoming, the snow stinging my cheeks and burning them, it feels, to a crisp.
Just what I'd like to do to her killer... if I knew who it was. But she's disappearing, going down beneath 6 feet of earth and snow, and I'm being left without her.
*This is what happens
To man alive...
When friends let friends...
Drink and drive.*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It had all started just a week ago, maybe. The winter dance was that night and all the Animorphs were excited, except poor Marco, who didn't have a date, and Tobias, who wasn't too keen on dances (he just went to them for Rachel's sake) and who hadn't shown up at school that day, any how. Rachel claimed he'd said he had been under the weather, but Jake and Cassie thought elsewise. Marco just plain didn't care.
"I can't believe this!" Marco said as the group was walking in the parking lot on their ways to their cars that afternoon. Even if Tobias had been at school, he wouldn't have been there with them because he didn't have a car. A license, (and a debt the size of the Americas, trying to pay off Drivers Ed., the 2 tests that went along with it, and the licensing), but no car. "Why can't I get a date for one stinking dance?"
Jake sighed and said "Beats me Marco. Now would you just shut up about it?"
Marco shut up and sulked as he threw his Chevette into gear and roared out of the parking lot.
"What's with him?" Rachel asked, while laughing, as she opened the door to the van that her mother had let her borrow for today. She bade Jake and Cassie goodbye and then she too left the lot.
"See you tonight, Cass." Jake said, hugging her tightly before releasing her to the pick-up she wangled out of her father. She too left in a hurry and disappeared around the corner...
And out of the Animorphs' lives forever.
It was 6:30, 15 minutes before Jake was supposed to go pick up the girls and Tobias, when the phone rang. He threw his suit on the bed and howled in frustration, and Tom yelled up the stairs "Yo, Jake! It's for you!"
Jake picked up his extension gratefully and said "Hello?"
"Jake?" It was Tobias, sounding crackly and faint, but that was because he had a cheapo cell. "It's me."
"Man, where are you?" Jake demanded, hearing screams and intercoms and beeps and sirens and sobbing that was suspiciously close.
"Highway." Tobias said regretfully. "Jake, there was a car accident. Cassie's in real bad shape."
In a split second, Jake was off the phone, down the stairs and out the driveway, explaining quickly what the problem was to his parents along the way. He had agreed to meet Tobias and Rachel at the hospital. He attempted to catch Marco on his cell, but the line was 'temporarily out of order'.
10 minutes later, he reached the hospital same time as the ambulance. Rachel and Tobias were already inside, Tobias' usually bright blue-green eyes darkened, not only because of the black eye and bruises around his face and Rachel hidden in his arms, the right wrist Ace bandaged. "Tobias? Rach?" Rachel looked up at Jake. Jake saw her tearstained face and red eyes, and didn't feel in the least bit relieved.
The stretcher came in like a flash and Jake was by the side in the same amount of time. The paramedics and doctors shoved him away and he glared at them, then reluctantly joined Rachel and Tobias in the waiting room for a long while.
"How in the world did you get here, anyhow?" Jake asked Tobias finally.
"I, uh, kind of, uh, took my uncle's car." Tobias said sheepishly. "Without him knowing."
"You STOLE your uncle's car?" Jake asked incredulously, but quietly.
"I prefer the term 'taking without planning to return'. And besides, I would have had to return it anyhow. So really, it isn't STEALING, per say." Tobias answered, wincing and flinching as Rachel grabbed his bad wrist when a doctor emerged from the Trauma room. "Johanson?"
Jake, Rachel, and Tobias stood up, just as Cassie's parents came in. "What's going on, Jake?" Michelle asked. Jake shook his head. "That's what we're about to find out."
The doctor led them into a small room, and closed the door.
Now it was the 23rd of December, Cassie's funeral. The past week was filled with cops, and well-meaning people. Cops especially in Tobias' case. For reasons unknown to the teens, they seemed to suspect him of being the one who killed Cassie.
Rachel and Jake were both numb, as if time had frozen them. Marco drank himself into oblivion and Tobias never came to school, which Marco did for a few days and Jake and Rachel for the memorial service. Rachel suspected that between the media and the cops, Tobias couldn't even breathe without being peppered with questions. Jake, however, just held a grudge against the Red Baron.
Tobias was frustrated to the extremes of his nerves. Why would he kill Cassie? Deep in his heart, he knew who had killed Cassie, but if he told Jake, Jake would blow him off, and if he told Rachel, Rachel would go after the real killer.
He had wanted to go to the memorial service and the funeral, but police had placed him under house arrest. He had tried to explain it to Jake, but he hung up on Tobias. Marco was simply too drunk to understand. Rachel was a bit more compassionate, but Tobias knew that she too would move away from him. Everybody did.
Nobody had ever really trusted him, besides the Animorphs, but Tobias could feel the hatred beginning to grow in Jake's heart for him. Marco was never sober, so he really couldn't tell what Marco was feeling. Rachel... Tobias didn't want to think about how she would feel right now...
The funeral was a windy day, outside and with quite a few people. Rachel knew there was something Tobias wasn't telling her, and it was eating away at her.
After the funeral ended, Rachel and Jake were in his car on the way home when Marco's now familiar slurred voice was on the cell when Jake answerd it ring. "Hey, Jake. Got thome newth fow you."
"Have you been drinking again?" Jake asked, with a more of an underquestion being "How much did you have this time?"
"Doethent mattew. Anywayth, Tobiath is awethted thith mowning."
"WHAT!?" Rachel shrieked from her eavesdropping spot next to Jake.
"Yep. The copth thaid he wath guilty." Marco said. Then he hung up.
Rachel and Jake stared at each other for a good long time. Then Jake threw the car into life and zoomed out of the farm as fast as he could with the speed limit restricting. Rachel was quaking in terror. She couldn't handle another loss.
Marco sat back down on his bed and cackled away in glee. He took one last swig on his beer and cackled some more. "Thay goodbye, Tobiath. They'll nevew believe you. You'll get the death thentethe and then I can be fwee!"
****************************************************************************
AN: yes, I know, I know, it's evil of me to leave you hanging like that. If I get some good reviews on this one, I'll be making the sequel. And FYI: Marco's drunk language is his R is now a W and and his S is now TH.