DISCLAIMER: Guess what guess what guess what!!! I have a secret! **leans in really really uber close** I own the Animorphs. . . shhh, but don't tell anyone. Our little secret, 'kay?

**runs away to hide**

NOTE: AAAAAAGGGGHHHH!! My stupid computer got itself infected with a virus. The Q-Hostf virus, to be exact. And it suuuuucks. Couldn't go online for soo long! So, uh, yeah. Just wanted to tell y'all that. . . **yawn** This chapter totally lacks in fun. Oh well. I tried to spice things up with the cheesecake, but didn't work out too well. . .

F-RECAP-LE: Long story short (because I'm a lazy dookie) they plan for tonight's mission. Re-infiltrating the movie theater and finding out what is in the SHOCKINGLY MYSTERIOUS LOCKED ROOM! Bu-ut because they are teenagers and they make mistake, they are allowing Rachel and Marco to go in with Ax while the others provide a distraction. Will we have some drama and unprecedented retardedness? Oh yes, I think so!!

Marco -

"Crap, where the hell did I put it?" I put down my cheesecake and searched my pockets for the key to my house. I found it not in my pocket, but in my sock. I inserted the key and let myself in, carefully picking up my cheesecake.

My dad wasn't home. He had probably already left for work. Oh well, more cake for me. I walked into my less-than-immaculate kitchen and set my cake on the table. After some rummaging around, I finally found a fork.

"Damn, this is good. No way Rachel's mom made this." I said to myself. Then it became too quiet. Wayy too quiet. So I started to talk to the cake.

"Wonder why Rachel's being such a jerk." I muttered. "I mean come one, what else could possibly be stuck up her ass. I know its not just this parents dating thing." The cheesecake had no intelligent comments.

"I mean, it's worse for me! My REAL mom is somewhere out there still alive, and my dad is technically cheating on her. But you don't see ME biting HER head off." Again, the cheesecake just sat there looking delicious.

"Oh God. She didn't poison you did she?" I asked the cheesecake. Nothing.

"Maybe I should go over and confront her. I mean, she's gonna be busting my balls anyway, might as well find something out, right?" I pushed my chair back and opened the fridge.

"Well, thanks for listening." I picked up my friendly cheesecake and stored him in the fridge. Then I set off to Rachel's house, aka the place of my doom.

In a few minutes I was standing on Rachel's doorstep, wringing my hands. I stared at her doorbell and took a deep breath.

"Here goes nothin. . ."

DING-DONG!

It was a regular doorbell, not some horror movie theme I was expecting.

"Marrrr-coooo!" Jordan cried. Then she grinned shyly. "Hiiiiiiii!"

"Um, hi, is Rachel home?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I think she just came home. Went straight to her room." She smiled.

I nodded and waited. Jordan just stood there, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "Um, can you get her for me?"

This appeared to make her angry. She rolled her eyes. "Just go up there yourself!" She stalked away into the kitchen.

I grumbled under my breath about girls and puberty. Then I made my way up the steps to where I guessed Rachel's room was. The first door to my left was shut, but on the other side I heard Yu-Gi-Oh blaring. Sara must be in there, I thought. The next door was open. It was a bathroom with two doors facing opposite rooms. One led to Jordan and Sara's room and I assumed the other led to Rachel's. Meaning that the third door with the sign that read "Rachel's Room" must indeed be the room of Rachel. I knocked. I knocked again. I knocked to the beat of Good Charlotte. And sang along with my knocking. No one answered, so I decided Rachel wouldn't have any reason to kill me if I opened her door.

I breathed deep as I made my way for the first and possibly last time into Xena's bedroom. It looked. . .normal. Her bedspread was a light pink and that kind of caught me off guard. So did the half-crumpled Jeremy Jason McCole poster stuffed in her slightly open closet. Her computer was off and there were various forgotten homework papers scattered on the desk. It was neat, unlike my wasteland of a room.

Rachel was nowhere to be seen. But her window was wide open.

"Out with Bird Boy." I snickered. I sat on her bed. "Oooh, bouncy." I did another once over around the room. There was an armless bear sitting on top of a drawer. Figures Rachel would have one of those. There were also some framed pictures. There was one of Rachel and her mother, Rachel and her father, Rachel and her sisters, Rachel and Cassie, and a picture of all of us Animorphs together.

"Whoa, I am one handsome stud." I commented, not paying attention to the fact that Cassie might actually be inching taller than me. I squinted closer at the photo where Rachel and Tobias stood and noticed where Tobias's hand was.

"Heheheheh." My eyes wandered to a ripped-open envelope with a letter next to it. The letter was open and written in a professional-looking scrawl. I bit my lip and looked around. Then I did my mother shame and read the note.

Dear Rachel,

Hi honey-princess! (I stifled my laughter) How are you? Teaching your sisters good habits I hope! (more stifled laughter) I'm sure Jordan is twice as old as she was when I saw her last month! And I bet Sara could read chapter books now! I'm sure you're mother is fine too, tell her I said hi.

Anyway sport, you remember the woman I introduced to you 2 weeks ago? Her name was Sheri, with the red hair? Well we've been seeing each other for a while now and we have some news for you. Can you give me a call as soon as you get this letter? I love you Rachel! Tell your sisters I love them too!

Lots of Love,

Daddy

I instantly felt ashamed for reading the letter. Judging from the dark deep blue pen slash on the bottom of the letter, and the small dent on the side of the drawer, I guessed Rachel made the call and wasn't too happy about what she heard.

Her father was getting married to the Sheri lady.

It all made sense now. Well, mostly, anyway. I wondered if Jake knew. Or Cassie and Tobias. Probably not, otherwise I'm sure they would've told me too. I backed away slowly from the letter.

WHAT THE HELL!?

I jumped back, tripped, and slammed my shoulder against Rachel's bedframe.

"Owwww!"

MARCO, you DICK!!! Rachel fumed as blew through the window and crash-landed on her bed. She didn't seem to mind, as she had started demorphing in midair. WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM!?

"Rachel Shhh!" I tried to shush her because I wasn't sure if she was using private thought-speak. I quickly shut and locked Rachel's door. But I knew it was no use, I was in the doghouse. I was in it bad.

SHHH my ASS! Rachel raged.

"I- I was gonna talk to you. About how we were like, feeling about this parent dating thi-"

"HOW I'M FEELING!?!? I'M FEELING PISSED OFF!!! I'M BEYOND PISSED OFF!" her demorphing complete and she stomped towards the dresser were the letter lay open about a foot from where it was. She snatched it up and waved it very close to my face.

"Now what the hell were you doing?" she demanded in a less angry voice. But her wrath wasn't over, her fist was shaking dangerously at her side.

"Um. . ." for a split second I forgot why I was there and was focusing solely at the fist that was about to come flying into my face. "I just came to talk. Sorry."

"So you waltz into my room and read my stuff!?" she practically screeched.

"I wasn't - "

Uhh Marco, I'm thinking she didn't want an answer to that. Tobias fluttered on the window sill. I hadn't noticed him behind Rachel.

Rachel stuffed the letter back in the envelope so hard she ripped it in half. I started breathing again. Too soon apparently. Her fist connected with my stomach.

"Oof!" I landed on my back.

Rachel! Tobias cried.

Rachel was breathing hard and red in the face. She sort of gaped at me, like she couldn't believe she just did that. Tobias was rapidly morphing human. Rachel blinked, and then slowly sat on her bed, her forehead in her hands.

I sat on the floor looking from Rachel to Tobias and back again. Tobias looked as awkward as I did. I wasn't sure if Rachel was crying, but we both knew Rachel hardly ever cries ever. He looked at me, shrugged, and pointed at the door with his eyes. Then he sat down next to Rachel and put an arm around her.

I took the hint and got up. I looked pointedly at the torn letter on the drawer and back at Tobias. He saw me and frowned confusedly. He didn't know. If Rachel hadn't even bothered to tell Tobias, I knew I was last in line to be told. I let myself out of the room.

You know, I'm sure stuff like that happens to lots of kids around the country, Then they go and get depressed, or suicidal, or they just have a little cry or something. I understood how she felt, it was kind of happening to me too. I clutched my aching stomach. But damn, I didn't go punching people in the gut. I sighed. Only Rachel.

- - -Eh, I didn't have much fun writing this chapter for some reason. . .oh well. Maybe it's because I got the idea from watching a soap opera **blush**. Okay now I'm gonna take a survey. In your review (which you BETTER be writing now, GRRR! LoL) tell me whether you are pro Marco-Rachel or. . .um, what's the opposite of pro? Con? Con Marco-Rachel? Whatever, you know what I mean. This is NOT a vote, I know what I want between those two. I just want to get an idea of how many people will like it and how many people will show up at my doorstep holding pitchforks and torches. Cheers, everyone!

Oh and also, I feel like dirt, not because I haven't showered in about 3 days. . .but because I haven't made an appearance in a while. To make up for it I will be posting the next chapter of this on Sunday, 10/12 AND the first chapter of my pretty little Halloween story. Aaaaand I noticed I got like over 100 reviews already (holy crap! **runs around with a friend made of turkey**) so yet again I got lazy, and I SWEAR the next chapter will have your responses. Ok? Cool. Oh and I'm removing my hurricane excuse. Hehe.