Heat

**Internal Dialogue between Wanda and Melanie**

Chapter 1

Wanda woke with a start.  Something didn’t feel right.  She sat up on the bed in her room, listening to the noise from the caverns.  Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.  She rose from her bed and walked out into the cavern’s hallway of the sleeping caves.  She stopped and listened at the entrance to Jamie’s area and heard his slight snoring.  She sighed; a bit relieved that whatever had woken her was not a threat to Melanie’s younger brother.  She knew that this would be Melanie’s first instinct to check on her only sibling.  Wanda was finding that it had become her first instinct too.  She knew she had developed a deep abiding affection for the young boy.

Wanda decided that rather than returning to her bed, she would take a walk around the caverns and try to determine her sense of unease.  The other humans had become less hostile toward her, after she had assisted in getting the necessary medicines to heal Jamie.  Even after her encounter with Kyle in the bathing chamber and her subsequent lie to protect him from Jeb.  She had garnered a few more supporters.  Wanda knew that she was now free to roam around without suspicion or malice.

As Wanda roamed, she felt something stirring inside her.  She knew that it was not Melanie.  Melanie had taken to remaining in the back of her mind unless Wanda was around Jamie or Jared.  Melanie intentionally ‘loses herself’ when Wanda is with Ian.  Wanda and Melanie have come to an impasse regarding which of the men in their lives is the more important.  The only one that they definitely agree upon is Jamie.

Wanda searches to find Melanie’s mind. “Melanie, I need to speak with you.  Please talk to me.”

“What do you want; besides Ian.”

“Melanie, I thought we had come to an agreement on that.  I don’t want to fight with you.  Something in wrong and I can’t seem to figure it out.  I need your help.”

“Fine, what is the problem?”

“I don’t quit know.  Something doesn’t feel right.  I woke up quickly; kind of like you did when you had nightmares before.  But not quit the same.  I don’t know how to describe it.  But something is wrong, I know it.”

“Is Jamie OK?”

“Yes, I checked on him first thing.  I do not think that whatever is wrong is external.  I think its internal.  Is there something wrong with our body?

“My body.”

“Yes, your body, but with my body in here too.  Remember?  You seem very confrontational right now.  Is there a problem?”

“You mean other than the Jared/Ian issue?”

“Yes, I mean other that that.  You have been very understanding lately.  Why are you so mad now?”

There was silence for a long while.  Wanda was just about to call out to Melanie again.

“I don’t know.  I seem irritable.  I only used to get like this with my monthly cycle.”

“Melanie, I don’t understand.  What do you mean?”

“You know, I haven’t really given it much thought.  But now that I think about it.  I have not had my monthly period since you were inserted.  Why is that?”

“I don’t know.  I don’t even know what your monthly period is.  Is it a medical condition?”

“Yes, it is a...you know what.  Why don’t we have a talk with Doc when he wakes up?  It might be easier for him to explain it to you.”

“Oh, OK.  What do you want to do until then?”

“I think it might be best if we don’t talk.  I am barely able to contain my bitchiness with you right now, as it is.”

And with that Melanie was gone.  Wanda could not sense her and decided it was best not to anger her.  Melanie could hurt them both if she was angry enough.

A/N:  Yes, this is new story for me.  My muse is being fickle about my Stephanie Plum stories.  Nevertheless, rest assured that I will NOT abandon them.  Please let me know what you think of this one.