No wonder The Sharing was all beat around the bush until they infested you.

I half expected Aftran to jokingly call me a coward, but she just hugged me, instead.

To my surprise, Jake nodded, a little. "I, um," he began, then cleared his throat.

I reached out, gently taking his hand. "It's okay if you don't want to, Jake," I assured him.

I glanced at the table, and wondered if this was the kind of conversation we should have with less physical space between us. With the option of, if not a hug fest, at least me putting an arm around his shoulder.

He watched me for awhile, not saying anything. As much as I wondered what my kid brother could possibly be thinking, I knew that now-of all times-wasn't the time to push things.

He'd talk when he was ready.

"Could we...talk in the living room?" Jake finally asked.

Relieved, I tried to be as reassuring, as natural, as possible. "Sure, Midget."

Jake made to move, then looked down at the plates, as though remembering why we'd been in the kitchen in the first place.

"We should probably-you know. Put the dishes in the sink," he observed, almost smiling.

He wasn't wrong. Mom wouldn't exactly have a cow if we left them out there, but she'd be at least a little annoyed.

"Okay," Tom agreed, breaking contact with Jake's hand.

I gathered up my plate and silverware, and put it in the sink, noticing Jake doing the same. I squeezed his shoulders, and we walked to the living room, taking a seat next to each other on the couch.

"You all right, Midget?" I asked him, studying his face for signs.

He nodded, face relaxing, a little. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"You know," I began, "it's just a suggestion, right? We're not gonna just put Aftran in your head unless you're totally okay with it?"

I was pretty sure he knew, but then, maybe not.

At any rate, it couldn't hurt to reiterate this.

For either of us.

To my surprise, Jake sort of smiled. "Yeah." He paused. "I've kind of thought about it. Sort of. I mean," He stopped, again, probably trying to figure out what he wanted to say next. "After we got back and I told you about what happened with Temrash?" At my nod, he continued, "I guess I sort of got to thinking that, maybe, if I spent some time with Aftran, just Aftran, to see what it could be like..."

"She could help you?" I offered. Giving Jake a gentle, playful nudge, I added, "She hasn't exactly hurt me, you know."

He managed a smile. "I've noticed."

I squeezed his hand.

"It's why I asked, earlier this week, about what it was like when she infested you. Kind of," Jake explained.

I frowned, slightly. "Wait. With Temrash...?"

Another nod. "I fell in the pool during the battle, and I was nearly unconscious. I felt this enormous pain in my ear, for awhile, and after I came to, it took me awhile to figure out that a Yeerk had stolen my body. He had to tell me," Jake explained, angrily.

I wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Jake. You couldn't have known."

Inwardly, I thought that it had been so typical of Temrash to do that. Let Jake know in the absolute worst way possible. He'd been a jerk all right, through and through.

"I didn't want to ask Cassie about it, since for her, Aftran's her Yeerk bestie and I figured if there was anything unpleasant about being infested, she'd try to shield me from it. Especially since it would be with Aftran," Jake explained.

I rolled my eyes at the term Marco had thought up. "Yeerk bestie is going to be something we say a lot, now, isn't it?" I joked.

Jake laughed. "Well, it kind of fits. Cassie the tree hugger, the Yeerk hugger."

"Has she ever actually hugged Aftran outside of her head?" I teased.

"Not that I'm aware of," Jake conceded.

(She hasn't,) Aftran confirmed, smiling at me. (Of course, I give her mental hugs, but she hasn't hugged me outside her head.)

"Aftran said that Cassie's never hugged Aftran outside her head," I informed Jake. "So, maybe, we can omit the 'Yeerk hugger' part from her name."

He nodded. "Okay, fair enough."

There was a silence, as we tried to figure out where to go from here. Aftran, thankfully, broke it, in my mind.

(I could talk to him, through you. Explain what would happen if he let me in his ear, and prepare him,) Aftran offered.

(Sure. I think he'd appreciate that,) I answered. (I'll sit back and watch.)

Aftran straightened my body, a little, as she took over. "Jake?" she asked, speaking softly. "It's Aftran."

He glanced at me. At Aftran. "Hi."

"I wanted to speak to you, directly, so that you know what will happen if you let me in your head," she explained. "Some of it is unpredictable, as it will be my first time infesting you, but I can provide you with enough information to prepare for you a-a more traditional infestation experience."

Jake nodded. "Should I ask you questions, or do you want to walk me through it?"

I felt Aftran's emotions towards him turn protective. Affectionate, even. Well, he was my brother. Of course, Aftran cared about him.

"Which would you prefer?"

Jake gnawed on his cheek for a second, thinking this over. "I guess, tell me what will happen."

Aftran nodded my head. "I'll approach your ear, and immediately secrete a painkilling agent that will numb your entire ear. It takes a few seconds to begin working, and a Yeerk's body begins to dry out as soon as it's not in a host body or liquid, so the instinct to climb inside is extremely strong. You might experience mild pain during this time period, before the painkiller begins to work. Tom always does, and so do Cassie. It disappears completely within seconds, often before they can fully react to the discomfort," Aftran began. At Jake's nod of comprehension, she continued. "After this, you will feel pressure as I climb inside, but no immediate loss of control." She paused for a minute, probably going through the entire process in her mind. "When a Yeerk infests a host body for the first time, they always take control, because they don't know the pathway to the control center. The loss of control is gradual and completely random. Once I connect completely with your brain, I will release control entirely to you."

"Once I connect completely with your brain," Aftran assured him, "I will release control entirely to you."

"You don't think you can keep from taking control at all?" he asked, and I noted that his voice was shaky.

Aftran sighed, a little. "It's unlikely." She paused. "Then again, you and Tom are brothers, so there are more genetic similarities than with any other hosts I have infested. It might be possible, in your case, but I don't want to make any promises that I cannot keep."

"Maybe if we'd been identical twins?" he joked.

I gave a mental sigh of relief that Jake was calm enough to be able to joke about it.

It wasn't a half bad one, either.

Aftran laughed. "Well, perhaps."

"Okay." Jake paused, clearly trying to think about what to ask next. "How long will I be-you know?"

"It can vary. For a human, no longer than two minutes." Aftran held Jake's hand. "I realize that must seem like an unending amount of time when you can't move on your own, Jake," she added, sympathetically. "I will release control as soon as I can."

Jake nodded, determined. "Okay. Once you're in my mind, then what? Will you see all of my memories?"

Aftran shook my head. "I will see whatever you're thinking, but I will not open any of your memories," Aftran reassured my brother. "I will be able to communicate with you, much like thought speech. I imagine that Temrash did this with you, before, so you know what it's like?"

"Yeah." Jake nodded his head, but I didn't miss the flinch.

Probably remembering what Temrash had done to him. Anger filled me. If that psychotic slug hadn't already died from the fugue...

(Tom,) Aftran soothed.

(I know. I know,) I grumbled.

She spoke up again, even more gentle than before. "After I'm connected, and you have full control back, what happens next is up to you."

"What do you mean?" Jake pressed. "We'll talk, right?"

Aftran nodded. "We can just talk, if you like. I can give you a mental hug, if you are comfortable allowing me to do so." She smiled, and I admitted, I was a little curious about this. "Cassie and Tom enjoy them. But, really, I'll let you take over, in all senses. The worst part will be in the beginning, but the rest will be up to you. Including when I leave your head."

(If you don't offer him a mental hug, I might have to kill you,) I teased Aftran.

(I'd offer even if my life wasn't at stake,) Aftran retorted, sending me an image of a Yeerk sticking out their tongue.

(All right, all right,) I conceded.

Jake spoke up again.

"When you leave my head...will that hurt?" he asked.

She shook my head, again. "I'll secrete the same painkiller as I did before, and I will be able to wait longer without my instincts taking over. It won't hurt at all."

(You Yeerks and your verbiage,) I half grumbled, half teased. (You could have just said "no".)

(Then, he might ask why,) Aftran pointed out.

(Maybe. Probably not,) I retorted.

(Granted,) Aftran conceded.

"And you promise that you won't take control or go through any of my memories unless I give you the okay?" Jake pressed.

"Yes, Jake. I promise," she answered, simply.

(See? I can be succinct?) Aftran added.

(Never said you couldn't.) I sent her a mental eye roll.

I spoke up, then. "Aftran's telling the truth, Tom. She'll be really gentle, respectful, of your mind."

Jake studied me. Us. "Okay. But, let's do it now, or I'll just freak out and lose my nerve."

I pulled him into a hug. "You're the bravest kid I know, Midget."

Jake grinned, face reddening at the praise. We hugged for at least a few minutes, but Jake finally let go.

"Stay with me?" he asked.

I wrapped an arm around arm shoulders. "Absolutely, Jake. I'll be here the whole time," I promised.

Aftran spoke up, then. "I'll leave your brother's head, and he can either place me in your ear, or you can do it on your own. I won't dry up immediately, but it will feel unpleasant as soon as I am outside of a host body," she cautioned.

"I understand. I'll be quick," he promised.

(Yeah, don't worry. We're not going to let you die,) I told her.

(I know,) she laughed. (See you soon, honey.)

(Be careful with my brother,) I half joked, half warned.

(Absolutely,) she promised.

A minute later, I felt her leave my head, and the wave of emptiness that always seemed to accompany that. I watched as her flattened body resumed its regular shape, running a few fingers along her.

"Okay, Midget?" I asked him. "You sure?"

Jake's face was pale, but he nodded. "Yeah."

"How do you want to handle this?" I questioned, watching him.

"I'll do it. I think we've both had too many nightmares of the other way," he pointed out.

He wasn't wrong.

I handed him Aftran, and, shaking a little, he put her to his ear. A minute later, he flinched, but his face relaxed. We sat down, and I held Jake close.

We remained like that for awhile. After a couple of minutes, Jake spoke up, letting me know that he was back in control, but other than that, he stayed silent. I wondered-okay, worried-about how everything was going. I knew that Aftran would be respectful of Jake, but I also knew that Jake had suffered through an extremely painful three days before, and that had to cloud his experience. On the other hand, I'd been a host for nearly three years, and I'd come to care for Aftran as an almost familial figure. Something between a parent and an older sister, maybe.

Maybe I could have gotten up, grabbed a book or magazine, to pass the time. But, besides it feeling insensitive, I knew there was no way I'd be able to concentrate.

I just held Jake in my arms, waiting for whatever would happen next.

I knew that Aftran wouldn't mistreat him, of course. But, infestation wasn't always a good experience. Even people who started off as voluntary with decent enough Yeerks might not stay that way. Or, they might cooperate, but only because it was that or risk worse treatment from another Yeerk.

I hoped that neither of us would look back on this decision with regret.

After awhile, I saw Aftran leave Jake's head. I took a deep breath.

He was smiling. Smiling at Aftran. Carefully, he handed her to me. I took her, and before placing her in my head, I wrapped a free arm around Jake's shoulder.

"You okay?" I asked him.

He nodded, smiling at me. "I can see why you and Cassie like her," he told me. "But, don't worry. I'm not going to ask to share in your custody arrangement."

Relieved, I snickered, then placed Aftran to my ear. "I totally get it if you want to keep whatever you talked about between you. That being said, I'm here if you want to tell me about it."

"Thanks." He curled up against me. "Not right now, though. I'm kind of tired."

"Yeah. It can be pretty draining, even with the good ones," I acknowledged, grabbing a blanket from the side of the couch, and wrapping it around us. "Mind if I watch some TV while you take a nap?"

He shook his head, stretching his legs out under the blanket. "Thanks, Tom. You know..."

I tucked a piece of loose hair over his ear. "No problem, Midget. Sleep well."

By now, Aftran had made the connections to my head.

(Everything go okay?) I asked her.

(Yes, everything went very well,) she assured me. (I believe I helped him, at least a little, and he certainly is no longer worried that I'm a potential hazard to you.)

(Great. Next thing we need to do is get you morph capable, and maybe a human morph,) I mused. (We'll need to use my DNA, so that you don't end up looking like a female Ax,) I laughed. (He'd go completely crazy if a Yeerk looked like she could be his sister.)

(Oh, don't I know it!) Aftran laughed. (After all, he only just forgive me for infesting him in order to save his life. Nearly sharing a human morph with him would be an affront to the Andalite home world.)

I blinked. (Wait. You did what?)

With that, Aftran began to tell me the entire story.

End

A/N: Even though I sort of expected this chapter to be shorter than the accompanying Jake one, I didn't expect the Jake one to be nearly four times as long. Then again, a lot more happens in this version, even if it's only in Jake's head.

The next story in this series will probably be one chapter for each character. The first character is Tom, of course, but the second character won't be Jake, and it won't be Cassie. Hint: Her name begins with A.

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