the airplane

[instar]

Bella, Andi, and Robin all get on the plane. Bella and Robin have toothbrush caps in their pockets containing flies. Nothing in particular happens when they go through security. They fly for an hour, and then Bella, rather than risk crunch time due to turbulence or a line for the bathroom a little later on, gets up to take Trouble into privacy for demorphing and remorphing.

She takes the toothbrush cap out of her pocket and sets it on the tiny little counter, and then flattens herself against a wall to give him room.

Comments

[sundayfish]

Not so good for his passenger.

His passenger sits Charlie down. And looks uncomfortable.

[hold_infinity]

The bears are patient.

[sundayfish]

They do have to be patient. They don't have to be very patient, though.

By late afternoon, Charlie's curled up in a ball, making pained noises.

And by the time the sun goes down, an unhappy-looking slug-shape slides out of his ear.

[aeskhyne]

<The Yeerk's out,> Trouble reports to his fellow Animorphs.

He reaches forward and spears it with a claw, just to make sure.

[sundayfish]

Charlie stays curled up in a ball, but relaxes, some.

"Now what?" he mumbles.

[morphbox]

Pigeons land. (One pigeon lands on Trouble-the-bear.)

Pigeons demorph.

[instar]

"Hi, Dad."

[sundayfish]

"What."

[aeskhyne]

Trouble-the-bear snickers over thought-speak.

[sundayfish]

"No, really - girls - what? Bella, you're sitting on an Andalite bear, you were a pigeon, what's going on."

[pandion]

"We're not any of us Andalites," says Andi. "We're Animorphs. Are you okay, Daddy?"

[sundayfish]

"I'm - fine, for now anyway - what's an Animorph?"

[instar]

"We were thinking we'd fake your death, unless you have a better idea," Bella says. "An Andalite gave us morph tech, but then he died."

[sundayfish]

"What?"

[pandion]

"A few weeks ago," elaborates Andi. "And then we found out what the Sharing is and knew you had to have one of those things so we saved you."

[instar]

"Do we need to fake your death or do you or your ex-Yeerk have some kind of extremely convenient circumstance?"

[sundayfish]

"How were you planning to fake my death?"

[instar]

Bella pats the bear she is sitting on. "This one morphs you. That one," she points at Ethan, "assuming I haven't mixed them up, mauls him and drags him off to the nearest water source, then this one demorphs, all better, he doesn't mind getting mauled. We find park rangers and tell them a bear attacked you and we barely got away. The tracks are right, the blood is right, etcetera. Meanwhile, we make you morphable, you turn into some kind of bug or something else we can catch here, we take you someplace you can hide out - probably back to Phoenix, ultimately."

[pandion]

"Trouble's been being a pigeon a lot," adds Andi. "You can... be pigeons... together?"

[instar]

Bella checks her watch. "Bears may as well demorph now," she remarks, "even Ethan, low on morph time - who wants to check again for park rangers?" She slides awkwardly down Trouble's side.

[aeskhyne]

Trouble rubs the side of his big furry head against her shoulder in a gentle friendly sort of way and then starts to demorph.

[palmofyourhand]

Ethan demorphs too.

[hold_infinity]

<I'll take a look,> says Pigeon Robin.

[instar]

"Thanks," says Bella to Robin. "Okay. Dad, do you have a better idea than ours?"

[sundayfish]

He shakes his head slowly. "I didn't - think I was ever going to get rid of him, I don't have a plan. And we should hurry in case anyone at the Seattle pool notices I'm not showing up."