School was pretty normal the following day. Tom, I knew, had a Sharing meeting (feeding at the Yeerk Pool), so we didn't walk home together. I started in on some of my homework, and when I was about half through, decided to take a break and play some video games. I was lost in this racing game when I heard Tom's footsteps outside my room, then head inside.

"Hey, Midget? Mom says that dinner's in fifteen minutes."

I nodded. "Sharing meeting?"

"A long one." Tom pointed to his ear.

I paused the game, and quickly shut the door to my room. When I had turned back, Aftran was in Tom's hand.

"You're safe?" I asked, even though an empire Yeerk wouldn't have left Tom's head.

Tom nodded, holding Aftran carefully. "Yeah, it's her. I'll put her back in now, unless..."

"Go for it."

I sat down, and Tom put Aftran to his ear, where she immediately crawled inside. He didn't so much as wince as she disappeared into his ear. So much different from the first time, back when we'd freed him. They were friends, now.

"You want to play?" I asked, once I was pretty sure she was fully connected.

Tom nodded, sitting down next to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. "Sure, Midget."

We only had time to play one round before dinner. I beat Tom, but it was close. His skills were definitely getting better. Probably, within another month, he'd be back to where he'd been before Temrash had taken him.

After we got up, Tom suddenly hugged me.

"Midget, I'm always here if you want to talk, okay?"

I squeezed back, hard. "Yeah. Okay."

I believed him.

The following day, after school, Tom drove both of us to Cassie's so we could let her and Aftran have a sleepover. There wouldn't be any Sharing meetings the next day (there would be something for all members the following day, though), so they had agreed that he could come back the following day in the mid afternoon. Tom had told me that this should be enough time for the two of them to have plenty of girl time together.

I kind of watched the whole Yeerk exchange more carefully than I might have before Grandpa G's funeral. Well, to be fair, I tried to avoid looking at Aftran, just at Tom and Cassie. I mean, seeing a Yeerk emerge from a host has got to be one of the grossest things out there. When they emerge, they look like grey silly putty, but ten times more disgusting.

After we said goodbye, I asked Tom if we could take a walk before heading home.

"Sure," he agreed. "How about the trail near our house?"

If he looked surprised, it didn't show on his face or in his voice.

I nodded. "Yeah. Okay."

I was glad that the trail was (mostly) empty of people this time of day. Even though, for the first few minutes, we just walked without speaking. Not that this felt awkward.

Tom broke the silence. "You okay, Midget?"

"Yeah," I answered, automatically. Then, I amended. "Well enough. You?"

He was without Aftran right now, after all. Did he feel empty? I wasn't sure if I could ask him that without feeling like I was rubbing salt in the wound.

Tom just sighed. "Same. Still more than a little freaked that that happened to you, Midget."

I managed a laugh. "I wasn't sure I was ever going to tell you. Or get to tell you."

"You can tell me anything, Jake," Tom insisted, placing his hand on my arm. "You know that, right?"

I nodded, sort of gauging his reaction. Finally, I explained, "Tom, I-I just don't want to hurt you any more than you have been."

Tom moved his arm my shoulder, stopping me from walking further. Not that I minded.

"Hey," he chided me. "Don't do that to yourself. Hide something, to protect me."

"I didn't-"

Tom raised his hands in the universal "I surrender" gesture.

I shut up.

"Sorry. That came out wrong." Tom went silent, probably planning what to say next. "I mean," he began, gently, "I have someone who can help me. An unexpected advantage to that, you know." He smiled at me. "So, yeah, it hurt, to hear how Temrash infested you and was a complete and total jerk. And look, I do not blame you for not telling me sooner, okay? I just mean, if it comes down to you keeping it hidden as a way to protect me, but it hurts you to do it, then don't. Keep it inside, I mean. Like I said, Aftran can help me...process it, I guess."

"Okay." My reply came out a little above a whisper.

Tom pulled me into a hug. "I just want to help you, Jake."

I nodded, not wanting to let go of Tom. Not right away. "I know."

A few minutes later, I knew I should let go of Tom, before he got embarrassed. We walked a little more in silence, which I felt like I had to break. To say something.

"Is it weird having her around like that? After having two who were awful?" I asked, tentatively.

Hey, Tom had been the one who had told me I could talk to him. Anyway, of all the personal questions I could ask Tom, I didn't think this would rank the top ten.

Besides, I was curious. I'd known that Tom had adjusted to Aftran, that he saw her as a friend. Still, I wondered if he ever had this moment of "what the heck happened to my life?" when he was with her.

After all, he'd been fighting against the Yeerks way longer than I had. Just, in his mind. Losing.

"At first," Tom confessed, almost laughing. "Of course, in case you don't remember, Midget, you were the one who kind of convinced me to trust her." He gave me a little nudge him in the ribs, and I had to smile at this. "So, that kind of set the ball rolling. Besides, we had boundaries set, and a trial period, so it wasn't like, take me and we totally trust you not to hurt me. It was-controlled." Tom made a face. "Weird word to use, but correct, I guess?"

"You seemed to get better almost immediately," I remembered. "Not overnight, Tom, but I could see you becoming more how I remembered you each time she left you. But, sometimes? It-it was hard to know, when she was there, when it was really you."

"A lot of the time, it wasn't," Tom admitted. "Oh, I had full control in private and and when it was just us, but there were times when I would have broken down in front of Mom and Dad if she hadn't been there. I didn't like it, feeling so helpless, but..." He shrugged. "I guess, it was sort of motivation. To trust her to help me."

I stopped walking again. "She's never hurt you, or kept control for longer than she needed to?"

Tom just looked me in the eye, placing both hands on my shoulders. "Never. Not once."

It was my turn to give Tom a big hug. "Okay," I managed. "I just, I had to know."

"She's never hurt me, Midget. Or Cassie," Tom promised. "She's not like the others."

"Tom?" I asked, after we'd broken apart.

"Yeah, Midget?" Tom put an arm around his shoulder as we walked along the path.

"When Aftran enters your head," I began, a little awkwardly. "What's it like?"

Tom's eyebrows sort of scrunched together. "It's different, depending on if it's after we talk to Cassie or after she'd fed in the pool. Did you want to hear about one in particular, or both?"

"Both."

Tom snickered a little. "Okay. Why don't we sit down?"

I nodded, and we walked in silence for a minute or so, until Tom found us a nice stopping point. Meaning that it was fairly secluded, at the base of a nearby large tree.

"How's this, Midget?" he queried.

I gave it another scan. "Looks good."

"Okay. So, how about if I tell you about the pool first, since that's the worst?" He studied me, and when I nodded, Tom took my hand. "As you've seen, the guards hold the involuntaries like me down, so that she has plenty of time to get in. When she first starts to climb into my ear, I feel a very small amount of pain, like a shot. But, as soon as I can register it, the pain's gone. Yeerks naturally secrete painkillers, which also work to repair any damage they cause when they climb into their host's ear. Ours are pretty small, considering their size. They can stretch themselves pretty thin, but still..." Tom shrugged. "So, yeah, I don't feel anything except pressure after Aftran doses my ear with the painkilling anesthetic."

I nodded. "Then, what happens?"

"As she moves farther into my head, I lose more control," Tom continued, almost wincing. "It's pretty gradual, but it's kind of random. Like morphing, you know? It's not like I can know if it will be my feet first, or my left arm first. Plus," he added, a little jokingly, "like morphing, it's never been the same way twice."

I shut his eyes. Picturing my brother as a helpless slave. It felt like a Hork-Bajir blade right though my chest.

"Then, she has control of every part of you," I murmured.

I felt Tom squeeze my hand, again. "Only until we're out of the Yeerk Pool area. She always lets go once we're gone. The whole thing is probably over with in five minutes, Jake."

I forced a nod. "But after she infests you, after she's been in Cassie's head, it's not like that?"

"That's right. I mean, the painkiller is still the same, but I think Aftran kind of suppresses her instincts so that she doesn't take control once she starts to connect to my mind. She's able to get to my senses without making me lose control of anything. Which I prefer, obviously," Tom concluded.

"Why can't she do that at the Pool?" I asked.

Okay, complained.

"Way too easy for someone to suspect something. I can't fake being empire Yeerk level calm at the Pool, not like Aftran. It's safer for both of us if she's in charge in front of hundreds of people and Hork-Bajir and Taxxons who, even if they don't have Yeerks when they see us, will have them within an hour. It's one thing for an involuntary host like me to be freaked out. That's normal. But a Yeerk like Aftran, who's playing my old Yeerk? That's just asking for problems," Tom explained, gently.

I wondered if he and Aftran had had a similar conversation. Necessary or not, I couldn't believe that sense of losing control over your body, especially so gradually, was something Tom could get used to. It had to be horrible for him.

Still. I nodded. "Yeah, that'd be way too risky. Even if you could fake it, it wouldn't be worth it. No offense, Tom."

He smiled at me. "None taken. It's why she has full control whenever we're in a Yeerk setting, but loose control at some other times."

Now, I was confused. Tom was acting like he had to fight Aftran even when they were outside of the Yeerk Pool.

"Huh?" I asked.

Yeah. How eloquent.

"Full control," Tom began, "is when a Yeerk is connected to your body so that, even if they're just sitting or lying down and not doing anything, you can't do anything. You're powerless. Like when you were infested by Temrash. But, loose control is when they're the one using your body, but in a way that you can do so, too. Without having to fight them. It's essentially sharing control."

"But-" This still didn't make much sense. "Why does she need to do that at all? Why not just let you be in charge?"

Tom wrapped an arm around me. "Sometimes, it's easier when she's the one using my body. Like, if I want to take a nap during class." He nudged me a little, and I managed a small smile. "I can literally fall asleep in class and not get caught, because Aftran's there to make me look like a good little student. She's also faster at writing than I am, which we take advantage of when we do my homework. I'm sure I can think of other examples, but the point is, it's the best thing for both of us."

I had to laugh at that. "Okay. I guess it's not all bad."

"Right. Then, there's when we're in your meetings, and we both want to be able to say something. Aftran's sure not going to prevent me from talking, then, but I want her to be able to speak her mind, too. So, she uses loose control, and we say who's speaking beforehand," Tom continued. "Again, she's using my body, but so can I. And, don't worry, Midget. I promise, it doesn't hurt, and it's not any harder for me to talk or move when she's in this mode than it would be if she wasn't there."

I nodded, yet again, taking it all in. Another question entered my mind. "When she's in your head, when she's not talking or taking control, do you feel her there?"

Tom looked confused. "Huh?"

"I mean, can you feel her? Like, in your head?" I pressed.

Fortunately, Tom just shook his head. "I can feel her emotions, but not physically, no. Not like there's water or something stuck in my brain." He gave me a strang look. "Why? Did you feel Temrash like that?"

I just shook my head, but to be honest, I couldn't be entirely sure. "But he had full control when he was there, so I couldn't really feel my body the way I can now. You know? Senses and stuff are kind of muted."

"I remember." Tom looked pained. "But, it's not like that, now. Even when she's in full control, Aftran gives me full access to my senses. And when she's not, I hear her voice when she speaks to me, and I always have a sense of her emotions, but I don't feel like there's something in my brain. I mean, physically."

I had to laugh. "Yeah, I can't imagine there would be many voluntary Controllers if it felt like there was water or something stuck in there."

"Probably not." Tom smiled at me.

We started talking about regular stuff. I told Tom about this History test I had coming up with Tidwell, and I was sure it would be tough. He promised to help me study. He told me about Calculus, and how if I thought Algebra was bad...Like I said, normal stuff. After awhile, I suggested we head back, maybe shoot some hoops, and Tom agreed. We spent an hour or so doing just that. He definitely had a talent for it. Even after being a slave in his mind for three years, and not playing at all for two, he was as good as I remembered. Gave me pointers, even though we both knew I didn't have the time or skill for the school team.

After school the next day, we deposited Aftran off at Cassie's for a one night sleepover. They were trying longer periods of separation, I guessed, to help Tom get along without Aftran, or maybe, just to give Cassie more time with her. It still felt weird to be sharing a Yeerk, but, well, who was I to object, if they were both okay with the arrangement?

Anyway, we spent a good part of Saturday doing homework. Tom helped me with History, quizzing me for Tidwell's test next week. He promised we'd continue to study together during the days that followed. We finished around three, and I suggested calling Cassie to arrange for picking up Aftran. If she was by the phone. For all we knew, she could be doing chores. Anyway, Tom agreed, and I dialed her number, discreetly asking about a time for us to stop by. She was ready whenever we were, so I hung up the phone to give the news to Tom.

He was reading a book when I stopped by his room.

"She told us we could head over whenever we wanted," I informed Tom. Nodding at the book that was open in his hands, I added, "What's that?"

Tom shrugged, looking a little embarrassed. He closed the book and glanced at the cover. I recognized it as one of the Redwall books. Probably a gift that I'd never ended up reading. Just took up space on the bookshelf.

"You ever read them?" Tom asked as he placed it back on my bookshelf.

I shook my head. "Don't think so."

I had my learner's permit, but Dad didn't want me driving without him or Mom present. So, Tom drove us to Cassie's. She was waiting in the barn, grinning at us.

"Have a good time?" Tom asked her.

"We did," she answered. "And you?

Tom nodded. "It felt weird, but not as bad as the four days. We should try this again, if you want?"

"It doesn't have to be every weekend, Tom," Cassie assured him. "I'm happy that I get to spend a few hours with Aftran a couple of times a week. I hope you know that?"

"I do." Tom turned to me, and I nodded.

"Definitely. We just want to find something that everyone can live with."

I didn't add that it still felt strange that both my brother and kind of girlfriend were essentially sharing custody of a Yeerk. I could be obtuse at times, but even I knew that would just make everything awkward.

Cassie was quiet for a second, then spoke up again. "Aftran says that she wouldn't be surprised if, after the war, this kind of thing became popular. Fewer people taking on a Yeerk full time, but doing a sort of timeshare."

Tom laughed. "Would most Yeerks be able to handle it? Two or more different human brains on the regular?"

"It would take some adjusting to," Cassie agreed, "but if the alternative was no host at all..."

"They might want a day off each week," I pointed out, just to have something to contribute to the conversation. "Three days with one person, three with another, and one to just hang out in the pool."

Another pause, and then Cassie spoke up again. "Aftran thinks you might have a point, there."

I had to admit it-I was kind of pleased that she agreed with me.

"You...ready?" Tom asked, glancing at Cassie's ear.

Cassie nodded, and, once again, I watched as they turned with their ears facing each other. This wasn't the Yeerk Pool. Just two friends who had a timeshare Yeerk, taking turns. It felt bizarre, but, then, maybe it wouldn't if we weren't fighting a war. If the Yeerks had come in peace, willing to share control, and not subject anyone to infestation who didn't want a Yeerk in their head.

Yeah. And pigs could fly.

Once Aftran was back in Tom's head, we said goodbye to Cassie, and left the barn. I remained close to Tom, and he wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"You okay, Midget?" He wanted to know.

"Yeah," I replied, smiling at my big brother. "It's just-a year ago, even six months ago, if you'd told me we'd be doing this, I would have said you were crazy."

"Me, or just someone in general?" Tom teased, elbowing him a little.

I laughed. "I guess, someone in general. If it had been you, well, not only would I have thought your Yeerk had totally lost it, I would have been worried because of-"

I didn't finish.

"Infiltration," Tom finished, squeezing my shoulders a little.

"Yeah." Figuring I might as well just spit it out, I turned to face Tom. "I worried about you-your Yeerk-suspecting me."

Tom just nodded, seeming to understand. "Temrash and Gariss were completely ignorant in that aspect, trust me. If they'd suspected anything, they'd have gone straight to Visser Three."

"I knew that your Yeerks were close with Chapman, and he was close to Visser Three. Or, that Visser Three kept him close. We had to be super careful."

Tom grinned at me. "Like speaking in code and thinking my Yeerks had bugged the house?"

I had to laugh, but really, I wouldn't have put anything past the Yeerks. "You have to admit, it was better to be paranoid than not. For all we knew, every Yeerk who wasn't living alone was bugging their host's house and listening to the conversations each night."

"Okay. I'll give you that," Tom conceded. "And, anyway, I'm not saying that you shouldn't be careful. Just that the real danger, around home, is Mom and Dad finding out about what's going on. Even though they're not infested, I don't think they should know that we're fighting a war against aliens. Not unless something huge changes, like Visser Three finally gets his wish and the invasion goes public. Which is so not going to happen in the near future."

We got in the car, and I settled into the front seat. "You know, Tom, it's great to be able to talk to you about this."

"Yeah, I bet. Me not being the enemy anymore has to be a huge weight off your shoulders," he murmured, gently.

I grabbed his hand. "It wasn't you, Tom. It was never you."

Tom squeezed my hand. "Yeah. I know. But, still."

I nodded, feeling my throat tighten, just a little. "Yeah." I forced a smile. "But, hey, now we have you and Aftran on our side. That's not too bad."

"Yeah, pretty sweet exchange you got there, Midget," Tom snickered. "And me, of course."

"Well, since the Yeerk's in your head..." I pointed out, raising my eyebrows, just a little. "Yeah."

Tom squeezed my hand, again. "Yeah."