I groaned as I felt someone touching my pulse in my wrist. I heard a voice saying, "She's alive! She's alive!" I forced my eyes to open to slits and Ian sighed in relief, "You're ok!" I nodded and groaned as my head felt like it was splitting in two. I tried to get up but another hand pushed me down, "Stay still. Wanda." It was Jared. He was whispering frantically to Ian.

I staggered back in the hotel room with nothing but fear tightening my small chest. I turned to face the men behind me and said fiercely, "Get inside! You can't be seen without your sunglasses!" The men walked in after me and I couldn't see Mel. I asked immediately, "Where…" I didn't even get to finish my sentence before he said desperately, "She ran! She's gone!" Jared looked like he was about to throw up. I noticed his chin also bleeding and I gasped, "Ian?!" He shrugged, "He totally deserved it. He's lucky it wasn't worse!"

I exhaled loudly, "All you had to do, Jared, was keep your big mouth SHUT!" He folded his arms, "They deserved to know the truth." Ian growled, "Watch it Jared or I might just punch you again!" I placed my fingers to my temples and said, "Jared. Get me a Peace and Heal please." He did as I asked and I sighed as I placed the small pill on my tongue. It dissolved immediately. I then sprayed the Heal on his chin which healed right away. He went to go and clean himself up.

When he returned I swallowed hard, "Alright. We have to find my sister. That's our number one priority right now. I don't care how much you two hate each other's guts right now but it has to be put aside. That was the past. Right now, Mel is my biggest concern." They nodded in agreement as I added, "Grab your sunglasses. I'll go and get the truck ready. I'm driving." They both gasped, "But…Wanda…" I shook my head and growled, "Jared! You just lost Mel. You were bleeding. You're emotional. You're in no state to drive. Ian, you're emotional too. Right now we can't afford to get caught because of the speed limit. Get your butts into gear and let's move!"

On a previous occasion Jared would have remarked at that comment. But he was too distraught to say a word. They grabbed their sunglasses and we ran. The hotel room door slammed shut behind us. I hurried into the lift I had just fainted in and I said angrily, "Why on earth did you let her run?!" I asked furiously. Jared ducked his head into his hands ashamedly, "Because she had just told me it was over. My whole world fell apart. I…" he swallowed as the lift slowed and someone else got in. I couldn't believe that it was Fire Flies. He grinned at me, "Oh! Tulips! I thought you would be exhausted after your run down the stairs." I shrugged my shoulders as he closed the doors of the third floor, "I am. We forgot to get something from the shop." He nodded and smiled at me, "Drive safely, Tulips." I smiled kindly at him but I think he could feel the tension in the air and it made him uncomfortable.
He even winked at me as he stepped out onto the ground floor again. Ian scowled as we left and he said, "He fancies you." I rolled my eyes and murmured, "Of all things to worry about right now, Ian!" We hurried out of the lobby and I said, "Jared, hand me the keys." He didn't protest again as he tossed them to me. I started the ignition and we headed onto the highway.

I grimaced, "Where could she be?!" Jared sighed, "Let's try another close hotel. If she gets caught I swear I'm gonna kill her." Ian mumbled, "Would be a bit late for that though, wouldn't it?" Jared ground his teeth but said nothing. I sighed, "Even if she does manage to find a hotel…how will we know what she registered under?" The men startled and Jared shook his head in desperation, "Something that sounds like her name maybe? Melody?"

I nodded, "Or…maybe under a different name completely? How about…some name I've used before? On another Planet?" Ian sounded enthusiastic from the back, "That could work! Which one though?" I thought quickly, "Mel only really knew Lives in the Stars or Rides the Beast. It has to be one of those two." Jared nodded, "Good! Ok, first hotel is on the left at the top of the intersection."
I nodded and slowed down a little. The lights turned green for me and I turned the corner slowly. Jared nodded, "It's on the left here somewhere." Fear overcame me and I started tearing up. How could Mel be so stupid?! How could Jared have been so stupid?! Jared reached out gently and touched my arm, "Hey, we'll find her." Ian moved forward and smacked Jared's arm, "Get your filthy hands off her." I sighed and turned the volume on the radio up. It at least drowned out the both of their arguing and my spiraling, out of control thoughts.

I pulled in at the hotel-thankfully there was parking- and I ran inside. I asked the person at reception, "Hi, Miss…" I glanced at her name tag, "Bees. I'm looking for a friend of mine. I wonder if she checked in here?" The lady nodded, "Ok…what's her name?" I swallowed, "It's either Rides the Beast or Lives in the Stars." The lady nodded, "Well, here's the check in list. You can have a look here." I smiled gratefully at her and scanned the list. Nothing. My heart sank. I sighed, "Doesn't seem like it. Thanks very much." She nodded and I turned and ran back to the truck. I hopped in and Jared asked quickly, "Anything?" I shook my head sadly and he sighed too, "Alright then. Onto the next one. There's another hotel a few miles away."

Ian grumbled, "What makes you think she's even in a hotel? What if she actually went back home?" I tensed and shook my head, "Mel wouldn't be so stupid enough to think that she could make it back out there by herself. She's got more sense than that." Ian nodded and I took off. We were silent apart from Jared giving us directions. I checked the next one and no luck. Jared told me there were three more in the city. I felt my heart racing as we went to the next one. And the next one. And the last one. No go.
By now tears were fully formed in my eyes. I felt my entire body shaking and I shook my head as I tried to get back into the car. Jared said softly, "I think I should drive." I nodded and exchanged seats with him. He climbed in the front and I beside him. Ian didn't seem like he wanted my company at the moment and I couldn't blame him…after what he'd just discovered about Jared kissing me. I shivered and Jared whispered, "You want a jacket?" I shook my head but he shrugged his off at the stop street anyway and handed it to me. Ian growled, "Watch it, Howe. Just because I'm pissed off with the both of you, doesn't mean she's not my girlfriend anymore." Jared shrugged and he said through gritted teeth, "Just being courteous, Ian." I pulled the leather jacket around me tightly and cried myself to sleep, my head resting against the window, and praying more than anything, that Mel wouldn't get caught.

I opened my eyes as we arrived back at the hotel. It was past 12pm now and I just wanted my bed. I wanted to wake up and pretend none of this had happened. Ian supported me as I felt too weak to walk. We got to the top floor and opened our room. I nearly screamed in relief when I saw Mel standing there, pale and frightened. I ran to her and enveloped her in my arms. She sighed in relief when she saw us- I think mostly she saw that Jared was still human- and she whispered repeatedly, "I'm so…so sorry. To all of you. That was…" she swallowed hard, "Very selfish of me." I was shaking violently and Mel patted my back as she rested her face against my shoulder. I squeezed her so tightly that I'm sure she could hardly breathe. But she didn't complain and I didn't care.

Ian said neutrally, "Where did you go?" Mel shook her head, "I just…went to go and get a meal at the MacDonald's around the corner. I really needed to just think on my own terms. Jared snapped, "You went in there and they didn't even know the difference?" He said it like a question but he was still angry. Mel said stiffly, "Oh for heaven's sake, Jared, I took my sunglasses!" The tension that filled the room in the sudden silence after that was palpable.

Mel sighed, "Jared, we need to talk." She let go of me and I watched as he followed her into their bedroom. I was so relieved she was ok and not taken. My heart was still pounding fiercely in my chest though. Now I had to deal with Ian. I turned to face him and he sighed, "I think I'll turn in for the night. I'm exhausted." I nodded and watched him go to our room, feeling like I wasn't allowed to follow him. Instead, I just curled up on the sofa and went to sleep.

I woke up to whispering noises and I wasn't sure why. I yawned and stretched to let them know I was awake. Mel came and sat down at the end of my couch, "Hey, sleepyhead. Why are you on the couch?" I shrugged my shoulders as I slowly sat up and said, "Well…Ian…uh, he was angry last night. I didn't feel like he wanted me with him." Mel glanced concernedly over the couch and whispered, "Ian…" I sat up and turned to find him behind the sofa, in the mini kitchenette.
I scowled at Mel for getting involved. I asked quickly, "Where's Jared?" to try and ease the tension in the room. Mel tensed, "Jared has gone to get breakfast from downstairs for all of us." I nodded and she said, "I'm going to go and help him." I watched helplessly as she left. Ian took her place and refused to look at me as he said, "So…" I watched him warily as he swallowed hard and continued, "You…and Jared?" I bit my lip, as if that would help anything. I sighed, "Ian. You can't…I mean you can't hold all of that against me. That was in the past. You knew what the problem was. I was in Mel's body. I couldn't help my feelings for Jared then. But I can most certainly help them now. And I'm telling you the minute I left Mel's body I didn't feel that way for him anymore." This wasn't entirely true though. I did feel a bit of an empty hole sometimes…like I was missing something. I think I was just used to liking both men at once. Ian sighed, "Really? How am I supposed to believe that?" I shrugged, "You'll just have to trust me." He nodded and sighed, "The other issue is…that you didn't want to be a 'parasite' anymore. How could you have tried to get rid of yourself, Wanda?! How?! It was bad enough to think that you were going somewhere else, somewhere I'd never see you again! But then to try and get rid of yourself forever?" I hadn't realized until now that he looked exhausted. His eyes were red and baggy and he'd barely slept. He sighed and shook his head, "Wanda…if you were so keen to leave me and I wasn't a good enough reason for you to stay, then we have many more problems than you think. And especially if Jared was the last resort in trying to get you to stay."

I swallowed hard and didn't know what to say to that. Ian sighed and said, "I'm going to go and put these bags in the truck. I'll wait there until you all finish your breakfast." I nodded and watched him go, not knowing what to do. He was walking away from me and I could slowly see any sort of future we might have together slipping away too. I burst into tears the minute the door closed behind him.

A/N: Sorry for taking so long to update! Thanks Sarah for agreeing that this isn't unrealistic. In the book at the end, Stephanie even wrote that Jared would sometimes look at Wanda in confusion, and same with Mel and Ian. That's where I actually got the inspiration from and I always wondered what would happen if this was the case. Hope everyone enjoys this! Please let me know your thoughts!