A/N: My apologies for the extended absence.
Once again, I give my heartfelt thanks to everyone who have given me their time to read this little story of mine, who've left reviews or simply added 'Anything But' to their Favorites & Alert list. You have my eternal gratitude.
And because of your continued support, I was able to battle my writing block demons and produce the next chapter.
The last chapter won't be as long so hopefully it won't take me years to finish it again. Like I promised before, I aim to finish this before the movie came out. (Can I get a big 'whoop!' for the movie? I'm excited!) Also, the Epilogue is mostly done; just some finishing touches here and there.
Wanda POV
I looked down at the lone pill cradled on the palm of my hand, unsure whether to hand it to Ian or take it myself. An hour ago, I wouldn't have thought twice about offering it to him. Now? I wasn't so sure. The thought of downing it myself was starting to look too tempting to pass. I wondered if I could justify needing it more.
Ian was standing in front of me, nursing a bloody nose with one hand and holding up an ice pack against his bruised left eye with the other. Had I not witnessed similar cuts and bruises on Andrew's face, I probably would have gone into a state of panic at the assumption he had gotten into a scuffle with the Seekers -details and semantics be damned. As it was, I only ended up with one heck of a migraine exactly ten minutes from the time Wolf and I set foot at Waldorf-Astoria.
We arrived at the Core to a sight that was as surreal as a scene from the action movies that Rob was fond of playing on the massive monitors when Andrew wasn't around. A few chairs had been overturned, tables were left askew in haphazard patterns across the floor and paperwork had been thrown carelessly like confetti on a ticker-tape parade. But the main attraction at the center of this circus was the fisticuff exchange between two of my favorite men: Ian and Andrew. Choice words were exchanged between them as they recklessly threw punches and dodged the other's blows while everyone else egged them on.
A shrill whistle came out from behind me. I turned around to look at the origin of the sound. And from the corners of my eye, I saw others in the room had done the same. Even then, it did little to catch the attention of the two men who were both too busy using each other's faces as punching bags.
Wolf spread his arms wide and asked, "What is this? You guys decide to host an MMA tournament and no one thinks to wait for me?" He lowers his arms and shakes his head in apparent mock disappointment. "You guys wound me." Even though I knew he was kidding, I noted an undertone of whining hidden there somewhere.
Ian and Andrew finally halted in mid-punch. If I hadn't been so horrified at the violence being displayed, I would have thought the looks of chagrin on their faces were rather comical. Disturbing yet cartoonish especially the way they immediately scrambled away from each other as if they'd been caught with their hands in the cookie jar right before dinner.
Wolf merely raised an eyebrow when silence was the only thing that answered his question.
Andrew chanced a glance at Ian, then at Wolf and me, before he let out a sigh of defeat and asked, "Would you like the whole, unadulterated truth or the watered-down, politically-correct version of it?
"Is there a difference?" I asked.
"Depends on who's asking."
"Why would it matter?"
"Because it's the difference between you getting mad at me and you getting really mad at me."
I rolled my eyes at his assumption. "I don't see that happening any time soon."
"You never know. But in case you haven't noticed, I'm a rather cautious man."
Getting frustrated by his deflective responses and, at the same time, apprehensive of what it could almost mean, I practically barked, "Just spill it!"
"Alright! Alright!" Andrew ran both his hands through his hair, pulling slightly at the ends. "It was all just one, big misunderstanding."
Something black whizzed past his head which barely missed his temple by a scant inch. Had it not been for his quick reflexes, it would have nailed him right in the middle of his forehead.
"For fuck's sake, O'Shea!" Andrew bellowed.
Ian grunted as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Misunderstanding, my ass. I thought you were going to give Wanda the whole, unadulterated truth. Just tell her exactly what happened, Drew, and don't you dare think to skim off the more pertinent details like, say, the part where you became an exceptional dumbass."
"Gentlemen, please! Are all this crass language and barbaric behavior absolutely necessary?" I had to screech to be heard above the growls emanating from both men.
And the room fell quiet again. Great.
Normally I would have covered my face and ran, uncomfortable at all the eyes that were locked on me and at the same time, be embarrassed at what I had just done. But for once, I surprisingly found myself not caring at all. Because 1) I was tired – ever since the afternoon Ian, Mel and Jared arrived at Sanctuary, my sleep had been cut down to almost nil; 2) I was hungry – those hotdog stands outside the library really stirred something in my belly; and 3) Because I was surprisingly already ticked off…all because of reasons 1 and 2.
Andrew sighed and the reluctance in which he parted his next words was evident with each syllable he spoke. "Remember how your spy camera is concealed in your locket?" he asked, nodding at the sterling silver pendant that rested in between my breasts.
"Yes," I replied, unconsciously lifting my hand towards it, feeling the cold metal against my fingertips.
"Well," he said with a smirk, "let's just say, both those men were rather fond of it and couldn't seem to get their gazes away from it. And we would know. We definitely had an eyeful of their stares." Then he mumbled something that sounded like 'or the general area around it' but I wasn't so sure.
I let his words sink in for a moment but when the implication of what he meant finally registered, it made me gasp. "Oh no! Do you mean to say that they suspected that I had a hidden camera in it? Had they figured everything out?"
My pulse raced and I felt the blood leaving my face. Are we busted? What's going to happen now? Are they on their way to notify the Seekers about us? This is entirely my fault! A sinking feeling started settling in the pit of my stomach.
"I can't even manage to distract two men and that's all I was supposed to do! I blew the mission. I just know it!"
I knew I was babbling but, once again, I realized that I didn't care. I was disgusted with myself and my ineptitude at completing such a simple task. Nothing could tamper down the hysteria that was starting to consume me and if I hadn't belatedly remembered that I was a big girl, I just might have broken down and cried.
Andrew blinked; a confused look blanketed his face. "Jesus H. Christ. What are you on about, Wanda?"
"My locket! That's what they kept on looking at, am I right? They figured out it was a camera and I got busted and that's what you're trying to tell me! And...and now everyone here is in danger because of me!"
Silence briefly descended upon the room before Rob suddenly burst out laughing. Immediately I could feel my skin prickle and flush red. Later I would figure out if it was from anger or embarrassment. At the moment, it was rather hard to tell.
Wolf chuckled. "Damn, woman. You're denser than Rob's unnaturally thick skull."
"Hey! I take offense to that!" Rob exclaimed.
Wolf snorted. "Like you didn't know. Your skull's so thick, you'd probably survive a point blank shot to the head."
Rob snorted. "Probably."
I felt my eyebrows draw in in confusion. Now it was my turn to feel lost. Shouldn't everyone be in a state of panic right about now instead of throwing barbs at each other?
I met Ian's piercing blue eyes, and with slight hesitation on his part, he made his way towards me.
"What they're trying to tell you, Wanda, is that Andrew," he paused and glared at the man in question, "forgot to un-Mute your earpiece. So when Wolf finished and was making his way towards the van, Andrew tried to instruct you to rendezvous back with him. But since you couldn't hear a thing, it seemed you were ignoring it; which roughly translated to a panic situation here at the Core when they couldn't communicate with you for more than an hour. They all thought you had decided to abandon us. I insisted that Wolf went after you but Andrew claimed it would've done more harm than good. I thought he decided to throw you to the sharks so they can catch you willingly with their teeth."
I was stunned. "You couldn't have possibly thought that of me, could you? Honestly, do none of you even trust me at all?" I looked straight at Ian and asked, "Despite all we've been through and all we had to do to get to this place, you really thought I would simply throw that away like some object that has long outlived its purpose? Did you really think I would run back to them the first real chance I get?" For them to quickly to come to the conclusion that I would betray their trust that easily really stung.
"It's not you, Wanda. It's- -"
I threw my hands in the air in exasperation. "Oh, great. Is this the part where you all say, 'It's not you, it's me.' and all that nonsense? I've come across my share of romance novels in my time here that I've read that clichéd line over and over again. And guess what? Nothing good ever comes of it. It's only when everyone involved have exhausted all their tears and they finally realized that their prides had singularly managed to kick them in their asses do they decide to grovel back to the each other, only to find out it was already too late. So before you continue with that train of thought, I suggest that you think first and think hard. Even Souls can have their limits."
"I was about to say...it's our insecurities," said Ian. "But you are right. That's basically the same thing. And I apologize for myself for that. So as you've clearly pointed out and how clichéd this would also come out, it's not you that we don't trust. It's—"
"Them. Yes, I'm familiar with that line too."
"Because it's true," Andrew pointed out. "Although time may have civilized us after all these centuries, it has also turned us into a bunch of cynics and distrustful creatures. Over the years, we've learned to be cautious. Given our history, it was easy to think such things. But I take full blame of it. It was my fault and I apologize profusely for that mistake. We gave you our trust and you've not done anything wrong to garner such disrespect from us. I threw you out there and I panicked the moment things didn't go as planned."
Andrew came up to me and held both of my hands in his. "I'm sorry, Wanda. Forgive me?"
I looked up into a once perfect face that was now covered in bruises and blood trickling down one nostril. He tried to give me a battered up puppy dog look but failed miserably since his left eye was practically swelled shut. But deep in my heart, I knew he meant it. As Mel once told me, this was the difference between Souls and Humans – Souls trusted without hesitation; Humans trusted only when all avenues of distrust have been thoroughly destroyed. I cannot fault him for that.
"Apology accepted." I gave him a smile that showed I clearly meant it.
His relief was palpable as he released my hands and gave me a smile that said, 'I am in your debt.' Again.
Relaxing, I turned to Ian, "Okay, so I understand the panic. But what's with the brawl?
I felt his body tense beside mine before he answered, "They tried to kick me out of the Core so you can concentrate and so that I'd stop cursing every poor fellow who had the misfortune of standing close to you. Reluctantly, I did just so I could clear my head for a bit and give them a couple hours of reprieve. When I came back… Well, the sight of two men looking straight at us through the camera in your locket, with drool practically dripping from their mouths, wasn't the best thing to convince me that that wasn't the reason they wanted me to leave in the first place. And so, I let hell loose on Drew." Ian moved his jaw around to loosen the kinks with his hand and added, "Damn fool didn't tell me he'd taken to mixed martial arts since the last time we saw each other."
That was an hour ago.
Ian and I had left the Core and retired to his assigned room shortly after the debriefing.
Part of me was relieved that it had all been a misunderstanding. The other part was still raw with apprehension and anxiety. I wasn't sure everything would be alright now even with the discoveries at the library.
From the quick recap they gave me, Wolf found the contraption in the room where the old servers used to be. He was able to hack into one of its terminals using the Soul's own transponders they had left lying around and managed to secure a heavily encrypted connection to the Core. Rob was able to access it all the way from the comforts of his revolving chair.
Turns out, the huge contraption was the Soul's own data link; a satellite that connected all major cities from all over the world to each another, a com server that was a thousand times more powerful than what human technology could even dream to come up with. And not only that, it was a communication outpost that broadcasted signals directly to the other planets they've invaded as well.
It was with Robs help that Wolf was able to infiltrate their system quite easily. The Souls never imagined the continued presence of human rebels within the major cities; much less have them discover the existence of such a device had been stashed inside a library, of all places. And so, they hadn't even bothered to put up any precautions or some sort 'firewalls' to protect their infrastructure from malicious entities. They completely underestimated the resilience and determination of these humans.
When Rob was explaining it, his eyes were lit up like the grand chandeliers of the hotel; all bright and full of excitement, like a kid getting handed the key to the Universe. In this case, it actually was. According to him, it was a breakthrough of epic proportions; an opportunity to challenge his skills against alien technology. Not that it really mattered much. All Wolf had to do was write a quick translation code for Rob and it was as if the entire Soul history was served to him in a silver platter.
Simple translation – it was the first spark of hope for the human race and the proverbial stone that marked the start of the pavement that lead to Florida.
"Are you going to take that?" Ian asked. He'd already abandoned the ice pack and was eyeing the pill version of Heal on my hand.
"I'm tempted. Really tempted. But I suppose, seeing your unnecessary injuries, that you probably still need this more than I do."
Injuries forgotten, he smiled and pulled me into an embrace. I let his masculine scent wash through me as I nestled into his hold. With one arm keeping me close, he gently cupped my cheek with his free hand, leaned in and whispered against my ear, "Smart girl. Although I can be persuaded to just let you have it." He gently nipped my earlobe and added, "For a price."
"Price?" I whimpered. His breath was warm and it tickled my ear.
"Oh, you know... if you let me kiss you here." He planted a soft kiss on the side of my neck. My body shivered at the contact of his lips on my sensitive skin, sent tingles all the way from my toes to the tips of my fingers. It had only been a few hours but I sorely missed his lips.
"Or maybe here." He lowered his hand from my waist to my hips in a slow caress of their curves; lower still as he lightly spread his fingers across the mounds of my butt; then reached down to stroke the one place that was sure to ignite the fire inside me. "I can give great kisses especially down there. In fact, I've been told this tongue of mine should be bronzed."
"Ian…"
"What do you say, Wanda?" He purred. "Maybe I'll strip you down to your birthday suit and lick you all over again with some chocolate and whipped cream on your nipples and in between your thighs? Would you like that?"
Without a second thought, I shoved the pill down his throat, grabbed his hand and tugged him toward his bedroom.
While I was under a short nap which I had been forced to acquiesce to (and ultimately threatened if I didn't), everyone had pitched in to help us pack for the long drive back home. Even Rob left the technological bubble he was in and took the time to show Jared some knick knacks that he thought would come in handy someday on our raids.
They filled our van almost at full capacity with supplies that one would never find any more at Soul-occupied general stores – a case of contact lenses, lens solution and a few dozen pairs of dark tinted sunglasses. Nate had left us a case, or two, of weapons and several boxes of ammunition rounds and shotgun shells, Rob 'lent' us a box of his magazine subscriptions that Ian refused to let me see, and Wolf packed in a cooler filled with Ben & Jerry's and a lot of dry ice.
The most interesting thing of all that they've given us – much to Rob's displeasure but to everyone's unanimous approval – was his beloved potbelly pig, Babe, who had been induced with a tiny dose of 'Sleep' that put her out of commission for the duration of the trip. Andrew decided it would be more prudent for a pet to freely roam a cave instead of Hotel corridors where someone could accidentally come across it and find it highly suspicious that a pig has been left loose within its walls. Rob had agreed then on the one condition that no one turned her into bacon. Or pork chops, for that matter.
Jared wasn't too enthused with the idea but found the wisdom of it. It would be safer for everyone all around. Plus, I assume he's already anticipating taking a picture of Jeb's shocked expression when we come strolling in with a pig in our midst. I'm sure Kyle would get a kick out of it as well.
Later that night, we all said our thanks and goodbyes to the people at Waldorf Sanctuary. Hugs and well wishes were exchanged, and silent prayers were made to see each other again. Most were there to see us off while some, as Andrew notified us, left earlier that day to complete their own missions as well. Such a shame because I wanted to at least give my thanks to Nate and the little band of misfits we first met at the desert.
The ride back was mostly uneventful this time; possibly because I was passed out for a good majority of the trip and had no clue if anything eventful did happen. Not that they would have awoken me if that were the case. If truth be told, they probably would have done their best to keep me unaware and thus, panic-free.
We all took turns behind the wheel so we didn't have the need to sleep over at any motels except to make the occasional stops to relieve ourselves.
Mel had asked if I still had the weird strawberry shake and fries craving with this body. When I said yes, she made sure we passed by for some drive through before we reached the caves. As much as I tried to entice them, they never fell for the weird concoction. It was obviously an acquired taste; one that apparently only I had.
And as it turned out, it was exactly what I needed to relieve some of the anxiety I felt at the reception that would await us. Jared assured us they would understand. Well, at least the ones who mattered most would. As long as Aaron and Brandt told them exactly what they were supposed to, they were confident it will be all okay.
Problem was, Aaron and Brandt didn't know about my switch and wouldn't be able to explain the disappearance of Andrea's body and the sudden appearance of this one. It would be like going back to square one again. I wasn't looking forward to the inquisition and their brand of interrogation.
But on the positive side, at least this body can outrun mostly everyone in the caves now. I suppose it was one way to look at things.
Ian must have felt my unease for he held my hand as soon as we crossed the borders of Arizona. I immediately clung to him and he wrapped me in his arms in silent promise that he won't let anything happen to me. It was the strength of his conviction that gave me some semblance of hope. That maybe, just maybe, it would be alright.
"You guys okay back there?" Mel called from the front of the van.
"Just peachy," Ian mumbled.
"Good. The entrance is coming up. You both better brace yourselves. I see people."
With one last squeeze, Ian released me. But before he adjusted himself to a more upright position, he leaned in and brushed his lips against mine. It was a brief kiss but still managed to get my heart racing. "I'm here with you. It won't be like the last time. You have friends now who care that you're alive."
I tried to be brave. I wanted to show Ian that I was brave. But all the confidence I had when I decided to give up Andrea's body disappeared into a puff of smoke and all that came out of my mouth was, "I'm scared."
He hesitated for a bit before he said, "We have weapons here if it'll make you feel better."
Despite my fear, I smacked Ian on the arm. "That's not helping! You know I wouldn't pull a gun to any of them!"
With a chuckle, he reached behind me to the small crate that housed the slumbering pig. Opening the lid, he grabbed Babe's leash and placed it on my hand.
"Listen, Wanda. I know it will be fine but if you want some insurance, hold the pig. The people in the caves have not seen a live animal for as long as they've been cooped up in these of pile of rocks. They wouldn't try to shoot you with her in your arms. I think it's unnecessary but it'll give you some peace of mind. Would that make you feel better?"
He looked at me with piercing blue eyes that was both concerned and yet, amused.
I bit my lip, thought about it, and exhaled. "Okay, I'll take the pig."
"I'll be behind you with a shotgun in case they do get ideas about making bacon out of him," Jared said with a chuckle as he glanced at us through the rear view mirror.
"Jared!" Mel screeched. "You are incorrigible!"
"Incorrigible? No. Encourageable, maybe," he retorted.
"That is not a word and you know it!"
"Prove it on spellcheck or with a dictionary. Until you can find either, I say it is."
I've known Mel long enough to know she was rolling her eyes right now.
Darkness enclosed the van and it was apparent that we had just driven into the mouth of the cave. Muted shouts and conversation surrounded us. One squeaky voice rose out amongst the others and I knew right away Jaime was outside. It was no question he would be. I was actually surprised he hasn't broken down the doors yet to get to his sister.
"Mel! Jared! Wanda! Ian!" You're back!"
Ian crouched towards the back doors of the van. He paused to look over his shoulder and wink at me, before turning the latch and stepping out to meet the crowd.
Mild streams of light flooded in but it was enough to make me squint. I was relatively hidden behind some crates so my view of the outside was still obscured.
I heard the shouts of welcome that probably assaulted him. I can already imagine Kyle putting him on a headlock when I heard a grunt that was immediately followed by bouts of laughter.
Then I heard Jaime calling for me. Jeb and Trudy too.
"Wanda?"
"Where's Wanda?"
"How about Wanda?"
A few had joined in on the questioning too.
Call me 'chicken' but I was rather comfortable in my position. Well, not really since the cramped quarters of the van barely offered any comforts and all. As much as my joints and muscles were screaming to be stretched out, my nerves kept me from getting up.
But I knew there was no point in delaying the inevitable. So I took a deep breath and steeled my resolve. Clutching Babe tightly against my bosom, I slowly made my way towards the opening of the van. She started to squirm and wake from her deep slumber but I held on tight as if she were my only life line.
I kept my eyes averted to the floor so when my feet hit the ground, I was taken by surprise when I was met with a bone-crushing hug from the side that made Babe squeal in protest.
"Jaime?' I croaked.
He held on despite the screaming bundle in my arms.
"I missed you, Wanda! Don't ever do that again, you hear me?"
"Okay," I promised. Even though I had no clue what I just promised not to do again.
Come to think of it, how did he know it was me inside this body? He must not have seen me properly yet but just assumed it was me the moment he saw someone else step out of the van. That could only be it. Why else would he greet me with so much familiarity?
But when he finally let go and I had a chance to finally look straight into his eyes, I noticed he didn't even seem surprised at all. I looked past his head to survey my surroundings; no one else showed any hint of shock either. Everyone went about unloading the van like nothing was amiss. In fact, the confused looks were only the ones on Jared, Mel and Ian's faces. It was likely mirrored on mine too.
"Pig! Pig! Pig!"
Isaiah and Freedom's excited squeals bounced around the walls of the cave. And the next thing I knew, two sets of tiny hands were trying to pry Babe from my hold.
"Pig! Play! Please, Wanda!"
I chanced a glance at Lucina then at Ian. His brows furrowed but eventually, he gave me a nod of encouragement. I gently lowered her to the ground.
Before surrendering her leash to them, I introduced her to the boys. "Her name is Babe. She was a gift from really good people and I promised them we'd be very careful with her. Can you promise the same thing too?"
Both heads bobbed enthusiastically. "We promise!"
They bolted away with a quick 'Thanks, Wanda!' over their shoulders; the groggy potbelly trailing behind but obviously trying hard to keep up with her short little legs.
"Glad to have you all back," Jeb beamed.
"What's going on, Jeb?" Jared asked without preamble.
Before Jeb could answer, someone spoke from behind us.
"Took you guys long enough to get here."
The four of us spun around at the sound of that familiar voice.
"Nate?" I gasped. "What are you doing here? And…oh!"
Andrea stepped out from behind him.
"What is she doing here?" Mel asked. Her question was without her usual bite and unexpectedly held genuine curiosity. "What, in all that is holy, is going on in here?"
It was only then did I notice the black sedan parked deep inside the mouth of the cave; barely concealed by the shadows that engulfed it.
"Obviously Andrew never told you." Nate grinned. "We're the advance party."
"The what now?"
"Ad-Vance Par-Tee," he said with deliberate enunciation of each syllable. "Drew figured you guys could use the help especially in explaining everything before you lot got here. It would be easier for Wanda to be accepted. That's why Andrea's here with me. They wouldn't have believed it without seeing her in the flesh with their own eyes. And it was on the way to California anyway. We've got business to do there."
Jared didn't look too convinced. "You mean to tell me that Drew sent you both here just to warn everyone about Wanda's new body?"
He shrugged. "In a nutshell, yes."
"Don't worry," Andrea piped in. "We're not staying. We only came here to do just that. And now that we did, Nate and I are leaving."
"So soon?" I asked. I felt Ian's hand grab mine and the slight pressure he added made me wonder if he didn't want me pursuing that line of thought.
She glanced briefly at Ian before returning defeated eyes back at me. "Despite what you might think, Wanda, I'm not out to get you. Andrew knew it would be difficult to explain what happened. That's why he sent me with Nate. He predicted they weren't going to listen based on his word alone. And besides, Andrew said he owed you."
She gave me a look that clearly said 'don't think too much of it.' Which I knew I wouldn't be able to do.
"I'm surprised they didn't give you a hard time once they saw an unknown car coming in from the distance," Jared mused.
"We were lucky Brandt was manning the lookout when we got here," Nate explained. "He recognized the car and I guess it helped that I had Andrea waving a white flag out the window."
"And Jeb didn't try to shoot you still as soon as you got within range of his shotgun?" Mel quipped.
Jeb snorted. "Think what you like, Missy. I don't go around cocking my gun at every stranger I come across."
If my hearing served me right, I could've sworn I heard Ian mutter something like 'you could've fooled me, ye old, crazy coot.'
Nate smiled at me and said, "You're a part of our dysfunctional family now, Wanda. And we take care of our own."
They both left after a few minutes, taking with them the weight that was lifted off our shoulders.
A/N (again): Please take the few seconds it takes to write a review. You don't have to give a long paragraph, if you don't want to. Any feedback will be appreciated – good, bad, indifference to it, or whatever.
