Elwing… ya know, I would, but V stole them all!

Evil person he is…

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Jade

Well, we went back again. This time with Tobias and Robert. Ithiell suggested that Robert come with us.

Have no idea why though…

James gathered more recruits in the lounge, and Marco watched the door. Robert was watching out the window, in case we were found out.

When we were done for the night, James went to Jake.

"Um… I have one more possible person"

"Who?"

"A nurse here… she's about our age…"

"You didn't say anything about us, did you?" Robert's eyes were tense as he looked at James. He shook his head.

"No… but, it's just a feeling I've been getting"

"What kind of feeling?" I was unable to stop myself from asking. He looked at me, and my heart leapt to my throat. Wanted to say something… but couldn't.

I mean, what was I gonna say? Guess what James, I'm your real mother?

What was that? We're the same age? Well, funny story that…

It just wasn't going to work.

So, he looked at me, got this funny look in his eyes, then answered me.

"Like I've met her before. Like… there's a connection there. Like…" he took a deep breath, then walked over to me. He was so tall! Then again, the boys in my family were always tall…

He took my arms, and looked into my eyes.

"Like I have with you. I've met you somewhere, I can feel it. I just… I don't know where"

I managed a weak smile, and nodded.

"Um… same feeling"

"Are you like… my lost sister or something?"

I gave into an irresistible urge to laugh. I laughed… and he let go, backing away from me slightly. Jake was soon at my side, and I laughed at him. He clamped a hand over my mouth.

"Shh Jade. What's gotten into you?"

"That's James, Jake. It's James!" I whispered in his ear.

"I know it's James, but…" Then I guess it clicked. He backed away from me, looking into my eyes. I nodded, and he looked about ready to faint.

"James" I said, my voice strong for once… I needed to be strong for Jake now… he looked sick…

"Was this girl… by any chance… named Desiree?"

Cassie and Marco got it instantly. Cassie fainted. Marco went to help her.

Then it hit Tobias, and finally Robert as he went to take Marco's place at the door. He stopped, staring at me.

"How… how did you know that? Are you psychic or something!" James cried, looking creepily at me. Jake looked at him… opened his mouth… then shut it almost immediately. He was speechless.

I shook my head.

"No. It was… just a wild guess" then I looked at Jake "Should we bring her in?"

"Should we risk it?" Marco wondered, meeting my eyes. He knew why I wanted to bring her in… if there really was a chance it was her… as I said, there are more than one person with the same name…. but…

Should I really take that chance? What if she was Yeerked?

Robert soon voiced my concern. We all looked at Jake. He looked at me, then Marco, then Cassie and finally Tobias. He didn't need to look at Robert to know.

"I don't think she is. When she took my hand… she seemed so gentle… and she was sweet…" James spoke up, obviously seeing the tension and the looks between all of us. Jake finally sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Bring her in"

Jake didn't voice it.

Cassie did.

And so, I met Desiree for the first time.

She had Jake's hair and my eyes… startling kind of green… and she was beautiful.

She was… she was…

We found our answer when we started explaining everything to her, and Robert even did a pretty good impression of Ax.

She was free. She was my daughter… and she was free.

And more than eager to help. She acquired Tobias, then Robert as he did a cheetah (because apparently it's possible to do that) and was smiling at us.

"Let's get out of here"

We left with Desiree, since she said she'd rather get off her mothers back for a while. Plus, it was just safer that way.

We came back a few more nights, and I could tell James and Desiree were connecting…

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Robert

We located a school for the blind. Well, Ax and Ithiell did.

We decided to all go… I don't know why… Desiree came with us… Jake said it was something about us already having backup, so it was ok…

"Am I the only one who's thinking it might be hard to convince kids who can't even see us?" Marco whispered.

"Runt's got a point there" I said good-naturedly.

"I thought about that" Rachel answered "I figured Jake had a plan"

"He'd better" Amanda muttered. I don't think anyone heard her but me.

Ithiell and Rtaia were human, because it was just safer that way. Only Ax stayed as himself.

We argued a bit more, before Jake snapped at us. We shut up, and then went into the first room.

As soon as we entered I felt something was wrong. It's just… a feeling you get, I suppose. The hairs on the back of my neck raised as I looked around the room.

"Who's there?" A voice asked softly. Then I saw the red-haired girl at the other end of the room. Rachel soon went to talk to her… and so did Jake. Marco went gorilla as Ax guarded the door. Tobias was watching the window.

Everything seemed to be going well… maybe a little too well…

"I don't like this" Desiree said, suddenly latched onto my arm. I looked down at her, finding it hard to imagine her as the little baby that was always screaming for one thing or another. I sighed, looking down at her and nodding.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Cassie morphing. She stayed owl for a bit, then demorphed and morphed shrinking even more, I think becoming a fly. Desiree seemed curious, and soon she was shrinking too. Cassie must have set her up with a bug morph.

Suddenly…

(The room is being watched!) Cassie cried.

Too late!

The door flew open, and I gaped as blue-band Hork-Bajir filed into the room. They overwhelmed Ax before he could react, knocked out Ithiell and Rtaia before they could move, then aimed Dracon beams at the rest of us.

Kids sat up in bed, some of them screaming and shouting. A calm voice coaxed them… a voice strangely familiar, then the Hork-Bajir stepped aside… and… and…

In stepped… my father. I froze.

"Some mean kids have broken in to play a practical joke" he said, grinning at me "But it's not funny and we're going to throw them out right now"

Jake hissed something to Rachel… something about not fighting here… and Rachel pulled back, angry. He met my eyes… and I knew. We fought in here, we'd possibly kill innocent kids.

So I didn't resist when my father grabbed my arm, hauling me out of the room. The Hork-Bajir warriors took out the others… no-one tried to resist… too risky…

Once we were outside, my father slammed me against the wall… as well as the others.

"Give me it. Now"

None of us moved. Seconds later I was on the ground, my head spinning, and something was pressed against my head.

"Give it to me… or he dies"

I knew my father was in on this… sorry bastard could never do anything for anyone…except if it helped him…

Seconds later…

"Good. Now, let's all leave quietly"

I was hauled to my feet, and forced to move. Saw my father now had the blue box…

(We're following you) I heard Cassie say.

(No) came the gasping voice. Ithiell was just regaining consciousness… I could see his eyes opening and closing…

(What!) Desiree yelped.

(Go… go now. Find… others…) And then he was out again.

We were marched down to the parking garage, where my father decided to show me what pain felt like.

What he, nor his Yeerk realised, that I'd lived through worse pain.

This was just a refresher course.

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James

(James. We need you. Now!)

Cassie's urgent voice cut through my head. So… this was it…

As soon as I could, I'd assembled all of the new Animorphs in Timmy's room.

Desiree and Cassie had demorphed, and Desiree was against the wall, shaking a little. I went over and put a hand on her shoulder.

"It'll be ok. I'll keep you safe"

"I don't need to be kept safe… I just want to help the others… god what if they're dead already?"

"Don't think like that" I smiled, patting her shoulder.

Cassie gave instructions, and after a little… confusion… we were all off into the night.

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My first battle… the first time I led people like this…

And I felt proud of every one of them. Even Desiree. Her choice of morph was a cheetah, and her tail was whipping left and right in anticipation…

(Okay, we're going to do this. And we're not disabled anymore. We don't need people to open doors. Kelly, knock it down and let's rock and roll)

Kelly went at that door like she was venting all her frustrations on it. The door crumpled under her force. Judy, in elephant morph, soon took over, finishing the job.

Then… there we were…

(Go go go!) I yelled.

Kelly charged… they all ran… I bolted into battle, the lion's mind joining with my own… I was going to-

(Look out!) I cried to Timmy as a man levelled his gun at him.

(I've got him!) He slammed the guy down with bobcat strength. Then I saw it… the morphing cube…

I ran… grabbed it… and desperately found a temporary hiding place for it. I ran back… as more came in, and what I was told was the Visser. He looked like the Ax guy, but…

I felt something wrong about him, and I couldn't shake it, even as I fought with all I had. Then… I hit a wall, pain flying up every inch of my body… just like that day when the truck hit me… leaving me paralysed in the first place…

I shook it off, then turned around to see the most ugly looking squid creature I'd ever seen! So many tentacles… spiky, it looked like…

Swaaaap!

(James!) I heard Cassie cry (The Visser's got Jake!)

Visser… well, that's where that slime ball went…

I saw Jake, paws planted wide, trying to shake him off, but not doing much good…

Then, a white tiger, its coat bloodied, staring at the whole scene. Just staring…

(Think Jade… think think think!) then, the tiger began to change. It's coat went purplish-black, and the snout extended, like a wolves muzzle. The tail lengthened slightly, and the legs and paws changed just that little bit. The eyes turned a startling yellow, and the fangs it had bared looked cat-like.

Whatever it was, it was amazing.

And it made a cheetah look like it was standing still.

In seconds it jumped over Hork-Bajir and Taxxons, somehow scaling the wall as it got behind the thing. Then… it was latched onto its back!

(Oh holy…!)

Then, a tentacle found it. It went sailing off into the blackness of the garage. I heard a thump, then…

Rachel roared, going at the creature! I had to save Jake.

So I let out my own cry, and leapt.

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Sorry it's so long! I just like getting past the boring stuff (well, not so boring) before I really get into what I want to! Hope u liked this chappie though!