As I regained consciousness, I felt a wave of confusion at being able to move on my own. For half a second, I wondered if the last six months had been a nightmare, when the memories of the previous day washed over me.

(Hello, Tom,) Liliss greeted me, gently.

Kindly.

Huh?

Then, comprehension dawned on me.

Yesterday, I'd received a new Yeerk. Because my old one had been promoted.

I was still a slave. But, at least, this one seemed different. Kind.

So it seemed.

She was still a Yeerk. More importantly, it could still be a trap.

Except, she'd given me control, twice, and if she was to be believed, she wanted to help me.

I mean, I was pretty sure she was lying, or maybe just pretending to get me to cooperate, but as I went over my memories of the past day, she really seemed genuine.

Except.

That was the problem with parasitic brain slugs, though. They could hide whatever they wanted (except emotions) from their host, and then reveal themselves to be spiteful monsters.

Not that I knew from personal experience. Temrash had started out as a jerk, at best, and remained that way.

I'd heard stories, though. Yeerks who tried to "play nice" to get a "reluctant" host to cooperate, only to show their true colors.

Infest their host's family.

Torture them for fighting back.

It had all been a guise to make their host compliant. Not fight back.

So, yeah. Liliss might be the one in a million decent Yeerk. Or, she might be extremely manipulative, and biding her time.

I had to keep my guard up.

(Hi,) I answered, my tone wary.

(Good morning, honey,) she answered, still speaking softly, as though she hadn't heard my thoughts about her and the previous day. (Did you sleep well last night?)

(Yeah. Well, I guess,) I answered, realizing that it had been the first time I'd felt well rested since having been infested. Which she had to know. (Yeah. I slept okay.)

(Well, that's good, honey,) Liliss answered, with a mental smile.

(True,) I acknowledged, aware that I still had control, and made some use of it by sitting myself up in bed. I even stretched my arms and legs. Liliss, it seemed, was not in a hurry to take control from me. (I hope...you know. That it continues. Sleeping well.)

Liliss gave me another one of her mental nods. (Oh, I expect it will, as you become more used to me, and come to trust me,) Liliss murmured. (As for before...well, I've heard that tortured hosts rarely sleep well.)

Couldn't imagine why. Which, come to think of it...

(Wait. Doesn't that take toll on their body?) I wondered. (Which the Yeerk controls?)

(Well, yes, often it does,) Liliss agreed. (The empire claims it's part of the reason to prefer voluntary hosts. They also, in a roundabout way, use this as a cautionary note to discourage Yeerks from intentionally mistreating their host,) Liliss explained, with a mental eye roll.

I could see why.

(Yeah, well. Didn't stop Temrash,) I pointed out, almost sardonically.

(No, it certainly didn't, honey,) Liliss sighed. (He was extremely cruel to you. Beyond what would be deemed acceptable for an involuntary human. Not that I approve of what the empire terms "host discipline".)

(Right, because you think you should only take the ones who want to be slaves to a Yeerk?) I guessed, rolling my eyes.

(Not slaves. Friends,) Liliss corrected. (A symbiotic relationship, instead of a parasitic one.)

Sure.

I sighed out loud. Well, to her credit, she'd admitted yesterday that few such Yeerks existed.

If, of course, anything she'd told me was true.

I stood up, unsure of what to do next. Was Liliss going to take control? Or, was she going to let me have it until I wore myself out, again?

(Honey,) Liliss answered my unspoken thoughts, (I thought I'd let you get dressed, maybe brush your teeth and that sort of thing. If you want.)

It wasn't exactly taking a walk or playing basketball, but those were clearly beyond my ability. At least, at the moment.

I gave her a mental nod. (Oh. Sure, okay.)

I headed to my closet. Carefully, in case I was about to fall. Except, it felt a little easier, this time. More natural, and less intentional. I spent all of ten seconds choosing the shirt and jeans I wanted to wear, then stripped off my sleepwear to put on my clothes.

That seemed to go okay, too.

(Good job,) Liliss praised. (Now, I'm going to take over, just in case we see someone from your family in the hallway. I'll give you back control once we're in the bathroom.)

(Okay. Thanks for the heads up,) I answered, meaning it.

I felt Liliss take control again, and was glad that she just used the loose kind. I enjoyed "loose control". Well, I enjoyed it compared to the other kind. I knew that, either way, I was a prisoner in my body, but this way, I didn't feel so disconnected from my body. Like, if Temrash accidentally fell down or banged my arm or something, he would have been the only one to really feel it. I'd been aware of the fact that there was pain in my body, of course, and I might have even mentally flinched, but he'd been the one to experience the full force of it.

In the beginning, I'd taunted him about it.

He...well, he'd hurt me enough that I didn't do it again.

Anyway.

Loose control was something I could sort of get behind.

Liliss walked me to the bathroom to brush my teeth and the usual morning routine.

(Tom? Do you think you're up for this?) she asked me, once we were inside.

I hesitated, aware of my Yeerk monitoring my thoughts as well as my body. Would it wear me out, make it too hard to focus when Liliss decided to give me control later?

Really, it was if she gave me control later?

(I think you should try,) she murmured, hearing my thoughts. (My knowledge about this is limited, but I don't think you can "use up" the use of your body that way, honey. I rather suspect that small...bursts...of control might be more productive, in the beginning, than trying to force yourself to remain in control without tiring yourself out for longer periods.)

(Sort of like high intensity workouts?) I asked.

Coach was big on those. So was I...well, before.

Liliss gave me a mental smile. (Well, I wouldn't want you to compare using your own body to intense exercise, but I suppose there are some similarities.)

I gave her a mental nod. (Okay. Um, don't...I mean, if I mess up...)

What I was trying to say was, if I couldn't perform these simple bodily functions without her help, Liliss could take over.

And, ideally, not mock me.

(Of course, honey,) she reassured me.

Without going into any major details, I was able to perform the basic bodily functions without any major problems. At one point, my left hand went kind of stiff, but that was probably because I was holding onto the counter like crazy as I brushed my teeth, afraid that I'd fall down.

I didn't, though.

Sure, I felt drained afterwards, but not like I had after walking for five minutes.

Anyway, it went without saying that it would be awhile before Liliss could let me loose in front of my parents.

If she ever wanted to, anyway.

(Good job, Tom,) she praised, and I felt her mean it.

(Thanks. I guess you better take over, though,) I allowed.

(Yes. For now,) she promised. (Just for now.)

I gave her a mental nod, and managed a small smile, which she returned.

Weird. I hadn't really known that you could do stuff like that with your Yeerk. Mental smiles and nods and stuff. Temrash mostly "put me in my place" by modifying the tone of his voice.

It usually worked.

Liliss walked me downstairs to eat breakfast. Jake was already there, eating a bowl of cornflakes. He gave me a nod in greeting, but the expression on his face was either wary or distracted. Could be nothing, but I knew that Temrash had been kind of a jerk to him, especially during those last few days. In a lot of ways, he hadn't acted like himself at all during his time in my head.

Jake had seemed to be the only one to notice this, but he couldn't have possibly guessed why.

(He does seem a little different, lately,) Liliss observed, as she ate my Cheerios.

I felt a sense of dread. (Please...you promised you weren't going to take him.)

(And I meant it. I won't, Tom,) she promised, and I could feel that she meant it.

(Okay,) I answered, feeling a little embarrassed.

(It was only an observation, honey,) she murmured. (I'm sorry. I'll be more careful.)

(Yeah. Okay,) I muttered, feeling both angry and embarrassed. Mostly, at myself.

On the other hand, Liliss' endearment helped, as much as I wanted to deny it. She'd called me that several times in the past however many hours. Each time, she seemed to mean it.

Anyway, it was better than being called "human", or, well, worse.

(Okay, he's acting different,) I relented, a few minutes later, when he looked at me, then looked away, abruptly. (He's a teenager, and he didn't make the basketball team. Temrash was also a total jerk about it, when he told him.)

Even though that had been weeks ago, it still bugged me. How Temrash had just dismissed it all. Had it been me, I would have given Jake a bear hug and told him not to worry. That if it meant that much to him to be on the team, we'd practice like crazy. Maybe, I could have convinced the coach to let him try out again. Except, Temrash had quit just days earlier. Honestly, the fact that this raised red flags from precisely no one made me wonder if my parents were completely out of their minds. I had a gift, I could have gone pro, and suddenly, I'm quitting to spend more time at some club I only joined a few months ago?

Spending more time at The Sharing had only been part of Temrash's reasoning for quitting. He could have easily done both. Except, even when he was controlling my body, I still got a small amount of joy at playing basketball. I could almost forget I was a slave in my mind for those short hours. I could almost pretend it was me making those moves, doing my classic jump shot.

Temrash knew this, and he wanted to break me. That was the real reason he made me quit.

Following my train of thought, Liliss didn't respond to what I'd told her.

(You miss playing on the team,) she observed. (It was cruel of him to make you quit.)

(Yeah, well. Just one of his many cruel acts towards me,) I remarked, letting my bitterness show.

(Too many,) Liliss agreed. (Of course, I'm of the opinion that even one is too many.)

Yeah. Me too.

Liliss seemed to be thinking about something, but I wasn't privy to her thoughts.

A few minutes later, though, she filled me in.

(Tom, I'll talk to the coach. Even though it's probably too late to get back on the team this year, with the season nearly over, I can ask him about next year. Make sure that he knows you realized what a mistake it was to quit,) Liliss promised.

(Kiss his butt, you mean,) I translated, not managing to hide a mental smirk.

Not that a small amount of butt kissing wouldn't be warranted. I was just glad that it would be Liliss doing it, not me.

Assuming she followed through on this.

Liliss laughed. (That's hardly unique to humans, Tom.)

(I can't imagine what you mean,) I deadpanned.

Of course, I knew exactly what she meant.

I was surprised when Liliss had the conversation with the coach-Coach Andrews-that very day. After gym class. She sounded like I would have, had I been stupid enough to quit the team under my own control.

If anything, Coach seemed relieved.

"Of course, you can come back next season. I was worried about you, when you quit like that, Tom," he admitted. "No one can deny that The Sharing is a great group, but you have a real gift. I hated to see you throw it all away."

"It was stupid of me," Liliss agreed. "I know it's too late in this season, but if I keep practicing on my own, and try out next year, do you really think I'd be ready?"

"Definitely," Coach agreed. "You'd have to try out with the others, but between us, it would be a formality. I know what you're capable of. Just practice a little between now and then, and you'll be fine."

He grinned, and winked at us.

"Thanks, sir. I won't let you down," Liliss promised, in earnest.

Coach laughed, gave me a pat on the back, and then dismissed me.

For the first time in awhile, I felt elated.

Okay, it would be almost a year before I could play again, but let's face it, it could easily be that long before I was ready. I could hardly move on my own for more than a few minutes without getting exhausted. How was I supposed to play basketball on my own?

(You won't be on your own, Tom. You'll have me to help you, if you need it,) Liliss promised. (Anyway, I'm sure you'll regain full mobility for extended periods of time before then.)

(Yeah? What makes you think that?) I wondered, not without some bitterness.

(Other Yeerks from the Peace Movement have...we call it "rehabilitating"...our hosts. Ones who were hurt by their previous Yeerks, or even those who were not given control and forgot how to use some or all of their body. It's a small sample size, but it never takes a host longer than a year to be where they were before they were infested,) Liliss explained. (That includes any specialized skills.)

A flurry of thoughts went through my mind, but the main one was what she called the group. (Peace Movement, huh?)

(Well, I wanted to call it Yeerks Who Protest the Infestation of Involuntary Sentient Beings, but I was outvoted,) Liliss answered, with a light laugh.

I gave her a mental start. (You're kidding, right?)

(Yes.) She laughed, then sent me an eye roll. (Given the militaristic nature of the empire, we thought that calling our group the "Peace Movement" was both a fairly innocuous term, when explaining it to our hosts, and as a jab at the empire. As humans call it, a win-win.)

(Yeah,) I acknowledged. Then, with a mental grin, I added, (You could call it the Dapsen Movement.)

I didn't know the exact translation of the word, but it had to be a Yeerk profanity.

Liliss laughed. (Perhaps. Too late, now.)

(Going back to me playing on the team,) I asked, a little nervously, (you really think I'd be ready in six months?)

(Yes. We'll practice a lot, and you'll be ready before then, honey,) Liliss promised me.

Over the next couple of days, Liliss kept her promises. That is, she didn't hurt me, she didn't try to recruit Jake for The Sharing, and she let me have control in private for as long as I could stand it. Granted, I usually lasted about five minutes before I was ready to give up, but at least I could move more of my body at once during that five minutes. I told myself that this was progress, even if it was slow.

It was probably a good thing that Liliss hadn't been my first Yeerk. I mean, if she'd had a change of heart after breaking me, I would have been furious at her for my slow recovery. As it was, she was only trying to undo what Temrash had done. I might have taken out my frustration on her, but I really couldn't blame her.

At least, not completely.

One good thing about being so tired from having my body back for some periods of time was that I usually slept like a rock. At least, so far, I hadn't had any nightmares.

On Saturday morning, Liliss took us back to the Yeerk Pool so that she could feed. It definitely wasn't up there on ways I would want to spend a Saturday morning, but Liliss couldn't wait too much longer without suffering severe hunger pangs. Not that I knew about this from Temrash. He fed whenever he had the chance, using my status as an underage male to bypass any feeding regulations that existed for other species.

At least, she let me get dressed and all that on my own. She did take control when it was time for breakfast. It was just my parents that morning.

"Where's Jake?" she asked.

Dad shrugged, and Mom, having just taken a sip of coffee, didn't answer.

"Hanging out with Marco, probably," she answered, once she swallowed. "You're up early, too. Sharing meeting, honey?"

"Yeah, but it's just for a couple of hours. I'll be back this afternoon," Liliss replied, then took a bite of the eggs Mom had made.

"You need money for gas?" Dad asked.

Temrash would have said yes, but Liliss shook my head. "Filled up earlier this week. There's easily three quarters of a tank."

"That's good. Gas prices seem to be getting higher each week, and with three of us, it feels like I'm bleeding money," Dad laughed.

"Wait until Midget gets his permit," Liliss laughed. "Just two years to go."

Dad groaned, but it was a good natured one. "And you'll be in your second year of college! That's a lot more than gas."

"Sorry," Liliss shrugged.

"I'd hoped you'd get a scholarship playing basketball," Dad mused, "but after you left the team...not that The Sharing isn't a great use of your time."

"Well," Liliss began, "I'm not quitting The Sharing, but I spoke to Coach the other day. He's going to let me try out for next year. A sports scholarship isn't off the table."

Dad beamed-so did Mom.

"That's great, Tom!" Dad practically shouted.

Mom nodded. "Just make sure you can handle all of that, sweetie. The Sharing takes up a lot more of your time than basketball did."

"Oh, I'll manage," Liliss assured them. "This does mean that I won't be able to do homework. Hope you don't mind," Liliss added, with my disarming grin.

Dad laughed and Mom groaned.

In my mind, I was glad that Liliss told them. Even though speaking to Coach had been the big thing, letting my parents know that I wanted to be back on the team added some more...something...to it.

Like, this was really going to happen.

Whether it would be me in control or Liliss was another issue entirely.

We left the house shortly afterwards, and another thought entered my mind as Liliss drove the car to the Yeerk Pool. I knew that it would only be a matter of time before Temrash infested his new host, and the thought made me sick. My parents never talked much about politics, so I had no idea how they voted, or even if they even voted the same way. Anyway, the governor seemed okay enough as a person. No known affairs or stealing money from us. In light of that, it seemed awful to think that he'd be infested, especially by Temrash. Few people deserved that fate.

Maybe someone like Hitler, had he still been alive, or Saddam Hussein. But, not a regular person whose only crime was going into politics.

Or a kid like me who'd entered a full members Sharing meeting and happened to see Visser Three in his Andalite body.

Sometimes, I wondered what would have happened if I'd reacted like it was a big prank. That it wasn't actually an alien, but someone in a costume.

I mean, probably, the end result would have been the same, but who knows. The Sharing wanted voluntary Controllers, and if I'd have passed it off like it was some great joke...

Too late, now.

Anyway, once it was Liliss' turn to leave my head, she bid me goodbye, gently, and promised that she'd be back in a couple of hours, and maybe we could try playing basketball. I hadn't gone near one since Temrash had made me quit the team. I told her I wasn't sure if I was ready, and she left it at that.

It was getting really hard to think that she was just acting, that she didn't actually care about me. It could still be an act, but I was beginning to think that she was being honest. That she wanted to help me.

The guards dragged me over to a cage, and since there weren't a ton of people crammed in with me, I tried to make the most use I could of my body. Flexing my arms, taking a few steps in various directions, switching between sitting and standing. I eventually stopped, worn out, and sat down with my shoulders slumped over, my hands covering my face and my ears, trying to block out the screams.

No one bothered to talk to me. I'd seen people try to talk to others, even strangers hugging each other, seeking any kind of comfort they could get. But, it wasn't what most people did. Most people screamed, sobbed, cursed. Those who had given up just stared out of the cages, sometimes involuntarily rocking as they sat.

Me, until Liliss.

Two hours later, the guards opened the door to my cage and dragged me to the second pier. The one for reinfestation. I didn't try to fight or run, but I also didn't walk on my own. If they were going to drag me, let them. I wouldn't make it any easier.

I felt the familiar sharp stab of pain before Liliss squirted the painkiller, and then, just pressure and a gradual and random loss of control. For a minute, I worried that it would be a new Yeerk, but as soon as she spoke, I knew it was her.

(Hello, honey,) she greeted, gently.

(Hi,) I replied, sure that she could detect the relief in my voice.

(It's all right,) she soothed, as she made my body stand upright, and briskly walked away from the pool. (They wouldn't give you to another Yeerk so soon, and certainly without telling me beforehand.)

(And if that happens later?) I wondered, not without some anxiety.

She laughed, gently. (It won't happen. By now, I am skilled at doing enough to avoid being killed without earning a promotion. Besides, once you have a human host, you can't advance much farther. High ranked humans are extremely rare, which is why your former Yeerk's new host will be the highest ranked human on the planet. There's no need to worry, Tom.)

It made sense.

(Guess I'm stuck with you, then,) I retorted, only half serious.

She gave me a mental smile in response.

The next day was a Sharing meeting. To Liliss and my surprise, Visser Three was irate, instead of overjoyed. We soon found out that the Andalite Bandits had learned about the hospital and destroyed every Yeerk there. Since the governor hadn't gone for his surgery before the attack, that meant that he was free, and would likely stay that way. At least, for the immediate future. Best of all, this meant that my old Yeerk, Temrash had died. Boiled alive, according to Visser Three.

I was not the only one to be happy at his death.

(It's better than he deserved, after how he treated you. And others, I'm sure,) Liliss told me, anger in her voice. Not at me, I knew. (Had I been a visser, I certainly would have starved him. But, at least, that's one more empire Yeerk that won't be around to mistreat his host.)

Her concern for me was touching, but there was something else I'd been wondering.

(Think it hurt a lot?) I wondered.

After all, it hadn't been just Temrash in the pool. Not that I was a Yeerk sympathizer, but it was possible that one or more could have been part of the Peace Movement.

Or, at least, considering joining.

(I wouldn't know, having never experienced it,) Liliss remarked, rather dryly. (That being said, our bodies can detect changes in water temperature very acutely, and there have been Yeerks who were demoted or starved if they accidentally set the Yeerk pool temperature a degree too hot or cold. It is painful for us to be in water that is too hot or too cold. Personally, if I had to be sentenced to death, I'd prefer it over Kandrona starvation, but I wouldn't enjoy either. I suppose boiling would be considerably faster, though.)

I didn't say much else during the meeting, but mostly because I let myself doze off. If Liliss planned to give me control again that evening, I'd need all the rest I could get.

Over the weekend, Jake started acting like a total maniac. For one thing, he seemed to be eating everything in sight, especially at meals. Not to mention, it was like he'd never spoken English before, because he kept sounding out his words and adding sounds to the end of them. It would have been annoying, except I was worried that Liliss would renege on her promise to keep him free.

"This chicken is delicious!" Jake was yapping at dinner. "Delicious! Isshhh. Us. US!"

He'd already eaten four pieces, and reached for more.

Good thing Mom had made plenty.

Better that we had all chosen our pieces of chicken, and honestly, watching Jake eat his was unlikely to make any of us want more.

Even though it was good. Very good. Mom was always a great cook.

"Well...I'm glad you like it," Mom smiled, giving Dad a sideways look.

"You must be starting a growth spurt!" Dad chuckled.

Liliss started to open my mouth, probably to speak, and fear overtook me. I fought her, hard, with everything I had.

Nothing.

Of course.

Fear filled me. I'd fought her, in front of my family. If she didn't punish me with memory torture, she definitely would use some other method.

Yeerks had so many ways to make their hosts suffer. So many methods at their disposal.

(Tom, it's okay,) she soothed. (I won't hurt you.)

(Okay,) I repeated, not completely believing her.

I heard Liliss tell Jake to slow down, or he'd start to choke. Jake gave her an uncharacteristically angry look, so Liliss raised my hands in mock surrender.

"You're not going to stop being a minute any sooner if you choke on your food," she pointed out. "Chew, then swallow, okay?"

"Chew, then swallow," Jake repeated. "Chew. Ew."

"I give up," Liliss grumbled.

She sent me an amused grin. (I hope nothing's wrong with him.)

(Liliss...please,) I begged. (Please, don't take Jake.)

She was quiet for a minute, then spoke more gently than I ever heard her.

(I promise you, Tom. I will never attempt to infest your younger brother. Never.)

Maybe, it was because she spoke with such conviction, as well as gentleness. Somehow, at least in that moment, I believed her.

(Okay,) I replied. (I...believe you.)

At least, I believed her about not wanting to infest Jake.