A/N: Just for the record, I love Jared waaaay more than I love Ian. You Ian lovers are REALLY lucky that he's a soul, because if he were human I can guarantee that you would not still be reading this story.
Anyway, here we go with chapter four.
Disclaimer: I could change my name to freaking Stephenie Meyer, and I STILL would not own the Host, so what does that tell you about its current copyright?
Melanie
Two days earlier
"Mel?" Jamie's parched voice croaked.
"Yeah, Jamie?" I answered, my voice almost mimicking his.
"Are you okay?" he asked hesitantly.
I took a moment before answering, I thought about lying but knew that he would want me to tell him honestly. "No, Jamie. I'm really, really not okay."
He was silent for a moment. "I-I'm sorry you're hurting Mel."
I smiled down at the young teenage boy I was now solely responsible for and said, "It's not your fault Jamie. Don't blame yourself."
"I can't help it. I should have tried harder to make him stay." He looked so sad, it was breaking my heart. Jamie and I spent days trying to keep Jared from leaving, but he was hell-bent on finding a permanent place for us to live and he was sure his Uncle Jeb had one. We gave up the day before Jared was planning on leaving, deciding it was just better to spend as much time as possible together before his departure.
"Is there any more water?" he rasped.
I knew there was little under a gallon and a half in my pack in the seat behind Jamie. I gave him the half empty one and he began guzzling it down.
"Whoa, slow down. We need to save as much water as possible." I warned. He looked at me sheepishly.
"Sorry." Jamie said. He sounded very refreshed after his large gulp.
I took a much smaller one, but it still made me feel much better. We began driving again.
"When do you think we'll get there?" he asked after we had driven about three miles.
"My guess is around two or three days." I answered.
I had figured out the map that Jared and Jamie's uncle had carved into their family photo album about a week after Jared left.
I had just stared at the carved leather for hour and hours until everything clicked together. I went on several raids as we traveled towards Arizona until we had enough food and supplies to last about a week and a half in the dry desert. I made sure the back of the Jeep was filled with gallons and gallons of gas that way we could make most of our long journey by car. Jamie and I both knew however that soon we would be going by foot.
"Mel?" I heard Jamie ask from his passenger seat. "What if we're wrong and Jeb isn't out here?"
I had thought about this for the longest time before we actually left. This was my last hope. If he wasn't out here, then Jamie and I would most likely die out here in the painful heat.
He must have seen the look on my face when he answered. "I guess I know the answer."
I gave him weak smile in response.
We didn't feel the need to talk much during the last hour we spent driving before we were officially out of gas. The car slowed to a stop and the needle pointed the large E mockingly.
"Well Jamie, looks like we're hoofing it from here." I said sadly.
He nodded and grabbed his backpack, which was currently filled with four boxes of granola bars and a gallon of Gatorade. Which we were saving for emergencies.
After walking for six hours we found ourselves having no clue where we were, and in the dark. I suggested we sleep and Jamie agreed. We fell asleep quickly; Jamie's head on my stomach and his arms wrapped around my waist.
I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, but I knew it would not be peaceful or happy.
I opened my eyes from a deep and restful sleep and found myself staring into Jared's shining brown ones.
"Good morning Melly." he whispered before leaning in and giving me a kiss. I smiled after he pulled away and wrapped my arms around his neck.
"Can you believe we found this place?" he asked me, his lips merely inches away from mine.
Two days ago we stumbled across an abandoned cabin. We carefully watched it for twenty-four hours before entering it, and when we did it looked like it hadn't been lived in for years.
"No, I can't. Now shut up and kiss me." I demanded.
He chuckled but followed my orders. I took his top lip between mine and he took my bottom between his.
Our kisses were gentle and sweet, but with a deep passion buried underneath.
"I love you." I whispered to him as his kisses moved to my jaw.
He looked up at me, "I love you too."
I had been with Jared and Jamie for almost two years, and so far they were the best of my life. He leaned down and continued to kiss his way down my throat.
Then there were three sharp raps on the door and Jared sighed and moved back to his side of our small bed.
"C'mon in kid." Jared called. Jamie came bounding into our small room.
"Morning!" he called as he jumped into our laps. Jared grunted when Jamie's elbow my contact with his ribs.
"Oops, sorry." Jamie said.
Jared just shrugged it off.
We spent the rest of the morning in our bed, laughing and making jokes with each other.
I smiled at my happy little family and thanked whatever higher power there may be for them.
I woke up gasping and crying. I hated this. I hated souls. Now, I was beginning to hate life. Jamie was the only thing that kept me from turning myself over to the parasites. I looked down at the young boy in my lap and smiled a little when I saw that he was still peacefully asleep.
"'Bout time you woke up." A gruff voice spoke from a few feet away.
I held in a shriek, fearing that Jamie would wake. "Who the hell are you?"
"I'm surprised that you don't recognize me from the photo album." he answered.
"You went through my stuff?!"
"You betcha. I needed confirmation that you weren't a soul." he said.
"And you couldn't have checked my neck?" I spat.
"Can we get back to the fact that you're holding one of my nephews and that you're carrying stuff from my family's past."
I sighed. "I take it you're Jeb?"
He nodded. "That I am."
"Where did you come from?" I asked. I didn't see anything that would point to any human existence out here. But then again, that was probably the point.
"There are hidden caves way out that way." he said pointing to the east.
I nodded and stroked Jamie's hair as he still slept soundly in my lap.
"Where did you come from? And how did you find Jamie? Where's Jared?" he just kept firing off questions.
"One at a time please." I said.
"Okay then, where did you come from?"
"Jamie and I made our way here from Chicago." I answered.
"Now where is Jared? I think I might know already. But I want you to say it so I know for sure."
I took a deep breath before answering. "Last time I saw him was a month ago. He went looking for his cousin, Sharon. He never came back, so…" I trailed off, not wanting to finish my sentence.
"I think its time I wake Jamie." I said when he didn't say anything for a few very agonizingly long moments.
He nodded.
"Jamie, honey, its time to wake up." I said, "And I think there's someone you'd like to see."
He drowsily opened one eye, then hastily shut it when the bright sunlight hit it.
"C'mon kid, I don't got all day." Jeb said loudly.
Jamie's eyes shot open when he heard his voice.
"Uncle Jeb?" Jamie asked, hope clearly in his voice.
"Yeah kid, its me." Jeb replied.
Jamie shot up and threw his arms around his uncle in a tight embrace. I smiled at them despite my heartache at watching this without Jared by my side.
Present
I said goodnight to Wanda and snuck into the cave that Jamie and I now occupied. I took a peak at his mattress and he looked soundly asleep but I knew better.
"I know you're not asleep." I said to him.
He sighed, "I was waiting for you."
"You didn't have to do that."
"No, but I wanted to. I also wanted to make sure that you didn't get lost."
I gave a small laugh and crawled into bed with my clothes still in place, forgetting the shirt and shorts Wanda gave me. "Goodnight, Jamie."
"Night, Mel." he yawned before swiftly falling asleep.
A/N: Longest chapter yet! If this doesn't make sense, I'm sorry. It's late and I've been up for like eighteen hours. But this chapter just HAD to be written.
Review, review, review! :)