A/N: All right, listen up you people, let me explain: Derek Ashley had to
die. If he didn't die, Suze would have had to, and I know you people would
have REALLY hated me then. Anyway, as I was saying, this way Derek gets to
be with Amelia again. But if it makes you feel any better, I give you one
last chapter with him.
Chapter 9
"Derek!" Someone seemed to be yelling to him from somewhere far away. Strangely enough, Derek knew he should be in pain, but he wasn't. After all, Detective Arnold had put a bullet through him.
Derek opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling. He sat up looking around. He realized that Emily was shaking him. When he looked down, he realized why he didn't feel any pain.
He was dead.
Aside from the obvious signs-the fact that he was glowing--he was sitting in a pool of his own blood. Beside him, he saw his own lifeless eyes staring back at him.
Derek jumped back, practically knocking Emily over in the process. It was one thing to see your body. It was completely another to see your body and have it look back at you.
"Derek," Emily said a little desperately. "Come on. This place is going to explode any second." She pulled on his arm, glancing in the direction of the back doors. Derek didn't budge; he just stared down at his body. "Derek, please." Finally Derek looked down at her. "Let's go."
Derek followed Emily through the halls. They were barely within a few yards of the back doors when the building exploded.
They couldn't feel it, of course. But before Derek knew what was happening, everything around him was in flames. When he got outside, he would see just how big the fire really was.
They reached the outside in time to hear the faint sounds of a fire truck in the distance. Someone was already on their way.
Derek looked around, trying to see Suze. He spotted her in a moment, and rushed toward her. She'd been blown away from the building, and was lying flat on her back in the parking lot.
Leaving Emily behind, Derek leaned over Suze, shaking her lightly. "Suze," he said as loudly as he could to be heard over the blaze. "Come on, Suze, get up."
She didn't respond, but Derek felt for her pulse. He sighed with relief when he felt it. She was still alive. It took all his strength-which he didn't have much of yet-to drag her to safety.
He leaned over her, exhausted-he had no idea that ghosts could get exhausted. He tried to shake her some more. "Come on, Suzie, get up. Please get up."
Suze's eyelids fluttered. "D-don't," was the first thing out of her mouth.
Derek almost burst out laughing, he was so happy. "Don't what?'
She grabbed a hold of his shirt weakly. "Don't call me that." Then her eyes opened fully, and she stared up into his face. "Derek?"
He nodded. "Yeah."
"I'm so sorry," she whispered, her voice to hoarse to be any louder.
"Hey," Derek said, helping her to sit up. "It's all right. Trust me. Can you stand?" Suze nodded and together they struggled to their feet.
As it turned out, Suze's legs were too wobbly to really stand, and Derek wasn't nearly strong enough to hold her up. They nearly toppled over before two large hands came out from behind Suze to hold her up.
Derek looked up. "Jesse."
Jesse gazed at Derek for a long moment. "Derek," he returned. He pulled Suze closer to him, letting her lean on him. "I'm sorry," he said finally. He didn't have to say anything more than that. Derek inclined his head slightly. "And thank you," Jesse added.
***
I have no memory of the rest of the night. I found out from Jesse later that I passed out at some point after Derek left us. Of course, he didn't get to tell me this until quite a few days afterward, on account of the fact that I wasn't really talking to him during that time.
But I'll get to that later.
Anyway, the fire trucks got there some time after I passed out, along with an ambulance. I woke up later that night in a hospital bed.
My family, obviously, was ecstatic to see that I was okay. I told them and the police as much as I could, leaving out the part about Derek and Detective Arnold, and of course Jesse.
After that, I spent most of my time, when I wasn't at school, staying at home, and hanging out with my family. Yes, even my stepbrothers. I mean, you'd be amazed how much I'd missed them. It's almost scary, if you think about it.
As for Detective Arnold, I never heard from him again. But a few months later I heard on the news that the police had found him shot dead in his car.
It was obvious-at least to me-who had killed him.
Someone, I knew, had given the Agency the idea that Detective Arnold was the one who had blown up the building. I can't imagine where they got that idea. The bottom line is, that his murder came as a warning to me: Keep your mouth shut, or the Agency will make your life a lot worse.
It seemed to be their motto.
I never saw Derek again. He and Emily both moved on to Heaven or whatever after that night. I sincerely hoped that wherever he was, he was with Amelia. I knew that was what he wanted.
As for Jesse and me? Well, you'd think, wouldn't you, that after that whole episode with the Agency, we'd be closer than ever. That wasn't the case, however. After everything was over, Jesse acted more and more withdrawn from me. Whenever I'd ask him what was wrong, he'd just shake his and say "Nothing" or whatever. I didn't worry about it, though. I was sure that everything was going to be okay.
In truth, it would be. But not, I soon found out, for what would seem like an eternity.
***
A/N: You're not rid of me yet, Dear Readers. I've still got to be evil at least one more time. You'll just have to suffer.
Chapter 9
"Derek!" Someone seemed to be yelling to him from somewhere far away. Strangely enough, Derek knew he should be in pain, but he wasn't. After all, Detective Arnold had put a bullet through him.
Derek opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling. He sat up looking around. He realized that Emily was shaking him. When he looked down, he realized why he didn't feel any pain.
He was dead.
Aside from the obvious signs-the fact that he was glowing--he was sitting in a pool of his own blood. Beside him, he saw his own lifeless eyes staring back at him.
Derek jumped back, practically knocking Emily over in the process. It was one thing to see your body. It was completely another to see your body and have it look back at you.
"Derek," Emily said a little desperately. "Come on. This place is going to explode any second." She pulled on his arm, glancing in the direction of the back doors. Derek didn't budge; he just stared down at his body. "Derek, please." Finally Derek looked down at her. "Let's go."
Derek followed Emily through the halls. They were barely within a few yards of the back doors when the building exploded.
They couldn't feel it, of course. But before Derek knew what was happening, everything around him was in flames. When he got outside, he would see just how big the fire really was.
They reached the outside in time to hear the faint sounds of a fire truck in the distance. Someone was already on their way.
Derek looked around, trying to see Suze. He spotted her in a moment, and rushed toward her. She'd been blown away from the building, and was lying flat on her back in the parking lot.
Leaving Emily behind, Derek leaned over Suze, shaking her lightly. "Suze," he said as loudly as he could to be heard over the blaze. "Come on, Suze, get up."
She didn't respond, but Derek felt for her pulse. He sighed with relief when he felt it. She was still alive. It took all his strength-which he didn't have much of yet-to drag her to safety.
He leaned over her, exhausted-he had no idea that ghosts could get exhausted. He tried to shake her some more. "Come on, Suzie, get up. Please get up."
Suze's eyelids fluttered. "D-don't," was the first thing out of her mouth.
Derek almost burst out laughing, he was so happy. "Don't what?'
She grabbed a hold of his shirt weakly. "Don't call me that." Then her eyes opened fully, and she stared up into his face. "Derek?"
He nodded. "Yeah."
"I'm so sorry," she whispered, her voice to hoarse to be any louder.
"Hey," Derek said, helping her to sit up. "It's all right. Trust me. Can you stand?" Suze nodded and together they struggled to their feet.
As it turned out, Suze's legs were too wobbly to really stand, and Derek wasn't nearly strong enough to hold her up. They nearly toppled over before two large hands came out from behind Suze to hold her up.
Derek looked up. "Jesse."
Jesse gazed at Derek for a long moment. "Derek," he returned. He pulled Suze closer to him, letting her lean on him. "I'm sorry," he said finally. He didn't have to say anything more than that. Derek inclined his head slightly. "And thank you," Jesse added.
***
I have no memory of the rest of the night. I found out from Jesse later that I passed out at some point after Derek left us. Of course, he didn't get to tell me this until quite a few days afterward, on account of the fact that I wasn't really talking to him during that time.
But I'll get to that later.
Anyway, the fire trucks got there some time after I passed out, along with an ambulance. I woke up later that night in a hospital bed.
My family, obviously, was ecstatic to see that I was okay. I told them and the police as much as I could, leaving out the part about Derek and Detective Arnold, and of course Jesse.
After that, I spent most of my time, when I wasn't at school, staying at home, and hanging out with my family. Yes, even my stepbrothers. I mean, you'd be amazed how much I'd missed them. It's almost scary, if you think about it.
As for Detective Arnold, I never heard from him again. But a few months later I heard on the news that the police had found him shot dead in his car.
It was obvious-at least to me-who had killed him.
Someone, I knew, had given the Agency the idea that Detective Arnold was the one who had blown up the building. I can't imagine where they got that idea. The bottom line is, that his murder came as a warning to me: Keep your mouth shut, or the Agency will make your life a lot worse.
It seemed to be their motto.
I never saw Derek again. He and Emily both moved on to Heaven or whatever after that night. I sincerely hoped that wherever he was, he was with Amelia. I knew that was what he wanted.
As for Jesse and me? Well, you'd think, wouldn't you, that after that whole episode with the Agency, we'd be closer than ever. That wasn't the case, however. After everything was over, Jesse acted more and more withdrawn from me. Whenever I'd ask him what was wrong, he'd just shake his and say "Nothing" or whatever. I didn't worry about it, though. I was sure that everything was going to be okay.
In truth, it would be. But not, I soon found out, for what would seem like an eternity.
***
A/N: You're not rid of me yet, Dear Readers. I've still got to be evil at least one more time. You'll just have to suffer.
