Marco
We swam to shore and demorphed. The same shore we saw Jake have that fight. When I was back to human, I spotted something on the shore. I ran towards it and picked it up. It was the handle of the knife John had tried to use on Jake. It was smeared with dry blood. Jake's blood. He had left it on the shore, only worried about the blade.
"Is that Jake's blood?" Rachel asked from behind me. I didn't know she had crept up from behind me.
"Yeah, I think so," I answered. "He's a good fighter, in and out of morph."
"He's my cousin," Rachel answered. "It runs in the family."
"I don't think it's fair to call him stupid," I said, swiftly.
Rachel took a friendly punch at me, but I ducked and gave her one, myself.
"Don't," Cassie said, suddenly. "I've seen enough fighting for today."
I looked at her. She looked sick. Cassie was a hypocrite by nature. She didn't believe in violence but she would kill a person, and there she was judging Jake. All he did was defend himself.
"Hey, shouldn't you get back to chaining yourself against a tree or something?" I asked, harshly.
((Marco, that's not fair,)) Tobias said to me, from Rachel's shoulder.
"No, it's alright, Tobias," Cassie said, gently, and then she turned towards me and said not so gently, "You have something to say to me Marco?"
"Yeah," I snapped. "What is your problem with Jake? What did he do to you?"
"I don't have to answer that," Cassie whispered.
"No, I think you do," I said. "Because you see, Jake is pretty messed up at the moment, I mean really messed up and he usually turns to you. Where is that talk you normally have with him that puts him back into leader mode?"
"What do you want me to do?" she snapped very un-Cassie like. "Sit him down like a good little boy and explain to him what's what?"
"Yeah, the usual thing."
"That's not going to happen," she said.
"He is killing himself over this," I practically screamed. "And you won't do anything?"
"Cassie, that's not fair," Rachel said.
"No," Cassie said. "He hurt me. He has changed."
"Why do you think that is?" I snapped. "He watched his brother die! Does that count for nothing?"
"As much as I hate to say it," Rachel said, looking at Cassie with surprise. "But Marco's right. He's not thinking straight. He needs you Cassie."
"Why does he need me?" she screamed. "Why can't he need you, Rachel? Or you Marco? Why is it always me? I am not his mother!"
"We never said you were," Rachel shouted back. "He doesn't open up with me! I am his cousin, not his girlfriend."
"I am not his girlfriend!" she shouted. But then she stopped and turned red almost instantly.
"I'm going to find Jake," I said, turning around.
"I'll come with you," Rachel said, giving Cassie a stare before speaking to Tobias. "Do you want to come?"
No, thanks, he said, sounding disorientated. Maybe this is just for close friends…
"You're a close friend," Rachel said. "Jake won't mind."
((I better not come though,)) Tobias said. ((I'd feel uncomfortable.))
"Alright," she said, as Tobias took flight. She turned around and followed me down the shore.
When we reached his house he was sitting on his front step, his back against the brick wall. He was looking at his right hand. It wasn't turned to the palm, where I was sure there was a huge cut where he had broken the blade. I know he didn't morph because he still had his normal clothing on. But he was looking at his knuckles. They were all bruised and bumped. He kept clenching and unclenching them and wincing in pain. He didn't notice Rachel and I walk up to him.
"Nice looking bruise you got there," I said, cheerfully. "What did you do, beat up a gorilla?"
He looked up. "I really don't want a lecture right now."
"We're not here to give you a lecture," Rachel said, sitting down next to him. I never noticed until then how much they seemed to look like each other.
"So why are you here?" he asked.
"We thought maybe you'd want some company," Rachel said.
I sat down opposite them.
"Yeah, well I don't."
"Jeez, could you be any more cheerful?" I joked.
"Don't Marco," he sighed.
"Look at your hands," Rachel said, starting to act like the concerned younger cousin. Something was wrong. She took his right hand and studied it. "Look at all these bruises and cuts."
"I'm fine," Jake said, pulling his hand out of her grip and slumping against the wall.
"Why don't you just morph?" I asked.
This dazed look came over Jake's face.
"Oh," he said. "I'm, um… I've decided not to morph."
"What?" Rachel demanded, finally getting out of her friendly attitude I knew wouldn't stick. "I thought everything's back to normal again. I thought the Animorphs were back."
Jake looked at her, almost as if he pitied her.
"Please, Jake," she pleaded. "We need to fight these Yeerks."
"Alright," he sighed, and not for the first time I saw a weary old man in his once bright, youthful eyes. "Call a meeting tomorrow, after the funeral."
"Where?" I asked. "Cassie's barn?"
"No," he said quickly. Then recovering almost at once, he said, "No, let's have a change of scenery. Ax's scoop."
"What's wrong with Cassie's barn?" Rachel asked.
"Nothing," Jake replied. "Like I said a change of scenery."
"Yeah right, Jake…"
"Look, this has nothing to do with you, so just drop it," he snapped.
He looked down at his knuckles again and started flexing them.
"You should really morph," I said.
"I'll live," he mumbled. "I probably shouldn't have hit him though."
"He had a knife against your throat," Rachel said. "You totally kicked his butt, cuz. I mean come on!"
For some reason Jake didn't look happy at that.
"Oh, this is great Jake," I snapped at him.
He looked up at me, surprised.
"You're blaming yourself again, Jake," I said. "When are you going to accept the fact you're not superman?"
He smiled his rare slow smile I had almost forgot he possessed.
"Who says I'm not?"
