Disclaimer: I do not own Sucker Punch or The Host. This is just for fun. Nearly all the dialogue is taken directly from the scene in Sucker Punch where Sweet Pea escapes; and the scene near the end of 'The Host' movie where Wanda wakes up in her second body.
The concept of the story is based on the fact that the actress Emily Bowning plays both Babydoll and Wanda. I wanted to give Babydoll a somewhat happy ending to Sucker Punch through The Host.
The Host part is based fully on the movie. I have not read the book yet.
WANDERER
Using the map, fire, the knife and the key, Babydoll and Sweet Pea finally managed to escape. After sneaking past security, the two young women found their way to the entrance area of the building where they had been imprisoned. They hoped that they would be able escape without being seen. But as they sneaked outside, they saw a group of Blue's men standing by the exit, blocking their way out. The two young women crouched behind a car, keeping out of sight.
Babydoll looked at the men standing by the exit in despair. "Damn it!" She whispered to herself.
Sweet Pea looked at the men in confusion and desperation.
"This can't be. We did everything right." Said Sweet Pea. Her eyes were still red and puffy from weeping over Rocket, Blondie and Amber. Sweet Pea looked at Babydoll with an expression of anxiety on her face. She hoped desperately that Babydoll would find a way out for them both.
"Map, fire, a knife, key." Whispered Babydoll to herself. At first she was frustrated. But Babydoll forced herself to calm down and reflect for a moment. She knew that the answer would surely come to her. Then she remembered how the old man had said she would need one last thing. A secret.
"One more thing." Whispered Babydoll to herself, trying to think what that one thing could be. Then it dawned on her what the secret must be. It could only be one thing. It was obvious.
"It's me." Whispered Babydoll.
"What?" Asked Sweet Pea, not understanding.
Sweet Pea saw an expression of realisation crossed Babydoll's face. Resigned realisation.
"It's me. Of course it's me." Babydoll stared into space in front of her. "This is the only way this could have ended."
"What do you mean?" Tears began to flood into Sweet Pea's eyes again as she looked at her friend.
Babydoll turned to Sweet Pea.
"I'm saying you go home. Go home to your family." Babydoll's voice quivered as she spoke. "You tell your mom what Rocket said. Make her happy. Go and live a normal life...love...be free."
Sweet Pea shook her head. She suddenly realised what Babydoll was going to do.
"You have to live for all of us now." Said Babydoll, a mixture of sadness and sorrow in her voice.
"Baby no. You can't do this." Sweet Pea started to weep again. She had already lost Rocket, Amber and Blondie. She couldn't bear to lose Babydoll too.
"Yes, Sweat Pea. You're the strongest. You're the only one who ever had a chance out there. You're going home and living. That's how we win."
Sweet Pea shook her head again. But she could see the determination in Babydoll's eyes. And in her heart, she knew that Babydoll was right.
"It's okay. It's okay." Babydoll consoled her with a gentle smile. But it was a smile full of sadness and sorrow. "It's better this way."
Babydoll turned to face Sweet Pea.
"Now listen. I'm gonna walk out there..." As she spoke, Babydoll handed Sweet Pea her key. "...and when they come after me, you go. Okay?"
"There's got to be another way?" Sweet Pea's eyes were full of tears. But as Sweet Pea watched Babydoll stand up, she knew there nothing she could do to stop her.
"No. This is right." Said Babydoll firmly. "This was never my story. It's yours."
Sweet Pea put her face in her hands. This was not how it should have ended. Babydoll turned to speak to her friend. She knew she had to be strong. She had to take responsibility again. Just one last time.
"Now don't screw it up, okay." Despite the harsh words, Babydoll spoke with tenderness. "Stay off the roads and find a bus station...alright? You're gonna be fine."
After exchanging one last farewell glance with Sweet Pea , Babydoll walked down the steps to the courtyard area where Blue's men were standing. They were all wearing suits and overcoats. They saw Babydoll and came towards her. With their attention fully on Babydoll, they did not see Sweet Pea sneak round the side of the courtyard towards the exit.
"Where are you going sweetheart?" Said one of the men to Babydoll in a mocking tone. There was no sense of affection his voice.
Babydoll Looked behind the men and saw that Sweet Pea had made it to the entrance. As Sweet Pea opened the gate with her key, she looked back at Babydoll in one last glance of love and gratitude. For a moment, the two young women looked at each other. A final farewell between two friends who would never see each other again.
"I said, where are you going?" The man said, this time more insistently.
Babydoll saw Sweet Pea leave and turned her attention to the man towering above her. She didn't answer his question. Instead, she kicked him in the shin, causing him to grunt in pain. His face contorted in fury, the man raised his fist to strike her. Babydoll closed her eyes and waited for the blow to fall. When his fist impacted her face, it was if a sharp object had been driven into her brain. Then suddenly, all went black.
And Babydoll wandered into a new world.
Babydoll opened her eyes. At first she was dazzled by a bright light. Then everything went blurry as her vision started to recover.
"Wanda. Wanda. Can you hear me?" Said the voice of a male child.
Babydoll's vision cleared and she found herself looking at a boy who was aged about 13 years old. She didn't recognise him as someone she knew.
"Where am I? Who am I?" Babydoll heard herself say. But strangely, Babydoll had not spoken. It was as if someone else had answered with her voice.
"You're you." Said an attractive young man standing in front of her. He smiled at her affectionately. Babydoll had never seen him before. But she felt a deep connection with him. As if she knew him from before. As if he was in love with her. As if she was in love with him...
Babydoll felt her head turn to the person standing next to him. She found herself looking upon a young woman.
"Hello, Wanda." Said the young woman smiling warmly.
"Melanie?" Babydoll heard herself reply.
Babydoll felt herself look around the room where she was. At that moment, she realised that she was not in control of her own body. This someone, or something, called Wanda was controlling her. However, Babydoll did not feel any hostility or menace from Wanda. She knew instinctively that Wanda would not harm her. She could feel that Wanda was a good person. A good spirit.
As Babydoll felt herself look round at her surroundings, she saw that she was in some sort of makeshift underground operating theatre. She was surrounded by a number of people in casual clothing. All except Melanie and the boy were grown men. For a moment, Babydoll feared she was back in the brothel or the asylum. But she realised these men were smiling at her warmly. They were people who loved her. People who respected her. Or at least they loved and respected the benign soul called Wanda that occupied and controlled her body.
"You might want to see yourself." Melanie held up a mirror in front of Babydoll.
Babydoll saw her own reflection in the mirror. Her face looked almost the same as always. Her eyes were different, now tinted in a strange but beautiful shimmering silver blue. But apart from that, she saw the same Babydoll from before. On the other hand, she notice that her hair was very different. Instead of blond hair, she now had shoulder length dark hair. Babydoll wasn't sure if she liked the change.
As if Wanda read her thoughts, Babydoll felt her hand stroke her hair.
"You still do that with your hair." Said another attractive young man in the group who had not spoken to her before.
Babydoll smiled innerly to herself. Stroking her hair was obviously something this Wanda person had a habit of doing, or at least used to do, before occupying Babydoll's body.
Babydoll felt herself stand up as Wanda got up from the bed she had been sitting on.
"Doc you broke your word." Babydoll heard Wanda say to a mature dark skinned man. Wanda did not speak with anger. Her voice had a gentle tone of true concern and sadness.
"They broke it for me." The doctor said motioning to the others around him. He was apologetic, but clearly did not regret breaking the promise. "They made me keep you alive."
"But I told you that I didn't want to take another life on any world." Babydoll could feel anxiety in Wanda's words. She could feel the true beauty and gentleness in Wanda's soul.
"You didn't." Said the Doctor.
"We've been taking souls out of humans for a month now." Broke in a mature white man with a bushy beard. Babydoll could tell from the authoritative tone in his voice that he was the leader of the group. "But when we took the soul out of that body, she never woke up."
Babydoll didn't really understand what they were talking about. But clearly she had wandered into a different world. A world where alien souls could occupy human bodies. A world where, for once, people truly cared for her. Or at least cared for her through Wanda.
"The body was dying." The doctor explained to Wanda. "The only way to save her was to put you inside."
"You haven't killed a body. You've given it life." Said Melanie.
At that moment, Babydoll understood that neither she nor Wanda belonged in this world. Although Babydoll's body was the same, everything else was different. Babydoll had no idea what had happened to her. She did not know if she was dreaming; if her mind had somehow wandered to another world; or if perhaps she had awoken sometime in the future. Nor did she care.
What Babydoll did understand, was that Wanda had given her a new life in a new place. Without Wanda, Babydoll would have never woken up. She would have remained alone in the cold and the dark forever. Wanda had saved her. And for that, Babydoll was truly grateful to her.
Wanda turned towards the young woman called Melanie and smiled. Babydoll felt a deep feeling of love and affection flowing from Wanda to Melanie. it was clear they had a deep bond with each other.
"I miss you in my head." Said Wanda.
Babydoll realised that Wanda must have occupied Melanie's body before hers. That explained the deep affection Wanda felt for the young woman. Babydoll found herself hoping that she and Wanda could also create such a bond.
"I know we can." Babydoll heard Wanda say. But to Babydoll's surprise, she realised that Wanda had not spoken out loud. She had spoken to Babydoll through her thoughts.
"I know you are there." Babydoll felt Wanda's gentle thoughts caress her consciousness. She could sense Wanda's alien presence. But it neither felt intrusive nor hostile. "They didn't realise you were still there. I'm sorry this happened to you."
Babydoll could feel that Wanda was sincere. She could feel the pureness of her spirit and the kindness in her soul.
"Do not worry, Wanda." Replied Babydoll. "You do me no harm. I lost this body a long time ago. This body did not belong to me before you arrived. So you have taken nothing away from me. In fact, you have saved me. Melanie is right. You have brought me life again."
"I'm sorry you don't have control." Replied Wanda. Again, Babydoll could feel the anxiety in Wanda's voice. "I was in the body of another. I know how difficult it must be for you. To be trapped in your own body."
Babydoll reflected that she had never truly been in control. Her life had never been her own. Some people had abused and manipulated her. No one had ever really cared for or looked after her.
On the other hand, all through her young life, Babydoll had been forced to take responsibility for others. She had to look after her sister when her mother was ill. She had sacrificed herself to ensure Sweet Pea escape from Blue's brothel.
Or was it an asylum? She couldn't quite remember.
In the end, her decisions had only led to tragedy, pain and death. So Babydoll was glad that, for once, someone else could take responsibility. That someone else could take control. Someone who would look after her. Someone who could let her experience love and beauty for once in her life. Someone who could make her life worth living.
"I trust you, Wanda. I know I am safe with you." Babydoll remembered with great sadness that she had lost everyone she cared about "And I do not want to be alone anymore. Without you here with me, I could not live."
"I can feel your pain. I can feel your sorrow." Replied Wanda. Babydoll could feel sincere tenderness in Wanda's thoughts. "I will help you. And when I need strength in this world, I know that you will help me. That when the time comes, you will dare me, challenge me to fight."
Babydoll was used to wandering between different fantastical worlds. She knew that she was not in paradise. Through Wanda's thoughts, Babydoll understood that this new world was fraught with danger. Life would be a constant struggle to survive. But despite the difficulties, Babydoll felt happy for the first time in her life. She was happy to be here. She had something to live for. She knew the people around her loved her. And she was prepared to fight for them. Just as she knew Wanda had been prepared to die for them. Babydoll was determined to make her contribution.
"Together, we have all the weapons we need." Babydoll assured Wanda. "Together, when the time comes, we shall fight for all that we love."
"Thankyou, sister." Replied Wanda.
Babydoll's thoughts turned to the last time she had seen Sweet Pea. At that time, Babydoll believed she would be left all alone forever. But now she would have a companion. A kindred spirit with whom to share the burden and joys of life. For once in her life, Babydoll did not want to escape.
"I am so happy you are here, Wanda." Said Babydoll. She knew that Wanda would sense the true sincerity in her thoughts.
No one else in the room had heard the silent conversation between Babydoll and Wanda. No one knew Babydoll was there. But the boy clearly noticed that Wanda was deep in thought.
"What are you thinking of Wanda?" The boy asked her with curiosity. Wanda looked at him and smiled gently.
"Thinking how happy I am?" Wanda replied. Babydoll knew that Wanda had answered for them both.
Babydoll heard the rain come down on the roof.
"Shall I tell the others about you?" Wanda asked Babydoll as the others turned to watch the life giving water droplets hammering down on the glass roof above them.
"Not now." Replied Babydoll. "I just want to rest for a moment. And enjoy being alive once again."
They stood in silence listening to the rain. Babydoll found herself looking at the young man called Ian who Wanda was in love with. Babydoll could feel the anxiety in Wanda's thoughts.
"What is it, Wanda?" Asked Babydoll. "Please tell me."
For a moment, Wanda stood in silence, afraid to answer. But after a short moment. Wanda managed to build up the courage to speak her mind.
"I was wondering. Who should decide who we should kiss with passion?" Asked Wanda, her thoughts plagued by anxiety. "Who should decide to whom we should we give our heart...?"
Babydoll could feel Wanda's pure soul and loving heart. She could feel Wanda's true love for Iain. A love that Wanda was willing to share with Babydoll. And for that Babydoll loved her.
But Babydoll could also sense that Wanda was holding back her love, unwilling to hurt or distress her new host. Babydoll reflected on that for a moment. Babydoll knew she had no experience of romantic love. And with all the pain and suffering in her young life, she did not believe that she could truly find love for herself.
So Babydoll vowed not to stand in the way of Wanda's happiness. Just as she had done with Sweet Pea, Babydoll set Wanda free. Babydoll put all her faith in Wanda. She gave her new sister her unconditional trust and the right to love for them both.
Again, Babydoll found herself gazing into Ian's eyes. Ian looked back and smiled. Babydoll noticed her heart beat faster. She felt an overwhelming surge of joy and happiness flow though her. And for the first time in her life, Babydoll realised that she could truly love a man.
"...and who should decide who we should fall in love with?" Asked Wanda, still gazing at Ian.
"It's you." Replied Babydoll.
In her thoughts, Babydoll handed over the key to her heart.
"The search for love in this world is not my story...it's yours. Now you have the key to set your love free."
Smiling warmly, Ian approached Wanda and took her in his arms.
"I love you, Wanda." He said.
He pulled her towards him and kissed her tenderly. She closed her eyes as his lips gently touched hers. Unlocking the gates to her heart, she let her love for him flow free.
And Babydoll wandered into paradise.