Author's Note: Sorry this took so long, I guess I got...well...preoccupied with family matters. It's a long story. But here we go, chapter 7! I hope you guys like it! And yes, this voice is gonna do some damage. But I ain't revealin' nothin' yet! I just figured something out -- I hate coffee, but almost everybody in this story seems to drink it. Weird, huh?
I just thought I'd mention something Jake says in this chapter -- I do think that Jake and Cassie probably did stay good friends after they broke up. That might be naive of me, but still, that's my opinion. Just thought I'd mention that so no one gets confused. There is a lack of Ax in this chapter, and I'm sorry, I'll make up for it next time!

Marco screamed and fell out of his bed, a failed attempt at trying to reach the snooze button.
What time was it, anyway? The red digits on his alarm clock seemed to be glaring back at him, and shouting, "It's 9:45. Get up! Get up or I'll sick a poodle on you! I mean it!"
So Marco got up. He knew there was something important about it almost being ten, but he couldn't exactly remember what. In the meantime, he decided finding a pair of pants would probably be a good idea.

Five minutes two cups of coffee later, and now with a shirt on, Marco heard a faint ringing somewhere far from the living room (where he was busy downing his third cup of coffee). So he put his coffee mug down on top of the TV and went his merry, sluggish way to the phone.
When he picked up the receiver, he heard Jake's voice. And he also felt any sleepiness he still had go away, replaced with a slight fear of his best friend. "Marco, where have you been?" The former leader of the Animorphs asked. Nobody could ignore how pissed Jake sounded at that moment. Especially not poor Marco. He gulped.
"What d'you mean, big guy? I haven't left town or anything." Marco asked, his voice sounding strangely little.
"Marco, if you haven't left town, why didn't you answer any of my calls?" Jake asked calmly.
"Wait a sec...you left me calls? Oh crap! I haven't checked my messages!" Marco freaked out.
"Guess that answers my question." Jake muttered. Marco didn't hear him, though, because he'd practically leaped on the answering machine to play back his messages over the last three days. In his excitement, he'd dropped the phone.
There were two messages from Jake, one saying that he was sorry he hadn't gotten Marco and he'd call back some other time. The other one was asked what the heck was he up to, was he out partying or something? And if so, Jake reminded Marco that he could get Cassie to hound him for weeks about it.
"Marco? Marco, you there? Marco!" Jake growled, and Marco picked up his phone again. "Sorry." Marco said.
"You should be. Well, I called you to remind you that you, Cassie, and me have an interview with Time today. In about fifteen minutes." Jake told Marco.
"Jake, you've gotta be kidding me!" Marco shouted into the receiver. "I'm not even dressed yet!"
"No joke, so get down here. Lucky you, they probably won't mind too much if you show up late." Jake told Marco. "And Marco? Tell me what you were up to this weekend when you get here!" Jake added, almost laughing. Then he hung up, leaving Marco to get himself decent and to where he needed to be as quick as possible.
All Marco could think was, Tell you what I've been up to? Jake, I'm not sure you want to know.

It didn't take long for Marco to get to the office where the interview was being conducted, even though he had to call Jake again to know where the heck it was. After throwing on a pair of sneakers, grabbing his cell just in case, and breaking the world record for putting on deodorant and brushing your teeth at the same time, Marco was out of the door and speeding like a demon. He was about fifteen minutes late.
And now he was looking at a slightly peeved Jake, a relieved Cassie, and...a familiar looking young bluehead.
"Glad you decided to show up, mon ami." Tilopid said, barely hiding a smirk. Both Jake and Cassie looked over at Tilopid, then back at Marco, and then back again to their freaky blue-haired reporter. "You know her?"
"We've met." Tilopid said, grinning the most evil grin Marco had ever seen. He felt himself break into a sweat thinking about the tons of questions that she could ask him, questions that could ruin his career, questions she would of course ask.
Jake gave Marco a look that clearly said "Explain!" and Cassie shot him a questioning and slightly worried glance.
"I'll explain later." Marco said, shooting Tilopid a glare to punctuate his point. She smiled mischievously.
"Of course. I'll try to stay out of your private lives as much as possible." She told the three ex-Animorphs.
"Now, let the games begin!" Tilopid shouted. Then she pulled out her pen and a pad of paper and started to ask.

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After about twenty minutes of questions ranging from what their favorite color was to matters of outerspace trade, the interview was over. True to her word, Tilopid had avoided getting to any of the Animorphs' personal lives too much. She did ask some questions about their love lives -- whom were they dating, for example. That one got her a very noticeable scowl from Marco. Both Tilopid and Cassie had to contain their giggles, and Jake just looked like he wished he knew what the heck everyone else knew. Then since Marco said he wasn't dating anyone (which was sort of true -- neither he or Ax had actually said they were dating yet), Tilopid decided to ask if he had any romantic interests.
Then Cassie really did stifle a laugh, and Marco enjoyed a private little fantasy of choking Tilopid.
"I haven't got anyone right now...you free this Saturday?" Marco asked, enjoying the ticked look in Tilopid's eyes.
"Sorry, I prefer the company of women." Tilopid replied. "Just like you, right?" She added with a none-too-subtle wink.
Marco gave Tilopid a You're Dead look. Jake raised an eyebrow and Cassie had hidden her face behind her hand.
Tilopid smiled coyly at Marco and then declared the interview was over, but they still had about ten minutes left here so they could use it to discuss any private matters of their own. She'd be on the fifth floor with a vending machine if they wanted to discuss editing anything with her.
So naturally, the moment the door closed, Jake announced something to Marco.

"Marco," Jake said, his voice gravely serious. "I've changed my mind. I don't want know how you met that girl. Crazy attracts crazy."
Wrong person, Jake. Marco thought to himself. But if it weren't, you do have a point...
After a long period of awkward silence passed, Marco felt Cassie put her hand on his shoulder. Jake blinked.
"Are you two dating, is that it?" He asked. Marco gulped, but he shook his head. Then Jake laughed, making the moment even more tense. "You don't have to hide it. Cassie and I aren't together anymore, and you two are my best friends. If you're happy together, I don't have a problem." Jake said. Marco swallowed and took a deep breath.
"Jake, I'm not dating Cassie." Marco saw Jake's expression turn to one of total confusion. He had to explain. Eventually, he was going to have to tell Jake, wasn't he? He just hadn't expected it to be so soon...
"And the chick that interviewed us wasn't lying, she does like girls. I met her in a gay bar." Marco said.
Jake stared at Marco for a long time until he spoke. "So you're...gay?"
"No, I'm bi. I just didn't realize it until lately...I guess I always knew, probably part of why I spent so much time going after girls. Not like I needed that on top of fighting the Yeerks, huh? But I like girls and guys. And as much as I love Cassie, it's not in a romantic way." Marco looked at Cassie. "No offense, right?" Cassie nodded.

Jake frowned and looked between the two people he was probably the closest to on the planet. "Cassie, you knew?"
Cassie bit her lip and nodded. Marco sighed and looked away from Jake, noticing the hurt look in his eyes. "Look, big guy, don't take it the wrong way...I just had a, um, emergency, and Cassie was the only one who could get me off my stupid ass." Marco explained, using his patented 'don't hurt me, I'm cute!' grin.
Jake shook his head, but the hurt look in his eyes had faded a little. "Okay, as long as I know I guess I can't complain too much." Then to Marco's alarm, a mischievous look flooded Jake's eyes. "Anybody you like right now?"
Marco took a step backwards away from Jake. He was going to go to Cassie for protection until he heard her.
"Yeah Marco, anyone you want to tell us about?" She teased. "Like, oh, perhaps..." But before she could finish...
"Jake, I'd suggest getting a chair. I don't want you to fall or anything." Marco advised the big brunette.
"Why?" Jake asked, holding on to the back of a chair. Marco smirked. "Because I'm dating Ax."
"What?" Jake lost his grip on the chair and only grabbed the chair leg right before he hit his head on it.
Marco and Cassie went over to him to make sure he hadn't seriously hurt himself. Except for banging his head on the floor, Jake was okay. Jake sat up and looked at Marco. "That wasn't funny."
"What wasn't funny? You, oh great and fearless leader, falling on your butt? I disagree, that was funny. Or do you mean the other thing I said? Because that wasn't a joke." Marco replied, more than slightly hacked off.
"I meant falling on my butt." Jake said sheepishly. Then Cassie and Marco helped the poor guy off his butt.

After a few more minutes of teasing from Jake and a couple zillion congrats from Cassie, the happy little group of three had to get out of the room. Jake was the first to go, he had a date that night with a girl named Sharon, which left Marco and Cassie alone. "You don't happen to have a phone on you, do you?" Cassie asked Marco.
Marco tossed her his cell phone that he'd kept in his pocket. "Why?" He asked, noticing a blush on Cassie's face.
"It's Ronnie...he likes to check on me." Cassie admitted, looking embarrassed. Marco looked at her for a moment.
"Because you're hanging out with me and Jake?" He asked, and Cassie shrugged. "Kind of. I don't think he trusts Jake." She said softly. Marco frowned, but he figured he'd better not get into it -- even if he thought it was stupid.
Cassie wouldn't cheat on him for one thing, and things really are done with her and Jake. Marco thought to himself. Watching as Cassie told Ronnie where she was, and that the interview had gone just fine, even though the lady that had interviewed them was strange and sneaky at best. Marco had to agree completely with Cassie on that.
"Well, thanks for letting me borrow your phone, Marco." Cassie said, handing Marco back his cell.
"Yeah, no problem." Marco said, and waved. "See you around sometime!" Marco waited for a moment before he said it.
"Cassie?" He asked, and she looked up. "Thanks for helping me out." Cassie smiled at him.
"What are friends for?" She asked before she went out the door, probably to meet with Ronnie.

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Marco went out a little while after her, contemplating something. He'd just come out to his best friend. Not too long ago, he couldn't have even imagined that happening -- but here he was. Life was the most insane thing ever created.


But now he was remembering yesterday, when he and Ax had been talking about whether or not they were going to tell the truth. He had said that there were a lot of things to consider before, and if, they were going to come out. That was true and he knew it. But still...he'd told Jake. He'd meant all of what he'd said. He did like both guys and girls. That was no lie. And...he did like Ax. A lot. He'd tried to lie about that to himself, but it hadn't worked. Did he really want to pretend he was still the great and infamous skirt-chaser he was made out as? Did he want to have to look at the tabloids and still laugh when they suggested he had "other tastes"? Truthfully, he wasn't sure.
Marco got a jolt of surprise when he realized he was in front of the elevator, which was wide open and thankfully empty. He stepped in and then he hesitated. He could go to the first floor right now, go home and keep on pondering. Then again, he remembered that Tilopid had said she would be on the fifth floor right now. She probably still was typing up her interview, assuming she wasn't still occupied with the snack machine. Now or later? He asked himself.
You do know what kind of things'll be waiting for you if you come out. Marco's conscious reminded him.
And he did -- his fans would probably be split in two: those who supported him, those who hated him. His mom and dad had always seemed like fairly open-minded people, but people can be very funny sometimes. It would hurt like hell if they did decide to ditch him because of who he was. His friends all now knew, really, excepting Tobias.
Then of course there was Ax to consider in all of this. He and Ax needed to actually talk about this first.
But in the meantime...

Marco pressed the button labeled 5. A few seconds later, the door opened again and Marco walked out. He walked down the hall for a while, searching and searching for a vending machine. After two or three minutes he was about to give up, until...Fancy meeting you here. Marco heard a girl's voice greet him. He now saw Tilopid, carrying her pad and a handful of candy bars, with pencil in her hair. She was somehow managing to eat one of them. Marco assumed that was why she was using thought speak. Feel like discussing the interview, am I right? Tilopid asked. Then she swallowed her candy bar
"I just want to know when you're going to have it ready." Marco told her. "Then we might discuss it."
"The interview should be out in about three weeks and I should have it typed by tomorrow." He was informed.
Marco nodded, mostly to himself. "Could I have your number?" He asked. Tilopid frowned and pulled a pencil out. She scribbled something on the pad, ripped it off and handed it to Marco. "The top one is my number at the work, the bottom is my home number. Just leave a message if you can't reach me." The blue haired crazy told the short man.
Marco nodded and stuffed the piece of paper into his jean pocket and then got back to the elevator, and this time he pressed the button for the first floor.

He was done considering.

To those glorious people who read my crap...


Myst - Wow, you read this whole thing? That's awesome! But as for your guess...well, it's a good one. That's all I'll say. =)
Sari - Oh my god, we're going back to school tomorrow! Noooo! And you, you already know what I'm planning for this fic. But tell no one! And review more! =P
Lauren - Hey! I was wondering where you went! Yup, they're finally together now! I'm not gonna kill Marco off, I like him too much. I'm not gonna kill Ax either, while we're at it. I'm sorry this one was late!
Doctor Strangelove - Once again, I'm not gonna kill him! I should make them use those swords sometime, shouldn't I? Heh...dirty swordfighting...there's an idea. And Tilopid's back! I can't believe you guys like my crazy chick...
Forlay - Pastry box in every chapter, guaranteed review! Like I said, this is a dangerous voice...but I'm not killing anyone. And I'm not saying anything more than that. Tilopid is back...she'll probably be in all the other chapters. The parenting fic was cute! I loved it!