A/N: ducks all the tomatoes thrown yes, yes, I know, it's been awhile, and I've tried, really I have. But my friends are demanding my attention, something about living like a hermit or something…rolls eyes whatever. I'm hoping to actually complete the writing of this story this week, before I loose everything that is now stored into my brain, which will mean I then have to type up and have beta-ed about…15 chapters…if my estimate is correct. sighs I hope to be able to post again later this week, since I'm leaving for vaca on Monday and I'm sure you all don't want to wait two weeks for the next update. cringes at the thought of mad reviewersHope you all enjoyed the next chapter, and happy reading!

Chapter 21

Tobias

It was the next day after the others had rescued Ax and I from the Yeerks. I was still feeling like I could be sick, but I shrugged the feeling off as a mental problem; like knowing I was injected with something that was supposed to make me sick was making me paranoid about it that I was making myself feel sick.

I also know that hawks do get sick. It might be a by-product of stress on my bird body or something. I saw them all the time at Cassie's barn, but a voice in the back of my mind told me Yes, but those hawks don't morph.

Oh Stop it! I yelled at myself. You're being paranoid.

((Tobias?)) I looked down and saw Ax standing below me. I honestly did not see or hear him arrive. The thought disturbed me a bit but I kept it to myself.

((Hey Ax.)) I said.

((Tobias…I want you to know…I am honored that we are related.))

((Thanks Ax. That means a lot.)) Ax smiled at me with his eyes.

((If you want…I could teach you how to use you're andalite morph. You must be curious…I know I would be.)) Ax offered. If I were human, I would have had the look of a little kid on Christmas morning. I was giddy. I wanted to learn how to use the andalite morph, but I was too afraid to ask Ax. Only…that meant I would have to morph. I wasn't so sure I should be doing it now…ya know, just in case.

((Yeah Ax, that would be cool. I have to meet Rachel today though. Maybe later?)) I said. Ax nodded in his weird way by keeping his stalk eyes still. He turned and left and I flew off my branch and into the air and set course for Rachels. I wasn't supposed to meet her today, but I knew she wouldn't object to my presence. The others had a half day of school, something about one of those school improvement days when only the staff reports, but no new changes happen at the school so you wonder what the point of the day was, but happy you got a half day.

I flew into Rachel's open window and landed on her desk. She wasn't in the room and her bedroom door was closed. I settled myself onto her desk and began to preen some feathers. A few minutes later, her door opened and she looked at me, surprised.

"Tobias!"

((Hey Rachel.)) I greeted, looking up to her.

"What's up?" She asked, looking back at me, a slight frown on her face.

((I'm fine Rachel.)) I reassured her, though I wasn't completely reassured myself. She kept looking at me skeptically.

"You know, my mom's at work and my sisters won't be home for a couple of hours, if you want to hang out with me." She said.

I mentally weighed my options. I could stay with Rachel for the day and be, for the most part, happy, or go off on my own and just be lonely. The look on her face alone made any resolve I could have had leave me.

((Sure.)) I said and opened my wings to land on her floor. I morphed to my human self and my earlier light headedness came back. I closed my eyes briefly until the feeling past and opened them again. Rachel had left the room and I glanced at her quote board to see if she had any new ones from the last time I was there.

"If you do it, you'll regret it
if you don't do it, you'll regret it
Either way, you're going to regret it
So you might as well just do it."

I smiled as I read it. The quote was so Rachel. She had other one's that I had seen before that read:

"Life without danger is a waste of oxygen."

"Death is instant, pain will end, glory is forever."

"You only live once…but if you live it right, once is enough."

"To learn to succeed, you must first learn to fail." –Michael Jordan

"Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." –Anonymous.

As I finished reading the last quote, Rachel stepped into her room from her adjoining bathroom and tossed a bag at me. I clumsily caught it and looked at her curiously.

"I thought you'd be more comfortable in real clothes." She said.

"What, you don't like the outfit?" I asked her, teasingly. Rachel wrinkled her nose in a look of disgust.

"There is nothing sexy about that." She said. I stared at her, dumb founded and I felt my face grow warm so I looked away from her gaze and tried to stop my thoughts before I became a bumbling idiot in front of her. Rachel just grinned at me and left the room so I could change.

I stood there like an idiot for a moment before I could snap myself out of my stupor and opened the bag that Rachel had tossed at me earlier. Inside the bag was a pair of designer jeans from Abercrombie and Finch with a maroon colored t-shirt with the company logo. I sighed before slipping the clothes over my morphing outfit. I figured why bother changing out of it?

I opened Rachel's door and she turned around to give me a once over, like I was her personal ken doll or something. I don't mind, but I'm just not used to being fussed over quite so much. Her nails scratched my scalp as she attempted to style my hair. Why she was bothering, I don't know, but whatever made her happy. Her fingers left my hair and she took a couple of steps back and gave me a grin that showed her perfect white teeth and she took my hand before leading me downstairs. About half way down, I felt slightly light headed again and my face grew hot with a fever.

"Whoa.." I felt myself sway slightly and I pulled my hand from Rachel's so I could hold my hand over my forehead and hold onto the stair railing with the other.

"Tobias?" Rachel asked, turning around to look at me.

I didn't answer her for a moment, I couldn't. I felt a sharp pain behind my eyes and it caused me to wince in pain. As the same time, I began to feel slightly dizzy. I closed my eyes again until the feeling passed. When I opened them again, I found I had somehow sat down during my episode and Rachel was now sitting next to me with a concerned look in her eyes.

"Tobias!"

"I'm ok." I said, automatically.

"The hell you are!"

"I'm fine, I just felt light headed and dizzy for a moment. I'm fine now."

"That was longer for a moment! I kept trying to get you to tell me what was wrong…I was about to call an ambulance or something!" Rachel said, her voice slightly hysterical.

"It's gone now. I'm fine." I stressed. Rachel gave me another skeptical look. "I'm fine." I said again, but I wasn't sure if I was trying to convince Rachel or myself.

Thanks to:

Quillian: Great story! Can't wait for the next update. Hope you liked this chapter.

LucreziaNoin86: mmmmmm….squirms well, I hafta state that Rachel and Tobias are my fav couple…but that doesn't necessarily mean anything…Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

rockergurl13: creepy. Very very creepy (about being on the same thought pattern). Twice in one story is never a good sign. sighs looks like I need to figure out a heck of a plot twist…

GenesisDragon: well, that's with the earlier talks of the yeerks developed a disease that can effect morphing, or gets stronger with DNA change. I have no clue on the logistics of how it works, but it works (I swore I never would use that 'I'm the author so that's they way it is thing', but I guess I spoke too soon). I literally had this come to me in a dream from last chapter on and I tried to make my own explanations to things and yeah, that's what I came up with. I know logically the illness or whatever would have morphed out, but for sake of the story…I'm sure I don't hafta spell it all out for ya.