OLD VERSION OF COME BACK – PLEASE READ CHAPTER ONE NOTES FOR THE EXPLANATION ON WHY.
Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer's owns these characters.
Come Back
Chapter Ten
Mel and I stood at the entryway into the games room. Routinely, I scanned the room assessing the general vibe of those gathered. Moments passed before we were noticed, then – like animals becoming aware of a predator – the hum of their chatter abruptly stopped. All eyes were on Mel.
Some expressions were exactly what I thought Mel would receive – warm and welcoming, though not one of them broke ranks to approach her. I could see a few that were confused and possibly anxious. Maybe one or two more showed signs of indifference but then my eyes fell on Maggie and Sharon. If I had any uncertainty before over their personalities, seeing them now had cleared up any doubt. I am now convinced, Maggie in particular was a woman that kept herself in the mindset of perpetually hating anything that should be celebrated, and Sharon was no more than a carbon copy of her mother.
I glanced down and saw Mel eyeing them. Her jaw was tensed up, eyes narrowed. Her hand in mine had tightened and I knew it would be balling up into a fist if it were free. I squeezed back letting her know I was aware of what was going on. She turned her body so it faced me.
"Unbelievable!" she scoffed under her breath rolling her eyes.
I was going to pull her into my chest in comfort but she turned and faced her aunt once more.
This is not what I had hoped for her return, especially not from her own family. I glared at Maggie incredulously, and with half a mind to challenge her lack of attentive affection towards Mel. But there was no point, this woman had no boundaries. I have witnessed enough of her behaviour to know that once Maggie was on a vendetta she would not let it go.
What makes this even more pitiful was how she had dragged Sharon into this same mindset. If she wasn't so mean spirited, if she didn't have such a scowl on her face all the time, Sharon may have been considered attractive to a degree. What Doc sees in her I don't know, maybe his affection for her came from pure loneliness.
I hoped that I would never have become that needy for affection, but then again who knows what would have happened if I hadn't of found Mel when I did. This said, maybe I can't be objective enough to make assumptions.
Mel was the first human I had come across since the invasion, and from the moment I realised she was human I felt overwhelmingly compelled to kiss her. I chuckled in my mind remembering how spontaneous it was, there was no warning, no preconceived notions – I just kissed her. I had to – it wasn't an option to resist. Our lips met sending a fierce burning heat rippling through my body sealing her life to mine. In that incredible fleeting moment I unconditionally and irrevocably gave myself over to Mel. Whatever priorities I had on my own survival vanished in the blink of an eye and turned into protecting her – with my life.
Even when she kicked me in the groin to make her escape thinking I was a Soul, I couldn't let her go. Naturally I was beyond ecstatic to meet another human, but it was more than that. Once she realised I was no threat to her or Jamie, she found her own connection to me as compelling as mine was for her. I could see it in her eyes – the trust, the belief that one could not be without the other. Although I would have protected any others if I had met them before Mel, I just couldn't see myself ever being compelled enough to have kissed Sharon. But maybe Doc sees Sharon in the same light as I do with Mel; personally I don't see the same connection or devotion though maybe Mel and I are the exception rather than the rule.
My attention was brought back swiftly with Jeb's voice breaking through the deafening silence, grabbing everyone's attention, some even jumped
"Okay, quit ya gawking and let 'em through." He said abruptly.
He used his commanding voice with clear intent to redirect the unabashed glares of Maggie and Sharon away from Mel. Now it was their turn to endure the look of pure contempt – from him. It didn't take long for Sharon to lower her eyes away from Jeb, but Maggie held her ground. One day she will go too far with him and I began to wonder if today was that day.
Urging Mel forward, we walked through the human corridor made for us as we headed towards the front. The irritation raging inside me towards Maggie was softened as I saw hands reaching out to touch Mel with sincere affection for her arrival. Lily was the one that surprised me the most as she pulled Mel in for hug.
Mel embraced her warmly. "Thanks Lily, I needed that."
"Glad you could make it." Lily replied seemingly like they were old friends. I wondered if she realised that Wanda had gone and Mel was all alone rattling away inside her head.
"Me too!" Mel replied jokingly.
Heidi was next. She smiled and held out her hand for Mel to shake it. "Mel?" It wasn't asked suspiciously, more in reaching to believe that there was hope.
"Yeah" Mel replied reassuringly.
Different faces, different responses but all had a positive spin. Brandt's was one of the more surprising reactions. "You have a lot to live up to." He said in a matter - of -fact tone. But he also smiled. I guess it was his way of welcoming her.
"I'll try" I heard a hint of sadness in her reply. This concerned me but not something I would bring up now with her.
Both Maggie and Sharon kept their hands to themselves as Mel walked passed, without a hint of happiness for her return. They just glared at her. Jeb's face boiled with rage but it was me that I feared of losing control. Mel may not show it, but the rejection from them would surely cut her deep. There was not enough in me to tolerate anything that could cause Mel further pain. I am not sure how long I can show restraint, but knew it was minimal.
Before now, I didn't believe this kind of hatred could exist, especially considering the human situation we were in. None of this made sense. What possible reason could they have to loath Mel's return so much? I felt like backhanding Maggie but knew that wouldn't go down well with Mel. Or would it? I entertained the thought of smacking some sense into that bitch of an aunt, which surprisingly lifted my mood considerably.
Mel turned around to face me when we reached the front – seeing my smirked smile confused her.
"What?" she asked puzzled.
"I'm just imagining Maggie's face as I slam it into a wall." I saw no point in hiding my amusement; it had to be better than actually acting on the idea. Maybe...
Mel's eyes lit up a little shocked followed by a swift break into complete and utter delight as she began to laugh. The look on her face was priceless. If threatening her Aunt with physical violence was the key to making Mel laugh and smile, at this moment I would happily oblige in carrying out such a threat. The woman means nothing to me, she only exists but beyond that I felt no obligation towards her. She obviously didn't feel enough connection to Mel to reach out to her now, so I feel no remorse for my thoughts.
Jamie came over to us, curious no doubt over what Mel was laughing about. Before he could say anything, she pulled him into her arms holding him tight. I sensed it was more than a sister hugging her brother. It was more like she had to be sure he was real to her. If I could see her face, I would have been more able to asses her mood now.
"Need to breath" Jamie said almost gasping.
"Oh!" she released him instantly "Sorry Jamie, don't know my own strength!" she tried to joke. Her watery eyes gave her away though. Just as I thought, it was more than a sisterly hug she gave him. Time – she just needs time to adjust to all of this, I reminded myself.
"'S okay" he said pulling her back in.
Murmured voices began filtering into the silence seeing them embrace. Brandt's arm went around Lily's in support. I wondered if this was too soon for her to be here after what happened to Wes. She was clearly crying and my heart went out to her. Wes was a good man and he loved her. This would have to be torture to her seeing Mel come back from the dead so to speak, but know there would be no such turn of luck for Wes to come back. If I had known what that Seeker was going to do, I would have hunted it down. But then again, Wanda would never have forgiven me. Another thought sprung to mind and put a sickening but truthful spin on what happened. Would Wanda have surrendered her secret of how to get the soul's out of human's if the Seeker hadn't killed Wes? I'm not sure what the answer is to that. It's speculative, hypothetical and right now I couldn't let this impede on what I am committed in doing. I will get Wanda another host body, I owe her this and much more for the safe return of Mel back to me, and that alone gives her my undying gratitude and love for doing so.
Jeb again brought my attention back. "Think ya should start, they're getting restless." He prompted.
I nodded in reply.
"Want to start?" I asked Mel quietly. She let go of Jamie but grabbed his hand. I didn't want to pressure her into something she wasn't comfortable with; I was mostly asking out of courtesy. I took her other hand in mine reassuringly.
"I don't think they would hear a word I'd say" she said sarcastically. "Best you get the ball rolling, don't you?"
"If you like" I said forcing myself to take my eyes off her angelic face.
The moment my hand dropped from hers, she looked at Jamie, ignoring the stares she was getting from the others. His face was filled with excitement and anticipation from knowing what he did already over our plans to get Wanda back. I don't think I will ever tire seeing him like this. Instinctively, I ruffled his hair with my hand. He looked up and grinned, the shine in his eyes was how I had remembered him to be like, before Mel left, except he was much older looking now. I vowed to myself silently that Jamie would never again suffer the loss of his sister. To see the ache of a child's face – to know inside you have just shattered their world, to leave them broken – it's like nothing else. I was already dying inside when I realised what happened to Mel, but when Jamie understood that she was gone – forever. . . He was broken, life left his eyes, life left him - he became as dead inside as I had become.
My breath hitched remembering him back then. I never thought I would see him so happy again, to see life return to his eyes. "Never again! I promise you." I whispered my oath for him to never feel that kind of pain again.
He looked at me puzzled. I just shook my head allowing a small reassuring smile to ease his concern.
I forced myself to turn and focus on the issue at hand - Wanda's return.
"As you can see" I began at almost a whisper "Mel is back in control of her body." I looked at her and smiled gently, taking her hand again. "We owe Wanda a huge debt; I owe her a huge debt, which will not go unpaid." I said firming up my voice making it clear that it will be done.
"This afternoon, Mel, Jamie and I have spent a lot of time with Ian on what his wishes are in finding a replacement host for Wanda –"
"You are doing what?" Maggie almost shouted incredulously.
"Isn't it neat!? We are going to get Wanda another body so she can be with us again." Jamie's enthusiasm was clouded of what Maggie meant.
"You are going nowhere of the kind!" Sharon said vehemently bringing Jamie's jubilant reality crashing down.
"What?" he quickly looked at Mel.
"He goes where I say he can go, Sharon, and yes; he is coming with us to find Wanda a new host body." Mel's voice was steady and threatening. Sharon surely realised she had just crossed a line with her.
"We don't want her here, and as you said it is your debt, not ours!" Maggie had her hands on her hips unmoved from Mel's retort to her daughter. "That thing is not one of us and it's a threat to our community." She continued and spoke as if she had the backing of those present here.
The disunity over her comments was clear as mummers began to creep in volume.
"In what reality do you believe she is a threat to us?" Mel was dumb founded by such an accusation. It took me a few moments to comprehend that anyone could still think such a thing, especially after what Wanda had done for us all.
"That thing, it was solely responsible for the death of Wes." The hatred in Maggie's voice added depth to her tone.
"Bitch!" Mel said under her breath again as Lily's heart broke just that fraction more.
"No!" Lily cried out angrily. "That's not true!" Her tears were streaked down her emotionally crushed face making this heart wrenching to witness. My anger got the better of me, I had to speak up.
"The seeker killed him, not Wanda and that seeker is gone!" I said through clenched teeth. I couldn't believe she would say something like that, especially with Lily here.
"That seeker would not have come here if it wasn't for her!" Sharon backed her mother up. "She led it here – she is the reason why he is dead now." The malice in her tone was unmistakable.
"Hold up there you two." Jeb jumped in angrily. "It was me who brought Wanda and Mel here, so by your reckoning, I am the one who got him killed, not Wanda!"
Maggie scoffed disdainfully.
For the moment, that silenced them both so I continued with my speech, though now I found it hard to contain my anger.
"We will leave tomorrow once I have settled some details with Doc. I want to know how to do this safely - to minimize failure. It was my thought to head up north to begin looking." I looked at Doc and he gave me a nod in agreement which didn't go unnoticed by Sharon.
"No!" she glared at him. "I don't want it back here."
"Why?" Doc asked beseechingly. "And 'it' is a she" he added with a noted annoyance to his tone.
"I don't trust her, never have, and never will." She said coldly.
"But Wanda has done so much for us, if it wasn't for her, Jamie may have died." He tried to gently remind her.
"She risked us all going there, what if they suspected her - we would all be dead now or worse, we would have been turned into one of them."
It was mind-boggling how much she believed that. She truly hated Wanda or was brainwashed into hating her. How could she not know that we ran the same risk each and every time we go on raids. It wasn't limited to that one time with Wanda.
Jamie took two deliberate steps towards Sharon – his face flushed with anger. Mel grabbed hold of his arm and I grabbed the back of his shirt as back up. "Stop!" she commanded him before turning her attention to her cousin.
"I have heard enough out of your stupid trap." Mel's low and threatening tone, I knew, was just the prelude to her snapping. She placed herself between Jamie and Sharon, protecting him. The look Mel gave Sharon was of pure disgust. "You had better shut up Sharon, shut up or I will shut that evil mouth of yours for you!" This was no idle threat. One word out of her and Sharon would feel the truth of what Mel was capable of. It was my turn to hold her back from attacking her vicious cousin. I firmly took hold of her arm, restraining her. Jamie was of the same thought and grabbed her at the waist.
"That thing has brainwashed you!" Maggie re-entered the fight seeing Sharon back away from Mel.
"Don't talk to her that way!" Jamie yelled at his Aunt letting go of Mel, standing beside her instead.
"Be quiet boy, it is clear she has pulled you into her web of lies." She chastised him.
"I will not when you say dumb things. Wanda is good, she is better than you any day!" he declared unmoved by her warning.
"She is more human than you on your best day even!" Mel added twisting in the knife. Inside my mind I was clapping her retort.
"How dare you compare that thing to me!" Maggie's voice went up two octaves screeching at Mel.
Unmoved, Mel replied taunting her aunt further. "You are right; she doesn't deserve to have her name mudded with the likes of you for comparison. You are nothing more than the filth of the human race." The gloves were off now.
Enraged, Maggie lunged for Mel. As if choreographed, a human wall formed protecting Mel from the reaches of her aunt. Those who once treated Wanda with indifference now in effect, defended her by defending Mel. It was good to see that sense had finally reached the majority.
Jeb pushed through so he was standing face to face with his sister. "Touch her Magnolia and it is me you will be dealing with!" He threatened.
"You are a fool if you think bringing that thing back and giving it free reign here won't bring trouble. You are condoning what they did to us by giving it another human body that doesn't belong to it!" Maggie said facing off with her brother.
"Only one that doesn't have a human consciousness inside it!" he interrupted her rebuffing her claim.
"It will betray us all, it will, mark my words." She fumed.
"It is you that threatens our survival, not Wanda!" Mel tried to get out of my hold on her. "It is you and your daughter that threatened Jamie's life when you tried to stop Wanda from giving Jamie the medicine he needed to heal. Your hatred runs so deep you were willing to let him die rather than let Wanda heal him." Gasps could be heard throughout the gathering.
Maggie's expression of not comprehending said it all. She didn't know that Mel could see and hear everything Wanda did.
"Is this true?" Aaron asked shocked then glared at Sharon.
"It is" I said looking at him briefly. "I had to hold Sharon in a headlock so Wanda could use the medicine without interference, which she had just risked her life to get so she could save Jamie's." I explained glaring at Sharon now. "These two didn't care what happened to him" I motioned my hand at the pair. "They just didn't want Wanda anywhere near him. So to pretend now that they care is laughable."
Sharon looked surprised. "I was trying to protect him from that thing!"
"I don't want your kind of help." Jamie crossed his arms defiantly.
"See, you have been brainwashed. That thing told you what it wanted you to believe." Maggie thought she had the upper hand.
"I saw, I felt and I heard everything that Wanda did. I may have been trapped in my own head but I was not without my own thoughts. I saw everything you both did and I can tell you without hesitation – I was disgusted with how you treated her." She paused briefly as if in thought. "And to think, I risked my life and happiness as well as the ones I love to find you." Mel let those words ring in the ears of those listening. "You were not worth the risk I took. The only good thing that has come out of all this was, Wanda. I even begged her to not leave my body so she could stay and help everyone else here." Mel said pointedly.
That part I didn't know. A sharp pain ripped through my chest hearing it. She was prepared to sacrifice her happiness, our happiness, for Wanda to stay here? Mel continued, but my mind was lingering on what she had just said.
"That, my dear Aunt, is how much I value Wanda. I cannot say the same about you!" When she finished, an immensely gratified expression crossed Mel's face. It must have felt good getting that off her chest. I couldn't have been more proud of her for saying it. The self sacrificing part I needed to talk to her about, it was not something I could dismiss, but it could wait till later when we were alone.
"Ya know what, Mel, I think ya pretty much summed up what the rest of us feel." Jeb winked at Mel with a grin. He turned, facing his sister again. "I think it is time for you and Sharon to make yourselves useful for a change. Go and set up ready for dinner in the kitchen."
"We have a right to vote." Sharon disputed.
"No, you don't!" he said firmly facing her. "I actually think you have forfeited your right to ever have an opinion on Wanda ever again to be honest." He said coldly. Then, I could just see a smirk form under his beard. "Maybe we should vote on that?"
He turned and faced everyone "All in favour of these two idiots being ousted from this meeting, raise your hands." A sea of hands went up, even Doc's. This hurt Sharon, her expression made that clear. Maybe this could be the turning point for her in realising her mother's twisted views were wrong. Dead wrong!
"You can't do this!" Maggie said angrily.
"My house, my rules!" he retorted.
"Mark my words Jebediah. She will be the death of us all and you will have no one to blame but yourself." She said before turning on Mel.
"But I blame you child, with your stupidity. You brought this on us and I hold you personally responsible for everything that has happened." She paused then her tone became menacing. "Including..." she paused again "The death of Wes."
My arm went around Mel's waist in comfort. I half expected her to react but she didn't. What I wanted to do was taken out of my hands as I saw Lily take two large strides towards Maggie and slapped her across the face hard.
"You will never mention his name again." She threatened. Brandt was right behind Lily, I imagined ready to do whatever was needed in protecting her should Maggie retaliate. I wondered if this was a new bond forming, at least on Brandt's side.
Nursing the side of her face that Lily had just slapped, and knowing she was outgunned, Maggie was left with only being able to glare at her attacker and that of her bodyguard before she turned away. Facing her daughter, she gave Sharon a filthy look as she stood there, clearly gobsmacked that anyone had had the nerve to strike her mother. "Come Sharon." She commanded her daughter as if she were a dog. Maggie's eyes met with Jeb as she began to leave.
"Get out! Just get out!" You're pathetic! He said bitterly "And keep ya distance from Mel! This is ya one and only warning Magnolia!" He yelled out to her.
And there it was, the line crossed. Maggie had taken her hatred too far. I'm surprised she didn't trip up on the line on her way out. And while it was there, maybe it could find its way into strangling the bitch. I thought smugly.
A minute passed before Jeb hushed the room again. Lily came up to Mel hugging her and the others simply surrounded us in unity.
"Right, that's done with - back ta Wanda. Jared, what other plans you have made with Ian?"
Everyone become attentive and eager to hear of how we would get Wanda back with us. This I liked and made me eager to get underway.
"Mel has a unique insight of what will make Wanda happy here. We will be looking for a young adult. It was agreed that Wanda should be given a longer life span as possible but without being a child. She has made it clear that she will not leave earth and she will not want to have another host body after this final one we choose for her." It was a slight lie or rather omission of the truth, but they didn't need to know all the details of her previous departure plans.
"Where will you go?" Brandt asked keeping close to Lily at all times.
"I was thinking somewhere in the Seattle area. It is far enough away that the host body shouldn't be recognised when Wanda is ready to join us on the raids again."
"What if you put her in a body that doesn't want to stay here?" Heidi asked. It was a valid question.
"We will make sure that whoever we take does not have another conscious mind floating around." Mel answered.
"How can you do that?" Lily looked concerned but I felt it was more directed at Wanda's happiness rather than as a threat to us.
"There are some signs we can look for. And of course, before we take anyone we will observe the host at great lengths to rule out any possibility of dual occupancy."
"Who is going with you?" Aaron asked.
"It will be just Mel, Jamie and me going on this trip." I said tightening my hold on her. "Too many of us will draw attention." I added.
"Not Ian?" Jeb questioned.
"No, he doesn't care what the host body looks like, he just wants Wanda safely put back into one." I replied not wishing to elaborate further.
Jeb nodded accepting this as Ian's wishes.
"How long do you think you will be gone?" Lily asked
This started off questions from others who had previously been quiet. We talked and discussed every aspect that was brought up. By the end of it the questions it seemed that everyone was in unison over how to achieve our goal. Wanda was another step closer to coming home. The vibe in the room was one in high spirits and what had happened with Maggie and her daughter forgotten.
It was Lily again that asked the next question but it was for Mel.
"What does it feel like?" she asked hesitantly. "That is, what is it like to have a soul inside you, to be in control?" There was fear in her eyes but a natural curiosity in us all would have that question asked and needing an answer.
Mel's stomach growled. She covered it trying to muffle the sound. She did that same thing, covering her stomach, the first time I met her. Mel was so hungry then, her stomach could have been heard for miles. Memories flooded my mind again, that first kiss, that first moment of knowing we were going to be together. Instinctively, my face brushed up against the top of her head allowing the warm memories to fill me.
"I think we can discuss this over dinner. How about it, Mel?" Jeb asked. His thirst for knowledge made him as keen as anyone else here to know what it felt like to Mel.
"It would be just like how, Wanda, use to tell us stories of her other lives." I cupped Mel's chin in my hand as I turned her to face me, lifting it so I could see her eyes. Nothing in them suggested that this upset her. But my mind was still filled with the first moments I had spent with Mel.
Regardless of everyone watching, I leaned in, kissing her lips gently to mine. I was as compelled as I had been the first time I met her – knowing nothing was more important to me than reaching out to her for that connection between us. Mel's soft moan that she makes when we are intimate, made me chuckle. I was not the only one in the room chuckling and it brought my attention back to where we were. Begrudgingly, I pulled away from her lips. I hated doing this and I struggled to do so.
"So, how about it?" I asked softly whispering in her ear.
"Mmm?" her eyes hadn't opened yet. She was still caught up in our 'moment'. I liked that.
"Mel, Love, do you want to eat?" I said taking her face in my hands.
"Nope" she replied sheepishly sighing.
"You're not going to disappoint these folks are you?" I teased.
Suddenly her eyes flew open. "Oh!" turning bright red she laughed at herself with embarrassment.
"Come on Mel, we all want to know but I am starving like the rest of us." Jeb said laughing at her shamelessly for her chagrin.
"Yes, of course." She smiled weakly. "Lead the way" she motioned.
People moved out of the room, chatting away as they followed Jeb to the kitchen.
"That was pretty funny to watch Mel" Jamie said as he followed them.
"Ha ha" she sung out after him.
"Don't do that again!" she said firmly but jokingly at me.
"Do what?" I feigned ignorance.
"You know what!" and playfully smacked me on the top of my arm.
"Oh . . ., you mean this?" I said mockingly, taking her in my grasp again. This time I wasn't gentle.
The flames burned brightly as she melted into me. I claimed her mouth with an urgency so passionate, so with need that I could have taken her right there and then. I don't think Mel would have been opposed to the idea with the way she had wound her body around mine. Her fingers buried deep in my hair, pulling me in harder to her. And maybe I would have if it hadn't been for Jamie coming back.
"I thought so..." he said with a cheeky tone. "You know you have all night for that" he mocked us.
I wish. I thought in my mind. Nothing would make me happier, but it wouldn't be wise to be half asleep in the soul's environment. Mel showed no sign of breaking away with Jamie here and for a brief moment I thought about ignoring him as well. But now was not the time. As much as it pained me, I pulled away.
"No" Mel cried out softly. Like me, she had not had enough. Her hands tried to hold me in place.
"Soon it will be more than just Jamie here, Love." I kissed her forehead.
"I don't care, I want you" she begged.
"Hold on to that thought for me, I will make it up to you." I consoled her.
"Promise?" Mel sighed. She let go of me, resigned to waiting.
"I promise."