A/N- Wow! Suddenly a bunch of people reviewed again. Thanks you guys! This is a very short, and somewhat pointless chapter, so I apologize beforehand. Just basically leaving the ocean and getting to Zak's house- and his parents reaction- is shown here. Sorry!

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Review Responses

KP- In my first draft, that's exactly what happened. But then I thought it was too boring, plus everyone was trying to talk at once, and it just didn't work out. I'm going to be focusing more on Ax in my story than on the human Animorphs, so I figured I would have Bri and Zak meet him first.

LittleMidgett- Thanks for reviewing! Yes twisdts are cool. I didn't think this one was that dramatic, but everyone else seems to think so, so…

LilManiac- Glad you're still with us!

Panthergirl- Wow, you made up for lost time. Glad you liked the doorknob bit!

There is Hope- Did you ever get to the next chapter? Just wondering. Thanks for your review!

Chessrook44- They'll meet soon enough. But like I told KP, when I tried to have them all meet at once everyone had something to say and it was way too confusing, even for me. I still have the alternate version if anyone is interested in seeing how I would have them all meet at once, but I'm not sure where I'd post it…but anyway, trust me, they will hook up. Very soon.

DH- Well, I haven't totally sidestepped them. Just the way they meet. The next book will basically be a re-write on some Animorph books with the changes Zak and Bri left. And no, I'm not going to have Ellimist come in and fix everything- that is pretty cliché, if you don't mind my saying. Way too many 'after 54' fics have the Ellimist interfering to save the Animorphs' lives, in my opinion. I have a different idea- but that will have to wait. Zak/Bri- like I said, nothing big happens until the last book, but I might add something else in before that, if you're interested.

Morph- Thanks for the encouragement! How will things change? You'll have to read to find out.

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Chapter 9- Zak

We returned to the river-mouth, where we had morphed before, and demorphed.

"Ax doesn't have a human morph," Bri said. "And I would feel uncomfortable with him morphing me. So we'll have to take the long way to your house through the woods, Zak."

Bri stayed human, gathered up my human clothing, and scrambled onto my back. Ax stared.

(The human rides on your back?) he asked, incredulously.

"I am not just 'the human'. You know, my Yeerk called me 'the human' as well. I can't believe an Andalite would act similarly to a Yeerk," Bri said.

She scored a direct hit. (Sabrina then. She rides on your back?)

(Yes. We did it before either of us could morph. She could morph Andalite and run with us, but it's sometimes easier to do things the old way.) I could see Ax was still surprised.

We took off through the forest, and soon had reached my parents house. (That is what a human house looks like?)

"No, that's a just a rock formation," Bri said sarcastically. "Yes, that's a human house, Ax. Zak's parents live there."

(Where does, Zak, live? An Andalite, even one raised by humans, would not want to spend much time surrounded by walls.)

(I live outside, in a sort of shed place. It's open to the sky and forest, and if it rains I'm welcome to go inside the house.)

(Ah.)

My mom came out of the house to greet us, although she didn't notice Ax at first. "Zak! Bri! Where have you been? Your mother was worried," she scolded.

(We were on a rescue mission, of sorts. We brought someone home with us.)

Then Mom noticed Ax. "Oh, my. Um, who…who is your friend?"

(Mom, this is Aximili. Ax. Ax, this is my mother.)

Ax bobbed his eyestalks at her. (I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Zantar's human mother,) he said formally.

"Uh, thank you, Ax." She looked questioningly at me. "What…where did he come from?"

(We rescued him from the bottom of the ocean. He was stranded there after his ship crashed,) I explained.

She frowned. "Zak! You went all the way to the bottom of the ocean without telling me?"

I averted my eye-stalks, showing my embarrassment the Andalite way. (Well, we didn't want you to worry. And he needed help.)

"You could have taken Samantha with you," Mom said, disapprovingly. Then she sighed. "Ah, well. What's done is done. Just don't do it again." She paused, thinking. "Does he have a way to get home?"

(No, Mom. His ship…crashed.) I really didn't want to tell my mother that those we had been counting on to free earth had lost a battle, so I edged around that. (Ax is stranded on earth for awhile.)

She sighed. "That's too bad. Well, then, he's going to need a place to stay." She smiled. "Ax, since there aren't any other Andalites for miles around, you're going to be staying with us."

(I am very grateful,) Ax assured her.

And that is how my parents found themselves hosting another Andalite.