A/N; I apologise if this chapter isn't the best I've written, I've been terribly sick and I've tried my best to write this chapter. Please R&R and let me know what you think anyway. Thanks :)

Chapter 18

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The girls reuinion with their parents and siblings would be sweet but short lived. A plan was now being put into place on the way back, and we all needed to start working on it... and fast.

I could see them waiting for us as we entered the hanger bay, after making sure Jake wasn't out of his cage. The girls looked both worried as they stood beside Splinter, and what we could now see was Mihra and Rtaia. They both looked a little wobbly, but better than they had been.

Ithiell landed the fighter as the hanger doors slammed shut, and the hatch slowly opened. I could see the parents were looking relieved, probably knowing their girls were safe and sound.

As soon as Serah's dad spotted the rest of his family, he smiled in relief, moving to head out towards the two, who were eagerly waiting for him.

"Dad!" Serah cried, running up to him and throwing her arms around his neck, pulling him towards her.

"Oh my little girl" He returned the hug just as tightly, then moved to hug Mihra, who winced a little.

"What happened to you?" He asked, but she just shook her head.

"Later dear"

Soon Serah's brothers were there too, and there needed to be a short explanation before they were all hugging one another.

While all this was happening Kristiana's parents had both wrapped her in a tight hug, and soon her little sister was there too, who she pulled in close.

"Oh baby girl, we were so scared we'd lost you" I heard her mum cry into Kristiana's hair, tears streaming down her face.

"I'm fine mom, really" I could see tears were also falling down Kristiana's cheeks, her lower lip trembling as she pulled her little sister closer to her, and I could hear the little girl let out a small sob.

The rest of us slowly moved around them, out of the fighter, and towards the tunnel into the main room. Eventually, everyone converged into the main room, with the girls still holding tight to their families.

And I couldn't blame them. I half wondered how my parents and siblings were, knowing I'd barely had any contact with them in the last few months. Which was probably for the best. The last thing I wanted was them worrying about all the things we'd gotten up to.

"All right girls, you have two hours. The rest of us will be back soon" Ithiell indicated we go into Donnie's lab, and we all moved towards the room.

"Hey, wait!" I saw a blur out of the corner of my eye, all of us turning and stopping in our tracks as we saw Serah's hand on Ithiell's arm.

"What happens after two hours?"

He smiled at her, patting the hand that was on his arm "Just take care of your dad and brothers, relax, and maybe get them something to eat. We'll be back soon"

"Hey wait-"

"We'll discuss it later, just spend time with your dad and brothers" Leo patted her arm gently, before ushering the rest of us into the lab.

"But-" Kristiana was cut off as Ithiell closed the door behind us.

"So... what, we're taking the girls out of here?" I asked, looking from Leo to Ithiell. They hadn't mentioned anything about this on the way back-

"We don't really have a choice" Marco spoke up, folding his arms and leaning against the wall near the door.

"But, the base-"

"We can't leave them here, not again" Ithiell now "After what happened with Jake the last time, we just... can't take that chance"

"What about Mihra and myself?" Rtaia asked, and I noticed she was half leaning on Ax, who was helping keep her upright.

"We'll need you, but you'll be hanging back for this one"

I took that moment to have a quick look around the room, finding it was only a little squashed. I saw so many different faces, but all of them looking as confused as I felt. Ithiell really hadn't given that much about his plan away.

"All right braniac" Raph started, stepping forward "What's this plan of yours?"

Ithiell just smiled, looking at each one of us in turn.

"I hate when you do that" Amanda muttered.

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My brain felt it was about to explode after those two hours. Ithiell's idea had so many holes, all of which Leo and Marco picked at, and the rest of us tried to fill them in with our thoughts and ideas. It would come down to each and every one of us to do our part. Even our... unusual... allies.

I had a feeling the Shredder and Visser Three would betray us, so we had worked our plan around that scenario. There was no way the Animorphs arch nemesis and the turtles biggest threat would follow our plan to the letter, so we had worked out a counter measure for each. Both of which Rachel and Raphael seemed to eagerly agree with.

I walked out of Donnie's lab, half holding my head and looking around the main room, hearing something plates clinking and clunking in the kitchen of all places, the girls muttering before I saw their heads both pop out the door.

"The Animorphs and I will get back to the valley, we'll meet you there" Marco and the others walked off, as both Kristiana and Serah came out into the main room, looking at all of us.

"So, what's going on?" Kristiana pressed, looking closely at Ithiell, then at Leo.

"Well, you girls should start packing some necessities. We're taking you and your families to the valley where it's safe" Ithiell shared a look with Leo, both of them knowing this wouldn't go down well.

"But the base is safe" Serah protested, looking slightly annoyed.

"We don't know what's going to happen in the next twenty four hours" Leo spoke up "So we don't even know if this place will be standing by the end of it. We want you girls somewhere safe, where we can-"

"Nuh uh!" Serah shook her head "No way! We are not running away from a fight, not this time!"

"Serah, please don't-" Leo tried to put a hand on her shoulder, but she yanked herself away, looking furious.

"I can shift! I can fight! I'm not going go just run away while you guys risk your lives again!"

"Serah, listen to me" I moved over to her, going to grab her hands but then deciding against it, just standing in front of her. Her eyes bored into mine, knowing she wasn't really going to listen... or like... what I was about to say.

"You experienced a recon mission... where everything went wrong. You got shot, and it really hurt you. What's going to happen when a Hork-Bajir chops off your leg? That's alot more painful than being shot, and you can't stop in the middle of a heated fight"

"I... don't... care"

"I can help too! I uh... well I..." Kristiana suddenly scratched the back of her head, and the two girls shared a strange look.

"Kristiana? Serah?" Ithiell looked from one girl to the other "What aren't you telling us?"

"Well... we don't... I mean... I didn't think what happened was real..." Kristiana twiddled her thumbs. Serah looked just as embarrassed.

"Babe, tell us" Mikey was suddenly there, arm around her shoulders. She looked up at him, biting her lip a little.

"What... happened?" Ithiell was starting to sound annoyed, and I was feeling the same.

"Well, when Jake was attacking us... he jumped and... well... Kristiana... um..."

"I think I kind of froze him in mid-air?" Kristiana supplied, now finding something fascinating on the floor at her feet.

"You what?" I blinked, staring at her now. I think we all were.

"How is that even possible?" Robert asked, looking at Ithiell then Rtaia.

"Well... we only... it wasn't for long..." Kristiana stuttered, honestly sounding embarrassed "I mean... he came at us... I kinda stopped him... we finished dragging her mom and Rtaia into the room, then when we shut the door we heard him... hit it. I mean... I didn't think it really happened, but... I felt..."

"And he was just... I dunno...there" Serah scratched her head "In mid air. Kristiana screamed and put her hands up in defense, and he just kinda... stopped, right when he was leaping at us. I mean... c'mon, what were we supposed to tell you!"

"It could mean that Kristiana-"

"No, I'm not an alien. I mean... I think I would know by now..." She suddenly surprised us by leaning her head back towards the kitchen doorway, calling out "HEY, MOM! DAD!"

"Yes honey?" Came her mother's response.

"Are any of us like... aliens?!"

"No dear" Came her fathers voice, and I heard her little sister chuckle a little, before she turned back to us, shrugging.

Well... that was all shades of weird.

"You should have told us this earlier!" Raph didn't look pleased. Neither was I.

"Well.. as I said... we didn't think it was real" Kristiana was now looking up at Mikey, who was still trying to be supportive and comforting, smiling at her sweetly.

Was it possible...

"Could you have been experimented on then?" Donnie spoke up from beside me, saying what I had been thinking.

"Byyy..."

"The Yeerks, of course" Amanda rolled her eyes. Both girls gave her a strange look.

"Well... no, cause I don't really remember anything like that, and I'm pretty sure I would"

"So you... stopped... Jake... as he was leaping towards you?" Rtaia looked perplexed, even as she sat on the edge of a couch. She still wasn't fully recovered, and looked exhausted just from the effort of the last two hours. Even after Donnie provided her a chair she could sit on. She still wasn't well, and I was worried she wasn't going to be able to do this.

"Well... yeah. Like... he didn't move for a good few seconds. He was chasing Serah, and then he came for me... I put my hands up..."

"And voila! Frozen Jake" Serah finished, sharing another look with Kristiana.

"Perhaps... our friend from the deep may also have these abilities. We would need to research it more to be sure..." Mihra spoke up now, looking only a little better than Rtaia. Those two...

They would both in the least danger. But even then, they had to be at their best... how could they...

"So, is it possible that you were experimented on-"

"No, I don't... but..." Kristiana suddenly looked confused, closing her eyes and putting her hands up to her temples.

"Babe?" Mikey looked extremely worried about her, trying to shake her a little, but she pushed away from him, concentrating on something.

"Kristiana?" I finally decided to move towards her, going to stand in front of her. I noticed Serah wasn't far from us. I was hoping she was all right...

"No... it's... dammit!" She threw her arms down, looking up and locking eyes with mine. She looked both upset and frustrated.

"Did you remember something?"

She shook her head "It's... well there is something there, but it's like its behind that black curtain in your head. You know there is something there but your mind just wont let you remember. But... I think it's got something to do with that creature... at least... well, I'm not sure..." She looked confused now.

"It is possible that the Yeerk blocked those memories from you, somehow?"

"Well, according to Marco, it happened with Jake. The Yeerk that was in his head... knocked him out, in a sense" Ithiell added "Although the details are a little obscured, and I don't plan to ask him anytime soon"

"Yeah, wouldn't do you any good" Robert agreed.

"So... what does that... does that mean we can come along?"

"No"

Both girls looked truly hurt.

"You'll be helping Rtaia and Mihra. You can prove yourselves that way"

Now we all looked at Ithiell.

"What the hell are you thinking?!" I snapped, going over to stand in his face "They'll be-"

"Safe, with Rtaia and Mihra" Ithiell finished, meeting my glare with his own "Safer than what the rest of us will be doing anyway"

"Ithiell..." I almost growled, seeing him suddenly smile.

"If all else fails, and we all die, at least we know those two will pick up the slack!"

"I... I can't... no..." I looked at both Serah and Kristiana pleadingly. They couldn't possibly...

This was a horrible idea! How could he possibly think being anywhere near that ship would be safer than-

"Hey, I can also help with the layout of the poolship. I'm pretty sure I still remember most of where everything is" Kristiana perked up, and I felt my heart sink "I mean, unless they remodeled the ships after I left-"

"I'm with Jade on this" Amanda perked up, and we shared a look "This is just plain stupidity, putting them up there-"

"They'll be fine Mand" Ithiell tried to reassure her "They really want to help, and I can tell we aren't going to change their minds"

"No way" Serah folded her arms, looking determined. I heard Leo sigh, then "There is one condition to this though"

We all looked at him.

"Kristiana, Serah, you stay at your post. No wandering off to help anyone"

"Leo's right. We need you up there, and we need you at the ready. If you need to move, we'll call on you"

The girls looked at each other, almost looking annoyed.

"Sounds fair girls" Robert smirked at them, putting a hand on the back of a couch, leaning his weight on it.

"What if-"

"No, you move on our signal, no one else's" Leo stared at Serah, who gave him a quick glance, before looking down sheepishly.

"Babe, you better do what Leo says" Mikey backed his older brother, looking down at Kristiana, who met his stare with a look similar to Serah.

"I would like to run some tests before we leave" Rtaia spoke up "I am not sure what... if any...abilities you may have, and it is better to test them to make sure"

"Agreed. Girls, go say goodbye to your parents and siblings. I need to take to the valley straight away, then we'll all start to prepare"

"Dismissed!" Leo finally said, and we all finally split off, going to do our own things.

"Hey, Jade" A hand took my arm, and I looked up to see Donnie there, worry on his face.

"Donnie?" I felt his hand gently touch my cheek, the other resting at my waist now. He smiled sadly.

"Don't go dying tomorrow, okay?"

"Not planning on it" I shook my head, reaching up to kiss him gently, my arms now around his neck as he now put his arms around my waist.

"I mean it Jade, if your... friend... doesn't do his part..."

"I'm more worried about you" I finally admitted, resting my forehead against his. He sighed.

"You just be your ninja self, and take care of your brothers...and Splinter. It's not gonna be easy..."

"I know"

We stood there for a while, holding onto one another, before he finally moved to kiss me.

"Come on, I could use some help" He took my hand, leading my back into the lab "Those devices Ithiell needs are gonna take a while"

"But I thought Ithiell said-oomph" He'd shut the door, and instantly his lips enveloped mine again, picking me up and moving me to one of the tables.

So, it wasn't my help he needed after all.

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Constructive criticism appreciated!