Author's note:

In real life, I was twelve when Space Cases aired in the beginning of 1996 on Nickelodeon. That wouldn't work in the context of this story, given that Emily's in ninth grade when she's first infested. It was easier, in the context of storyline and character development to make Emily an older fan of a "kid's show," than to have her seen it a few years earlier. She would have been one of the older viewers, but hardly the oldest.

I am also playing with the ending date of the war for this reason. This story takes place in the year 2001, making Emily 20 (like me, her birthday is near the end of the year) and her younger (favorite) sister eighteen.

I'm not changing the basic facts about the actors' physical attributes from the show. They're the same age in this fic they would be in 2001. This means that Emily is older than a couple (as opposed to younger by about a year and a half in real life) and younger than the rest.

As far as Animorphs goes in this universe, the war ended in VERY early 1999.

In the HIGHLY unlikely event I write a full version of this story, I might include a list of points where the universe the Animorphs wrote about before their disappearance (which in my universe doesn't happen-everyone lives) and this universe vary. For the time being? Just know that the year is 2001, and while there's been some developments to technology, things like VHS and Polaroid cameras are still very much the mainstream. After all, in real life, not everyone buys a flatscreen TV the moment they came out, or an iPhone, or the newest laptop.

Also, even though it's the summer in this piece, know that we're living in a world where 9/11 will not occur.

I find it necessary to add that any description that refers to the physical appearance of the actors and their works is as accurate as IMDB is-up to the point of departure from this AU, and what I have seen from other TV shows and fan collected pictures. I tried to limit writing about them as people as much as possible, as they're real people and not characters.

Minor note: As a native to Pennsylvania, I grew up referring to the generic soft drink whose brands include Coke, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, and so forth as "soda." However, Sarah's from the Midwest, and they call it "pop." Hence any and all language discrepancies.

Still ready? Good, onto the chapter...

It was a hot Saturday evening in the beginning of July. Sarah and I (and, of course, our Yeerks) stood in her homey living room, ready to watch an episode (or more) of my all-time favorite science fiction TV show, Space Cases. We had started watching it the previous Saturday, one or two episodes each night. Yesterday, Sarah had wanted to watch three, which would take us thru the end of the first season, but knowing what a monumental episode this was, I had asked her to wait until today, when we would bake dessert.

In addition to brownies, we'd made two bags of microwaved popcorn, which I now held in an enormous bowl. Sarah carried a tray with the warm brownies and cold drinks. At her nod, I placed the popcorn on the glass table in front of her comfortable, well-worn, yellow couch, and she did the same.

"Let's see." Sarah might have been wearing her pajamas at the moment, but she surveyed the room with the precision she studied her studio every morning at work. "Popcorn's popped, check. Brownies are hot but not too hot, check. We've got drinks ready. Pop for me, water with ice cubes for you." She gave a slight eye roll at my healthy choice of drink, but I genuinely disliked soda. "Do we need anything else? Or more snacks?"

"I think we're good," I decided, also glancing at the almost overflowing bowl of popcorn and the big plate of brownies filled with chocolate chips and m and m's. The aroma made my mouth water.

Sarah nodded, still looking around the room. "Tape's in the player. Anything else we should do or have, Em?"

I smiled. "I think we're all set, Sarah. Keep in mind that the finale isn't even a full half hour, since I didn't record the commercials. It's not like we're going to watch a full-length movie."

"But it's the season one finale," Sarah pointed out, now taking a seat on the couch, "and you've hinted that it ends rather more dramatically than the other episodes. And we still have the full second season to watch, so we could very well be here until the wee hours in the morning," she teased.

Good thing it's barely 8:00 on a Saturday night* Tarash piped up.

I'm not pulling an all-nighter, not even for Space Cases* I shot back, sending my Yeerk a mental grin.

To Sarah, I answered, with a grin, "I won't spoil the experience of watching the season one finale with spoilers." I took a seat next to her, sinking back into the plush cushions before carefully wrapped my bathrobe around my long nightgown, as I sat cross-legged, "But I will say it's an epic finale. You're lucky, though, because you don't have to wait months for the second season. Just until the third."

"Which they're working on right now?" Sarah asked, turning slightly to face me.

"Yeah. One of the perks to being the host of the founder of the Peace Movement," I quipped, which caused Tarash to laugh in appreciation.

"Oh? How's that?" Sarah wanted to know, leaning in as though I was letting her in on a big secret.

My grin widened. I was particularly proud of this accomplishment. "When Nickelodeon contacted us, wanting us to support their show ideas that presented Yeerks in a friendly light, we made the return of Space Cases for its intended seven year series a requirement for any endorsement. Tarash and I might have even hinted that we'd do the opposite if this didn't happen," I added, with a laugh. "To be fair, Space Cases ranked number two of all Nickelodeon shows for some time. I wasn't asking for the revival of a show without a fan base."

"Ah! And they could hardly say no, when they were competing with Disney and other networks doing the same," Sarah noted, also smiling as she helped herself some popcorn. "Who you and Tarash had already endorsed."

"Right." I grinned. "Nick knew they had to make it happen, then. Who else was going to endorse their idea from the Yeerk side? Nothing against Immas 376, but she only made it to sub-Visser, and it's only because of Tarash people know about her and Martha at all," I added.

*With great responsibility comes great power,* Tarash quipped, slyly.

Since I was used to the occasional twist of Earth quotes, I managed not to giggle out loud, but did give my Yeerk a combination of a mental grin and an eye roll.

"I guess it would be like going to the Vice President instead of the President," Sarah mused.

Tarash laughed. *Someday, maybe.*

I gave her another mental eye roll. Besides the fact that I had no desire to go into politics, how would it even work for there to be an elected official who had a Yeerk in their head? Not that I couldn't imagine it happening in the future-I rather hoped that it would be seen as a viable possibility-but me? No thanks.

"Pretty much." I glanced at the TV, then at Sarah. "You ready?"

She made the Star Trek "live long and prosper" signal, resulting in groans from me and my Yeerk.

I pressed play, and let myself get swept up in the familiar world of the show, and the memories surrounding it.

It aired in the beginning of 1996, when I was starting my second semester of ninth grade. I hadn't found high school to be that bad, although I was one of the few to prefer middle school. I'd always been a diligent student, but the idea of every grade counting towards my future made me feel like there was a large room of cold adults watching me through one of those two-way mirrors, taking notes, deciding my future.

Joining The Sharing had made me feel like I could get brownie points if my grades didn't end up being as high as they ought to be.

Space Cases aired on Saturday evenings on a network that, arguably, I had outgrown at least a few years ago. My younger sister, Becca, had just turned twelve, and I was still more interested in the shows aired on Nickelodeon than the adult soap operas watched by my older sister, Carol.

The show took place almost three hundred years in the future, well after Earth made contact (and alliances) with intelligent life from other planets. At a interplanetary school called "The Starcademy," five students from various planets learn that their practical field training had been canceled due to their low grades. Right after learning this, an alien spacecraft suddenly appears outside their school. They decide to check it out and meet the crew, only to discover that the only other creature on the ship is an android. By the time their teacher and vice principal board the ship and track them down, the ship has taken off. A series of unfortunate events, leading to their ship entering a legendary wormhole, results in them stuck nearly seven and a half years from their school. The series delved into their adventures as they try to make their way back home.

After the first episode, I was hooked. I had loved Astronomy for as long as I could remember, and a show about kids from other planets seemed too good to pass up. So, every Saturday night, Becca and I took our spots on the couch, popcorn and other snacks on hand, as we watched the newest episode. Sometimes, my dad joined us. Becca and I made sure to tape it, so we could watch again over the course of the week.

The first season ended just before I became a full member, and Nissim might not have been the most gentle Yeerk, but she also hadn't been cruel. Besides, my entire family knew how much I loved the TV show. If I stopped watching, even the summer reruns, it would look suspicious.

What began as a way to keep me happy and to keep Nissim's cover ended up as something that, if it didn't make us friends in the way I'd hoped for when agreeing to be a host, it at least gave us common ground. A shared interest. Nissim gave me control for the duration of the show, and I felt truly happy as I rewatched the adventures of the crew aboard the Christa, and the culmination of the first season with Catalina being transported to her best friend, Suzee's, dimension-a best friend who she'd insisted was invisible-only for everyone to find that Suzee had been transported to Catalina's as a result.

Yes, the finale was epic, and the message boards had been filled with the expected comments of amazement before, of course, speculation followed.

The show returned for a second season the following fall, and while not quite as good as the first season, it in no way deserved to be cancelled, which is just what the Nick execs had done.

When Tarash infested me, within a week of me and other fans learning of the devastating news, she told me not to worry. *We'll bring it back, Emily,* she'd assured me. *That's a promise.*

It was one of the many she'd kept.

Now, Sarah and I both stared at the TV, taking occasional breaks to grab popcorn to eat, munching on the still warm brownies, loving the episode as much as I had the first time. By now, I could recite entire portions by heart. But I always found some new detail, or Tarash would point one out to me. At some point, I hoped to have the series memorized. Out of the corner of my eyes, I watched Sarah. It was always fun to see the reactions of a new viewer, and Sarah was no exception.

Her reactions were as much verbal as they were physical. She gasped when the truth about Elmira's relationship with Warlord Shank was revealed, made an "awwing" sound when Catalina kissed Harlan on the cheek, and made a rather disgruntled sound when Miss Davenport referred to the Commander by his first name before he was about to leave for the sister ship.

But that was nothing compared to her scream when the airlock door closed, separating Catalina from the crew, sentencing her to death.

"That daspen!" she yelled, standing abruptly, and I could only assume she was referring to Warlord Shank, who had grabbed onto Catalina at the last possible moment. "This is a kids show, Em?" she nearly screeched, still standing. "And they just killed her off?"

Tarash and I were trying very hard not to smile. "Just wait..."

The next scene showed the Commander giving the crying kids a pep talk through his own tears, Harlan lamenting that he'd never told Catalina how much he liked her, and Radu saying she'd been an honor to serve with. Sarah, still standing, had tears in her eyes, and kept looking at me, obviously wondering why I could like a show that killed off teenagers.

Then, and here I grinned so hard I felt my face hurt, the blue cloaked figure emerged, talking to Catalina. A Catalina no one could see.

"She's safe? She's alive?" Sarah choked out, echoing the beginning of Harlan's line.

"She's alive!" Harlan's voice came from the TV.

Then, the crew began to process that Catalina might be alive, but she was no longer there.

"She's right here! Why can't you...oh, no," the cloaked figure murmured.

"No-no. Don't tell me-you're..." Harlan left the sentence unfinished.

"That's right, genius. I'm Suzee," the still cloaked figure answered, now sounding rather smug.

Then, the credits rolled, and I allowed myself a big grin. "So, what did you think?"

Sarah made a noise that sounded rather like a squeal, and then turned to me.

"It ended like that?" She looked at the TV, then back at me. "That was the finale?"

"Yup."

"And you had to wait...like three months for the next episode?" Sarah just shook her head. "That's..."

I chewed on my lip. "I think the wait was closer to five months. I think. It aired in January, and the next season must have started in late September."

She shook her head again, then flopped back down onto the couch. "Wow. And I thought some of my shows ended in cliffhangers."

The cliffhanger would have been if it ended with Harlan banging on the airlock* Tarash noted, and I relayed the statement.

"Sure, but to find out that Suzee was real the whole time. I wasn't sure. I didn't think Cat was crazy...oh man, Davenport is going to eat some major crow next season, huh?" Sarah laughed. "Do you remember how you reacted at the time?"

I did. I would have even without a Yeerk to be able to replay the memory, although not in as much detail.

"Shock. Relief. Glee. Then, I speculated for awhile. I assumed that Suzee would be with the crew for some time, and since she was a genius, Miss Davenport would be mollified to have that in a student," I explained. I smiled. "Do you want to continue watching? I have the second season."

"Definitely, but I have more questions, first." Sarah's eyebrows raised, and her face turned pale. "Tell me season two doesn't end in a cliffhanger!"

I shook my head. "No, thankfully. When the show was canceled, I was happy that they didn't leave us hanging in that way."

"Good. That's a relief. And you said it's being brought back?" she queried. "Season three will begin in September?"

"September 22nd at 8," I answered, promptly. "Saturday night."

"I'll put it on my calendar, and be prepared for a call afterwards to discuss it," Sarah warned me, with a smile. "Assuming there's no viewing party at the Yeerk house?"

I shrugged. "Might just be me and Tom and Becca, if she doesn't watch in her dorm. I haven't managed to recruit many others to the show."

Becca would be a freshman at my college the following year, although she'd be in one of the traditional freshman dorms. In the next month or so, she'd receive contact information about her roommate. Memories of my freshman year washed over me, and I was glad to be entering the upperclassman stage of my college tenure.

Sarah smiled at the mention of my boyfriend. "You said last week that they flew you and everyone out to has out the details?"

"Right, that was during early January of my freshman year. I was still off during my winter break at the time. Everyone wanted to continue with Space Cases, or almost everyone, but most had current contracts for other projects. It's why filming didn't start until this summer," I summarized. "I imagine that they're going to wrap up filming in a month or so."

"And you got to talk to them after the meeting?" At my nod, Sarah asked, eyes widening, "What were they like?"

"All very friendly and super nice," I said, remembering the hugs they had given me, and the thank you letter they sent after the meeting. "They were so appreciative, too. Almost everyone wanted to continue working on the show, and some were really unhappy that it was canceled without an ending."

"What did they look like? Without all the alien makeup?" Sarah pressed.

I had done a bit of a double take to see them in street clothes, outside of their costumes, and, yes, without the makeup or wigs or other accessories that defined their characters. Sure, I knew that they didn't go around in their costumes outside of the show, but it had felt a bit...odd. Like when you're a kid and you see your teacher at the grocery store.

I had noticed that everyone had been very attractive, which was no surprise given they were actors. But it had been Cary Lawrence, who played Miss Davenport, had really surprised me with her long hair, very pretty face, and mannerisms completely unlike the (almost) disliked character she played.

I considered before answering. "Jewel, who plays Catalina, has very long blond hair. Like yours, only more wavy. I couldn't believe she could get it all under the wig. Paige, she's Rosie, her hair was almost as long as Jewel's, only it's brown. Light brown, a bit lighter than mine. Both of them were extremely pretty." I had felt outright plain next to them, but they were professional actors. "Cary, that's Miss Davenport, her hair's to her waist-I think, anyway. It was pulled back." I laughed. "She's a lot nicer looking than her character. Way more kind, too," I added, with a laugh. "Rahi and Walter and Paul mostly look the same. Kristian...well, there's an episode in season two where he has shorter hair. He looks like that. The biggest difference was Anik, only in season two, there's an episode where she's not an android, so it wasn't too much of a surprise. Becky-that's what everyone called her-mostly looked the same, just without the dye in her hair."

"How did they act? Towards each other, and you?" Sarah pressed, leaning in.

"Kind. Professional. My mom and sister were there, to drop me off and pick me up. The meeting was top secret, and we all had to sign nondisclosure agreements not to discuss what would happen in the later seasons." I grinned mysteriously. "But the cast did the time to take pictures with us. Becca's almost as big of a fan as I am, and she was over the moon. They did funny pictures as well as serious ones. My mom had her Polaroid, so they came out right away. Everyone signed theirs. And we got a group shot." I smiled at the memory. "Tarash was in control, not full control, because I was afraid of acting like a total fan girl."

"I get that. Of course, they probably experience it all the time," Sarah countered, with a laugh.

"Oh, I'm sure! Cary told me that fans equally want her and the Commander to get married, and for her to get shoved out of the airlock. George Takei, too, but he wasn't at the meeting. Phoned in at one point. He's the one who plays Warlord Shank," I explained. "I'm team airlock, personally, although I feel bad because Cary is really sweet in real life. She named her first daughter after Paige!"

"Aww! Hey, you and Tarash should get some kind of role on the show. Like as a guest star for a couple of episodes," Sarah mused, taking some popcorn and putting it into her mouth.

At Tarash's gentle nudge, I decided to be honest.

"T-they did offer me one," I admitted, also taking some popcorn.

Sarah swallowed, then stared at me. "You turned it down?" Then, she raised a hand. "Sorry, I don't mean to pry."

"It's okay, really." I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile. "Yeah. I was offered a small, recurring role. If I wanted it. But with filming being this summer, and the internship to spread awareness here...well, I knew that Tarash and I would do more for the cause being here."

Sarah let out a low whistle. "But, Em, your favorite show..."

I took a deep breath. "Yeah. I know. Believe me, it wasn't an easy decision to make. But Tarash and I had to do what was best for the movement, and there was no way I could do both this summer. Anyway," I added, "the show's on contract to film at least three more seasons, and they extended an open invite. I just need to let them know three months before filming. So, if it works with school and everything else...we'll see."

"Everything else" might extend to here. Coming back, that is. Even in the less than two months, Tarash and I and other Yeerks had made great progress. The number of people choosing any kind of infestation had more than doubled. We wanted to make sure we hit the sweet spot of being there enough to promote the cause, while not being too present or putting forth too much pressure.

Tarash had been great at seeking out people who would enjoy being Controllers during the war, and many had stayed with their Yeerk. But we weren't living in a wartime world, and while I didn't think there was an immediate threat to symbiosis, I also didn't think we should leave without contingency plans.

Being on a TV show just wasn't as important, at this point, to our long-term goal of widespread symbiosis and even more widespread acceptance.

"I hope you can, you know, have your cake and eat it to," Sarah told me, putting a hand on mine. "Wouldn't it be great to see your name in the credits?"

"And Tarash's," I reminded her. "If it ever happens, she'll be as involved as me."

Sarah's eyes widened. "Should we get her a Starcademy outfit?"

Tarash and I both broke into giggles at that. Once I'd recovered my breath, I said, "I better put it in writing that I only wear long, full skirts. Or dresses."

"Of course." Without missing a beat, Sarah added, "Better get one for Tarash, too, if she doesn't already have one."

That sent us into another fit of laughter, and once we'd recovered, Sarah and I settled down to watch the season two premiere of Space Cases.

Author's note:

I realize that this chapter is a lot of wish fulfillment, but isn't that what the entire story is about, really? Like I said when I posted the first chapter, the character of Sarah is based on a departed friend who I never had a chance to meet, so this whole fic is both an homage to her as well as a way for me to mourn her loss. (Six years, now. And in a few months, I'll be the same age as she was when she died.)

Will this story with Emily and Sarah and Tarash continue? As always, I don't know, but if I do post another chapter, it will be on August 30th, 2024. The anniversary of my friend's death.

I probably gave Emily's younger sister a different name in the previous chapters of a separate fic I posted (and haven't updated in years). But I gave her the name Becca here as a bit of an inside joke/reference. In the show Jewel Staite starred in, which caused her to leave Space Cases after season one, her character's name was Becca.

If you care to check out Space Cases, it's not available on streaming platforms or on DVD, but it is available on YouTube. A couple of fans have uploaded the series, so just do a search and it'll show up. Start with "We've Gotta Get Out Of This Place."

I didn't want to give too much away here in the form of spoilers, but it's been out for over twenty-five years. So yeah, for the sake of this story, I revealed the end of season one. Sorry (but not really)!

Finally? If you do watch any of the episodes, or even if you don't and want to "support" (not financially) a fanfic writer, I have written Space Cases fanfics that I would love to receive more readership. And comments, and kudos/likes.