A/N - Okay, here ya go. I've started rewriting pieces of it a little at a time but all out of order and I'm not sure how much I'm going to rewrite so here's two more chapters of the original. I don't really like my writing style from back then, but . . .

Chapter 6 – ANNIE

I glanced up as Marco came in and Tobias took Ax's place outside. "Hey," I said dully, bored out of my mind.

"Hey," he replied. "Erek told me to give this to you; he thought you might want something to do." He put down the book he'd brought, probably taken off of my bookshelf, and crouched down to untie me.

"You're letting me go?" I asked, bewildered.

"Nah. Just untying you so you can read."

"Well... um, thanks. I think."

"No problem. But don't even think about trying to escape." But the threat seemed sort of halfhearted, like a badly delivered line by an inexperienced actor.

"I won't," I promised quickly, stretching my stiff fingers as I reached for the book. I glanced at the cover. Long, and one of my favorites. Perfect. I opened it up and began to read.

I was half-aware of Marco's intense gaze on me; it made me a little uncomfortable. It's just because he doesn't want me to escape, I thought, delving deeper into the world of the written word.

I woke with a start. My feet were tied, although my hands were free. Rachel was sitting on the other side of the shack, reading. I assumed one of the others was outside. My finger was still holding my place in my own book; I must have fallen asleep reading it. I yawned and sat up. Just half a day and I'd be free. I opened the book and began reading again, but slowly, wanting to make sure what I had left would last me until then.

I hardly noticed when Jake came in to replace Rachel, or when Cassie relieved him a few hours later. I glanced up, barely registering the fact that she seemed much more relaxed, probably because there was only an hour or so before it had been three days since we met, and if I'd been a Controller the Yeerk would have been almost (or completely) dead by now. But I knew they'd keep me here till the very last minute, just to be on the safe side. They couldn't take any chances, and I respected that.

"So, why haven't we seen you at school before?" Cassie asked conversationally, and I closed my book, glad of the distraction. Don't get me wrong, I loved books, but reading for hours on end was just not my thing.

"I go to the private school," I explained. "It's on the other side of town from the public school."

"Oh."

She didn't seem to have anything more to say, so after a minute of silence I went back to my book.

Chapter 7

They kept me for an extra half hour. Just in case.

Then they took me to Cassie's barn. After we'd made sure her dad wasn't there, we all waited several yards away with our eyes firmly shut while she went to get the blue box from wherever she'd hidden it. The less people who knew where it was, the better. Just in case.

She came back out with a small green bag slung over her shoulder. We all followed her into the woods, Tobias flying overhead. Need I say it? Just in case.

Finally we stopped. She unzipped the bag and pulled out the blue box that was one of the worst weapons the Yeerks could have.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked. "You know what kind of life this is."

"Positive."

She held the blue box out to me and, knowing what I had to do, I placed my hand on one side of the cube and closed my eyes. A tingling feeling spread through me. When it had stopped, I opened my eyes and removed my hand. Cassie slipped the box back into her bag.

"Now, what should your first morph be?"

"Something simple," I suggested tentatively. "Something with instincts that are easy to control."

May I suggest something? Ax asked, trotting up to us in his normal Andalite form.

Jake nodded. "Go ahead."

Having Andalite morphs is useful to you. Therefore she will need one anyway, and I believe the instincts are not particularly strong.

"That's a good idea, Ax," Cassie said. "Go ahead, Annie."

Hesitantly, I reached out and touched Ax's shoulder. I focused, hoping I was doing it right. I must have, because his eyes - all four of them - kind of glazed over as he entered the acquiring trance.

Cassie nodded to me and I dropped my hand. "Now try morphing him," she suggested.

I closed my eyes, then opened them again. "What about my clothes? I don't have a morphing outfit or anything."

"I've got one for you," Rachel said, producing a leotard from who-knew-where. It was a bright, shocking pink. Wonderful. "The boys will turn around while you change."

"Okay," I said, slightly uncomfortable at the thought. I'd always needed to change behind firmly closed doors; it was just how I'd been brought up, I guess. I took the leotard and made sure all the boys, including Ax, had turned around and shut their eyes tightly before stripping off my clothes and pulling the morphing outfit on as quickly as possible. Then I closed my eyes and began the morph.

I'd read about them morphing dozens, probably hundreds, of times. They said it was gross, they said it was illogical. But reading about something like that just isn't the same as experiencing it for yourself.

My mouth was first to go. My lips melted together, my throat closed off, my teeth and tongue simply disappeared.

Ah! I yelled in thought-speak. The changes stopped.

"Just focus," Cassie said gently. "Focus on Ax. Ignore the changes."

I took a deep breath through my nose, which had already started to flatten when I'd stopped the morph. My heart was pounding as I began morphing again. Then, without warning, the sound intensified, doubled, tripled. I had three hearts. I heard the sloshing noises as the rest of my internal organs rearranged themselves, the creaking as my spine elongated. I felt like I was going to be sick, only I no longer had a mouth to be sick with. Two fully formed Andalite legs grew from the hindquarters I hadn't noticed; the muscular tail with a deadly blade on the end extended beyond that. My face narrowed; my fingers melted together and split apart again so I now had seven on each hand. My skin became slightly furry and turned blue, with a few patches of tan. My feet shifted into hooves. Finally, two stalk eyes sprang from the top of my head. The morph was complete.

I could feel the Andalite's instincts, but they were calm, and it only took me a second to get them under control.

"Annie?" Cassie asked carefully. "Can you hear me?"

Yes, I said.

"Annie?" Jake asked again, and I realized I must have directed the thought-speak only to Cassie by accident.

Sorry, I said, careful to include everyone this time. I used private thought-speak. After a second I added, This is so weird!

"You get used to it," Marco said grimly.

I flicked my borrowed tail experimentally, nearly spearing him with the blade. I flinched. Oops, sorry. I guess it takes practice.

"You should morph back now," Jake said.

I closed my eyes and began reversing the changes, trying not to pay attention to the noises. Three minutes later, I was myself again, albeit in a bright pink leotard. I quickly pulled my normal clothes on over it and sighed in relief at having my own body back.

"Okay," Cassie said. "Let's get you some morphs."