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"Chris... CHRIS!" I heard somebody calling. I wanted them to go away. My head was killing me, and so was the left side of my ribcage.

"Come on. Wake up!" I heard again. It was Sean, and I could feel a cold rag against my forehead.

My eyes fluttered open, and I could make out the inside of the cabin. I swiveled my head around, slowly, to try to see either one of them.

"Chris, I am so sorry. Please, forgive me! It was an accident!" I heard Drake say, and I could see him sitting across the room. He sat in one of the chairs that were in the cabin. It was much to small for him, ad I could see tears brewing in his golden eyes.

"Hey, no moving yet. We don't know if you have seriously injured your head or neck. We are going to take you to one of the hospitals in town. Relax, they wont mistreat you while Drake and I are there." Sean said, and smiled at me. I started to get up, and realized that Sean might be right.

"Can I at least get some water?" I asked, and Sea nodded. He walked over to a cooler we had brought, and got me a bottle of water. I still did not sit up, and I had to have Sean help me. I tapped his hand when I had finished, and he took the bottle and had a swig. He offered the rest to Drake, who was still staring at the floor. He shook his head no.

"Drake, come here please." I said. He looked up, tears running down his maw. He slowly got up, the chair creaking in relief as his weight left it.

"I am so sorry." He said, barely audible over the ocean outside. Sean patted him on the back, ad went topside, I guessed to guide us back to the dock.

"Why are you sorry?" I asked.

"Uh, for throwing you into the mast? Or do you not remember?" He asked, even more worry showing on his face.

"No, I remember. Well, vaguely, but I remember. We were playing around, and it was an accident. It was an accident, right?" I asked.

"Yea! Oh god, I wouldn't think of hurting you!" He said, now wringing his hands together.

I grabbed his hands so that he stopped. "Would you calm down then? I can still wiggle my toes. (I had already checked) I am fine, really. I have a bump on my head, and Sean is just worried about me. Besides, I should have gone to the hospital about my arm a long time ago." I said.

"What about your arm?" He asked, looking at my arm, which now I tried to hide it.

"It's nothing." I said, hoping he would leave it be.

"No its not. What did you do to your arm?" He said, as he now wiped his eyes, and trying to look at my arm without touching me.

Instead of getting in a fight I knew I couldn't win, I showed him my arm.

"How did this happen?" He asked, taking a closer look at it.

"It was a training exercise. I scared one of my teammates, and they bit me." I said.

"She is a bit more than a teammate. More like a mate." I heard Sean say, as he walked down the short flight of steps from the top deck. "We have arrived by the way."

"Alright. Drake, go up on deck and help Sean dock. I will just wait here." I said.

"Actually, we have already docked. Medics are coming aboard so that they can take you to the hospital." Sean said.

They came down the steps 30 seconds later, with a stretcher. One was an orange and white everyday housecat. The other was a very large moose, who accidentally knocked his impressive set of antlers against the doorway. I heard him mutter a curse, and he ducked under the door again.

"Alright, what do we have here?" The orange cat, who I assumed to be a nurse, said as she set her bag down next to me.

The moose set the stretched down next to me, and started to prep it for me being placed on it.

"Okay, I need you to just flex your fingers." She said. I did as I was told. "Alright, you can still feel them. What about your toes? Can you still move them?" She asked. Again, I wiggled them fro her. "Good. That means that your spinal chord isn't severed."

The moose had finished getting prepped, and turned to Sean and Drake. "Alright, which one of you is the owner of him?"

"I am sorry, what?" Sean blurted out, confusion on his face.

"I guess you have not heard the new directive. All humans within Animorph control must be registered to a union, or must have another animorph willing to take them. Any that re not willing will be taken to 're-education camps'." He said. "So, which one of you are his owner? Or, do I need to take him away?"

"I am." Drake said, and looked down at me with a look of smugness on his face. I just nodded my thanks to him. His eyes had dried, although they were slightly red still.

"Alright, are we able to transport him from the floor to the board?" The moose asked. Drake nodded, and then helped him put me on the board. They secured my head in the brace, and then the lifted me up. I kept my mouth shut, and I thought more on this policy of humans being put into a sub-class group. It made me nervous, to be truthfully honest.

We arrived at the hospital, and I thanked both of the paramedics, and they went off to go help somebody else.

"Alright, we are going to take him back now. Only his owner may go back with him at this point." The doctor, who was a male Zebra, took me back on one of the wheeled gurneys. Drake waved to Sean, and told him he would be back soon to report on my condition.

"Alright, I will leave you in the hands of our capable nurse. She will be here to answer any questions you may have. I will be back to get you x-rayed." The doctor said, and he left us in the room alone. It had air conditioning, and a small television.

"Hey Drake, can you turn on the television to the news. I want to hear what is going on with the world." He nodded, and found a news channel.

"Good evening ladies and Gentleman. We bring you tonight the latest victories of the Animorph army." A large map of the United States filled the screen, showing in red the areas the animorphs controlled, blue where the humans still controlled, and purple where it was unsure who controlled the location. The Animorph army controlled the entire western seaboard, and most of the interior of the U.S. Texas seemed to be defiantly human held, and Pennsylvania still had a small section controlled by the animorphs, but it seemed to be smaller than what my parents had said it was.

The map then changed, showing Europe. It showed the same colors as before, but it also had a new color; green. It seemed to signify a neutral country. As I had guessed, the Swiss claimed neutrality. But a few of the other countries surprised me. Germany, Scotland, Spain, and Turkey all claimed neutrality as well.

England was blue, as well as France. I chuckled to myself, thinking that France would have ever been able to keep anybody out of their country without some other countries help. Russia remained in human control for the most part, with the very edges of their borders beginning to turn blue. In Asia, only Japan seeped to be holding out. Australia was also completely human held. None of the surrounding islands were Animorph controlled either.

"Well, that is good news!" Drake said, and then he turned to me. "Oh shit, right. Uh, quick question if you don't mind?"

"Shoot." I said, turning to him, which was hard to do with the neck brace, which I still had on.

"Who are you supporting? And no claiming neutrality." He said.

"In all honesty, the Animorphs."

"Really? Why not support your fellow man?" He asked, curiosity filling his voice.

"Man has had enough time to rule this planet. We have destroyed it, devastating some of the most beautiful things nature has. Seeing as most of you are very conscious of nature, where does this world have to go but up?" He was very silent after I finished. I think my answer surprised him.

The doctor said, as he walked back in, "I am surprised to hear such things coming from a human. Let alone a child." He said. I just chuckled, and thanked him for the compliment. He looked almost offended at me speaking to him, and looked at Drake, almost as if he wanted me reprimanded. Drake was to busy watching the television

"We are going to move you now. Your master is more than welcomed to come with." Said a female nurse. She was a fox, and she was SO hitting on Drake. I started to snicker, and he punched me in the arm. Neither the doctor nor the nurse said a word, nor did I suspect that they would not care if Drake had decided to beat me to death.

They brought me to a room, which was extremely cold, and had a metal table on which I was to lay on so that I could have x-rays of my neck and back done. They gave me a lead vest, and they all walked behind a lead screen so that they could begin.

The machine hummed to life, and started to scan over my neck, and then my back. It also went over my ribs, which I hadn't thought about. I mean, yea they hurt, but I hadn't thought about them being broken. The process took about 5 minutes, and then they told me I was to remove the vest, and that they would review my x-rays once they had developed. They wheeled the gurney, with me still in the stupid brace back to my room.

"The doctor will be back soon. Is there anything I can get you? Anything at all?" The vixen asked, crooning to Drake, completely ignoring me. He seemed to grow embarrassed, and told her no. She walked out, her tail brushing up against his leg.

I started dying laughing. He growled at me, which only made me laugh harder.

"Knock it off, would you?" He asked. I could tell he was being semi-serious, so I did.

"You have to admit, it is a slight bit funny." I said, and he just gave me a crooked grin.

"Shutup slave." He said, and I just chuckled.

The doctor took twice as long as he said he would, but I was expecting that. He came in with my x-rays, as well as a small binder.

"Alright, let me show you exactly what is wrong with him." The doctor said, ignoring me completely.

"What is wrong with him doc? I mean, other than all of the other stuff." Drake said, and winked at me. I could easily see that Drake had been in the military; otherwise he would have said the complete word, 'doctor'.

"His spine and neck are perfectly fine. Thankfully you asked us to check his ribs as well, because he does have a fracture on his 2ndrib. There is nothing we can do but give him pain medications and wait for it to heal. Or, he doesn't have to have pain meds." He smiled to Drake, and Drake smiled awkwardly back.

The doctor then called Drake out of the room, and the nurse came in to look at my arm. She wiped it down, and then re-cleaned it. Otherwise, she said that it would heal fine.

"By the way, is he taken?" She asked, looking up to Drake, who was signing in the binder outside the room. It took all of my will not to laugh in he face, and explain he was gay. But, I wasn't sure if he was comfortable with it yet, so I told her he was seeing somebody. She huffed, and stormed out of the door.

"Alright young man, you are going to stay here tonight, just for observation." The doctor said, as he walked over and removed the neck brace. I was happy to see it go, and the doctor walked out of the room.

"Quick question, and you don't have to answer, but what did you sign out there?" I asked, because the binder was still sitting on the counter in the room.

"Well, I actually needed to talk to you about that..." He said, and he picked up the binder, as well as a pen, and brought it over to the bedside.

"What is it?" I asked, once he had opened it to a certain page. I started reading it, and I grew horrified at what I read.

"They are requiring me to officially purchase you. I need you to sign it, to confirm it. You either sign it, or they force you. I suggest that you sign it. Once we leave the city, we can ignore this, but they will not release you until this is complete." He said. He put his head down, and I could see that he was visibly shaken by what he had to do.

I grabbed his paw, and he looked me in the eye. "You are protecting me. You should not be ashamed, at all." I took the binder from him, and signed my name. Looking at how much I was worth actually kind o hurt. I was only worth $40!

Realizing that he would be buying me with the money I gave, I started busting up laughing. He looked at me confused, and I had to explain.

"Well, you came into town to look for a souvenir. Well, you got one!"

He just stood there, looking at me funny, and then he started laughing. "You have a weird ass sense of humor, you know that?"

I didn't reply, but instead gave him a hug, which surprised him. "Thank you." He smiled, and hugged me tighter.

Sean was able to come in about an hour later, so I was happy. He was very happy that I had only a fractured rib, and no spinal injuries. He was VERY upset about Drake having to purchase me, but I was fine with it, and I got him to calm down about it.

"As long as you are okay with it, and Drake does not overuse his privileges..." Sean finished, after a 5-minute rant and rave.

"He will be fine. He is just a big softy." I said, and Drake growled at me. I laughed, and

so did Sean, although I could tell he still was not happy with the situation. Oh well, nothing to do now!

They asked Sean to leave at around 10p.m. I told him to go home, and get some sleep. He said he would sleep in the Durango, and walked out before I could argue with him.

"And then there were two. You, master, need sleep." I said, and he snickered. He got into one of the chairs, and he fell asleep within minutes. I thought that, with everything running through my head, it would take me forever to sleep. I was wrong, and sleep found me within minutes.

I woke up in the middle f the night for no reason. I looked at the clock, and it read to be about 12 a.m., and I looked over at Drake. He was shivering in the cramped chair. I got up, and walked into the hallway. I flagged down the vixen who had been hitting on him earlier, and asked if I could get a cot for Drake. She nodded, and walked off. I thought that she was going to ignore me, so I waited in the hallway.

She didn't lie; 2 minutes later she returned with a cot, and I took it from her and profusely thanked her. She smiled, and walked off, I suppose to help somebody else.

I walked back into my room, and set up the cot next to my bed. I only had one pillow, and set it on the cot. I figured that he had deserved it, for saving my life with buying me. I walked over to Drake, and tried to figure out how I could move him, without waking him or crushing myself.

After about 3 minutes, I finally muttered to myself, "Screw it." I walked over, and dragged him over to the bed, which was only about two feet. But, considering Drake probably weighed in at 450 with his muscle and height, it was actually quite difficult!

I managed to do it without dropping him, and I plopped him on the bed. He grumbled a little bit, but seemed to still be asleep. I was happy about that. I propped his legs onto the cot, and then walked over to my bed, grabbed the blanket, and covered him with it. Once I was happy with how he was no longer shivering, and that he seemed to be more comfortable.

I watched him sleep for a few minutes, just to make sure he was okay. Only once I was completely sure, did I finally lay back down. I went to sleep just as fast as I had before, although my rib did pain me a little from overexerting myself.

I woke up at 6a.m. from somebody shaking me. It was the doctor. He put a finger over his lips, and motioned me out. I quietly followed; looking over to make sure Drake was still sleeping. He was, and he was even snoring slightly. I chuckled quietly about it before walking out.

The Doctor, still the same Zebra who had been treating me all along, not only took me outside of the room, but outside of the hospital.

"You are very different from other humans." He said, once we had gone out the back of the hospital. We had a pretty god view of the bay, and I watched a few of the trawlers go out to fish, right as the sun began to break the horizon.

"Should I take that as a complement or an insult sir?" I asked.

"A compliment of sorts." He said, exhaling in a snort that made his nostrils flare.

"I do have a question for you, sir, if you don't mind." I said.

"Go ahead." He said, rubbing his eyes. He looked exhausted, to be brutally honest.

"Why talk to me now? The other day, you didn't really want to say a word to me, just Drake."

He chuckled, thinking back. "Well, I am used to humans hurting themselves, and I will admit, animorphs who hurt them. But, very few care for animorphs, that aren't looking for something. Whether it be protection, a meal ticket, or something else. But when I walked into your room this morning, and saw that there was a cot setup, and your blanket and pillow were being used by him, I knew you were different."

I stood there, thinking. "Well, thank you for the compliment then. And for letting me have some fresh air." I said, and smiled, taking in a deep breath.

He chuckled, and said, "Yea. This is where I go if I need a breather. This hospital gets most of the casualties of animorphs from humans."

"Sorry to hear. I have thankfully never had to hurt an animorph, so I can happily say that you have never had to fix what I have created." He chuckled, and escorted me back inside. He told me on the way back to my room that I was okay to leave today, with Drakes permission.

"Alright, and thank you so much for your help." I whispered, for we were back at my room, and I did not want to wake up Drake, who snored peacefully in sleep. He nodded, and walked off to go do his rounds.

I went back over to my bed, laid down, and promptly fell asleep.

"Chris? Hey, wake up you lazy bastard!" I heard, but the voice seemed a million miles away. So, I let it stay there. Till the voice decided for more drastic measures.

"WAKE UP!" I heard Sean yelling, about 2 seconds before he piledrived me into the bed.

I groaned, because he somehow managed to land on my stomach, also hitting my bad rib. I curled up in a ball, hoping that it would make the pain go away, or at least Sean.

"Oh shit! My bad Chris!" He said getting off of the bed. I opened my eyes, and saw that Drake was also just getting up. I checked the clock on the wall, and it read to be just after 10. Well, at least I got some sleep before being bugged.

"Nah, its fine. But how about next time, I am awoken with breakfast and some tea?" I heard him chuckle, and even better, he did get go down to the cafeteria to get us food!

I turned to Drake ad said, "How did you sleep?"

"Much better than being in the chair. Did you move me?" He asked, as he cracked his neck.

"Yea. You weight a ton!" He just glared at me, obviously not amused. I chuckled, and laid back down.

Sean came back up within ten minutes, with water and hash browns. I was VERY happy!

Once we finished breakfast, Drake signed me out of the hospital, and we headed back to Sean's house. We were going to stop by long enough to thank his parents and say good-bye. I wanted to hit the road and get out of here before something else happened. Also, I needed to pick up Rolf!

The ride back was the same as it went out; both of them trying to convince me that their music was better than mine. I loudly disagreed from the drivers seat. Drake now sat up front, with Sean in the back. We continued to argue when a few things surfaced in my mind.

"Hey, just a few quick questions." I said, and both of them got sort of quiet. "One, where did my pistol get off to?" I asked.

"Oh, I forgot!" Sean said, and grabbed it from the backseat. I was happy to see it was not taken. I strapped it back to my thigh.

"Alright, second, Sean, do you really want to go back to the camp? Are you sure you don't want to stay at your house? Or re-enlist?" I asked, as I pulled the truck onto the shoulder so I could look at him throughout the conversation.

"Hell yea! There is not another place I would rather be!" He said, and by the look in his eyes, he was not lying.

"Alright, I am glad to hear. Just remember, if you ever want out, I am always here." I said, and he nodded. I turned to Drake. "Are you sure you want in? I can provide food, shelter, medical attention to some degree, weapons, and a family." I said.

"I agree with Sean. If it is what you say it is, then I cannot wait to arrive!" He said, his golden eyes filled with happiness and joy.

"Alright. One more question Sean, do you want to stop by your other friends house?" I asked. I had remembered he wanted to, and I was not going to break my word.

"Yea! I completely forgot about that! Yea, please!" He said, and I watched his ears really prick up. I laughed, and got back onto the road.

We arrived at the house at 1pm, and I told Sean to grab anything he wants from home. He nodded, and ran upstairs. Drake and me stayed on the porch and talked to his parents. Both of them were sad to see us go, but they were happy that we were all staying as a group.

"Chris, we do have one thing for you." His mother said, and she headed back into the house. I gave a confused look, and his father just chuckled. I looked over to Drake to see if he knew what she was going to go get, but he looked just confused as I did.

She walked back out of the door, with a fishing tackle box. It was sealed shut, so I could not see what was in it.

"Here. You have to wait for Sean to come out to unwrap it.' She said, and sat down, smiling. I gave an apprehensive look to Drake, and he just grinned back at me.

I didn't have to wait long for Sean to come back down. He had a small duffel bag with him, and he looked curiously at the box at my feet.

"You can open it now." His father said, and I nodded.

I reached down, and undid both of the latches on it. What was inside made me die laughing.

"Thank you so much. I am sure these will be put to good use!" I said, and got up and shook his fathers hand, and his mother got up and hugged me. Inside of the box was full of medical supplies. They had made it, and had even put in a get well soon card.

"Alright, there is one more thing I need to grab." I said, and everyone looked at me, slightly confused. "ROLF!" I called, into the house. I heard the clicking of his claws on the hardwood floor, as he came barreling toward the front door. I opened it, and he tried to tackle me. I guess he had missed me!

"All right, good boy! Come on, you up for a ride?" I asked, and he barked and ran for the car. "I will take that as a yes." I said aloud, more for myself than anybody else, but everyone chuckled even so.

"Okay, we do need to be hitting the road. I must thank you profusely for housing us, and for the wonderful meals. I again must say my greatest thanks to you is for allowing us to keep your son safe with us, and hone his mechanic ability." I said, and shook his fathers hand again.

"You are welcome here anytime. We must thank you for keeping our son safe." He said, and his mother nodded in agreement. Sean walked over and hugged both of them. Sean's mother started to cry, and she walked back into the house. Derrick came out and gave Sean a hug as well, and then he went back in the house to console his mother. Only Sean's father stayed on the porch to see us off.

"Well, we should be back to camp soon, then we can break Drake in." I said from the back of the Durango; Sean was driving, with Drake in the front seat. Drake stuck his tongue out at me, and it shocked me. He had a forked tongue like a snake!

"Yea! We still okay to stop by my other friends house?" Sean asked.

"Yea, that's fine. Five-minute time limit, I want to get on the road and be home tonight. Quick question, what species is he?" I asked. "It doesn't matter, but I don't want to stare and offend him!" I said, and pointed to Drake. Drake chuckled, and Rolf, who was seated on my lap, wagged his tail while he napped.

"Ha, there is no offense taken. He is a young stag; a male elk is actual term. He is about Sam's height, the last time I saw him. And that does not include his antlers!" Sean said, as he turned into another development, not quite as nice as Sean's house though.

"He lives up here on the corner." Sean said, as he pulled in. I saw there was another huge pickup truck. It was a Ram 3500, and it was jet black. I approved!

As we pulled in, I saw a figure standing in the doorway. It seemed to be a female elk, for I did not see antlers, but I did not say anything.

"There's his mom. She is very nice, but extremely shy. Not sure how she is going to react to a human..." Sean said.

"Should I wait in the car?" I asked.

"No, you are my friend. Besides, the worst she is going to do it try to kick you in the face and run!" He said, as he got out of the truck. As soon as she saw Sean, I could see relief spread on her face. She opened up the screen door, and walked out onto the lawn.

Drake also got out, and I could see her hesitate. But as soon as I got out, she stopped dead.

"Hey, how are you?" Sean asked, walking the rest of the way to wear she stood now, and gave her a hug. She returned the embrace, but her eyes still remained locked on me. I gave a friendly wave, and I saw her whisper something into Sean's ear, and he whispered back to her. I could see relief flood her face, and she looked noticeably happier.

"This is Drake." Sean said, and pointed to the huge dragon. He nodded to her, and she smiled at him. "And this is Chris." He said, and pointed to me. I nodded and smiled, and she returned the smile.

"Why don't we all go inside?" She asked, as she started walking back toward the house.

"That would be great!" Sean said, and looked over at me apologetically. I could have figured this would take more than 5 minutes. But, I was okay with it.

Once inside the house, I noticed two humorous things. Very, VERY high ceilings, and dents in the walls from what I presumed to be antlers. It was a very cozy home, the walls being covered in family photos, and I even saw Sean in one of them. I could also see a large in home theater down one of the hallways. She walked past it, and led us to a spacious kitchen.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" She asked, as she strolled over to the refrigerator.

"Yea, can I get a Coke, or a Pepsi?" Sean asked. She nodded, and looked at Drake.

"Um, if you have any orange juice?" He asked. Again, she nodded, and then looked at me.

"Just a water please." I said, and she reached into the fridge to grab the drinks. She got them, and poured them all into very simple glasses. She then handed them to us, and she got herself a diet Coke, and she walked over to the kitchen table and sat down. Sean walked over and sat across from her. Drake took the place to her right, and I took the left.

"Is Danny here?" Sean asked.

"No." She said, and immediately looked out the window. She would not look at Sean.

"Is something wrong?" I asked, and she started to cry. I looked bewilderingly at Sean, who gave the same look to me. I looked over at Drake to see if maybe he had a grasp on it, but he returned my look of confusion.

"Ma'am, did I do something wrong?" I asked, and she turned to me, and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"No! Oh god, its just. I can't say." She said. She grabbed a napkin and dried her eyes.

"Is there anything we can do?" Drake said, his deep voice seeming to bring comfort to her.

"Not unless you can... Oh, never mind." She said.

"Ma'am, we can't help you solve the problem unless we know what it is." I said, and she looked at me with brown, bleary eyes.

"Okay, but this stays between all of us." She said, and looked at all of us in turn to make sure we understood. We said we understood.

"Okay. Well, Danny went AWOL from the Animorph army. He is being searched for by the police, and by the military. They even put a bounty on his head!" She said, and started to cry again.

"I am so sorry to hear. So what can we help you with?" Sean asked, beating me to the punch.

"Well, here is the bad part. He has to hide in our shed. We have nowhere else to put him, and we have been looking forever." She said. "Would your parents be able to shelter him?"

"I don't know. If they are caught with him, they will be killed. So would you if you are housing him!" Sean said. He looked at me, and mouthed the word, "Camp" to me. I think he wanted me to invite Danny to our camp.

"Let me meet him first." I said to Sean, and he nodded. I think Drake was watching, because he nodded as well. His mother, on the other hand had no idea what we were talking about.

"Would we be able to see him?" Sean asked.

"Yes, but only later, when the neighbors cant see him. We dot need them to see us. We usually bring his dinner out to him, but I guess we can bring him in." She said, looking nervous.

"No, we can go out and see him. We wont risk your personal safety by bringing him in." I said, and she nodded.

We sat around the table talking for the next few hours, till promptly at 7:00pm, his Danny's father came in. His mother sat him down and introduced us. He seemed unfazed by me, and when he heard about us meeting Danny, he became worried. He got up, and started to pace around the kitchen.

"Alright. But we have to go one at a time, otherwise it will become obvious. I am okay with Sean visiting him, but I am not so sure about you." He said, and pointed to Drake. "And especially you." He said, pointing a very large finger at me.

"Danny will be fine with Chris. Trust me.' Sean said. Danny's father started to argue, but he stopped himself.

"Alright. But we wait till 9, so it will be dark enough, and I and her go first." He said, pointing to his wife. We all agreed, and we continued our conversation till it was nine.

We waited as his father went out first; to make sure nobody was watching.

"Alright, I will go first. Then her, and then Sean." He said, and he walked out to the shed, closed the door, and I saw light come out of the cracks in the door jam.

I walked over to Sean, who was seated at the table. "I want you to assess him to make sure he will fit in with our group. Please do not judge him okay just because he is your friend." I said, and he nodded solemnly.

I walked over and told the same thing to Drake, and he too nodded in understanding.

"Also, you will be going before me." I said, and he gave me a questioning look. "I figured he will be more scared of you then me, so I can look like a good guy. Which I am, right?" I asked. He just laughed, and I walked back over to the table and sat with Sean.

His father came back in about 10 minutes later, and I saw him snort, and hold the door open for Danny's mother. She carried out with her a brown paper bag with his dinner in it. She took a little longer, and when she came back 15 minutes later, I could see she had cried again. I saw her walk over to her husband, and she continued to cry into his large chest. He just stood there, whispering words into her ears. I guessed they worked, because she did slowly calm down.

Sean came back in after 10 minutes, and he sat down. He looked defeated, to be honest. Drake went out, and I sat down next to Sean to make sure he was all right.

"He, well, he looks horrible. God, he looks tired, there are bags under his eyes, his ears never perked up, and he is twitchy. He is not like I remember." He finished, looking down at the floor. I started to rub his back, and he let out a long sigh.

"I am sure he will be fine to join the team. Once we get him back, we will take the best of care of him. He will be back the way he used to be." I said. Sean just looked me in the eyes, his now forming tears.

"Thank you." He said, and leaned over and wrapped me in a hug. I just held him, not wishing this pain on anybody.

I heard the door, and knew that it was my turn. Sean understood this too, for he let me go. I got up, and walked over to Drake.

"What do you think?" I asked.

"He is very, very nervous. I could have been a normal mouse and he would have jumped." Drake said.

"Yea, well look at the situation he is in right now. Hiding in his parents shed because the cops are looking for him, and so is the military. He is stuck in there all day, and he has no way out. And there is no end in sight. Imagine how you would feel." I said.

"I didn't see it that way." He mumbled.

"Yea. Remember when you broke down finally? I was there to comfort you. And I have given you a way out. And you are so much happier. Why not give it to this kid to?" I asked.

"Alright. Well, you need to go talk to him yourself." He said.

I nodded, and I walked out of the house, and walked over to the shed. I knocked first, very gently so that only he could hear. Then I walked in.

It was your everyday average shed, with a lawnmower in the corner, and even a hockey or soccer net of some sort hanging by the rafters. But the floor was torn up, some of the boards strewn all in a neat pile, near a hole in the ground that was big enough to house 3 people, or one very large animorph. Danny sat in the corner.

He stood at just over Sam's height, at 6'6. But, his antlers were cut down to a nub, I guess to make him easier to hide. He looked over at me nervously. I still had a knife stashed in my boot, just in case. But, I really don't think that would help me too much, considering how big this guy was.

"Hello." He said, looking at me nervously. He stood up, and crossed his arms, not to make himself imposing, but to hide how bad his ribs were showing. All in all, this guy looked like hell. But, he did have the guts to speak first.

"Good evening. My name is Christopher James Geier. I am 16, and I am from Pennsylvania. You?" I asked, hoping to start conversation.

"Daniel. I am 16 as well, and I am from Washington. So, why are you hanging out with Sean?" He asked, nervously.

"I am with him because I rescued him. I am offering the same thing to you as I did for him. I offered him a spot at my camp, in the mountains. It is away from civilization, where humans and animorphs live side by side. We fight, yes, but we have fun, and protect each other. We would provide security for you, and you would do the same for us." I said.

He sat back down, and looked thoughtful. "How much would it cost?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, how much would you charge my parents for my safety?" He asked, standing up and walking closer to me.

"There is no charge. And they do not decide to send you there. You must choose for yourself. But we leave tonight. I am not forcing you. Besides, you have one thing some of the others haven't when they joined, a friend already there. Ask Sean, and he will tell you how much he likes our unit." I said.

"He already has. But why? Why should I leave my parents?" He asked.

I pointed to the hole, and said, " Do you really want to keep living down there? Let me guess, they had to cut off your antlers in order to fit you?" He looked down at the floor, and said nothing. "That's what I thought. Look, I can offer you a whole turnaround in life. No more hiding, just the freedom of the forest, and the company of people who care." I said.

He looked confused, nervous. I walked over to him, and stuck out my hand. " I am just trying to help." I said. After about a minute or so, he stuck out his paw, and shook it.

"We will leave tonight?" He asked. I nodded, and I saw relief flood on his face.

"Do you need to pack anything? We have clothing in your size if you need it." I said. He was currently wearing a pair of torn jeans, and no shirt.

"No, I should be fine if you have clothing my size." He said.

"Alright. Stay in here, and I will move you when I am ready. I will knock like I did before. Be ready to move at a seconds notice. And for your parents sake, cover up the floor again, so the police have no suspicion." I said. He nodded, and I walked out of the shed.

Once I was back in the kitchen, I looked over at Sean, and nodded slowly. He leaped up, and ran over and nearly knocked my to the floor giving me a hug.

"Alright, alright! I get it, you are happy!" I said. "First, we have to ask his parents." I said.

He looked at me, and just grinned.

"You already told them, didn't you?" I asked. He just grinned, and slowly backed up.

"Please! If you can really do what Sean is saying, please help us..." His mom said, walking away from Danny's father. She walked all the way across the kitchen, and stopped just short of me. "Please." She whispered.

"We will do anything." His father said, as he stood, leaning heavily on a counter. He looked tired more than anything else.

"If you are able to do one thing for me, we will take off with your son, and keep him safe from all harms." I said.

"What? Do you need money, or a vehicle?" His father asked, standing up straight.

"No. If you find any other animorph, or even human, who is in the same position Danny is, you send a letter to me. Here is the P.O. box number. That is all I ask." I said, as I handed his mother a slip of paper with the postal number. She took it, and read over it.

"We will help anyway we can." She said.

"Also, if you get any letter from that number, that will be from either me, Sean, or Danny." I said. She smiled, thinking about receiving mail from her son.

"Chris, we got to move, otherwise we will never make it." Drake said, and I nodded. I walked back out to the shed, and knocked gently. The door opened, and Danny walked out, and quickly to the house.

He said goodbye to his parents, and then we left, with me driving and Rolf on my lap, Drake sitting in the front seat, and both Sean and Danny in the back, sleeping.

"You know, I was suppose to be there already, with only Sean." I said, and Drake chuckled.

"And now you have 2 new team members." Drake said.

"Excuse me, three." I said, pointing to Rolf who was looking out the window through the crook of my arm. "And this one doesn't even back talk me!" I said, and Drake just shook his head, smiling. I checked my watch, and it read to be about 10:10pm.

"Yup, I am so going to get reamed out when I get back to camp." I said to myself. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Drake was trying to stay awake to keep me company. I told him to go to sleep, and that I would be fine. He tried to fight it, but the yawn gave him away. His yawn was pretty scary, with the rows of razor sharp teeth glistening in the streetlight. He just put his head against the window, and fell into a peaceful sleep. Now, only Rolf and I were awake for the long ride home.

At about 8 a.m. the next day, I finally pulled over. I had been driving for ten hours straight, and I was beginning to fall asleep behind the wheel. Everyone else in the car was still sleeping, and I didn't want to wake them up, so I pulled the truck behind a grove of trees, and fell asleep.

I felt somebody trying to move me, and I groaned. I did not feel like moving, to be personally honest.

"Come on Chris. I just need you to get up so I can drive. I will get us the rest of the way there." I heard Sean say. It made perfect logical sense, but it still was not a motivation to get me up.

"Move aside, I will get him out." Drake said, and I felt myself being lifted. I was placed in the backseat, and my eyes fluttered open to see Danny staring at me.

"What time is it?" I asked, opening my eyes fully and stretching.

"About 12pm. We need to get moving again." Sean said, as he started to get into the drivers seat.

"No, I will drive." I said, as I started to get up.

Drake pushed me back into the seat, and closed the door. "No, you will be sleeping. You should never have gone that long driving. So, you will lay there and sleep." Drake said, and I just nodded, sleep already taking me again. I had not slept well for the last few days, I guess just worried about my team, and how big it was getting. It was only supposed to be 10 people! No animorphs, no orphans, nobody else. But I guess I could reminisce in the past all I wanted, it was not going to change the future.

"Fine, you win this time." I said around a yawn. Sean and Drake chuckled, and I looked over to Danny, who was still staring at me.

"Danny, I don't bite, really. I mean, it's the two in the front who are the predators." I said. He laughed nervously, but wouldn't take his eyes off of me.

"Would you be more comfortable if I slept in the cargo area?" I asked. He did not say anything, so I climbed over the seat and slept in the way back, with my rifle. I did not mind, because there was more room back here. I could see Sean glaring at Danny in the mirror, and Danny looked down shamefully. I just ignored it, and fell asleep.

I heard the tailgate open, and I open, and I flipped whoever opened it off.

"Well, that isn't the greeting I was looking for." Nick said. My eyes flew open, and I sat up quickly, smacking my head against the ceiling.

"Son of a bitch..." I muttered, and then got out of the truck. I looked over at Nick, who just stood there waiting for me to acknowledge him. I gave him a huge bear hug instead of answering him.

"Jesus, you're squeezing the air out of me!" he said, and I let him go.

"Have you met the others?" I asked, looking around for them.

"Others? You mean Josh and them?" He asked.

"No, our new teammates." I said. I turned and looked into the truck. Both were still sleeping, and I chuckled.

"You recruited more?" He said, giving me a questioning look. I just grinned sheepishly.

"Well, what was I going to do? You know that I am a sucker for sob stories." I said. He just shook his head.

"Well, we have two surprises for you. We also recruited while you where gone. We got four new team members, and we have a new toy for you." He said. I gave him the questioning look now, and he just smiled.

"Alright, I have to wake up my two. Shall we have the team line up to meet everyone?" I asked.

"Yea, sounds like a plan. I will have them all lined up for you by the time you have your two ready." He said, and walked off. Now came the difficult part; waking up both of them.

"Come on you lazy bastards, we need to meet everyone, and then you can sleep again!" I called from the back of the truck. Danny jumped, and I laid a hand on his shoulder. "You are safe. No more hiding. It is time for both of you to meet the team!" I said, and he looked nervous.

"Relax, Garret, our bear animorph is the oldest at 18." I said, and I saw a little bit of relief in his eyes. I patted him gently on the back, and got out of the back, and slung my rifle over my shoulder.

"Drake, you up?" I asked, and I saw him wave, and then get out of the vehicle. It was a miracle he even fit inside of it! "No time to stretch your wings, we need to move!" I said. He just shook his head, and followed me. Danny was close behind him.

"Ladies and Gentleman! It is nice to see you all again!" I said, and everyone cheered. "I am happy to see that the camp is in one peace, and that everyone is also in one piece. Now, we have a few things to do today. First, we will start with our new teammates. Nick would you like to introduce yours?" I asked, and I stepped out of the way. I could see Star standing in the middle of the ranks, and she was just as anxious as I was to see each other, but I did not waver from my spot.

"Standing before you are four very brave ladies. First up is Bridgett." Nick said, and a 5'11 redhead stepped forward. She wasn't bad looking, although she had a very large forehead. She was wearing a black tank top and jeans, and she had the air of somebody who always got their way. I hoped I was wrong.

"Next is Abigail." A white girl with black hair stood forward. She seemed to be about 5'4, and she was very shy. She had brown eyes, and she was wearing what looked like Justin's sweatshirt and jeans. I looked over at him, and he just smiled and winked at me, and I just shook my head. She did seem like a nice girl though.

"Next April." Nick said, and another white girl stepped forward. She had blond hair, and she also seemed shy. She had blue eyes, and she was wearing a white t-shirt and had on a pair of our bdu pants. I looked over to Nick, and he mouthed to me, "She's mine". I chuckled quietly.

"And finally, we have Lindsey." An African American girl stepped forward. She had brown eyes, and her hair was braided back. She smiled, and gave a small wave. She seemed to have some courage in her at least. She was wearing a yellow t-shirt, and jeans/ She also wore glasses, but they looked to be, well, fake. I guess she wore them for fashion appeal.

I stepped forward, and personally shook all of their hands. I smiled, trying to be friendly to them. "It is very nice to meet you all. I hope that you enjoy your stay while you are here." I said, and they laughed. I stepped back, and Nick led them to go stand in with our guys.

I stepped forward, and said, "Well, it is very nice to see you all are recruiting while I am gone. I seemed to be the only one making friends and inviting people here for a long time." Everyone laughed, and I smiled. "But, I have not stopped recruiting. We have two new members today, and I would like you all to be very nice to them, and show them why our team is a family."

Everyone clapped, and I introduced Danny first. I was going to surprise everyone with Drake...

"This is Daniel everyone. Welcome him, and be nice." I said, and everyone nodded. I looked at Daniel and said loudly, "Oh, and piece of advice; stay away from Josh. You'll live longer." I said, and gave him a wink. I heard him actually laugh with no feeling of nervousness in his voice. It was a nice change. I pointed a place where he could stand in line, and he walked over and stood in place. He stood proudly, his back rigid in attention.

"And next we have Drake. Now, before he comes here, no weapons! He is on our side!" I said, and at that time, he blocked out the sun. He dove quickly, and landed hard. I felt the ground shake, and he stood up fully, and roared. Everyone freaked out, and even though I had said it, weapons were drawn. He stood at attention, and saluted me. I returned the salute, and turned to everyone.

"This is Drake, ladies and gentleman!" I yelled, and everyone stood in awe. I looked over at Sean and Danny, and both were grinning from ear to ear.

"Yes he is a dragon. But, while he is here, we do need to discus one more very important thing." I waited for everyone to calm down, and once I was sure I had everyone's attention, I continued. "There has been a new law passed by the animorphs. Every human must be either owned by an animorph, or must be part of a union. This being in affect, all chances of going to town are now gone." I said. Everyone either seemed pissed, or they seemed shocked.

"I know this does not seem right. But, I am still able to go into town for you." I heard four different people call. "Because I am owned by Drake. It is only for legality reasons, of course." I said, and looked over at Drake. He just smiled. He was enjoying people staring at him.

"Now, for the rest of the day, you may do as you wish. On Tuesday, we will resume building. Dismissed!" I said, and I walked straight over to Star. Everyone else milled round, some of them saying hey, others to shocked to say even that.

"And how are you doing?" I asked, because she had her back turned to me as she talked to Belle. Instead of answering, she hugged me. I just smiled, and held on tight.

"I missed you." She whispered in my ear.

"Me too. God, has it been forever." I said, and she laughed. She finally let go, and looked over my shoulder. I turned to see what she was looking at, and Nick and Josh were both waving me over. I kissed her on the forehead, and walked over.

"This had better be important..." I said. Both of them looked at each other, and laughed.

"Of course it is!" Josh said. He turned to everyone who was still hanging around, which seemed to be everyone!

"Alright everyone! Time for stories!" Nick called, and everyone gathered around. Him and Josh sat on top of a wooden crate, which was about 6 feet in length.

"So, when Chris left, we figure we would use one of his plans while he was gone. We were running low on supplies, so we decided to rob a convoy. Not original, but effective. So, while we robbed the convoy, we got two things we did not expect. One was the girls; they were being transported to Seattle, because they had been sold as you mentioned. It didn't make sense, but now that you explained about that new law, now it does." Nick started.

"Anyway, the second is a present for you, Chris. We felt bad about you losing your mg3. So, we got you this!" Josh said, and both he and Nick leaped up. They opened the box, and lying inside the box was one of the most beautiful weapons; a German mg36. I just took a step back, and I will admit, a small tear came to my eye.

"Dammit, I promised I wouldn't cry!" I said, and everyone laughed. I walked over to it, and picked it up. I saw that the magazines were already filled, and I smiled over to Josh, who have me a thumbs up. I just smiled, and ran over to our setup gun range.

Star, Nick, Josh, and Drake were the first ones over there with me. I quickly setup the bipod, and started to fire. I was having a great time, and I let the others fire the weapon as well.

By the time I had finished, I had gone through about 400 rounds. Then I got to the real 'fun part'. The cleaning.

I talked to Star while I cleaned. I had to laugh to myself, as she was still shedding, and it was getting in my weapon! I had given my m416 to Danny, and I told him I would teach him how to operate it tomorrow. But for right now, Star had claimed me.

"You are MINE for the rest of the night!" She said, and I didn't think I had a choice.

"Yes ma'am!" I said, and she smiled and hopped on my cot with me. I was dead tired to be honest, and I accidentally fell asleep. Star was not far behind me, as she curled up on my chest.

I felt myself being shaken awake, and I started to sit up when I felt a weight on my chest. And the weight growled about being moved.

"Why am I being moved off of my pillow?" She asked, and she seemed quite irritated. Austin, who had come to wake me, started stuttering his apologies.

"Austin. AUSTIN!" I said, and he finally stopped. "What do you need?" I asked.

"Well, its just, its dinner." He said, and quickly walked out of the barracks. I looked down at my watch, and it read to be almost 7pm.

"Come on, I am sure you are hungry. Besides, it is the only way to get my lazy ass out of bed." I said, and she got up. I got up as well, and she jumped on my back.

"Piggy-back ride!" She squealed, and I just shook my head and carried her out to the campfire.

"Ah, there he is!" Sam called, and I nodded to him. I walked over and sat down Star, and then I sat next to her. Sam sat with Belle, Nick with April, and Justin with Abigail. I smiled, and Sean walked over and gave me a plate, and I felt something under it. He gave me a look of seriousness, and then walked away. I moved the plate aside, and saw it was a note.

I nodded to Sean, and put it in my pocket. "If you would excuse me, nature calls." I said, as I walked off to the latrine. I did my business, as well as read the note.

It read simply, "Talk to Danny in private." I nodded, and tossed the note in the trash. I walked back over to our campfire, and I quickly joined in the conversation.

We talked about everything, from what is the best music to what our dream cars were. I was surprised that Star wanted a big pickup truck, and even more surprised she liked country music. I would have to remember that.

The conversation died away slowly, as the fire grew low, and people started heading of for sleep. I told Star I had to take care of business, and that I would see her in the morning. She kissed me goodnight, and told me not to stay up late.

"I promise." I said, and she headed off to the barracks. I watched Danny sit by the fire, alone. Sean was off with Garret; I think they were just trying to catch up.

I sat down next to Danny, which startled him. "What do you think of camp?" I asked.

"It is much bigger than I could imagine." He said, and I saw him rub his hands together.

"Are you cold?" I asked, realizing he still had no shirt. He looked at me and nodded, and I ran to go get him a jacket.

"Thank you." He said, as he zipped it up carefully, trying not to catch his fur in the zipper.

"Well, I have to go on guard duty. Would you mind coming with?" I asked. He shook his head, and got up to follow me. "Don't forget your weapon." I said, and he nodded vigorously and took off to get it. And damn he was fast!

We were relieving Ahote, and I was happy to see him. "How are you doing Shiloh?" I asked.

"I am good. Impressed that you still remember." He said, and gave me a hug.

"A brother never forgets." I said, and he nodded, and I told him to go get some rest. He happily agreed, and I made sure he got down to the barracks safely.

I picked up the thermal binoculars, and stared scanning, my mg36 sitting next to me. I could hear Danny pacing behind me.

"So tell me about yourself." He said, hoping to start a conversation. I finished up my scan, and offered him a seat. He sat, his rifle resting against his leg.

"I am from Pennsylvania. I am just an average kid, trying to make a life for myself. Before the war, I was going to join the military. Guess that dream is shot, huh?" I asked, and he chuckled.

"I meant more on a personal level. Favorite color, food, car, stuff like that." He said, and he leaned forward in his seat.

"My favorite color is green. I am mostly Scottish, but I am also German and Russian. I really don't have a favorite food, but I am a big fan of beef. Favorite car, I have it sitting in one of those bays down there; the humvee!" I said, and he laughed.

"Why a humvee?" He asked.

"Safest minivan on the road." I said proudly, and he just shook his head.

"Alright, here real is a question; how are you so comfortable around animorphs?" He asked.

I sat quiet for a few minutes. I had been asked this a thousand times, but still had no answer. He started to apologize, and I shook my head.

"You asked a very good question, but there is just a small problem. I just don't have an answer." I said, and he sat back in his seat. "I am sorry to disappoint." I said.

"No, you haven't at all! Its just, remarkable how well all of you get along up here. Down in the city, there are riots almost every week, humans and animorphs dying. But for what?"

"Freedom." I said, very sarcastically. He nodded.

I got up, and scanned the tree line again.

"Uh, this is a personal question. Are you really not able to see the tree line from here?" He asked. I started laughing, and if he could have turned red, he would have.

"No, I can see the tree line perfectly. I am looking to make sure we do not have any unexpected guests." I said. He looked confused, so I tossed him the binoculars. In hindsight, that was a horrid idea, because they cost about $500 for a decent pair. But thankfully, he caught them.

"Now look through them, down at the camp." I said. He did, and he almost dropped them in surprise.

"What is all of the red?" He asked.

"Those are heat signatures. The hotter something is, the more red it will appear in these." I said. He looked at my face, and put them back down again.

"Pretty cool, huh?" I said, and he smiled happily. He handed them back to me, and we both sat down again. "So now it is your turn. Tell me about yourself." I said.

"Well, I joined the Animorph army at 14, and have been serving for two years training in it, until our recent attack. I helped secure Los Angeles. We lost a lot of good guys there." He said. I patted him on the back, and he smiled up at me. "I was thrown out of the animorph army because I shot my superior officer." He said.

"And why would you do that?" I asked, as I leaned back in my seat.

"Because he ordered me to shoot a small human boy for stealing food. He needed it to survive, and my officer ordered me to shoot him. I told him no, and he pointed his pistol at me, and I quickly shot him in the leg, and then took off. All of my squad mates were too shocked to chase me. And I have been on the run ever since." He finished.

"I figured you had a good reason. I am sorry to hear. In the Army, what did you do?" I asked, curious.

"I was a rifleman. I used the m16, but I like this rifle much better. Seems much more rugged." He said, as he picked up the m416. I smiled happily; glad I had made the right choice.

"So are you going to grow your antlers back out?" I asked, and he nodded.

I got back up, and rescanned the perimeter.

"It is my turn to ask a question, yes?" Danny said.

"Yea. There are no turns, if you have any questions just ask." I said.

"You have secrets, correct?" He asked.

"Uh, yea. Why?" I asked.

"Why do you not tell anybody about them? Free up your conscious?" He asked.

"I do not need to burden others with my own problems. I am sure they have enough already." I told him, after some thought.

"Okay, that is a pretty good answer. But, you are okay with others telling you everything?" He asked. Man, this guy was digging deep!

"Yea, of course. If you ever have an issue, then please feel free to find me. I am a pretty good listener, and I don't over react too often." I said.

He chuckled, and I gave him a questioning look. "Well, you are able to hear others secrets, but you will not share your own. It just seems, contradictory."

"Well, there is one, well, thing I tell my problems. I have a huge oak tree in the middle of the woods. It has been there through all of my problems, and has helped me solve many. And I am pretty sure it doesn't mind me speaking my mind." I said, and he smiled.

I scanned the perimeter again, and turned to him. I grabbed my canteen and took a sip. I looked over at him, and I saw him look hopeful. I tossed him the canteen, and he took a tiny sip.

"Jeez, take more than that. We are trying to get you healthy again!" I said, and he drained the rest. "Hey, are you a morning or night person?" I asked.

"I am a morning person." He said.

"Oh, and I am keeping you up! I am so sorry!" I said, and he just smiled and held up his hand.

"No, no. I am not tired at the moment. Too much excitement!" He said.

"Alright. Just making sure. So are there any team-members you dislike, or have questions about? I wont say a word to them." I said.

"Yea. About Sean, actually. Is really the camps mechanic?" He asked.

"Yea, he is. I am hoping he would be willing to teach somebody else his trade. If something were to happen to him, our vehicles would fall apart by the end of the month. And with the way I drive, he always has plenty of work!" I said.

"You aren't that bad of a driver you know." He said.

"You haven't seen my evasive driving." I said, and gave him a wink. He just chuckled.

I got up so I could scan the perimeter again, and he asked, "Have you ever seen combat?"

I stayed very quiet, and finally said, "Ask one of the others. They will give you the answer." I was not mad at him, I just was tired of talking about it, and it brought up bad memories.

"Sorry to bring up a sore point." He said, as he stared down t his feet.

I walked over to him, and patted him on the back. "It is fine, you didn't know. Also, I do not like being a braggart. Well, to often. Every once in a while, it is not such a bad thing." I said, and he looked up at me and smiled.

"So what can you brag about?" I asked.

"No too much. I am just an average kind of guy." He said. I nudged him to go on, and he finally said, "I used to be able to play the violin. I haven't picked one up what seems like years though. I used to play in the army. My squad mates all loved it, and they would beg me to play every opportunity I could."

I smiled, and told him if I could lay my hands on one, I would pick him up a violin and bow. He smiled, and seemed very happy about the concept of playing again.

It was quiet for about 5 minutes, and I took this time to scan the perimeter and break down my weapon a little, and check my gear.

"Hey Chris?" Danny asked.

"Yea, what's up?"

"Have you ever lost anyone?"

I did not speak, and I thought of both Zach and Canowicalete. A tear came to my eye, as I remembered how both died, and both were my fault. I could have prevented both of their deaths. But instead, I am haunted by the memories of who they were, and what they stood for. They would never see another sunrise, and I would never be able to forgive myself for that.

Danny walked over and wrapped his arms around me. I started to uncontrollably sob into his chest. I soaked his chest fur, and I could do nothing to stop the tears. I kept sobbing for the next five minutes, and finally I was able to pull myself together.

"I am sorry. You should not have seen that." I said, as I wiped my eyes with my sleeve.

"No. It is good for you to get out." He said, and I just stared at the ground. I had been fine all along, and he was able to make me break down in the first day. How? And why?

"You know, you are very different than I first pictured. Sean described you as a war hero. A mentor, and a great leader. But you are more than that, and I think if you let it show, you could build your bonds even stronger." He said.

"Yea. But they look up to me, as an unbreakable force. Whenever they need help, I am always there. I know more abut these guys than anyone else ever will. Yet, ask them 10 personal questions about me to them, and they will not be able to answer them. I do not choose to push my problems to others. Many of them have enough to worry about." I said.

"And you don't?"

"That's different." I said.

He sat back down, and leaned back. "How so?" I did not have an answer for him, so I scanned the perimeter.

"Zach. And Canowicalete. Those are the two who have died while under my command. They were both innocent. Both were pure. I am not. I have seen too much, and felt to little. There is hope for them." I said, and pointed down to the camp. "But for myself, I am not so sure."

"Once this war is over, we can pick up the peaces of our lives. We can start over."

" And when will this war ever end? You said it yourself, humans and animorphs riot every day, many being injured or killed. This war will never be truly over, and you know that." I said, and he nodded solemnly.

"But you must have hope."

"I do not have hope, because I give every once of it to my men. They deserve the best, and I will take what I can get. That is the way it is, and the way I like it. Because do you know where I get my hope? From their smiling faces. From the laughter, the comradely. That is what I look forward to. We have created the perfect civilization; man and animorph working side by side. We keep the peace, and do not harm others. There is no segregation by race, species, or sex. We live, fight, and love together. That is my hope." I said, and sat down.

"And THAT is what makes you the best leader for this outfit. You have your head on straight, and you know where to go." Danny said.

"You know, you are the first to question me so hard. Why do so?" I asked.

"I always have been curious. Ask Sean, he will tell you best." Danny said, and I saw him lean back in his seat, and close his eyes. I stayed quiet, hoping he would sleep, for it had been a long day for all of us, and I had learned to be able to operate with little sleep.

Not even five minutes later, I could hear him softly snoring, and I had to chuckle. He was as drained as I was, if not more. I checked my watch, it reading to be about 1:00am. I was happy, because I was going to be relieved soon enough, and then I could go pass out. I looked out and scanned the perimeter, looked to see if anything had changed. I almost missed the heat signature, even though it was massive.

"What the hell is that?"

Guten Tag Readers! I know that I went against my word that I would post it as soon as one of you asked for it. Mr. steeveey, you have my most sincere appologies. And for the others as well. But I hope that this chapter makes up for it? Next one will be posted this upcoming sunday, to which I dont feel like finding the date for. Hope you enjoy! Again, as this broken record repeats again, comments make the world go round for me! SO do votes and such. Also, any ideas will be put into account, inlcuding if you want your charactor into it! Otherwise, getting ready for Basic Training at Fort Benning, Georgia. 11-Bravo light infantry, PA National Guard! OOAH!