Okay and I wanted again to say thank you to all who reviewed including Kumomaru, freak show, Skyflight Erek's Loyalty, The Shang Kudarung, oOKayleeOo, Evance, Atlastme, and Sarah1281.

And to Kumomaru: Thanks for the criticism and I think you might be right. I'll try to get the other Andalites in there some more, but they won't even be seen during this particular chapter. And what exactly seems out of character? I'll fix it if I can in future chapters.

And to freak show: And I lied yet again. To be honest, I don't think I know when you're going to be told how they all became Controllers. The characters just don't seem to want to share that secret. Sorry. It will be sometime in the next three chapters, I'm almost positive. I really need to get Marco to start doing as he's told.

And this is an even shorter than before chapter. Sorry, but it's more a back-story filler chapter.

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(Okay I just have to switch to Rachel's POV during this one chapter. Sorry if it's a little confusing.)

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Interlude: Rachel

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Okay, hi. My name is Rachel and I just want to get one thing straight here before I go any further with this. I am not a dumb person. I'm actually considered rather smart. Yes, I know, I'm blonde, but that really doesn't mean anything, okay? So I'll say it again for the stupid ones out there. I am not a dumb person. I made a couple bad decisions. That was it.

I never should have gone home.

See, after I had left Tobias on that street corner everything went to hell. Oh maybe not at that exact moment, but that was the turning point. I should have probably gone home with him and had his alien friends protect me. But see, I'm just not the kind of person that wants protection. I generally don't need it either so how was I supposed to know any better?

But anyways, back to the moment where I left Tobias behind. We had been talking about trying to save Jake and Cassie from the Yeerks and he had said that he would try to get his alien friends to save them. Now, I don't know if I actually trusted that they would get the job done, but I was smart enough to realize that I couldn't just turn around and go barging back into the Yeerk Pool without any backup. Sure, Tobias was there, but I didn't think he was really much of a fighter. I knew about his little bully problem.

So there I was, knowing that I could do nothing to save my cousin and best friend and I tried to put it out of my mind, you know? I don't like to think about things that I can't change. So I changed the subject and we started talking about getting home. Tobias didn't even know how to get back to his own house, but I guess after being stuck inside for a month he was excused.

Either way, we parted ways, him going home to a pissed off alien father and me going home to a pissed off human mother. I didn't have a watch, but it had to be a least 9 o'clock.

Nothing particularly special happened that night. Mom was waiting for me when I got in and I was effectively grounded for the next two weeks, but that was it. Things only started to get weird the next day at school.

Walking through the school gates and into the school itself, I passed by "Marco" and a friend of his I didn't know acting like regular guys—meaning they were acting like complete idiots—in the hallway and kept going to my locker only to be interrupted by a shout.

"Rachel! Rachel, my biggest fan! How are you?" It was "Marco" and, having said this, he swung an arm over my shoulder and quickly led me over to the side of the school hallway. There his happy and joking facade did a sharp 180 and, pulling me closer, he hissed furiously, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Shaking his arm off me irritably, I said, "Going to school, moron. What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Are you insane?" "Marco" demanded, looking at me like I was crazy. "Do you even know how many people are out to get you?"

"Like I'd let them," I replied somewhat haughtily.

"Marco" obviously couldn't believe I had actually just said that. "Do you even know how powerful the Yeerks are?" he asked incredulously. "How far they're spread throughout this world?"

"Does it matter?" I replied, sure in my own ability to keep myself safe.

"Yes!" "Marco" replied instantly, as though thinking any other way was ridiculous. "I can count over fifteen Controllers in this hallway alone! What do you think they'll do when they figure out that you were one of the Pool escapees from the other day?"

"Well then I just won't tell them," I replied with a hint of 'Duh' to my voice.

"Marco" ignored me; he was too busy listing everything that could go wrong. "And that's not even counting the higher-up Controllers who actually know your face. Chapman could call you into his office at any minute. He just has to realize you're here."

I blinked at this. This was news to me. "Chapman's a Controller?"

"You're not even safe outside school," "Marco" continued, ignoring my question. "They could get the police to come after you. They probably just haven't done that yet because they think they can get you during school and you stupidly fell right into their trap."

Was he saying I was stupid? "Hey!" I protested angrily, but he was still ignoring me. That just made me all the angrier. Nobody ignores me when I'm talking to them. Not if they want to live. But "Marco" was watching the other teens crowding the hallway with suspicious eyes as if whatever I said didn't matter.

"We need to get you out of here," he said quietly, "I didn't stick my neck out for you just so you could stupidly go and get yourself captured again." Then he turned to me to demand, "Why didn't you go home with your friend? The Andalite's kid? The Andalites could have protected you!"

"I don't need to be protected!" I said hotly, already annoyed with him and not needing this additional insult.

"Marco" rolled his eyes at my answer and grabbed me by the upper arm, I assume because he was planning to try to lead me out of the hallway. I immediately shook him off and stepped away. I wasn't going to go peacefully with anybody that thought I was an idiot. Because I wasn't an idiot. Honestly.

"Come on," "Marco" said, looking at me impatiently, obviously not understanding why I wasn't already moving on my own or why I had brushed him off. "We need to get going before anybody can figure out who you are."

"Stop treating me like I'm an idiot," I snapped, still annoyed and not willing to do anything he said.

"Then stop acting like an idiot and get moving," "Marco" said, urging me forward.

Still too caught up in my pride, I didn't move. And I looked "Marco" straight on and dared him to do something about this.

So, rolling his eyes again but taking this dare and getting behind me, "Marco" actually started trying to push me bodily down the hallway. I purposely made this as difficult for him as possible, throwing all of my weight into holding him back. I can only imagine the stares we were getting. I was a little busy.

We got a few feet, but eventually he got frustrated and stopped pushing me. "Will you just get going?" he said to my face.

"Fine," I said with as much dignity as I could muster. And so, turning up my nose, I headed in the direction of the school doors. Like I wanted to go to school anyway. True I did need to pass Pre-Calc if I wanted a car, but I think saving myself from infestation took higher priority. But freedom was not to be as one of my teachers saw me heading for the exit and intercepted me.

"And where do you think you're going?" she asked as she got in between freedom and me. "School's just starting."

"I forgot something in my car. I was just gonna run out and get it," I lied easily.

"Well then you're just going to have to do without," she said and then indicated that I should just turn around and get right on to my first class. Obligingly, I turned around and walked back the way I had come.

This was not good. Now turned around and heading again for my locker, I passed by "Marco" and gave him a do-something-already look, but even then I knew there was little he could do. "Marco" palmed his face in irritation and I walked on.

Getting to my locker finally, I went through the motions of getting out my books for class, but I was really just looking for a way to get out of there. Deciding to try one more time, I nonchalantly swung my backpack over my shoulder and walked back in the direction of the doors. Even before I approached I could see that another teacher had taken up a post right in front of the exit. I wouldn't be getting out that way so, pretending I was on my way to class, I walked on by. Time for plan B. The bathroom. I was pretty sure there was a window in there that I could squeeze through if I was determined enough.

And, getting to the bathroom, I ignored the sound of the first bell in order to focus on my escape. There was a window, but it was pretty far off the ground. Thank God I was so tall. There aren't many good things about being tall for a girl and this was one of the few.

Using all my strength, I pushed the window up as far as it would go—which wasn't far as the window got stuck when there was about a 2 1/2-foot gap between the frame and the window—and squeezed my backpack through the small space.

It was at this time that I heard my name over the loudspeaker.

"Could Rachel Berenson come to the Vice Principal's office? Rachel Berenson to the Vice Principal's office."

So they had obviously noticed my absence from class. Well if what "Marco" had said was true and Mr. Chapman was a Controller then there was no way I was going to his office. I turned back to my escape. My backpack was already on the other side of the window so I just set to pulling myself through the crack. This took some effort, but eventually I wiggled my way through and I grabbed up my backpack and quickly left the school premises, slipping through the gate and setting off down the street. I would need clothes and the essentials if I was going to disappear for a while and the only place to get those was at my house.

Bad idea.

I hadn't been at my house for more than fifteen minutes when the doorbell rang. Curious, I had gone down to see who it could be. Peeking out the window, I was somewhat surprised to see that there were two cops at the door. Wondering what they could want, I almost opened the door when something "Marco" had said flittered back into my mind.

"They could get the police to come after you. They probably just haven't done that yet because they think they can get you during school and you stupidly fell right into their trap."

Shit. They'd come to get me. Running back up the stairs I started to shove my things into my suitcase a little more quickly than before. I needed to get out of the house.

The doorbell rang again and I ran to the bathroom to collect my toothbrush and things. There was the sound of the cops shouting something through the door but I couldn't make out the words.

Another minute passed and there was a loud knock at the door, almost a pounding, as the cops were obviously getting a little impatient. They shouted something else through the door and, grabbing my shampoo, conditioner, and shaving things, I ran back to my room to shove these things in my suitcase. I was almost ready.

Another pounding at the door, the cops only getting more and more impatient and I hastily shut my suitcase, zipping it up and running with it down the stairs.

This time I could understand what they were shouting. "We are prepared to knock this door down if you do not open it in the next few seconds! One!"

Shit. Quickly ripping off a piece of paper from the little notebook by the phone, I started to quickly scribble down a note to my mom.

"Two!"

Almost done. Just a few more seconds.

"Three!" the cop shouted and then there was the sound of the door being kicked down. Mom was going to freak when she saw that. But I couldn't worry about that now. Finished with my note, I grabbed up my suitcase again and quickly escaped out the back door.

"Hey! There she goes!" The cops had obviously seen me. Not good.

Running for the little chain fence at the side of my house that led right back to the front of the house, I raced through this and down my street as fast as I could. Jumping over the bushes in the front yard of one of my neighbors' houses, I cut through the yard and raced around the corner, heading for the major street three blocks away. Once I was there I could cross the street and get lost in the foot traffic.

Finding myself around more people than before, I slowed slightly, but still speed-walked down the main street, turning the corner and trying to get myself completely lost before I could head for Tobias' house. I didn't want to lead the Controllers straight to the Andalite's main base. That would just be stupid.

"Hey! There she is!"

Things had been getting quieter, but, looking up at this cry, I spotted a cop farther up the street with his partner, pointing a finger in my direction. I immediately turned and ran the opposite way, just taking my suitcase and fleeing. I didn't like that I was having to run away—I would rather stay and fight—but I was smart enough to realize it would be better if I ran.

Dodging past the people on the sidewalk, almost running into a lady and her stroller, I raced down the street, turning the corner only to find myself in a mass of people all getting in my way.

"This way!" someone shouted and I saw one of the men in the crowd pointing me out.

Pushing my way through, not caring how rude I was being or who I hit with my suitcase and making it an especial point to knock into the guy pointing me out, I eventually got all the way through and started to run again. Taking the nest left and then a right, eventually the sound of my pursuers quieted and I was alone again. That same crowd that had slowed me down had probably hindered them some.

In the distance there was the sound of police sirens, but I resolutely turned in the opposite direction and walked away from those.

Things calmed down even further the farther away I got. Nobody was following me, but I knew that the cops might have already called in their buddies to look for me so I tried to stay in the crowds. I made my way down to the business district where there were a lot of people and got lost in the crowds at the mall.

I still stuck out though, what with my suitcase in my hand. I tried to think of a way around that, but eventually decided I would just have to deal. I was not starting my life on the run without my things.

Eventually I decided that I had lost the cops and it was safe to head for the meadow, where Tobias had said the house was.

Finding my way to the right address, I looked at the small one-story house and tried to fit that image in with the knowledge that this was the main base for a small team of alien guerrilla fighters. It just didn't seem to mesh well with the peaceful and cozy little house that it seemed to be. But oh well. I wasn't the person to judge.

Gathering together my courage and my sense of rightfulness, I went right up to the door and knocked.

Dressed in casual jeans and a t-shirt, a human man of about 35 answered the door, his dirty blonde hair falling across his forehead. "Yes?" he said.

"Yeah, hi," I said impatiently. "Is Tobias home?"

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TBC