A/N: So I know the first couple chapters, the last one particularly might have been a bit hard to get through as not much was going on. This chapter was a bit hard to write in the beginning, so excuse me if it sounds a little rough. But if you've stuck it out this far with me, thanks a lot. In this chapter River is overwhelmed by Anne's grief and can no longer stand the intense emotions about her changed 'll have to read to see what happens...

Chapter 2-River-Conflicting Emotions

My emotions about my family had gotten worse as the days went on. It got to the point where I couldn't look my children in the eyes because Anne would shudder every time she saw the silver lining around their pupils, and I couldn't stand for Storm to touch me, because the memories of what Jim, Anne's husband, had done to this body both emotionally and physically became too strong when he was near.

I began staying out later, almost camping out in coffee shops—when it wasn't suspicious—with my computer and my memories. Since I had been to a number of different planets I had been asked to contribute to an anthology that was meant to describe all the other worlds. The book's purpose was to give Souls a better idea of what the other worlds were like when they came to the end of their lives and it was their time to move on.

My emotions were bearable when I was away from the house, and I thought at times that I was getting more used to this body and this life, but then there were nights when I would walk back into the house to see our three children sitting on the couch, still as statues as they watched a Soul approved program on the television and see Storm making a home cooked meal and smiling at the children in such a gentle way that all the old feelings came swirling back.

"River?" I looked up to see Storm right in front of me, concerned and worried. It was wrong that he should be acting this way, that he should care so much. Those gentle emotions on that face disgusted Anne. "Are you alright? You are crying."

I lifted a hand to my cheek and realized he was right. Before the children could notice I hurried out the back door and sat in a patio chair in the dark, trying to regain my emotions and my sense of being. I was taking on too many of Anne's emotions and it was breaking my resolve down; to what I didn't know, but I couldn't take much more of this.

Storm sighed as he came out and sat silently beside me. "The emotions are too strong."

It wasn't a question, I knew, but I nodded slowly. "This body hastes your host with every cell that lives in it." I couldn't tell him that we also couldn't stand how the presence of the Souls changed the children beyond any of Anne's recognition.

That's kind of a roundabout way of saying I hate him, but I can agree with that, Anne answered in my head.

Be quiet, for once, I begged her silently, more tears flowing down my cheeks uncontrollably.

Storm sighed again. "We tried, River, but maybe we need some time apart."

I looked up at him through watery eyes, not sure what he meant. "You want me to leave?"

Storm looked away rather than face me. "Maybe you should take some time away and go see your Healer, just for a short while. Your uncontrollable emotions are starting to show and that's affecting the children."

"The children?" Wasn't he concerned with how it was affecting me? Was I being too selfish?

"They'll be fine with me…till you return," Storm added, but he still wouldn't look at me.

No they won't! He's a horrible father, Anne yelled, suddenly afraid.

Your husband was a horrible father, I told her, Storm is a true example of a Soul. He would never hurt your children.

Anne didn't answer, but I knew what she was thinking. Not her husband, and not her children. Not anymore.

Funny how that caused me as much pain now as it did Anne.

"River?"

I looked back up at Storm who now looked down at me with a worried frown again.

"I will pack a bag tonight and go see my Healer," I answered.

Storm nodded and smiled at my good decision.

The next morning I got in my car, set the GPS to my destination and drove away from my family. They weren't there to watch me leave; they had already said a calm goodbye to me inside. I wondered if that goodbye would have been any different if any of them knew they were never going to see me again.

I hadn't even made that conscious decision to never return until the house had disappeared in my rear view mirror and I suddenly felt lighter, as if a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

Will you miss them? I asked Anne, when I caught her sadness.

Not as they are now, she said sadly, but as they were. I will always miss the children I see in my memories, from before.

I knew what she meant. Before we Souls came, before they were implanted.

"Me too," I whispered in the quiet of my car.

A/N: Will leaving behind a family she can no longer relate to and getting a change of scenery help either River or Anne? I didn't want to have them leaving the children behind, but I think I'm having as hard a time as Anne is in not realizing that they're not really her children anymore, so it's not as hard as it might be. Let me know what you think about this chapter, and how you think the story is going so far, really anything will help me and encourage me to keep writing this. Thanks for reading. (The next two chapters should be up relatively soon. The next one is already written in the computer, I just need to read it over before posting it and chapter 4 needs to be copied over from my notebook and revised a bit. This chapter gave me a bit of trouble so I was able to get the latter two written out more.)