Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Dark Angel, or Animorphs.

Jondy the Abandoner 4: Streaming Freedom Video

Chapter one: The Engagement

February 14, 2020

Zack was mad at Eloise, Aldrea decided. That was the only explanation for it. He hadn't called or visited in two months. He didn't give her a Christmas gift, which he had done for the past two years, since she and her mother had started celebrating the holiday with Brian, her mother's boyfriend.

Zack didn't turn up when her mom had called him, and left a him a message. He had to be angry with her for some reason. Those two fought all the time, so he was just mad at her, right? He had to be mad at her, because the only other explanation for his absence was too horrible to think about.

The only other reason that he wouldn't have shown up, was because he'd been captured by the mysterious bad people. The bad people responsible for the barcode on her neck, and on her mother's neck, and on Zack's neck. The bad guys. Aldrea didn't know anything about them, but they were the only thing that ever scared Zack, the strongest person in the world, as far as she was concerned. There was no way that they could have gotten Zack.

"So where is he?" she asked her mother once again.

"Aldrea, get ready for school," demanded Eloise.

"I am ready. Mom, it's been two and a half months. I just want to know if you think anything is wrong. If you think something happened. You know, with the bad guys."

"Listen, nothing bad is going on, all right. Zack blows that danger crap way out of proportion, and you know that. Now, go over to Brian's and tell him to take you to school. He's late."

Aldrea scowled at her mother. She could be the complete anti-Zack when it came to the inherent danger that they lived in, and she took way too much for granted. Aldrea thought that her mom would be dead by now if it weren't for her and Zack keeping her on her toes. Eloise was way too laid back. Things could never be safe forever. Begrudgingly she hung her head, walked across the hall to Brian's apartment, and knocked.

A muffled, "Come on in," was heard from the other side. Aldrea entered. Brian's apartment was a lot cleaner than her and her mother's. In fact, Brian was the one who usually ended up cleaning their apartment. Aldrea's mom did not set cleanliness as one of her priorities.

"Hey Brian," said Aldrea. "You're late."

"I know," he said through toothpaste. "Sorry, but hey, you can't be late if you get there before the teacher right?"

"Okay, then I get to go in right before you!"

"It's a deal," Brian agreed. Now that she was in third grade, Brian was her teacher. Aldrea thought it was only a little bit weird, and besides, it was a tiny school, so there was only one teacher for each grade. She'd always known Brian would be her third grade teacher. The hardest part was having to call him Mr. Harrison instead of Brian.

"Hey Kiddo," Brian smiled as he exited the bathroom. "Okay, we're way late, lets roll!"

"Rock and roll!" Aldrea shouted after him, and followed him down the stairs.

---

"So, what forms of torture are you planning on putting Beth through tonight?" Brian asked, once they were in the Jeep and on the way too school.

"Oh I forgot! You guys are leaving tonight!"

"That's right."

"For Valentine's Day. Zack would make so much fun of Mom if he knew about all this you know," Aldrea giggled.

"Yeah. Too bad he didn't show up to baby sit you and make fun of your mom. That would've been a riot!"

"Yeah," Aldrea sighed wistfully.

"You miss him don't you Kiddo?"

"I hope he shows up for my birthday."

---

Entering her apartment after school, unaccompanied by Brian, Aldrea felt an air of excitement. Her mom was in the bathroom getting ready for her big night out with Brian, and Aldrea could tell that she was looking forward to it. Brian and Eloise hadn't been out without Aldrea since Halloween, when Zack had taken Aldrea trick or treating.

Then Zack left, and never came back. It was so weird.

"Hey Aldrea," Eloise called from the bathroom, "if I put my hair up like this, can you see my barcode?"

Eloise had half of her hair up, and tied into a messy bun, while the other half hung down her back. Aldrea shook her head, "nope, can't see it. You should curl the ends of the part hanging down though."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It'll just give it more dimension, or whatever it is shampoo commercials call it," explained Aldrea.

"Gotcha Kiddo. Okay, curling my hair," said Eloise with an eye roll. Aldrea returned the favor. Her mom could act like such a doofus sometimes.

Aldrea went out and spread her homework across the counter in the kitchen, prepared herself a snack of chocolate milk and generic brand Oreo's, and then set to work on her math. Brian always gave her work that challenged her mind, and so Aldrea was doing work slightly above the level of her classmates. Sometimes Aldrea appreciated this, but mostly she just wished she could do the same work as everyone else, which required very little thinking on her part.

Before she knew it, the clock read 5:55, and Brian was knocking at the door. "I'll get it!" shouted Aldrea, at the same time that her mom called, "Get the door!"

"Hey Kiddo," smiled Brian, as Aldrea let him in. "Happy Valentine's Day." He handed her a small, heart shaped box of chocolates, and leaned down to kiss the top of her head. "Don't tell your mom," he whispered, "she'll be jealous."

"What was that?" asked Eloise.

Brian looked up. "Hey, you look great."

Eloise was wearing a purple, button up, collared top, and a long black skirt that when down to her ankles, but was split at the knees on both sides. She smiled, "You don't look so bad yourself." Granted, he never exactly looked bad, Eloise said to herself.

Brian was wearing black slacks, and a dressy t-shirt that accentuated his biceps. He was well aware of how Eloise enjoyed his biceps.

A soft knocking was heard behind them. "Hi Beth!" Aldrea greeted. Beth was a short, blonde girl who desperately needed braces on her teeth, which was unfortunate in the post-Pulse economy. She had her hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, and she smiled warmly at Aldrea and twinkled her fingers in a shy wave.

"Hey Ms. Strat," she said, trying to beef up her confidence when talking to an adult.

"Hey Beth," Eloise returned. "Well, my beeper number is on the fridge, and we should be home… When do you think Brian?"

"Between eleven and midnight I think."

"Okay. Um, what time should Aldrea be in bed by?" Beth inquired.

"Well," Eloise searched for an answer. Aldrea didn't actually have an official bed time. "How's nine o'clock?"

"Ten!" Aldrea immediately bargained.

"Okay ten. Sound good?" Eloise asked Beth.

"Sure. Have fun!" she said as Eloise and Brian left. Aldrea stared at Beth. Beth lived downstairs and had offered to baby sit for Aldrea many times, but Zack was Aldrea's usual babysitter.

---

Brian took Eloise out to a movie, in the old theatre that had just reopened a few weeks ago, after months of repairs. They saw some new romantic comedy that was so bad they both were in tears of laughter throughout the entire show. "That was so horrible Brian! I loved it!"

"You're so easy to please," Brian teased her. She hit his arm playfully.

---

"So what do you want do Aldrea?" asked Beth.

"I dunno. What do you wanna do?"

"Well do you have any games you like to play?"

"No." Aldrea and Zack had never played games, when Jondy was out. They'd always practiced martial arts. Aldrea wished Zack were here and they were doing that.

"Um… Okay," stumbled Beth. "Well, what do you usually do in the evening?"

"My homework. And then I colour while I watch TV, or I play with toys."

"Okay!" said Beth, relieved that Aldrea had more of a response this time. "Well, I'll make supper, while you do some homework then, and after we eat, we can play!"

Beth had expected Aldrea to be excited at her proposal, but Aldrea's face remained expressionless. "What's for supper?"

"Pizza," said Beth. "Your mom told me there was some in the freezer."

At this Aldrea perked up. "Pizza! We never had pizza!"

"Really?"

"My mom doesn't know how to cook frozen pizza without starting the building on fire." Beth noticed some telltale burn marks above the stove, and decided not to ask.

---

After the movie, Brian and Eloise relocated to a burger and malt shop that Eloise and Aldrea both adored. "I thought you'd bring me somewhere torturously fancy for Valentine's Day," said Eloise.

"What's the point? You'd hate it!"

"I know, but I know how you like to be traditional sometimes," Eloise smirked.

Brian rolled his eyes. "Suck your malt Eloise." She giggled.

---

"What are you drawing?" Beth asked Aldrea.

"What are you drawing?"

"A camel," said Beth simply.

"I'm drawing a picture of my mom throwing stuff," said Aldrea. Her mom always threw things at Zack.

---

By nine o'clock, their burgers and malts were gone, and the couple went to a park with a nice walking path. Eloise could sense that Brian was getting nervous.

Suddenly Brian stopped walking in front of a bench. "You wussing out on me Brian? Need a break?"

"Not exactly," said Brian.

---

"It's getting late," said Beth. "Why don't you get your pajamas on, and then watch a movie until ten."

"You know, when my mom said that I had to be in bed by ten, she didn't mean it. I can stay up all night if I want."

Beth laughed. "Not a chance. I do want your mom to pay me you know."

---

"Eloise, for almost three years, you and Aldrea have become my life. I've seen you everyday, and I want to see you always, forever. Eloise, will you marry me?" asked Brian. He looked like he was about to throw up with nervousness.

Eloise gulped. She wasn't the married type was she?

Brian looked at her, eager for her response, but looking terrified of what that response might be.

---

"I'm just gonna play in my room until ten then, okay?" said Aldrea.

"Sure. I'll play with you."

Aldrea thought Beth was weird. Nobody except her friend Jeremy ever played with her toys with her.

But then, Eloise thought, Manticore hadn't been onto her in years. She'd fallen completely off their radar. And she loved Brian. And marrying him would piss off Zack on a grandiose scale. And if she married Brian, she and Aldrea would have a real family, with a mom and a dad, and everyone loving each other, and trusting each other. Always, forever.

"I will," said Eloise finally, after way too much deliberation. "I'll marry you."

Brian pulled her close, and kissed her briefly on the lips. After their lips separated, he still held her to him and whispered, "you never wear jewelry, so I didn't get you a ring. Look under the bench."

Eloise grinned, and without moving, looked under the bench, using her night vision. "Go on, go see," Brian urged.

"Oh, yeah," said Eloise, and then acting like a normal person looked under the bench. She was like a kid looking under the tree at Christmas. There was a box underneath, tied with a dark blue ribbon. Eloise sat on the bench and opened the box.

---

"Okay, and these are the Power Rangers," explained Aldrea, showing Beth her toys. "See, and the Power Rangers aren't like the Power Rangers are on TV when I play, because I like to have them be animal tamers. See, the blue Ranger has tamed this wolf toy. They are my favourite pair. They live in this room." Aldrea put the wolf and the action figure in the dollhouse made out of old shoeboxes taped together that she and Brian had constructed one weekend.

"What a neat game," Beth enthused.

---

The box contained three items. Two boots, and a book. Eloise's favourite book, which she had mentioned to Brian countless times, and gone on about how she couldn't find it anywhere. Aldrea's namesake, The Hork Bajir Chronicals. "You got me combat boots and my favourite book? I love you!"

Brian smiled widely, tears in his eyes, and sat down next to his now fiance. "I love you too. Read the inscription."

"Dear Eloise and Aldrea,

Finding you, and letting you grow into my family, has been an adventure unlike any other. You girls are out of this world! Turns out that my older sister had this book saved from her vast childhood book collection. She said you could have it. Have fun reading it to Aldrea.

Aldrea, rock and roll kid. Rock and roll!

Love forever,

Brian"

Eloise couldn't stop smiling no matter how hard she tried. Neither could Brian.

"Let's go get some ice cream," Brian suggested.

"This night just keeps getting better and better," said Eloise.

"Happy Valentine's Day Eloise."

---

"Okay, time for bed," Beth instructed.

Aldrea sighed, and climbed into her bed, tucking herself in begrudgingly. "Good night Beth."

"Good night Aldrea," said Beth, clicking off the light, and going to watch TV until Eloise and Brian got home. They did at about ten after eleven. The two were giddy and beaming as they burst into the apartment, completely unworried about waking Aldrea. They both knew that Aldrea wasn't asleep.

"Hey Beth," they both said.

"Hey. You look like you had a good night."

"We did," said Eloise. "Great."

"Hey Mom! Hey Brian!" yelled Aldrea, running from her bedroom.

Beth's eyes grew wide. "She was in bed at ten, I swear!"

Eloise and Brian laughed. "We believe you," said Brian. "This one never stays in bed."

"Okay," said Beth. Brian handed her some money. "Thanks. Have a good night guys. See ya later Aldrea!" She flashed them one last smile, and left.

Aldrea grinned. "How was Valentine's Day Mom?"

"Great Kiddo. Guess what."

"What?!"

"Brian and I are engaged. We're getting married!"

Aldrea leapt up into her mom's arms and hugged her. "Mom," she giggled in a whisper. "Zack's gonna be so mad!"

TBC…

A/N: Hopefully the spacing in this chapter wasn't too confusing. I decided that the quick scene changes would be the best way to keep the story from getting too boring, but disagreed with my formatting and I had to go back and try to make sense of it all being blocked together. Hopefully I got everything fixed up correctly, but I worry about these things. I always miss something, so hopefully I didn't leave anyone confused.

As always, review-age is very much appreciated.