Chapter 2

Okay so this is the second chapter. This is just a little explanation of Jared's feelings so that when I upload new chapters the rest makes sense. Hope you like it.

Jared's POV

We'd been looking for three days now. We'd drove around and tried to find the perfect Wanda for hours upon hours but as of yet we hadn't found a person who could be as innocent and gentle as she was.

Mel and Jamie were sure they had found the perfect girl yesterday. She must have been about twenty-two years old and looked a lot like Melanie but I didn't agree with their choice.

Wanda wasn't Melanie. She was her own person. Don't get me wrong I loved Mel and was so glad she was back but these past few days we'd spent on the road together just wasn't the same. I had gotten so used to Wanda in Mel's body that now she wasn't there anymore I had realised that I really missed her.

I'd thought that all the times back when Wanda was in Mel's body that I was so physically attracted to her I was holding myself back because I knew it wasn't really Mel in there. But over the past three days I know knew this to be untrue. I knew that during that time I was too scared to show my true attraction because I knew that it would prove what I had been thinking in the back of my mind.

That I wasn't just attracted to Mel's body but to Wanda within Mel's body.

I don't know how long I had been thinking this but I know that it was around the time Wanda and I started raiding together. She was just so gentle. She never held ill feeling towards anyone and I think the fact that she was my complete opposite of my own personality only made me draw towards her more.

In my last moments with Wanda I very nearly let loose the fact that I was starting to fall for her. When she asked me to tell her a lie and I told her that I loved her, the only person I was lying to was myself.

I tried to tell myself that what I was saying wasn't true. That it was in fact Mel I still loved but it was pointless. I couldn't change the fact that I had fallen in love with Wanda too.

This could all be proven by the distance that was developing between Melanie and I. For example since that first day back in the caves there had been no more physical contact between her and me. Here in the front seat of the van we were both trying to take up as little space as possible to ensure that our knees and bodies didn't touch.

At first I tried telling myself that the reason for this lack of communication was because of Jamie in the back. If we instigated the slightest bit of romantic contact then maybe we would lose control and we couldn't do that with Jamie around. We'd scar him for life.

But I was kidding myself. Fair enough we couldn't touch each other in case our hormones went crazy and couldn't control ourselves but if this was the case then why was it so hard to even make conversation.

Every time we tried to stab at starting a conversation it turned awkward and eventually when it became too uncomfortable to bear we'd just let it drop and carry on staring out at the open road or start talking to Jamie.

After a couple more hours we had reached Seattle. We were driving down a street called Becker Street when I noticed a young girl wander off alone down an alley.

This girl must only have been about 17yrs old but she was beautiful. She looked so gentle and innocent and had a face that anybody would find hard to distrust, but most of all she looked like Wanda or what I would imagine Wanda to look like if she were to have her own body.

I quickly slowed the van down and Melanie and Jamie both abruptly turned around too see what had caused me to stop.

"Jared. What's going on" Melanie whispered. "What do you see? Are we in trouble? She quickly looked through the window to scan for danger.

"No. Of course not" I replied. "However, I think I may have just found us a Wanda. Look over there, just turned down that alleyway". Mel and Jamie both turned to look in the direction I was pointing in straining to see down the narrow, dark alley.

"I thought you said I got the final say on the body" Jamie pouted. I turned round in my seat to see Jamie's bottom lip jutting out.

"Of course you do Jamie. Trust me though; you'll agree it is Wanda when you get a proper look.

I plastered a smile on my face for Jamie and Mel and turned the van around as fast as I could without bringing attention to us and drove off to the next street where I imagined the Alleyway would end up.

I was right of course. As soon as we turned the corner I saw her. Her soft blond curls were blowing in the wind and she was studying some flowers in the neighbouring garden to where she stood.

Melanie turned to me with a grin on her face.

"She's perfect Jared. Just how I imagined Wanda to be. I wanted her to be young so she gets a long, full life as a human but not a child because she wouldn't like that"

Mel and Jamie's faces said it all. This was my Wanda... I mean our Wanda and now all we had to do was to get her in the van and back to the caves with us without getting ourselves noticed.

"Jared" Mel sighed. "I think you should let me go talk to her first. No offence but I don't think Wanda would like it if she had to wake up to relive this girls last moments and all she saw was you going in all guns blazing to drag her off the street." At this Melanie smiled at me and I saw in her everything i loved. "Why don't you and Jamie wait in the Alley and I'll bring her in there to you. Just get the van ready and the chloroform."

"Are you sure" I asked. "I mean we have only just got you back. The last thing we need is for you to get caught again" I still loved Melanie despite my growing affections for Wanda and I was worried that I would lose her again.

"Jared. I'll be fine. I learnt one or two things off of Wanda you know, about dealing with souls and what to say. Just watch and learn trust me everything will be fine."

And with that she hopped out of the van and wandered over to the girl.

Jamie and I followed quickly. He handed me a rag from the back of the van and I soaked it in the bottle of chloroform that we had fetched with us for this very reason. We didn't want to scare this soul. Wanda has taught us a lot of things and I understand now that not all souls are evil...Well except maybe for the seekers, I don't think I could ever like one of those.

Anyway we didn't want to seem like monsters to them anymore. I didn't want Wanda to wake up to the memory of being utterly terrified, and of me as well.

I looked over to where Melanie was talking to the girl. The girl seemed to be giving Mel some sort of directions and while I was looking she glanced over to the alley and seemed to sense the presence of Jamie and me.

After a few more minutes Mel started to guide the girl over to where we were standing. She greeted us awkwardly as if she knew something bad were about to happen. For good measure I took hold of her wrist and before she could cry for help, put the chloroform soaked rag to her face.

Almost instantly she was out.

The drive back to caves seemed quicker. The atmosphere was less tense because we were all so overjoyed at finding the perfect body for Wanda. The girl or Pet as Melanie had explained was asleep in the back next to Jamie. She looked so innocent while asleep and also very young. Maybe that was a good thing. At least if she appeared too young I could control my attraction towards her.

With our new upbeat spirit it felt like the old days when Mel, Jamie and I used to be on the run. Melanie was laughing again at one of Jamie's attempts at comedy while I played my old Led Zeppelin tapes to their annoyance. It felt good to be in Melanie's company again. To have her complain about the noise blaring from the speakers. Noise... I tell you. She had never been able to appreciate good music.

Because of this it seemed like no time at all when we fitting the tarps to the back of the van and heading back to the caves.

I don't know what I was gladder about. I always felt exposed when we left the caves and so when we got back home I was always relieved but I was also greatly anticipating seeing Wanda again. When she would be placed in Pet's body I would be able to see her again, to hear her and touch her.

No. I couldn't touch her. I had my Melanie back now and there was Ian to think about. Although Ian and I have had problems he was like a brother to me. We fought just as much as he and Kyle but he was there for me as I always would be for him. I would have to squash these ridiculous feelings I was having for Wanda and focus on Mel who I had fought so hard for.

After we had covered our tracks and hidden the van properly, me and Jamie grabbed Pet and Mel grabbed the bags. As we began the short trek back to the caves I realised that this would be probably the only time that I would be able to physically touch Wanda again.

"Come on Jared." Jamie exclaimed "Pick up the pace. What's the matter? All this lifting getting too much for you old man" He laughed.

Jamie was a sweet kid. He was like a son too me, what would he think though if he knew that I was having these thoughts about Wanda. I would be betraying his sister and in doing so I would be betraying him. As if he could sense I was troubled about something he let it drop and picked up some of my slack.

Mel was also trailing slowly behind and seemed to also be deep in thought. I wanted to comfort her and so I gave her a comforting smile which she tentatively returned. Hmmm I would have to talk to her to see what was up.

When we reached the entrance to the cave we stumbled upon our welcoming party. Jeb, Doc and Lily were waiting for us with expectant grins on their faces. In the background hugging the entrance to the cave I saw sunny with Kyle glued to her side.

Jamie and I continued to carry Pet until we reached the hospital. From their Doc took over for Jamie and helped me too lift her onto the nearest cot.

I saw Ian huddled in the corner with Wanda in his lap. He didn't get up when we walked in.

"Ian, do you want to come take a look" Jamie asked Ian who didn't look up.

"No" Ian stated. "I don't want to look until Wanda is in there. It isn't my Wanda until she is in there so I'll wait thank you"

Why did my heart pang with jealously when Ian said my Wanda. I had no right to be jealous. I knew now though that even before Wanda had left Mel's body when Ian had been after her I wasn't just being protective of Mel. I didn't want him to have Wanda either.

I glanced over at the cot that Pet was on. Doc had already got to work and was just placing Pet into an empty cryotank. Jeb carried the tank over to the other side of the room and then moved over to Ian to get Wanda ready for insertion.

Ian got up slowly careful not to bump the cryotank as he lifted it. He moved with Doc over to the cot and lifted the tank up so that it was resting next to pet's body on the bed.

He started pushing the buttons that would open the tank and as it popped open he sighed. He placed his hands into the tank and as gently as you would cradle a baby he lifted her out into his hands.

The first time I ever saw a soul in its true form I was revolted. Now though I didn't think I had ever seen anything so beautiful in my life. Ian moved Doc aside and as Wanda had all shown us placed Wanda into pet's body.

A few minutes passed while Doc closed Wanda up and then all we could do was wait. It gave me time to think about what I was going to do. As I watched Ian holding Wanda's hand waiting for her to wake up I knew that there was nothing I could do about my feelings for Wanda.

Ian loved her so much and I didn't want to hurt him not after he sort of respected my feelings when Wanda was in Mel's body.

As I looked over at Mel I noticed that she too was staring at Ian and Wanda's clasped hands. I think she must have been glad that Wanda still had someone who loved her for who she was. That or she was missing the contact between her and me.

I would start making an effort and at this I stood up and walked over to where she was sitting. She looked up at me and there were tears in her eyes. Tears of happiness I hoped. I smiled at her and took her hand in mine and we stayed like that for a while until Wanda started to stir.

After a while Wanda started to wake up.

"Wanda? Can you hear me, Wanda?" Ian asked breathlessly.

My hands started to sweat with anticipation but Mel only gripped them tighter.

"Wanda. Come back. We aren't letting you go" Mel exclaimed. She sounded nervous and I didn't know why.

"Use the Awake" I urged Doc

Doc quickly and effectively sprayed the Awake under Wanda's nose.

"Wanderer? We're all waiting for you honey. Open your eyes." Ian said with tears beginning to well up in his eyes.

Wanda's eyelids fluttered and everybody tensed instantly apart from Jamie.

"She's waking up!" he shouted while jumping around excitedly.

Her eyes opened and I waited for her to gather her surroundings. She blinked a couple of times as if to adjust her eyes to the lights in the room and then began to move her head.

"Wanderer" Ian whispered and as he spoke she turned her head to meet his gaze and smiled. Oh if only that smile were for me.

And then she spoke and I heard Wanda's panicked voice that made me want to wrap my arms around her.

"Ian? Ian, where am I? Who am I? And with that my heart broke because it was his name she spoke and him she wanted.

Okay so this is my next chapter. Please review and let me know what you think. It will let me know if I'm doing any good. And also what do you think about Jensen Ackles for Jared, Ian Somerhalder for Ian and Sophia Bush for Mel. New chapter coming soon