Chapter 3: Left

Once they were gone I continued to cry. I cried out of happiness and out of loneliness.

"Now. Now." Rome's the Ice Fields said stroking my hair trying to sooth me. It wouldn't help. He walked me over to the nearest car and sat me down in the back, "Is 'Pedals Soaking up the Rays' your real name?"

I thought. I suppose me looking back at Mel and the others might have been interpreted as me checking on wither the humans were mad at me. I shook my head, might as well go with the kidnap victim sanario, I'd tell the truth until I had to lie. "Pedals Open to the Moon." I said threw sobs. Ian was gone.

"You go by Pet?" I nodded.

"How old are you Pet?"

"Seventeen." I said quietly, no reason to lie to the seekers on that account.

"Did that humans hurt you?" he asked.

They hurt me by having to leave when you showed up. I wanted to yell. But I didn't instead I simply stared at my shoes.

"Did they hit you?" he clarified.

In which life? I said. I settled on while I was in this body. I shook my head.

"Did… Umm. Did they touch you? Inappropriately?"

I knew what he meant. I wanted to say yes but he wouldn't understand that every 'inappropriate touch' I'd spent with Ian was totally consensual, and appreciated. But what if they did a physical examination. They'd know I'd lied.

I started to cry harder and nodded again.

I heard him gasp. And he put his hand on my shoulder, "Oh Pet. I'm so sorry this happened to you. Let me radio this in and then Brandon and I will take you to get you checked out then I'm going to need you to answer some questions…. To help us catch these humans."

I nodded but I wouldn't give them anything leading to my humans. Or any humans. I would protect my family. Mel. Jamie. Jared. Jeb. My Ian.

I couldn't stop crying. I cried all the way to the healing facility where I was looked over. They say that I had scraps on my knees and other odd scratches from my time in the caves.

Rome's the Ice Fields was always close by. I supposed that maybe he thought he should stay with me because he'd saved me. I wasn't sure if I was being guarded or looked after. Was there a difference really?

He told the healers that I'd nodded to being 'touched inappropriately' and I didn't correct him I didn't say that everything that happened was consensual. It was important wasn't it? But I suppose I had to support their theory that all humans are bad and they only want to harm souls. I hated painting Ian as a bad guy in their minds.

Ian. Ian. Ian. Ian. I missed him. I wish I could have escaped to. That we could be in the caves together smoothing the fears of everyone. Assuring them that we were safe and that we were in no danger of being found. But no. Instead he was doing that and I was being asked question and inhaling 'Inside Clean' I doubted wither 'No Pain' would take away the pain I was feeling.

I closed my eyes. I knew that Ian wasn't the only one missing me. Mel would too. She'd be less worried than Ian but she'd still miss me like crazy. The one I felt bad for was Jamie. Poor Jamie had just lost another sister. I'd gotten taken by souls and he had no way of knowing wither I was safe of wither I was being shipped off planet. I tried not to imagine him crying and upset. How could I do this to Jamie? No. 'No Pain' wouldn't stop this pain.

I put my head in my hands, my hands covered my eyes. A feeling mixed in with the pain and sadness. It was almost comfort. Mel's face swam into my mind. She had her eyes closed holding Jamie close to her. He was crying into her shoulder and she was rubbing his back. I felt the same connection that I felt when Mel and I tried to read each other's mind. Then suddenly I wasn't seeing Mel. I was seeing threw her eyes.

It was black at first and then the kitchen from the cave. Homesickness washed over me as I saw people picking at their food and chatting with one another. The faces I saw were mostly down, they all had frowns and a couple had red eyes like they'd been crying. I spotted Sharon sitting next to Maggie and Doc. She was holding his hand and leaning against his shoulder. I could have sworn I saw a tear on her cheek. Then my attention became entirely focused on a figure in the corner. He was sitting on the floor with his legs against his chest. His hands were placed on either side of his head and he was shaking slightly, he was crying. I wished that I was there. Then he wouldn't be crying. My poor Ian.

We'll get her back. Mel's voice said in my head, I promise Wanda. We will get you back.

Once the Healer, I didn't bother to remember their name, was satisfied that all physical things were healed and that I was in perfect health all that was left was the question session.

Rome's the Ice Fields led me to a room on the other side of the hospital. It looked almost like a hotel. He led me to a door and opened it so I could enter first.

The room was nice. It was painted a golden color with a two seater couch and an arm chair with a table in between. On the table was some sort of device that looked like a recorder of some sort. I went and stood my the table not sure what spot to take.

"Sit down in whichever seat you would like." He said. Tapping a button by the door.

I looked at him, what was that? I sat on the couch and started to play with a strand of my hair. I needed a story. A place where I was held. A place where the humans were, that wasn't where they were or even near it. I twirled the piece of my hair with my fingers while Rome's the Ice Fields sat in the arm chair and tried to look relaxed.

"Alright Pedals Open To The Moon or Pet I, Rome's the Ice Fields will be asking you questions about a group of rouge humans that kidnapped and attacked you. You can call me Roman if that makes you feel more comfortable." He looked into my eyes, "Can you tell me your age and your previous planet?"

I took a deep breath and tried to make my voice coherent. "I am seventeen and I was on the flower planet."

He smiled, "Now, I know you might be afraid of what might happen if you tell us about the humans but we will make sure that nothing happens to you again. That no humans ever hurt you again." I nodded. "Ok. So I saw two men and a woman. Are there more humans than that?"

No. I would not tell him that there were way more than just three. I might extend it a few though to make it believable. "I heard and saw at least six different humans."

"Can you give me any specifics? Gender, a description, names you heard."

"Four men and two women." I said.

"Anything else?"

I thought. What could I safely say that wouldn't give anything away and wouldn't raise suspicion. "The men were strong. They carried heavy things. Most of them had tan. They kept me blindfolded I really remember much about their looks."

"That's fine. Can you tell me anything about where you were being held? I know you said you were blindfolded but just give me what you can."

I had to choose my words carefully, "It was a deserted house I think. It melt a bit…. I think it was mold. They talked said something about moving on. They had a safe place that they could go to in…. I think it was somewhere warm. They were debating wither to take me or…. Not." I put my head in my hands. This was harder than I though.

"It's ok Pet. You are safe. Can you remember anything else? A tree or a sound?"

I thought hard, "I didn't see much like I said I was blindfolded. And I rarely heard things because they kept me in some sort of basement."

"Alright." Roman said "If you think of anything else about the location or humans please tell us. Now I need to ask about the 'inappropriate touching' You said that the humans did this to you?"

"Yes" I said my voice coming out like a squeak.

"Was it just one or was there multiple."

"Always the same one. He took off my blindfold every time." I imagined this actually happening to me. Me being blindfolded until Ian took it off. And then us…. Of course I couldn't bring myself to think that Ian would ever force himself onto a woman. He was to respectful.

"What did he look like?"

I sighed, "You saw him. He was in the van."

"Black hair, big build, Gray t-shirt, jeans, Green eyes?"

"Blue" I corrected him. How could he have missed them. They were Ian's best feature, his piercing blue eyes that look right into your soul to the silver worm or the human soul.

"Blue. Right. Do you know his name?"

IAN O'SHEA! Ian. Ian. Ian. Ian. IAN O'SHEA! The name that was engraved into my soul. My partner, the only man I will ever love. But I couldn't tell him that. I wouldn't tell him that. My Ian would be safe. I decided it would be safe to use two names though to I picked one. "Walter. I don't know his last name." No seeker could hurt someone who was already dead.

Roman nodded "Any other names you heard?"

"Wes. Must be short for something but I don't know what. Probably Westley." I shrugged, "That's the only human names I heard. All the other names where when we were out in soul territory and so they said soul names. To pretend to blend in."

"Anything else you can think of at this time?" Roman asked crossing his legs

I shook my head. I had already said to much.

"Alright. The next thing I'd like to ask you is about you. It wouldn't be viewed as a bad thing in fact it's advisable, after the trauma that you have been through to be shipped off planet. And this body would be discarded."

"No!" I hadn't meant to shout. But I did. I had yelled it. I'd been so scared by the idea of leaving this planet that I couldn't even consider it. "I mean. I'm not a skipper. And I like it here." Time for a lie "I didn't like it with the humans." The sentence tasted bad in my mouth, "But I really do like it here."

Roman nodded, "I understand. I'm kind of fond of this planet myself. The last question I have to ask you is about before the humans kidnapped you. Where did you live?"

"Seattle"

"Ok what about family?"

"I had parents. My mother's name was Cloud Spinner."

I mentally slapped myself. What am I doing giving them this information, they're most likely going to contact Cloud Spinner and have her take me back. Then I'd never be able to escape. I'd be even farther away from Ian.

"Alright. Thank you. I'll show you to your room and you can stay here."

I sighed and twirled a lock of my hair, "Ok." I would stay here. I'd stay here till I could escape. Escape back to Ian.