We were quiet on the drive back. After returning home, once we were back in my room and I had settled myself into a sitting position on my bed, Aftran-having received my permission-went through my memories of the last day. I relieved them, too, more vividly than I would have been able to recall on my own. Up to this point, Aftran mostly just accessed my memories for informational purposes. Not that she didn't ever play good memories back for me when I woke up from a nightmare, or had trouble falling asleep. But...it felt too potentially volatile. Something that should be a good memory could trigger a bad one that Gariss or Temrash had used to torture me. Once I started thinking of them, it could be awhile before I felt calm enough to even attempt sleeping. Better, really, to stick to what Aftran knew would work with me. Talking. Yeerk music. Occasionally, an old story from the Yeerk Pool. Something that we knew would help me, rather than hinder me.

At the same time, being able to let Aftran view my memories of the events that happened when she wasn't there-well, we both found it to be encouraging.

Anyway, I retained full control as Aftran viewed the events of the last twenty-four hours or so. Even so, I felt her emotions and reactions when she saw me talking to Jake, when I came up with my idea. Some surprise at my idea, relief at how well the conversation with Jake went. Finally, the memory stream ended, and I felt her reflecting on what she saw.

I was quiet, too. Sort of lost in my own thoughts, having viewed what had happened again, but also waiting for her to speak. To let me know what she thought.

(I don't know if it's my influence on the two of you, or if your minds are just very similar,) Aftran began, (but Cassie had the same idea that you did. Unlike her, though, you think that Jake might seriously consider it.)

I sent Aftran a mental eye roll. (What does that say about us?)

She laughed, a little, then sent me a mental shrug. (You're two entirely different people, but your thought patterns, in some ways, are very similar.)

(Maybe, that's because you spend a fair amount of time inside both of our heads,) I noted, half teasingly. (I don't know, Aftran. Could be that you're corrupting us.)

This evoked another giggle from my Yeerk. (Entirely possible,) she allowed.

I shifted on the bed, leaning back on my pile of pillows. (Anyway. What do you think about it?)

(If your brother agrees, it could be beneficial to him. Cathartic,) Aftran mused. (I don't have the benefit of seeing what happened to Jake, only seeing what Cassie experienced during that time, and what he told you. I'm certain that your experience with Temrash was far worse than Jake's, in part because he suffered for three days, while you suffered for closer to a year. All the same, if he were to trust me enough to let me inside his head, it could be a sort of...) Aftran paused. (A type of neutralizer, or antidote, to what he experienced.)

I nodded. (You help me with that, every day.)

She smiled at me. (Because you have, over time, trusted me to do so.)

(Yeah. Trust would play a big role in it,) I allowed. (Both, in him letting you inside his head, and then letting you help him, once you're there.)

(Exactly,) Aftran agreed, gently.

(What would you do, exactly? If he agreed?) I prodded.

(I'd do my best to connect with his mind without taking any control,) Aftran began, and by the way she spoke, it was clear that she'd already given this some thought. Probably, when she'd been at Cassie's. (That's difficult to do when you're infesting a host for the first time, but you are brothers, so given my familiarity with your mind, it could be easier. I don't know.) Aftran gave me a mental shrug. (If I couldn't, I'd certainly drop my control as soon as I connected to your brother's brain. Obviously, it would be far easier for him if I didn't need to do this. Anyway, once there, I wouldn't search his mind, even though I'd see and hear his thoughts.)

(Wait,) I interrupted, puzzled. (See and hear?)

(Well, yes. I would hear what he's thinking, but I would also see anything that he was envisioning,) Aftran explained. (Thoughts from hosts are rarely entirely visual or auditory.)

(Oh. Okay.) I hadn't given this much thought before, if any. (Then, what?)

Aftran smiled at me, gently. (If I had taken control at this point, I'd release it. If not, I'd simply begin by talking to him. Perhaps, I'd ask him how he was doing with me being in his head, as a starting point.) She gave me a mental shrug. (I would prefer for him to take the reigns, so to speak. His experience with Temrash was likely one of the Yeerk being in full control of everything, except his personal thoughts. I don't want to control your brother, only interact with him inside his head. It should be as comfortable for him as possible, and on his terms. Well, as much as it can be. I'll be experiencing his thoughts and emotions as long as I remain connected to his brain.)

(Like you do with me,) I pointed out.

It had been difficult in the beginning, with Aftran. Even though I knew she wouldn't punish me for anything I thought at or about her, and even though I was used to the invasion of my privacy and "host discipline" from both of my previous Yeerks, I'd be lying if I hadn't still felt it was a violation-intended or not, necessary or not-during the first week or so. By now, it was comforting for Aftran to know my thoughts, to have experienced all of my memories. But that had been after over a month of getting used to her. Jake wouldn't have that kind of time with her.

On the other hand, Cassie seemed to have adapted to Aftran within the span of a couple of days. Sure, that had been her second infestation period, and the first one hadn't lasted more than a couple of hours. So, maybe, Jake wouldn't feel-what I did. Anyway, even though I was sure he'd experienced torture from Temrash, and I wasn't about to minimize his experience, three days had to do less damage to someone's mind than over two years.

(Yes,) Aftran clarified, her voice soft. (I want to be as gentle with your brother's mind as possible. If he will let me in his head, I want him to look back on the experience-my having been there-as, at least, not traumatic.)

(That's a pretty low bar you're setting, Aftran,) I commented, dryly. (If all we're going for is Jake not being traumatized again, is it even worth raising the suggestion?)

She laughed. (That's the bare minimum I would hope for. If everything went well, especially during the infestation process, I would be a little more optimistic.)

(You don't think I'll end up sharing you with Jake, too?) I teased.

(Highly unlikely,) Aftran assured me.

(And if someone told you two years ago that you'd be taking turns rehabilitating the broken host brother of the leader of the rebel invasion, and being the Yeerk bestie of another member of the rebel invasion?) I prodded, grinning.

(I'd have assumed you'd ingested the ginger instant oatmeal,) Aftran replied, promptly.

Instinctively, I wrinkled my nose. More than a few Yeerks had gone crazy that way, and then been killed, alongside their hosts. Plus, there'd been a rumor that the rebels had doused the Yeerk Pool with the substance. Gariss had never gotten near the stuff, thankfully. I didn't know if a crazy Yeerk in my head would have been as horrible as an evil one, but the stuff did make it so that the Yeerk didn't have to feed in the Yeerk Pool. The only way of escape was death. I was glad that, in my case, it hadn't come down to that.

(So,) I asked Aftran, (when are we going to ask him about this?)

(Let's wait until tomorrow,) she suggested.

I nodded. (Yeah. Good idea.)

"You heading over Marco's tonight?" I asked Jake, once we had finished dinner and were helping our parents with the clean up process.

He shook his head. "He and his dad are seeing a movie."

"That's cool."

His dad had recently started dating-seriously dating-Marco's math teacher, which would have been great for everyone, except for the fact that Marco's mom was probably still alive. Host body to Visser One, but still, alive. Well, maybe. On a recent mission, she'd taken a fall, but we'd never actually recovered her body. Given this, it was kind of hard to be genuinely happy when Marco's dad and Nora had their wedding, but it wasn't like anyone could tell him that his real wife was alive, just the slave to an alien parasite.

At least, Marco's dad was making an effort not to make Marco feel left out. He and Nora were probably still on the honeymoon period of their relationship, so taking the time to see a movie with his son was a good fatherly move.

Not that I had much experience in that area, but I liked to think I knew good parental moves when I saw them.

"You got any plans?"

I shrugged. "Homework's done for the weekend, and I don't have a Sharing meeting until next week. I'm pretty much free, if you want to hang out."

The truth was, there was almost nothing that I'd rather do than spend the evening hanging out with Jake. However, he might have had enough of me earlier, and I didn't want to seem like I was hovering over him, crowding him.

I felt Aftran hug me, gently, as I thought this. Her wordless reassurance that I was doing the right thing, whatever that meant for the situation.

"There's an old movie on tonight, if you kids are interested," Dad spoke up. "Invasion of the Body Snatchers."

"Oh, I've seen that!" Mom piped up. "Let's all watch it. I'll make popcorn."

Jake and I exchanged looks that could best be described in words as "no way!"

We were, after all, living through our own alien invasion.

"You guys have fun," Jake spoke up, giving them his best indulgent teenager smile. The one we used when we thought it was cute that our parents were trying to be cool, but they were far from it. "I think I'll pass."

"Same here," I added. "Besides, I already saw it a couple of years ago. Once was plenty."

Jake avoided my eyes, and suddenly erupted into a coughing fit. I grabbed a glass from the cabinet and filled it with water, handing it to him.

It was that, or start pounding him on the back. I was pretty sure the coughing fit was fake, though.

He took a few sips of water, and smiled at me. "Thanks, Tom. Don't know what came over me."

I put an arm around his shoulder, giving him a quick squeeze. "Happy to help, Midget."

Our parents watched the exchange between us with smiles. Clearly, our still newly renewed brotherly affection made up for passing on a movie from their childhood.

The question of how to spend the evening was still up in the air. I felt Aftran nudge at my mind-one of her ways of communicating without using words.

(Yeah?) I asked her, smiling.

(You could suggest playing basketball,) she told me, returning my smile with her own. (It won't be dark outside for at least another hour.)

I considered this. We hadn't played in a couple of weeks, and while I knew I'd never be as good as before my infestation with Temrash, I still enjoyed the game. It was also a good way to work on my reflexes and my reaction time. Thank God, I was improving in that area faster than I had expected, but there were still times that I thought I was slower than I should be for a teenager.

(Not everything is about getting your body back to normal, Tom,) Aftran chided me, a little, pulling me into a mental hug.

(I know,) I admitted. (But, it helps. And, you know...)

(I do,) she reassured me.

"Hey, Jake?" I asked, as he rinsed out the water glass and began to dry it with a towel. "You want to shoot hoops outside? Should be light out for a little longer."

Jake nodded enthusiastically, grinning. "Yeah, sure. Sounds good."

My parents didn't look too disappointed that we had rejected their movie invite. It would probably become a date night for them.

"Have fun!" Dad told us, smiling.

I gave Jake's shoulder a squeeze as we headed outside. As soon as we were in the fresh air, I felt a spark of gratitude towards Aftran for having made the suggestion. The weather was almost perfect outside. Warm, but with a gentle breeze. The scent of nature-something I'd never given much thought to over the last couple of years-was fresh without being overpowering. Even the sounds of nature, like the occasional chirp of a bird, felt a little like music. I marveled, briefly, that I was free to enjoy it once more. That I could go outside if I wanted to, or even just focus my ears without a Yeerk making my body do it. That I could use my eyes to look around, on my own. I'd taken so much for granted before Temrash and Gariss had arrived to steal it from me.

Before I could get too emotional, though, I felt Aftran hugging me, gently. Able to take over, if necessary, but not wanting to do it. Of course, even if she did need to take over my body, just for a minute or so while I got a hold on my emotions, I knew that she'd only use gentle control.

(I'm okay,) I told her, and I meant it.

(All right,) she answered. Tentatively, she added, (If you do want to talk, later...)

I nodded, mentally. I'd taken her up on it, in the past. Vented to her, complained about things that were not her fault, but that only she could understand. My nightmares, my continued necessary trips to the Yeerk Pool and The Sharing. The invasion that threatened the life and freedom of everyone I cared about. I couldn't, really, talk to Jake about these things. Not that he wouldn't understand, but it felt more like it was now my job to listen to him. To be there for him, as the big protective brother.

After all, Jake had so much more on his plate than I did, now.

(Yeah. Maybe,) I replied.

Jake retrieved the ball from this large crate that we kept in the garage. He dribbled it a couple of times against the driveway, testing to see if it needed to be refilled. It had been ages since either of us had played. It bounced back quickly each time, looking okay. Then, Jake took a shot at the basket, and it flew in perfectly. Without thinking, I caught the ball, just after it hit the asphalt from the driveway.

"Nice one, Midget!" I grinned, dribbling the ball a couple of times before taking a shot at the basket. It flew in, and it was a race to grab the ball before Jake could.

We played for awhile, at first in a friendly competition, but later, me helping Jake, giving him some pointers. He didn't stop smiling once, even when he tried-unsuccessfully-to steal the ball from me, just before I was going to take a shot.

"If we weren't playing, that would have earned you a wedgie," I teased.

"Hey, I had to try, Tom," he answered, laughing.

Sure. I rolled my eyes and gave him a punch on the shoulder.

I thought it was a light one, but somehow, it was strong enough that it knocked Jake over. Or, maybe, it had been the way he'd been standing when I'd delivered the blow. All I knew was that, one minute Jake was laughing, and the next, he was on the ground. His right shoulder seemed to take most of the impact.

I crossed the few feet in a near run, then knelt beside Jake. "Midget! Are you okay?" I reached for his right arm, helping him up. I noticed that the fabric of the shirt covering his left shoulder was torn.

Jake looked embarrassed. "Yeah, I'm okay. Guess I'm just clumsy."

"Let me take a look," I pressed.

He didn't argue, just let me push down the shirt around his neck, and study his shoulder. It was bright red, and with some small pieces of broken skin. Probably hurt like hell, even though Jake was acting stoic at the moment. I let go of the shirt as soon as I could tell that it probably wouldn't get infected.

"Am I going to live?" he asked, attempting a joke.

"You'll make it through the night," I answered, "but I'd get rid of that shirt, and definitely clean the cut in the shower. Tonight. You don't want that to get infected." Lest Jake think that he stood a good chance of that, I added, teasingly, "Besides, you need it, after all that running around."

It occurred to me that morphing would probably heal the cut completely, but if Jake was too tired to do that tonight, I wasn't going to push him.

(A shower would probably feel better than morphing, after all that running around,) Aftran consoled me.

I gave her a mental smile in response.

Jake was nodding. "Yeah, I'll do that."

Carefully, I placed an arm around his shoulders. "Maybe, that's enough practice for today? You have gotten pretty good, Midget."

Another nod. "Okay. We'll play again soon, though?"

He looked so hopeful. I just pulled him into a long hug.

"Definitely."

I grabbed the ball from where it had fallen onto the driveway, then headed to the garage and returned to the crate.

Afterwards, I put an arm around Jake's shoulders again. "Hey...Midget? Have fun?"

He sort of leaned into me, at first, then hugged me tightly. "Always, Tom."

Our parents were still watching the bodysnatchers movie, so we tried to head upstairs quietly, without disturbing them. Get suckered into watching the rest of the movie with them.

"I'm gonna take that shower," Jake told me. "Want to hang out, afterwards? I got this new video game we could try."

I nodded, noticing that I had been sweating hard. Well, it was a sign of a good workout. Gariss and Temrash hadn't bothered much with those. Too busy with Sharing meetings. Not that I'd become overweight, but I'd probably gained a few pounds unrelated to a growth spurt since my infestation.

"Sure, sounds fun." I glanced down at myself, grinning. "Think I'll need to shower before that. You go first, though."

"I'll be quick," he promised.

I ran a hand through his hair, gently, thinking that the hot water would be good for his shoulder. "Take your time, Jake," I urged, smiling. "Anyway, Aftran reminded me that I've got some reading to finish for school, and it would be great to have a homework free day tomorrow."

Jake nodded, and disappeared down the hall, to our shared bathroom. I headed into my room, then addressed Aftran.

(Think he's okay?) I asked.

She considered. (Maybe a little sore, but I don't think he's seriously injured, Tom.)

(Yeah. I just hate to think I hurt him. At all.)

We rough housed sometimes, before. Nothing like what other brothers did. I definitely never beat him up, or threatened to. It had always felt cruel, when I saw my friends act that way towards their younger siblings, or when they were the recipient. Jake and I had always been closer than most siblings, and I didn't think our two year age gap had much to do with this. Maybe, I had been more gentle by nature. Or, he had been, and I'd been more of a protector. Not that Jake was the kind of kid bullies picked on, from what I could tell.

Aftran hugged me, hearing to my thoughts. (I'm sure he's fine, Tom. Anyway, once he morphs, any soreness will be gone.)

I closed my eyes, imaging morphing. (That's how it works with injuries?)

(Yes,) Aftran answered, simply. (They wouldn't have lived this long, otherwise. Nor, I imagine, would Elfangor, or Visser Three.)

I winced. I'd only seen the first battle firsthand, having participated in it, going up against Visser Three. But, I'd heard the stories in the cages. Seemed like they'd all been torn apart-physically-at one time or another.

More than once, probably.

Okay. A bruised shoulder was nothing by comparison.

Still. I'd keep an eye on Jake. After all, I'd rather him blame me for being too overprotective than risk coming across as uncaring. Gariss and Temrash had played me like that for way too long. Jake knew they weren't me, but, still.

I had a lot of lost time to make up for.

Even though I thought I'd finished my homework earlier, Aftran had reminded me that we were supposed to finish "The Old Man and the Sea" by Monday, and be prepared for either a paper or a test the following week. When teachers said that, it usually meant an in class essay.

Aftran and I had worked out an arrangement, once I'd caught up to everyone else in my classes. She'd help me with anything related to homework and studying and paying attention in class, but when it came to tests, I was on my own. We both thought it was too close to cheating, since she could access my memory and essentially ensure that I'd receive perfect scores-or nearly that. It wasn't just about how valid my high school (or, eventually, college) degree would be after the war ended with me having been infested almost the entire time. It felt like cheating to have my Yeerk provide me with all of the answers, even if they were already in my memory. Sort of like athletes who took performance enhancing drugs before a competition.

I suspected that, after the war ended, any Controllers who could function without their Yeerks would probably be given an automatic pass under the grounds that they had suffered enough. Or, maybe, be required to sit through the GED, regardless of their grades. If Yeerk infestation was allowed to continue on a voluntary basis after the war, I was sure that Yeerks wouldn't be allowed in test settings. "Put away your Yeerk" would be the new "Put away all of your books". Maybe, desks would be remodeled so that a glass of water would fit inside, where the Yeerk would reside while the student took the test.

For now, this was impossible. Aftran couldn't leave my head during the school day, not without the risk of me attracting attention. There were too many Controllers. There was Chapman. So, she remained with me, helping me out when I didn't understand something, but always remaining quiet when I took a test or quiz. Almost irritatingly so.

She would, however, be willing to take control of my body if I started to panic. That happened the first time. Aftran would hold me in our mental space, make me breathe normally, slow down my heart rate until it didn't feel like it was going to explode. After a few minutes, I hadn't needed her help, and answered all of the questions on the test without much difficulty. On my own, I'd gotten a B. It had felt like a huge accomplishment.

Now, we read together. Sometimes, she'd read to me, especially if I seemed to be reading the same sentence ten times without understanding it. Maybe, I'd always been more of an auditory learner than a visual one. Or, hearing her voice in my head made it easier to understand what was being said. At least to my teenage mind, Hemingway was very obscure.

We'd just finished reading the last page when Jake arrived. His hair was still damp from the shower, and he had on pajamas that Mom had bought him last year for his birthday. Either she'd misread the size, or had been anticipating a growth spurt, because they looked a little big on him, almost giving my brother a young appearance. Mom had offered to return them, but Jake had shook his head, saying that he'd either grow into them, or they might end up shrinking in the wash at some point.

Gariss, playing me, had teased him, telling Jake that he looked even more like a midget in them. It had been the same thing I would have told him, but he must have known it was a Yeerk, and he hadn't worn them much, since.

Seeing Jake wearing them, I almost gave him a hug, until I remembered that he was clean from his shower, while I was still a sweaty mess. I settled for grinning at him.

"They're still kind of big on you, Midget," I observed. "But, it's not a bad look."

He rolled his eyes at me. "Yeah, well. Nothing else was clean."

I nodded. Mom usually did laundry on Sunday or Monday.

"Gotcha. Well, I'll see you in a little. Hemingway's on my desk, in case you want to see what kind of horror you're in for in eleventh grade," I offered.

He laughed. "We read one of his short stories earlier this year. It was rough."

"Ouch." I squeezed his shoulder-gently, this time-and headed out the door, grabbing a pair of my pajamas on the way.

Showering with a Yeerk had never been a pleasant experience under Temrash or Gariss, but I imagined that I had it pretty easy compared to females (especially teenagers) with Yeerks. They had to deal with periods, for one thing, and I was pretty sure that at least half the girls in my grade were perpetually on a diet. The kind of damage a Yeerk could do to a teenage girl's body image, especially seeing them at their most vulnerable, had to make anything Gariss or Temrash say about me seem nonexistent. Not that it had felt that way, at the time. It still felt like a huge violation, them seeing me like that. Of course, by the time Gariss had come around, I had been too broken-had given up-to care much about social norms.

I knew that Yeerks didn't have genders the way humans did, but Aftran had always thought of herself as female, and that was how I saw her. All of her hosts had been female, for one thing, and her voice sounded feminine. If she ever got a human morph from a mix of the others, I knew that it would be female. So, having a female seeing me naked in the shower, or going to the bathroom, should have felt even more awkward than when Temrash and Gariss experienced this. Except, for whatever reason, it didn't. Not that I had a crush on my Yeerk or anything, but, somehow, Aftran felt more like a caretaker, especially in this role. Besides, most of the time, she remained at a respectful distance, not taking over or making comments as I went to the bathroom or cleaned myself up. It eased whatever awkwardness existed between us, in this bizarre situation.

Today, probably because of the exercise, and being away from her for the second time that week, I felt more tired than I had expected when I entered the shower. So, when Aftran offered to take over, using gentle control, I readily agreed.

Aftran squirted a portion of shampoo into my hands, then onto my head, closing my eyes in the process. Carefully, slowly, she worked it into my scalp, giving it a nice, long massage. I let out an audible and mental sigh. If she hadn't closed my eyes already, I would have done that. It was kind of funny, really, because it was still my hands doing the work, but it felt different with Aftran being the one to control them. Relaxing.

Maybe, I shouldn't have been surprised. Aftran had taken gentle control on a regular basis, with similar results. Didn't she tuck me in, every night? Of course, this was definitely more revealing than that.

Anyway, she finished cleaning me up in the shower, and then dried me off, dressing me in the pajamas I'd selected.

(Thank you,) I told her.

(You're welcome,) she answered.

(That was nice, Aftran. Maybe, you can do it again? Like, if I'm tired?) I asked, feeling almost shy.

(Of course, honey,) she reassured me, smiling at me.

Smiling, I headed back to my room. Jake was laying on my bed, propped up on his arms, reading one of my comic books. I took a seat next to him, smoothing out his hair.

"Hey," he smiled.

"Hey, yourself," I laughed. Nodding my head at the comic, I asked, "Which one is that?"

"Which one is that?" I asked, peering over his shoulders.

"Batman," he answered, turning it around to show me. "Read it before, but it's fun to reread them."

"Fun." I glanced at him, noticing that he hadn't really moved much. How his arms seemed unnaturally rigid. "That can't be comfortable?"

Jake shrugged. "I read like that all the time. When I'm not sitting, or lying on my back in bed."

Uh huh.

"How's your shoulder?"

He looked at me, a little startled. "My shoulder?"

I studied him. "Yeah, Midget. The one I punched, earlier? That you fell on?"

He sort of reddened. "Oh. It's fine, Tom."

Sure.

"Great. Can I see it?" I asked, gently.

"Well, it's a little sore," Jake admitted. "But, if it's not okay tomorrow, it will be back to normal the next time I morph. And it's really not too bad, now."

"Midget." I rolled my eyes at him. "Come on. Let me be your overprotective big brother?"

He returned my eye roll, but he returned to a sitting position, and moved the fabric of his pajama top so that it exposed his right shoulder. It was a little pink, but not angry red, or purple. I put my fingers around it, checking for bruising, the way Mom used to when we were kids and one of us would hurt ourselves. He didn't react too badly to my tests, but I also couldn't see Jake's face, so he might have been hiding a flinch. After a minute or so, I gave Jake my evaluation.

"Well, I think you'll survive the night," I told him. "That being said, how about a back rub? Could help you sleep easier."

Jake looked up at me, again. I recognized the expression in his face. Hopeful, but at the same time, needing to be taken seriously. Specifically, not wanting to be babied, for fear I'd think less of him.

If only he knew.

"Tom. You don't need to-to baby me. I'm fine, really" he answered, as he studied the covers.

I wrapped my arms around him, holding him close. Protectively. "I know you'll be okay," I murmured. "But...humor me. Let me be the overprotective big brother, tonight. All right?"

Jake sighed a little, but nodded. Gently, I turned him so that he was laying on his stomach, with his head propped up against a couple of my pillows.

"Comfortable?"

"Yeah."

I placed my hands together, on the top of his neck, just below the ends of his hair. "So, I'll start here. If anything starts to hurt, let me know, okay? Don't tough it out. Promise?"

"I promise," he agreed, closing his eyes.

(If your arms get tired, I can take over,) Aftran offered, as I began.

(You ever done this, before?) I wondered, moving my hands around Jake's neck in a circular motion. Slowly, carefully.

(Well, no,) she admitted, (but I have your knowledge, and can go by what you're doing.)

I considered this. (Think Jake would mind?)

I could feel her consider this. (I'm not sure.) A pause. (He might. Better ask him, first, if it comes down to that.)

(It might not be the worst way to introduce the subject of putting you in his head,) I joked. (Or not.)

(Definitely not,) Aftran agreed, making a face.

I spent a few minutes working on his neck, just in case there was any pain that had crept in there.

I'd remembered pulling muscles in sports before, and sometimes, there was soreness beyond the immediate area where I'd pulled something. Judging by his reaction, Jake didn't seem to be experiencing any pain right now. Far from it, actually. I could hear his breathing slowing down, and he made occasional contented sighs. I smiled to myself, glad he was enjoying this. After a few minutes, very carefully, I approached his shoulders, taking extra care with the right one. I noticed that the contented sounds he'd been making stopped. While I couldn't see Jake wincing or writhing around in pain, I wasn't entirely certain he'd keep his promise not to tough it out.

"Jake? You still okay?" I prodded, all while keeping my touch gentle, but even, away from the immediate bruised area.

"Yeah," he mumbled, after a minute or so. He turned his head a little towards me, and his eyes were closed, his face completely relaxed. "It feels good, Tom."

"Good." A sense of relief filled me, as well as pride. That I was helping Jake, that I was able to do this for him. Be the big brother, and all that. "Just let me know if anything starts to hurt."

"Okay," he promised, again. "It doesn't, though."

Moments passed, with my focus entirely on my younger brother. I observed how his breathing became steady, and was happy to see that Jake seemed to relax completely after several minutes. The little sighs returned, and after another inspection of his once sore shoulder, I thought that the pain was probably gone. Oddly enough, I felt, almost, like I was in some kind of trance. I became aware that my hands were starting to fall asleep, and a look at Jake told me that he might have fallen asleep.

"Jake?" I whispered, letting my hands go still.

He didn't reply, immediately. Then, "Oh, you say something?"

I smiled inwardly at Aftran-she laughed, gently. "Just checking that you were still awake."

He turned on his side without flinching. "Yeah." Then, he added, "Thanks, Tom."

I moved a piece of hair around his ear, then glanced at the clock on the table. A little after 9. "It's not too late, but maybe, we can skip the video game for tonight?" I suggested.

"Sounds good." He made as though to get up. Gently, I put a hand on his shoulder, then pulled back the covers and guided Jake under them.

"You're already half asleep, Midget," I reassured him. "I won't be cruel and kick you out."

He gave me a sleepy smile, then stopped, making again as though to get up. "But, I didn't brush my teeth."

I turned out the light on my bedside table, then joined Jake under the blankets, wrapping my arms around him in a bear hug. "One night's not gonna kill you."

"Yeah. Guess not," he agreed, nestling himself against me. A moment later, Jake added, "Thanks, Tom."

"Any time, Midget," I promised, hugging Jake even tighter.

(Ready to tuck me in?) I asked Aftran, yawning.

(There's two of you, this time,) she observed, as she took over. (Should I ask Jake what he wants?)

I snickered inside of my head. (Only if you can make it so that you're speaking into his head, as well as mine.)

(Fair enough,) Aftran replied, smiling at me. She finished tucking us in, and I felt Jake rest himself against my shoulder, noticing that his bruised shoulder-hopefully, not for much longer-pressed up against mine. I still had Jake in a bear hug. With the sheets and blankets tucked firmly around us, thanks to Aftran's work, we must have looked like to giant caterpillars, instead of just one.

"Midget? You comfortable?" I asked, as his head now rested just beneath mine.

"Mmm hmm," he breathed.

(I'll take that as a yes,) I told Aftran, who laughed, nodding at me.

Even Jake fall asleep, I knew it would take me longer. As comfortable as I felt in the bed, safe sharing the same mental space as my Yeerk, I wasn't exactly tired. Or, not tired enough to fall asleep. I didn't want to risk waking Jake up to get out of bed, especially since I didn't feel especially awake. For a few minutes, I focused on my senses. I could hardly see anything in the dark, and besides, my head was facing the wall. Normally, I slept with my back to the wall, but Jake had "claimed" that spot, and I hadn't wanted to move him out of the way. Not when he was so comfortable. It was not unlike when we caught Homer sleeping on the middle of the couch downstairs, or in one of our beds. He looked so peaceful, it seemed heartless to wake him up. Never mind the fact that he got way more sleep than Jake or I did. Especially Jake. I had Aftran to calm me down when the nightmares came, but he would just endure it. Even though I'd told him he could come find me, I didn't think he ever would. Jake was too used to dealing with everything by himself. I gave him a squeeze, and his head toppled over again, onto my chest. Gently, I moved his head so that his face wouldn't be pressed against my PJs. Not that he'd die that way, but it couldn't possibly be a comfortable way to sleep. Listening closely, I could hear the sounds of the TV downstairs, so my parents were either still watching the movie, or something else.

I'd once thought that Jake was lucky not to know about the Yeerks. Little had I known that he was leading the resistance against them. Now, though, I thought that my parents were the lucky ones. They weren't infested, and as long as they didn't join The Sharing and there was no open invasion, they'd probably stay free. Not that all infestation was bad-Aftran was one of the good ones-but you could never know what kind of Yeerk you'd get when you joined. Rumor had it that voluntary hosts got the nicer Yeerks, except, really, even people the Yeerks thought would be voluntary could end up changing their minds at the last minute. I had been present at some infestations, early on with Temrash, because he'd tried to recruit all of my friends who weren't already full members. He'd succeeded in at least half of them. Most of the people he'd recruited had gone the voluntary route, and I'd been there at a couple of the infestations. He had explained that there were a couple of Yeerks ready for voluntary members, and other Yeerks for involuntary ones. The Yeerks for involuntary hosts were, as he and Gariss had been, much crueler.

Thinking of my parents going through that suddenly sent a wave of panic through me, and Aftran had to take over-only using gentle control, I knew-before I started to scream, or, almost as bad, cry. Either would have awoken Jake, and possibly my parents. So, I didn't resist as Aftran pressed down, gently, on the part of my brain that controlled my motor functions. She took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm me down before speaking to me.

(It's okay, Tom. They're safe,) she reassured me, her voice taking on that gentle tone she used when I woke up from a nightmare, or had a near panic attack.

(For now,) I whispered.

She paused, just for a second, before replying. (Yes.)

Aftran dropped her loose control entirely, and I reached out for her in my mind. She hugged me, tightly.

A few minutes later, I spoke again. (Aftran? Am I getting worse?)

(No.) Her voice was firm. Certain. (You've had a difficult week, that's all. You're so much stronger than when I first came to live with you, Tom.)

(You're sure?) I persisted.

(I'm sure.) She hugged me even tighter, and a part of me was glad that mental hugs weren't like physical hugs. You didn't risk running out of air with them. (At the beginning, you were a mess. Oh, you could walk and speak on your own, which was no small thing, given how long you'd been a host, and how cruel those dapsens were to you. All the same, though, I could tell that, whenever we weren't alone or only with Jake, I would need to be...) Aftran hesitated, searching for the right word. (Diligent. That you seemed normal, at all times, and that meant being ready to take control at a moment's notice. And not just gentle control, either.)

(I remember,) I answered. Managing a mental smile, I added, self deprecatingly, (You were pretty patient with me.)

Aftran laughed. (So were you, Tom! My experience with human hosts were a small child who felt sorry for me, and an Animorph who convinced me to free this child. Then, she wanted to remain my host,) Aftran added, still laughing at the absurdity of this. (Karen was so young, and I did my best to keep her from being too traumatized, even as I stole away her freedom. Cassie...was different. And, then, there was you.)

(I was broken,) I remembered.

Sometimes, I still felt that way.

(You were broken,) Aftran agreed. (But you weren't shattered.)

I frowned-visibly. (Huh?)

(A broken host has given up. Has been crushed by their Yeerk, or Yeerks. By their cruelty,) Aftran began, her voice taking on a solemn tone, and she hugged me still tighter. (Even so, they're not gone. They still exist in their head. They can come back from this state. Over time. From what I learned in the Peace Movement, this can take days. Weeks. Months. Maybe, even, years. But there's always improvement, no matter how small, within the first feeding period. At the latest, by the end of the first week.)

(And shattered?) I asked her.

(The mind's gone,) Aftran replied, simply. (It's not simply that the host has lost the will to fight, that he or she has accepted defeat. They have been crushed so completely by their Yeerk or Yeerks that, without a Yeerk, the host would die within a day. They cannot do anything on their own. They can't even think on their own. It's like being in a coma, except they cannot be woken up.)

It sounded believable to me. I'd been a slave to the Yeerk empire long enough to see people who had given up. Maybe not to the extent that they were in comas without Yeerks, but pretty close.

(How do they manage when their Yeerk feeds?) I asked her. (Does another Yeerk infest them?)

Aftran shook her head. (Involuntary bodily functions, like breathing and blinking, remain operational. But they can't eat or drink without a Yeerk to do it for them. Even if you put a glass of water right in front of them, they wouldn't be able to do anything. Well,) she allowed, (perhaps, if you put it to their lips...) She shrugged, again. (I'd only seen one. Back when I had a Hork-Bajir. My superior boasted that his host body had been shattered before he came along. I think, but I'm not sure, that it's more common for Hork-Bajir to become shattered than humans.)

It was my turn to nod, but only in my head. With Jake still sleeping on top of me, I didn't want to risk moving and disturbing him.

(I'm sorry, Tom,) Aftran told me, smiling a little sadly. (I shouldn't have told you all of this. Especially right before bed. I wouldn't be surprised if you experience nightmares, tonight.)

(It's okay. I wanted to know,) I answered. (Anyway, Aftran, you're my Yeerk, now. I know you won't hurt me.)

I wouldn't have been so certain about this when Aftran first entered my head. Oh, I'd known that she'd joined the Peace Movement and would have died for it-according to Cassie-but that didn't mean she wouldn't resort to insulting me or giving into the urge to play back a bad memory when I had ticked her off.

Except, I soon realized, it did mean that. Aftran wouldn't hurt me any more than she would hurt Cassie. Not intentionally, anyway.

(No, Tom, I won't,) she promised, gently.

We were quiet for several minutes. Her still holding me, me still laying in bed, not tired enough to sleep, but slowly getting there. Happy for the company that Aftran provided me.

(Hey, Aftran?) I asked.

(Yes, Tom?) she answered, even though she knew what I was going to say.

(How come it is that I can't, you know, hug you? In my mind? Seems like I have to reach out for it...) I trailed off, uncertain how to state what I'd begun to notice recently.

(Ah, so you've noticed,) Aftran observed. (It's because, being a Yeerk, I have more natural control over that part of your brain.)

(But it's more than just releasing endorphins, isn't it? I feel like I'm being hugged. Like now,) I pressed.

(Yes, it's an area of your mind I can control, as a Yeerk. It's one of those functions a Yeerk has control over that a human doesn't,) Aftran tried to explain. (But, to make a comparison...) She hesitated.

(Yeah?)

(Well, imagine that you're a cat, and I'm a human,) Aftran began.

I had to struggle not to laugh out loud.

(Okay,) Aftran amended. (It's after the war, you're morph capable, and so I am. Better?)

(Yeah,) I relented.

(You're in a cat morph, and I'm in a human morph,) Aftran continued, smiling. (Neither of us are nothlits, we're simply in these morphs, well under the two hour time limit.)

(Gotcha. You're saying that, when you're in your human morph, you can pick me up and hug me, because I'm smaller, but I can't really do it as well on my own, because of the body I'm in?) I determined.

(Yes. Except, in this case, it's different minds instead of bodies. Your mind, being a host's mind, can receive signals from the Yeerk, once the Yeerk opts to send them. You're a receiver, I'm a controller,) Aftran expanded.

(Hey,) I teased. (I thought I was the Controller.)

Aftran giggled. (Well, you are. But, in this case, I am. Because I can control that part of your mind.)

(All of it, really,) I pointed out.

(Technically. Well, really, closer to 85% of it. According to what our scientists have determined. Your mind retains at least 5% of it, what with being able to think on your own, and then there's around 10% that remains unreachable,) explained my Yeerk.

I rolled my eyes. (That's not something you want the higher up human scientists to learn. We've been taught that we only use a small percentage of our brain. If you Yeerks go around saying that you can tap into nearly all of it, you might not have to invade the planet. Everyone will be infested, maybe even at birth, "for our own good".)

(Don't worry. That's hardly an advertising point used at The Sharing,) Aftran reassured me. (Besides, Peace Movement Yeerks like me believe that number is highly inflated, and dependent on a symbiotic relationship between a Yeerk and their host. Hardly what the empire has in mind.)

(Yeah. Imagine where we'd be if all Yeerks became friends with their hosts,) I teased.

(The horror.) Aftran laughed. (They might help us, and we could help them. Hardly a productive parasitic relationship for the great Yeerk empire.)

I yawned, then, slowly maneuvering myself so I was laying on my side, but not disturbing the midget's sleep. Except for a single snore, which was probably unrelated to anything I did. I managed not to laugh, because in all likelihood, I'd snored a couple of times in my life.

(You're starting to become tired,) Aftran murmured, lowering her voice for my benefit. (Anything I can do to help you sleep?)

I felt my eyelids become heavy. I was pretty sure I didn't need music to fall asleep tonight, or a good memory. (Just keep talking...and holding me,) I mumbled.

(Of course. I can do that,) she assured me, still speaking softly.

The next thing I knew, it was morning, and Aftran was still holding me.

(Good morning,) she greeted.

(Morning,) I answered.

Jake was still curled up against me. With his face turned away from me, I couldn't make out his expression, but based on previous experiences, it was probably peaceful and made him look at least five years younger.

Then again, maybe we all looked younger when we were asleep.

(Think we should ask him?) I wondered. (Not as soon as he wakes up, but today?)

She shrugged. (Let's take it slowly. There's no need to hurry things along, especially if we want Jake to be receptive to the idea.)

I nodded, stroking Jake's hair, almost absentmindedly. I propped myself into a sitting position, careful not to disturb Jake. Somehow, this made Aftran laugh.

(What?) I asked, not being privy to her thoughts.

(Karen's family owned a ginger cat named Lily,) Aftran explained. (A very large cat, who probably needed to lose a couple of pounds. It was nearly as old as Karen, and the two of them slept in the same bed for as long as she could remember. Even though house cats sleep at least two times longer than humans each day, her entire family regarded any disturbance in Lily's sleep as almost as horrible as murdering the feline.) Aftran rolled her eyes at me. (This creature, of course, was well aware of the way the humans treated her. Whenever she fell asleep on one of their laps, including Karen's, the humans became incapable of movement until the feline deigned herself ready to move. As I was playing Karen, I had to obey the cat's whims.)

I snickered. (What did this cat look like?)

Aftran sent me an image of a somewhat overweight, rather grouchy looking cat. While I was definitely more of a dog person, I couldn't resist a mental "aww!" at the picture.

(Sorry, Aftran, but that cat's the real ruler of the family,) I told her. (Whatever she wants, she gets.)

(Including my host's body whenever she wanted it,) Aftran returned, rolling her eyes at me. (Although, Karen's mind was always very happy when the feline perched herself on her, so I was grateful for that reason.) She softened. (Now, of course, I would have been much kinder to both, in my thoughts. I never tortured Karen, nor threatened to. But, I could have been much more gentle with her.)

I pulled the blankets around myself more tightly. (Maybe, you'll see her again, someday.)

She nodded. (I hope so.)

Jake chose that moment to open his eyes, then stretch. I turned towards him, smiling.

"Morning, sleepyhead. How are you feeling?" I asked.

He gave me a sleepy, but contented, smile. "Pretty good."

"Shoulder okay?"

He nodded. "Good as new. Thanks, Tom."

I tucked a piece of hair behind his ear. "Glad to hear it. Still tired?"

"A little," he admitted.

"Yeah. Same here," I told him.

Jake sort of leaned towards me, and I wrapped my arms around him. "How's that?"

"Good," he yawned.

We remained like that for a few minutes. Jake broke the silence.

"Tom?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. For last night."

I turned my head towards him, smiling. "Which part? Basketball? Injuring you? The back rub?"

Jake made a face. "Not the injuring me part, if you could call it that."

"I do," I answered. "Midget, you could hardly move your shoulder."

He shrugged. "Well, yeah. Anyway, I meant both...but the back rub. It helped."

I smiled at him. "Any time, Midget."

Jake sort of laughed, obviously thinking I was joking. "Yeah. Okay."

I sent Aftran a mental eye roll. Okay, I'd have to spell it out for my brother. "Okay, not any time. How about once a week? Maybe twice, if you've had a battle, or, you know, just had a really hard week?"

Jake blinked at me. "You're serious?"

This time, I did roll my eyes at him. "You risk your life fighting the Yeerks on the regular. You've gone up against Visser Three and survived more times than anyone else I've known. Oh, and you saved me. Yes, Jake, I'm being serious."

He didn't answer right away. When he did, his voice was kind of...not broken, but almost hoarse.

"You don't need to, Tom. You don't-you don't owe me anything."

I sighed, and sat up just enough to give him a bear hug. "Jake. When are you going to get it through your smart, yet somehow incredibly thick skull that I want to help you? If you have a nightmare, if you want to talk or vent...yes, if you are just having a really rough day and want to relax. I am here for you. Okay?"

"Okay." His voice was small, but his hold on me tightened.

We stayed like that for a few minutes. I should have been happy, or at least relieved. But, mostly, I guessed I was wondering why Jake couldn't...not trust me, exactly, but, maybe, not believe me?

We sat up in bed. Jake was sort of not looking at me. I felt like I had hurt him, instead of the other way around.

"Midget?" I urged. "Come on. You can talk to me."

Jake finally met my eyes. He moved, a little, away from the hug. I gave a sort of nod, letting him go. It took a minute or so, but he began to talk.

"It's-it's not your fault, Tom," he reassured me. "Just that...the last couple of years, and when you started going to The Sharing. Even before I knew about the Yeerks, it was like we weren't close anymore. It's why I tried out for the basketball team. I thought that, you know, if I had your old spot..."

I didn't speak, just wrapped an arm around my kid brother's shoulder. Not wanting to restrain him, just letting him know I was there. Jake let me. "Jake. You're right. I'm sorry. I was a jerk. I guess you know why I joined The Sharing? From Temrash's memory dump at the end?"

He nodded. "You liked a girl who was a member."

"Yeah." I sort of sighed. "And I had complete tunnel vision, and pretty much shut you out because I was so obsessed with her. By the time I knew what was going on...anyway, I'm sorry. You're right."

"It's not-" he began, then took a deep breath "I'm not angry at you, Tom. I-"

Poor kid.

"I get it. Really." I just hugged him, again. Whatever the world record for the most hugs given to a person in one day was, if this kept up, Jake and I were sure to break it. Not that I minded. "It's going to take time to be completely open, right? Because of everything that's happened."

"Also," Jake added, sort of tentatively, nodding, "I mean, I'm worried about you."

"Because I still get nightmares and have to have my body taken from me at the Yeerk Pool?" I asked, carefully.

Another nod. "I don't want to add to it, Tom."

"Jake, remember what I said a few days ago? When I told you to come and get me if you had a nightmare?" Jake bobbed his head up and down. "Same thing applies with talking, okay? I have Aftran to help me. Right now, life is going to be pretty hard for both of us. Until we destroy the Yeerk empire, until the Andalites take over...whatever happens. The thing is, now we have each other. Now, I'm not a slave to some empire Yeerk. Whatever either of us is going through, whatever PTSD or whatever, we need to have someone to talk to. I have Aftran. You, Midget, have me. Okay?"

"Okay," he mumbled. "I'll try."

I guessed he finally realized that I was being serious. Good.

I gave Jake a light nudge. "I'm holding you to that." Then, I paused, realizing that there might be stuff Jake wasn't ready to talk about. "I mean, I'm not going to, like, lock you in your room until you tell me everything that's on your mind. I get that you want some privacy. Just...talk to me. Don't keep it in. I'm your big brother, you know? I want to be there for you, and I can't do that if you won't let me."

Jake looked a little relieved by that. "Thanks, Tom."

"No problem." I yawned. "Now, I'm tired. Let's say we get a couple more hours of sleep, okay?"

"Sounds good."

(I'm proud of you, Tom,) Aftran murmured.

(Thanks, Aftran.)

We both lay back down, and I wrapped Jake in a bear hug. Before long, he was asleep, and before too long, so was I.