Hey peoples, thanx so much for reviewing, everyone! So happy, got SEVEN, that's right peoples SEVEN, reviews! But more about that later.

Oh and I forgot to add a disclaimer last time so here goes:

I do not, nor pretend to, own any, or all, of Animorphs *kinda wish I did but still* therefore pleez do NOT sue as I only own the plot of The Start and so on.

And I have a confession to make I just realised that Rachel has been dead for THREE years and not one. I've changed it in this chap and I will change it in the last chapter, soon, I hope. This next chapter is assuming that Cassie doesn't stay on Earth for long

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Chapter 2 Cassie's POV

"Ronnie, I can not believe you,", I exclaimed. I wanted to go after Jake, Marco, Tobias and the others who had left- or should I say disappeared, yesterday.

"Cass, it's too dangerous, I don't want what happened to Rachel to happen to you" he responded. That saddened me, my best friend Rachel had died defeating the Yeerks, then anger took over strengthening my own resolve to go, how dare he try to use guilt against me?

"Ronnie, three years or so ago I did this sort of thing all the time-"

"But three years or so ago, you had no choice, three years or so you were an Animorph" he cut in and said. That really annoyed me.

" I am still an Animorph, and I am going after the others no matter what you do or say" Whoa, that had been quite a speech, but I meant it, and Ronnie could tell by my tone that it was useless to argue and he understood.

" So they mean more to you than I do, right?" he half-asked, in a bitterly sad voice, though he already knew the answer.

"They were my friends for years and they saved my life countless times, I can't just let them go without me" I said softly, though a fair bit sadly, knowing full well what would happen.

" It's over then, isn't it?" he said more than asked.

"Yes-"

ZAP!

"- it's over Ronnie" I finished, just noticing that I had been transported away. Darn, that Ellimist, he always had the perfect timing to jerk us away right in the middle of something important. Hmmm... I seemed to be on a space ship of some sort, but before I could make a more detailed evaluation, I heard a voice ring from behind me, a voice that I knew, a voice from my past, the voice of one who could not possibly be alive...

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should I leave it like that? Hee hee hee. Nah, I'm not THAT slack- I don't think, no smart comments ANYONE. But then again the first chap kinda gives the surprise away * sigh* why did I have to post that chap first? oh well back to the show- or story in this case.

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"So who is this Ronnie guy, and why were you talking to Ronnie and not to Jake?" Rachel asked. Rachel?

It was RACHEL! I was so sure of this that, without turning around to make sure it was her, I spun around and hugged her.

"Cassie, stop strangling me already" she managed to mumble hoarsely. Letting go, I asked her what she was doing here and what was going on, my mind blown away with sheer happiness. She had not changed a bit since I last saw her which was what? Three years ago.

"I asked first, so you should answer first," she responded, she was still the same Rachel I had known so giving in, I said

"Well, Jake was feeling so guilty after..., you know...", I didn't want to say 'you died' it just didn't seem right. Fortunately, I didn't have to, she knew.

"... I died, I know. But what happened then? 'Cause the Ellimist didn't fill me in properly, but then again he never does. Though he does have good reasons, of that you can always be sure", she continued. The Ellimist? That didn't surprise me but I wondered what he was up to. Rachel, pretty much reading my mind, as per usual went on to say,

" Don't look at me for the answers, he just told me I could be alive again if I came on this spaceship. Oh and by the way, he also mentioned a mission and saving the others butts (sp?)", she began to smile broadly.

"They cannot stay out of trouble without us, eh?", then with a grin, she added "and after this is all over we are so totally going shopping. L.L. Bean? At least your style isn't poop-covered overalls anymore, but it could still use some work. Oh man, Can't believe it's been THREE years since I last shopped! Three years! But still what's been happening over the past few years?" she questioned, turning serious again.

Where to start explaining? I decided to start with Marco's fate since that would shock her so much she wouldn't bawl me out over what happened to Tobias and Jake.

"Um.... Marco is a movie star-" I began but Rachel cut me off.

"WHAT!!! Marco a MOVIE STAR," she exclaimed.

"Yeah", I said grinning at her expression of total and complete amazement.

"Okaaaay then. Back to reality, here, what happened between you and Jake? And what about Tobias?" she said the last bit almost casually but I could tell she really wanted to find out about his fate. So I decided to tease her a bit.

Well your boyfriend is ok, but I have a feeling Marco is so gonna lose his lunch when you and Tobias 'reunite'" I finished, watching her blush a shade of crimson that I had never thought she could go- the shade of embarrassment, not anger.

"Well what about you and Jake, huh?" a change of subject, a sure sigh of embarrassment, but she did want to find out what had happened to us.

"He's a professor of morphing technology at an army run school, kinda ironic in a way, seeing as we didn't even formally graduate high school. And I am the Special Assistant to the President for Resident Aliens- I'm on the Presidents sub cabinet. I manage the National Parks and stuff. Is that what you wanted to know?" I answered. Annoyed she responded

"No I mean between you two, you know" she began awkwardly.

"There is nothing between us. In fact I went out with Ronnie Chambers. I just broke up with him to come after the others at any rate. So do we have to fly this ship or what?" I asked, ready to focus on matters at hand.

"Nah, it's all taken care of, there's a beam weapon of some sort, but it just shoves stuff, or pulls stuff closer or away without destroying it" Rachel explained almost crossly.

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That's it for now, peoples. Don't worry, I'll have the next chapter up soon hopefully 2 morrow.

To all who reviewed - course there'll be plenty of C/J and R/T hopeless at fluff but hopefully I'll get some help from friends * grins hopefully at Barbie and Tweetz * and anonymous those are just nicknames for some friends.

Pleez review!

cya all, nith