Things Change
"What are you doing here?" Jake asked, staring at the Elimist in shock. Tobias' grip around Rachel's shoulder tightened as the holographic figure continued to look at the group gathered.
"He asked you a question," Tobias spat.
"Easy," Rachel whispered.
"I am sorry to just drop in like this," the Elimist apologized.
"Didn't you say you wouldn't come bother us after the last time?" Jake asked.
"Things change," he answered.
"Like what?" Marco asked.
"Rachel's current situation for one," the Elimist answered. Rachel just shot him a dark look.
"If you're here to whisk off to some bogus existence, forget it," Tobias shot.
"I make my offer one last time. If you wish to take you families, we can take you away from all of this," he reiterated.
"What's the future look like?" Cassie asked tentatively.
"I mean…have we changed it at all?" she added.
"If you wish to see your future, I will show you," he answered. They all exchanged looks and then nodded. Rachel's room melted away and they appeared in what looked like a dump.
"Where are we?" Rachel asked.
"It looks the same place we were last time," Jake answered.
"Looks the same as it did before too," Marco added.
"As I warned you before, this fight will not end in the immediate future," the Elimist stated.
"Is that a Kandrona?" Tobias asked, pointing at the large sun-like beam shining into a nearby Yeerk pool. What the hell was the Elimist pulling? This was the same future they'd seen before; which meant that Rachel would be a Controller.
"I don't see any free humans," Cassie murmured.
"Oh really, I see six," a cold voice replied. They all turned to see Visser Three standing there, looking smug. Tobias grabbed Rachel by the elbow, putting himself between the Yeerk and his girlfriend.
"You won't last long," he snickered.
"Yeah? Whys' that?" Jake shot back.
"We have conquered your planet. You have no choice but to surrender," Visser Three sneered. The Animorphs exchanged nervous looks. This didn't feel right, at all. Jake noticed that Ax was sweating a lot. He'd never seen the Andalite react like that before. He was so busy trying to calm Ax down that he didn't see the person walk up to Visser Three, wrapping an arm around his waist. Of course with Tobias around, Jake didn't even need to look.
"You sick freak. I knew I shouldn't have let you live," Tobias ground out. That caught Jake's attention. He turned to see a pretty blond clinging onto to Visser Three.
"Rachel?" he asked and she nodded. Present Rachel gawked at her future self. How had she become a Controller….again? Tobias had saved her. She could feel Tobias' grip on her arm tighten until it hurt.
"You really thought you could change everything did you?" future Rachel chuckled. None of them responded. She fixed her gaze on her pregnant self and took the two or three steps to close the gap.
"Aren't you curious?" she asked.
"About what?" present Rachel snapped.
"Well…where you're little baby is," she answered.
"I swear if you hurt my child I will personally make sure your death is long and painful," Tobias seethed.
"You'd kill your own girlfriend?" future Rachel asked, trying not to laugh.
"You're not my girlfriend. You're a Yeerk infested tramp," he snapped. Present Rachel wasn't sure what to think.
"That hurts, Tobias," future Rachel sniffled, faking tears.
"So where is the baby?" present Rachel asked.
"I got tired of her…babies are so messy and all," she said with a shrug. Tobias lost his, he pulled the gun from his back pocket and held it straight to future Rachel's forehead.
"Tobias, don't," Cassie begged.
"Listen to me. That's not me, ok. I promise," present Rachel said, grabbing his wrist and lowering the firearm.
"You can think that all you want but you can't fight what is bound to happen," future Rachel sneered.
"Things change," present Rachel retorted and suddenly they were back in her room. Rachel looked down to see Tobias still gripping the gun.
"Give me that before you hurt yourself," she muttered, pulling it from his fingers.
"You wouldn't really…." Tobias began.
"No…of course not," she whispered back, hissing him gently on the lips.
"You took us to show us that Rachel is not only a Controller but a murderer?" Jake hissed at the Elimist.
"I don't think you really know what's been going on here. See…Tobias has been having a little bit of problem lately…and that didn't help," Rachel added.
"I am sorry it was not what you wanted to see. But as you stated, things do change," he said. Before anyone could say another word, the Elimist disappeared.
"I really hate that guy. I swear all he wants to do is make our lives miserable," Tobias spat.
"We're going to change that, Tobias. I promise we are," Rachel reiterated, pulling him closer to her.
"Not to cut this short of anything but….shouldn't we go tell Rachel's family what we can to be help her say?" Cassie interjected. Rachel bit her lip.
"Yeah…you're right," she sighed. All she really wanted was to just be with Tobias and assure him that she wasn't going to become that horrible person they saw. Together they all trudged downstairs.
"Mom, Sarah, where are you?" Rachel called.
"In the kitchen, honey," Rachel's mom answered. The cluster moved in that direction.
"What's going on?" she asked, seeing Rachel flanked by her friends.
"Well…there's something I need to tell you," Rachel stated.
"Does it involve all of your friends?" she questioned.
"We're here for moral support," Cassie explained. Rachel's mom raised an eyebrow at her daughter's best friend.
"Mom…I'm pregnant," she said. It came out sounding so confident and unafraid. She hadn't expected that to happen.
"You're what?" her mom rasped.
"I know…it's a little crazy but I was scared and I didn't know how to tell you," Rachel babbled.
"How…how long?" her mom breathed. Rachel bit her lip.
'Five months," she admitted. Jake bolted forward, catching his aunt before she fell to the floor.
"I know I should have told you but…Jake and Marco and Cassie have been really helping me cope," Rachel said nervously.
"And the father?" her mom finally managed to get out.
"That would be me," Tobias answered, squeezing Rachel's hand.
"I don't even know this boy, Rachel," her mother scolded.
"You don't have to know all of my friends, Mom. And besides, Tobias is a great guy, the best honestly," Rachel murmured.
"I will do anything to support and protect Rachel and our baby. And I mean anything," he said, a strange glint reflecting in his eye.