I'm so glad that you all are relieved that Ian survived. I changed the picture on my profile to my muse for Ian. On a personal note, I just have to brag because I am a proud mom. My son was just accepted into the MATH/SCIENCE Academy at Ocean Lakes High School. 600 kids applied and only 125 spots were available. He had some tough competition but he made it. I'm glowing with pride.

NEW FRIENDS

"BABYDOLL, I HAVE TO GO." I could hear Ian's voice and then he kissed me quickly.

"What? Where are you going?" I wasn't sure if I was dreaming.

"I have to go to work."

"What time is it?'

"It's seven thirty. I'm late I should have been there at seven."

I was hoping we could sleep in and I could spend more time with him. "You have to work today? Can't you take a day off?"

"Wanderer. We've already lost three days between the stake out and my…. illness. Nate, Kyle, and Burns are waiting for me. You should come down and see the building once you get up."

"I will."

"Oh yeah. Burns had to come in to wake me up. He kinda saw you naked."

"What?" I was horrified.

"It's okay; I've seen his girlfriend naked too. You go back to sleep. I'll see you later." He kissed me on the lips and left. So, how was I supposed to go to sleep now? My brother saw me naked and my fiancé just reminded me of his ex-girlfriend. Even if I could go back to sleep, I'd probably have some pretty sick dreams. I decided I might as well get up. It was early and the house was empty. I jumped in the shower and took my time. I put on my baby doll dress with the black, grey, and white tiers because I knew it was one of Ian's favorites. When I was done I went into the kitchen and made a pot of coffee. I decided to make myself some French toast for breakfast. While I was in the kitchen I heard someone come in the house. The TV immediately clicked on so I figured it was the kids although I would have thought they would be in school. I decided to go investigate. It was Megan and Jamie and a young boy roughly between the ages of ten and thirteen. He was very thin but he had a strength about him. His hair was freshly cut short which made him look closer to ten than to thirteen. His hair was sandy brown and his face had a long look about it.

"Good morning Jamie and Megan. Who is you little friend?"

Jamie responded as usual. "Good morning Wanda. This is Daniel, he's Victoria's brother."

"It's nice to meet you."

"My sister told me to be nice to you even if I was afraid," he responded.

"Why would you be afraid of me?"

"Because you are a pa…." He caught himself before he uttered the word parasite. Obviously, Victoria had warned him about using that word to describe me.

"Soul." I clarified to him. "I am a soul."

"Soul," he repeated after me. "I'm afraid that I'll become like you."

"That isn't going to happen. If anything we take the souls out of humans and restore them to their former selves."

"Then why are you here?"

Jamie spoke up. "I can tell you why."

At that moment Victoria came out of the bathroom. Her hair had been cut short into a bob and she was actually pretty. A little makeup and she would be beautiful. Hoop earrings would look fabulous because she had such a nice long neck. She walked towards the couch to her brother but she gave me a wide berth.

She sat next to her brother. "Daniel, are you starting trouble?"

"No, Sissy. Wanda said that they take souls out of humans to make them normal again and I asked her why she was here then."

She defended him. "I'm sorry about Danny. He's young and he doesn't know any better."

"It's okay. It's a legitimate question."

Jamie again interjected. "Can I tell them the story?"

"Sure, Jamie. You tell them."

"I have a sister too. Her name is Melanie. We were like you. We were always on the run. Then she met Jared. He was all alone and we stayed together, the three of us. We were together for a couple of years and Mel and Jared fell in love. They are like my parents. One day she saw our cousin on TV; on the news when they were on a raid. Melanie decided she would go to the city and try to find her. She left me with Jared and we were told if she didn't return in seven days to abandon our hideout and to search for another hideout that our uncle supposedly had in the desert. Only we didn't know exactly where it was or even if it existed. Melanie didn't come back so Jared and I searched for my uncle's hideout. We couldn't find it but Uncle Jeb saw us in the desert and came to get us. We were really sad that Melanie was gone. Jared was angry all the time. I hated being around him."

I remembered the pain on Jared's face. I reached out and put my hand on Jamie's knee. He rubbed the back of my hand.

"One day, after almost a year, Jeb came back to caverns with Melanie. At least it was Melanie's body. He found her in the desert. She was almost dead from thirst and heat exposure. She had a parasite, a soul in her. Jared wanted to kill her then and there but Jeb….Well, Jeb wanted to keep her around for a while. He wanted to see what he could find out. A lot of the others in the caverns wanted her dead too. They thought she was a Seeker trying to expose us all. Kyle and Ian both tried to kill her."

Victoria spoke up. "Ian, like your fiancé Ian?"

I answered her. "Yes, in the beginning they both came and confronted Jared who was guarding me in the 'hole on the wall' that I was calling home for the first week I was there. Kyle was pulverizing Jared and I crawled out to defend him. Kyle told Ian to finish me. Ian grabbed me around the neck the same way he had grabbed you last night. He practically picked me up off the floor. If it hadn't been for Jeb and his gun..." I shuddered to think of the outcome. "Sorry Jamie. Please continue."

Victoria interrupted. "Wait, are you Jamie's sister? Are you Melanie?"

"No."

"But then how..."

Jamie interrupted Victoria. "Hear me out. Wanda was inside of Melanie but Melanie wouldn't back off. They could communicate to each other even though Wanda was controlling Mel's body. Mel wanted her to tell them everything but Wanda was smart. She knew to keep her mouth shut because no way Jared would have believed her. I was the first one to believe they were together in there."

"Yes, you were. I love you for that." I continued because I felt that Ian needed to be defended now. "When it had sunk into Ian's head the fact that I had deliberately put my own self in harm's way to protect Jared, he had a change of heart. He felt guilty for trying to kill me. He decided to find out more about me. He started hanging around with me after Jared was sent out on a raid. He eventually became attracted to me and he was the second human to believe that there were two of us sharing Melanie's body. Melanie did not like the fact that Ian was attracted to me and that I was attracted to Ian. He could tell when she and I were arguing. As much as she hated seeing Ian and I sharing any kind of moment she really hated it when Jared tried to kiss me. It was a test on his part. He still didn't believe that Jamie was right. He still thought I was a Seeker. As a soul, I am not prone to violence, but when Jared kissed me she took over my body for just a few seconds and she punched him. That was when he knew she was in there with me. Anyway, to make a long story short, Ian fell in love with me."

"Aw, Wanda! You said you would let me tell it!"

"I'm sorry, you're right. Go ahead."

"So, I got this infection and I was really sick. Jared snuck Wanda out to get medications from the souls. He didn't know if she would turn on us and expose us. She didn't. She saved my life. Then she told Doc that she could show him how to remove a soul from a human without destroying either body. She made a deal with Doc that she wanted him to take her out of Melanie's body and she wanted to die and be buried outside the caverns. She didn't want to be sent to another planet. Ian went nuts! When he found out what happened he put her dying body into a cryo tank and wouldn't let anyone near her. Me and Jared went out and found another soul and captured her. Doc took that soul out of the body and put it into a cryo tank. We waited to see if the human would return but after a few days, nothing. Doc opened her back up and Ian dropped Wanda's soul into the new host and here she is."

"Wow." Danny squealed. "That's some story."

"Well, it's the truth." Jamie said defiantly.

"Yes, it is. Hey? Aren't you two supposed to be in school?"

"It's Saturday."

"Oh. Well, you don't have anything to do? You did say you would be helpful if I let you come."

"I know. Nate asked me if I would mow the field. We came in here cause he said you'd make us breakfast."

"Oh he did, did he?" I shook my head. "Well lucky for you I was just about to make some French toast. Would you all like some?"

I got positive responses from each of them. Victoria offered to help me and I accepted. I thought it might be a way for us to get to know each other better.

"Your brother seems very sweet."

"He is. Wanda, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure. I'm an open book."

"You said before that you are not prone to violence but yesterday you came after me and you wanted to hurt me."

"I can't explain that. Ever since I was put into this body I noticed that anger and jealousy sometimes take me to a place I don't like to be in. I guess I'm a soul who needs anger management. Maybe the souls out there have no conflict and therefore have no reason for violence. I live with humans. I see strong emotions every day. I guess it's bound to wear on a person, even a soul."

"I guess that makes sense. That's like the old question. How much does environment and society play on the shaping of a life?"

"I guess. I meant to tell you. I love your haircut. You have the perfect face and cut for hanging earrings. Next time I go to town I think I'll get you a couple of pairs."

"Thank you, that's very nice of you."

"Well, since you humans can't go to town, I try to accommodate any special requests whenever I can."

"Well, there is something I would love to have if you ever feel like accommodating me."

"What is it you desire?" I was curious. If I could get something to make her like me as a friend it would make me very happy.

Victoria was very specific. "A box of oil pastels and a sketch pad. I'd rather have conte crayons if they have them. They look like sticks of square chalk and they are reddish brown in color. When you get the sketch pad remember acid free paper is always better because the picture won't fade."

"You like to draw?"

She smiled. "Yes, I like to draw."

"I'll get it next time I go to town."

After breakfast I did the laundry. Victoria and Danny had been sleeping in the root cellar but since they were both up, the root cellar was free. Danny went off with Jamie and Megan which was good in my eyes because he could act as sort of a buffer to keep those two from spending the entire day making out. Victoria decided that I was her project for the day. She followed me into the root cellar. The walls were still the same as when I left. I had forgotten to mention to Ian that he should replace those walls. Ice was right though, the walls did look creepy.

"Can I ask you a question?" Victoria spoke softly.

"Open book, remember?"

"Right. So, I know how you ended up here. What about Burns?"

I chuckled. "I thought you were going to ask me about the walls."

"Well, I know that Ian apparently did this because of an issue he had with you. Nate told me the first night I was here simply because he didn't want me to think I was in some sort of torture chamber. He said the blood was self inflicted out of anger. I really wasn't in a position to question anything further. I personally think there is something rather artistic about these walls and apparently they tell a story."

"Yes, these walls definitely have a story to tell."

"It's obviously personal to you and I don't want to pry. Tell me about Burns."

I was relieved that she was so understanding because I didn't want to relive that day. "Burns actually owns all of this land and the house. His family lived here for generations. After he was implanted with a soul he came back here to see his family. He assumed they would probably have been changed as well. What he found was not what he expected. His mother and sister had been implanted and his father who was still human had killed them both and then took his own life. Burns was deeply hurt at his loss, probably more like traumatized He couldn't stand knowing that his race had created such destruction among the humans. Every other planet we have encountered has been taken successfully without violence. Humans fight. It was the reason they were chosen in the first place. They were killing each other off at an alarming rate. What we didn't see was the passion humans have for their own self preservation. Burns became compassionate to the humans. He didn't even know that the cave was occupied. He found Nate one day after he had fallen in a well. Burns saved his life and eventually Nate trusted him enough to show him his clan hidden in the caves. The rest is history. The humans won't allow any of us to sleep in the cave. We can go in during the day though."

"And Sunny?" She asked.

I took a deep breath. "Sunny was implanted into Jodie's body. When Kyle found out that I could show Doc how to remove the soul without damage to either life, he took off to find his love Jodie. He expected a fight when he found her but Sunny was filled with Jodie's memories of Kyle and she came willingly because she already loved him. This shocked Kyle. When they got back to the caverns and they removed Sunny from Jodie's body, Kyle held the cryo tank much in the same way Ian had held mine. He felt bad because Sunny was so sweet and she didn't want to go to another planet. She liked being human and she loved Kyle. After several days, Jodie never returned to her body. The body remained in a comatose state. Kyle asked Doc to put Sunny back into the body. In the beginning she was like a puppy dog following him around. It took a while for him to finally feel more than just friendship for Sunny."

"Are there others?"

"One other. Ice. We didn't intend to take Ice. He was just a nice guy working at the Home Depot who insisted on helping me to load my lumber into the back of my van. Nate and Ian were in the back. I tried to dissuade Ice from helping me but you know how some men are. Once the door opened we had to take him. We couldn't risk being caught."

"Where is Ice? I haven't seen him."

"He's been relocated to the caverns in the desert. It's much more difficult to escape simply because you would wander around in the desert if you could even find the doorway out of the caverns. They are like a maze. It's not a true cave but volcanic tubing. It's the best way I can describe it."

"It sounds very interesting."

"It is. Ian and I both came from there but since he came here, he hasn't gone back. He loves the outdoors."

"I guess you don't like it here?"

"No, I do. It's just that Ian is always so busy and the humans here are sort of…distant. The people at the caverns are my family. I love them all dearly. Kyle, Sunny, Doc, Candy, and Jamie will be leaving soon. If I stay, I'll be alone again. If I go, I will be without Ian. It's a 'catch 22' situation."

"I see your dilemma. Well, I want to thank you for answering my questions."

"My pleasure."

"And I'm sorry I called you a parasite."

"It's okay. In the beginning everyone in the caverns called me that including Ian. He still struggles with the way he treated me in the beginning."

Victoria helped me to fold the laundry. "Victoria, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"How did you not get implanted?"

"I was in college starting my second year. Everyone in college calls me 'Tori', my friends and even my professors. I went to Guatemala during Thanksgiving break to bring the arts to the Mayan children in the mountains and also to help their families live better lives by building stoves that wouldn't destroy their health. When I came back I noticed that everyone was calling me Victoria, even my roommate and some of them were now going by new names. Names that made no sense to me. I called my Dad and he told me to come home immediately. I flew home and my Dad and Danny and I went on the run. My mom had already been changed. She worked for the government. I guess your souls hit the government first. Three years ago my Dad got caught and I have been in the woods ever since."

"I'm sorry. Ian and Kyle's parents were also changed. They haven't seen them in six years either. I know Ian was very close to his Mom. I wish…" Suddenly I had an idea. I tucked my idea into the back of my head for later. "Anyway, we are all done here. Do you want to come with me to see how they are doing on the buildings?"

"Sure. This is all for your wedding right?"

"Well, initially, yes. But after the wedding, they will be used for other things. The wedding hall will be the new school slash game room and the other hall may end up as a sort of dorm. Ian and Burns have talked about adding walls and maybe a bathroom. They need to do a lot of research on plumbing first."

Victoria and I went back to the house to put away the laundry. Sunny exited the kitchen when we came in the back door. "Where have you been? I went looking for you at the new building. Ian's worried now. He told me if I don't find you soon to come and tell him."

"I was doing laundry and getting to know Victoria. I don't believe you were ever introduced to her. Sunny, this is Victoria."

"You can call me 'Tori'."

"Welcome, Tori." Sunny seemed a bit leery.

The three of us went off to the new building. My First impression was that it was much bigger than I had imagined it to be. We entered the building where Ian, Kyle, And Nate were working together. Burns was putting in insulation.

"There you are. Sunny told me you left town." Ian exclaimed from across the room. He was holding a large piece of sheet rock in place as Nate and Kyle hammered it in.

"I was doing laundry with Tori."

Ian looked up in surprise. "So, you're okay."

"Of course."

Ian came over to me when the piece of sheet rock was secure. He put his arms around me and kissed me. "So what do you think?"

"You're talking about the building right?" I giggled.

He smiled. "Yes, I'm talking about the building."

"It's fabulous. I can easily fit the tables I need in here as well as have enough room for a dance floor."

"Whoa. You expect me to dance?" He raised his eyebrow.

"I can dance." Nate called out.

"Yeah, I've seen you dance." Ian responded. I knew he was referring to the almost kiss in the root cellar that he had interrupted.

"Superman, I promise I'll teach you dance before the big day." I looked around the room. "I wish I had some chalk."

Burns answered me. "We have chalk line. Will that work?"

"What's chalk line?"

Burns showed what it was and how it was used. "I can measure out a six foot round table and place an 'X' on the floor to mark the space it would take up."

Ian corrected me. "Make your 'X' eight feet because you need to include the chairs."

"Right," I nodded. The boys went back to work and Sunny and Tori helped me mark out six tables. We marked off a long table for the bridal party and their dates. This table needed to hold ten. I mapped out the dance floor behind the tables. The arbor would go at the edge of the dance floor for the ceremony.

"Sunny, on Monday, will you come with me to buy tables and chairs in Irving?"

Ian's head snapped up. "What?"

"I need to go to Irving and get tables and chairs. You told Max and Miranda that they could use it as a school house as soon as you were done. They will need the tables and chairs unless you expect the children to sit on the floor."

"Why don't you take Burns?" he seemed insistent.

"Why?" I creased my eyebrows.

"I think I'm going to take a break. Anyone want to come to the house and get a drink?" It was Nate. He was obviously trying to clear the room for the fight he was sure was coming.

"First of all, how are you going to get eight tables plus chairs in the van?" Ian asked.

I scratched my head as if I was clueless. "Gee. I don't know."

Sunny intervened. "Ian how did you and Wanderer get all the building supplies here?"

"So you plan on staying overnight," Ian concluded.

"Is that alright with you?" I asked even though I had every intention on staying overnight anyway.

"And if I said it wasn't?"

"You'd better have on heck of a reason to back it up. I'm not going to be out hunting armed humans." I glanced at Victoria. "Sorry, Tori."

Ian had no defense. "Okay, you do whatever you have to do."

"Thank you." I turned to the others. "You still want to take that break?"

The rest of the day went by without incident. Nate suggested another baseball game since Kyle and Burns were both here for Sunday afternoon. After dinner, Ian and I spent another romantic evening together. It didn't take much for him to persuade me. One slow burn kiss and I was like putty in his capable hands.

Sunday, the game was set for one o'clock. A bunch of us headed to the field an hour early to warm up. Tori and Danny came along with us. Ian told Nate he wanted to throw some pitches since it had been nearly a week since he'd thrown a ball due to all that had happened. Nate donned his gear and set up behind the plate. Ian started off with his fast ball. After a few pitches, Burns grabbed a bat and a helmet and went to the plate. Ian threw a few more pitches and then he threw his famous fade ball.

Suddenly, Tori sat up straight. "Oh my god. I know him! That's Ian O'Shea. He played for the Arizona Wildcats."

I turned to Tori. "You know him?"

"Yes."

I called Ian over to the bench. "Tori knows you."

"What?"

Tori spoke. "You played for the Arizona Wildcats six years ago."

"You went to the University of Arizona?" he asked. They were near the same age.

"No. I went to school out in Virginia. I was an art major. The best art schools are in the east. I went to Virginia Commonwealth University."

"Then how do you know who I am?"

"My Dad was a scout. He was very excited about you. He used to drag me to your games all the time when I was in high school. He used to break down your pitches and explain everything about them to me."

"Huh." Ian turned to walk away.

"Ian! Aren't you excited?" I was surprised by his rudeness.

Tori put her hand on my arm. "It's okay."

"No. He was rude." I marched out to Ian to question his actions.

"You were rude." I scolded him.

He turned to me. "So she recognized me. Is it supposed to make me feel better to know that I could have been great? My dreams were smashed six years ago. I'm sorry if I'm not all gooey sweet about it."

"Ian, I…"

"Just let me pitch, okay?" He was upset.

I walked back to the bench and sat next to Tori. "I shouldn't have told you that I recognized him. I didn't mean to upset him or you."

"Yeah, I shouldn't have confronted him."

We watched in silence as Ian took his frustration out on poor Nate.

Eventually everyone was present at the field. Nate and Ian were the team captains of course. To decide who would choose first a coin was tossed in the air. Ian won the coin toss and his choice was obvious. He chose Kyle which meant the power was definitely in Ian's court. Nate naturally chose Burns next. In Turn, Ian chose his golden boy Blake. As soon as the power people were chosen; Nate made a play of his own. He turned to Ian. "You know I'm going to cheat. I pick Wanda."

Ian obviously was not happy. "You keep your clothes on," he snapped at me.

I rolled my eyes at him.

Nate put his arm around my waist like he had won the lottery. We had asked Victoria if she wanted to play but she said she would rather be the umpire. So, she called balls and strikes. Sunny called the bases.

We were up first. Ian played short as he always did. He put Kyle out at center field. Golden boy Blake pitched. Ian had an interesting transition when the girls were up. Normally Megan played third but when Kim came in to pitch for the girls, Ian had Megan go to Kim's left field position and Blake went over to third base. When the girls were up, all of their strength was in the infield. When I came up to bat I knew I only had two choices to make it on base. One was to either hit it straight at Holly in right field or to bunt and hope I could beat the ball to first base. I tapped the ball and ran like the wind. Kim was able to get to the ball but her throw was wide forcing Evan off the bag for the catch giving me the opportunity to touch the bag before him.

Ian gave me kudos even though I wasn't on his team. "That was the smart thing to do, Babydoll. Way to use your head."

I was wearing jeans shorts today instead of my usual pink sweats. These shorts were very short as all of mine were. One thing about baseball, there's no way to lead off a base without looking seductive when you are wearing the shorts I was wearing. I could almost feel Evan's eyes burning into my derriere. I took advantage and I worked it.

Ian obviously noticed. He yelled out. "Keep your eyes on the ball, head in the game people."

I smiled at Ian. Nate hit it to Holly in right field and we were both safe. I was on second and near where Ian was playing. We could talk now without yelling. Again I worked my body as I took my lead. I knew Kyle was behind me in the outfield. Burns was up and he was our best hitter. He hit a beauty to left field right over Kim's head. Kyle took off running for it and snatched it up before Kim got near it. He fired it to Ian on second base. Both Nate and I came home and Burns was barely safe at second. The next three players, Carlos, Rachel, and Jamie were all out.

Ian's team was up. He put Megan up first. Again Ian wouldn't allow a girl to pitch to her. She hit off Carlos right at me on third base. It came at me hard and fast. I tried to stop the ball but I couldn't get behind it. It passed the bag and went to the outfield. Sarah wasn't in the position to back me up and the ball kept going. Megan had a two base hit.

Ian was clapping his hands. "That's it Megan. You show 'em how to play."

Blake was next. He hit a beauty to center field but it was caught by Rob. Kyle was up third. He slammed it to right field. Megan came home and Kyle was on second. Evan hit a hopper to little Dean on second base. He stopped the ball but he had a hard time picking it up. Evan was safe on first and Kyle was now on third. Tom came up next and he hit it over first base. Rachel was too far out to get to it in time. Kyle came home and Evan went to third. Ian came up. Every one moved back about ten feet. It didn't matter. Ian hit that ball like a rocket. It was gone. By the time Rob got to it Ian was rounding second and he had no intentions of stopping. They tried to throw him out at home but it was no use. Ian crossed home plate on his feet.

By the time the inning was over it was four to two. Nate sat next to me in the dugout. "You know I have to make Ian jealous right?"

"Aw, Nate! Last time you did that he nearly broke your leg!"

"Eh, he likes me better now. I don't know any other way to get him to make a mistake. I need to get his head out of the game."

"I'm not sure about this."

"Look, the next time we get a hit, just get up and we will hug each other."

"Okay, I can do that."

Sarah hit a fly ball to Ian for an easy catch. Rob hit a good one to left field. Nate and I jumped up and hugged each other. "Ian!" Nate called out. The next thing I knew Nate had his hands planted firmly on my butt. I reacted quickly by slapping him in the face hard. I immediately put my hands over my face in shock that I had hit him so hard. He staggered back.

Ian called out. "Thank you, Babydoll. Now I don't have to pulverize him."

"Oh crap, I'm sorry Nate! Why did you do that?"

"I told you I was going to make him jealous!" he reciprocated.

"You said hug! What you did was wrong!" I was yelling at Nate. Ian was laughing. He was obviously happy that Nate's plan had backfired and he was on the receiving end of my anger.

Ian called out to Nate. "You done pissed her off now!" Even Tori was laughing.

The game was a debacle. Ian had chosen his team well. He chose each player on hitting power and in the end his strategy paid off. They beat us seventeen to five.

After the game, Nate walked out to Ian with his tail between his legs. "No hard feelings right?"

"Hey, you're just lucky she reacted the way she did."

Danny came running up to Ian. "Ian? Can you teach me how to hit?"

"Sure kid." Ian continued to walk away with his arm around me.

Danny ran in front of him again. "No, I mean right now?"

"You want to learn right now?"

"Yes, please."

"Have you ever played baseball before?"

I turned to Ian. "His dad was a scout, remember?"

"I played tee ball for three years when I was four, five, and six years old. Then I played fall ball and one year of spring coach pitch. Then we had to run." Danny replied.

"Okay, kid."

He corrected Ian. "Danny. My name's Danny."

Ian looked at me then looked back at Danny.

"Okay. Grab the bucket of balls out of the dugout."

Danny ran like a gazelle to the dugout. He carried the bucket to the pitcher's mound.

"Bring them to home plate. We're going to start there."

Ian brought out the tee and set it on home plate. He chose a bat that was light.

"Okay, let's get a look at your swing. Keep your eye on the ball. Don't look at where you want it to go. Look at where you want the bat to connect with the ball. The first few swings, Danny either missed or hit it poorly. He immediately became frustrated. Ian showed him a trick of setting up his hands to break in a certain spot. He told Danny he was trying to hit it out of the park. "It's like walking. First you crawl, then you walk, and before you know it, you're running. Don't lose your head."

It worked. Danny began hitting every ball placed on the tee. Some of them he hit as far as second base.

"You take that bat with you. Practice your swing. Keep your elbows down and swing it level." Ian took the bat and showed Danny what he needed him to do. "You want to play a little catch?"

"Yes, definitely." Ian and Danny played catch for another half hour as Tori and I watched.

"He idolized my dad. He wanted to grow up to be a pro player too. He's going to drive Ian insane." Victoria commented to me.

"You know what? I think Ian will come to love him like a son. Ian lives to teach these kids. It's the reason I can't get him to go back to the caverns. He says he loves me but truthfully I think I come in a close second to baseball." I replied.

"You know you wouldn't be the first wife of a sports player to say that."

When they finally decided that hunger was outweighing the practice they put away the equipment and the four of us headed back to the house.

Ian addressed Victoria. "He's got good instincts and he's definitely dedicated. We'll see how it goes."

"Can we throw some more after dinner?" he implored.

"Not tonight. Blake and Megan both love the game too. You might ask one of them."

"Aw, why?" he begged.

Ian smiled. "Well, because my lady love is leaving me tonight to go out of town and I want to spend a little time with her."

He looked at me. "Oh." He paused. "Tomorrow then?"

"Tomorrow after work. Usually we have practice most evenings after dinner."

"Cool." He seemed pacified.

After dinner, Ian and I retired to our room. We were lying on the bed. He was playing with my hair. "Thank you for slapping Nate."

"You're welcome. I don't want you to retaliate. It's over, okay?"

"Okay. Maybe I'll just bump him a few times when he's trying to make a shot at pool."

"Bump, not slam." I demanded.

"Okay!" He was defensive.

I curled into his arms. "So, are you going to miss me?"

"You know I will but I'm pretty sure Danny is going to keep me very busy."

"He's a cute kid. You know that's what it's going to be like when we have our own children. You are going to be very busy changing diapers and wiping up spit up for the first couple of years and then they are going to want your undivided attention as both dad and coach probably until the day they fall in love. You won't have time for me."

"I have to change diapers?" He looked alarmed.

"That's all you got out of what I just said?" I couldn't believe changing diapers was his main concern.

He laughed. "Babydoll, I'll always have time for you. The children will just have to learn that there will be their time and there will be our time. I'll never stop wanting you."

"Good." I leaned in and kissed him. He pulled me tight to his body and he showered me with kisses before he made love to me.

Sunny and I were no sooner on the road when my phone rang. It was Nate.

"Hello, Nate."

"Hi. I wanted to call to apologize to you for today." I was suspicious. Nate could have apologized any time after the game.

"Is Ian making you call?"

"No. I just…I just couldn't face you. Today I let my…I let my lust for you and the situation get out of control."

I didn't know what to say. I knew he loved me, but I never thought about lust. I mean, any sexual thoughts for me were always about Ian.

"I hope you will forgive me."

"I forgive you Nate." I was still shocked that Nate thought of me in that way. I guess I had been naïve.

"Well, you and Sunny have a safe trip and I'll see you when you come back with the tables. I'll be there to help unload."

"Thanks, Nate. I'll see you soon." I hung up. I couldn't say I love you.

Sunny and I stayed in the same hotel as I had with Ian. In the morning we rented a U-Haul truck and went to a party supply warehouse that I had looked up in the phone book at the hotel. I knew Irving would have exactly what I was looking for. They had everything, tables, chairs, red carpet runways, pew benches, podiums, pulpits, arbors, gazebos, and a ton of other items. We picked out six round tables, two rectangular tables, and fifty five chairs. The truck was pretty full. We couldn't drive as quickly back to the mountain due to the weight of the truck. We got back just before three o'clock. It took an hour to unload everything from the truck and store it in the first building. It was just starting to rain as we finished.

"By the time we get back to Irving, it will be too late to return the truck tonight. We are going to have to stay there another night," Sunny announced.

"Why don't you just stay here tonight and take the truck back in the morning," Kyle suggested.

Ian was in agreement. "I like that idea."

Sunny objected and her plan unfolded. "I was hoping to go out with Wanda. I think after all she's been through this last week that she deserves a night out. Both of you have been to clubs in your day. She's never been given the chance."

"First of all, she's too young to go to a club," Kyle remarked.

"They don't card souls because souls are honest. They wouldn't expect her to be there unless she was twenty one. I should know, I worked in a bar," she snapped.

"So, what kind of honest souls are you?" Ian asked.

"The kind of honest souls who have been forced to lie every time they leave the humans they love behind. Come on, Ian. I won't let anything happen to her," Sunny pleaded.

"I don't like this," Ian barked.

I walked up to Ian and stretched up on my tip toes and put my arms around his neck. "Ian, I think Sunny needs this more than I do. Let me do this thing for her. Please?"

Ian looked very serious. He exhaled sharply. "I'll let you go under one condition."

"What?" Both Sunny and I answered at the same time.

"You take Burns with you."

"That is so unfair!" Nate spoke up for the first time. "He gets to see her naked and now he gets to go out with her! Someone PLEASE shove a soul into me."

"Nate don't you ever say that again!" I scolded him. "It's not easy sharing a body. You lose a part of yourself. I need to speak with you alone." I grabbed Nate's hand and led him to the root cellar. Ian stood there in what could only be described as shock.

Once inside the root cellar I tried to let go of Nate's hand but he wouldn't let me. "Nate, I wanted to talk about your actions and the phone call today." He was looking directly into my eyes. It was distracting. "Stop staring at me!"

"I can't help it." His eyes were smiling.

"Nate, I thought we were past all of this."

Now he looked troubled. "I know. I thought so too. I know you want to be with Ian but I can't let go. It's very difficult just being your friend. I mean, half the time you are running around in those skimpy little dresses and looking so damned hot. What am I supposed to do? Poke my eyes out?"

"I'll stop wearing the skimpy dresses."

"No!" He took a deep breath. "I guess…when Ian hated me at least I knew if I crossed the line I'd get beat up if not killed but now he is my friend and the line gets blurred."

"Nate, if anything happened between us, Ian will kill you. Don't think for a minute that his friendship will change that."

Nate put his arms around me and put his forehead against mine. "I don't believe you."

At that moment Ian burst through the door. He stopped several feet from us. "Take your hands off of her," he hissed.

Nate raised his hands in surrender. "Just put me out of my misery." He waited for the onslaught.

Ian lunged but then stopped in his tracks. He looked at me. "I can't share you Wanderer."

"I don't want you to." I assured him.

"I know his pain," he whispered.

"Then understand that he might slip. But understand too, that I will not."

"What if…" Ian started to speak.

"There are no what ifs. Now that I know the truth about Nate, I will be careful. Nate, there are other girls here on this mountain who would love your company. I wish you would at least give them a chance."

Nate's head was down. "Maybe."

"I'm going to Irving. Try not to kill each other." I left the root cellar. Ian was behind me all the way back to the U-Haul truck.

"At least give me a decent kiss good-bye."

I stopped and turned to Ian. "Pick me up." Ian picked me up and I put both hands on his face and I kissed him. I kissed him until my head was spinning. "That should hold you till I get back, now put me down." Ian put me down and helped me into the truck.

"I love you, Superman."

"I love you more, Wanderer."

Burns hopped into the driver seat and we pulled away.

"I didn't pack any club clothes," I groaned.

"That's okay. We'll get to Irving by seven and we can stop at the mall and get new stuff for all of us," Sunny suggested.

"Perfect."

While we shopped, we asked some of the clerks who were young where the hot spots were. Several people suggested a club called 'Progressions'. It supposedly played dance music. We were told they start in the seventies with disco the first hour and progress through the eighties with new wave the next hour, the nineties, and then the present for the last hour and half.

I couldn't decide on one outfit so I ended up purchasing three. Sunny commented that I was a 'shopaholic'. For the evening I wore a little pink three tier skirt with a white lace top. I bought new shoes as well. They were a cross between a boot and a sandal and they were all the rage. The shoe itself was white but the heel was wood. They had three inch heels which made me taller and that was important since I was trying to appear to be twenty one.

We chose to take a taxi because the U-Haul would have looked rather conspicuous in the parking lot of the club. Plus, since the souls had taken over, it was customary for taxis to line up at the end of the night to bring inebriated people home. The police would check each driver prior to leaving the parking lot to make sure they were capable of driving. The motive was to save lives and souls enjoyed a good party.

The club was crowded. The music was booming. Burns looked handsome in the clothes we picked out for him. He wasn't a dancer though so he chose to sit at the bar. He said he'd keep an eye on us. Sunny and I danced the night away. Our drinks were over by Burns so we would go over and visit when we needed to cool down. Several times, there were young ladies having conversations with him. I knew Burns was not the type to approach a girl so they must have come to him. In the beginning of the night the conversations were short but as the night wore on and Burns had more to drink he seemed more interested in the girls who came on to him. Sunny and I were not without our admirers either. We danced with numerous guys; many of whom asked what we were doing afterwards. Luckily, I had my ring to show them. I tried to keep a handle on my own drinking but my thirst was my enemy. One guy was very aggressive and seeing my ring did not deter him. He continued to try and break down my defenses. He said I was the most beautiful woman he had ever met. Sunny had to convince Burns to cut in during a slow dance. Burns ended up pulling the guy aside and he explained my situation. I was happy that Ian had made us take Burns with us. At the end of the night we went back to our room. I convinced Burns to take the bed with Sunny since the couch wasn't long enough for him. I slept on the couch. We didn't get back until nearly two in the morning. I checked my phone out of habit and saw that I had missed calls at every half hour since midnight. I decided to wait till morning and I settled in on the couch. I no sooner got comfortable and the phone rang.

"Don't answer it. You're better off telling him you left the phone in the truck and that is why you never answered." Sunny muttered.

"I can't lie to him. Besides, I didn't do anything wrong." I answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Where the hell have you been?" Ian blasted me.

"At the club," I said calmly.

"It's two o'clock in the morning."

"I know what time it is." I said flatly.

"Where are Sunny and Burns?"

"They're trying to sleep."

"Are you drunk?" he asked.

"Do I sound drunk? I said defensively.

"Did you drink?" he pressed.

"Ian, I am not having this conversation right now. Go to bed. I'll see you tomorrow." I hung up the phone.

Sunny spoke up. "You better shut off the phone or he's going to call back."

I tossed the phone on the table and it began to ring again. "I told you. Jodie used to go through this with Kyle. Jealousy, it runs in the family."

I answered the phone. "Ian, why are you doing this to me?"

"Because I can't be there with you and I don't know what's going on."

I let out a deep sigh. "Look, I'm really tired. We can talk tomorrow. I'm going to turn the phone off now."

"Wanderer, don't you dare," he barked.

"I love you, Superman. I'll dream of you." I hung up the phone and turned it off.

Sunny spoke again. "Don't worry. It's human nature. If the shoe was on the other foot, you would probably be doing the same thing."

"How come Kyle didn't call you?"

"Because he knows better and besides he's pissed that I went out. I'll call him in the morning."

We slept late. It was nearly noon when we all woke up. I decided not to turn on my phone because I didn't want to argue with Ian. Before we left Irving we had to do some food shopping and I wanted to get the items that Tori had requested as well as the earrings I thought she might like. She and Danny needed clothes too. We ended up back at the mall to purchase a few sets of clothes for each of them.

By the time we got back to the mountain it was nearly dinner time. We carried in the groceries and I helped to put them away since the ladies in the kitchen were busy cooking. Ian came in from work while I was in the kitchen.

He entered the kitchen and pulled me aside. "Can I speak to you alone?" He wasn't smiling.

"Yes, as soon as I finish putting away the groceries."

"He took the cans from my hands and put them on the counter."

He spoke very low so as not to alarm the other ladies. "How about now." It was an order. I hated being ordered around.

I picked up the cans from the counter and I stared back at him. "When I'm done."

He didn't say another word. He walked out of the kitchen. I took my time putting away the rest of the food. I was angry and I needed to calm myself. When I finally finished I left the kitchen. He was sitting on the couch staring blankly at the television. I walked past the couch and into the bedroom. I closed the door behind me and sat on the bed. It took Ian less than a minute to come in.

"Give me your phone." His voice was low.

"Why?"

"Give me your phone." He raised his voice louder.

"No."

Now he was yelling. "Why do you have a phone if you don't intend to answer it?"

I didn't speak. I wasn't going to give him the fight he wanted.

"Talk to me!"

I took a deep breath. "Are you done yelling?"

He brought his voice down an octave lower. "I don't know."

"I will be happy to speak if you promise to shut up and listen."

Now he looked crazed. "Did you just tell me to shut up?"

"I did." I was hoping I didn't push him over the edge. He looked as though he might haul off and hit me. I showed no fear even though inside I was shaking.

He held it together. "Are you insane?"

"Gee. I don't know. Considering I thought I lost my true love just three days ago and now he's threatening me over an innocent night out. Yeah, I just might be insane."

He combed his fingers through his hair. "Talk," he whispered.

"I went out with my friends. I had a great time. I danced my ass off. I drank but I can say I wasn't drunk. I got hit on. I told them I was engaged. We closed the club. I was tired when I got back to the hotel. The last thing I wanted was for you to call me and make me feel bad. I didn't deserve it then and I don't deserve it now. I turned off my phone because I didn't want to hear it, period. Now if you have a problem with that then you are just going to have to get over it or you can sleep on the couch. The ball is in your court."

He exhaled deeply. He spoke quietly. "Give me your phone." He held out his hand. "Please."

I pulled my phone from my pocket and handed it to him. He flipped it open and turned the phone on. He flipped it closed. He handed it back to me. As I reached for it he grabbed my arm and pulled me into his lap. "I'm sorry."

I was thrilled at having the control so I pushed my luck. "Beg."

He took a deep breath. He inched me off of his lap and onto the edge of the bed. He stood up and got down on his knees. "Wanderer, I'm begging you to forgive me. I was jealous that I couldn't be there with you. I should have trusted that you would be on your best behavior. I love you and I need you."

He was so gorgeous, I couldn't stand it. I fell to the floor on my knees. "I forgive you. Now kiss me already." We started kissing on the floor on our knees. It was the pounding on the door that scared the death out of me that made us stop.

"Dinner!" It was Sarah. All these months and she still annoyed me.

We headed to the caves for dinner. Burns and Kyle and Sunny beat us there. I was filling my plate with meatloaf when Nate approached me. He was sporting a black eye. I was horrified. "Ian!"

"I didn't do it!" he protested.

Nate put his hand on my face and kissed my forehead. "Welcome home. Ian didn't hit me. I caught myself in the eye when a screwdriver fell off the ladder."

"Ow! You could have lost your eye."

"I didn't but I did learn one thing. Don't look up when you are under the ladder."

"Point taken."

Ian whispered in my ear. "Who deserves the apology now?"

We walked over to where we were planning to sit. I put my plate down and got on my knees. "Forgive me for assuming that your constant state of anger got the best of you."

He reached down and grabbed my chin and lifted it so he could see me eyes. "You get the best of me, always. Now, come over here and eat your dinner."

I sat next to Ian as we ate. Ian spoke between bites. "I know I've said this before but you are going to make a great mother."

"What brought that on?"

"If you can diffuse our children the way you did to me, you will be the queen of the household. You were definitely in control. I couldn't even find a reason to argue with you."

"Were you looking for a reason?"

"I guess I was. I wanted to be right."

"You're right when you're on the field. Isn't that enough?"

"I guess it's going to have to be if I want to stay in your kingdom, milady."

My victory was sweet and I didn't hide my smile.