Summary: So hatched our secret plan.

Characters: Melanie, Jared, Jeb, Jamie, Kyle, Sunny, Ian, Lacey

Author's Note: Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long. My muse ran away for a while, and held this particular story hostage. Evil muse. However, it has graciously returned, and hopefully will not decide to take anymore long vacations any time soon. Anyway, here is the long-awaited next chapter. As always, I love feedback, so no need to feel shy! Please leave your reviews and thoughts. I love you guys!

~Song

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The days that followed were punctuated by anxiety and distrust. Once again, I found myself the target of fear and suspicion. The same day that I'd inserted Sunny, Jeb had called everyone together in the meeting room. The news of Sunny's return was met with unease and apprehension by the majority of the community.

Souls had long ceased to pose a threat (because of Wanderer's presence), but I could tell that even so, the denizens of caves were less than pleased with our decision to put one of them into one of us, whether the body was 'occupied' or not. It was common knowledge that I had been the one to reinsert the soul—hence the fear and suspicion. No doubt many were questioning my motives. Perhaps they wondered if I'd been brainwashed during my extended time as a soul's prisoner.

In earlier days, this mistrust would have disturbed me, but months spent trapped inside my own head had helped me prioritize things more efficiently. I had my glowing little circle of friends and family—what did it matter what anyone else thought of me?

I was almost happy. Only one thing was missing: Wanderer. Her absence was a constantSo irritation. A tiny, invisible cactus needle in my finger—not outwardly visible, but recognized and felt internally each moment.

Sunny was ostracized from the better part of the cave society, but I could find no trace that she either cared or noticed. From the moment she'd regained consciousness, she'd attached herself to Kyle like an incongruous shadow. Impervious to the hostility and suspicion directed at her by the humans she lived among, she spent her time watching him. The gruff human male, however, was not quite so unruffled. He revealed a charmingly sensitive and protective streak in regards to her.

Following the announcement of Sunny's return, Jamie's talk of bringing Wanda back only increased. He had been inspired by the circumstances surrounding Sunny's return, and was continually bringing it up.

"Mel, Mel, Wanda left us because she didn't want to be a 'parasite', right?" He asked excitedly.

I sighed. Jamie had already asked me this several times. "She couldn't let herself live at the expense of another person," I replied patiently.

"So if we got a body that didn't have anyone in it, she'd be okay with it, wouldn't she?"

I had to admire his unfailing optimism. "In theory, yes."

What Jamie didn't realize was that Wanda's return didn't depend on whether she'd feel guilty in her new body or not. The real obstacle was much harder to overcome. Wanderer hadn't been brought back yet because a sizeable portion of the humans living here did not welcome the idea of putting souls back into human hosts. It was clear from the treatment Sunny and I received that the idea was unpopular.

Unsurprisingly, the three most prominent adversaries to Wanderer's return were Maggie, Sharon, and Lacey. They spread fear and doubt, inciting the others against me, against Sunny, against Wanda. How could anyone be sure that I hadn't been brainwashed, they asked (ever since our run-in in the southern tunnel, they'd dropped all pretense of friendliness). Why should I stop at one soul? How many human lives would be thrown away to save the disgusting centipedes? Now that we had the tool to rid the planet of the parasites (they cleverly neglected to mention that this particular weapon would as yet unknown to us if not for Wanda), why shouldn't we use it to our advantage? Bringing them back among was detrimental to that end.

Tensions in the caves heightened, and the perceived threat of Wanderer's cryotank loomed large in the eyes of her enemies. Ian's paranoia reached new levels, and as the discontent mounted a small group of 'guards' took it upon themselves to escort him wherever he went. I was distinctly reminded of the times before Wanderer had become an accepted member of the community.

Mistrust and unrest were paramount in our small haven, but there were none who harbored greater dislike for Wanderer than Lacey. I often wondered exactly what threat she saw in the small cryotank that housed the soul's small body. The Seeker had already been shipped off planet by now—did she think we'd put another one in her? It was beyond me.

Jeb's shotgun made a reappearance after an assassination attempt, headed by Lacey, was foiled. The repulsive woman had gathered a select few of her anti-soul followers into a small group. They made their move in the dark hours of the night, long after everyone else had succumbed to the enveloping warmth of sleep. Sneaking into Ian's room, they'd been thwarted in their plans only by his relentless hold on the cryotank—he'd woken with a loud shout the instant someone had tried to pry it from his arms. Needless to say, Jeb was displeased. The next morning, the shotgun was tucked firmly under his arm.

The ordeal lent urgency to Jamie's ceaseless entreaties. Ian's face grew haggard, and he lapsed into taciturn silence. Several times I caught him gazing listlessly into space, his cheek pressed against the cool side of the cryotank. The stillness of his features reminded me of my silent conversations with Wanda, as though he were wrapped up in some internal discussion. Wanderer needed to return, and quickly.

We'd all been thinking it, but it was Jared who finally put the though into words. "We just need to do it," he announced gruffly. Jamie, Doc, Ian, Kyle, Sunny, and Jeb were all gathered in a semicircle around the entrance to the mess hall. The cave were quiet—almost everyone had already turned in for the night. "Before they can object or complain." There was no question as to who he meant by 'they'.

So hatched our secret plan.