Hello all. Sorry for the wait but its here at last the final chapter in this short story and I hope you all like it. Thank you to all of my lovely reviewers. It flatters me that you like it. To the person who said that Meg Cabot would die if she saw what I did to her character: I am sorry you feel that way, obviously you are entitled to your own opinion, but I really do not think it was all that bad. To mystic angelica: thank you for reading, I like to write tragic stuff its fun, even though I am really a very happy person. To chocolate éclair: thank you for reading. To anyone else who reviewed and I didn't put your name in her thank you! O in case anyone is wondering my secret plot failed so unfortunately none of the characters belong to me not even Jesse *sigh* they all belong to Meg Cabot who is a fantastic writer. Now enough of my babbling onto the story. What shall happen next?
Kami-chan
Suze POV
When I opened my eyes I was surrounded by white light. Everywhere I looked was light. I looked around trying to figure out where the hell I was. Where was Jesse and Father Dom? I raised my hand to brush the hair from my eyes. Wait a minute why are they glowing? I got up and found I could walk. There was no pain, no blood, and did I mention I was glowing! Yeah way freaky, I mean that must mean that I was…
"Yes Susannah you are dead." I jumped at the unexpected voice and turned around. There was a woman clothed in white, with long golden hair and bright blue eyes that were so light they almost seemed transparent. Her pale skin had an ethereal glow about it, and when I looked closer I saw two snow-white wings flecked with gold.
"Who are you and where I am? I was feeling a little intimidated by this woman, she was easily the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, she also seemed to have a aura of power around her. Something about her made me trust her though.
"Susannah, I am your guardian angel." My what!?! Did she say angel? How can I have an angel? She must have noticed the look of shock on my face, because she laughed softly, a soft lilting sound.
"Yes Susannah, an angel. How else do you think you've survived this long. You have a knack for getting yourself into trouble Susannah. I have had quite a time trying to keep you of trouble all of these years." Well that explains a lot. But where the hell was she a few hours ago. When I died. "Now Susannah you must listen to me. Your life was unjustly taken from you, this was not your time to die." Why don't you tell me something I don't already know? "I can send you back, but only if this is what you truly want. If there is any doubt what so ever that you don't want to return to the world of the living than I cannot do this."
"Are you serious, you had better not be kidding me, cuz if you are I will…"
"No Susannah I am not kidding you. Come here I want to show you something that might make your decision a little easier. Even though I think I already know the answer." I was about to tell her that of course I wanted to go, but then she waved her hand a wide arc and an image appeared where her hand had been. I saw Jesse holding my lifeless body in his arms, I shivered slightly at seeing my dead body, he was shaking and crying uncontrollably. Rocking me back and forth. He looked so sad. I could feel my eyes welling up at the sight of him looking so broken. I had never seen him that sad before. I then heard him say something I had never heard him say before "I love you Susannah." Then the image switched to a very forlorn looking Father Dominic. I had never seen Father D cry before. I turned away unable to take it anymore.
"You are loved very much Susannah. Those people closest to your heart hold you very dear to them. That young man, Jesse, loves you more than anything. He blames himself for what happened to you. Very few people find love like that in their lifetime. You are very lucky to have that. Your life was taken because of jealousy. Jealousy of the love you have, that then can't find. This is the only reason I can send you back. These people, your mother, the priest, and especially Jesse, would do anything to get you back. Love like that is a rare and precious gift, it shouldn't be wasted because of jealousy. Now Susannah what is your answer? If you decide to go back you will be completely healed, but the memories of all the pain will still remain. If you choose to stay here you will stay as you are." I didn't need to think my mind was made up.
"I'm going back."
"Come here Susannah," she said smiling. I walked over to her and fell into her open arms. She wiped my tears away and closed her arms around me. I heard her murmur something. Slowly warmth spread through my body. When she released me I was no longer glowing. I looked up at her in awe. I was alive again. She smiled at me and swung her arm again, she is a very dramatic person isn't she? An opening appeared in front of me. "Susannah you may go." Was this really happening, could I really go home? This was perfect. If only…
"Umm can I ask you something before I go?"
"Of course child" well here goes nothing.
"Uh… well you see… I was wondering if there was any way…"
"Yes?"
"Is there anyway you can bring Jesse back?" I said this all in a big rush. As soon as the words were out of my mouth I blushed.
"Answer this for me Susannah," she had turned deadly serious, way more than before, "if I could only give one of you your life back which would you choose? Yours or Jesse's?" Well that was a stupid question.
"Jesse of course." Her face broke out in a huge smile at my words. OK this was starting to freak me out a little, to tell you the truth.
"My dear do you really think I would go through all this trouble to send you back, and have you be alone? You've passed the test Susannah; you care more for him than you do yourself. That deserves some kind of reward don't you think?" I looked up her hopefully she only smiled in return. "Now get going, I can't keep this open forever. Besides your friend seems to be very upset." I turned to go when she stopped me one last time. "Give him a kiss when you see alright Susannah?" Um okay that was a little weird. Its not everyday an angel tells you to kiss the guy you love. Then again its not everyday you come back to life either.
"Sure thing" I was about to go through, but I couldn't just leave without saying anything. So I turned around, not sure exactly what I was going to say. So I just said, "Thank you for everything." She smiled at me knowingly like she was going to see me very soon. Maybe she was, how was I supposed to know.
"Get out of here Susannah." With those last words from her I slipped through the doorway. I don't remember falling, but I must have because the next thing I knew I was in Jesse's arms. His arms were wrapped around me so tight that I could barely breathe. Which under normal circumstances would have been perfectly fine with me.
He still though I was dead. Well really how would he know? He was crying so hard that he hadn't noticed I was breathing again. Much to my dismay my eyes started to fill with tears again. He looked so sad; I had never seen him look so vulnerable before. I reached up to touch his cheek. "I thought I told you not to cry Jesse." He slowly raised his head and looked at me. His eyes were full of disbelief and hope.
"Susannah?" I nodded my head to let him now that it really was me, that I wasn't an allusion. Before I could say anything else. He grabbed me in an even tighter hold. Okay now I really couldn't breathe. Jesse was pretty strong for a dead guy. "How…?"
"Lets just say I have an angel or something." I tried to tell him more but he silenced me with a kiss. This was good. This was very good. Things were definitely looking up.
Jesse POV
"I told you not to cry Jesse." Those words made me freeze. She couldn't have just said that. No Susannah is dead. I felt her die; she died in my arms. Still I know I heard her voice. Could she really be back? I looked down at her face and just stared. Her emerald eyes bore into mine. Her eyes once dead and empty now sparkled with life.
"Susannah?" she nodded at me as if to assure me she was real. "How…?" how could she be back? Was this just some cruel fantasy? I looked back down at her and touched her face, half expecting my hand to pass through her. It didn't she was real. My Susannah was back! I felt a wide smile spread across my face. I must have looked ridiculous but I didn't care. My querida was alive!
"Let's just say I have an angel or something." An angel? Susannah? Well whatever it was I didn't care. I leaned down and kissed her. As my lips met hers if felt warmth spread through me, my once dead heart came to life. Blood was coursing through my veins, and my heart was beating. I heard Susannah gasp. "Jesse…you… you're alive!" It appeared that I was. I started coughing really hard and I saw Susannah look at me in concern. "Jesse! Breathe Jesse!" I drew in a deep lung full of air. I had almost forgotten how good it felt to breathe. "God Jesse am I going to have to teach you to eat too?" I perked up at that. Food, I loved food, as if to remind me of that fact my stomach let out a really loud sound. Susannah seemed to find this really amusing, because she burst out laughing. I forgot all about my stomach at the sight of her rolling on the floor laughing. I couldn't believe she was back. I had come so close to losing her, and now I was alive again. I could give her what she deserved. That is if she still wanted me.
"Jesse? Is something wrong?" her words snapped me out of my thoughts. Well now or never.
"I love you Susannah." She froze and stared at me for a second. Then a huge grin broke across her face. She launched herself at me so hard that I almost fell over. I caught her in my arms and laughed. "So Susannah what about you?" I kind of thought I knew the answer, at least I hoped I did. She didn't answer. She reached up and took my face in her hands and pulled it towards hers. Then she kissed me full on the mouth. I guess I was right. I kissed her back. I never thought I would be able to kiss the girl I loved and not feel guilty about it. Eventually she broke away and smiled at me. I kissed her again, not wanting to ever break apart. Apparently she felt the same.
"Mary Mother Of God!" we quickly broke apart, and turned toward the doorway. There stood Father Dominic, his face was pale white. He kept looking for me to Susannah. His blue eyes were wide with shock, and his mouth was hanging wide open. He looked rather funny. Then he fainted. I am not kidding you he just fell right over. Susannah walked over to see if he was all right. He appeared to be fine, for the most part anyway. He opened his eyes and looked at me.
Suze POV:
"Jesse I just had the weirdest dream. You were alive and so was Susannah. You were also a little to close for my liking." I blushed a little at that. He still didn't seem to notice me. "Why I had that dream I'll never know. Funny though I don't remember falling asleep." He kept going on and on like this to Jesse. Then he seemed to notice his non ghost-like appearance. "Jesse, what happened to you? You're not glowing?" I rolled at him from behind.
"Gee Father D. nothing gets past you does it." He jumped at least a foot at the sound of my voice. Then he turned around to face me. I decided to explain before the poor guy had a heart attack. "Father D. Jesse is alive and so am I. My guardian angel brought us back." I said each word slowly and clearly. To say he was surprised to see me was a vast understatement. I wonder what's up with him? O wait I know two people he thought were dead are now alive. Dang no wonder the poor guy is freaked.
"An angel? You Susannah, have a guardian angel," why did everyone find that so funny? "That brought you and Jesse back to life?" Finally he gets it! He still looks a little dazed though.
"Yes Father Dom that is exactly what happened."
"Good Heavens I think I need to go lie down." He walked out the door leaving Jesse and me alone. As soon as he left the room I started laughing. I ended up leaning on Jesse for support. His arms came around my waist and held me against his extremely well defined chest. I could get used to this real fast.
She watched the whole scene unravel from above. She had a funny feeling that Susannah wasn't going to need her as much as she used to, not with Jesse around. He had already started to take away her job long ago. Then again those two are bound to be trouble. "My dear children, you have discovered the true power of love. When the feeling is true it can conquer all obstacles in its path. Cherish each other. Live your lives together as you were meant to from the start." As if they two of them had heard the angel speaking over them they looked towards the heavens.
"I love you Susannah, now and forever. I promise I wont ever leave you." She nodded slowly, looking content and peaceful in his arms.
"I love you to Jesse. I think this was meant to happen, we were always supposed to be together. Someone up there just made a mistake." She looked up at the sky with a knowing smile on her face. "But they've fixed it now." Jesse pulled her closer to him and kissed the top of her head. Smiling as he held her.
The angel smiled down at them "Hey not everyone's perfect." She watched them a moment longer. "Remember my children. Death is not always the end; in fact it is more often a new beginning. With that last word she shimmered and was gone.
FINISHED! Yay! I hope you all like it. See it ended happy after all. I know the ending was a little mushy but at least they are together, as they should be. Now review and tell you what you think of my creation. The pretty purple button is calling your name. It is begging you to press it and type your hearts out.
Sayonara
~kami-chan~