“I think I'll hang out here for a bit How about...
“I think I'll hang out here for a bit How about you?”
Jared didn't answer“Is there something you want to say to me, Jared?”
“The girl in there…” Jared said slowly
“Yes?”
“That body doesn't belong to her
“Your point?”
Jared's voice was hard when he answered“Keep your hands off it
A low chuckle from Ian“Jealous, Howe?”
“That's not really the issue Ian was sarcastic now
“Wanda seems to be, more or less, cooperating with MelanieIt sounds like they're almost… on
friendly termsBut obviously Wanda's making the decisionsWhat if it were you? How would
you feel if you were Melanie? What if you were the one… invaded that way? What if you were
trapped, and cartier clock someone else was telling your body what to do? If you couldn't speak for yourself?
Wouldn't you want your wishes–as much as they could be known–respected? At the very least
by other humans?”
“Okay, okayI'll keep that in mind
“What do you mean, you'llkeep that in mind? ” Jared demanded
“I mean that I'll think about it
“There's nothing to think about,” Jared retortedI knew how he would look from the sound of
his voice–teeth clenched, jaw strained“The body and the person locked inside it belong tome”
“You're sure that Melanie still feels the –”
“Melanie will always be mineAnd I will always be hers
Melanie and I were suddenly at opposite ends of the spectrumShe chloe bag bay was flying, elated
We waited anxiously through the next silence
“But what if it were you?” Ian asked in little more than a whisper“What if you were stuffed in
a human body and let loose on this planet, only to find yourself lost among your own kind?
What if you were such a good… person that you tried to save the life you'd taken, that you
almost died trying to get her back to her family? What if you then found yourself surrounded by
violent aliens who hated you and hurt you and tried to murder you, over andover again?” His
voice faltered momentarily“What if you just kept doing whatever you could to save and heal
these people despite that? Wouldn't you chanel handbag 2.55 deserve a life, too? Wouldn't you have earned that
much?”
Jared didn't answerI felt my eyes getting moistDid Ian really think so highly of me? Did he
really think I'd earned the right to a life here?
“Point taken?” Ian pressed
“I–I'll have to think about that one
“But still –”
Ian interrupted him with a sigh“Don't get worked upWanda isn't exactly human, despite the
bodyShe doesn't seem to respond to… physical contact the same way a human would“Is that your theory?”
“What's funny?”
“She is quite capable of responding to physical contact,” Jared informed him, his tone suddenly
sober again“She's human enough for thatOr her body is, anyway
“Jealous, lady dior O'Shea?”
“Actually… I am Ian's voice was strained“How would you know that?”
Now Jared hesitated“It was… sort of an experiment
“Anexperiment? ”
“It didn't go the way I thought it would I could hear that he was grinning at
the memory, and I could see, in my head, the little lines fanning out around his eyes
“Melanie… punched… you?”
“It sure wasn't WandaYou should have seen her face What? Hey, Ian, easy, man!”
“Did you think for one moment what that must have done to her?” Ian hissed
“Mel?”
“No, you fool, Wanda!”
“Done toWanda? ” Jared asked, sounding bewildered by the idea
“Oh, get out of hereStay away from me for a few hours
Ian didn't give him a chance to gucci faux ans