Author's Note:

Just letting you know that this will be the last chapter, though there will be an epilogue, which I have already started work on. :)

Also, another love scene, probably love scenes plural, between Doc and Calihan will be in the Epilogue! :)

Anyhow, that's enough from me I think, and I hope you enjoy the chapter! :)

And don't forget to REVIEW! Lol. :)

~Sweet-Hearted SilverEars~

Chapter 9 I Choose You

"Sharon, I can't be with you anymore," Doc said quietly, his regret obvious in every line of his body as he spoke. "You can't know how sorry I am. I tried as hard as I possibly could, but.. You're just not the woman that I married any longer. I don't love the woman that you've become; I loved the woman that you used to be. I'm sorry."

Sharon rounded on him unexpectedly, her once beautiful face twisted into a mask of hate. "This is about that soul, isn't it? That Wanderer?"

"Wanda?.." he asked in genuine surprise. "What could we possibly have to do with her?"

"Don't you play the innocent with me!" Sharon hissed out now. "I know what you wanted from her well enough!"

"What? That's nonsense, Sharon."

"Is it?"

"Yes!"

"Well, I don't believe you! You'll pay for this, Eustace! Somehow, I will make you pay!"

Calihan sat in a chair across from where Jared and Ian sat together on their bed, Ian relaxing back against his lover's chest, smiling contentedly when Jared's strong, sheltering arms came around him tenderly.

"So, what can we do for you, Calihan?" Ian asked him curiously.

"I wanted to ask you about.. Wanderer," Calihan began hesitantly, surprised at the intensity of the pain that flared within Ian's eyes in response to his statement.

"Who told you about Wanda?" Jared demanded of him, instantly defensive on Ian's behalf, pulling his lover closer to his larger body for comfort as Ian trembled slightly against him now.

"It was Doc," Calihan admitted, trying to conceal his sudden nervousness, not entirely sure if he succeeded when he noticed Jared's dark eyes burning as he looked at him intently.

"Why were you talking about her?"

"Because, I.." Calihan bit his lower lip between his teeth, hesitating, continuing quickly before he lost his nerve. "He.. He found out my secret.."

"What secret?"

"I.. used to be a soul.."

"You mean you escaped by getting the soul out?" Ian asked, curious now, though his pain still lingered in his eyes. "But you don't have a scar. My brother said so."

"No, I.. I am a soul, but.. I consider myself to be human, as she did. Please.. Don't tell anyone? It's not that I want it to be a secret, but I feel.. frightened. Something is telling me that I shouldn't tell just anyone. I thought that coming here with you would be good for me. Now.. I'm not sure that I'm safe.. Will you expose me?"

The two males on the bed were staring at him as though he had grown a second head.

"Well," Jared said after a few tense moments spent in silence. "I'm sure that Jeb should know, as he'll be one to defend you if anything does happen, but he'll keep it to himself if asked to. Are you implying that you think Melanie's death wasn't an accident?"

"Who is Melanie?.." Calihan asked in sudden confusion. "I thought we were talking about Wanda."

"Melanie was my girl," Jared explained impatiently. "Wanda was the soul that controlled her body."

"And.. I loved Wanderer," Ian spoke up softly now. "I wanted to be with her forever."

"The same way that I wanted Mel," Jared added, his voice rough with tension. "I've known her and her brother Jaymie for years, so if you think their deaths wasn't really an accident?.."

Calihan's face reflected obvious surprise as he answered him quickly. "I don't know that for certain. Even the ones who were here probably can't, unless they saw it and are too afraid to say so, but.. Something isn't right here, or I wouldn't feel afraid. I have very good instincts when it comes to judging people, or I wouldn't have risked trusting you both. I want to stay here.. To have the chance to build a life for myself, better then the one that the other souls forced upon me. I've never wanted to be this way, even before they forced me to come to earth, but.. It's how I was born; I can't do anything about it, just like my physical preference for other males. It's who I am now."

Doc stumbled around the hospital cave, his eyes blurry with sadness and tears as he sank down onto one of the cots. A bottle of whiskey was clutched tightly in his left fist, lifting it to his lips for another long drink, desperately trying to dull his emotional pain with the alcohol.

Doc was drunk.

That was Calihan's first coherent thought upon his return to the hospital cave, seeing the older male sprawled out on a cot on his back, his left hand hanging off the edge of it limply, though his fingers were clutched tightly around the neck of a bottle of what was obviously some sort of alcohol.

"Doc.." he called out to him softly. "Are you alright? What happened?.."

"Ended it.. with Sharon.." he answered, his low voice heavy with his pain. "For good. Had to do it. But.. So lonely.."

"Oh, Doc.." Calihan said quickly, his multi-colored eyes wide with shock, feeling the other man's pain as though it were his own as well. "I'm so sorry.. Everything will be alright, though. You'll see. Someday it won't hurt so much.."

"I know," Doc said, his voice barely a murmur so that Calihan had to move nearer to hear him. "Calihan.. Come closer. Want.. to touch you.."

Calihan gasped softly at his words, looking even more shocked at their obvious meaning. "No, Doc, I.. We shouldn't. You're drunk. I.. I don't want you to regret it and hate me in the morning.. Besides, you're straight. Very, very straight, you said before."

"I lied. And I'm not that drunk. Please, just.. let me touch you, kiss you? I won't do.. anything else without your permission.."

"Okay.." Calihan agreed warily. "As long as you promise me that things between you and me won't change for the worse. I don't want things to be awkward between us."

"I promise," Doc whispered, smiling a little when Calihan came closer, sitting down on the cot beside him, reaching down to take the half-empty bottle from his hand and set it aside carefully, replacing it with his own fingers by linking them with Doc's tenderly.

The other man reached up with his right hand, laying it over the back of Calihan's neck and entangling his fingers in the soft hair at the nap there, tugging his head down abruptly so that their lips were mashed together awkwardly.

Calihan made a noise of surprise against his mouth, but then Doc felt the healer's whole body soften atop his, submitting to his kiss with no hesitation at all. He merely shifted his lips on his in order to make it more of a kiss and less of mashing of lips, his differently colored eyes fluttering closed as their upraised hands pulled apart reluctantly now so that Doc could run his left hand down over Calihan's spine, touching his broad back while still holding on to the back of his neck almost desperately.

Their kiss deepened then, intensifying when Doc's tongue swirled over his and into his mouth when his lips parted, and before Calihan even realized what he was doing he was straddling the other male. Still kissing him, lapping at Doc's tongue hungrily as he started to grind his hips down against his unconsciously, the both of them panted heavily as they paused the kiss for a moment to breathe.

"Hughh, god, Doc.." Calihan panted, his fingers clutching at the fabric of his shirt tightly on either side of his rib cage as he spoke without thinking it through. "You're so.. I want to suckle you.."

Doc stiffened beneath him at that statement, his eyes going wide with shock.

"I-I'm sorry.." Calihan stammered quickly, a dark rose flush tinting his cheekbones as he looked down at him warily. "I-I've been too forward.. Forgive me? I've always been far too blunt about stating my desires.. It's.. It's why I have yet to be with another man physically. The other souls that are like me, that like guys, they didn't like it.. It.. made them uncomfortable that I was so aggressive in my speech. I always frightened them away. I'm sorry.."

"No, it's.. It's okay," Doc said slowly. "You just startled me, that's all. You.. you can, if you want.. And my name is Eustace.."

Calihan relaxed at that, smiling widely, his eyes shining with obvious excitement. "Really?.."

"Yes, really."

"Okay. Eustace. Thank you.."

"For what?" Doc asked in confusion.

"For telling me your name."

The other man flushed at Calihan's low tone of voice, secretly liking the way that he made something so simple seem like a big deal. "Of course. Um.. Whenever you're ready."

Calihan smiled again, his differently shaded green eyes softening with emotion as he leaned down to reengage their kiss, a quiet, pleasured sound escaping his parted lips. Their tongues entwined once more as Calihan moved his right hand down to Eustace's crotch now, his left keeping him stable above him as he undid the older man's belt buckle, then his zipper, pulling back from the kiss reluctantly now so that he could slide off the cot.

He knelt beside it on his knees, reaching out to tug Doc's pants down around his ankles, followed by his briefs, actually shuddering when Eustace's cock was revealed to his eyes finally. It wasn't as long as Calihan's own was, but it wasn't short either, and it was thick, surprisingly causing Cal's mouth to water as he studied it.

Then, he slowly lowered his head down, brushing his soft lips over the tip gently, feeling Doc tremble in response to the touch, a low moan escaping him then when Calihan tongued him tenderly, lapping at the head repeatedly and with obvious eagerness.

"Oh god, Cal, Cal.." Eustace moaned again, hips jerking unconsciously when Calihan suddenly took him deep into his mouth, suckling his hard flesh just as he had stated that he wanted to do so bluntly. "Calihan! Ahhh, fuck! Don't stop, please!"

Far from stopping, Calihan sped up and intensified his efforts, being careful not to catch him with his teeth since he'd never done this before either. He caused a loud cry of pleasure to escape Eustace as he released abruptly inside his mouth, Calihan sucking harder in response, draining everything that he had to give him without hesitation.

"Oh, Cal.. That was.. amazing. I'm so tired now, though.."

Calihan smiled, leaning up to his face to press his lips to his chastely after licking him clean down there, pulling up his briefs, then his pants thoughtfully before fastening them closed carefully.

"You're welcome, Eustace," he replied with a soft smile, his two-toned eyes gentle with emotion. "I enjoyed it, too. Sleep, then. I'll be here when you wake up, I promise you."

"Okay, Cal.."

"Are you alright, Ian?.." Jared asked him softly once Calihan had left, still holding his lover close to his body where they sat together on their bed. "I know that it can't have been easy for you to talk about Wanda.."

"I'm okay, Jared, I promise," Ian answered him with a slightly sad smile, snuggling closer obediently when the other man's strong arms tightened around his shoulders protectively. "It.. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would, to think of her.. I know that she'd want me to be happy now, and.. I am with you. I love being with you, being yours, because I love you. Are.. Are you okay?.. I mean, does it still hurt when you think of Melanie?.."

"A little, yes, but I'm alright. I think that it's always going to sting some, but, we have each other. I love you, Ian, and I know that you love me, so we'll make it through this, together."

"I know, Jared," Ian whispered with a slightly happier smile. "And I do love you, so much.. Will you.. Make love to me?.. I need to feel you inside me, my love.."

Jared nodded, kissing Ian's hair above his left temple tenderly before turning him in his arms so that he was facing him, kissing his lips as he lowered Ian down onto his back on the mattress carefully. He followed after him, running his hands over his body lovingly, their tongues entwining hungrily as they slowly stripped each other of all their clothing now.

"Jared.." Ian moaned, slipping his arms around his neck unconsciously once they were both completely naked, trembling beneath him with obvious desire. "Jared, I love you, so much.."

"I love you, too, Ian.." Jared growled softly, his eyes dark and intense as he spoke.

Ian gasped suddenly in surprise when Jared's hands moved to his upper thighs, abruptly spreading them open wide, a soft whimper of need escaping his throat when Jared merely stared at him for several long minutes.

"Jar-Jared!" Ian begged him, his eyes wide and pleading with the other man for his touch. "Please!"

"Shh.." Jared said in reply, kissing him again to soothe him, enjoying his loud moan in response to the feel of his body resting atop his again, though more intimately since his legs were spread open widely to accept him. "I'm here, Ian, I'm here.."

Ian nodded wordlessly, a soft cry escaping him when he felt two of Jared's fingers pressing insistently at the entrance to his body, squirming at how good they felt, warm and slick as they pushed their way inside, stretching him for Jared, followed by a third finger. He moaned with loss when they were gone suddenly, feeling empty and bereft. Then, he felt Jared's hands tightly gripping him by the hips after he applied a condom and lube to himself, pressing inside Ian slowly and carefully, only speeding up when Ian begged him to do so.

Ian whimpered again, shaking beneath Jared at the pleasurable stimulation of his boyfriend's cock deep inside his body, clutching at his shoulders desperately as they moved together. They were sweat-soaked and writhing on the bed, soon reaching their release, Ian moaning with the force of it, Jared panting heavily as he collapsed atop Ian. He then pulled out reluctantly to discard the condom before pulling the other man even closer, laying his head on his heaving chest when the fingers of Ian's left hand moved up to touch his dark hair compulsively, burying themselves in the damp strands as they lay there recovering from their mutual passion.

"I love you, Ian," he repeated firmly, closing his eyes as he spoke.

"I love you, too, Jared," Ian sighed happily, turning his neck briefly to kiss Jared's sweaty forehead lovingly.

"We have got to do something about Eustace," Sharon ranted to Maggie, pacing in the cave that the two women had shared since they'd become friends after Sharon's initial temporary separation from Doc. "He's becoming unmanageable. He thinks he has the right to leave me for good now. I thirst for vengeance! I deserve retribution! We must find a way to hurt him, the way that he's hurt me! Will you help me to find a way?"

"Yes. I will," Maggie agreed, her eyes burning with anger of Sharon's behalf. "We'll have to plan and watch him before deciding what would be the best plan of action."

"Yes, we will."