And now back to our regularly scheduled program...with a soon to be double update!

The usual copyright BS. I don't own Animorphs and I ain't makin any money off this.

~The Last Ronin~

The sun slowly sets over the ocean, it's fading light setting the water ablaze with color. In the distance a pod of dolphins play in the waves. An occasional seagull caws overhead but, as this beach is isolated and surprisingly free of garbage, they aren't interested in staying.

Rachel leans lightly against my side, one hand entwined in mine, the other absently doodling in the sand. The expression on her face is so comical that I can barely keep from laughing. It's not funny, really; she's trying to remember.

We've come here several times in the last couple of days. The first time was because, during another lifetime, this was a favorite place of ours: a sanctuary where we could escape from the war. But all she remembers is that this place was important someway. I'm not sure why exactly she's fixated on this place, though I have a pretty good guess. It's hardly the only place we used to spend time together, but it's the one that, in my mind at least, is the most important.

"It's getting dark. Ready to call it a day?" I ask.

"Five more minutes mom," she grumbles and I can't help but laugh.

"What?" she looks at me and I can see her replaying what she had just said, "Oh." A smile pulls at her mouth and soon she too is laughing.

"Come on," I stand and pull her to her feet.

"I'm sorry," she murmurs and hugs me, "I can't remember what happened here."

"Don't worry about it," I hug her back, "like I said, if it happens it happens. If not, I'm still happy you're alive."

"No," she shakes her head, "there's something here that's important...I can feel it...I have to remember."

"Want a hint?"

"Yes. No." she shakes her head again, "No. I want to know but I need to remember."

"Ok," I begin to demorph while she morphs her bald eagle.

[That's so creepy to watch,] I can hear her shudder.

[You should see insects. I still dunno what's worse: fly or cockroach.] I shudder myself.

[Wait a minute. I can turn into a cockroach?] she asks, unmasked horror in her voice.

[They were useful. Go anywhere, impossible to kill, decent senses for bugs.]

[And I think I'm going to be sick.]

[Yeah that pretty much describes morphing insects.]

[Fantastic, insects. Some superheroes we were,] she grumbles, [how did we all not die of embarrassment?]

[We Animorphs lived a glorious life,] I laugh, [birds by day, cockroaches by night, mall-rats on the weeken...]

Wait a second. How could I have been so stupid? If there's one place she'll be sure to both enjoy and remember it's the mall.

[Hey, Tobias!] Rachel yells, watching me from my right, [Wake up Tobias!]

I blink and realize we'd just flown over the barn. A quick adjustment, however, and we zoom inside a minute later. Rachel is demorphing before her talons even hit the ground and I quickly begin to morph myself. Hawk is great but right now I need hands.

"Are you okay?" she asks once her mouth is back in working order, "You spaced out for a few minutes there."

Rather than answer I begin poking around the floor by one of the stalls...where is that loose...my foot goes through one of the boards. Found it. I push aside rotten wood and pull out a small plastic card and a crumpled piece of paper.

"Here we go," I hand Rachel the card and she gives me a puzzled expression.

"A credit card...an old credit card?" she looks at it closer, "In your name?"

"Debit actually...it's tied to a checking account," I explain when she gives me another puzzled look, "I think. Supposedly there's money in it."

"How much?"

I look down at the piece of paper, Rachel reading over my shoulder. There's two numbers: a four digit PIN and a dollar amount.

"Whoa...that's a lot of zeros," she whistles and then laughs, "so who did you steal this from?"

"Cassie told me about it a few years ago...I think," I shrug, "said it was in case I needed anything. I'm a hawk though, what do I need money for?"

"Oh so you've been holding out on me," Rachel laughs again, a grin on her face, "I didn't take you for the type to have a sugar momma."

"What? No! I only really knew her through you."

"Ah, so that's how it is then. After I died this broad decided to move in on my bird," she says, her voice full of mock anger as she slips a hand into mine.

I stare at her for a minute and then laugh.

"You know I don't know whether to be flatter or insulted by that comment," I shake my head.

"Flattered, definitely," she laughs again and drops down onto a pile of hay, "so what are you going to do with your new-found wealth?"

"I thought you might like to get back into your favorite hobby," I'm probably going to regret this in some way but if it helps her...

"And what would that be?" she looks at me, obviously curious.

"Shopping."

Her eyes light up.

x-x-x-x-x

"I remember this!" Rachel laughs as she drags me into another store.

I'm already carrying half a dozen bags for her but she attacks a rack of clothing as if she's just getting started...which she probably is. I'd remembered that she loved shopping. I had forgotten exactly how much she loved it. I just hope she keeps in mind that we have to carry all of this back with us.

No, she probably won't.

Six or seven stores later and I have to excuse myself to find a bathroom in which to demorph and remorph.

Good for another two hours, I quickly make my way back to where I left her, thankful that the mall isn't that crowded today. My years away from humans haven't exactly made me more comfortable around them.

Rachel is sitting on a bench, her purchases piled around her like spoils of war. She has an odd expression on her face as she takes a sip from a drink of some sort and stares at one of the bags.

"Having fun?" I ask as I sit down next to her.

She jumps and nearly chokes on her drink.

"Tobias!" she says once she's regained her breath. Immediately her face turns bright red and she looks away, her eyes drifting back to the bag she'd been looking at.

I glance at the label. Victoria's Secret. Ah...I'd left her alone for that one. Maybe if she remembered more already I'd have gone in with her. Now though I think it just would have been awkward.

Seeing where I'm looking she quickly stuffs the bag into another.

"Are you okay?" I ask as I realize her face has gotten even redder. Surely she's not embarrassed that I know she went underwear shopping? Maybe she's feeling sick?

"No, no I'm fine," she mumbles and pushes my hand away before I can feel her forehead, "I just..."

She watches me out of the corner of her eye, her face still red as an apple. What is going on? I can tell she wants me to say something but I'm a pigeon if I know what it is.

"Rachel, what's wrong?" I take one of her hands and she flinches. Now she's starting to scare me.

"Nothings wrong," she says quietly, dropping her head so her hair hides her face, "I just..."

Gently I push her hair back and then turn her face so she's looking at me. She doesn't resist but I can see she's nervous.

"Please, you're scaring me," I lower my voice, "what's the matter?"

"Nothing's the matter," she sighs, "I just...I remembered what was so important about the beach."

"That's great!" it takes me a moment to process why this has upset her so. Then it hits me, "Oh..."

"I thought that maybe we had our first kiss there," she mumbles, "but you...and then I...and we..."

I place a finger against her lips to stop her. She doesn't have to explain. I get it...oh how I get it. What happened that night was one of the reasons losing her had been so painful.

"Did anyone else know?"

"No," I shake my head, "we were going to wait till after the war was over to tell everyone."

Tears sparkle in her eyes and she quickly wipes them away. Still, she looks like she's about to breakdown at any moment.

"That night, did you mean what you said?" she asks once she collects herself.

"Yes I did Rachel," I hold her eyes with my own and squeeze her hand, "I meant every word."