I've wanted to update sooner but had to go to the airport yesterday. The updates may take longer because I'm starting school on Monday. Song is Love and Memories by O.A.R. partially because I love that song and partially because it fits. But anyway, here's the next chapter!

WPOV

I took a deep breath of the salty air as I stepped out of the car. Ian carried the bag that had our blanket and towels and we set off to find a good place on the beach. There was no one else on the beach today so we didn't have trouble finding a good place to set down our blanket. It was a perfect date with the blue ocean before us, the waves crashing, and the pink sunset. We sat down and watched the waves for awhile.

I started to think about the last couple of weeks with him. One moment spent with him was a thousand times better than a lifetime on the other planets I have visited. He didn't seem like a regular soul but I think that's what I liked about him so much. As I thought about this, I realized that he was staring at me. I turned my head so my eyes would meet his. His hand reached up to stroke my face before he cupped my chin and brought my lips to his. My lips curved up into a smile as I kissed him back. As the kiss deepened, his hands moved to my waist and brought me closer. My arms wrapped around his neck and I closed the space between us.

"What the hell?"

I broke away from Ian to look for the owner of the angry voice. I gasped as I looked into his face. The face that Melanie longed to see. Jared's face. She suddenly woke up from her idle state stronger than ever.

"Jared." She managed to say before I gained control again.

It's Jared! Jared's alive! I need to talk to him, Wanda! Please! I have to know about Jamie and how he's alive.

Not now, Melanie. He probably wouldn't believe us. First we need to figure out what's going on. She shut up in defeat and sulked.

I sat uncertain of what I was going to do. Jared was here. Judging by the anger in his tone and the fierce look in his eyes, I knew he wasn't a soul. What was he doing here? How did he know where I was? Why would he be here when it was quite obvious that I was a soul? He wouldn't know that Melanie was still in here. What is Ian going to think? I looked at Ian expecting to see him looking at me confused. But when I looked over at him, he was looking up at Jared with a look in his eyes that looked like guilt. Jared turned to look at me with pain in his eyes.

"Jared, look…" Ian started. I could feel my mouth drop as I realized that Ian and Jared knew each other. Jared's head jerked towards Ian as he glared at him with immense hate.

What the hell is going on, Wanda? Melanie asked me.

I don't know. How do they know each other?

Ian isn't a soul. He can't be. That would actually explain a lot.

What would that explain? I asked her confused.

I thought there was something suspicious about him when he was telling you how he moved here from Boston. He had a tan when he told you he just moved here to get away from the snow. And then again when you asked what planets he lived on, he just seemed a bit uncomfortable.

Why didn't I notice it?

Because you souls never suspect anyone of lying and never look for the signs.

"You were supposed to be my best friend!" Jared screamed

I looked up surprised. I had forgotten they were there.

"I am. It's just—"

"Just what? You were just supposed to find out if she was still here! Pretend to be friends with it. Find out all about it. Not date it!"

I looked at Ian as pain erupted inside of me. He didn't really care about me. He was supposed to—

"I didn't mean for this to happen! But I—I"

"But what?"

"But I fell in love with her!"

I turned to find Ian looking at me again. His eyes searched mine looking to see my reaction. Before I could respond Jared lunged at Ian catching him off guard. Ian rolled over him and punched his nose. Jared threw Ian off of him and jumped up. Ian stood up too and both started circling as though they were predators circling their prey. Before I knew it, Jared was attacking Ian again and both were throwing punches any chance they got.

"Stop!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. They looked at me surprised.

Jared realized he was bleeding and brought his hand up to his nose to pinch it so the bleeding would slow down. Ian gently touched his jaw and winced in pain. Both looked at each other angrily before looking back at me waiting for me to say something.

"Just—just stop fighting." I looked down not sure what to say.

"Listen, I don't want to fight you." Ian told Jared.

"You don't want to fight? You're the one who started it when you fell for my girlfriend!"



"Your girlfriend? Wanda isn't your girlfriend. She's mine! Wanda isn't Melanie, Jared!"

"How do you know?" Jared screamed. "How do you know she's not still in there?"

"How do you know she still is?" Ian replied in a softer tone.

Both of them turned to look at me. A few moments passed as we looked at one another before Ian spoke up.

"First things first. We should explain to Wanda what exactly we're doing here."

"Alright. Tell it what you need to."

"Ok. I'll tell her what she wants to know. So, Wanda, you obviously know who Jared is because you had access to Melanie's memories. Am I right?"

"Yes. May I ask you something, Jared?"

He grunted at being acknowledged by me before nodding his head once at me.

"Is he ok?" I whispered as fear suddenly filled through me. Jamie wasn't here with Jared. Where was he? Was he alright? Was he caught?

He looked up at me surprised before nodding again.

My Jamie's alright! He's alive! I knew Jared would keep his promise. Tell him I'm still in here! That's what he wants to know!

Yes. But he doesn't really like me right now and probably won't believe me. I'm surprised that he answered my question about Jamie in the first place. I thought he wouldn't, considering I could betray him and tell someone that Jamie exists.

But you wouldn't. You love him as much as I do.

Once again, he doesn't know that.

"Why are you here? Am I just an experiment? Were you supposed to get information out of me or something?" I asked Ian.

"No. Jared saw you when we went on a raid and recognized you immediately. He wanted to know if Melanie still resides in her body still. Because you could recognize Jared easily, we felt it best if I went to your class because you wouldn't recognize me."

"So you were just using me." I looked towards the ocean to try to ignore the pain flowing through my body. I once again felt Ian's hand pull my face so I could look at him.

"At first I talked to you because I was supposed to. After that, I talked to you so I could hear your voice. Then, I was no longer obligated to come to your class and no longer obligated to go out with you. I went out with you because I craved your company. I went out with you because I needed you near me."

I leaned forward unconsciously. Just as our lips were about to touch, Jared cleared his voice.

"I think you should just get on with what you wanted to tell it." He growled at Ian.

"Can I ask another question?" He nodded his head. "How did you guys survive and did you find a lot of other survivors?"

"Well, Jared and Jam—"

"You can't tell it that! It could betray us at any time." Jared interrupted.

Ian glared at him before responding.

"She would never betray me like that. I know Wanda. She is a caring person who always puts others before herself! She just wouldn't."

"You don't know if things changed the moment it found out you were human." He looked at me. "See. It's not saying anything. It knows I'm right."

I started to feel a vaguely familiar emotion that I couldn't quite name.

Anger.

What?

The emotion you're feeling is anger.

Oh.

"First of all, stop calling me it! I am a female."

"Why? Because you're in a body of a female?" He asked glaring.

"Because in my species, I'm the one who bears children!"

"Oh."

"Second, I would never betray Ian or Jamie and you!"

I can't believe I just blurted that. Anger makes me irrational. Melanie laughed.

Ian smiled before glowering at Jared.

"See."

"You believe her because she says she won't betray you?"

"Wanda can't lie. She tried before but she's terrible at it. She meant what she said."

"So, you can ask her anything and she will answer truthfully? If she's lying you can tell?"

"Yes."

"So why haven't you asked yet?"

"Because it hasn't been the right time."

"What about right now?" He turned towards me before softly asking, "Is Melanie still in there?"

AN: Hope you liked it. Do me a favor and let me know what you think. Review please.