When I came to I didn't know where I was. I could see several people in white walking around. I saw a brief glimpse of Karen's face. Is this heaven? I wondered. Then I heard Jakes voice.
"I think he's coming out of it." Nope not heaven.
"Good cause I didn't want to smother him I want to kill him face to face the prick!" Rachel's voice was seething with rage. Then I heard Karen's voice.
"Get out of here you two; you're lucky I only let you in in the first place because he's sharing a room with Cassie." I heard footsteps leaving, my vision cleared completely I saw Karen looking down at me, she was smiling.
"Hey, babe." She said I felt a surge of electricity through my body at the sight of her. I groaned there was a low level of pain in my head.
"Easy there, you have concussion."
"What happened where am I?" I asked.
"The hospital, you've been out for about three weeks."
"What happened, did the bomb go off?"
"Yeah," Karen said. "It went off, the pool was destroyed, it took out a lot of the town there were a lot of deaths but… we won."
"What!?" I said not believing what I heard. Karen put her arms around me. "We won baby, its over. The Yerks tried to land a pool ship but the Animorphs and Black Angles took it out Fred, Becky and I helped sweep up the last remaining Yerks. Visser one is in a military prison as are most of the voluntary controllers. Earth is ready now, we sent the Yerks running off with their tails between their legs." I was shocked.
"And I was out for all of this? What happened?"
"You got hit by some shrapnel in addition to Jordan hitting you; I'm surprised you weren't out for a month." Rachel was suddenly over me shaking me trying to strangle me causing the pain in my head to explode.
"I'll tell you what happened you sick mother fucking, cock sucking, ass kissing, prick!" She slammed my head against the metal headboard the pain was horrible. Suddenly Tobias was in the room pulling her off me.
"It's not his fault Rachel, he tried to…" Rachel was in tears now burying her face in his shoulder.
"She's dead, he could have saved her he could have done something…"The rest of her words were lost in sobs. Tobias walked her out then came back in.
"Sorry about her," He said seeing me rub my head. "She just, they found Jordan's body today; she doesn't really blame you…" I remembered what happened then.
"Why did she do that?" I asked. "I was going to, why?" Karen sighed.
"I think it was because of her father, and she liked you Erik, she didn't want you to die and I guess she wanted to go on and be with her father." She said. My head was still hurting; I morphed in and out of cougar to repair the damage. Karen smiled.
"Don't expect them to let you out because of that, the doctors aren't willing to believe that a human could completely repair their wounds." I looked over at the bed next me Cassie was lying in it. "How is she?" I asked.
"She'll be ok; she got a piece of a high intensity Dracon Beam so she's in and out of it. The Chanberain doctors say she'll be fine though." Karen said.
"Chanberain doctors?" I said.
"A week after our mission Earth established permanent relationships with the race they've given us a lot of medical help we've been helping them with weapons, little things like that. The Andiliates are still being distant but we think they'll join the collation soon."
"Coalition?"
"The Coalition of Planets, it's a group of planets trying to defeat the Yerks they've started campaigns on several planets. The Yerk's invading days are over. At least I hope so." Karen said. The door opened Becky ran in.
"Erik! Thank God you're back." She wrapped me in a hug. Behind her Fred was standing with his arm on the door.
"Guess Karen already told you the news." Fred said.
"Yeah," I said. "I already know." Another person came into the room. This one was wearing an FBI jacket, hey come to think of it I think it was the dude who's taking notes over there. Anyway the man walked in and told me that I was to appear at a hearing about my group, which is of course what we're doing now. After he left I had one more visitor. Jade walked in, and smiled. Karen left I guess she thought we needed time alone.
"Glad you're finally up," She said. "Had me worried for a minute there, anyway thanks for the advice I got my parents out in time. You did a good job Erik." She said. She gave me a hug. "You won the war."
"Thanks but you know we couldn't have done without you, your team saved us don't forget." Jade smiled again.
"I'm sorry about Anna, and the others." She said.
"It's war," I said but my heart was breaking the next words were choked. "People die you can't…" Jade put her arm around me.
"Let it out Erik, it's over you can be human again." I cried letting all the emotion of the past few years out she patted me on the back until it was over. Jade had always been a good friend to me, and it felt good to let my pain out. Jade said something else.
"Oh and I guess it's up to me to tell you, each of us is receiving an award from somewhere in the neighborhood of 94 countries. Along with the prize money that comes with it we each are about 200 million dollars richer." It took awhile for what she said to sink in and, for the first time since I was18, when it sunk in I felt good.
FBI HQ
"Of course a week later you guys came over and brought me here. And we're right back where we started." Erik said.
"Are these the facts to the best of your recollection?" One of the agents said.
"Yes," Erik said. "I can assure you of that."
"Very well you may go." Erik got up and left the room flanked by two FBI agents. This time however the agents were his bodyguards, not his captors.
One Year later
November 10th 2008
Arlington National Cemetery Washington D.C.
I closed the final page of the transcript. The document had been sent to me by the FBI. I was to approve it before it was presented before the Yerk War commission. After looking it over I found no errors I singed it. Beside me Karen did the same. There was a knock on the door. A member of the secret service entered.
"Senator Bishop, Mrs. Bishop," He said. "It's time." We both stood up and followed him. We walked to a plot of land in the newest section of the cemetery. Carlos Santos, who had turned out to be a Marine General, introduced me.
"Ladies and Gentlemen here to break ground on the Yerk War memorial is Senator Erik Bishop. The crowd cheered. I took my spot at the podium.
"Ladies and gentlemen," I said looking out over the audience. "I am honored to be here today, as you know I fought in this war. I lost a lot of friends. I am glad to be here to give them the honor they deserve." I sniffled a little bit. "Jerry Moore, Amy Love, Anna and James Rhodes, and Jordan Bernson, are all heroes in this war, and they deserve our honor. They are bringing honored with 100 foot tall statues. But there are other heroes that must be seen to. Those are the ones who will be remembered by having their names engraved on the reflecting pools surrounding the statues. Those involuntary controllers who died at our hands, and the innocents who died in the explosion of the Yerk pool.
"I would like to convey my deepest sympathy for their families, I know this is a late condolence but thanks, the sacrifice they made is one that must never be forgotten. For their sacrifices coupled with those of the soldiers who fought with me ended in the destruction of the Yerk invading force. I am proud to break ground at this ceremony, but I must ask each of my friends to come up and share in this moment." As I called there names each member of my team, the Animorphs and Black Angle team came up to the podium.
We each placed a foot on the golden shovel together we turned the first part of the ground that would serve to remind the entire world, no the entire universe of the sacrifice of 5 great people, hundreds of innocent victims, and 14 survivors. They would forever know why they were free, they would forever see that the power of a few, could overcome even the greatest of forces, so long as that power is backed by faith, and love.
In the words of The Doors "This is the end… of my elaborate plans the end." Thanks to everyone who's read this far without asking God why bad Fan Fic's happen to good books. Thanks to all the reviewers who have so many positive things to say. Thanks my new partner in crime Lil Maniac for her devotion to reading this book and for her devotion to our project, and her openness to my suggestions. I have started another fan fiction called The Forgotten prophecy; I encourage you to check that out. I also am working with Lil Maniac on a fan fic called Shattered if anyone likes this book then you should check this one out. And anyone who like this book should also check out Lil Maniac's fan fics too, because they are worth reading. This has been a big project for me and it is a big step since this is the first project I've really finished. For a final time I would like to thank those of you for reading this book. I hope to see you again soon.
gpshaw