A/N: This oneshot is based on Jared and Wanda's final encounter before she goes to Doc to get her Soul removed. Thanks a million to EdwardCullenManiac for the beta job. Read and review? Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own The Host or any of the characters.
Lie To Me
"Lie to me, Jared. Tell me that you want me to stay."
When she had choked out her wish, her final request, he knew that he would grant it.
Tell me that you want me to stay.
That was the easy part.
Although he could hardly wait to be reunited with Mel -all of Mel- after their long separation, Jared found it impossible to deny the fact that in the time he had gotten to know Wanda, he had fallen for her. His heart no longer beat for just Melanie, but the soul inside of her as well. One body, two personalities. The worst part? He was able to part with neither.
He had finally taken a page from Jamie's book. Over time, he had learned to live with Mel and Wanda together, as one. They were two separate people, but they seemed to get along quite nicely considering the circumstances as of late; and, with that, Jared had learned to deal with the fact that they were a packaged deal quite nicely. But now that they were about to be separated… what now? What would happen between him and Wanda? Him and Mel?
Time was slowly running out for Wanda, but Mel would be with him forever. That was why he felt as if he needed to send her off with a parting gift worthy of her stature. Besides, he hadn't treated her fairly at first. And she deserved so much more.
Lie to me.
That part, Jared wasn't able to do. As he had already told himself- she deserved far more than that. Lying was a trite human thing, like narcissism or tossing the blame onto others; and there was no way that he would perform such a vile type of admiration in front of her again.
Instead, he spilled his guts. He told her truth after truth, hoping that she would see through the façade, realize that he was telling her not a piles of falsehoods. Unfortunately for him, he was still human, and it is within human nature to lie.
As a final form of affection, he gave her a memory that he hoped she would carry on forever, no matter where she went after Earth. He had kissed her. It may have been Mel's body, but the kiss was for Wanda. All of the passion he held for her was poured out into that kiss, but it had ceased to change her mind. She didn't stay with him once their lips parted, their gaze broke. She ran. Ran to Doc so she could end her life and give Melanie hers back.
It was in that moment that Jared felt a sharp blow to the heart.
After all, parting is such sweet sorrow.