A/N: Hi, sorry about the huge delay, I've just finished a super long holiday and haven't got the time to write anything. This was written a while ago, and the next chapter still needs some touching up, so apologies that the wait for the next chapter would be a week or so too. RL is quite a pain, heh. Meanwhile, enjoy!

CHAPTER TEN

::Marco::

I flew overhead as Ax made his way down the little suburban neighbourhood that Jake, Rachel and I live in. Apparently, Tobias as well, since he actually had a home in this reality. Our hood's just a little way out from Cassie's barn, but I get lazy most of the time so I fly over.

It's been a long time since we hung around this neighbourhood though. Especially me. I didn't have a home anymore.

But no, somebody has to play some stupid game and send me back into the life that – I didn't exactly want back. Sure, I get a house, a nice bed with a duvet and all. But I only had one parent, and from what Jake had related, not a parent I wanted.

Thanks a lot, whoever's out there.

Anyway, I was following Ax because Tobias sounded worried. Okay no, actually I was worried too. How could anyone not be? Here was an Andalite who was stuck as a human, and was living in a human house with another human who didn't know of his alien background in it. How's that for complication?

...that still doesn't sound like me, does it? Oh forget it. No, you see, the weird thing is that I can actually remember what it is like to laugh, to see the problems of the world as bright, happy jokes. What was the use of looking at it through dull eyes and living in fear and sadness all the time? But now it was as if the curtain of happiness had been torn down, and I was forced to see what reality was like no matter how much I tried to snatch the curtain back.

It's not as if I never knew what reality was like. I just chose to see it differently.

Now I couldn't get those particular shades back.

Ax was now preparing to enter one of the nicer houses in the neighbourhood. It had a Stepford Wives-kinda lawn, perfectly trimmed and bright green, and a colonial feel to the architecture. He reached out for the doorknob, a little awkwardly, and turned it. The door opened easily.

Ax-man, you had better be right about this... I tuck my wings in and spilled downwards, landing on the window sill of the living room. With my sharp osprey eyes that saw through reflective surfaces, I saw that Ax had made his way up the stairs. There was a rather high-pitched voice that came through.

"Oh, Phillip dear! Are you back? I've made some apple pie!"

Uh-oh. Did she say apple pie?

Ax stopped halfway on the staircase. I swear I saw his eyes brightened. "App-apple pie? Is there cinnamon? Cinnamonnn?"

"Yes dear, I added cinnamon powder, it smells great!" The lady exclaimed, bringing out a tray of hot, piping apple pie. Man, that made me hungry too. There was this strange tussle in me, like osprey-Marco was trying to stop human-Marco from bursting out and leaping at the apple pie. Why was I so hungry?

But oh, I suppose I couldn't beat Ax. He had practically raced down the stairs and to the dining area, salivating at the sight (and possibly smell) of the pie.

Oh boy.

"Cinnnnn-amonnnn!" Ax declared in wonder.

"I didn't know you liked cinnamon that much, Phillip," said the lady, shaking her head in exasperation. "Look at you, eating like a five-year-old!"

"I apologise," said Ax, with no hint of apology in his voice, as he took a napkin from the table. That boy was definitely getting into the human act better than we were giving him credit for.

Fine, he looked like he was settling in. Now I had my own problems to deal with.

I spread my wings and took off into the sky. The image of the lady serving Ax with apple pie reminded me too much of my mom. And guess what? She's probably still Visser One in this era, 'cos my dad is moping. I didn't like the idea that my mom was still under the control of that slimy, ruthless Edriss, or that my dad was back to his old, despondent self. And I didn't like to know that I had to deal with it all over again. Not when I had watched my dad and mum embark on a spectacular run-and-hug sequence in the mountains. (There's a classic movie that did this right? Shit, what was it?) Not when I had actually found my happiness in the midst of chaos, compared to everyone else.

Okay, shut up, Marco. Just shut up and think about where you are now.

The plan in my head was nowhere near crystal clear, but it was a start. There must have been a reason why this insane reality warp thing happened, and it had to be a big reason that involved the Yeerks. So step one was to do reconnaissance. Whatever else, like how Jake seemed to be totally out of this whole thing, and how Tobias and Ax weren't their usual selves (well, Tobias being hawk has become kinda usual), could wait.

I spotted my house after a minute or so, and headed straight for my room window. There was a slight problem though. The window was closed.

Right. I fluttered into my backyard and duck in the shadows of the roof, praying hard nobody would see me transform from an osprey into a boy.

Once I had finished demorphing, I walked up and rapped on the door.

My dad opened it. With that same, haggard look that I had thought would never come back to haunt his face.

"Marco?" He frowned. "Where's your schoolbag?"

Oh brilliant. Come on, Marco. You could crap your way out of this.

"I dropped it in a puddle in school. Sent it for drycleaning. My books are in the locker."

There. Effortless. Did he buy it?

My dad nodded and let me go in. I heaved a sigh of relief as I headed for the kitchen. I was really hungry.

"Dad?" I stared at the empty fridge. "You didn't stock up?"

"Thought we agreed on pizza tonight."

"But I'm starving now!"

"Then go and buy something!" He sounded annoyed as he flipped channels.

I slammed the fridge door. "Dad, you're not going to lie on that couch all your life, are you?"

"You have a problem with that?" His tone had taken a dangerous hint. I had challenged him a few times back in those days, and he had been pretty expressive about his feelings. I mean, like with colourful words.

I threw my hands up. "No."

"Good. Now since you don't have homework, how 'bout you get down to the store and buy yourself something to eat, and get me a couple of drinks as well?"

His voice had softened into a request.

I wanted to be the one who was expressive about his feelings right now. I wanted to grab him by the shoulders, shake him till his teeth rattled, scream that Mom was not dead, she was being enslaved by the head of an alien empire that his son was kicking butt on. The same old story that had been churning in my mind everyday when I saw him this way. I wanted him to tell me that this was all a dream, that he was alright and happy with Mom in the valley of the Hork-Bajir, and that none of this was happening again.

And I wanted to shake myself out of this shit.

"Okay, Dad."