Author's Note: Bleh. I realize it's been forever. Unfortunately, it will probably be forever once more after this update. My mother was diagnosed with cancer, so things have been kinda hectic. It's stabilizing a bit now, but I'm still the only person who can really drive, so I get to take over chores and stuff. Plus, you know, chemo isn't fun. So….updates will be very sporadic. I'm gonna try and respond to all the reviewers, sorry if I miss anyone, it's been awhile. I do have a couple of chapters to upload, though. Haven't stopped writing, I've just stopped being able to get on the computer and get them up. .

Sharina: Glad you liked it….Sorry about the again long wait. . Bad, bad me, I know.

SD: Marco always makes me laugh, too. I think the reason people pick on him is just 'cause they want to see his amusing reaction….Or, well, not. But that's my idea.

Liaranne: lol. I know there was no plot…That was sort of an amusing little sidetrack. In fact, most of the parts where they're in the shed don't really have a plot….Huh. Maybe I should work on that.

DH: Thankies! I love writing Marco, he's so much fun. And, no, I haven't quit the story. I'll finish this even if it takes me three years and a thousand chapters….Although hopefully it won't….o.O

DragonTamer: Sorry I didn't update sooner! Yesh, school sucks…What really sucks is now that I finally get some free time, I'm going to have to go back soon. .

Rachel9466: Hey, losers are cool. At least, that's what I keep telling myself. () Glad you liked it!

Jolly Jeff: Yup, you did review earlier…Thankies for reviewing again.

bionicle0727: Thankies muchly. Sorry it took so long, but I am continuing!

Agent Orangess: Eeep! Please don't pop! And I don't particularly want to pop either…I'm updating! Sorry about the wait. .

East Coast Ryder: Well, at least it hasn't been forever, right? Thanks for reviewing!

Disclaimer: "My arse is not pansy."

Chapter Twenty-Six – Tobias

a.k.a. Sale Day Sale and No One Likes Reese

Cassie carried me back to her house. I wasn't admitting it, but my wing was starting to hurt. Plus the fact that I was unable to fly was getting to me. Man, it sucks being grounded.

Rachel and Ax came with us, Ax in human morph.

"So what do you think about all this?" Cassie asked as we walked towards the barn. Well, they walked. I got carried.

"I think it's a load of bull." Rachel replied.

"Bull? Buuull-la. Load of bull?" Ax asked.

"It's an expression, Ax…I don't think it's real." Rachel said.

"Well, then, Rach, what do you think it is?" Cassie countered.

Rachel considered. "I don't know."

Well, I believe them. I put in.

I didn't think there was any other way for them to know everything…Plus, I had been on the receiving end of the Ellimist's plans before. Sometimes they seem to make no sense. A lot like this.

"I don't know what I think yet." Cassie told us. "I think I'll wait until the three days are up."

"What are we going to do then, Cass? I don't want another David." Rachel said firmly.

"None of us want another David, Rach. I don't know what we're going to do." Cassie replied.

We got to the barn and Cassie took me over to the X-Ray machine. While we waited for the X-Rays to get ready or whatever, we started talking again. By mutual agreement, though, we seemed to avoid the subject of the three teenagers currently tied up in the shed.

"Cassie, when did you start wearing Capri's?" Rachel asked, too casually.

Cassie frowned. "These aren't Capri's, they're just jeans." She glanced down at her too-short jeans. "Oh. I get it. That was another slight about my pants. Very funny."

Rachel smiled sweetly. "Yes, I thought so. Seriously, though. There's a sale this weekend."

There's always a sale at the mall…Doesn't it seem like that? They always have some reason to have a sale. I commented.

"Yeah, you know, now that you mention it…What is it this time, Rach? Today's Thursday Sale? The Sale Day Sale?" Cassie asked.

"Oh, you're all just so amusing." Rachel sniffed. "You just can't appreciate the perfection that is the mall."

"The mall has cinnamon buns. Bunzzz. Bunz-suh." Ax informed us helpfully.

A timer rang and Cassie glanced over in its direction. "Oh. That would be the X-Rays. Hang on."

She came back a few minutes later, X-Rays in hand. "Well, it looks like you just have a really bad sprain. Not as bad as a break, fortunately, and it shouldn't take as long to heal."

How long? I asked.

Cassie shrugged. "One, maybe two weeks. Three tops."

Greeaat. I replied.

Cassie shrugged again. "Well, you could always try morphing out of it."

"That didn't work so well last time." Rachel reminded.

"Yeah, but that was for a break. A sprain might be different." Cassie commented.

"How would a sprain be different?" Rachel asked.

Once more, Cassie shrugged. "How should I know? He should have been able to heal the break. What's to say he won't heal the sprain?"

"It could possibly work. Work. W-urk. Poss-i-blee." Ax said.

I thought about it. If it doesn't work, will you have to set it again?

Cassie considered. "Probably. It may be only a sprain, but it is a bad one. Better safe than sorry."

After another moment's thought, I decided to go ahead and try it. I really didn't want to be out of commission for two weeks. So, Cassie carefully undid Sam's work and I hopped onto the floor, then started morphing. In a few minutes, I was human and the pain in my arm was gone. I blinked blurry eyes around for a moment, trying to clear them, then remembered how bad human eyesight was.

"All right." I said. "Here's hoping this works."

I demorphed, going slowly. I almost didn't want to finish morphing and find out whether or not it was going to work. As long as I was still in the process of doing it, there was hope. Finally, though, I was fully hawk again. I tested my wing and was pleased to find that it worked fine. I couldn't feel any pain.

All right! I said happily. It worked!

I flew a circle around the barn, just to prove it, and ended up upsetting some of the smaller animals in the hospital, for which Cassie scolded me.

Sorry. I replied as I settled down in the rafters.

Cassie rolled her eyes, but she didn't seem too upset about it.

Rachel frowned. "You know, this really makes no sense."

Since when has our life made sense? I asked.

Rachel shrugged, but she was still frowning slightly.

I stretched my wings again. You know, I think I'm going to go up to the shed. See if Marco and Jake could use a little help. Being out-numbered and all.

Cassie nodded. "Okay, then, Tobias."

"I will join you when the dark falls. Dark. Da-ark." Ax told me.

"See you, Tobias." Rachel said.

Later, guys. I said as I took off.

It didn't take me long to fly to the shed, but man, did it feel good. It may have been only a little over a day since I had flown, but I really had missed it. I took my time getting there, flying loops and doing other stupid things that must have confused any bird watchers looking at me. When I did get to the shed, though, I noticed the door seemed to have had an accident. It looked like it was barely hanging on there.

I arrived just in time to hear Marco's comment. After Danny informed me that the door had mutated, I just blinked.

Ooo….kay. I suppose the mutated door can open itself, then? I asked.

There was a sound of shoving and then the door open, Marco appearing in the doorway. "I hope you're happy. We just got that thing closed."

Ecstatic. I replied, swooping off my perch and gliding in through the door.

"Hey, man, how'd your wing heal so fast?" Marco asked.

Jake, Danny, and Sam looked up at hearing that.

"Oh, wow, it is better!" Sam said. "What'd you do?"

Morphed out of it. I replied.

"But the morphing out with a broken wing thing didn't work when you guys were hanging out with the dinosaurs," Danny pointed out..

Oh, right. I had forgotten they knew all that. Yeah, well, it worked now. We're not sure why. Maybe because it was just a sprain.

Jake frowned slightly, thinking. He was probably thinking the same thing Rachel had been.

"Cool." Marco said. "You're here early, though."

Yeah, I know. Figured you could use some more help. I replied.

Marco grinned. "You can watch over Reese, then."

Oh, thanks. Give me the only one that tried to escape. I retorted.

"You know, I resent that." Reese said.

Jake smiled. "Well, you can't have Danny. He backs me up."

I distinctly saw Danny grin and then chuckle while looking at Marco, who huffed indignantly.

"Are you still on about that?" Marco demanded.

I looked over at Reese, then at Sam, who was accompanied by another red-tailed hawk, a female, that had perched on her chair. That surprised me slightly, but I did remember her display in Gardens and decided to shrug it off. While Marco was busy arguing with Jake, I swooped over and perched on the other side of Sam's chair.

Marco saw me. "Hey! What are you doing?"

Taking the lesser of two evils. I replied.

Jake grinned. "Should have claimed your person while you were still able to."

"Oh, man, now I'm stuck with Reese." Marco joked.

"I resent that, too." Reese said.

"Is it just me, or do either of you feel like inanimate objects right now?" Danny asked.

"Trust me, it's not just you." Sam replied.