"Emma, I'm sorry, you lost," Paul heard himself singing. He tried to fight against it, but it was a lost cause. The alien spores that took him over absorbed his personality, but they still had their own plan. Paul was still Paul, underneath it all.

"What if I told you I made it, and this is the life that I chose," Paul's body sang. Maybe musicals weren't so bad, but he still didn't want to be forced to sing against his will. He didn't want the life that his body chose.

"Paul, you're scaring me," Emma answered. Paul watched the fear in her eyes, and internally cringed, wanting to reach out for her and hug her. His body hugged Emma, but he could tell she was still frightened. Did he hug her because he wanted to? Or because the alien wanted him to?

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. If he thought hard enough, he could hear others thoughts through the hive mind. But he still had his own individual thoughts. It might not be so bad. If Emma would give in, they could still be together. Their minds would join, in a way they would never have before.

Maybe, just maybe, this was good. Maybe this is the life he did choose.