Summary: "Bet you never thought you'd be putting one of them into one of us."

Characters: Mel, Doc, Kyle, Sunny, Jeb, Jared

Author's Note: So here's the next part. I love a good dose of angst, which means we'll probably be seeing more of Kyle and Sunny in the coming chapters (because Kyle's love for Jodi vs his affection for Sunny makes for a deliciously angsty side plot 3). There will also be more of Jeb and Jamie in the coming chapters as I feel that they (Jamie especially) were central to Wanderer's return after this point. I'm sorry if Melanie has seemed rather pessimistic and indifferent to Wanderer's return up to this point-I just think she's come out of her experiences with a more realistic point of view. Hopefully I can dig deep and pull out her fiery determination and strength for the remainder of the story.

As always, I hope you enjoy this installment of the story, and please please please please read and review!

~Song

The procedure itself was relatively simple. Jodi was already unconscious, but Doc administered a small dose of anesthetic just to be sure. With the help of Wanderer's wonder drugs, he quickly and easily opened up a neat cut along the back of her neck. He traced the faint pink line that betrayed the previous insertion with precision.

It was at this point that I became important. Working as quickly as I dared, I fiddled with the controls on Sunny's cryotank. It took a few moments for it to transition from hibernation mode to insertion mode. I used the time to squash any feelings of anxiety. When the light on the top of the tank glowed bright, vibrant blue, I unlatched the lid, popping it open gently and making sure not to jostle it unnecessarily. Reaching into the cool interior, I gathered the soul into my hand carefully. It was surprisingly warm, with a weight I had not expected.

I paused for a moment, just to look at her. Sunny fluttered calmly in my palm. The movement tickled―just a light brushing of the soft, smooth body against my sensitive palm; a pleasant sensation. In that moment, the full brunt of the situation struck me. Only a few short months ago, I'd have bet on both Jamie and Jared's lives that if I ever got the chance to touch one of these creatures, it would be to kill and destroy. Never would I have imagined myself doing something like this―at least not willingly.

Turning to the body, I gestured at Doc to hold the incision open. He obliged me readily. I coaxed the silver creature into the opening. It slid willingly, trustingly, out of my hand, settling into the opening easily. Doc and I watched, fascinated, as Sunny elongated. She reached up into regions unseen, binding herself to the body. In a few short seconds, the soul had settled and was still. I exhaled, backing away as Doc finished up the procedure, sealing the incision closed and slapping a bit of Smooth over the faint line to prevent unsightly scarring.

Kyle stepped forward as Doc retreated from the still figure. He grinned at me.

"Bet you never thought you'd be putting one of them into one of us," he remarked as he grasped Jodi's-now Sunny's-shoulders and rolled her onto her back.

I smiled back. "No, I never imagined I would."

Kyle turned back to the unconscious soul on the operating table. A heavy silence descended upon the scene. I moved to stand near Jared, who had been a silent presence for the duration of the insertion. He leaned against the wall, a thoughtful expression on his face.

When I met his gaze, he gave me smile, and my heart skipped a beat. I sucked in a steadying breath as he folded me into his embrace. Jared's arms encircled me, holding me about the waist as my back pressed into his chest. His chin rested on my shoulder and each breath tickled the side of my face.

"Well done," he murmured into my ear, his voice low so that only I would hear. A gentle squeeze, accompanied by a soft kiss to my shoulder, followed these words.

Within a few minutes, Sunny awoke.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she took a deep breath. Doc and Kyle both leaned over her, and she cringed away from them violently. Kyle reached out to touch her hand reassuringly.

"It's okay Sunny. Doc's not going to hurt you."

Sunny's eyes focused on Kyle's face, and relief flooded her expression. Before she could utter much more than his name, however, Doc interrupted. He smiled at Sunny as he grasped her wrist to check her pulse.

"How do you feel, Sunny?" he asked, uncertainly.

"Fine," she answered quietly, her eyes leaving Kyle's face briefly.

Doc nodded, releasing Sunny's wrist as he peered into her eyes clinically. "No weakness? No discomfort?"

The soul shook her head, her eyebrows furrowing. "No. Why would there be?"

Doc seemed thrown off by the question. "Well-I don't know. I'm not exactly sure how the process works, so I don't know what to expect," he explained.

Sunny's expression cleared. "Oh."

Doc frowned. "I wish I understood your anatomy better," he murmured, looking at Sunny with a perplexed curiosity. "How am I supposed to know if there's something wrong?"

Sunny looked back him, but she couldn't hold the gaze. Her eyes kept returning to Kyle's face, as if to make sure he was really there. "I-I don't know much about it," she said. "I was never a Healer. I was a Grower; I raised plants."

I thought I could detect a note of regret in Sunny's tone as she said this, and I wondered if she was worrying about her plants. Without her there to take care of them, they had probably all died by now. It occurred to me that Sunny would be happy when she found out about the gardens we cultivated for our food.

Doc nodded, straightening up. "Alright. I'm going to get Jeb. He'll want to know about Sunny's return so he can decide how to announce the information to the others," he said. Kyle nodded absentmindedly. Doc turned and strode purposefully up the passage, disappearing quickly into the darkness. The sound of his footsteps grew steadily fainter, until they faded into silence completely.

I wondered how Jeb would react to the news. I highly doubted that he would be much surprised-Jeb was unusually perceptive about these kinds of things, and there was very little that ever threw him for a loop. Knowing Jeb, he was probably expecting something like this to happen. It would be a shock to the rest of them, though. No one other than those involved had been informed of the plan to reinsert Sunny into Jodi's body. I could see the wisdom in this decision. Although Wanda had been well-liked by the majority of the community, I could not see them being pleased to hear that Doc had moved past simply removing souls from human bodies and was now putting them back in.

Doc and Jeb returned sooner than I had expected. Their footsteps echoed down the tunnel, long preceding their arrival, and I saw the anxious expression that flashed across Sunny's features as she looked up at Kyle, seeking reassurance. He smiled at her, patting her small hand awkwardly. She was instantly reassured. I wondered at her blind trust in him, as volatile and violent as he could be. Her certainty bespoke a knowledge of Kyle that I could only guess at.

Kyle had seated himself on the operating table, next to Sunny. The two were not touching, but her eyes were fixed solemnly on his face. I thought I could detect a hint of longing in her gaze, as if she wished to touch him but didn't dare. Every so often, Kyle would look down into her eyes for a moment. I watched him curiously. He seemed at a loss, unsure what to think of this timid soul who gazed at him so unwaveringly.

Sunny had yet to utter a single word since Doc's exit. I had expected her to be confused, but from the moment her eyes had opened, she had been calm and unquestioning. Did she already understand why she'd been brought back?

It was easy to see that Sunny had loved Kyle long before she'd met him. Of his feelings I was less sure. He was not repulsed by her, nor did he display any hint of anger or frustration toward her. There was a kindness in his manner that I had not anticipated, yet there was a shadow of sorrow there, too.

I was interrupted from my musings by the entrance of Doc and Jeb. Jeb gave Sunny an appraising look before he turned his faded denim eyes on Kyle. "Well now," he said slowly, scratching his chin, "Ain't this a pretty picture?"

Kyle looked away from Sunny with relief, fixing his eyes upon Jeb. "Doc said he thought it would be best." There was a note of uncertainty in his voice.

My uncle nodded, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he leaned against the wall lazily. There was a moment's pause before he turned his attention upon the soul once more. "Sunny," he addressed her gruffly.

She started, clearly surprised at being so directly addressed. She turned to Jeb, her eyes wide with apprehension. She shrunk back, towards Kyle, as if attempting to hide behind him. "Yes?" Her voice quavered.

Jeb's tone softened, and I saw the recognition flash behind his eyes: Sunny was just as timid and frightened as Wanda had been. "Sunny, Kyle loves the girl who used to be in that body."

Hurt spread across the soul's expression. There was a hesitating pause, then she nodded slowly. Her eyes slid to Kyle's face. His jaw was set resolutely. "I―I know," Sunny replied, lowering her gaze. I felt a sharp stab of pity for her.

Jeb leaned toward her, nodding. "I figured as much," he said quietly, more to himself than to her. He paused briefly before continuing. "You care about Kyle, right?"

Sunny nodded miserably.

"Then you understand what he's asking you to do."

Sunny sighed, then straightened, lifting her chin as she looked up at Jeb. "He wants me to look for Jodi," she replied, her gaze flicking to Kyle once again.

Jeb nodded. "That's right." His eyes drifted away from Sunny and fixed on Kyle. There was a piercing, searching quality to that look that made me wonder how much Jeb suspected of Kyle's feelings for the woman and the soul who had replaced her.

Kyle returned the gaze steadily, but I thought Ian's brother looked less sure of himself than he would have liked.