Another War

Chapter 3

Jake- Surprises

I was surprised to see her.

I was even more surprised when I found out what she wanted.

She told me the entire story. How she had found Tobias. How she had nursed him back to health, even against his will. It kind of surprised me, the thought that she would force anyone to do something that they did not want to do. But she keeps insisting that deep down inside Tobias really wants to live.

I don't know what for. I haven't seen him since the day of Rachel's memorial. I was never able to tell him that I approved of what he did. I think that I am actually sort of afraid of what he might say to me. He never has forgiven me for asking Rachel to do that. To go after Tom.

Hell... doesn't he think that hurt me too? Asking my cousin that had fought beside me, saved my life, for more than four years, to go hunt down the brother that I once idolized? Or did he think that I had become so hard that the only thing that I cared about anymore was winning? That I was an unthinking strategy machine?

It hurt.

It still hurts.

I don't know why I found myself telling Cassie all of this. She did. Because she is the only one that would understand and take it seriously. Marco would make some sort of joke about it that would make me feel better, but he really couldn't do anything about it. Then I found out why she had come to me. She had come because I was the only one that could help her.

She told me the rest of the story. How once he was well enough Tobias had simply flown away, turning his back on her and, at least in my view, everything that she had done for him. She didn't see it that way. Cassie saw it as a cry for help, and that's what she had come to get him. Help.

At first I didn't understand, because I didn't know what on earth that I could do for Tobias. He refused to see me, refused to have anything to do with me. What was I supposed to do? Order him to take care of himself? Give him a pep talk like I used to give everyone and hope that what I was saying would sink in?

No. She just needed my help to reach the help that she felt like he needed. See, Cassie wanted to get ahold of Ax. The only problem was that she couldn't get her hands on the communicator that she needed. Oh yah, the government would have let her use one if she had asked. I don't see how they could have refused her. But that would have made the fact that she wanted to communicate with Ax public, and she wanted this to be done discretely.

I really didn't see what Ax could do for Tobias either, but Cassie kept insisting that he could help.

"Lets face it Jake. Tobias's problem is that he is all alone, and he is tried of being alone. His solution to the problem is to eliminate the cause, in this case, himself. Ax is his family. They both acknowledged that. If Ax can give him a reason to live than we might be able to save him."

I still didn't see how this would help, but by this time I had given up arguing with her. We arranged for me to sneak her in as a flea hiding on me late one night. They had given me an office when I accepted the teaching job, and I would just make some excuse about needing to do some paperwork that I had forgotten.

I actually had an address that would allow me to send a private message to Ax. He had given it to me the last time that I had seen him. I never thought that I would have reason to use it, but Cassie seemed glad to see it. She would go and send the message while I hid in my office and did my 'paperwork'. When she was done she would come back and I would leave with her on me once more.

It was a simple plan. So simple in fact, that I couldn't believe when it worked to perfection. She sent her message and we left no one any the wiser to what we had done.

Once we were well out of sight of the base she demorphed and we walked together for a while in silence. Finally she stopped and faced me. Without saying anything she stood on her tiptoes and kissed me on the cheek. Then she walked away, and I could only stare at her retreating back, letting her walk away again and wondering what on earth I was doing.

Another chapter... Thank-you to everyone who has taken the time to R&R this. I really appreciate it.