Here we go, the chapter you all have been waiting for. All four of you. (Just kidding).
The meeting of Stephanie Gimble.
Yes, I know that's a silly last name.
*******************************************************************************************
August 17, 1999 10:18 AM
I walked through the bushes. Hunting the strange-smelling animal. Suddenly a more familiar scent caught my attention. Although the bear was indecisive, the human knew that the strange-smelling creature would be near this creature with the familiar scent. There were other creatures here. One creature with no scent. I walk through the bushes and I hear sounds. The human understood these sounds.
"Ok, Erek's here, Rachel, Cassie, Tobias, Ax, Marco . . . where's David?" Jake said.
"Hrrroooooooar!!"
I jumped out of the woods. Aximili's eyes darted and his tail became cocked and ready to fly. Marco and Cassie jumped behind Jake who went into some fighting pose. Rachel also went into some hyped-up pose.
Tobias did nothing. I'm sure he saw me coming.
Gotcha.
"David! Jesus Fucking Christ!" Rachel said.
"What the fuck are doing? You scared the shit out of us." Marco said.
Really? Blue?
I am as shit-less as the rest of them, David. Aximili said.
Look on the bright side. I said. You'll never get hiccups again.
"Very funny, David! Tobias, didn't you see this coming?" Jake said.
Yeah, but I knew it was David. He's been testing out this new morph by tracking Ax.
Looks like you finally caught me. Aximili said.
Wasn't easy. The Bear's nose is very oriented toward a certain scent. I said.
"Fish?" Cassie pondered.
Heh-heh. Not exactly. I said, resisting an awful joke. Blood. I couldn't pick out Aximili's scent if he had peed on tree five minutes before hand. However, Rachel's menstruation led me here like a Patriot Missile.
Rachel got another one of her flabbergasted/embarrassed/homicidal looks on her face. I had that effect on her. She was already pissed at me for scaring the shit out of her. Cassie stifled a horrified laugh. Marco stifled a less-than-horrified laugh. Jake clutched his head in exasperation. Aximili was clueless. Tobias gave no expression, but did offer this advice:
Run fast. Run far.
She's liable draw every fucking bear in Northern New Jersey, you know.
"What kind of bear is that?" Cassie said trying to change the subject and keep Rachel from killing me. "A Grizzly, like Rachel's?"
No. A Kodiak. Larger than Rachel's. Largest bear on the planet.
"I thought polar bears were the largest bears." Marco said.
"No, polar bears are the largest land predators on the planet." Cassie corrected. "A Kodiak, like a grizzly, is not a true predator. They prefer nuts and berries and maybe a fish sometime."
"David, Ax. Next time you guys are playing hide and seek, warn us first." Jake said.
Yes, Prince Jake.
Whatever you say, Obi-wan. I said as I demorphed.
"Ok, back to business, Erek? Do you have any news for us?" Jake asked.
"You were correct. Visser Three is wasting precious time searching for the Pemalite Ship. Unfortunately this means we'll have to be moving it every now and then, but it's something we can handle." Erek reported. "In other news, we are currently investigating a few front organizations of the yeerks. They're buying something, and we're trying to find out what it is. The Eastern Yeerk Pool complex now extends as far south as Northern Georgia and as far west as the Mississippi River."
Northern Georgia. Stephanie lives in southeast Georgia. On the coast.
"There are rumors that the Yeerks are planning on conjoining the two major Yeerk pool complexes on this continent." Erek continued. "It would be wise, since the Yeerk concentration in this country far exceeds that of any other country. It's no secret that the United States is first priority in the Yeerk Conquest. There have been increased reports of strange disappearances of Hork-Bajir Controllers. Toby's handiwork?"
No doubt. Tobias said.
"Well, she's starting to branch out. Several of these raids are not limited to the New Jersey state lines. Toby has gone as far as upstate New York, Philadelphia, and has even crossed the Mason-Dixon Line into Maryland and Delaware. The Yeerks are losing Hork-Bajir at an impressive rate. The Visser isn't pleased."
"Is it safe for Toby to be going that far away from the colony?" Cassie asked.
"Yeah, why would she want to? California is actually one of the few nice-looking towns in this state. It's because of the name." Marco said.
"There are also rumors of a Yeerk rebellion, but I don't see much truth in that. I guess that's it."
"Anything we need to be worried about?" Jake asked.
"Not really." said Erek. "Nothing that would demand your special talents and operations. We'll keep you posted."
"Thank you, Erek." Jake said. The android left us.
"Are we done here?" I asked.
"Yeah, we're done." Jake said exasperated. I'm sure sometimes he thinks I'm not dedicated to the cause.
I guess sometimes that's true. Sometimes I have other things on my mind.
I had lost my patience. I could not wait till after the war. I needed to see her.
Ever since I encountered that wrinkly, smarmy, dinosaur-thing called the Drode, I've been wanting to escape. He said I would never see Stephanie again. Well, I was going to prove him wrong.
I entered my half of the Scoop.
"Hello, David." said the feminine voice from my computer.
"Hello, Ayla." I answered back as I threw myself down on my bed.
"Rough day?"
"They're monotonous, you know that?" I said. "It's like a month and a half of boredom followed by six hours of pure terror."
"Yes, I know. I've read your accounts of the past five months. You seem very unhappy, David. Looking through your family's medical history, I predict a 75% possibility you could have clinical depression. Have you spoken to a physician and/or psychiatrist lately?"
I hate it when she does that. "Ayla, you've been activated for two months now, and already you're like the little sister I never . . . . ."
"'Had'?" she supplied.
"I think 'wanted' was the word I was looking for."
"I am what you made me, Daddy."
"If I'm your daddy, who'd be your mommy?"
"Analogously speaking, Klika Rowach-468. Why did Mommy call you 'Sweet Tentacles'?" Ayla asked teasingly.
"How would you like to be disconnected?"
"Now, now, now. Let's not be hasty, David. I have found some information that you may like."
I waited a beat for her to say something. For some reason she didn't. "Go on."
"As you know, using the Dayang encryption technology left in my programming by mistake, I'm able to pass through any computer on Terra Firma without a human, yeerk, andalite, or chee ever having a clue."
"Thank you, Mommy. Get on with it, Ayla."
"It seems that Dr. Geoffrey Gimble and wife Felicia Gimble, will be in Atlanta at a conference, leaving their only daughter, a Ms. Stephanie Gimble, alone at their Peach Haven address."
"How long will they be gone?"
"Six days." Ayla replied. "However, this conference is in association with Mrs. Gimble's law firm, Boyer & Batong. I have concluded with 98.5% probability that Boyer & Batong is a front organization for the Yeerks. A collection of Yeerk Lawyers. How distressing. 91% chance that Mrs. Gimble is a controller. 87% for Dr. Gimble."
I let it sink in. Stephanie's parents maybe controllers. "What are the odds that Stephanie is a controller?" I asked.
"22%."
That made me feel better. Higher than I would have wanted, but it was still low.
"When do her parents leave?"
"They are scheduled to leave in nine hours."
"If I go the route we planned, including morphs and demorphs, how long should it take me to get to Peach Haven?"
"Eleven hours. Three minutes."
"That precise, huh?"
"Would you expect anything less of me?" Ayla said.
"One more thing, is there a chance that any of our 'friends' might find me there?"
"There are no chee in Peach Haven, but there is a family of three in the neighboring town of Golden Fields. Remember, every controller on the planet is looking for you. If you are spotted, the news will spread quick. Even if you are not identified as David Hunting, the news of an Andalite Bandit outside of New England will attract much Yeerk attention. The Chee and by extension the Animorphs, will find you as well."
"So I should keep it on the down low?"
"That would be wise. Oh, my kingdom for a body. When can I go on road trips, David?"
"When you grow up."
"If you weren't my father . . ." Ayla growled at me.
I left a note for Aximili that I would be gone for a week. What they will make of it, I don't know. Frankly, I don't care. This is something I have to do.
Eleven hours later, nine o'clock PM, I had made my way to Peach Haven, Georgia. It had been a relatively boring trip, but I survived. It was an odd feeling. I have never returned to a town in which I used to live. To travel so far and be at a place you recognize. I flew behind a dumpster in an alley to demorph.. I recognized the alley. This was the alley behind that Club Lick. A regular hang-out for punks, morons, and . . . .
"Holy Shit!" A voice said. A familiar voice.
"Shit." I said as I turned around. Sure enough, I had ran into an old friend. "Brett Taggart."
"Little Davie Hunting. Where the fuck are your shoes? What's with the t-shirt and sweat pants look? You homeless now?" He taunted.
"Not too far from the truth, Dick-less."
"Everyone says you moved away. Can't say I've missed you. Can't say Stephie's missed you neither. You should meet her new boyfriend. I think he's kind of a dick, but she sure jumped his bones pretty quick."
"Do you ever get tired of telling lies, Dick-less?" I said. Brett wasn't a controller. He would have made his move by now. I'm surprised the Neanderthal hasn't tried to beat me up yet anyway. He must be on a date. He wouldn't fight, if he were thought he was gonna get laid that night."
"If you don't watch it, you're gonna find yourself hurtin real bad!" He said he looked me in the face. His face was now parallel to mine. He used be taller. I guess I grew.
"Don't threaten me, boy. You have no idea with whom you're dealing with!"
Brett pushed me. I pushed back. My eyes and teeth changed. Brett was now looking at a David with serpentine eyes and dangerous fangs. The horror on his face I will treasure forever.
"Brett-Baby what's taking so long." said a female voice as she came into the alley. She was a small Asian girl, most likely Vietnamese. She had long dark hair. She wore leather pants and a ripped t-shirt. One of these biker chicks. Which is odd, since no one in Peach Haven owns a motorcycle. "David Hunting!" she said with some horror.
"You know this freak, Jennie?" Brett asked.
"No," I said as I removed all serpentine features, "but she knows of me. And that makes her an enemy."
Jennie ran. I quickly morphed to lion and chased her down. She spun around and aimed a Dracon Beam at me. I knocked it out of my paw and pounced her.
You won't be telling any of your brood about me today. I said as I knocked her out with my paw, claws sheathed. I turned around where I saw Brett running away for his life. I turned back around where I saw three guys dressed in odd leather attire looking at me funny. I snarled. They went back into the club. So much for down low.
I went back to the alley, demorphed and remorphed to eagle. I flew to the house I knew too well.
I landed under the peach tree. The same tree where Steph and I had our share of make-out sessions. I demorphed.
"Hisss!" said a voice.
I looked up. Tabitha. Tabitha is Stephanie's cat. Megadeth's mom. She would suit my purposes just fine. Tabitha knew me, so she proceeded to sniff my hands for food. I stroked her head and acquired her. I morphed her and went inside the house.
I had morphed Megadeth before. Tabitha was different. She was female, but that didn't make much difference. The main difference was the fact that Tabitha was older, and not as feisty as Megadeth.
I walked up the stairs and into Stephanie's room. She wasn't inside.
She's home, isn't she? That's when I heard the toilet flush and the faucet turn on in the bathroom adjacent to Steph's room. How glamorous. Stephanie came into her bedroom.
So long. Too long. Her beautiful 5'2 frame. Long, gorgeous hair. Beautiful green eyes. God, she was beautiful. How I missed her.
She didn't walk two feet without tripping on her backpack. Stephanie was always something of a klutz. She stumbled onto her bed and righted herself. She walked over to her vanity and sat down. She pulled something out of a drawer. It was a picture. A picture of me.
"Where are you, David?" She said.
I'm right here.
Stephanie turned around suddenly as if something were ready to attack her. When she saw the shifting mess that was her cat she stood up, tripped on her backpack again, stood back up, and went against the far wall.
When I had finished demorphing, I faced her.
"Hey, Babe." I said. 'Babe' was one of my names for her. She didn't particularly like it because it reminded her of Babe the Pig.
"D-D-D-D-David? Wha-wha-wha-what are you doing here? Why were you a cat?"
"It's a . . . .a long story." I said. "I guess the short version is: I'm in over my head in intergalactic shit."
"You never e-mailed." Steph said. "Why were you a cat?"
"They wouldn't let me."
"Who's they? Why were you a cat?"
"That's the part of the story. I guess what I'm trying to say is I had to see you, despite what they would say, because," I took Stephanie's trembling hands. "Because I love you." It was the first I had said that since the Megadeth Halloween Concert.
Stephanie's fixed look of shock melted into the smile I had missed for so long. "Ooooh, I love you too, David." She said. I kissed her. She kissed back. It was a movie cliche. And I loved it. We parted and she looked deep into my eyes and said: "Seriously, why were you a cat?"
It took a while. It took a while to explain everything. About the blue box. About Visser Three and the Yeerks. What happened to my parents. About my fateful meeting with the Animorphs. For some reason, I referred to them as the Andalites. I don't know why. I guess I did it out of courtesy for Jake. I don't think he would have appreciated me spilling my guts about us, every intimate detail. If Stephanie promised to come with me, then I would tell her the truth, but until then . . .
Ah, who cares about them? I was finally back with my Stephanie. I was in heaven. With Stephanie back in my arms, nothing mattered. She would be mine, forever. Jake. Cassie. Visser Three. Aximili. Tobias. None of those names meant anything. It was perfect happiness.
"So like do they have weird names and such, being aliens or whatever?" Stephanie asked.
"Oh, yeah." I lied. "Weird and just odd. My tongue is a knot. Thank God for Thought-speech, that way I don't have to say in the heat of the battle-'Prince Jerkafracklewhatzit!'"
"That's his name?" She asked.
"No, I'm exaggerating."
"Well, what's his name?"
I looked at her oddly. "Why do you want to know his name?"
She shrugged. "I'm just making conversation. Although, I would like to know the name of the person who's trying to get my boyfriend killed."
"Your boyfriend?"
"Of course, just because you moved away and then disappeared without a trace, doesn't mean we ever stopped being together."
"Well, it's just that I heard you got a new boyfriend."
"Who told you that?"
"Brett Taggart. I ran into earlier."
"Was Jennie Vo with him?" She asked.
"Some chick named Jennie was with him. She's one of them, you know."
"A York?"
"A Yeerk," I corrected, "but she won't be telling her friends about me anytime soon, she's taking a little nap right now, and her loving boyfriend ran away faster than Walt Flanagan's dog."
"What's that from, again?" Stephanie asked. "The Walt Flanagan thing."
"It's from the View Askew movies."
"The ones with Jay & Silent Bob?"
"Yeah. His big thing is that even though he's small, he's fast. He also has another distinctive feature, but I'll let that one go."
"Well, I'm not surprised Jennie is one of those Yeerk people. It would take a slug to love that creep." Stephanie said.
"That reminds me, I don't know how long I can stay. I might have to leave, soon."
"Why?" Stephanie asked, very worriedly.
"Well, Jennie may wake up soon. Sooner or later she and the Yeerks are gonna find me, and I don't want to get you a one-ticket down a steel pier."
"No, please don't leave me." She pleaded, grabbing my arm. "Please? Please? Please?"
"Stephanie, the Yeerks are a real threat." I said.
"I know, you told me you think my parents are controllers. Are you going to leave me in hands of the enemy? Especially, since they know you're here. Take me with you."
"No, Steph. Baby, you are a great number of things, but 'warrior' isn't one of them."
"David, I don't want to stay here, worrying myself sick over the fact that my parents may turn me into a Yeerk or that the man I love is dying five hundred miles away. David, don't ask me to, please."
"What do you want me to do? If you come with me, the Prince will make you fight!" by Prince, I meant Jake. "How can I protect you when that asshole will just shove into war."
"I can handle it, David."
"We don't have to fight." I realized. "We can run away together. Away from the Yeerks. Away from the Andalites."
Stephanie got a worried expression on her face. "Can we really live happily while Earth goes to hell?"
"I don't give a damn about Earth. I only care about us." I said, standing up. "We don't even have to be on Earth. I know some people in space. Some friends of mine. They could hook us up."
I just hope Klika won't writhe with jealousy.
"I don't want to leave Earth. I don't want to leave my family, even if they are controllers. And I know you David. You don't want to leave your family either."
She was right. I couldn't just leave them. "So what do we do?" I said sitting next to her on the bed again.
"I don't know." She said as she put her arms around me and placed her head on my shoulder.
I turned my head to look at her. She looked up to look at me. We looked into each other's eyes, and we kissed. Kissing led to a full make-out session. Then suddenly, the session evolved. Stephanie tried to take my shirt off.
I broke our kiss. She surprised me. "What are you doing?" I asked.
"I don't know. But you're a smart boy. I'm sure you can figure it out." She said, suggestively as she finished taking off my shirt. We resumed kissing and she had lain on top of me. My hands were on her waist. Stephanie than grabbed my hands and started inching them up her body.
This isn't like her. Stephanie is all about abstinence. At least, she was.
I broke our kiss again. "Steph, what's going on? What are you doing?"
She smiled with surprise. "Wow. Six months ago, this was everything you were trying to accomplish. There was a time I thought that you really didn't love me, you were just after my T & A."
"Stephanie, you know that wasn't true. At least not, entirely." I admitted. "I seem to remember a very long discussion six months ago on the subject, brought about when one of our under-the-peach-tree sessions went too far (granted, it was my fault). You, like the good Catholic girl you are, was very adamant in fact that you wanted to wait till marriage to have sex, and you said that the man you loved would understand and comply, and I did. Not happy about it, but I did."
During my little trip down the virginal memory lane, Stephanie had been unbuttoning her shirt. "In retrospect, fourteen is a tad too young to lose your virginity, and now that I think about it, fifteen maybe too young too, although you're still fourteen, I mean, at least until November 12." I was babbling, for reasons that are pretty obvious. I collected my wits. "What's with the 180?"
"David," Steph started as she held my hand, "When we were together, I knew it would be forever. Even when you moved away, I knew you would return to me after high school, and we'd be together forever. But then you disappeared. They said you died. They said they found your body on the beach of the Marriott resort in Newark. They said you had been trampled by a rhinoceros."
"Ha Ha Ha Ha." I laughed. "I was the rhinoceros."
"David, I was worried I would never see you again. And I regretted not loving you when I had the chance."
"You loved me." I replied idiotically.
"You know what I mean." Stephanie said. She looked straight into my eyes. "I love you, David Hunting. I always have. I always will. But if you don't want me I understand." She looked down and I lightly lifted her chin up to look at her.
Her eyes. I can't believe I lived so long without gazing into her eyes. I almost didn't notice when she unhooked her bra and let it fall.
I never stopped looking in her eyes. She looked to me pleading.
I kissed her.
I won't bother with the details. I couldn't give the experience justice. I mean, there are clinical descriptions I could give easily, but I lack the poetry to fully convey what happened in those short hours. I don't think anyone has the poetry.
It was better than morphing. Better than flying.
I was happy. For the first time in my life, I understood what was important. I understood the divine excellency of what I had, and I was happy. Truly happy.
Stephanie's naked body was laying across my chest. We were both in this half-conscious state of ecstacy.
"Take me with you." She said. "Please? Take me with you to the Andalites, and we will fight together. Please?"
God, if she had asked for the moon, I would have given it to her. If she had asked me to conquer the Andalite Home World, I would have. "There's something about these 'Andalites' you should know."
That's when I heard the trucks. Someone was banging hard on the door. I heard someone break in.
"Shit! It's them! Stephanie, get up! It's the Yeerks." I yelled.
Stephanie got up quickly. "Shit! No!" She said with an anger I wasn't expecting.
I shrugged it off to stress. I threw back the covers and quickly put on my boxers and sweats. "It's night, they can bring Hork-Bajir in here. We got to do something. Where's my shirt?"
She ran naked to her dresser. She opened up a drawer and began looking for something.
"Thanks." I joked. "But I don't think they'll fit me."
She pulled out a Dracon Beam and fired.
*********************************************************************************************
I would be amiss by not giving credit where credit's due. This chapter was inspired by Guardian's "Take These Broken Wings". I waited to give this cred at the end, because I didn't want to spoil the plot.