Sorry it took so long to update. But I'll make it up to you.

Ok. So I started the chapter with the intent of writing the daddy/daughter date in there but I decided on something different. I hope you like it all the same.

DISCLAIMER: The characters do not belong to me they belong to Stephanie Meyer's author of the wonderful book 'The Host'

Chapter 12: Fathered

"She just got home from a long trip." Brandon said to the man behind me, "We're going to have a father/daughter date and I want her to feel beautiful for it."

I had my eyes closed so I wasn't sure what the man's face looked like but I was sure that both men had a smile on their faces. I could almost care less about what was on the man's face or what his response was to our daddy/daughter date thing. All I cared about was what his hands were doing and right now his hands were massaging the bubbly and foamy shampoo into my scalp.

"Oh but she's so beautiful already." The man said in a rather feminine tone, "She has gorgeous hair and beautiful skin. And her eyes sparkle when she smiles."

"I agree but I think that you doing her hair is going to make her feel beautiful." Brandon responded, "After all look at her smile. She loves it."

I hadn't realized I was smiling till he pointed it out with It was so relaxing to get my hair handled with care by someone who knows what they're doing.

"That is one of the greater pleasures in life." He said, "Getting your scalp massaged and your hair brushed is like being in heaven."

I took a deep breath and smelled the floral scent of the shampoo as it was washed down the drain. The warm water from the sprayer felt really good on my head and I was totally relaxed. He rubbed Conditioner into my hair and rinsed it out.

We went and the guy had me sit in a chair and he did my hair. He trimmed it a bit to get rid of the split ends and then he did some sort of a braid and wrapped the braid around the front of my head so that it covered my hair line and then he did a bun folding pieces of my hair over and when he was done it looked like a bowl of golden curls. It felt kind of heavy on my head but it was nice to have my hair off my neck.

I thanked him and then got pampered by two girls while they massaged my hands and feet then painted my nails.

I knew what Brandon was doing. He was welcoming me back to the soul's world, for however brief a time, with the treatment of a princess; which was the way that he viewed me, his little princess. Brandon was all smiles. I liked having him smile. And I liked having him around. I couldn't help but remember my dream when he and Landon were the ones who would stand next to me on whichever side that I took; soul or human.

I was still very troubled by that dream. I knew that I couldn't have both. I needed to be with my humans, with my Ian, Mel, Jamie, Jared, Jeb and everyone in the caves. They needed me and I needed them, they were my family. But then I'd come to love Brandon. He was the father that I could barely remember but had accepted and loved me purely because his host was attached to the body I wore, and the host girl who it belonged to. I cared for Cloud Spinner too. Pet had loved her so much and those memories were clear. I couldn't ignore it for long, it wouldn't be ignored. But I couldn't ask my soul family to except my humans and I defiantly couldn't ask my humans to except my soul family. Because with one non-native soul came the rest of my entire species. And Cloud Spinner was defiantly not a native soul.

I was sure with enough time anything was possible. Ian could do it and I knew Mel could…. If she knew I could trust them. Jamie loved everyone so he could. With Mel came Jared. He wouldn't be too happy and I knew that he wouldn't trust any soul but me…. And maybe Sunny. But he wouldn't trust the other souls. Jeb would be curious but he wouldn't let any non-native souls into 'his place' without knowing that they wouldn't hurt the people within. I was the one exception. Sunny was a different case. Kyle hadn't really asked permission.

I was taken from my thoughts by the two girls telling me that I could get up because my nails were all dry. I hadn't been able to choose between the colors so I had them do lots of colors. My finger nails were decorated with flowers and jewels on a light gray and a light blue color. My toenails weren't decorated with anything just pained a light red, blue, green, yellow and pink; one color on each toe. The bright colors made me happy though I wasn't where I wanted to be.

After my visit to the salon we had a quick stop at a fast food place for lunch and then he took me to a shop. It was a girl's clothing store and he told me to pick anything that I wanted, "The only restriction you have is that you have to feel good in it. Not just have it fit good but you need to feel like a happy you in it."

I smiled and my inner Pet came out. Pet had loved to shop, something she'd gotten from her mother and so from Cloud Spinner. What's more was there was a girl my age working there so we bonded over the types of clothes that I picked out.

After an hour or so Brandon walked out with me carrying a garment bag with a hanger and two very heavy and overflowing bags of clothes. The only thing I was allowed to carry was a new purse and a small bag with some earrings and a necklace or two that I had just had to have.

When we parked in the garage I turned to him, "I liked our daddy daughter date."

He smiled, "That wasn't it. That was the preparation. Now you get to get all dressed up and we're going out to dinner."

I smiled back at him, "And I'm guessing you're not going to be dressed in your work clothes."

He chuckled, "Nope. I have a suit that I wore back when you were little. I'm sure it still fits. I've only grown around the arms and chest." I laughed as he grabbed the bags and we walked back into the house.

"Your back!" Cloud Spinner said hugging me the second I came back through the door.

"Yes, we are. And dad got me lots of new clothes. We're going on our daddy/daughter dinner date tonight." I said excitedly.

Cloud Spinner looked at Brandon with a expression that seemed almost suspicious. "Really? Gone most of the day and he's going to take you out for dinner tonight? And he got you tones of things huh?"

I thought I heard something in her voice…. I couldn't quite place it but I knew that I had to distract her with something other than her thoughts on Brandon and I spending time together.

I grabbed her hand and tried to tug her towards the stairs, "Mom, come and help me get ready. I'll show you all the things that I got at the store."

She turned her face from Brandon and smiled widely at me, "Alright Honey." She allowed me to tow her towards the stairs and we went up after Brandon.

I spent lots of time with Cloud Spinner in my room modeling the clothes for her, changing in my walk in closet and striking poses for her. I felt kind of silly but it felt nice to feel happy and also make someone happy. Cloud Spinner had races down stairs after the first few outfits and came back with a digital camera. She'd taken almost two chips full of pictures of me in my new outfits.

I'd saved my best for last. The dress that I'd gotten just for the occasion of my first daddy-daughter date with Brandon. The girl at the shop had picked it out and I'd been cautious at first but I'd loved it the moment I looked at myself in the mirror. Cloud Spinner had to help lace it up for me. It was a short imperial purple dress with decorative jewels around the chest that went into a breathable tight fit around the stomach and waist that was made poufy by the tool underneath the soft top fabric.

When I stepped out of the closet and Cloud Spinner had laced up the back and tied it into an elegant bow she started taking pictures like crazy. I blushed and tried to take different poses but I couldn't keep from blushing and covering my face in my hands.

"You're so beautiful sweet heart." Cloud Spinner said walking over to help me put on my jewelry.

"Thank you." I said grabbing some silver hoop earrings with light purple feathers in the middle of it.

"You know the two of us will have to go shopping tomorrow." She said draping a necklace around my neck and fastening it together.

"That'd be nice." I reached up and touched the single pearl in between two round circles with diamonds around them.

"Plus we have to get you a new cell phone." Cloud Spinner said sitting down on my bed, "Your old one disappeared with you."

I tried to remember what had happened to it but I didn't have a clue. "It'll be interesting to experience a new phone." I said getting up.

Cloud Spinner gazed at me fondly, "You got all dressed up for a father daughter date with Brandon. It seems as though you've forgiven him for basically ignoring you since insertion."

I frowned at her and placed my hands on my hips, "Mom. I'm giving him a chance to make up for it. I realized while I was…. Held captive that family is important and that he is my host's father and he loves me for who I am. I want to be close to him. As close as I am with you."

She smiled a small smile, "I suppose that's true. Family is important. I suppose I'm just jealous that the two of you spent almost the whole day together and I spent the day here alone while Landon was looking for a place of his own."

I smiled a bit and walked over to her, grabbing her hands, "Cloud Spinner, I'm here aren't I? I'm here and we can spend lots of time together. I mean look how much fun it's been having me show off my clothes to you. We can have more fun like this."

She smiled a big smile at me, "Yes. I guess you're right." She jumped up and grabbed the camera, "I'm going to grab another memory chip while you get your shoes on and then I'll yell for you to come down the stairs while Brandon waits and I'll put everything on the computer and print some pictures off while the two of you are gone."

I nodded, "Great."

While I slipped on some flat's socks I wondered what it would have been like if Mel and Ian were here. I knew they were on their way up here from home but I wondered if Mel would be here ohhing and ahhing over my new clothes and wondering what kind of looks Ian would give me if I was walking down the stairs to him. I blushed and got very hot thinking about what a hard time he'd have undoing the dress at the end of the night when I snuck him up to my room. Or how exciting it'd be to have to sneak him out before Brandon or Cloud Spinner woke up.

I smiled to myself as I slipped my feet into the bejeweled flats I got from my closet. And took a deep breath before I opened my bedroom door and walked down the hall to the top of the stairs.

"Are you ready for me mom?" I called looking over the railing.

"Almost." Cloud Spinners voice called. I waited for a minute, "Alright come on down."

I took another deep breath as I walked elegantly down the stairs and met Brandon at the bottom of the stairs.

He was wearing a black suit that I thought made him look like a penguin. Attached to his neck was a imperial purple tie that was tucked underneath his suit jacket. His green eyes almost looked teary eyed as he watched me walk toward him with Cloud Spinner taking pictures non-stop.

He smiled at me with a glossy look in his eyes, trying not to tear up. "You look beautiful Wanda."

"Thanks dad. You look great."

"Wanda?" Cloud Spinner said confused putting down the camera.

I stiffened but Brandon put his arm around my shoulder, "Yes. She saw it in a magazine and said it was nice. So I've decided to call her Wanda."

Cloud Spinner looked curiously at me, "I don't mind it mom. Honest." I said smiling at her. Internally begging her to not inquire further.

She thought for a moment. "So we're not calling you Pet anymore?"

I shrugged, "You can call me that if you want."

She frowned then went to the closet to grab a coat that Pet had worn to a fancy dinner when Brandon had gotten a promotion and the whole family had gone out to dinner with his boss.

I turned to Brandon, "Are you sure that was a good idea?"

He smiled down at me, "As long as you're ok with it."

I nodded as Cloud Spinner brought the jacket over. It was more like a coat, it was white synthetic fur that only covered by chest and ended below my breasts. "Thank you mom."

She nodded, not quite happy anymore, more subdued. "Of course sweetie. Now the two of you have a good time. And be safe" she said to me, clearly leaving Brandon out.

Brandon opened the front door for me and I gasped as I saw a sleek black limo parked on the curb. "Remember." Brandon said holding my hands as we walked down the steps, "You're a princess."

I chuckled. And decided one night of being spoiled wouldn't hurt.

I guess I decided that just the fact they're spending time together was the more interesting thing. I decided that maybe it'd be interesting to see how a returned Wanda and a relieved Cloud Spinner's relationship would differ from her new relationship with her new father. Egh. Let me know if you'd like me to actually publish the daddy/daughter date bit. I probably won't put it up in less someone really wants to see it.