Sorry this is so late but i kind of had a break of the christmas period. It is the Holidays. I have also been trying to keep up with my college assignments which have taken a backseat recently and have been busy reading some great books that i haven't been able to put down so that i could write Fanfiction. I have been inspired these past two days though hence this chapter so enjoy and i will try to update soon hopefully within the week.

P.S i do not own the Host or any of the characters Stephenie Meyer does although i do own the plot

Chapter 10

Jared's POV

I wondered what Ian and Mel were talking about as I walked down the winding tunnels. I didn't like leaving the two of them alone and I guess a part of that was because of jealousy. I had no right to be jealous of course. I had knowingly kissed Wanda, yearned for her, knowing full well that she belonged to Ian and me to Mel.

When had life become so complicated. Before Wanda had turned up in the caves I had been getting along just fine. Sure I was distraught about losing Melanie and grieving for her; giving her up, believing she was gone forever, but I was overcoming that. I had slowly been returning to normal.

It's not that I wasn't happy that I had Melanie back but she was different now. I don't know whether it was the effects Wanda had on her or if it was just me not recognising the old Mel; imagining her to be someone she wasn't; Imagining that she was Wanda.

Ever since Mel had gotten her body back I had sensed that things had changed. First of all I missed Wanda's presence after getting used to seeing her soul behind Melanie's eyes. My heart longed for someone else now and although it still held a place for Mel there was a much bigger part that wanted Wanda.

I had also started doubting Melanie's feelings for me. I had noticed the glances that Mel darted in Ian's direction anytime we were in his vicinity. She always gave fleeting glances but in them I could see the same longing that she used to give to me in the beginning when I first found her and Jamie. We both wanted each other then but I always felt like I was taking advantage of her because she was the last woman on earth and I didn't feel right because of her age.

I tried to forget about these moments from Mel. I recall when Wanda first came here and I learnt of her desire for me. She told me the reason for that was because Mel longed for me and loved me and so because she was in Mel's body and shared Mel's mind she lusted after me and loved me too.

Maybe Melanie was suffering from the same kind of thing. She had spent a year with Wanda, witnessing the relationship between Wanda and Ian growing and developing and experiencing every thing they experienced together. Hell, she was even present when they conceived a child.

I didn't want to dwell on this fact. I hated the idea of Ian and Mel and though I shouldn't I hated that Ian got Wanda and I didn't. What if I had acted on the fact that Wanda loved me in the beginning. Ian and Wanda would never have been and maybe Wanda would love me for me and not just because Melanie did.

Maybe Wanda had settled for Ian. I didn't doubt that she cared for him but if there was still a part of her that wanted me then I had to take that chance.

I started running. I could take this chance. Ian and Mel were together in Doc's room discussing their child...not mine...not Wanda's...theirs. I was fast losing Mel to Ian even if he didn't reciprocate those feelings and the only chance I have left is too follow my heart and tell Wanda how I feel. The most she can do is turn me away and at least then I know that I will have tried.

I stumble across Kyle leaving the tunnel for the storage caves with a big grin on his face and as he catches my eye he changes course and heads my way.

"Howe!" he shouts as he moves across the dusty floor towards me.

"Kyle" I retort thinking how it is possible that one person can be so annoying.

"I have just been talking to Wanda and Jamie about the newest addition to my family" he looks at me at smirks. "I take it you've heard the good news, the punch in the face this morning all makes sense now."

I look down the entrance to the storage cave to see if Wanda or Jamie is headed up this way. I wonder how she has taken the news.

He claps me on the back "I'm not saying he doesn't deserve it Jared. If Sunny had gotten my Jodie pregnant with some dirty soul's offspring I would hunt them down and kill them with my bare hands...not that, that is an invitation to do that to my brother of course because then I would have to avenge him and I don't want to kill you man."

I grit my teeth and wait for Kyle to finish so I can go and find Wanda.

"But" Kyle continues "a punch in the face is fine by me. I wouldn't mind giving him a matching black eye myself; try and knock some sense into him about dating a soul"

"Hold on" I interrupt. "Aren't you dating a soul Kyle or is Sunny a figment of my imagination.

"Yes Jared, well spotted. But I am only with Sunny until I can find a way to bring my Jodie back whereas Ian doesn't know Pet and even if he did he wouldn't trade her in if it meant losing Wanda. Plus I am not sleeping with my soul."

I can't stomach another second of Kyle right now. I need to go find Wanda now before I lose my courage and she must be in a state right now with the information she has just received. I know I was.

I push Kyle out of the way and head down the storage tunnel. I hear Kyle shout after me "Don't do anything I wouldn't" and he doesn't know just how perfect his words are because I am about to do something Kyle would never do which is confess my love to a soul.

I find Wanda hunched against Jamie's shoulder crying into his plaid shirt. Jamie looks up as I enter and shakes his head as I motion my head towards Wanda questioningly. His answer tells me what I want to know; whether Wanda is okay.

I move across to the two of them and slide myself down the wall so that I am sat next to Jamie and Wanda. She still hasn't looked up to see who it is but I know she knows that someone is here because she burrows her face further into Jamie's chest as if to hide.

"How are you coping?" Jamie asks me as I bring my knees up to my chest.

Wanda looks up at this question and notices it is me for the first time.

"As is to be expected" I reply. I look into Wanda's tear streaked face and try to reassure her with a smile. Her eyes are red with all the crying and she looks even younger than her years because of it.

She wipes away her tears and after several sniffles turns and faces me again.

"I ought to apologise for shouting at you before" she says. "I guess you did have a reason after all" she drops her eyes and continues. "Please just say your piece with me and leave me"

"What" I answer confused.

"Well, don't you want to scream at me a little? It takes two Jared; you can't blame this all on Ian."

"I'm not here to have a go at you Wanda" I say. "I'm here to see how you are and too have a talk with you if that's alright"

Wanda blushes and then nods her face hidden behind her fair, gold locks.

"Jamie would you mind leaving me and Wanda alone for a while, there are a few things I want to talk to her about."

Jamie looks nervous for a minute as if questioning my intentions. He looks from me to Wanda and then addresses her.

"Do you mind Wanda; I can stay if you want? I don't mind."

"It's fine Jamie honestly. I'm sure you've missed some of your lessons with Sharon today because of me and I don't want her to go mad for keeping you any longer."

Jamie looks to us both one more time and then gets up to leave.

"If you need me I'll be in the kitchen. I'll leave you two to it but I am not going to go to Sharon. She'll wonder where I've been all day and if I pull a sickie and it's going to take all day to make it believable" he laughs.

"Anything to get out of school more like" I say. I swear that kid reminds me of myself more and more everyday.

After he leaves I shuffle across the floor so I am closer to Wanda. She moves as well slightly and I guess she isn't entirely comfortable with me after the stunt I pulled this morning.

"I'm not going to kiss you again, unless you want me to of course" I chuckle.

This makes her blush again.

"How is Ian" She asks suddenly.

"Fine" I answer stiffly, Ian is not who I want to discuss at this moment. "He is with Mel at the moment I left the two of them talking."

Wanda hides her face at this and I long to reach out to her and caress her face.

"Wanda..." I stutter.

"Yes" she replies turning her face to look at me again.

"There was a reason I came to talk to you again"

"I already know about the baby Jared. Kyle was very eager to let me and Jamie know that. You don't have to ask, Mel had nothing to do with the conception of the baby."

"That is not what I came to talk about" I reply.

"Then what?" she asks puzzled.

"I came to tell you that I love you"

Wanda's POV

"I came to tell you that I love you" Jared uttered

I was still reeling from these words, sitting utterly motionless against the wall. Jared loved me; that couldn't be. Jared hated me!

That was a fact, he hated me. Jared had hated me from the day I first set foot in these caves in Mel's body; I was the soul who had stolen his Mel. Sure I knew that he wouldn't kill me anymore or harm me, I even knew that he had grown to tolerate me...but love me?

"Wanda are you okay?" Jared asked after I had remained still and silent for more than a few minutes.

How could he even ask that? All those months in Melanie's body I had longed to hear those words leave Jared's lips but I was with Ian now – I loved Ian.

Was that what that kiss had been about earlier? It all made sense now, these humans could be so confusing; more confusing than any host species I had ever encountered and by my record that was a lot.

"Wanda" Jared pressed his hand finding my knee.

I shifted to the right so that his hand fell away. I still didn't like the way my body betrayed me at the slightest touch of Jared. Although I didn't want to admit it I still desired Jared. I had come to the conclusion that it was due to the months I had spent in Mel's body longing for him; seeing him the way she did. That had made an obvious impression on my soul but it didn't matter when there was another person in these caves that had left an even bigger impression.

Finally I looked up to meet Jared's burning sienna coloured eyes. The corner of his lips started to twitch at the sight of my blushing cheeks; this body often betrayed me in more ways than one.

"What do you think then?" Jared asked again. He looked nervous, a look I wasn't used to seeing on his face.

"Jared..." I began but he put a hand up to stop me.

"Don't worry about it Wanda if you don't feel the same way. I don't want you to say something that you don't really mean just to make me feel better. I'm strong and resilient enough to deal okay"

"Can I at least explain" I ask him as he starts to get up his back to me. He turned around to face me.

"Sure" he sighs.

"It's not that I don't love you to Jared – I do! Sharing Mel's thoughts for so long made me love you just as much as I do Jamie as you already know. When I came to Pet's body that didn't change just as my love for Jamie hasn't changed..."

Jared's face brightened at this and he made to move towards me. It was Pet's tiny hand that had to come up to interrupt him now

"But..." I continued. "Ian is the one I want to be with now. He is the man I can see myself with. I could never betray him or Mel that way surely you know that. I love them both too much. I'm sure you couldn't hurt Mel that way either, imagine what this would do to her. I thought you had what you wanted now, you have Mel back why would you want to jeopardise that for me"

Jared started to speak again.

"I know what you mean." He sighed and looked at the floor. "I don't want to hurt Mel it's just that she isn't the same anymore, she's not the girl I want I can see that now. But I'm going to try harder I swear, I'll show you how much I love you by letting you be happy with Ian if that is who you want."

"It is" I mumble

"Then I'm happy for you, as long as you're happy then I'll be fine"

Jared turned on his heel and started to go back the way he came. I ran after him to catch up with his big long strides and grabbed his shoulder to turn him around. He twisted to look at me and I gently kissed him on his cheek, grazing my lips over his rough cut stubble.

"Thank you Jared"

And with that he turned around and left the cave but not before I saw him lift his hand up to his cheek where my lips had caught his skin.

So finally back to Wanda's POV hadn't really done anything from her for a while. I have also shown some Wanda + Ian in the fact that Wanda is staying true to him and won't betray him for all the Wanda/Ian purists although i can't guarentee it will stay that way, i haven't decided so don't hate me :D. Please READ AND REVIEW i have had a few more this last chapter which makes me feel like i'm doing something right. The more reviews the faster i'll update i promise. I will also mention some of my reviewers in my next chapter introduction x