All too often, we look at people and try to force ourselves to see who we want them to be instead of who they really are.
I'm still posting, I only hope you are still reading….
Ice
Although Sunday was not rainy, it was still cloudy and the ball field was too wet to play on. Ian wanted to build a dugout for the ball field. He needed wood and supplies. Nate knew where the nearest home improvement store was that was not as far as Irving. So he accompanied me and Ian on the trip. Had I known how this day would turn out, I would have changed something, make that anything.
The day started out normal enough. I drove while the boys sat in the back. They were talking about the one thing they had in common, ME. Ian finally thanked Nate for bringing me back to the mountain. Nate confessed that he had hoped I wouldn't run back to Ian.
"See, Babydoll. I told you I didn't believe it. He just admitted that he had ulterior motives." Ian had been referring to our previous conversation.
I looked in the rear view mirror as I spoke. "Regardless of what Nate hoped, he knew."
"Hey. A guy can dream can't he?" Nate was always the optimist.
"That's the only way you'll have her is in your dreams." Ian snarled.
"Ian, be nice." I scolded. "Talk about something else. Talk about baseball."
So, they began to talk about baseball. After about a half hour the baseball conversation reverted right back to me.
It was Ian who started it. "You were slick choosing Wanderer on your team."
"I knew it would drive you insane." Nate started to laugh. "When she started showing skin, I thought you were going to explode!"
Ian wasn't laughing. "It's too bad you have to resort to cheap tricks to win."
"I'd do it again, too."
I could see this escalating. "Stop it. Both of you, right now or I'll turn around and take you both back." When did I become a mother? In hind sight, I should have turned around.
The Home Wares Inc was in a moderately sized town about an hour from the mountain. Ian had written up a list for me. Inside the store, I located the lumber and plywood easily and had an employee cut it to the size I needed. The lumber needed to fit in the van with the doors closed. The plywood was cut into sheets that would fit in the bed of the van. I had instructions for those to be cut in five by four foot sheets.
Everything was going well until an employee gathering carts and floats in the lot insisted on helping me load the van. He looked to be in his early thirties. He was average in height and average in build. I tried desperately to dissuade him but he wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. I couldn't tell if he was just being nice or if he was trying to strike up a conversation in hopes of getting my phone number. He was not wearing a wedding ring. I spoke loudly to him as I tried to persuade him that I was okay. I took my time opening the back of the van hoping that the boys by some miracle might find a place to hide but I knew it was a lost cause.
I opened the door and Ian grabbed the unsuspecting man in a choke hold and dragged him into the van. The only bit of luck we did have was the fact that we always kept a bottle of chloroform in the van 'just in case'. Nate pressed the rag soaked in chloroform to the man's face while Ian struggled to hold him. Seconds later, the man passed out.
"Wanderer, get the wood in the van." Ian ordered. Nate pulled the sheets of plywood from me as I handed them to him and placed them on the floor of the van while Ian pulled the man's limp body tight up against the side of the van to allow room for the wood. Once the plywood was in, Ian let the man's body flop on top of the plywood. Then he began to help Nate pull the lumber into the van. They were moving faster than I could hand it to them. The last item was a package of roofing tiles that I couldn't even lift off of the float. Ian jumped out of the van, grabbed the package, and tossed it in. He jumped back in and slammed the door shut. I grabbed the bag of nails and raced to the driver's side door. I slid into the seat and shut the door. I was shaking as I started the engine.
Nate called out "Drive like nothing has happened." I summoned everything I could to calm my shakes and put the car in drive. I pulled slowly out of the parking lot. I headed for the nearest entrance to the highway.
I was mad at myself. I should have known better than to bring Nate and Ian with me on this trip, especially after all the trips I made with Kyle in the last six weeks.
"I'm so stupid!" I lamented. "I didn't even think about how big the wood was going to be!"
"It's not your fault." Nate was trying to comfort me. "None of us thought of it."
"But I've done this several times with Kyle. I always remembered with him." I was so upset.
About half way home the man started to regain consciousness. "Give him another dose." Ian ordered. "I don't want him to panic and shred his brain. I need Wanderer to be here with him when he wakes up. She can keep him calm." Nate did as he was told since he was new to this. He had only caught humans, not souls.
When we got back to the house, they carried him to the root cellar. Jeb and I went in with him. Jeb carried a gun with him but I knew he wouldn't use it. Ian felt that Jeb would be less of a threat. Ian stood guard outside. Nate had been trying to call Burns but had no luck getting through. He would have to wait until tomorrow night when he was scheduled to call.
I sat next to Jeb and waited. After about a half hour, the man came to. He was groggy and disoriented. I approached him to comfort him. He grabbed at my arms and pulled me towards him. He looked terrified. "Did those humans hurt you?"
"No. It's okay, relax. They didn't hurt me and they won't hurt you." He turned his head and saw Jeb with the gun. He sat up quickly on the cot and tried to shield me.
Jeb spoke very calmly. "It's okay. I have no intention of shooting you unless you force me to. You wouldn't do anything like that now would you?"
I wiggled my way out from behind the man. "My name is Wanderer and I'm so sorry I got you into this. It was unintentional. I tried to make you go away."
He looked at me and then at Jeb and then back to me. "Why didn't you tell me they were hiding in your van? I would have helped you get the authorities."
"These humans are my family. I am one of them."
"But you are a soul!" He said in disbelief.
"I am. But I am human as well and I am loved by this human family."
"They trick you! They are murderers!"
Jeb stepped forward. "I haven't murdered you, have I? Truthfully, that would be the easy way, but Wanda, she's shown us a different way."
I continued. "Yes, you have a choice. I want you to think about it."
"You mean I can go home?"
I kept my voice soft and soothing. "No. I'm sorry. That is not one of the choices. You would expose us all."
"So, then what are my choices?"
"We can discuss that later. Tell me, what is your name?"
"My name is Ice Conqueror. On this planet they call me Ice."
"You are from the Mists Planet. I spent some time there myself."
A look of recognition came across his face. "What did you say your name was?"
"Wanderer." I blushed.
"I've heard of you."
"Rides the Beast" Jeb blurted out for the corner of the room like a proud father.
"They know?" He was surprised.
"Yes, they know much about me and the many planets I have been to."
"How many planets have you been to?" He was curious now.
"This is my ninth."
He seemed stunned.
There was a knock at the door. Jeb crossed the room to stand guard by the door with gun in hand. Ian entered with a tray of sandwiches, chips, and sodas.
"I hope everyone likes turkey." He set the tray down on the table used for folding clothes. He turned immediately to me and put his hands on my face. "Are you all right?"
"Yes, I'm better now."
He pressed his lips to mine.
Ice Conqueror yelled out. "What are you doing?"
Ian turned calmly to him. "I'm kissing my fiancée."
He backed away from us. He was shocked.
I whispered to Ian. "I think we should play it cool."
"Why?"
"Please?" I wanted him to listen to me.
"Fine." Ian was not happy. "I'll see you tonight then." He stormed across the room and left without looking back.
Jeb spoke. "Don't mind Ian, He's watcha call passionate."
Ice didn't respond. I offered him a sandwich. He grabbed it and a drink and sat on the cot furthest away from us. Jeb and I each took a sandwich and sat on the other two cots. We ate in silence. No one spoke for a long time.
Finally Ice spoke. "You are a traitor," he said quietly.
"How so?" I was curious.
"These humans, they shouldn't be here."
"Why not?"
"Because they are dangerous," he said in a low voice.
"Do you feel threatened by them?"
"Yes."
"Well , they feel threatened by us." I wanted him to see both sides of the coin.
He protested. "They were already killing themselves before we got here."
He played right into my hands. "And yet somehow they survive. Even now, with the invasion six years old, they still fight to survive. And through all that, they manage to feel love. Love for a…parasite."
Ice was angry now. "He doesn't love you. He loves the body you possess."
"You don't know how wrong you are," I said confidently.
"Prove it."
"I will but I will let Ian tell that story."
"Story, more like a fairy tale. It's not real."
He was starting to pluck at my nerves. I had to pull out all the stops. "If you had a choice would you prefer to go to another planet?"
"Anything would be better than…this!"
"I want to ask you something. Would it bother you if right now, a Healer came in and took my soul from this body?"
His forehead creased. "Why would you do that?"
"To give the body back to its rightful owner."
"That's crazy."
I continued my questions. "Would it bother you, if my soul was then placed in Ian's hands?"
Ice spoke definitively. "He'd probably drop you to the floor and crush you under his foot in disgust."
My turn. "Or maybe he'd marvel at my beauty and tenderly place me in a cryo tank and hold me for days refusing to let me be shipped to another planet."
"You're making this up."
"When Ian comes back, you ask him. I want you to ask him."
"Why?"
"Because when I see the love in his eyes; it makes my heart want to burst."
Ice was quiet. He was thinking about what I had said. "So, you've been removed from that body?"
"No. I was placed in this body."
"Ha! I knew it was all a lie." He thought he had won the argument.
"I was taken from someone else's body. Her name is Melanie. You will meet her."
"When?" His curiosity had peaked.
"I don't know. She's not here in this place."
"Where is she then?"
"She is where you are going. You are here only temporarily."
"Why is that?"
"Because it is safer for all of us if you go to where she is. When you get there, you can make your decision."
He was confused. "What decision?"
"Your decision to stay with people like us or to go to another planet. You can take all the time you want to make the decision. Whatever your decision, I promise you won't be hurt."
"Are you their leader?"
I chuckled. Then I went towards Jeb. "No, this is Jeb. He is a leader but not here. He is the leader in the place where you are going."
"Then why is he here?"
"Vacation." Jeb replied with a smirk.
There was another knock at the door. Jeb again crossed to guard the entrance. It was Nate. He stepped in cheerfully. "So, how are we all doing?"
Jeb tapped his gun on the palm of his hand. "Well, I haven't killed anyone yet."
Nate stepped towards me and took my hands in his. "Hey Beautiful, how are you holding up?" He kissed my cheek.
"I'm good."
Ice spoke again. "What is everyone in love with you?"
Nate smiled. "What can I say? She's very lovable." He turned back to me. "Are you going to be okay to stay here tonight? He's calm around you."
"I'll be fine but you know Ian will freak."
"I'll work on him."
I was bored stuck in this room. "Can you do me a favor?"
"Sure. Anything for you Beautiful."
"Can you bring me my CD player and speakers?"
"Of course." Nate left and came back a short time later with the CD player and assorted items.
"Here you go Wanda. I brought everything I could find."
I found it odd that he did all of this without Ian intervening. "Where's Ian?"
"You know where he is."
"He's at the field?"
Nate took a deep breath. "He said he needed to stay busy. He carried all the lumber there piece by piece."
"Why didn't he drive the van there?"
"The ground is too wet. The van would sink. Don't worry, He got the boys to help him." I wasn't worried about him. I just hated being away from him. "I'll have him bring dinner, okay?"
"Thank you."
Nate slipped quickly back out the door.
"Why does he call you Wanda?" I thought your name is Wanderer."
"Jeb named me Wanda because he said it sounded more human and it's easier to say. Ian is the only one who calls me Wanderer. Oh, and by the way, Nate, the guy who was just here? He's the leader in this place."
"He's kind of young, isn't he?"
"Maybe, but he takes his job seriously."
I set up my CD player and we listened to music. Nate came to check on us again after about an hour and Jeb asked him for a deck of cards. We played gin rummy and Jeb kicked both of our butts. Around six thirty Ian knocked on the door. He brought dinner for all of us, himself included. Dinner consisted of pork chops and applesauce and it was delicious.
"This food is pretty awesome." Ice commented.
"I take it you don't get too much home cooked food?"
"No. I live alone."
This pleased me. It meant that we hadn't ripped him away from a family. After dinner, Ian and Jeb took Ice to the house to use the facilities. Ian returned without Jeb. Apparently Jeb went to check on Jamie. It was my turn to go and use the facilities. Before I left the root cellar, I turned to Ian. "Would you tell Ice our story? He said he would like to hear it from you."
Ian was caught off guard. He wasn't much of a storyteller. "You should tell it. It will sound better if you tell it."
"No, he already knows the basics. He wants to hear your side of it."
I slipped out the door. It was nearly dark and the sky was cloudy. It looked as though it might rain again tonight. I took my time in the house. I was tired of being cooped up all day with nothing to do. The house was full of people. Some were in the kitchen cleaning up while others congregated at the kitchen table. There was a crowd in the living room watching TV. I came to the conclusion that Burns needed a bigger house. I returned to the root cellar when I thought Ian would be through with his version of the story.
"Did I miss the good part?"
Ice was quick to answer. "Yes, you missed the good part. He got all misty."
"Awww!" I put my arms around Ian's neck.
Ian spoke defensively. "I didn't get misty. He's messing with you."
"Well, I still love you."
"I love you too. All of you." He lifted my hair and kissed my scar just as he had done yesterday.
Ice rolled his eyes. "That's disgusting."
Ian just smiled. "So, I hear you were playing cards?"
"Gin rummy again?"
Ian frowned. "How about poker?"
"You'll have to teach me." I replied. So, Ian and Ice taught me how to play poker.
At about nine o'clock Jeb and Nate came back. They were carrying blankets and pillows. "Okay, Ian. Jeb's in, you're out." Nate spoke with authority.
"What?" Ian growled.
"Jeb's sleeping here with Wanda."
"Like hell he is! I'm not leaving. You'll have to put a bullet in me and drag me out."
Ian was ready to fight and I knew he would pummel Nate if given the chance. I tried to reassure him. "Ian, it's okay."
"No, it's not okay. This is how our relationship got screwed up the last time. I am not leaving."
He had a valid point.
Ice was confused. "What do you mean screw up your relationship?"
"The last time Nate split us up like this, he used the situation to worm his way into Wanderer's good graces." Ian explained.
"Ohhh. It all makes sense now." Ice nodded in recognition of the hand holding transaction between Nate and I earlier in the day.
"What do you mean it makes sense?" Ian asked.
I shot Ice a look and quickly shook my head warning him not to let this get out of hand.
"Just the fact that you and Nate don't seem to be best buds." Ice responded.
I had to intervene. The only answer was for Ian to stay. I turned to Nate and put my arm through Ian's at the elbow. "Nate, I think he should stay." I turned to Ice. "You don't mind if he stays instead of Jeb, do you?"
"Not as long as you keep it PG. Besides, at least I can win a hand of cards against Ian."
Ian smiled. "There, you see? Even the prisoner has no problem with me being here."
Nate was not happy about the turn of events. "Could you not call him a prisoner?"
"What would you prefer I call him?"
"A guest." Nate tried to sound diplomatic.
Ice jumped in. "Guests can leave."
I needed to stop the arguing. "Everyone calm down! You are giving me a headache!" I walked over and picked up one of the sleeping bags and a pillow. "Nate. Jeb. Thank you for the bedding. We'll see you in the morning."
Jeb was only too happy to leave. Nate was aggravated but I could still get my way with him. "You owe me." Nate directed his comment to me.
"I know," I said in a reassuring voice.
Nate left without another word. Ian looked like the cat that ate the canary. Ice just chuckled.
"Are you sure you are not the leader here? Because you seem to wield a lot of power." Ice noted.
Ian answered. "That's because he's in love with her too."
I shot Ian a look. Ian snapped his jaw shut.
"See that? Right there. Power." Ice pointed out.
"Ice you are not helping. Besides on the baseball field there is only one Superman. I have zero power there." I smiled at Ian. "Let's play some cards!"
We played cards until late into the night. Ice and Ian seemed to get along rather well even if he did think our occasional kisses throughout the evening were disgusting. Ian and I slept on separate cots but we held hands until we nodded off.
In the morning, I was the first to wake. Ice snored lightly. Ian's arms and legs were hanging off the cot. I sat up quietly and waited for the boys to wake. Nate came to unlock the door and I rushed out to head for the bathroom. I showered and changed. When I returned Ian and Ice were both ready to take their turn. Nate had brought a set of his clothes for Ice since they were close in size. Apparently Ian had discussed with Ice the possibilities of him going with Ian to the ball field to build the dugout. Nate agreed that it could be done if Ice was tethered to Ian to prevent a possible escape and if he could get others to be there as well. The thought of allowing Ice to handle tools that could be used as weapons had not escaped my attention. As a soul, Ice was not prone to be violent. In the house Jeb volunteered to go and so did Carl and Evan.
I decided I would do laundry. I hadn't seen Ian do any laundry in the days since I arrived. Jamie was in school with the other kids. They usually finished up around one o'clock. After lunch would be baseball practice.
At lunch, Jamie and Megan arrived at the cave together. It seemed as if they were joined at the hip. I joined them for lunch.
"So, you two seem to be really good friends huh?" I was definitely fishing. Jamie in true Jamie style was the one who answered.
"Megan's my girlfriend" He said proudly.
"Oh! Do Mel and Jared know about this?"
"Not yet. I'll tell her tonight when Burns calls."
"Well, I'm very happy for you both but remember you are only fourteen." I was trying to be the big sister.
"You are only eighteen and Megan is fifteen."
Jamie did not know that I was seventeen but Ian was a man. Jamie was still a boy.
"I just want to remind you that you have your whole life ahead of you. No need to rush anything." How hypocritical was I?
"Don't worry Wanda." Megan spoke with her lilting voice. "I'm not going to do anything I'm not supposed to do."
Thank goodness someone had their head on straight. Ian and Ice and the boys showed up for lunch. They were all in good spirits. After lunch, we all marched back to the ball field. Ice was leashed to the bench as a precaution. Jeb sat with him. Practice went well. Ian ordered me around more than usual and he was tough on me when I didn't perform well. He even made me run a lap for making a bad throw to first base. I ran my lap without an argument because I knew he was trying to prove to Ice that he was the boss.
At the end of practice he wrapped his strong arms around me right in front of Ice and said, "Thank you for being a good sport in front of the kids. I love you." He pressed his lips to mine and gave me the slow burn kiss. It was the first time he had kissed me like this since the day before yesterday. I melted in his arms.
"Oh, come on guys!" Ice protested. He was tied to the bench so he had no where to go. We ignored him. I was too in tune with Ian's tongue to care what Ice thought at that moment, or anyone else for that matter. The kiss ended with our foreheads pressed together.
"You're welcome." I whispered.
"Would you like to help me pack up the gear?"
"Sure." I gathered up equipment from the field and helped Ian pack it up. Ian released Ice from the bench and tied the end of the rope to his own wrist. We headed back to the house to clean up for dinner. Part of the dinner was being prepared in the kitchen. The rest was grilling out by the caves. We ate London Broil picnic style. I felt like I was at a festival. I was extremely happy that Ice was getting along so well with Ian even if he was tied to him at all times. I had studied Ice over the last twenty four hours and I truly felt that if Ice was taken from this body, there would be no human left to claim it. I did not see any glimpse of human struggle in his actions.
Nate stayed close to us because he was waiting for Burns to call. A bunch of us gathered in the root cellar to play cards. It was crowded in our little hole. The card game consisted of me, Ian, Ice, Nate, and Jamie. Megan watched. When the phone rang, Nate took it outside. When he was done talking to Burns, Nate gave the phone to Jamie. When Jamie finished talking to Jared he brought the phone to Jeb who was in the house talking with Maria.
Nate returned to convey the news. "Burns is coming," Nate said flatly.
Ian spoke. "When?"
"He said they will leave tonight."
"Who is coming with him?"
"You're not going to believe it."
"Kyle's coming!" I squealed. I was thrilled and my actions showed it.
"You seem to be a little too excited about the news that my brother is coming."
I couldn't resist the urge to tease him. "Jealous, O'Shea?"
"Well you admitted that you've slept with him."
Ice interrupted, "Whoa! You slept with his brother?"
I laughed. "Not like that. Kyle is my savior. He's my Ian substitute."
Nate did not like being upstaged. "PEOPLE! There's someone else coming!"
Everyone shut up and looked at Nate.
"Jared's coming?" I asked.
"No."
"Lily?"
"No."
Ian offered the next name. "Doc?"
"No."
"Who?"
"Sunny."
"Get out!" I was shocked.
"Burns wants her to get a phone."
Ice's curiosity exploded. "Who is Sunny?"
"Sunny is a soul. When Kyle found out that I could remove a soul from the body without destroying it, he took off and brought back his love. Sunny came willingly because her memories of loving him were strong. She did not want to leave the body. She was quite sad about being sent to another planet. Once removed, the host body never regained consciousness. Kyle requested that we put Sunny back because she was such a sweet soul. It took him a while to turn his protective big brother feelings into love."
"With a little help from Wanderer." Ian added.
"Of course, I would have guessed." Ice smiled at me.
"Sunny has never left the caverns. It is always dangerous to put a soul in the mainstream. They could turn on us. It takes an immense amount of trust." Ian proclaimed.
"How did they mainstream you?" Ice asked.
I crossed to Jamie and put my arms around him. "My little brother here was my reason to journey into the mainstream. He was dying from infection. We did not have drugs. Jared trusted me when I was still sharing Mel's body."
Ian interjected. "She practically killed herself by hacking into her own arm to go to a healer and then stole the drugs needed to cure Jamie. After that, she was one of us."
"This is Sunny's first trip so they will be putting their faith and Kyle's love into her hands. If she turns, they will all be in danger. Burns must really feel that she is ready." I was hopeful.
"So, now we wait." Nate murmured.
That night as the others left the root cellar, a feeling of sadness came over me. I was really becoming fond of Ice and soon he would be leaving. I turned to Ice. "May I hug you?"
"I don't know. Will your boyfriend beat me up?"
My eyes filled with tears as I hugged him. "I don't want you to go."
"Are the caverns bad?" He seemed concerned.
"No. I didn't mean I don't want you to go to the caverns. I meant I don't want you to leave this body. I hope you will stay with us."
"I agree. You're all right." Ian put his hand around Ice's neck.
That night, Ian and I pushed our cots as close as possible and kissed each other in the darkness. We tried to be very quiet but I'm sure Ice heard us. He never said a word. I was grateful. I needed this closeness. The last thing I remember was Ian whispering. "You are my world."
The three of us slept until Nate opened the door and woke us. "Good Morning, all! Were you planning on sleeping the day away?"
I jumped up to make sure I got out the door before the boys because I didn't want to wait for the bathroom. I passed Kim and Carl who were both waiting to enter the root cellar with laundry baskets in hand.
After I bathed and dressed, I headed to the kitchen to scrounge up some breakfast. I toasted the last bagel and poured a glass of orange juice. Nate found me sitting at the kitchen table and sat down across from me.
"Hey, Beautiful!"
"Hi, Nate."
"Remember that favor you owe me?"
"Yes, I remember." I was leery of what favor he might ask of me.
"I need you to go on a road trip. The cooks are complaining that with the addition of Ice plus three more coming for the next few days that they don't have enough food. You will need to hit two or three supermarkets in different towns to keep anyone from becoming suspicious."
"I've done this many times before for my family at the caverns. I know the drill."
"Good. I'll go with you. I prefer Ian stay with Ice. They are comfortable together." He once again managed to conveniently separate us and put himself into the equation. I had a plan to quash that idea.
"No, I want to go alone. I need to stop in town and get my hair cut. It will appease Fluttering in the Wind so she won't have a reason to come snooping around."
Nate seemed wary. "You sure you want to go alone?"
"Yes, I'll be fine. I'll go tell Ian."
Ian argued with me for wanting to go alone but in the end he reluctantly agreed when he found out that Nate had planned to accompany me. Nate gave Ian his cell phone so I could call him after each stop to 'check in'.
First I went to get my hair cut at the shop where Fluttering worked. We went to lunch together afterwards and we had a lovely time. When I left Fluttering, I drove a few towns away and got a little bit of everything that was on my list, I duplicated my shopping list in the next two towns. I took it upon myself to get Ice a few pairs of pants, shorts, shirts, boxers, socks, and shoes at the mall in one of the larger towns I visited. I got Ice's sizes during one of my calls to Ian to let him know I was all right. Of course I picked up a few things for Ian as well.
It was a long day. I didn't return to the mountain until late. It was after nine o'clock in the evening. There was a crowd in the house watching TV that included Ian, Ice, and Nate. Everyone helped carry in the groceries. I hadn't eaten dinner so I rummaged through the fridge for leftovers. Ian and Ice were still tied together as a 'precaution'. They were sitting on the floor of the living room with the others. I carefully stepped between the bodies sprawled out on the floor until I got to Ian and I sat in front of him. He put his arms around my waist and pulled me in between his legs until I was up against him. Some of the people hanging out were not from our usual crowd, so I assumed they were waiting for Burns to arrive. At eleven o'clock Carl came to retrieve Megan. I insisted he take Jamie as well. Jamie protested but I reminded him that he had school in the morning. Ian reinforced that with the fact that Burns and company would be extremely tired after driving straight through without stopping.
They arrived shortly after midnight. I didn't know who to run to first. As it turned out Kyle ran to me and scooped me up like a new bride. He kissed my forehead and I in turn kissed him on the cheek. "So, how is my girl doing?"
"I'm great." My smile stretched from ear to ear. Ian and Ice both stood there looking at us. For Ice it was obvious that the similarities between Kyle and Ian had shocked him. For Ian, it was definitely the familiarity we shared. He remembered Kyle as the assassin hell bent on destroying me even if he had seen Kyle mellow after I was put in this body.
"You look happy." Kyle smiled back at me.
"I am." He put me down gently and walked to Ian and grabbed him into a manly hug complete with the slapping on the back.
"So, bro, have you finally made my little girl a woman?" Ian just shot him a look and cleared his throat.
I had already run to Burns and stretched up on my tip toes to hug him. As usual, he lifted me off the ground in a bear hug. "I can't leave you alone for one minute. You go out and find my replacement."
In all the time that Ice was here, no one had told him about Burns. The shock he had displayed at seeing Kyle was now transferred to Burns. "Hey, you're a…soul? How many souls are there in this commune of yours?"
Nate turned to him. "This is it. There were three and now with you, there are four."
"We are quite an elite group if I say so myself." I was beaming. It was only a short while ago that I was alone, an enemy to the humans. Now there were four of us. We had both friends and lovers among these humans. This proved that we could all live together in harmony. If only the rest of the world could see this. Unfortunately, our discovery would mean our demise.
I turned back to Burns. "How is Lily?"
"She's wonderful. She's the best thing that ever happened to me. Thank you."
Ice interjected. "Wait, you have a human girlfriend too?"
"Yes, thanks to Wanda." He put his arm around my shoulders.
Ice shook his head. "Why am I not surprised?"
"Play your cards right and I'll find a girlfriend for you too." I giggled. I felt very triumphant.
I now turned my attention to Sunny. "I took your advice. I did everything you told me and it worked. We are so happy!"
"I'm glad for you. For us. Look! I got a cell phone!" Sunny trilled.
"Welcome to the family, Sis!" I grabbed her by the arm and started herding her towards the back steps to the house. "Come on. Let me show you the house. You and Kyle can take our room. Ian and I have been rooming with Ice these last few days. Oh! Wait till you see the Jacuzzi!" I was gushing. My brain was on overload.
After a brief gathering in the living room, everyone decided to call it a night. Nate walked us to the root cellar and locked us in for the night.