a/n: Do you guys love the host? Its one of my favorite books. So one day I was just thinking, what would happen after Mel came back? I know Stephenie is working on the next book, which I am sooo pumped about, but I was just day dreaming and writing down what I could see as the next chapter in Melanie's life. Tell me if you like! Enjoy!
I refused to fade away.
That's why I'm still here. In this near impossible situation, that I would have never dreamed I would be in, but am in anyway. But I'm still here, in my own body, with my own mind. No one else is here with me.
Well, no one else is here with me in my body. Jared Howe's breathing was slow and even with sleep. He didn't snore, which was just one more of the many things that I loved about him. I buried my face deeper into his chest, breathing in the scent of him, his own scent. Nothing could compare.
Jared looked so peaceful when he sleeps, just like I remember him. He always had that small grin when he was sleeping, a frown no where in sight on his beautiful tanned face. His arms unconsciously tightened around me, making me feel like I was being engulfed by invisible flames where his bare skin touched mine.
I trailed my fingers down Jared's sides. It amazed me how even now, after everything we've been through, it still felt like there was a flat sun pressed between Jared and I, making my skin tingle and my heart pick up it's pace.
Jared responded to my touch, and his eyes snapped open to lock gazes with me. We were so close that, even in the dark room we were sleeping in, I could still see the gold flecks in his eyes, gazing intently at me. "What? What is it, Mel?" he asked, trying to shake himself out of his drowsiness.
I shook my head. "Nothing. I just couldn't sleep. Bad dream," I said, trying to put on a smile to reassure him that it was no big deal.
"Bad dreams?" Jared echoed, sounding disturbed no matter how much I meant to calm him down.
"You scared them away," I said, smiling and snuggling closer to him, though I wasn't sure how I could get any closer. I could feel the contours of his bare stomach through the thin layer of my white spaghetti-strap tank.
Jared sighed, but otherwise ignored that comment completely. "What were they about?" he asked, stroking my back softly, painting my spine with flames.
I shook my head. No way was I going to tell him how weak I was, how I still have nightmares about the things that all seemed silly now compared to the bigger picture. "Um, lots of things. It's not important, Jared. It's over now."
"If you think I'm going to let this go, Melanie Stryder, than you don't know me as well as I thought you did." Jared was being serious, but there was still a smile in his voice, his eyes still crinkled at the edges in that adorable way of his.
I sighed in defeat, I could already feel the mortification of re-living these nightmares heating my face. I was thankful for the darkness of the room so Jared wouldn't see my blush. "Just… images. All different, but all the same, you know?"
"No, I don't know. Elaborate that, please." His voice was eerily calm.
"Just… when I was a Host. Images. My eyes. That storage space that Wanda and I slept in. The look on your face, in your eyes-"
"Oh, Mel," Jared whispered, finally understanding. "I'm sorry, Mel. I didn't…I wouldn't have… I just didn't understand. I wanted so much to believe you were in there, but it seemed impossible at the time. I was mad at Wanda for taking you away from me."
"I know, Jared. I have nothing against you. Not anymore."
"Not anymore?" He sounded shocked, it took all of my will power to not crack a smile and give myself away.
I made my face turn into a scowl as I pulled away from him. "You… I don't know how you did it, but you managed to make me as mad as I has ever been when I was trapped in my head. You were being such a thickheaded male, that I didn't know what to do to you. Wanda was probably getting scared at my hostility toward you, especially since she knew that I love you so much."
Jared's jaw dropped. He quickly regained composure, though. "Am I forgiven?" he asked with a small smile.
"I'll think about it," I said pursing my lips.
Jared looked serious. "Not funny, Melanie."
"I'm not trying to be funny," I said, matching his facial expression as best I could.
He shoved me playfully. "Jerk," he muttered.
I shoved him back. "You're such a bigger jerk than me, Jared. There's no denying it, I'm an angel compared to you."
He shoved me, actually managing to roll me a little farther than his first push. I shoved back, pleased when he rolled, too. I jumped up into a sitting position and tackled him. He laughed and had me pinned under him in a matter of seconds.
"Take it back," he commanded, unable to hide his smile.
"Make me." I was grinning uncontrollably as well.
He grabbed my face, almost roughly, and began to kiss me fiercely. It felt like I was brushing my lips with an open flame, but it didn't hurt, it just filled me up with an odd aching in my chest. My hands automatically made their way up to his face, to stroke his perfect features, to tangle themselves in his soft hair.
And than, without giving him any hint of warning, I had him pinned under me now. He gasped a little in surprise, his beautiful eyes growing wide from the unexpected move I had just made. I grinned.
A dim light was filtering through the room now, and I could clearly see Jared now. His prominent cheekbones, long thin nose, and sharply squared off jaw were so familiar to me. His eyes, the beautiful color of clear liquid sienna, had only a human reflection when the light hit them, which would have meant the world to me back then. But now I know that he, Jared, means the world to me.
I ran my hands along his chest and down his muscular stomach. Jared shivered and caught my wrist as it descended. I positioned myself so that I was straddling him more conveniently. I straightened out my shorts and shirt. My mahogany hair, far past reason, I left alone.
"Melanie," Jared whispered, closing his eyes.
"You rang?" I whispered back, leaning in to press my lips to his once more.
"You're killing me," Jared whispered a few minutes later as I was kissing his neck. "You're really, truly, killing me."
"You're indestructible," I argued against the skin on his neck.
"You're not dying any time soon, okay?"
He was silent, stroking my arms absently, deep in thought.
I raised my head to look him levelly in the eye. "Okay?" I prompted, studying his face.
I was suddenly under Jared again. My legs automatically wrapping themselves around his waist, my arms around his neck. His eyes never broke from my gaze. "I promise," he said with a small smile as he began kissing me again.
"Excuse me," a small voice came from the entrance to the room.
Reluctantly, I pushed Jared away from me and sat up. "Sunny?" I asked, squinting to make sure I was right about the voice coming from the silhouette in the doorway. "Is that you?"
"Yeah. I wouldn't have bothered you, but Wanda and Ian were gone. I don't know where they went. I could leave, if I interrupted anything." Sunny shifted uncomfortably in the doorway.
I wanted to tell her to get lost and pull Jared back on top of me, but the sound of Sunny's voice made me concerned. It sounded scared, sad, worried. I sighed and pulled myself into a better sitting position.
"Come on in, Sunny. What's bothering you?"
Sunny shuffled into the room awkwardly. She still wasn't used to any of us, I could tell. She was probably the most comfortable with Wanda and Kyle, and having to resort to us was probably the scariest thing she's ever had to do.
I patted the empty space on the bed for her to sit. Jared pulled me into his arms, not letting me out of his grip for more than a minute.
I smiled a small smile back at him, as if to apologize for breaking us up. He raised his eyebrows as if to question my sanity.
"So, what is it, Sunny?" I prompted, turning back to the hesitant girl on the mattress. The body that Sunny was inhabiting was a pretty person. I know from Kyle that her human name is Jodi. Jodi was tiny, but there was something about her that you could see she was older than you thought. Her springy black hair was falling beautifully around her face in dismay. She looked upset.
Her eyes filled with tears. "I- I just don't know what to think. Kyle… he asks me to- to look for… her."
"You mean Jodi?" Jared asked.
Sunny nodded. "He thinks that maybe… maybe I'm like her"- she nodded her head to me- "and I have two minds inside me. But I don't!" she almost wailed. "Jodi's gone. She's gone, and he won't give up."
"And you're worried that he's just using you," I guessed.
She nodded miserably.
I took a deep breath and tried to think about how I could phrase this so she would understand and not be upset. "Look, Sunny. Jodi… Kyle loved her. They were together before the invasion happened. Before he met you. He has no problem with you. But…" I was at a loss of words. "I've been in your position before, Sunny, or something like it. I know how you feel."
Jared's arms tightened around me. "Sunny. If you put yourself in Kyle's place, what would you be feeling?"
Sunny shook her head vigorously, as if Jared and I were trying to get her to change religions and she just wasn't letting up. "He could learn to love me," she whispered, more to herself than to us. "I know he can."
"If he can learn to love anyone-" I started, but the scared look in Sunny's eyes stopped me short. I rolled my eyes.
"I know he can learn to love you, Sunny. Just give it time," Jared said.
I bit my lip, why did I always have to be the bad guy? "And, Sunny? If he… doesn't stop looking for Jodi… don't get put out, okay? Maybe…" I didn't finish, I didn't want to, didn't need to.
Sunny nodded and stood. "Okay, thank you." She shuffled out of the room.
I let out my breath. "That was seriously random."
Jared didn't respond, just continued to hold me, staring at the door that Sunny left through, saying nothing.
"Hey," I said quietly, nudging him with my shoulder. "you okay?"
He snapped out of it, but not completely. I could see the distant look in his eyes. "I'm fine, Mel. Don't worry about me."
"I'm worried about what has you worried."
He rolled his eyes at me.
"I'm serious." I pulled out of his arms so that I could get a better look at him. "What's got your panties in a wad?" I asked.
He raised an eyebrow at me. "Very mature," he mock approved.
"I try," I replied with a shrug. "So tell me."
"I was just thinking about the future." He stared off into the distance again.
"So, you're a psychic now?" I teased.
He sighed and pushed me off of the bed. I caught myself and rolled onto my feet. I threw a nearby shirt at him.
"Jerk!" I yelled.
He laughed. "I didn't mean to push so hard, Mel. I'm sorry. I was thinking of the future… wondering what was going to come. What about Jamie? What about Wanda and Ian? Sunny and Kyle? What about us?"
"What about us?" I shot back. "We're not leaving each other, if that's what you're getting at." I was angry now. Reaching my boiling point.
Jared shook his head and got off of the bed to stand in front of me.
"Never," he vowed. "Never, ever."
"Than don't think about that," I said, looking around for some clothes to change into for working. I hoped we didn't have to do soap today.
Jared turned me around and pulled me into his arms. His lips found mine immediately. I was bewildered, my arms pinned to my arms by Jared's blazing hot arms. The flat sun between us just got a few shades hotter. I let Jared's lips lead mine, vaguely trying to figure out what was going on.
"Jared," I gasped, pulling my mouth away from his. His mouth moved from my lips to the skin on my neck. "What- what the hell are you doing?"
He didn't respond, only continued to kiss up and down my neck. I felt trapped with my arms at my side, and finally managed to wriggle them free. I grabbed either side of Jared's face and lifted it up to face me.
He was panting, his eyes bright and alive. He smiled softly as the light in his eyes calmed and went back to normal. He kissed me once more, softly, and than pulled back. "I'm sorry, Mel. I was just
thinking. I don't want to lose you."
"Okay, well-" I was out of words. "just… tell me next time you're going to attack me, okay?" I was breathing heavily, trying to catch my breath. "I mean, I love you and all, but some warning beforehand would be great."
He smiled, his eyes crinkling in that way that they do. "Sure thing, babe."
I smiled and handed him a shirt. "We got work to do."
"If it's soap, I'm going to purposely break my fingers to get out of it." He began to pull on the navy blue T-shirt I handed him. I pulled on a white T-shirt and a new pair of yellow shorts. Jared was already out of his sweats and into a pair of jeans.
"If you intentionally hurt yourself, I will kill you, Jared Howe."
"Hi, Jared! Hi, Melanie!" Jamie came running up to us in his not-quite-so-boy-ish-anymore glory. His midnight hair growing out longer than I really cared for. I automatically reached out and pushed it out of his eyes.
"Ew, Mel! Stop! I'm not a baby!" Jamie backed away from me and over to Jared. "Hey, Jared!"
"Hey, Jamie," Jared said, clapping Jamie's back. I could tell he was trying not to wince at Jared's hit. I laughed and straitened up
"Eggs, bacon, and toast!" my Uncle Jeb yelled to Jared and I.
"My favorite," Jared said, leading me to where there were two plates waiting for us to eat. We got so much more delicacies lately since Wanda and Sunny came into the picture. Speaking of which…
"Hi, guys," Wanda said walking up to us with a forever faithful Ian at her side.
"Hey, Wanda, Ian," I said, giving a nod to each. "What have you two been up to, Sunny said she couldn't find you this morning."
"We were in the washroom," Ian answered, smiling when Wanda blushed violently.
Wanda looked so… vulnerable in her new Host. She was tiny, short as well as small boned. Her strawberry blonde hair looking super silky today, as it always does. Her freckles just put the cherry on top. I must say, we did a pretty good job picking out a new Host for our little friend Wanderer.
Wanda was looking at me as if she were studying my features as well. Maybe it was weird for her seeing me. Wanda and I share a special bond, you could say. I mean, after all, we did share my body at one time.
Where Wanda was small and fragile, I was strong and tall. Where she had strawberry blonde silk hair, I had mahogany locks. We differed in so many ways, yet we both grew to be the same somehow. Ian and Jared were in a conversation now, I had just noticed. Ian looked like his twin brother, Kyle, except Ian actually had a strait, Greek nose. Kyle's is forever crooked from being broken so many times.
I mean, he just asks for a punch in the face, I swear.
Ian had dark hair, much like Jamie's, and deep blue eyes. He was big and muscular, like his brother, even like Jared, kind of.
Ian was staring back at me now, and I was once again pulled into that crevice in my heart that will forever be damaged from when Wanda was in my body. Wanda felt for Ian, like I felt for Jared, and it… changed the four of us, though we would never admit it. We were all emotionally distressed in some way.
"Well," Jared said, breaking me out of my trance. "what do you think?"
"About what?"
He sighed. "Nothing."
"A raid," Ian said. "We need to go on a raid, and we really need Jared."
I nodded, of course they did. Next to the Souls, Jared was the best when it came to going on raids. "Okay, that's fine. When are we leaving?" I asked.
Jared tensed. "We?" he echoed in disbelief.
I sighed. "Jared, you're going to have to get used to the fact that I'm not leaving you, ever again. Last time when we both said we would take care of ourselves…" I shook my head at the memories. "I'm going."
Jared sighed. "I know. I don't want to leave you either, but you would be so much safer here. Nothing would happen-"
I was in his arms before he could say the rest. "Anything could happen, Jared. I'm not staying here without you. I'm going."
"You know if this was anyone but you, I would be calling you crazy and yelling." Jared wrapped his arms around me. "Okay, okay, you can come. But please, Mel, I don't want you getting hurt-"
"I'm not that self-destructive, Jared."
Jared kissed my head. "Okay, lets eat."
"Where to?" Wanda asked from the driver's seat. Ian insisted on taking the front with her. Sunny and Kyle were in the truck behind us, waiting for our lead.
I was in Jared's arms in the backseat, my head resting wearily on his chest. "Some place with a bed would be nice…" I said, closing my eyes.
Jared stroked my arms, setting them on invisible fire.
Wanda pulled into a local hotel parking lot and got out. "I'll be right back," she promised as she walked with a new found confidence into the hotel's lobby. I was so proud of the courage that she had found since she came into me as a Host.
A few minutes later she came back. She tossed a room key to Jared and handed one to Ian. She walked back to Kyle's truck to hand him one. We all got out of the small silver car and stretched. I was so stiff from sitting in a car for the good part of the day. We had gone a long way to raid, all the way to Kansas.
We grabbed our bags of clothing from the cars and headed up to our hotel rooms. The hotel was nice, compared to the cave we were currently hiding in. Don't get me wrong, the cave that Jeb found had class, but sometimes I required something… light.
Jared and I arrived at our room and walked in. There was one queen bed, all white and fluffy and inviting. I threw my bag down and turned to Jared. He had that eternal smile on his face as he set his bag down as well.
"Not to shabby, eh?" he asked, looking around the room.
"It has a microwave," I pointed out. "This place is my sanctuary."
Jared laughed and shook his head. "Some of the things you say amaze me, Mel."
I smiled and picked up a bag. "I'm going to take a shower. Try to find something good on TV, will you?" I asked as I walked into the bathroom.
"Impossible, but I'll try," I heard Jared say before I closed the door.
I needed that shower horribly. My hair was finally cooperating with me for the time. I unzipped the bag and than realized that I had taken Jared's bag into the bathroom instead of mine. Oh, well. He wont mind. I threw on a pair of his boxers and one of his T-shirts.
Jared looked me up and down when I walked out of the bathroom. "Nice," he finally said casually, making room for me on the bed.
"I figured I would see if I could pull off the look," I replied just as casually crawling into the bed next to him. I was immediately pulled into his arms. I rested my head on his chest once more, perfectly at ease. "Did you find anything good on TV?"
"Ugh," was all Jared said to that.
The movie playing at the time seemed to be a Romance film, from what I gathered from it. Anyway, it was at the ending, and the happy couple were walking hand and hand into the sunset, like any alien movie would end.
"Happy endings are overrated," I mumbled.
Jared laughed at that. "Is that what you think? That there's no hope?"
I sighed. "No. I was just being pessimistic."
He was suddenly kissing me again. I laughed against his lips. "Didn't we agree to warning me before you attack?" I asked as Jared's arms wrapped around me.
"Oops. I'm sorry, Mel. You just smell really good."
"Thanks?" I said. Was that the only reason he was kissing me?
"And your skin is really soft," he added, tracing random patterns on my legs, drawing fire on my skin. "and you look so… sexy in my clothes."
"Right," I said with a light laugh. Jared said nothing, just began to kiss my jaw line, my neck, my collar bone. His thumbs were stroking my hipbones, moving my shirt up so that his thumbs were flaming on my bare skin. His hands began to trail up, lifting my shirt with them. He lifted it up all the way to the bottom of my ribcage, and than stopped.
I pulled his mouth to mine with a fierce need. He groaned when my hands snaked under his shirt and stroked the skin under there. I gave up on trying to keep my cool, and just pulled Jared's shirt all the way off.
a/n: So tell me what you think so far! I hope you guys like it! There's going to be looootttss of drama/action coming up next chapter! So Read and Review!
Much appreciated!
Peace!