Here it is! I hope you like it. This was so hard to write at the end, I couldn't think of what way to make it go. I forgot to shout out WandalovesIan, you are one of the reason I started writing again. Thanks to theselection-divergent-thehost (I loved the whole O'Wanda thing, never heard it before but it definitely made me smile. I can't wait for the movie either. So excited! ) and Vero Diaz (I don't think she is in love with him but I will explain that more in the next chapter) for commenting on chapter 6. T
Mel's Pov
I'm in the game room with Jared before anyone else gets here. I'm pacing back and forth, I don't think I have been this nervous since I first talked to Jared after I woke up when they had taken Wanda out of my body. I had felt so happy and sad that day, it was tearing my heart in two, and now I'm dealing with it all over again.
The breakfast I had this morning is upsetting my stomach. I can almost feel it trying to come back out again. My hands are all sweaty and my heart is racing like crazy. It's the same feeling I used to get when I thought a seeker had found me. It sends chills through my body but I force myself to relax. If Jared sees me like this he will start worrying, and God knows he already worries enough.
"Mel sit down you are driving me crazy. Stop worrying, it won't change anything." He was right, I should just sit down and try to relax.
After 15 seconds of sitting I get up. Who was I kidding? I would never be able to relax. Jared looked like he was about to say something but thankfully Wanda and Ian walked through the door.
I look at them for what feels like the first time in years. I see them every day but this time something is different. Maybe it's the fear that has made my senses super sharp, or maybe it is all in my head but they don't look like they used to. Don't get me wrong, it is still just Ian and Wanda, and they still love each other like crazy, but behind Ian's jokes and Wanda's smiles you can see the fear and uncertainty that hides in their eyes.
I remember overhearing Doc talking to Jeb about Wanda's pregnancy. He says that he was worried because Wanda's host is so weak. He wasn't sure if she could handle the pregnancy. We all know that Wanda isn't nearly as old as she said she is. Ian has his suspicions about it, but he doesn't want to say anything about it, especially now that they have obviously gotten past the point where it matters. Wanda will be fine though, she is the strongest soul I have ever seen. If anyone can get their host through what we went to when we first came to the desert, they can have a baby.
I hadn't realized that Jared and Ian were already talking to each other until Wanda came up to talk to me.
"Are you ok?" She asks in a soft voice. Only Wanda would be worrying about me when we both knew that this would probably be worse for her than for me.
"Yeah, I'm ok. A little nervous but excited." I say, trying my best to look happy. I need to be strong for her, she has done so much for me this is the least I can do for her.
"What about you?" I ask her but never got to hear her answer because everybody starts pouring into the game room.
The room was loud as everybody speculated what the big announcement would be. With all the suggestions that were being thrown around it was hard to keep track of what anyone was saying. This, of course, all stopped once Uncle Jeb cleared his throat.
"Quiet down" he said, as he waited for a few stragglers to sit down. "The announcement you are going to hear is going to shock you but I want everyone to stay until it is finished. After the announcement is made, I want everyone to say what they think in a calm and respectful manner."
I paled as soon as he said that. This was going to be so much worse than I thought.
"Now the reason I want to do this is so that everything is cleared out right now. That way we can avoid any future problems." He said and waited for people to settle down.
If people were worried about the announcement before, now they were terrified, and honestly, so was I.
"Now Mel, Wanda, if you would please tell us what you have to say."
Wanda's POV
I don't think I have been so scared in my life. Not when I woke up in Mel's or Pet's body, not when I discovered my feelings for Ian, not even when Jamie was sick. I froze up, if Ian hadn't squeezed my hand I probably would have fainted.
I looked around the room. I saw that the lamps had been lit and that there was a soccer ball lying around. We would definitely need a game after this, but as much as I wanted to believe it would help, I couldn't really be sure. I looked around and saw Jamie smiling at us, next to him is Lily, and next to her are all the people who were my friends. Looking at them gives me the strength to say what I need to.
"I know this might come as a surprise to many of you," I say as I grab Melanie's hand, "but both Melanie and me are pregnant."
An eerie silence falls over the room. By the look on some of their faces you could tell they thought I was kidding, but once they saw that I didn't say anything else, some of them stopped smiling. Nobody said anything for a long time, it felt like hours.
"Congratulations!" Lily says but is quickly cut off by Sharon.
"How could you guys? Do you guys have any idea what you have done? Do you guys really want to bring a child into these caves. You guys stop being so selfish for once in your lives and think about how your actions affect others" She rants and each world is like a dagger through my chest.
She was right. As much as I loved Ian and this baby would probably be the best thing that would happen to us, I knew it would be easy on anyone.
"It's not like they are going to be the first children born here." He says, looking at Freedom. "If it was done before it can be done again."
"How do we know that her baby won't come out like her?" A voice I can't place says. it's weird, even after all this time I don't know some people that well.
This is when Candy says something, "I have seen many souls give birth and I can assure you the babies are 100% human." It's interesting how her tone and demeanor completely changes when she talks about anything having to do with medicine.
Doc looks like he wants to ask something but he doesn't.
"I don't think it's so bad. Freedom and Isaiah are doing fine" Luciana says as she smiles at her children. "Make no mistake though, raising children here is completely different from anything you could imagine. It is very difficult and as much as I wish you guys had been more careful there is nothing we can do now."
It shocked me how calm she was about it. I thought she would be angry, I thought they would all be angry and yelling at us, but this hadn't been too bad. Maybe Ian was right, it would all be ok.
"That was very well said Luciana, Thank you." It seems like Jeb is going to end this meeting and insist that we play a game of soccer but of course this was not the end of it.
"NO!" someone screams and everything goes quiet. I realize in all this time I was busy looking at Jamie or Ian, that I hadn't noticed Maggie. I should have not have forgotten about her. if anyone would be angry at the news it would be her. I should have known.
"Now Magnolia there is no need to yell." Jeb says trying to keep her calm but I already know how unlikely he is that he would succeed.
"You should not have allowed this Jeb. You let her," She says as she throws daggers in my direction. "do anything she wants. You are so blinded that you have forgotten what it is."
I felt Ian and Mel tense up. I could tell they wanted to say something. As much as what Maggie said had saddened me, I couldn't really blame her. I had always been the enemy, and as much as I forgot sometimes, she never would. She was scared that when I had the baby I would leave and bring the seekers to them. She would never understand how much I loved some of the people here.
To my surprise it wasn't Mel or Jamie who spoke, or even Ian, although Ian really wanted to say something and I am sure he would have if Burns hadn't said something first.
"What it is?" Burns asked and I have honestly never seen him so angry, not even when Ian accidentally spilled some water on him. "Wanda has done nothing but good things for you. Would Mel be here if it wasn't for Wanda? Have you realized how much better and easier Wanda has made your lives?" He said looking around.
His behavior was strange and not like that of a soul at all. He was almost yelling. I had never even seen him talk to most of these people, but here he was defending me in front of all of them. I saw his body tense up even more and could tell he would have a big problem calming down. I wanted to go over there and comfort him but Ian wouldn't let go of my hand.
"Ian please." I whispered, pleading with my eyes.
"I want you to be right by my side. It's not safe right now." He said and I sighed, knowing I would never win this one.
"Wes wouldn't be dead if she hadn't come." Maggie shot back. I held back a sob as I saw how this affected Lily. She looked like she was going to cry. She had been doing so well but there were days when you could tell she missed him. I think she regrets not spending more time with him.
"Don't you dare bring Wes into this." Melanie says. She had seen too. "I'm pregnant too. How come nobody is yelling at me?"
Everybody stayed quiet. I don't think anyone will say it but we all knew why. She was human and I was not. Some time passed and still nobody said anything. Jeb took that as a sign.
"Now if nobody has anything else to say." Jeb says is interrupted, again.
"We are happy for you. Both of you" Heath says staring right at me. "It's a lot to take in, and having a baby in the real world but here it is terrifying."
It always shocked me how compassionate Heath could be sometimes.
" Yeah, if you guys ever need anything, just let us now" Trudy says as she gets up to hug us.
"I know this is difficult for a lot of you guys, but I want you guys to remember that this is my house and that the rules still apply. Now before anybody else interrupts me this is meeting is over. Let's play some games." Jeb says and everybody cheers.
"That wasn't too bad." Jared says.
"Yeah because you and Ian didn't do or say anything. Just let Wanda take care of everything." She went on to mumble something about how all men were lazy and useless.
"That's because she handled it so well." Ian says as he wraps his hands around my belly. We were slowly walking to the edge of the room so that people could play. I knew he wouldn't let me play so I didn't even try to convince him otherwise. It's ok though, I was too tired anyways.
"Come on Jared please." I hear Melanie whine. I knew that if I turned around she would be giving him the look he couldn't resist.
"Aw Mel, don't do that." He says and I knew he was trying so hard not to say yes. "we can play later, you know how aggressive Kyle can be."
"At least I'm not whipped." He yells across the room any everybody just starts laughing.
As soon as Mel sits down Jared runs over to Kyle and they start wrestling.
"Ian, maybe you should stop them." I say. No matter how many times I see them playing like that I always get really scared.
"Relax Wanda, they will both be fine. Kyle needs to be put in his place every once in a while. It's good for him." Ian says and I know he is both serious and joking.
"Jared too." Mel agrees, and both Ian and Mel start laughing when they see the look on my face.
"Go play." I tell Ian. He really needed this time to relax. I was worried about him.
"Yeah!" Paige says as she sits down with us. "We want to talk about girl stuff"
Ian looks hesitant and I smile at him to assure him that its ok.
"If you are sure." He says as I nod my head. "Ok, if you want to leave just tell me ok." He leans down and kisses my cheek before heading over to the game.
"So what are you going to name it?" Trudy asks and we spend the rest of the time talking about the babies.
I have a couple of questions for anybody reading this:
What did you guys think? (I know this wasn't my best chapter. It feels a little off.)
How would you guys feel if I started putting a song in the author's notes to go with every chapter?
What do you think the babies should be named?
Thanks for reading! :{)