A/N: I am a bad, bad, horrible, despicable, unmentionable, tasteless, sadistic person. I'm sooo sorry for the wait! I had the busiest summer ever…but here it is! The last chapter of Part One! (there IS going to be a Part Two, when I get around to planning it)
Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I were actually as good as Meg Cabot, my stories would be published like a normal person and they would be made into movies. But, alas, she owns all the characters and pretty much everything you recognize. Sadly enough, only the fragile, meak plot is mine.
Summary of the Entire Story Thus Far: Susannah is taking lessons from Paul on how to be a Shifter, but there is a lot of tension between Paul and Jesse. Susannah soon realizes that she hasn't seen Jesse in three days, and when he asks Father Dom he realizes that she has lost all her mediating powers. She breaks Paul's nose (yeah Suze!) and practically beats him up. Yadda yadda yadda, Suze gets a book on Shifting/Mediating and finds out how to get her powers back. Paul won't give up trying to win her/threaten her, and finally she gets her powers back only to be hit over the head with a baseball bat (by Paul, of course) and is kidnapped onto the boat (yes, the one from her dream; see chapter 7). There she is almost murdered by Paul, and then Jesse comes in a beats Paul to a bloody pulp, but Susannah accidentally slashed her forearms (think wrists) up when she pulled them out of tight, thin ropes and Jesse basically stopped her from dying. But that that asshole Paul (excuse my French) came in and exorcised Paul and stabbed Suze, and then he kissed her. Jesse had this whole dealiyo happen where instead of going to the Shadowland, he ended up in front of 'the essence of life', and she explained all this stuff (if you don't remember, I highly recommend going back…it's too long to put in here). Suze woke up only to find herself in incredible pain and such, and then Jesse showed up and saw her as a ghost on the beach…and now on with the story!
~*The Undoing of the Mediator*~
Chapter 16: What You Wish For (yet another great song by Guster)
~*Jesse*~
She was a ghost. Nombre de dios, how could I ever let this happen? I swore I wouldn't let anything hurt her, I swore! And now look what she is reduced to…it's like something out of my worst nightmare, if I ever slept, that is. And now she will never sleep…what about her family? My querida…my querida…this is all my fault. She seemed to be unconscious (for a new ghost hasn't quite learned that they can't feel pain or sleep…thus they do these things as somewhat out of habit…), and dreaming. Her hands were clenched into fists and she shuddered as though she was having the worst nightmare of her life. Like the ones she had about Paul, the ones that made me want to kill him. I ran through the ocean surf and knelt down at her side, looking into her pale face…
~*Suze*~
I took one look at what I was and passed out. Then I had the strangest dream…I was running through the Shadowland, running through the hallway looking at each door, and they were all calling to me, pulling me into their depths. The fog swirled menacingly around my ankles in tendrils, almost as if they were trying to grab me. The only think I could do to keep from going into one was to run, and to run as fast as I could. I didn't know what was behind those doors, but I did know that once you opened one, there was no coming back. And I wanted to go back. I wanted to see Jesse again. Suddenly, I tripped over something and fell flat on my face…only to wake up with a start.
I was still lying on the sandy beach, and I seemed to be holding something in my hand, only I couldn't move to see what it was. It was a blurry figure nagged at the corner of my eyesight, but I couldn't quite make out who it was, but it really doesn't matter anyways. I mean, after all, I'm a ghost now and none of my family, friends or anyone I love or care about will be able to see me. Except for Father D, I guess. But what's the point? He'll just try to mediate me and I'll go off to the most hated place in the world, the Shadowland. But at least I'll be with Jesse there. Maybe. Unless the Spawn of Satan sent him to hell or something, but Jesse could never go to hell, could he? He's too good for that, right?
I guess I should probably embrace my fate. Once you're dead, you're dead. There's just no way of going back. I might as well accept the fact that I'm dead and move on toward purgatory or the astral plane or whatever. Hey, at least I know where I'm going, and maybe I'll see Jesse.
The figure moved, and I strained my eyes in vain. I tried to tilt my head to get a better look at who it was, but I still couldn't. I was about immobile as ever, and my head was throbbing like mad. I mean, it's not bad enough that I'm, um, dead now or anything, that I always seem to get stalked or have to save someone from being stalked by psychopathic killers, and I just happen to see ghosts, but I can't even move to see who is standing over my very, very, dead figure. I thought ghosts couldn't feel pain, but apparently I was wrong. Because if felt as if someone took two sledgehammers and was hammering my head over and over and over. Not a nice feeling, let me tell you.
"Susannah," said a soft voice beside me. Not just any voice, but the most wonderful voice in the world. Jesse's voice. My heart nearly stopped, and with every fiber of my being I hoped it was real. But, seriously, how could it be? Jesse was exorcised; I saw it with my own eyes. You don't just come back from being exorcised like it's no big deal. I nearly killed myself last time when trying to get Jesse back from purgatory when his hoop-skirt wearing ice-bitch of a girlfriend exorcised him.
But suddenly I felt his hand on my cheek, like I did the day I was in the hospital from the fight I got into with the Angels, and I knew he had to be real. I nearly melted on the spot. My eyes cleared a bit, and I saw him looking at me with an expression on his face I had never seen before. I couldn't quite read it, but then, when had I ever been able to tell what Jesse was feeling? He put his arms around my shoulders and pulled me gently into a sitting position, and he sat down behind me so that I was leaning on his chest. His nice muscular chest, may I add. Which, despite the seriousness of the situation, I must admit was something I had always dreamed of doing.
"Jesse," I whispered almost incoherently.
"Susannah…Querida, you scared me," he said to me, but his voice seemed strained and funny. A long silence ensued after that. And his hands holding me shook gently and he tightened his grip around me.
Questions spun around in my head. "Why…I mean, how…how did you get back? I saw you go Jesse, I saw the exorcism!" I asked demandingly.
"I'm not really sure, querida. I don't think I'll ever know," he said thoughtfully. "But that's not important." He gestured with one hand toward my right hand, and I followed his gaze. It was only then that I saw what my hand was grasping. It was the medallion, with a glow fading from its metallic surface. And my hand grasping it was real, completely real. I stared in disbelief.
Was I alive? Still staring at my hands, my eyes wandered down to my legs and feet, all of which were missing a certain spectral glow. My eyes shot back to the medallion as I thought of Jesse, and I managed to find my voice. "But Jesse, this was yours. I can't believe I used it; it's gone now, isn't it?" I said sadly. Sure, I was happy to be alive again, more than I could ever express, but I just took away Jesse's only chance, and he'd been dead a lot longer than me.
"Querida, a life without you would be no life at all. Don't you know that?" he said seriously, tilting my head up to his. I looked into his face and his eyes, and did something I had hoped to do since I first saw Jesse. I lightly lifted my hand and ran my finger across the scar on his eyebrow. He just kept looking at me with those wonderful dark eyes. That was all I needed.
"I love you, Jesse," I said, moving a piece of hair out of his face and tucking it behind an ear.
"I know" he replied seriously, his eyes glazing over in remembrance of something. "You shouldn't."
I shouldn't?? I stared at him in anger and disbelief. "What? Jesse, after all we've be…" I started to protest.
But I never got to finish what I said. Because then Jesse kissed me, and he kissed me like I've never been kissed before. And in that moment, that perfect moment with Jesse holding me, I knew that everything would be alright.
~End of Part One~
(and I'm sorry about the shortness, but it started out at 751 words, and I think that 1244 is much better, don't you?)
And to all my reviewers, I am shocked and awed by your absolute GREATNESS!!!! I deserve to be banished to the shadowland or something, because you guys are so good to me, and I'm such a bad person! Alright…deep breath…
ShadowKat: Yeah, you know it! If you don't update them once summer's (haha, no pun intended) here, be scared……be very scared. Dude, our story's amazing! How's the thing with your computer going? Is it fixed?
Ciara Winter: Wow….Thanks so much!
Susana: Thanks! It's here!
StrawberryMary: Yes, Jesse's still a ghost. I killed Suze because no one ever does, and it was an integral part of the plot!
Jackie723: Antiparticles? Like as in the anti-christ (**cough, PAUL, cough**)? Craziness! Thanks for your review!
Ndblue123: I really need to work on stopping in good places, eh? Thanks!
Xiaoxiao: No, Jesse is still the ghost he's always been…I was actually going to make him come back, but then for some reason the chapter came out this way…it was supposed to be WAY different =o). I would cry is Jesse was alive and Suze was dead!
DeLiRiOuS uNiCoRn: First of all, can I just say how much I adore you? Your long reviews are, like, my god! I was wondering where I got that idea……thanks for telling me! I read those books in fifth grade, and this chapter totally starting forming itself, and I knew I had heard that somewhere….!! Yes, the medallions only work once, but I'll get into details later =o) You're taking over the world in 7.5 years? Wow, I better get on your good side now!! YOURE AMAZING, I WORSHIP YOU!!! Eh, Ehm….anyways, Orlando in a pink speedo…..just vivid and disturbing imagery there, except for the fact that its Orlando…thanks sooooooo much!!!!
RooneyRox: No, they're both very much dead. The roles were actually supposed to be reversed, but it didn't end up that way =o) Thanks so much! Oh, by the way, Rooney DOES rock!
Mediator fan: Thanks so much!! Keep you guessin', eh? Hehehehe…..
Hannirose: Coils up at the outlash from Hannirose…I didn't mean to kill her, I swear!! She just went off and died on her own accords (well, Paul's, really)!! But, however, I do have a prophecy for you: Your questions will soon be answered!
Genies9: More smooching, eh? I'll have to fit that one in! ;o)
Ever: tears? I don't want to make you cry!!! Ohh! Sadness!! Suze should stab Paul, yes…and I explained what Jesse believes at the top!! Thanks!
Morgaine of Ithil: yes, very angsty. I get myself depressed writing stuff like that. But it will be happier!! Please update chapter two!
Aestas: Wow! Thanks so much!
cArEbEaR: Yes, Jesse could speak Spanish to me ANYDAY! (or Englsih for that matter…or any language….=o)
Horsegrl8311: I am! Thanks!
Kuroi Karasu: I like that word, too! Sswosshsh!
Spiceygurl: no virtual lollipop? Dammit! You're a great writer! Don't ever think you aren't! Thanks for reviewing!
Em: I am, no worries!
Nothin to you: fluff is my guilty pleasure. I only came to terms with it last year. There needs to be a support group for this sort of thing!! Thanks so much!
Dzije: hehehehe…that's what sequels are for! And epilougues…I haven't decided if I am doing an epilogue to this or not, yet…
Risika: Reviews like that always make an author feel good. Thanks soo much! You brightened my day! =o)
Lizzie: I hate Paul because he tries to walk all over Suze. And he's a bastard. Besides, Jesse is amazing…I really need to find a guy like Jesse. Thanks for reviewing, though!
Imasecret13: Thanks! Fragments are cool! Yes, I'll write more, probably in the form of a sequel or trilogy.
Jazy716: wow…that's one heck of a compliment! The mediator series ROCKS! I'm completely obsessed.
Jennifer: I love you. You have an amazing talent for making people feel good. That 'site experiencing overload' thing ALWAYS happens to me, and I freak out! As they say, the worst way to miss someone is when you're sitting right beside them and you know that you can't have them. Thanks so much!
Bookgirl: Thanks so much for reviewing!
Starfall4790: (in evil voice) hehehe…I hate when people write cliffies, but I LOVE writing them to the point of addiction.
*pants* Whew! I deserve that for not updating…go on, give me a virtual smackdown…I should get it, seeing how bad of a person I am. I LOVE YOU ALL TO DEATH!!! I can't even express in words or anything for that matter how much you guys brighten up my day. Seriously.
I NEED YOUR OPINION ON THIS!! Should I continue with a 'part two' to this, or make a sequel? I'm thinking 'part two', I'm not a huge sequel fan and such.
DOES ANYONE HAVE PLOT IDEAS FOR MY PART TWO??? I could use some suggestions! If you do, just e-mail me or tell me in a review, if you want!
Lalala, please review!