Dear Readers,

Since I was always wondering about what would happen at the end of The Host, I decided to write my own fanfic. It starts right from where The Host ends. This is mainly going to be about Wanda and Ian. Story is all from Wanda POV. Of course, Mel and Jared's relationship will be shown but not from their point of view unless I feel inspired. Let me know what you think! Please R&R!

Beautyandthebooks.


It was still very quiet as Burns and I stood between the groups. He looked at me and I looked at him. Since he was from Fire World I wasn't sure if I'd like him. My position on Fire World wasn't very fond. Though he seemed like he would be different than my expectations. "Where are you from, Wanderer?"

I smiled at his question. I hadn't realized that my name was not as easy to recognize the origin of, no pun intended. "I'm from the Origin," I said with a slight blush of my cheeks when he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"You're really from the Origin?" He asked with an incredulous look. I nodded and he smiled shaking his head with what looked like chagrin. "I've never met anyone from the Origin. Is this you're second planet or . . . ?" He trailed off waiting for my response.

"Um, this is my ninth planet." I said my cheeks getting slightly pinker when he looked down right shocked.

"Well, this is the first time I've been bested at that, too." I raised my eyebrows in question, "I've been to five planets." I was about to ask him what planets he'd been to when Ian cleared his throat. I smiled back at him and laughed. Or should I say giggled? I still hadn't been able to rid Pet's body of the habit.

I introduced everyone and Burns did the same. "Would you like to come back with us? We could introduce you to the rest of our group. I'm sure they'd like to meet you. And I know I'd like to ask you some questions," said Jared, with a laugh.

"I think we could agree to that," smiled Nate, "We'll only be able to stay a little while. We don't want our family to worry." Jared said that was fine and we started walking back to the caves. Burns was beside me and Mel, Jared, and Ian were all close by. Some might think they were eavesdropping. I could hardly blame them. Burns was the only soul we'd met - besides Sunny - that understood and knew what I was doing. Gone native, as he'd said before.

"How long have you been here, Wanderer?" he asked. I tried to think. I'd spent about six months in Mel's body with the Souls. Then I spent six or maybe more months in her body at the caves. And I'd spent six months in Pet's body. Of course, I wasn't sure of any of those measurements of time.

"I think it's been about a year and a half to two years," I said, "But I can't be sure." I looked up at Burns, "How long have you been here?"

"I've been here four years," he laughed. I understood. It was the only thing he'd been more experienced on than I was. "I never thought I'd meet another soul like me," he smiled. He looked like he didn't like his choice of words.

"I know what you mean," I assured him. He nodded and smiled.

"What did you mean when you said I had no idea early in the cave?"

"Well, it's not just us. There's another soul in the caves, Sunny. It's a nickname for Sunlight Passing Through Ice. We're not completely alone." I said laughing up at Burns. He was tall. And I was short. It wasn't the best combo.

We entered the caves and I heard fast footsteps. Jamie came around the corner, "Wanda!" He came and picked me up. People were doing that more and more in the caves. I was so small and light that when people hugged me they'd pick me up and set me down. He stopped suddenly when he saw Burns and the others. His eyes widened.

"Don't worry, Jamie," said Mel. She went up to Jamie and showed him her eyes with a flashlight. He hugged Mel and then Jared. But then he looked confused. I smiled, poor Jamie, he had no idea what was going on.

"We found other humans, Jamie," said Jared. Jared was so happy he picked Jamie up. We all laughed at that. When Jared put Jamie down Jamie ran to the rest of the people filing in and shouting the good news. We took our new friends to the dining hall and Jared introduced everyone. Jeb was going to give them a tour but only after we ate. Nate was talking to Jeb about the caves and each side found their counterpart and started talking.

I found Sunny, who was attached to Kyle, and introduced her to Burns. She seemed a little shy but altogether happy to meet Burns. He sat with me for a while and we started talking.

"How did you get here?" asked Burns. Mel and I looked at each other and remembered the first few days in the caves. I couldn't speak for Mel, but I felt a shiver go down my spine. Pet wasn't used to such harsh memories, even if they hadn't happened in her body. Thankfully Ian was getting food so he didn't have a chance to notice my reaction. It would have upset him.

To my surprise Jared seemed to notice. He caught my eye for a second. It's not like I thought he was insensitive, it was just that Jared and Mel had been in their own little world lately. They had every right to be. They'd almost lost each other. But Jared and I had still been trying to work out our friendship. Mel and Ian were in the same place too but for them it was less confusing. They were both human and their thoughts were the same. I held Jared's stare for a second and then looked away. Sometimes it was better to look to the future. I'd never forget my past but my future was brighter.

I looked back at Burns. He'd asked how I'd gotten here. I didn't know whether he was asking in the physical sense – like how I'd gotten to the caves – or the mental one – how I'd gotten to Earth. I tried to think about how to tell Burns about the way my first life on Earth had started. "Well," I said, "It's complicated," I said quickly and Burns gave me a quick look. He smiled and a look of understanding came over his face.

"Some stories are complex," he said, letting me know he understood by caution. I looked back over at Mel and laughed wryly.

"You have no idea," I said. Ian came back over to our table and brought a bowl of soup for me as well. He placed mine in front of me and quickly sat down. I placed my hand lightly over his knee and squeezed it in thank you. He gave me a light – and somewhat territorial – kiss on my forehead. Burns caught the motion.

He didn't say anything, possibly not understanding or not wanting to bring attention to it, but either way I was grateful. Throughout the dinner, more and more people were mixing together and talking about past situations or funny stories since the invasion. I turned to Burns extremely curious.

"Burns, what planets have you been to? You said there were four?" I asked with a curious edge. I hadn't been able to talk to a soul about the planets without feeling guilty since I came to earth.

"Obviously Fire World," he said with a smile and quickly listed, "Singing World, Bear World, planet of the Flowers, and of course Earth. And you?" he asked with open curiosity. I smiled.

"I've been to the Origin, of course. But I also went to Singing World, planet of the Flowers, Bear World, Summer world, Land of the See Weeds, the Spiders, Mists planet, and Earth."

"That's a hell of a résumé," he said with a laugh. I felt my cheeks turn lightly pink. Sunny who was sitting next to Kyle just next to Ian and I looked over at Burns.

"Since you've been to Bear World, you must have heard the story of Rides the Beast," she said with a bright look in her eye. I looked at her and tried to stop it before it came out but I was too late.

"Sunny, now is really not a good-" she cut me off, that was the most confrontational thing she'd ever done. I felt myself sigh in irritation. Mel, Jared, and Ian were smiling at my need to be in the shadows.

"Wanderer is Rides the Beast," she said, like she got credit for telling him. I felt my cheeks become more obvious in their blush. Burns's eyes lit up in surprise and a couple of the people we'd met looked at me with the same reaction. Surely Burns wouldn't have told them a story – indirectly – about me. My illusion was soon crushed.

"Burns," said Nate who was sitting across from him, "Didn't you tell us a story about a soul called Rides the Beast?"

I put my face in my hands as I felt my face turn red. Ian wrapped a hand around my waist and I curled into him. Most of the people who lived in the caves who had been listening laughed. I'd told them my story only when begged. They usually pulled the guilt card and I broke down. I was so easy to manipulate.

I faced the table when I felt the heat go down minutely in my cheeks but Burns was looking at me with a surprised look on his face. He had a smile on his face. "You know that souls are usually not competitive but you seem to keep excelling at whatever I've done," he said with a wry chuckle.

"How 'bout that tour," asked Jeb, getting up from the table after he'd finished his dinner. Our new friends nodded vehemently and quickly followed Jeb who started explaining how things worked with the kitchen. I smiled at Jeb. So happy to show people what had been created in the caves. It applied to his showmanship type of personality. Burns looked at me as he got up.

"Do you think was could talk as we walked?" he asked and I quickly nodded. I had so many questions for Burns. I didn't want to overload him but at the same time I didn't know what to ask first. Burns went to put his dishes away and I looked at Ian. Even when I was standing up, I still felt short.

"You coming?" I asked as I gathered my dishes. He looked like he was thinking about something else but shook his head.

"Talk to Burns," he said, "I'm sure you have a lot to talk about." He gave me a quick kiss on the lips and I slowed it down. It was so freeing to feel the heat of Ian's touch. It was something I was still getting used to. Just looking at Ian made my heart beat and breathing become faster. He always got a sparkle in his eye when he realized that he could affect me this way.

I broke away quickly, knowing that if I didn't I'd embarrass myself in front of a room full of people. Although I knew Ian wouldn't mind, I still cared. He threw me a quick wink before I caught up with everyone in the hallway. Right before I turned the corner, I saw the smile fall from his face. He looked at Jared and they quickly began talking about something. I was about to head back but Burns asked me as the group began walking down the hall, "I was wondering Wanderer," he said with a nervous expression, "I couldn't help but notice you and Ian and I was wondering . . . ?" he said leaving the comment open ended like a question.

I looked anxiously up at Burns's face to see what his interest was in my being with Ian. He seemed only mildly curious but I could sense an effort to remain nonchalant in his expression. I simply responded, "Yes."

He nodded and didn't broach the subject again. We moved onto easier subjects. I knew that he was maybe interested but I couldn't be sure. Here I was giving myself credit, Burns was probably curious about a soul having a relationship with a human. Being a little self-center? I asked myself.

After the tour Nate who seemed to be their leader said they should be heading back to their families. "Can we meet again," asked Jared. He seemed almost sad to see them go. I could sympathize. Jared had met people outside our own group. It gave him hope.

"Yes," said Nate after looking at the others to see their response to the invitation. "We'd like to show you to our location but that will have to be worked out. We have to get home and after we're settled we'll come back with a couple people. Maybe a couple days time?" he asked for confirmation. Jared quickly confirmed our plans.

I felt arms encircle my waist as I watched our new friends walk out of the cave and into the night. "We're not alone," Ian whispered in my ear, ruffling the tendrils of my hair. I turned to face him, making sure not to disrupt his hands on my waist. I placed a light kiss on his lips and he continued to trail kissing along my jaw and throat.

"I never was alone," I whispered into his ear and knew he felt the same when he pulled me into a tight embrace. No, I thought, with Ian, Mel, Jared, and Jamie I could never be alone.

Let me know what you think whether it be good or bad comments, or just random thoughts about the chapter! Review and make my day!

XOXO,

Beautyandthebooks.