DUM DUH DUH DAHHHHH! *DRUM ROLL!* Here is the next chapter, for you few wonderful viewers out there keeping up with this story! Thanks to the two of you who reviewed, by the way, I soooo appreciate it, and love you guys! Maybe someday more people will discover this story, and that would be awesome, too! Anyway, I hope you super-duper enjoy, and pleeeease tell me what you think! Sort of a cliffie, but the next chapter will be even better! Reviews would be awesome, as I said before, but please! Thanks!

Rainbow

Two: Sick

"Morning." Mel throws a roll at me when I enter the sort of dining room with Ian. My hair is still wet, dripping onto the back of my fresh top, an almost child-sized blue t-shirt with a pair of faded jeans Melanie lent me herself. They are all little too long, and Ian had to catch me earlier as I almost fell onto the rigid stone ground walking to get here, and he paused to let me roll them up. They also require a belt with my small figure.

"Sleep well, Wanda?" Jamie tosses me a mischievous glance from his spot across from his sister, eyebrows narrowed over steely eyes. It is possible he could have heard Ian and I this morning, it wasn't like we were trying to be quiet, and nothing in these caves remain secret for long. "Ian?"

"Eat your breakfast, kid." Ian gently touches the sensitive spot as the small of my back and urges me forward, and I take a seat next to Melanie, who is giving me the same look as he brother. They look so much alike, the two of them, their expressions matching, and it is clear that they are related. Even though I don't look like either of them, I know they are my brother and sister. I love them so deeply, a different sort of love I feel for Ian. "Eggs are gettin' cold."

Jamie keeps on grinning, shoveling a forkful of yellowy eggs into his mouth. Mel nudges me in the thigh under the table, shooting me the suspicious looks I know too well. Ian sits down next to Jamie after returning with two plates of food: Two bagels, lukewarm eggs (he must have scraped the browner, burnt pickings from the bottom of the pan, knowing I like my eggs like that best), and a bottle of water. I take a forkful of warm, burnt eggs in my mouth, groaning at the taste.

"Where's Jared?" I speak without glancing at my sister, and take the first bite into my plain bagel.

"Washing up." Jamie comments, flipping his dark, long hair out of his eyes. I think to myself that maybe I or Melanie could give him a haircut today, just so he doesn't have the useless shag hanging in his beautiful eyes. "Luckily, the wash room's finally open, now."

"Jamie." Melanie growls and lightly kicks him under the table; I feel her leg move next to mine.

"What?" Jamie asks innocently, almost with an angelic quality to his voice. I blush and Ian's foot wraps around my ankle, our secret little connection. It has been – different, beginning to give myself to Ian. The habits of the human body is the oddest I have ever come across, and the burning in my chest, the odd yearnings for Ian – it has been new, and one of the best things I have ever experienced. I guess we were being a bit lenient with where we – for lack of better words – expressed ourselves, because others were beginning to notice. "I'm just pointing out."

Ian reaches out and ruffles Jamie's hair lightly, mussing up a few pieces in the back. He laughs at the playfulness and I wink at him in reassurance.

Jamie heads off to his "classes" with Sharon while the rest of us split into two groups. Trudy, Lacey, a soul we saved after retrieving the Seeker from within her, Paige and Lily remain in the kitchen to start preparing lunch while the remainder of the workers head to the south field to sow the ground. Ian walks in sync with me, along with the others, swinging his hoe while whistling a tune. He is obviously pleased, something that makes me happy.

We work the ground in the tiring sun, working with the reflecting mirrors, and though I tire easily, I work through, despite Ian's protests. My back aches when the hard work is finished; Jeb calls it around what I presume is lunch time, and after consuming a gluttonous portion of fresh bread and packaged ham, we head back to the field.

Paige brings her portable music box, and we listen to a CD we've all heard hundreds of times, enjoying it just the same. Jeb does his best impression of the dancing he remembers from when they didn't live in the cave, offering Melanie his hand to show her how to do a sort of quick-step. The others pause to watch and laugh, leaning on their tools, but I only look up from time to time, still wielding my little trowel.

"Wanda." Ian scolds, coming up behind me with the soft swish of his boots in the freshly-turned earth. I bend up, placing a hand on my back, rubbing a sore spot where I've been wrenching it all day. Ian looks concerned, and rubs his hands together before placing them gently on my shoulders, messaging deeply. "You can take a break sometimes, you know."

"Yes, I know." I tell him. "Ohh, that feels good."

He digs his fingers in deeper, his thumbs getting at all the sore spots as they go down my spine. I let out a soft groan, leaning back against his chest. His arms go around me, and the both of us sink to the ground in an awkward motion. I close my eyes, exhausted by the day's work, and kick my shoes off to feel the soft soil between my toes.

"You don't care about yourself at all, do you?" He asks, resting his chin on the top of my head. "You're an odd soul, Wanda."

"I care about you." I turn to rest my palms flat on his chest. "And so are you, human Ian. You are a soul, at heart, you kind man."

He blushes, his fair skin darkening a shade of cherry red. He brushes a strand of halo-like, blonde hair out of my face, tucking it behind my tiny, elfin ear. Leaning up, I put my lips on his tenderly, stretching into the kiss that makes us feel like we are the only beings in the room. The surroundings mute out in the background, a dull roar to the noises I am now aware of; the beating of Ian's heart and mine, the intake of his breath, the soft lips-against-lips noise our mouths make when they reattach to each other. I wrap my arms around his neck; my elbows bend to constrict him closer.

"Mmmhmm." I hear someone clear their throat and pull away from Ian, squinting up at Melanie. She has her hands on her hips, a peevish grin plastered on her face like butter. Jared's lanky arm is draped over her shoulder, and he is silently laughing.

"Busy there, Ian?" Jared pushes his brown hair out of his eyes, his lips still parted in a smile.

"Actually, I was." Ian replies back, his voice half-joking, half serious. I know the kiss ended without – well, an actual end. "Alright, kids, zoo's closing. Scatter about."

Mel reaches her hand out, and I take it. She pulls me up in one swift motion, her strong arm flexing as she easily lifts my small body from the dirt. I sigh, wishing again for that strength I once had. Ian rests his hand on my shoulder.

"Is there something you want, Howe?" He crosses his arms, and Melanie puts her arm around my shoulders, just another person to tower over me. I don't complain about my body, I love it actually, there couldn't be another host better selected for me, but Pet is just so small, everything in the world, excluding butterflies, is ginormous to the eyes of her body.

"Actually, yes." Jared scuffs the dirt with her toe of his shoe. "Jeb was talking about another raid…"

"We just went on a raid." I point out, remembering the fresh eggs from breakfast, and the cold slabs of ham and bread for lunch.

"Erm…" Jared scratches the back of his head. "Doc's got a slight problem." Another pause to look at Melanie, who offers no further explanation.

My mind quickly jumps to her, of course, my sister. If something is wrong with her involving Doc, no this cannot be happening. She is my best friend, one of the people I love most in the world, and the way Jared is talking scares me half to death. My heart jumps in my chest, and my eyes frantically search for hers, and she seems to get the message.

"I'm fine, Wanda." She assures hurriedly, wrapping one arm around her waist, and reaching the other out to stroke my blond hair off my sunburnt cheek. My skin stings a little, and in retrospect, I should have put on sunscreen to prevent myself from looking like a jovial cherry tomato. I am relieved she is alright, but there is still the possibility that someone else I love could be suffering. My mind runs through who it could be: not any of the people standing in front of me. Jamie is fine, I just saw him, and come to think of it, everyone was at breakfast, including Paige, who has been slow and tired in carrying Andy's child.

"What is it?" I ask, my voice quivering with fear.

"It's Maggie." Jared clears his throat, speaking of Jeb's sister, Sharon's mother. "Doc's got her in the infirmary, she fainted earlier today."

Magnolia Stryder has never been my biggest fan. In fact, she is probably the one who has displayed the most hatred towards me, and even now, she and her daughter have not shown full trust of me, despite my connections with the others in the caves. They can't deny I have helped my family here more than anyone else ever could, yet they go on using the soft soaps I retrieve for them on raids of my own, wearing the clothes I get in their personalized sizes, and sleeping on the fresh sheets I choose on my own. They are hypocrites, but they are part of my family, connected to Melanie, Jeb, Jamie… I notice now Mel wears a mask of worry.

"What's the matter?" Ian's voice sounds worried, and I feel his hand slip into mine. "It's pretty warm out today. Maybe she just got too hot?"

"Doc's checking her vitals right now." Mel sighs, looking off at Brandt who is just getting to tell Jeb that his sister is ill. I remember how a thought I had earlier, how word spreads like wildfire in the caves. "She's delirious, for now, Doc says. He doesn't think it's overheat, dehydration. It's something else, she's prone to stroke. Wanda, she's – she's sick. We don't have the medicine, oh-"

She wraps her arms around me, touching her forehead to my shoulder. I have hardly ever seen Melanie weaken. Angry, yes, many times, sometimes her voice was even more dominant than my own in my head. While sharing a body, every thought she had was vibrant and aware in my head, she was often very colorful in her expression. I wrap my arms around her tightly, holding her close, rubbing her back. When my sister needs me, I am here.

"We're going, Mel, don't worry." I press the side of my cheek to her shoulder as she kneels over to hug me. "We're going out right now, to get the medicine, aren't we Ian?" It is more of a statement than a question, and I will be going, no matter what he says.

"You aren't going alone." Jared interjects, meeting my eyes. He is still familiar, Jared Howe, a man I once loved. I suppose I will always have a love in my heart for him, but my body and soul belongs to Ian. "Mel and I will go with you, in case you get held up for any reason."

"I won't." I tell him surely.

"Wanda isn't going without me." Ian states protectively, nudging his shoulder in front of mine as Melanie pulls away.

"I'm strong enough to deal with my own species." I argue back, crossing my arms over my chest when Melanie drops my hand to lean heavily into Jared. Ian shrugs, and I know there is no way that he will allow me to go on my own. Even though he is the one in danger in my world, he is still convinced it is the other way around.

"Maggie's dying." Melanie gasps again, and I hear the rasp in her voice as she speaks around the lump in her throat. "She's older, Wanda. What if we can't save her? She's held this group together in so many ways. I know she resents you, but she's my aunt."

"Let's go." I say, that is all I need to hear. I am already stomping out of the fields, my pants becoming unrolled again. "We can get to the city by morning; get back in a day, if we use our time wisely. Maggie won't die tonight." I grit my teeth, stomping into the dim light of the caves. The blue lanterns are placed periodically along the pathway now, lighting out way.

Jared and Melanie follow, game for the mission I am already planning, but Ian is hesitant. His long strides easily surpass my tiny jogs, and he stops in our paths.

"Wanda, Mel." His voice is low, unsure. "We can't just plan an overnight raid!"

"Why not?" I gently slip past him, dragging Mel with me. Jared slides along for the ride.

"I – I –" He stammers, his hands flailing in the air in front of him, trying to form the words his mouth can't. "What if something happens?"

"This is a soul's world." I roll my eyes, a habit I picked up from Melanie's memories. She is quite often sarcastic. "And I am a soul on the outside, even if I am a human on the inside. I think I know how to navigate my own world."

"You're human enough for me." Ian growls, not particularly angry with me, but with my rationality.

"We're going." I tell him, standing my ground. "Jared, get the jeep ready. We need to go. The sooner the better."

He nods and disappears down the darkened corridor. I turn around and keep on walking, scrounging for supplies. There will be a raid tonight, and I will retrieve the medicine to cure Maggie.

So, what did you think? Type it in that review box ad let me know, my lovelies! Thanks again for reaching the end of the second chapter, and you're awesome! I will have the next chapter up soon, so spread the word if you like this story! Love you guys!

Rainbow