Author's Note: Okay, so, umm….who's mad at me? >>. I know, I know….But, hey, it hasn't quite been a year yet? Good news is, my mother's cancer is in remission, so updates should be more frequent now.

And, hey, here's a nice long chapter? Although I apologize for the corniness of Jake's ending…I was on writer's block…Oh, and due to stupid formatting issues, all thought speak is now in italics.

And thanks to everyone who reviewed during my long absence. I'm back now, in case anyone's still reading this. ()

Chapter Twenty-Eight Part One – Cassie

Spending time with Jake wasn't the only reason I was going to skip school that day.

It was just the main reason.

He met me at my house so we could walk to the shed together. My parents, of course, thought we were walking to school. It was still raining out, so I had packed a backpack of food instead of stopping by Taco Bell like I had planned.

I did have my own umbrella in the backpack, but Jake offered to share his, so it stayed in there.

We walked for awhile, chatting about things normal teenagers talk about.

After a moment of companionable silence, though, I asked, "What are we going to do, Jake?"

He knew what I was talking about, but it took him a little while to respond. "I dunno, Cass. Whether they're Controllers or not, we're going to have to use the cube."

I nodded. I had known that was what his answer was going to be, but I wanted to hear it from him. "Maybe it won't be so bad, Jake. Three new Animorphs? Everyone's not like David, you know."

He winced at David's name. "I hope they're not like him. I don't think we can go through that again."

I placed a comforting hand on his arm. "I don't think we'll have to. These three, they seem nice. Marco was friends with Danny and Reese, and I know Sam….They're good people."

Jake nodded. "They do seem okay. I could almost be friends with them, if I was sure this isn't just some act by the aliens in their heads."

"Well, we just have the rest of today and tomorrow, Jake, and then we'll know…I don't really think they're Controllers. I mean, they've been really cooperative and they haven't once tried to escape…" I offered.

"Yeah. It doesn't seem like they are Controllers." He agreed.

There was silence for awhile again, but it was slightly strained this time. I glanced over at him as we neared the shed. He seemed preoccupied, staring off in the distance.

"You okay?" I asked him softly.

He shook his head, as if to clear it. "Hmm? Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay. It's just…This shed brings back memories."

I hesitated, then slipped my hand into his and gave it a soft squeeze. He looked down at me and smiled.

We walked the rest of the way to the shed holding hands. I was very glad I had decided to miss school that day.

We dropped hands when we reached the shed door. I opened it and stepped in while he closed the umbrella, then shut the door after him.

The shed was almost as dark as it was outside, lit only by the lanterns I had brought yesterday. It was also nearly as cold as outside. Ax was lying down in the corner by Danny, a blanket draped over his deer-like half. Danny was leaning back against his chair, asleep with another blanket on him. Reese was sleeping as well, although she was shivering in her blanket. Sam was sleeping, also, under another blanket. Tobias was perched on her shoulder, a lot dryer than yesterday.

Ax smiled with his eyes as we walked in. Hello Prince Jake, Cassie.

Hey guys.Tobias greeted, his mental voice slightly annoyed. Still raining out there.

I wasn't sure if that was a question or a comment, so I let it go.

"You can go on out and eat, Ax, if it's not too wet for you." Jake told him.

Ax stood, the blanket falling off. No, it isn't. The rain doesn't bother me. He trotted out into the storm.

"I brought you some of our frozen mice, Tobias, in case you didn't feel like hunting." I offered.

Tobias tilted his head, considering. I think I'll take you up on that. There wouldn't be anything good out in the storm, anyway.

I nodded. "We brought some other food, too…Should we wake them up?" I asked Jake.

"Yes, I need awakening." Danny commented sleepily. "Because I'm still asleep and all."

"Me, too." Reese said. "I heard something about food?"

"Cold…so cold. Why can't I light a fire?" Danny asked.

"Because the shed is wood and I don't feel like burning to death?" Reese offered.

"Oh," Danny said blankly. "Fine then."

I laughed and dug around in my backpack, looking for the pastries I had brought.

While you're in there, Cass, could you get those mice? I wanna eat before Sam wakes up. Tobias told me.

I paused, glancing up at him, and he managed to shrug slightly. Which isn't easy to do, when you're a bird.

I dunno, it might upset her. You know, being a vegetarian and able to talk to animals and all. Might be eating a friend. He explained, sounding slightly sheepish.

"Meh. Go ahead. Doesn't bother me. Sweet, though." Sam told him, voice sounding only half-awake. She yawned widely, then blinked up at him. "'Sides, that's the way of things. You've got a right to live as much as the mouse. More." There was a pause, then she added, "I mean, most of my friends are predators. They gotta eat, too, right?"

"Sammie, you make no sense in the morning." Reese told her.

Sam blinked. "Oh, shut up." She retorted.

"Well, she is right." Danny commented, then paused. "Wait. Man, I have been agreeing with Reese way too much lately."

"Okay, now, I resent that." Reese said.

I finally found the mice and pulled them out of their little ziplock bag. "Tobias, you want these now?"

Sure. He said, launching off of Sam's shoulder.

I tossed the mice in the unoccupied corner for him and he landed and began eating.

Jake had found the pastries while I was giving Tobias the mice and helped me pass them out. While I was giving Sam hers, I noticed an extra-thick layer of sweatshirt on her shoulders.

"Is that padding?" I asked.

"Hmm? Oh, the shoulders. Yeah. I've got a lot of bird friends, so I had 'em sown in." She replied, taking a bite of her pastry. "Mmm. Sugar."

Oh. So that was why she didn't seem to be bothered by Tobias's claws on her shoulder.

Chapter Twenty-Eight Part Two – Jake

I spent the day huddled under a blanket with Cassie, talking with her and the other occupants of our little shed. Aside from the cold, it really wasn't that bad. It definitely beat going to school.

Then again, anytime spent with Cassie beat going to school.

I meant what I had told Cassie. I really did like Danny, Reese, and Sam. They seemed nice enough. They certainly weren't acting like David. We had tied them up in a cold, dark little shed for three days, and they were still joking and laughing with us like we were just hanging out.

David wouldn't have done that.

Plus, there was the fact that Marco kinda had a crush on Reese. At least, he had been sort of interested in her before all this happened, back when she was in his class. I hadn't gotten the chance to ask him if that still stood.

And, apparently, Tobias had heard from Sam that Reese had a crush on Marco.

Of course, since Sam was still under suspicion, that wasn't exactly solid news.

I admit, though, I was finding it less and less likely that these three were Controllers. I remembered how the Yeerk in my head had acted when he had been prisoner. By now, he had already tried to escape a couple of times. I think he might have even stopped pretending. I couldn't remember when, exactly…I didn't really want to.

Marco and Rachel came by after school. Since it was Friday night, I was staying the night at Marco's, and he was staying over my house. Rachel and Cassie had done the same thing, so all six of us would be there that night and the next day. By 4:47 PM, according to Ax, this would all be over.

Well, part of it would be over, anyway. The next part would just be beginning.

As I expected, Marco made some comment about me and Cassie, then went over to sit by Reese. I was slightly surprised, though, when Rachel joined Danny and Ax.

I was half asleep when Reese commented, "You know what? We should all sing Christmas carols."

I opened my eyes to stare at her.

"What?" She asked. "Could be fun. Get us in the holiday season."

Sam was staring at her, too. "Who gave you too much sugar?"

"I am not singing Christmas carols." Marco informed us.

"Spoil sport." Reese commented, then looked at Danny. "Come on, you're in choir. You know you wanna sing."

Danny gave her a sardonic smile. "Like that's happening."

"Oh, you all are so not fun." Reese said.

"No, we're all so not insane." Sam countered.

"Hey, I'm offended by that. I can be insane." Danny said defiantly. "You sing then I'll join."

"Yay!" Reese said happily, then began to sing 'Silent Night.'

Danny joined her almost instantly. Sam raised an eyebrow, then shrugged and started singing as well. Cassie looked over at me, amused, then added her voice in. Rachel and Marco were staring at the four of them like they were insane. Marco noticed Rachel's reaction and grinned, then started singing, too, probably just to irritate her. Tobias added his thought-speak voice after a moment, too.

I shrugged, and joined in. There were worse things. Rachel continued staring at us until Marco made the comment about her being to afraid to sing.

Ax just looked at us the whole time. I don't think he had a clue what we were doing.

And that's how I ended up spending my night in a shed, singing Christmas carols.

Man, my life is nuts.

Chapter Twenty-Eight Part Three – Marco

The six of us took turns staying up in shifts of two that night, even though none of us really thought they were Controllers any more. Myself included.

Like everyone else, the fact that this situation was a lot like David had occurred to me. I just decided not to dwell on it.

Besides, I could think of plenty of ways David's thing had been different from this. David was a jerk, for starters, and frankly, Reese, Danny, and Sam just didn't seem like jerks.

Then there was the fact that David hadn't really had a choice in joining us. Well, okay, he sort of did, but come on. What else was he going to do?

These three, though, they came to us. And their families were still intact, as far as I knew. They still had homes to go to at night.

Plus, I'd known Reese and Danny for a while. If they weren't Controllers, then I thought I could guess how they'd react.

Of course, I could be wrong and they'd end up going insane and trying to kill us all.

But who wants to think about that?

Sometime during the night, or rather, early morning, Jake woke us all up. Well, all of us but Reese, Danny, and Sam. They were still asleep in their chairs.

He looked at us all for a moment, then said, "Well, I think it's pretty obvious we're going to have to use the cube."

"But that doesn't mean it's going to turn out like last time. Three new Animorphs? That's gotta be good for something. And besides, we know them more than him." Cassie said.

"What do we really know about these three, though? Aside from they claim to be from an alternate universe?" Rachel asked.

"Look, last time, I was against it. I mean, I never liked David." I said. "But really, what choice do we have? They know about us. And we do know more about them than David."

You said you all had connections, Rachel, but some of the connections weren't any stronger than the connections we have with these three. Sure, we've got stronger connections now, and it may take some getting used to, but if David had worked out, think of how good that could have been. Tobias added.

Rachel held up her hands. "I was just pointing out the facts. I say we go for it."

I thought about that. "Uh, I'd like to change my vote, please."

Jake rolled his eyes, then looked at Ax.

Ax shrugged. I would say my opinion is the same as last time, especially in remembering how that came out. But Marco is right; we do not appear to have much of a choice. And these three humans do not seem to act anything like David did.

Jake nodded. "All right, then. When the three days is up, we'll use the cube. What time again, Ax?"

4:47 PM, Prince Jake. Ax replied immediately.

"Thanks. And, uh, you really don't need to call me prince." Jake told him.

I know, Prince Jake.

"Okay. Just checking." Jake said. "You can all go back to sleep, now…We'll finish out our shift."

We was him and Cassie, of course. Somehow, they'd managed to get their shifts together.

Okay, so, Jake had assigned the shifts, so it wasn't really that hard.

I had ended up with Rachel. And doing a shift in the middle of the night with Xena was not exactly fun. Fortunately, though, I only needed to do one more shift before it was morning.

"So, uh, Rachel." I commented. "I see you've made like Cassie and left me."

She glared at me. "What are you talking about?"

"It's no use denying it. I know all about you and Danny." Yes, I had noticed them talking an awful lot. No, I could not resist commenting about it.

"Me and Danny? Like.../me/ and /Danny?" Rachel asked, then paused. "Okay, now I know you're nuts."

I grinned at her. "You can't argue with the facts, Rach."

"What facts would those be?" Rachel asked innocently.

"Rachel likes Daaannnnnyyy…." I replied.

Rachel rolled her eyes. She didn't deny it, though. "Whatever. You don't seem too broken up about it."

"Huh?" Okay, that one had me.

She nodded in Reese's direction.

Oh. That. So people had noticed. I had decided I was still interested in Reese. I had been before this whole thing, when we were just classmates. Come on, she was funny, cute, and she talked to me. That's pretty much a reason for me to be interested.

Once the three of them went all psycho, though, I had my doubts. What if she had been a Controller the whole time? That would sort of kill all my reasons for being interested. Well, except for the cute thing. But despite my talk, if I was interested in a girl purely for her looks I think I'd be too shallow even for myself.

Now, though, it looked like they weren't Controllers. And, according to our vote, Reese, Danny, and Sam would become Animorphs today.

Three new Animorphs.

There were good things and bad things about that. More people meant more firepower. It also meant more uncertainty, and more to worry about. What I had told Rachel aside, we weren't sure how they'd hold up in battle.

But I couldn't think about that now because Rachel was looking at me, waiting for an answer.

"I, uh, don't know what you're talking about." Smooth. Very smooth.

"Sure you don't." Rachel replied.

I looked at my watch. "Oh, look, it's time to wake up Ax and Tobias."

"Uh-huh." Rachel said.

She dropped the subject, though, and we woke up Tobias and Ax.