Disclaimer: Stephenie owns The Host. I own Aiden and Maecella.

Ian's jaw fell slack. "You... what?"

"I'll explain in a minute. This isn't fair to you, but... please. Just kiss me."

"No. What's wrong? Tell me first."

"Ian, please!"

He hesitated. "Are you sure?"

No. I nodded.

He stepped closer to me. Naturally, I took a step back. But he kept coming, and I continued to step back until I felt the stone pressed flush against my back. He was so close now, so close that I could the warmth radiating off of him.

He out his hand on my waist. His other went to my face. He traced my forehead, my eyebrows, my cheekbones, my nose. His thumb stopped on the top of my lip. He traced it for a moment, looking into my eyes. Then his hand curved around my neck and he started to descend.

My heart started racing and not in a good way. Not like when Jared kissed me and my heart was racing in anticipation. This was nothing like the time Jared kissed me. I could already feel the regret coming on. Making my stomach literally sick. I knew this was wrong. The feeling of betrayal was burning through me.

His lips were almost on mine, I could feel the heat of his breath coming. I panicked and turned on my head. His lips landed on my cheek.

He pulled back. His eyes told me he expected this to happen. He knew I would never go through with it. He lightly placed his hands on my shoulders.

"Alright, explain."

"She's not here," I whispered, still breathing in gasps. "I can't find her. Not even now."

"Melanie?"

"I can't hear her! Ian, how can I go back in to Jamie? He'll know that I'm lying! How can I tell him that I've lost his sister now? Ian, he's sick! I can't tell him that! I'll upset him, make it harder for him to get well. I -"

Ian's fingers pressed against my lips. "Shh, shh. Okay. Let's think about this. When was the last time you heard her?"

"It was right after I saw… in the hospital. And she was trying to calm me down… and I screamed at her… and I-I made her go away. And I haven't heard from her since. I can't find her!"

"Shh," he said again. "Calmly. Okay. Now, what do you really want? I know you don't want to upset Jamie, but he's going to be fine regardless. So, consider-would it be better, just for you, if -"

"No! How could you say that? She can't be gone. She can't stay gone. What about Jamie? I-I-"

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. So we have to find her?"

I nodded urgently.

He took a deep breath a let it out heavily. "Then I guess what you really need to be… overwhelmed."

"What do you mean?"

I was afraid I did, though.

Kissing Ian was one thing. But anything more... elaborate… Could I? No. I couldn't even kiss him. There's no way I could do anything else.

"I'll be back in a minute." Ian said. "Stay here."

He pressed me against the wall for emphasis and then ducked back out into the hallway.

It was hard to obey. I wanted to follow him, to see what he was doing and where he was going. We had to talk about this; I had to think it through. But I had no time. Jamie was waiting for me, with questions that I couldn't answer with lies. No, he wasn't waiting for me; he was waiting for Melanie. How could I have done this? What if she was really gone?

Mel, Mel, Mel, come back! Melanie, Jamie needs you. Not me-he needs you. He's sick, Mel. Mel, can you hear that? Jamie is sick!

I was talking to myself. No one heard.

My hands were trembling with fear and stress. I wouldn't be able to wait here much longer. I felt like the anxiety was going to make me swell until I popped.

Finally, I heard footsteps. And voices. Ian wasn't alone. Confusion swept through me.

"Think of it as an experiment." Ian said grudgingly.

"Will you get over that? I told her I was sorry. I don't owe anything to you." Jared answered. "Now will you tell me what's so important made me leave Jamie and my kids?"

My stomach dropped and my heart picked up.

Overwhelmed. That's what he'd meant.

Blood burned in my face, hot as Jamie's fever. How did Ian figure it out? How did he come up with the idea that Jared would help? He never saw us.

My stomach sunk further. Would it work? Was I willing to put myself through the agony I'll feel afterwards, and I will feel it, to bring Melanie back?

What a stupid question. Of course I would.

Ian and Jared came into view in the room where the tunnels met. Ian's face was expressionless; he had one hand on Jared's shoulder and was guiding him, almost pushing him forward. Jared was staring at Ian with anger and doubt.

"Through here," Ian encouraged, forcing Jared toward me. I flattened my back against the rock.

Jared saw me, saw my mortified expression, and stopped.

"Wanda, what's this about?"

I threw Ian one blazing glance of reproach and then tried to meet Jared's eyes.

I couldn't do it. I looked at his feet instead.

"I lost Melanie," I whispered.

He was quiet. No response came from him. I took a chance and looked up at him for a moment.

He was staring at me. His expression blank. I wondered if he heard me.

"You… lost her?"

I nodded miserably.

His voice was confused. "How?"

"I'm not sure. I made her be quiet... but she always comes back... always before... I can't hear her now... and Jamie..."

"She's gone?" He whispered.

"I don't know. I can't find her."

Deep breath. "Why does Ian think I have to kiss you?"

"Not kiss me," I said, my voice so faint I could barely hear it myself. "Kiss her. Nothing upset her more than when you kissed me... before. Nothing pulled her to the surface like that. Maybe... No. You don't have to. I'll try to find her myself."

I still had my eyes on his feet, so I saw him step toward me.

"You think, if I kiss her...?"

I couldn't even nod. I tried to swallow.

Familiar hands brushed my neck, tracing down either side to my shoulders. My heart thudded loud enough that I wondered if he could hear it. My skin burned from the trail, my body betraying me.

I wondered if Ian was still there, watching.

One hand continued, as I knew it would, down my arm to my wrist, leaving a trail of fire behind it. The other cupped beneath my jaw, as I knew it must, and pulled my face up.

His cheek pressed against mine, the skin burning where we were connected, and he whispered in my ear.

"Melanie. I know you're there. Come back to us."

His cheek slowly slid back, and his chin tilted to the side so that his mouth covered mine.

He tried to kiss me softly. I could tell that he tried. But his intentions went up in smoke, just like before.

There was fire everywhere, because he was everywhere. His hands traced my skin, burning it. His lips tasted every inch of my face. The rock wall slammed into my back, but there was no pain. I couldn't feel anything besides the burning.

My hands knotted in his hair, pulling him to me as if there were any possible way for us to be closer. My legs wrapped around his waist, the wall giving me the leverage I needed. His tongue twisted with mine, and there was no part of my mind that was not invaded by the insane desire that possessed me.

He pulled his mouth free and pressed his lips to my ear again.

"Melanie Stryder." He breathed loudly. "You will not leave us. What about Jamie? Don't you love Jamie? Prove it! Get back here!"

His lips attacked mine again.

Ahhh, she groaned weakly in my head.

I couldn't think to greet her. I was on fire.

The fire burned its way to her, back to the tiny corner where she drooped, nearly lifeless.

My hands fisted around the fabric of Jared's T-shirt, yanking it up. This was their idea; I didn't tell them what to do. His hands burned on the skin of my back.

Wanda? She whispered. She tried to orient herself, but the mind we shared was so disoriented.

I felt the muscles of his stomach under my palms, my hands crushed between us.

What? Where... Melanie struggled.

I broke away from his mouth to breathe, and his lips scorched their way down my throat. I buried my face in his hair, inhaling the scent.

Whoa! What the… oh.

I let her flow through my arms, knowing this was what I wanted, though I could barely pay attention now. The hands on his stomach turned hard. The fingers clawed at his skin and then shoved him as hard as they could.

Jared caught her hands, then caught me against the wall before I could fall. I sagged, my body confused by the conflicting directions it was receiving.

"Mel? Mel!"

"What are you doing?"

He groaned in relief. "I knew you could do it! Ah, Mel!"

He wrapped us into his arms. We could feel the tears on our shoulders.

She head butted him.

Jared jumped back from us, and I slid to the floor, landing in a wilted heap.

He started laughing. "Thatta girl. You still got her, Wanda?"

"Yes," I gasped.

Umm… what exactly was going on here, Wanda? She asked. I couldn't tell if she was still angry.

Where have you been? Do you have any idea what I've been going through trying to find you?

Yeah, I can see that you were really suffering.

Oh, I'll suffer, I promised her. I could already feel it coming on. Just like before...

She was flipping through my thoughts as fast as she could. Jamie?

That's what I've been trying to tell you. He needs you.

Then why aren't we with him?

Because he's probably a bit young to watch this kind of thing.

She searched through some more. Wow, almost Ian, too. I'm glad I missed that part.

I was so worried. I didn't know what to do...

Well, c'mon. Let's go.

"She's here. She's furious. She wants to see Jamie."

Jared put his arm around me and helped me up. "You can be as mad as you want, Mel. Just stick around."

How long was I gone?

Three days is all.

Her voice was suddenly smaller. Where was I?

You don't know?

I can't remember... anything.

We shuddered.

"You okay?" Jared asked.

"Sort of."

"Was that her before. With the claws?"

"Yes."

"Huh."

We started walking back to our room. And just as I predicted, the pain was back full force. Tears were starting well up in my eyes. I blinked to keep them back.

I'm sorry, Melanie said.

What for?

You're suffering.

I'm fine. I'll handle if it means you're back.

Thank you for that. For wanting me back.

You're welcome.

"What are you talking about?"

"We're just making up, I guess."

He took my hand. "Sorry, if she was chewing you out."

"Don't worry. We're fine now."

"And… you?"

"I'm fine, too."

You're lying.

I know… It'll go away.

I was glad that we were back to our room now. I needed to think about something else before I started crying. Now wasn't the time for self-pity. There were more important issues at hand than my heart, breaking yet again.

Author's Note: Hey, I'm posting this chapter early. We're having a garage sale and I wouldn't be able to post it until late tomorrow and I didn't want to leave you guys waiting. And, sorry, I know it's a shorter chapter.

I know some of you O'Wanda shippers were looking forward to a kiss from them, but there was no way I could do it. I'm a little too selfish when it comes to the characters I ship.

Thank you so much for the review and please REVIEW again.

See you soon.

-BethDee