So, after planning out what we were going to do the next day, everyone went to sleep. Tobias slept on the bed, I slept on the couch, and lucky Jake and Cassie got to sleep together since neither of them wanted to sleep on the floor. I don't think it was the floor that made them want to sleep together.

"Jake, you're not going to do anything to Cassie, right? I mean, I don't want to hear--"

"Marco, just go to sleep," Jake yelled in the dark.

"But honestly. I don't think we want Cassie to become pregnant."

"I won't," she said sternly. "Now get to sleep, we have plenty to do tomorrow."

I shuffled under my blankets trying to make the couch more comfortable. It was comfortable to sit in but it lacked comfort when you're trying to sleep on it.

I stared at the darkness over my head, hearing Jake and Cassie whisper to each other. They were talking about the old days. At least they weren't sweet talking to each other. Otherwise, I'd drag myself out in the hallway and sleep there instead.

Their voices droned off and I thought over what was happening in the future. I kept thinking of what could happen to us when the Titanic sunk. My eyes grew tired and I closed them. Next thing I knew, I was asleep, still hearing Cassie and Jake whispering about how they missed going to the barn, dancing at the dance, fighting along with each other, their first kiss, thinking that Chapman was the dullest vice-principal, and how they missed being ordinary kids.

*

Someone was shaking me. I had a dream that I could hardly remember. I saw the Titanic on the water and a Yeerk blade ship over it. There was a close-up of Rachel swatting it away. Then I opened my eyes and saw Jake over me. He looked tired and his eyes were all puffy.

"Come on, Marco. Get up, it's 7:30."

I lied there for a moment and Jake left to wash his face in the sink. Cassie was changing behind some screens she found under the bed. They were basically just boards.

I sat up, rubbed my eyes, stretched out my hands, and yawned. I got up and shook my arms. They were stiff and I couldn't feel my left arm. I think I was sleeping on it. I saw Tobias on the bed, reading the pamphlet.

"So, bird-boy, you think you ready for today's challenge?" I said, grabbing a towel from the table. I washed it when Jake had finished using the sink and washed my face with it. It felt icey cool.

"I'm kind of nervous."

I glanced at the mirror to see Tobias's reflection. He was still looking down at the pamphlet. At that moment, he looked older. I could see all the fights wear down his physical features. It felt strange, like I was approached with a new, wiser Tobias. I think he learned more from the war than I did.

"Nervous? Why?" said Cassie behind the screen.

"Eh... Just meeting Rachel again. You know, after she died."

Cassie half-laughed. "Yeah, I know what you mean." She got out and sat down on the bed and started to pick at her nails. She was wearing one of my tee shirts and Jake's shorts. We forgot to get her some clothes.

"Oh, Tobias, uh, when you meet Rachel and revise her mind and everything, can you ask her for some clothes for Cas?" I asked, rinsing the towel.

"Sure."

Jake sat down on the couch, put his hands behind his head and heaved off a deep sigh. It would be hard to lead a group like this. I don't know how Jake can handle it. I would've probably committed suicide. It seems like there's so much pressure. I don't think Jake could've handled it if Cassie wasn't there.

There was a short line of silence. I put my towel away and Jake said, "Let's go outside... It's boring in here."

We all nodded, got up, and walked out. I put my pocket watch in the jacket. Cassie and Jake linked arms. They look right together. They're like tomato sauce and spaghetti. I couldn't picture either of them with someone else in their arms.

We walked around and explored the rest of the Titanic. It was pretty big and tiring to walk around the decks. We walked and talked for 30 minutes. We mostly talked about the old days. None of us ever talked about the sinking even though we were probably thinking of it every minute of every hour of every day. I really wished Ellimist didn't pick the Titanic. I mean, what if we died?

"Remember when we first found Ax?" said Cassie, walking and leaning against Jake. It was pretty cold and I wish I had someone to lean against for some body heat.

"I never mentioned this 'cause I always thought it was kind of stupid... But I kinda felt a six sense thing about Ax. I just sort of knew that somehow, we were going to cling. Of course, we would have to someday. I didn't really know what to think of him the first time I saw him. I mean, you know, he was an Andalite. I was hoping that he could get the other Andalites over to earth to whoop the Yeerks' ass."

"We all did," said Jake. Jake nodded to me. "What time is it?"

I flipped out the shiny pocket watch and opened it. "Almost time to eat. We should get going, then Tobias, you can get Rachel and Ax."

"All right."

I closed the watch and stuffed it back in my jacket. We all walked to the dining room. It wasn't as elegant as first-class but it wasn't as poor as third-class. A man with a small tuba stepped onto the deck and blew out a tune. More people started walking to the dining room. All of us guys were dressed half neat. Tobias was wearing a tuxedo's jacket, I was wearing the pants of that tuxedo, and Jake was the only one fully dressed. Cassie looked out of place, though. We all sat in a table next to the window. I sat next to Tobias. The stewards served us our breakfasts, eggs, tea, coffee, bacon, and scones. It was pretty good, but I miss pancakes and cereal.

All of us ate in silence as the quintet played a soft song that suit the morning's atmosphere. After we were done, we left quickly and headed off towards one of the gates that separated first-class from second-class. I don't know why we were all so quiet. I didn't feel like talking this morning. I guess everyone was thinking to themselves like I was. I kept thinking what was going to happen after this. The next few days seem like they're going to fly by really fast. And besides, this ship's sinking and I'm not sure if we're going to live. I've fought the Yeerks for three years... There was always a chance that I would survive when I fought the Yeerks. Now I'm on the Titanic and there's no chance that I could survive. We can't change the past, even though it's a lesson. We can't risk changing the future. You never know what's going to happen. Sometimes I wish serendipity is true, so that whatever we do in the past, the future won't change.

We reached the gate and started to hang around it like a gang of teenagers. We still didn't talk, but glanced at each other. Nobody was around, since they were probably eating breakfast. Tobias started to take off his loose clothes and gave them to Cassie. He morphed into a mouse, ran across the gate, demorphed, and Cassie handed him his clothes.

"Good luck," she said.

He smiled. I don't know what kind of smile it was. It could be a smile that was full of hope or it could be one that was skeptical of his luck.

*

"We should've gone with him," I said. It was an hour after Tobias left and we were sitting on a bench on the deck.

"I don't know. Maybe Rachel and Ax wouldn't have their minds refreshed if we were there," said Jake.

I flipped the cards that I took from the second-class library. They had a library on the ship with games and cards. The librarian said I could bring the cards out only if I don't get them lost, otherwise I'd have to pay for them. I randomly pulled a card from the deck. Ace of spades.

"Jake, what are we going to do tomorrow night?" asked Cassie.

Jake overlooked out on the sea. There was nothing to look at except for the waters, the sky, and the clouds. There weren't any birds or anything. Not a string of land on the horizon. But still, it looked pretty. It's kind of hard to imagine that there's something deadly like an iceberg on this calm ocean.

Jake looked at Cassie. He had his arm around her. I guess it was cold. He said, "I don't know, Cas... But whatever's going to happen, we're going to go down together." He looked at me. "And I mean everyone."

"I know, Jake. I know."

"Maybe this is how the Ellimist wants us to die."

I looked at Cassie. "What do you mean?"

"Maybe this is a better way for us to die than in the present. We can die without Yeerks and the troubles."

I leaned back and thought that over. What if she was right? What if it was best for us if we died having time for ourselves?

Hey, can you guys hear me? It's me, Tobias and I've got Rachel and Ax here.

Cassie?! That was Rachel.

All three of us got up and briskly walked over to the same gate we were at earlier. There were three insects on the wall. We let a few people pass us.

"Coast is clear, you guys," said Jake.

They crawled across the gate and demorphed. I saw Rachel and Ax. I didn't know how to respond to seeing Rachel alive and kicking. I tried giving her a hug but she pushed me away.

"Don't even try, Marco. I know I died but you still can't touch me."

I smiled. She was still Rachel.

"It is a pleasure to see you all well and alive," said Ax. He was in human morph but that was good. We don't want him walking around as an Andalite. But when the ship sinks, I don't know if he wants to die as an Andalite. He should. "Pleasure. Pleh suuure. I like that word. I will add that to my list of favorite human words."

All of us half-laughed. Tobias stood next to Rachel. Rachel looked at Cassie and Cassie was looking at Rachel. They both looked like they were about to cry and at the same time, they reached out to each other and hugged.

"I thought I'd never see my best friend again," said Cassie.

"Me either," said Rachel. They sounded like they were about to cry.

While the two were happily enjoying their reunion, I said to Ax, "So, Ax, how's third-class?"

Ax cocked his head to the left. "Third-class?" He squinted his eyes like he was thinking and said, "Ah, you mean the lowest class of society on this ship. I must say indeed that they are poorly deprived of such riches as first-class. It is quite amazing that humans treat each other like one is more superior than the other. It is quite upsetting to see something like that exist in such an interesting species."

Phew. We got Ax back.

Rachel and Cassie stopped hugging. Rachel said, "So, what are we going to do now?"

Everyone looked at Jake. "Well, we can stay here for a while."

Rachel's eyes widened. "Oh, yeah! Here, Cas, some clothes for you." Rachel took some clothes from underneath her morphing clothes, which were just some tight shirt and a pair of plain pants. Cassie took them.

"Thanks... I'm starting to smell like a guy." She smiled.

"What? You don't like my cologne? It attracts females, i.e. hot women, that are weak to sensible smells such as my cologne."

Everyone except Ax snorted at me. Ax leaned towards me and sniffed. He flung his head back.

"You are mistaken, Marco. That 'cologne' of yours is not a sensible smell... It is, as I learned from the many years on this planet, 'body odor.'"

That got everyone cracking up and I grinned at Ax. I admit, that was funny even though he dissed me pretty bad... I'll let him go on that. I don't want to know if Ax has a body odor.

"Did you guys eat yet?" asked Jake.

"We already did," said Cassie.

"Ooo... Where is the dining area? My stomach feels empty." That was Ax, obviously.

"Well, we can let Ax eat with Rachel," said Jake.

"I can come too," said Tobias. "I don't think one person, even Rachel, can handle Ax eating. You never know..."

I pictured Ax stuffing his face full of food, wrestling his plate from the steward, drinking gulp after gulp of milk or orange juice, and going hyper from all the sugar-coated donuts.

Yep, we definitely need more than one person to handle him.

"I believe that my eating habits have calmed down to a manageable manner. I have not been so... what's that word..."

"Ravaging?" guessed Tobias.

"Yes, ravaging. I have not been so ravaging with food lately. As I have found out that it is better to hide your true identity with human manners."

"So no burping, farting, pigging out, and going hyper from the sugar," I insisted.

"I have learned to keep all those from exposing themselves."

I nodded.

Cassie was holding back a laugh. I gave her a glance and she laughed.

"What's so funny?" asked Jake.

Cassie said through her laughs, "Oh... just picturing Ax burping and farting..."

Everyone was grossing out, excluding Ax, who was laughing.

:::

Okay, so I'm FINALLY done with Chapter 5! Sorry for the long wait! I was updating my site with a new layout... Anyway, in the next few chapters, I'm gonna give the Animorphs some fun. =) Also, I'd like some ideas! I think I'm gaining writer's block so give me some ideas, please. Wouldn't it be nice to see your idea in a story? And not just any story, MY story. *wink* Have a nice day. =)