Robin constructs an appropriate enthusiasm.

"So let's talk about the part where I get eaten by a bear," says Trouble.

"That's cover-up, not part of the rescue itself. We set up the hike, cut as close as we can to when the Yeerk is going to need to nip out for some Kandrona. Before we leave Andi unloads Charlie's gun in case he brings it. While we are out in the woods, we encounter some bears. You guys can rotate out, but don't let him get to the car or otherwise away. Tree him if you can, avoid hurting him if possible - Trouble, the Yeerk will come out when it's hungry enough pool or no pool, right?"

"Yeah. When they starve, they kind of - shrivel up and ooze out."

"Good. When that happens and it's good and dead, we can explain everything to Charlie, and unless he has a better way for him to plausibly meet his end - or, conceivably, can think of a way around needing to - you turn into him and Ethan mauls you and we generally stage the scene like a bear killed and dragged off our father, we go look for park rangers - whichever of you is not being a bear at any given time would be helpful if they were being pigeons and checking for park rangers who might get near Charlie. We tell the park rangers a bear killed and dragged off our father. Meanwhile Charlie gets morph-capable and turns into - something, it'll depend on what's available, probably some kind of bug."

"Sounds good to me," says Trouble.

"I'm not sure pigeons are really optimal for that kind of work, but I guess they're the best we've got."

"If you get a chance to grab a bird of prey between now and then, do, I just don't see a great way to manage it and still want to conserve morphs as much as we can." She pulls out her notebook, starts scrutinizing ciphers. "If it's got any plans to take us by force in the next couple days, we can morph our way out. Andi sleeps light enough that it can't even open our door at night without waking her and it knows that. We do the cooking when we're here so it's not like it can drug us. Am I missing anything?"

"How do we keep in touch with Ethan and Trouble?"

"Good question. I'm assuming we won't be staying in your pockets indefinitely; we do need to sleep."

"I was imagining you'd hang out in the woods, sleep in shifts, wake each other up if anybody wandered by. Feeding you will be a little complicated, but for just a couple days you can eat in morph, I'll get you some bread." She starts rummaging for bread.

"We're right up next to the woods. You could stay just within thoughtspeak range, and me and Bella will usually be able to find a moment by ourselves to morph each other."

Ethan shrugs. "Sounds all right to me, then."

"Okay. Unpacking time, fun fun fun. And - looks like Dad or whoever already put stuff on the couch to make it up for Robin."

"...Okay, that's actually a problem, um."

"Arcane Teenage Girl Giggling is so useful."

Ethan laughs.

"And then Andi's light-sleeper-hood will cover all three of us." Bella hands off the mattress to be hauled upstairs by less clumsy hands.

Andi totes it, and comes down for the sheets and pillow and so on too.

Which Trouble helpfully extracts from the couch.

"Thanks." Tote tote.

Trouble hugs Robin.

Robin hugs back.