Sorry it's been so long but here's the next installment.

Chapter 24: The Story

Dinner. I groaned in my head.

Jamie walked over to us with a big tray of sandwiches on a tray. There were at least ten sandwiches on it.

"Whoa kid." Ian said, "Leave some for the rest of us."

"This is for you." Jamie said. He looked at me, "You and Ian are gonna eat in the game room. It's kind of exclusive. I'm not even allowed."

I bit my lip, "In the game room?"

Jamie nodded, "Yea come on." And he started off in the direction of the game room.

I looked at Ian and he shrugged, so we followed him.

Mel met us at the entrance to the cave that led to the game room, "There you are. I was going to come get you but I didn't know if you were…." She cleared her throat, "busy."

I went pink and Ian chuckled.

We fallowed her into the game room. There were quite a few people here for being exclusive. Jeb, Landon, Mel, Jared, Brandon, her, Nate and now me and Ian.

I looked at Jeb putting my hands on my hips and narrowing my eyes, "Hey there kid." He said giving me his small Jeb smile.

I glared at Landon and he walked over to me, "Wanda. I know she's not your mother but she is the mother to your host. And I know that somewhere inside you; you want to know." He looked back at Jeb for a moment, "Family is something earth has that all the other planets don't. Not this kind of family."

I gritted my teeth, "You're a human. How would you know?"

He nodded and walked back over to Jeb. I immediately regretted being so harsh to him.

Mel had joined Jared and they were sitting on the ground Jared's hand in Mel's lap. She didn't say anything but stared into my eyes.

Listen to her. I heard her voice in my head again, it will help you heal. Even if you don't know that you're hurting.

Jared didn't say anything, he was just there for Mel.

"Wanda." Brandon said stepping forward and taking my hand, the one that wasn't being held by Ian. "I know that this is very odd. But I think you should listen to her."

I groaned and stepped back only holding on to Ian, "Let's all get it all out in the open." I said. "You all want me to listen to what Britney has to say because you think it'll give me some closure."

Ian stepped closer to me. In a comforting manner. I saw Mel nod.

I took a deep breath, "I'm Wanda. The soul. I'm not Carmen, no matter how much the two of you," I looked from Brandon to Britney and back "want me to be." I let that settle in before adding more. "Carmen stopped all memories of her mother. Even before the invasion. It was too painful for her. So Pet didn't know anything about it till you showed up when she was turning 12." I said looking directly at Britney.

She nodded, looking at her feet.

"So the dream I had last night." I said looking at Brandon, "Was the first time I dreamt about her." I recalled his recollections last night. How he relived the memories of his host. "I'm not Carmen. I'm in her body but I'm not her."

Brandon stood there looking at me for a few minutes before speaking, "I'm sorry if I gave the impression I thought you were the same person." He said. "Sometimes I forget that you aren't her. You move her body and speak through her mouth so much like I remember her, before the invasion."

I nodded, "That maybe but I need it known that I'm me, not Carmen." I wondered briefly how he'd know how she move now when she was so young when the invasion started.

I saw everyone nod and I took a deep breath, "I'm sure that if Carmen was here she'd want answers. And the more this drama persists the more the deep feelings are coming back up." I felt my eyes start to tear up, "I feel the deep feelings she had about being abandoned by her mother who she was apparently so close with. So I, Wanda, would like some answers so I can try to quell the feelings I'm having."

Britney looked up at me, "I'm sorry." She said softly.

I nodded and walked forward and sat down on the ground bringing Ian with me, "Ok. I'm here and I'm listening."

She looked down at me and then sat down herself.

Brandon came to sit on my other side and Nate sat next to Britney.

"Well. The morning that I left I heard someone knocking on the door of our house. It was a high school friend. We'd gone our separate ways years and years before but she was very paranoid. She had used my identity and got into some really bad things. Most of it involving gangsters who she said wouldn't have any problem torching my whereabouts out of my husband and using my daughter as bate. So I had to disappear. I went entirely underground. I took all the money I could and went off the grid. I didn't want to but I had to send your dad the divorce papers. I was watching the people who were looking for me, they had a couple of guys watching the house. And after a few months when Brandon threw out my clothes, they were convinced I'd never be coming back."

I nodded, so far it was making sense.

"I watched you guys all the time. I watched as you grew up to be so beautiful and I saw when Brandon met Melissa and I was even there when they got married. I was the first to know that she was cheating on Brandon but I couldn't tell him. And then..." she paused, "The invasion started. I watched it. Much like Jeb. I watched as people went into a 'work party' and came out as people who were way too nice to be human." Tears came to her eyes and I felt my emotion welling up as well. "I watched as Brandon was inserted with a soul and then as he took you and Melissa to the 'doctors' for 'checkups' I was so upset but I couldn't do anything. Not if I didn't want to have one inserted into my brain…. So I stayed observant for a while. Then someone noticed me, just watching. The reported it to the authorities but by the time the seekers got to my spot I was gone."

"Where did you go?" Ian asked. He sped his legs and sat me in-between then and someone passed him the sandwiches as I relaxed into his chest and Britney continued.

"Underground. Figuratively of course. I got a SUV, I got a soul to give it to me for free. I packed food, clothes, camping supplies, other needs and I became a nomad. That is until I ran, quite literally into Nate here. And I became his number two."

I nodded, "And the 12th birthday present?"

Britney smiled, "There was one more thing I had to teach you that I knew Melissa would fail at and Brandon wouldn't have the stomach for. I had to give you advice on sex." she chuckled, "You hadn't... well, the soul in Carmen's body before you didn't notice it but I had. While you were walking around the mall with friends I saw the way that boys and some of the men looked at you. So I decided to give you the Victoria Secret wings and some lingerie. And I wanted to buy you something for your birthday since I hadn't been there."

It seemed like she was having a hard time keeping me and Carmen and Pet separate at least when it came to this part... I'd correct her later; she was on a role.

"I couldn't watch to see how my present had affected you because I had to disappear, go into hiding, whatever you want to call it. But no matter how much time had passed or where I was..." She looked me straight in the eyes, "I never stopped thinking about you. Or loving you." she looked at Brandon, "Either of you."

I looked over as Nate nodded beside her.

I was trying to wrap my head around it... So she'd abandoned Carmen to save her life from some bad people but when the invasion happened she had to run from everyone. So she couldn't come back. Until now...

"I thought about you guys every single day." She said, "You both were always on my mind."

"It's true." Nate said. "No matter how much I tried to talk to her about other things when we first met, it was "Carmen this" and "Carmen that" or "One time Brandon and Carmen" I couldn't get her to shut up about you two. Mainly you."

I looked down at the floor. To be honest I did feel a bit better.