I felt terrible for not updating sooner than today so to make up for it I'll give you this.

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

Chapter 15: Settled

I laid on the bed in the room at the end of the hall. It was the most comfy bed I'd ever laid on.

"What do you think?" Jared asked walking into the room with two suit cases that were mostly for show.

"It's perfect. Burns did a great job."

Burns had gone to a local real-estate office and they'd told him about a nice four bedroom house that was a bit spacey for just the three needed but that that was probably the best for the explanation that he had explained.

We had now assumed the identities of me as Rebecca. Jared as the soul 'Fly's the Sky', Sky for short. And Ian was now Cameron. He and I didn't mind taking the names of souls but Jared had said he didn't want to be saying super long names which was why he had a nickname. And he said that it'd be easier when talking. I hadn't wanted to point out that I wasn't sure a lot of souls took human names but I came up with a back story for the soul that was supposed to be inside me saying that this was her first planet and that she'd chosen to be called Rebecca instead of getting a soul name.

Ian was anxious to get going and go see Wanda. I told him we needed to wait for her to contact us first. He'd groaned and went to his room. I was sure he wasn't still there though. I thought I had heard a couple of doors slam downstairs and the sound of a motor.

I knew that he wasn't stupid but from the things that Jared had told me, from before Wanda and I had come to the caves. Ian thought too much and he would over think things and then almost be caught. I trusted Ian though. He knew what was at stake and I'm sure that he knew if he did anything stupid and got caught it would be the end of Wanda. Sure we could get her back but if he was gone she'd be ready to end it all. If he got caught he would be gone…. They wouldn't take his body as a host. He'd be terminated.

I shuddered and thought about other things.

Burns had done a wonderful job. He had gotten us some clothes, basic house needs and means of transportation. He'd gotten me and Jared a car and he'd gotten Ian a motorcycle. Apparently Ian knew how to drive one. Who knew? Of course he'd have to wear a helmet since the souls would be suspicious but that'd been the only thing that he'd complained about.

"You know." I said taking my purple suit case from Jared and taking it to the closet, "I'm kind of worried about Ian. I trust him but I think that he might act rashly since he's so close to Wanda."

Jared nodded, "I'm pretty sure he's out there stalking her right now."

I smiled, "I'm sure." I could almost imagine Wanda shopping with her mother, Cloud Spinner, and Ian being a ninja peeking at her threw the clothes, ducking into the racks like I use to when I was a kid.

There was a knock on the door and Burns entered, "Everything good in here?"

Jared nodded and I went to hug him, "Thank you Burns. For everything. This is really doing us a favor."

He nodded, "It's my pleasure. I'm kind of worried about Wanderer myself. She seemed very upset when we met at Best Buy."

"Probably because she misses Ian and I…. And Jared." I said smirking.

"Yes. I'm sure that's it." He said, "Well I'm going to go food shopping for you guys. I decided to get a bit of everything but I wanted to run the idea of energy drinks by you."

"Wow. Haven't had one of those in a long time." Jared said, "I use to drink it by the bucket full when I was in High School."

I smiled, Jared on energy drinks. I had to imagine that. With his natural energy he would have been a force to be recommended with.

"I was thinking of getting some if you guys need some back-up energy." Burns said smiling.

I nodded, "Yea. You can get some but just a few. I don't want Jared to go into a relapse of his High School days. I probably won't be able to keep up with that Jared."

Jared laughed and pulled me into his arms.

"Alright." Burns took a step backwards but had a strange look on his face as he looked at me.

"Something on your mind?" I asked peeking at him from under Jared's arms.

He bit his lip but apparently his curiosity got the better of him. "Well yes." He shuffled his feet, "Melony you seem a lot calmer than I expected in 'the enemies territory' and I suppose that's why Jared seems so calm."

I nodded. I wasn't as panicky as I'd thought that I would be. Of course I knew what the reason was but how to tell this soul…. Jared let go of me and I sat on the bed. "Well it's kind of hard to explain. I doubt that there will be anyone who could understand." I took a deep breath, "I'll try to explain it. It's more or less because I know what it's like to live among them. I know that the souls around us aren't suspicious and that they won't be looking for humans trying to blend in. I know what to do, how to blend in. I use to be one of them after all. When Wanda was inside me I had to live among the souls for a time and I know how to control the situation. Even when you leave I'll know how to act convincingly."

Burns nodded, "I suppose that makes sense but you can't just abandon all caution."

I nodded and shrugged, "Of course not. I'll never abandon all of my caution but I don't have to be constantly on guard either. I know my balance."

Burns nodded, "Hopefully you aren't the only one." He looked out the window of the room, "Ian's Motorcycle is gone."

I bowed my head. Hopefully he doesn't do anything stupid.

Ian's POV

I could feel the energy pulsing through my veins. I was so close; I could feel her. We'd left the store before she could come out when we were at Best Buy. I'd seen her when she walking into the store but I hadn't been able to see her leave.

She couldn't still be there so I wasn't going there. I decided to do a quick drive by of her house. Mel had directed us and pointed it out. Jared had even showed us where he, Mel and Jamie had picked her up.

Seeing where she had been for the last few days made me want her even more. I'd chuckled a bit when I saw the thing that men climbed up in all of those old cheesy movies before the invasion. They'd climb up and sneak in the girl's window. I could totally climb up that but I'd leave that for plan B.

My yearning for her burned brighter as I drove past and saw that thing again. The SUV that Cloud Spinner had been driving wasn't there so I had to go searching. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a moment as I stopped at a red light.

The only thing that I could really think to do was to drive around the shopping centers until I saw their car.

Wish I had a tracker. I thought remembering the spy movies that were before the invasion. Then I could just put in on their car and I'd know exactly where she was. Or maybe if I had her number. I sighed and watched the light turn green for the people turning left.

It had been days but I could still hear her voice as clear as day in my head.

"Ian? What would you have done if the souls never came to earth?"

I couldn't think that way. Anything before her was a bad dream and everything that might happen was just a bad dream that went away when I held her close. I shrugged, "I don't know."

She turned around in my arms and straddled me. I immediately forgot what I wasn't supposed to know. I forgot her question, the only thing that I could think about is the casual way that she could do this seductive pose. "Try and think about it." I could almost hear smugness in her tone, she knew what this was doing to me.

I smirked, "I'd become an astronaut and search the entire galaxy for you." Sure it was cheesy but it was basically the truth. I'd go anywhere, do anything for that woman.

She rolled her eyes, "No really."

I did try to think about it, truthfully if the invasion never would have happened I would have known she existed. That would be a nightmare. I shrugged, "I don't know Wanda. That's an entirely different life time." I tried to remember what my goals had been before my world went to hell. I closed my eyes and tried to think. I'd been in High School when it all went down. I'd been a senior, thinking about college and girls. But that was so long ago and I didn't want to think about a life without my Wanderer. After a minute I opened my eyes, "I guess I would have graduated college. Maybe tried for a soccer career…." I trailed off. I'd been about to say something about marriage and children.

"And get married?" She asked. I could hear the jealousy in her voice.

I wanted to laugh but I couldn't. I'd known what REAL jealousy felt like when she'd been in Mel's body… with Jared. I didn't want her to feel like that. So I shrugged, "Maybe if I met someone like you."

She stared at me, her stare was so intense and when she spoke I could hear the hurt. "You would. You would meet a girl." She grabbed my face with her hands, "You'd fall in love with her and you'd get married." Her eyes started to tear up. "You'd move into a house with just the two of you and you'd build a life together. Maybe have some kids. And those kids could run around and play in the streets, completely care free." The tears started to spill as she continued, "They'd have your eyes. And you'd teach them to play soccer in some park. Your son's would be athletic and run you into the ground. And your daughters would be so beautiful that they'd worry you because you know how boys are and you'd be a very overprotective daddy."

I could see it all happening in my head but for some reason I pictured all my sons to look like Kyle and my girls to have long blonde hair and beautiful gray eyes like Wanda. I wiped the tears from her cheeks and wiped my thumb under her eyes to wipe those tears away before they could fall. "But I wouldn't be happy." He said softly trying to put as much of my heart into my voice as I could, "I wouldn't be happy in less they had their mom's shiny blonde hair and beautiful heart. If my girls were as selfless and caring as their mother and my boys were as hard working and dedicated as their mother would be."

I could imagine it all going down. "You'd marry a woman with those traits." She muttered with a pout.

I couldn't stand that pouty tone. I leaned in close, "I mean it. I wouldn't be truly happy in less I was with you Wanda." I kissed her then put my nose and forehead against hers. "I'd search the galaxies for you my Wanderer. And I wouldn't rest until I found your beautiful soul."

She nodded accepting what I was saying. "And I'd wait forever for you to find me."

I smiled and kissed me again. She was still sitting on me and I couldn't help but exploring her with my hands, mouth and mind. We kissed and sat there wrapped in each other for a long while until I suggested we take this somewhere more privet, she agreed with a giggle.

I tried to flow with the traffic trying to not think about that night we'd spent loving each other. I looked around through the tint of my helmet. I wish I could take it off and let the cool wind blow through my hair.

After about an hour in a half. I found her. She was walking into a store that had a big sign announcing that they had a sale on prom dresses.

I entertained the thought of prom. I'd left before prom and I hadn't gotten to take anyone to it. I smiled as I thought of Wanda dressed in a frilly fluffy dress with jewels across her chest, her hair up in an elegant up-do standing wrapped in my arms under a disco ball as we danced to a slow romantic song.

I watched as she tried on everything that Cloud Spinner shoved at her. After a few outfits that made me wish that we were alone I had to get closer. I snuck into the store and ducked behind a mother and daughter shopping. I hid myself in a rack of coats and jackets. I chuckled softly remembering when Kyle and I would hide from our mom in stores by hiding in the racks just like I was now.

I watched at took picture after picture of her as she stepped out of the dressing room in beautiful dress after beautiful dress. Then took videos and pictures as she tried on bright shirts and jeans.

I did the same thing in the next two stores. On one of the last store I watched as she found something that she actually liked, Wanda picked out a few different colors and showed them to Cloud Spinner who must have made a face. She got a grumpy look on her face but I saw her put them in the pile of things they were getting.

I smiled, I hope that no matter how much Pet may love Cloud Spinner, I hoped that Wanda wouldn't lose herself in trying to please her biological mother.

After a few outfits that I wish I could have photographed I saw Wanda look through the glass of the front window and straight at me. My heart swelled and I regrettably escaped her sight when a bus gave me the opportunity.

No matter how many times I saw her it wasn't enough. I had to hug and kiss her and hold her close to my heart. When Wanda and Cloud Spinner got in their SUV and started to drive towards home I made a phone call.

"Ian. Where the hell are you?" Jared snapped when he picked up.

I rolled my eyes, "I believe I called Mel's cell." I said irritated.

It was a minute before he put her on, "What's up Ian?"

I took a breath, "Heard from Wanda?"

"Nope."

I nodded, "K, well I need to be with her so I'm going tonight. I'll be home in a minute, think you could take me?"

I heard her sigh, "Sure. And I guess I'll have to go get you in the morning too."

I nodded, "Thanks Mel." I hung up the phone and put on my helmet. "I'll see you soon baby." I muttered as I started the bike.

Yes. The next chapter (I totally almost typed episode and then I almost typed season.) will be their reunion. I'll try not to make you wait long.

Please review and let me know your excited thoughts. Maybe something you want to see happen.