Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original Mediator characters.

AN: So here's the next chapter. I may not get another one up for a while because of work (I know I said that last chapter, but this time I really mean it. Plus I have hit a block. I know what I want to do, but not how to get there). I'll post the next chapter as soon as I can!

Chapter Seven

A few hours later, we had the whole plan worked out. Sharon disappeared for a while to find out where Kelly was. She came back and said that Kelly was at the mall with none other than Paul Slater.

So there I was, in the center of the mall with Jesse, trying to figure out how I was going to execute my part of the plan. I refused to let Jesse approach Kelly, not because I thought she would steal him from me—although I knew she would try—but because I felt I had a better chance of getting us both invited to the party.

Finally I found Paul and Kelly. They were walking out of the music store. Paul's eyes found me. I am ashamed to admit that I enlisted Dopey's help. Although, he has no idea he was helping. All I did was go home and mention that Kelly was at the mall and that I thought Debbie might be with her. I figured with Dopey and Debbie being in this on again off again thing, he might want to see her. So Dopey sauntered up to Kelly and started asking about Debbie. As this happened, Jesse walked away, knowing it would be better for him to just slip into the bookstore.

Paul turned away from their conversation and spotted me near the fountain. He smirked and made his way over. "What are you two up to?"

"Nothing," I said as I pretended to be looking for a coin to throw in the fountain.

He pulled out a coin and handed it to me. "Thanks," I said.

As I went to grab it, Paul's hand closed around the penny. "I'll give this to you on one condition. You have to tell me what you and Jesse are up to." I agreed and started to reach for the penny. He pulled his hand back, "The truth, you aren't a good liar Suze."

"Fine," I grumbled as I took the penny and threw it in the fountain thinking, I want to live happily ever after with Jesse. Lame, I know, because Jesse and I already were living happily ever after, but give me a break. My mind was obviously elsewhere.

I turned back to Paul, "It's not a matter of what I am up to, it's what I want."

"Oh, really," Paul said leaning up against the nearest pillar. "And what would that be?"

"An invite to Kelly's party."

"Well, you see there's a problem with that," he smirked, "I can't bring you because my date is the hostess and that wouldn't go over well at all."

"I don't want to go as your date!" I almost shrieked. "Just figure out a way for us to get on that list."

"Us?" he raised an eyebrow.

I rolled my eyes. Boys are so naïve. "You really think I'm going to go to a party without my boyfriend?"

"Oh, right that," Paul said in a way that made me think he knew what I wanted all along. "Well, I don't know what I'll be able to do…"

I glared at him, "This is your area of expertise Paul, I know you'll think of something." And with that I walked away from him and into the book store.

I found Jesse right away, he was standing by the window, looking at one of the books on a rack. "Hey," I said.

"Oh, you're done already?"

"Give it up," I smiled, "you were spying on me."

"Why would I do that Susannah?"

"Because it's Paul."

He shook his head, "I wasn't spying on you."

I plucked the book out of his hands, "Then why are you looking at Clifford?"

"Oh," he said, realizing for the first time what book he had grabbed. "I wanted to read about a red dog, is that a crime?"

I rolled my eyes in a playful manner and dragged him over to the Classics section. "Here, this is more your cup of tea," I said before heading over to the magazine rack.

Ten minutes later, Jesse walked away from the check out counter with four new books. Once we were out into the courtyard again, Jesse said, "I really wasn't spying on you Susannah."

"I know," I smiled as I slipped my arm into the crook of his elbow. "You were just watching out for me." I stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. It is so unfair that he is that much taller than me…

"I just don't trust him," Jesse said simply.

"I know," I said again.

Jesse turned and smiled at me, "I love you querida." And just like that he was kissing me. In public. Finally, we were making steps in our relationship. I'll turn him into a modern man yet.

Jesse dropped me off at home and I walked into the house to find Dopey home already and watching a baseball game with Sleepy and Doc. In way of a greeting I got, "No way was that a strike!! They should like put a robot back there or something, cuz then we wouldn't have stupid umpires behind the plate who make bad calls!"

"Actually," Doc stated in his manner of fact way, "what you are suggesting Brad is highly unrealistic. Should a pitcher throw a wild pitch, the ball could hit the robot and permanently damage it. Or, if a player slides in to home plate, the robot may not be able to get out of the way in time. Besides, part of all the appeal of sports is not knowing what is going to happen. By having a robot behind the plate, you are suggesting a complete change in the allure of baseball itself."

Silence filled the air. Finally, Dopey said, "No one asked you David. Go back to your room and study or something."

"Very mature Do—I mean Brad."

The three boys turned and looked at me. "When did you get home?" Sleepy asked.

"Just now, and shouldn't you be studying for finals?"

He shrugged and turned back to the game, "I'm taking a break."

David rolled his eyes and followed me up the stairs.

A while later, the phone rang and Dopey called up the stairs, "Suze. Phone." Wow, was he incapable of making a complete sentence that doesn't involve sports?

"Hello?" I said as I picked up the phone.

"Party starts at seven."

"Paul? To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Look," he said, "do you want to go or not?"

"Yes, I want to go."

"Then be there at seven." And he hung up on me. Some people just have no tact.