A/N: Okay, I have to warn you all: Paul gets seriously evil at the
beginning of this chapter, but you people will be happy about what ends up
happening. Especially those of you who make a habit of complaining about
what I did to the characters. Hehe.
Chapter 6
It was two days before anything really happened. During those two days, I snuck out each night to the ranger station, and Paul did what he wanted. Jesse stayed as far away from me as he could, and Father Dominic had taken it upon himself to now lecture me on putting myself into dangerous situations.
In other words, life sucked.
And to make matters worse, I'd been thinking about what Father D had told me the day before. I mean, about him and that ghost. I knew, at least, I thought I knew, that I could never have anything like that. I mean, I love Jesse, but I was pretty sure that he hated me right then. Well, okay, maybe he didn't hate me. But he seriously disliked me.
So on Wednesday night, as I was leaning Dopey's bike against the side of the ranger station, like I always did, I wasn't really expecting anything to change just yet. Paul didn't seem particularly concerned with killing me right away, so I did have time to think of what to do. The only problem was, I couldn't think of anything. How could did you stop a guy who could control your mind?
On the other hand, I could have tried to control his. I mean, I did have the power to do it. The only problem was, I couldn't-at least, I thought I couldn't-control a living person, like Paul could. A ghost, sure. But Paul was definitely no ghost.
Anyway, when I got inside, Paul was in there waiting for me. We went through the usual motions, and then he went and did something he had promised not to do.
He broke our deal.
He came at me, and I braced myself for his kiss. He did kiss me, only he pushed me onto the bed while doing so.
"What are you doing?" I demanded before Paul silenced me with another kiss. His body covered mine in an instant. I shoved at him. "Paul!" His hands slid downward. Panic rising, I tried to squirm away from him.
I fought him, but he held my arms down. Finally, I drew my knee up hard between his legs.
"You little-" Paul swore, stumbling back. It took him a minute to gain his composure, and I took advantage of that moment.
My fist connected with his nose, and he fell backwards. To my dismay, I didn't break his nose. I did, however, probably damage it a bit, and for the moment that would have to do.
I turned and ran out of there, only stopping to grab Dopey's bike. I high- tailed it out of there as fast as I could, not daring to look behind me in case Paul followed me. Not that I really thought he would. We both knew I'd be back.
By the time I reached my bedroom, I was exhausted. It's no joke, riding three miles uphill in the dark.
To my surprise, Jesse was sitting in my window seat with Spike in his lap. When I came in, he looked up, then instantly his expressionless face turned into one of concern.
"Susannah," Jesse said, staring at me, "what happened?"
I don't know what it was exactly that made me tell him, but it all just came out in a rush. I told him about how I'd first seen Paul at the Mission Academy, and the deal I'd been forced to make with him.
I finally finished with, "And, oh God, Jesse, he tried to-he was going to-" And then the tears just started. I'm serious. I hate crying. But I couldn't help it.
Jesse, who had stood up during my long winded speech, came over to me and took me in his arms. I glanced up at him, and I realized that his held the tenderest expression I'd ever seen-directed at me, anyway.
"Susannah," Jesse said in that silky voice of his. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"
I took a deep breath. "Because," I said, "Paul said that if I told anyone he'd kill me. And that if I didn't agree to his deal, he'd make you kill me."
Jesse pulled back and I wanted to scream for him not to. But he looked at me for a long moment, his eyes narrowed. "Susannah, did Paul."
I caught his meaning in a second. "No! I mean, he tried to. But Jesse, he swore he wouldn't, and then tonight, he tried to and I-"
Jesse's arms tightened around me. "We need to talk to Father Dominic."
I blinked at him. "Father D? But Jesse-"
"Susannah, you and I can't do this on our own." I didn't bother to point out that Jesse wasn't supposed to have any part in it. I mean, I didn't want anything to happen to him, anyway. But apparently Jesse had made up his mind that he was going to do it.
Which is why the next morning found Jesse and me in Father Dom's office. I'd had the entire night to devise a plan to deal with Paul. Not that I'd told Jesse about it until we were sitting in there.
Not that either of them agreed with the plan. They made their opinions of it very clear, but in the end they finally agreed to it, on the condition that Jesse was close at hand. I had no problem with that, really. I was scared enough as it was about going in there again, let alone having to do it alone.
I just didn't realize at the time what exactly I was going up against.
Chapter 6
It was two days before anything really happened. During those two days, I snuck out each night to the ranger station, and Paul did what he wanted. Jesse stayed as far away from me as he could, and Father Dominic had taken it upon himself to now lecture me on putting myself into dangerous situations.
In other words, life sucked.
And to make matters worse, I'd been thinking about what Father D had told me the day before. I mean, about him and that ghost. I knew, at least, I thought I knew, that I could never have anything like that. I mean, I love Jesse, but I was pretty sure that he hated me right then. Well, okay, maybe he didn't hate me. But he seriously disliked me.
So on Wednesday night, as I was leaning Dopey's bike against the side of the ranger station, like I always did, I wasn't really expecting anything to change just yet. Paul didn't seem particularly concerned with killing me right away, so I did have time to think of what to do. The only problem was, I couldn't think of anything. How could did you stop a guy who could control your mind?
On the other hand, I could have tried to control his. I mean, I did have the power to do it. The only problem was, I couldn't-at least, I thought I couldn't-control a living person, like Paul could. A ghost, sure. But Paul was definitely no ghost.
Anyway, when I got inside, Paul was in there waiting for me. We went through the usual motions, and then he went and did something he had promised not to do.
He broke our deal.
He came at me, and I braced myself for his kiss. He did kiss me, only he pushed me onto the bed while doing so.
"What are you doing?" I demanded before Paul silenced me with another kiss. His body covered mine in an instant. I shoved at him. "Paul!" His hands slid downward. Panic rising, I tried to squirm away from him.
I fought him, but he held my arms down. Finally, I drew my knee up hard between his legs.
"You little-" Paul swore, stumbling back. It took him a minute to gain his composure, and I took advantage of that moment.
My fist connected with his nose, and he fell backwards. To my dismay, I didn't break his nose. I did, however, probably damage it a bit, and for the moment that would have to do.
I turned and ran out of there, only stopping to grab Dopey's bike. I high- tailed it out of there as fast as I could, not daring to look behind me in case Paul followed me. Not that I really thought he would. We both knew I'd be back.
By the time I reached my bedroom, I was exhausted. It's no joke, riding three miles uphill in the dark.
To my surprise, Jesse was sitting in my window seat with Spike in his lap. When I came in, he looked up, then instantly his expressionless face turned into one of concern.
"Susannah," Jesse said, staring at me, "what happened?"
I don't know what it was exactly that made me tell him, but it all just came out in a rush. I told him about how I'd first seen Paul at the Mission Academy, and the deal I'd been forced to make with him.
I finally finished with, "And, oh God, Jesse, he tried to-he was going to-" And then the tears just started. I'm serious. I hate crying. But I couldn't help it.
Jesse, who had stood up during my long winded speech, came over to me and took me in his arms. I glanced up at him, and I realized that his held the tenderest expression I'd ever seen-directed at me, anyway.
"Susannah," Jesse said in that silky voice of his. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"
I took a deep breath. "Because," I said, "Paul said that if I told anyone he'd kill me. And that if I didn't agree to his deal, he'd make you kill me."
Jesse pulled back and I wanted to scream for him not to. But he looked at me for a long moment, his eyes narrowed. "Susannah, did Paul."
I caught his meaning in a second. "No! I mean, he tried to. But Jesse, he swore he wouldn't, and then tonight, he tried to and I-"
Jesse's arms tightened around me. "We need to talk to Father Dominic."
I blinked at him. "Father D? But Jesse-"
"Susannah, you and I can't do this on our own." I didn't bother to point out that Jesse wasn't supposed to have any part in it. I mean, I didn't want anything to happen to him, anyway. But apparently Jesse had made up his mind that he was going to do it.
Which is why the next morning found Jesse and me in Father Dom's office. I'd had the entire night to devise a plan to deal with Paul. Not that I'd told Jesse about it until we were sitting in there.
Not that either of them agreed with the plan. They made their opinions of it very clear, but in the end they finally agreed to it, on the condition that Jesse was close at hand. I had no problem with that, really. I was scared enough as it was about going in there again, let alone having to do it alone.
I just didn't realize at the time what exactly I was going up against.