"Won't you tell me?"

My head shook once, fast. I wasn't sure who did it. Was it me saying won't or Melanie saying can't?

His hands tightened under my jaw. I opened my eyes, and his face was inches away from mine. My heart fluttered, my stomach dropped- I tried to steady my breathing, but instead I was taking sharp intakes of breath.

I recognized the intention in his eyes. I knew how he would move, exactly how his lips would feel, but yet, it was so new to me. His lips pressed against mine and I gasped in shock, into his mouth.

I think he meant just to touch his lips to mine, to be soft, but things changed when he touched me. As I gasped, he plunged his tongue into my mouth, searching. His mouth was abruptly hard and rough, his hands trapped my face to his while his lips pushed my mouth further open. It was so different from remembering, so much stronger. My head swam incoherently. I could feel my body responding. I pushed myself into him, craving the heat.

My right hand started to move. I was so wrapped up in the kiss that I failed to notice until my knuckles struck his face.

I jumped backwards, holding my fist out as far from myself as possible. My hand had just punched Jared.

I looked up at Jared and saw he mirrored my shocked face. Whatever he had been expecting to happen from the kiss, this was not it. He had not expected me to hit him.

His eyes softened suddenly, and he whispered, "Mel?"

I turned abruptly, the tears already swimming in my eyes. I could feel Melanie's pain along with my own. She was jealous, upset he had kissed me. I had just realized the kiss was not real. He had used me.

I had to get out of here, and fast. I quickly realized that behind me was covered with boxes and I had nowhere to go.

I tried to turn back towards Jared and walk past him, but he grabbed my arm.

"Mel? Mel, please know that was for you. Not it. I love you, Mel. So much…," he trailed off as I wrenched my arm out of his hand.

I started to stagger forward, but my head was swimming from the double emotions. Melanie had suddenly become overjoyed that her Jared was speaking to her, but I was breaking.

I could feel the agony bubbling up, so much more emotion than I had ever experienced. I fell to my knees in a gasp, choking on my tears.

Suddenly, someone touched my shoulder. I thought it was Jared, so I attempted to shrug it off, but I was pulled into an embrace. I realized I had been pulled onto Ian's shoulder when I heard him speak.

"Get out of here. Now." Ian said, his voice the hardest I had ever heard it. I knew this had to be directed at Jared, since he was embracing me so tightly, I couldn't leave if I wanted to.

"Ian? What the hell! Get off Melanie!" Jared shouted, and I could hear his footsteps coming towards us. I sobbed harder into Ian's shoulder.

"Howe. I will end you if you do not leave right now." Ian's voice was even now as he threatened Jared. I did not know why, but that only made his threat sound scarier.

I did not hear Jared walk away, but I knew he was gone when Ian relaxed his embrace. I sank into him, my heart feeling like it had been broken in two. I could feel Melanie still rejoicing, but she was trying to hold back. She could feel how I had been broken. While I sensed a tiny bit of anger, I realized she mostly felt pity. She was trying her best not to show me the anger or joy she felt towards Jared, and she was letting me take back over my body for the time being.

Ian backed up slowly, moving his hands from around my shoulders. He looked at me and put his hand to my cheek, wiping away my tears. I tried to compose myself, but I was still gasping for breath between sobs.

"Wanda?" Ian whispered. "Wanda, please. I cannot see you despair like this. What-what can I do?" he stuttered on the last sentence and I looked up to see he had tears forming in his eyes.

This caught me by surprise, and my sobs stopped suddenly.

"I-Ian?" I choked out; my voice hoarse. "Wh-why are you crying?"

Ian's eyes were soft. He took both his hands on either side of my face and wiped away my tears. It was so gentle, so soft. When he touched me, I realized it was not like when Jared touched me. It was the opposite. Like cool water to your face on a hot summer day. Like sudden relief. This was my Ian. My protector.

"Wanda." He said, his voice as soft as his eyes, "I am so sorry that I left you with Jared. I knew I shouldn't have. I waited just past the cave. And then, when I heard you crying, I thought- well I thought he had hurt you again. And then, when I heard him speak to Melanie, I realized what must have happened." He looked down and grabbed my hands and pulled me closer.

We were now facing each other, our knees almost touching, with our hands sitting in Ian's lap. I could feel myself wanting to get closer, wanting his comfort, but this scared me. Had I not just been used as a lab rat by Jared? Hadn't Ian tried to kill me before? Why was he suddenly my protector? Why did I find myself wanting to be near him?

You like him. Obviously. Melanie informed me. Her voice was tense.

Melanie? What do you mean? What's wrong?

I could feel she was becoming angry in my head, and this time she was not holding it back. She did not like our closeness to Ian. She did not want Ian to touch us.

Ian tightened his grip on our hands, and I looked back up at him.

"Wanda? Is everything okay?" Ian said as I looked at him. The tears in his eyes were gone, never having fallen. They watched me anxiously, and I felt he was trying to read my mind.

"Sorry Ian. Melanie, I mean I, well…" I trailed off, not knowing how to explain.

"Melanie doesn't like me?" Ian guessed.

I searched his eyes, mistrusting. I could not figure out why I liked Ian so much. Why he liked me.

"Ian?" I asked suddenly, "Why did you go from wanting to kill me to wanting to protect me?" The words just blurted out of me before I could stop them.

To my surprise, Ian started to chuckle. He looked down at our hands and shrugged his shoulders.

"To be honest? I think I changed my mind about you right after I tried to kill you. You see, I was already reluctant to help my brother, but I thought you were the enemy. I thought Kyle was right. We had to kill you to protect ourselves. But then, you jumped in front of Jared and practically begged us to kill you. I realized, no one is protecting you. Not even yourself." He looked up at me again and I felt myself tearing back up.

"No, Wanda, don't cry again," He let go of one of my hands and put it to my cheek. I leaned into the softness.

Ugh. Melanie groaned in my head.

I flinched.

Ian let go abruptly and put his hand back down.

"Wanda?" he asked, searching my face again, "Do you, well do you think Melanie could give us some privacy? Just for a moment?"

Absolutely not! Melanie shouted in my head. I flinched again.

"I'll take that as a no," Ian said, watching me.

I tried to ignore Melanie's anger as I asked, "Why, Ian?"

"Well," Ian started, "I just wanted to talk to you without making her angry. You see, Wanda, I think I am in love with you."

I jumped at the words and started to pull my hands away, but Ian held them firmly.

"Don't be that way, I just thought you should know. Even if you don't feel the same. I just wanted…you know…" Ian trialed off.

I could feel my body being torn in two again. On my side, I was shocked to hear someone say those words to me, a little happy even, but Melanie's anger started to boil over. I scrunched up my face.

Can you please calm down? I asked Melanie. These emotions were too much.

We love Jared. Not Ian. Tell him to get lost. Melanie said acidly.

"Is she mad?" Ian asked.

I nodded, unable to speak because I was focusing on pushing back Melanie's anger.

Melanie sighed. Look, I'm sorry. It's just, this is my body. And you know I don't hate you, but I can't let you use my body with someone else. I'm human, okay?

I nodded, still not wanting to speak, even in my head.

"Tell me what she is saying," Ian said.

I opened my scrunched eyes to see him focused on my face.

"I can see you arguing with her. I can see how it hurts. I'm sorry," Ian said.

"No, no, it's okay," I said, finding my voice as Melanie tried to gain control of her own anger. "She is not mad at me. I think really we are both mad at, well at the situation I guess," I couldn't think of how to describe it. I was mad that I couldn't use this body, but I did not blame Melanie, and Melanie was mad that I wanted to use this body, but knew it was not really my fault.

"It must be so hard for you," Ian said softly, "I can't imagine what it is like. For either of you."

My heart fluttered as I heard him recognize my feelings. Melanie must be right; I do like Ian. This came as a sudden shock, as I realized that I, Wanderer, the parasite inside Melanie, liked Ian. Melanie made a motion in my head that indicated she was rolling her eyes at me.

I looked at Ian, my eyes full of wonder. Could I really love an alien? Could I really have found my partner? The person I would spend the rest of my lives with if I could?

The answer was so clearly yes that it shocked me. I stared at Ian with wide eyes, coming to terms with my realization.

"Wanda? What's wrong?" Ian asked, clearly confused by my sudden change in emotion.

"Ian, I, well I think, I love you too." The last words came out in a breathless whisper.

I wasn't sure he heard me until I felt him abruptly pull me too him. I looked up as his lips came crashing down on me.

No! Melanie started to protest, but it was too late. Ian was around us. Ian was kissing us. No, Ian was kissing me.

This was not like the previous kiss Melanie and I had experienced just moments ago. How long ago had that been? I thought. It felt like hours ago but had to be only minutes. I was momentarily distracted by this until I felt Ian pull us up into a standing position, his arms around me pulling me closer and closer. Then, I lost all thought. I was being kissed this time. It felt amazing, like he was giving me life. My pulse quickened and I found myself entwining my fingers in his hair.

NO! Melanie shouted again, and I pulled back, letting my arms drop to my sides.

Ian was breathless, but he leaned over and put his lip to my ear and whispered, "Wanderer. My Wanderer."

I shivered and he pulled me back into an embrace. My head fell onto his shoulder and I gasped for breath. Melanie was furious. She wanted to get away from Ian. Wanted to go find Jared.

I ignored her for once. I was content. So content, with my head on Ian's shoulders. I felt so safe, like no one could ever harm me. I realized suddenly that this is what Melanie had showed me in the memory with Jared. The memory she had thrust into my head before Jared kissed us. Ian made me feel the same way Jared made Melanie feel. I smiled.

As I realized this, I felt Melanie gesture eye rolling again. I could tell she was holding her anger back now, trying to give me the comfort I needed. She recognized that Ian was helping me through the pain that Jared had left on me. While she couldn't handle me kissing him, she was allowing him to hold me.

"Thanks, Mel." I murmured out loud, and I let myself be held.