Author's Note: As usual, we have the disclaimer. I, of course, do not own The Host or any of Stephenie Meyer's brilliant world. Wish I did. But then again, don't we all? So anyway, this is a sequel to my last fanfic entitled Switzerland. This fanfic is very different in that few of the original characters from the book will be exclusively featured. With me, fanfiction is more about taking the brilliant concepts of other authors and making them your own. So therefore, while I may not own any of the concepts created by Stephenie Meyer, all the characters and new concepts in this story are mine. I've found that while fanfiction will never be published, it is still an incredibly rewarding experience for the writing world.

Anyway, I'd like to thank a few very special readers who stuck with Sky and me until the very end of Switzerland. Pobostroudles, my lovely duo partner and earth/space buddy, dear you will forever be my favorite sophomore. MelroseProductions, I give a shout out to you blondie because you know I love you to death and you've really driven me to finish things just to hear that silly excited squeal that you have when I see you in the hallway. SilverBullet2theheart, SnowChika, minimonkeyrox, foxattack, christinesangel100, Discus-Girl, WhistlingPekoe, asyouwish16, someonewayoverhyper, TwiHard09, goldeneyes-502, crazygundamgirl, TopKat90, Ms. Disturbance, Auphora66, are some of my more avid reviewers and I must must must give a thank you to you guys. Opening my email to find a bombardment of reviews always made my day. If I missed anyone, I'm really sorry! Feel free to throw things at me.

Anyway, I think I've sufficiently talked myself silly so we'll get on with the fanfiction. So beings the sequel to Switzerland. Small note: This chapter is really short and it's only to introduce a few very vital characters, the main one being Charlotte. She will be the majority of the pov for this story, excluding this chapter along with a few others. But I must stress that Sky is NOT the main character of this story, Charlie is. Do not ask me to make her more prominent, because that is not my goal.

"Eager souls, mystics and revolutionaries, may propose to refashion the world in accordance with their dreams; but evil remains, and so long as it lurks in the secret places of the heart, utopia is only the shadow of a dream"

Nathaniel Hawthorne

SHADOW OF A DREAM

preface

"Charlotte Sydney Stryder, get your cute little butt over here." The young woman ordered, her sandy brown hair blowing just slightly in the light wind of the hot Arizona day. She was smiling as she unpacked the little picnic basket onto the sprawling Astroturf reminiscent lawns.

"But look at the butterfly mommy!" The child squealed, her dark curls bouncing as she ran after the black and orange insect now eluding her grasp.

"Come on little Lot, listen to your mom. You've got to eat sometime." A similarly aged man ordered as he toted along a little navy tricycle. He settled down next to the young woman, kissing her cheek as he did so. The smile that lit up her face was blinding and it was clear to any onlooker that she was utterly besotted with her husband.

"Lottie, come on. We've got PB and J." The woman tempted the child. The girl looked back, her deep brown eyes wide. She seemed to debate a moment, tapping her little round chin uncertainly, torn between the fleeing butterfly and the promise of the perfect combination of sandwich spreads. She finally seemed to decide as she rocketed back to the checkered blanket on long tiny legs. She threw herself into her father's arms, happy to settle like any other five year-old in an adult's lap.

"How do you do it Sky?" The man asked, cocking an eyebrow at his wife who was pulling out the telltale sandwich, cut crusts and all.

"I know my daughter all too well, Jamie." She grinned, handing over the sandwich to Lottie who was watching her mother with rapt attention. Lottie snatched the sandwich greedily from Sky and watched curiously as her mother kissed her father affectionately.

I was torn from my flashback as a door slammed shut in the house. I lifted my eyes to the archway, searching for my daughter's familiar brunette curls to come bouncing along into the kitchen in search of the usual afternoon snack. "Hey mom. What's up?" She asked as she entered the room, dumping her backpack next to the door with a dull thud. I set down my pencil and shrugged, rubbing my neck irritably.

"Another long day. Your brother didn't want to get up this morning. He inherited your father's sleeping habits. And work hasn't been much better. But such is the life of your mother." I muttered, my fingertip tracing lightly over the bubble of a scar on the back of my neck.

"Aiden inherited his sleeping habits from both of you. I'm the only early bird around here." She pointed out, opening the refrigerator door and uncapping a bottle of juice. She drank several huge gulps, ever the fish out of water.

"I'll give you that." I laughed and smiled wistfully at her, pushing the stack of papers in front of me away. I hopped off my stool and threw my arm around her shoulders. "You're so grown up Charlie." I mussed her hair and kissed her forehead, trying not to again be overcome by the memories of her childhood. It was too easy to get caught up in nostalgia these days. I couldn't help looking back on the peace, the utopia, of our previous world. I'd only been alive a little over a third of a century and yet I'd seen so much change on the earth.

"Stop mom. You're giving that old vibe again and you really aren't that old." Charlie wined, taking another long swig of juice.

"I know. It's awful to have a young mom, isn't it?" I chuckled and turned to examine the cabinets, trying to think of something to fix for dinner.

"Not really. It's actually kind of amusing when all your guy friends say you have a hott mom. Though it's also a little disturbing. I admit, I'm a little jealous." She replied, pulling a textbook from her bag to begin working on homework.

"You, little missy, have nothing to worry about." I looked back at her and winked. If anything, she looked like I did at her age, though a little bit cleaner and with darker hair. She was cleaner merely because she'd never lived on the run as I had. I was a little bit stronger, a little more street savvy, but my daughter was still just as brilliant as I had been if not more. She had Jamie's darker eyes and my myriad of freckles. She was tall and nimble with hands as big and broad as mine, if not bigger. She was a beautiful girl and she never seemed to see it. I suspect it was easier for me, knowing that in my life looks had never been as vital.

"So says my mother. Which means absolutely nothing." Charlie mumbled, glaring at her textbook page to make it look like she was attempting to work. I wasn't fooled.

"I know, I know. A mother's opinion isn't the one that matters." I rolled my eyes and turned back to the cabinets to rifle through them and determine what I could scrounge up for a family dinner.

The doorbell rang just as I pulled a box of macaroni and cheese mix from the pantry. "It's Oliver!" Charlie exclaimed, hopping excitedly from her seat and bounding to the door. I chuckled, following her into the living room. I leaned against the kitchen archway and watched as she pulled open the door to greet her best friend and his mother. "Hey Ollie! You'll never guess what I found yesterday."

"The Book?" Oliver's sapphire blue eyes lit up with excitement as he followed my daughter up the stairs to her bedroom.

"Hey Wanda. Where's Ian?" I asked, moving to shut the door behind the small blonde woman.

"Grocery store. What about Jamie?" Wanda asked, settling herself on our ancient cream-colored sofa. I sat in the armchair next to her, biting my lip more out of habit than anything else.

"Work." I explained with a wary wave of my hand. "That's what I've been working on all day. Sorting through soul admittance paperwork is a beast." I muttered, rubbing my temple. "Not to mention how hard it is these days to get a single human to take a soul child. I'm running out of options, Wanda. Things are getting out of control. Just yesterday a soul was attacked in the middle of a mall. I can't let this go on." I sighed, tugging lightly at my ponytail.

"I know, which is why I've come over. I have bad news." Her light brow furrowed with worry and I again felt the stress slip over me from earlier that day. What happened? What horrible thing have humans done now?

"A young soul boy was rescued yesterday from an attack on his house in Tucson. His parents were souls and they resolved to have him implanted with a soul as well. His parents were killed in the flames. It was definitely arson. There is fear that he might still be targeted by agents of the NSS." Wanda stated gravely. My eyes grew wide. I'd known that the NSS was mounting more and more attacks on souls around the world, but I hadn't realized that they were so close to home.

"This is getting out of hand, Wanda. I can't allow this to go on. I'm going to have to intervene. I can't sit by in the dark anymore, no matter how much I want to." I groaned, covering my eyes exasperatedly with my palm.

"I know. I'm sorry Sky. I wish it could be done another way but I can't see it. We might have another war on our hands. The NSS isn't going to give up. They'll sort through all the souls and exterminate them."

"I know. I just wish I didn't have to leave Charlie and Aiden here alone. You will watch over them, won't you? I haven't told either of them yet that I've considered leaving." I leaned over my knees, feeling my face etch with concern. I hated to leave my children here in times like these, but I had no choice. The NSS had to be stopped. "What are we going to do about the boy?"

"He will be staying with Ian, Oliver, and I. He should be arriving later tonight and Ian will bring him over for dinner, if that is alright."

"It's fine. You know you are always welcome here. You're family." I smiled and patted her knee. "What is the boy's name?"

Wanda smiled as though this question was one that truly intrigued her. "His parents named him a human name, which I found quite interesting. His name is Nicholas. Just Nicholas."

NCP:

The moment he walked in my front door something changed. It was like the air was being pulled from the room. He'd created a vacuum around me and I was slowly suffocating. His bright red hair and vibrant green eyes had me spellbound for a long moment and I had to remind myself to take a long breath of the nonexistent air. The way he looked at me, it was like he understood me better than I did. He was beautiful and perfect.

That was until he opened his mouth and began to speak.