FicWad

DISCLAIMER: See Ch. 1.



CHAPTER 2

I don't know how long I was out for.

I eventually found myself in an infinite area, where everything was the same color and I couldn't even tell the ground from everything else above the horizon. It was all a plain, off-white color that reminded me of the "loading program" scene from The Matrix.

Looking around, I could see some sort of mist developing behind me, and it eventually enveloped me... it became so dense I couldn't even see my hand in front of my face...

And then it suddenly all vanished.

I was back in my room. At my old house. Just as it looked before my life as an Animorph started. In fact, I had the strangest feeling that this was just how my room looked before I went out to the mall that fateful night, when I met Elfangor and everything changed forever.

I couldn't help but think to myself, what the hell was going on here?

"Hey, Midget."

I immediately spun around and saw him standing in the doorway.

Tom.

My mind jumped to all sorts of conclusions at once. Had I gone back in time? Was he still a Controller? Did the Ellimist have anything to do with this?

However, after a brief glance at the mirror (in which my present nineteen-year-old self looked back at me), and saw the genuine smile on Tom's face, I knew that this was the present, and that Tom was not a Controller.

"I know what you're thinking, Jake... Is this all a dream? Am I communicating with the dead? Am I dead? Well, regardless of whichever explanation you choose to believe, we need to talk."

I decided to go along with it.

Besides, if all else failed, I could easily morph to defend myself.

Tom sat down next to me on my bed.

"So, you've managed to become a war hero who's saved humanity, on the brink of a new age between humans and other sentient races in the galaxy. Congratulations."

I couldn't help but be disgusted. He was naming what I hated. I didn't want to be a hero.

I couldn't take it anymore, and finally lost my cool at him. "Tom, I gave the order to kill you! How can you possibly sit there like that and look as though it doesn't bother you?"

He didn't seem to be at all fazed by my outburst... but instead looked more concerned for my benefit. "Jake, I agree with you, some of the things you did that fateful day... sending Rachel to kill me, flushing all those Yeerks out into space... are among decisions no one should have to make."

There was a moment of silence before Tom continued.

"Actually, Jake, as bizarre as this may sound... my death was something of a good thing."

I could have fallen over at that point.

"I'd like to think of it as a mercy killing... well, as merciful as it could get, what with Rachel doing it. Still, while I may have been dead, at least I was then free. Dead, but free."

"I know," I said, finally finding my voice. "It's just that... well, I regret..."

"The facts that I spent the last three years of my life as a Controller, and that you never got the chance to tell me things face to face?"

I felt the tears leaking out of my eyes, but also felt no need to wipe them away. Damn it, I was nineteen and felt like a ten-year-old. "Yes," I whispered, almost shamefully.

Tom put his arm around me in a sort of big brother hug. "Okay, let's go over all that, shall we? First off, yes, I agree, it does rather stink that I ended up like that, but then again, what matters more is how well time is spent, and not how much of it one has. I've even heard an old Asian saying somewhere, what was it? Oh yes... 'It is better to live a year as a lion than a thousand years as a sheep.' And for those free years of mine, I was happy. I enjoyed being your brother. Okay, I may not have acted it a lot of the time, but still..."

I nodded my head, understanding.

"And the other thing... not talking to me face to face and finding some closure? Well, hell-o, what do you think we're doing right now?"

I couldn't help but laugh in spite of myself.

"Look, Jake, I can see and understand why you felt that way, and still do somewhere deep inside. Heck, it wouldn't have been right if you didn't. But trust me on this... there are still plenty of opportunities for you out there, and it's not worth it, to dwell on the past and ignore what you have left."

I was moved. I hugged him close, unable to let go for what felt like a small eternity. "Thanks for 'visiting,' Tom. I really appreciate this."

"Heh," Tom shrugged as we separated, "Not really like I had much better to do, and you did need this, so..."

He let that dangle before he remembered something else. "Oh, and if it's not a problem... please tell Mom and Dad I say hi."

"Will do."

He got up, and as he moved to the still-closed door, I said almost casually, "'Bye, Tom."

He turned around and smiled one last time. "'Bye, Jake. See you soon... but hopefully not too soon."

Still smiling, he walked out through the closed door, as if he was a ghost. The mist started to surround me again...

And suddenly, I woke up.



TBC...

A/N: I don't know about you, but I think Jake needed that.

Also, I know that Jake eventually found a way to move on in Book 54, so this may seem rather pointless. However, I've found from my own experiences with dreams that sometimes, people act different in dreams than in real life, like having trouble distinguishing between that and real life. So, I tried to make that the case here as well.

Next part is where we meet my version of the Kelbrid/, although not exactly face to face... /-Quillian