Timeout
By: ChocolateEclar
Disclaimer: I don't own anything that has to do with the Mediator Series by Meg Cabot/Jenny Carroll, including Jesse (*cough*darn*cough*), Suze, Paul, Father D, CeeCee, Adam, etc.
Claimer: I own Miss Evelyn "Eve" Gemma and the plot. (I still wish I owned Jesse instead of Eve.)
To Clavel: Hmm… Double sense? I'll try to translate it again considering last time I did I tried using a translation website for help and my computer was in one of it's goofy stages – turns out we had to add more RAM to get it to stop acting screwed up – and it crashed. So I sort of got ticked off at it and didn't try again, but I will now. Promise.
As for wanting Jesse as a brother, I'd like someone like him as a brother and Jesse himself as a boyfriend. *grins* Atleast you have a dog. All I have is some fish and my annoying hermanita. ^_^
Oh, I asked myself several times while writing chapter 8 why Jesse almost called Suze "querida," but my stubborn imagination was all "Work with it! Darn it! It'll make sense!" So I listened and eventually realized it was right and I can pull-off Jesse's slip-up. Hopefully my imagination and I are right, and the reason should be revealed soon… Technically I'm writing this while I'm supposed to be writing my Language Arts class story, but I can't stand to look at that again today. It's not bad, I just would rather work on this because: A) This has Jesse, B) This is more interesting, and C) This has Jesse! Those are all the reasons a procrastinator such as myself needs to write something I like enjoy working on more.
Whoa. That was a long review response. I really must be procrastinating full force. ^__- Thanks for the review. (P.S. Now I'm done with the story for school so here I am with the new chapter!)
To Alda Rethe: Bliss is right! *laughs*
It was sort of difficult to find info about the 1850s. My only sources were on the Internet, so I had to check things repeatedly to make sure all the facts were right. I did the most research on the clothing. I found a lot more info on women's fashions than men's really. Woman really did wear so many heavy layers. For the men I just used Jesse and Diego's descriptions in the actual Mediator Series as a guide. If you want I can give you my online fashion source. I've been thinking of writing an all-historical Mediator fanfic myself about Jesse's family – especially his mediator little sister Carmen. ^__-
As for the lessons in chapter 6, those were fun to write. You're right about #1. *laughs* I based that one sorely on how I'm like in the morning. I'm something to beware that early. ^_^
Thanks so much for reviewing!
A/N: WOOHOO! I'm done with my 4-page story for my Language Arts class! As a result, here's chapter 9:
Chapter 9: You, Me, & the Three People We Hate Most
Gabriel and Angelina gave me a ride back to my house. It may not have been mine yet, but it was pretty much the same minus a Jacuzzi and other technological marvels of the twenty-first century, along with the porch and carport. I stood out on the front steps in the dark, listening to the crickets chirp in the musty air. It was cooler at night of course, but not by much.
I was helping Jesse get murdered. The thought was painful even though I knew it would be better this way.
A candle glow and some shouting caused me to leave the steps and look up into the room that would be mine in a century and a half. I could see and hear Jesse and Felix Diego fiercely arguing in Spanish. A sound of an approaching carriage made me look behind me sharply. Rushing out of the wagon were three policemen and Paul Slater.
"Up there, gentlemen!" yelled Paul, pointing up at my window. "They're going to kill each other!"
So, Paul thinks he can get the cops to stop Jesse's murder for him? Let's see him try.
"Gentlemen!" I hollered over the noise of the leader of the group of police officers shouting orders to his subordinates.
"Suze?" Paul blurted out.
"Please listen to me," I said, ignoring Paul and putting on my best polite little damsel air. "The men upstairs are just quarreling over a trifle. No need for the law to get involved."
"What trifle, maiden?" asked the head cop, eyeing Paul darkly as he tried to protest and then smiling down at me. He was a balding man with a thick brown mustache and kind, yet stern hazel eyes.
"T-They disagree on – er – what is to be done with a lame horse," I lied. Nice one, Suze… That's a horrible lie! Who'd believe that?
But the police officer must have because he said next, "Nothing seems amiss here then. Men get in fights all the time, right, ma'am?"
"You're not even going to go up there and check on the men?" demanded Paul. He really was getting riled up, and I loved it! Never had I seen Paul Slater lose his cool. It was a gratifying sight to see.
I just needed a little more time…
…which is why I did what I did next. I screamed in as girly a way as I could. The police officers all looked around wildly, while Paul looked fit to kill. I made my face a picture of horror as I pointed up at Tahemet sitting in a tree looking down at us.
"What is it, ma'am?" asked the head cop.
"T-That bird!" I stammered. Just a little more time… "I-It's a raven! A sign of death!" I continued dramatically. I should win an Oscar for this.
All of the officers vowed to assist me and went to shoo the bird away. I looked up at the window to see Diego, standing alone. He left my room and in his place Jesse's newly created ghost appeared, looking bewildered.
My Jesse was dead and it hurt. It hurt worse than being thrown into holes in the earth. Worse than Jesse's exorcism. Worse than being threatened by my love's ex-girlfriend. Worse than my dad's death.
I had helped murder the one person I cared about in a way I felt about no one else.
I ran, ignoring Paul and the police officers. Darn it, I was crying again!
I fell to my knees just as Tahemet landed on the ground beside me. She looked up at me with dark, expectant eyes, and I asked, "Do I have to perform the ritual to get home?"
The bird shook her head and sprang into the night sky. She flapped her wings, creating a dark hole in the heavens where her feathers had beat forward. Tahemet then looked back at me and flew inside the opening. I took that as my clue and dived in after her. Pase wasn't the one waiting for me.
"Well, you got what you wanted, Simon," hissed a male voice from behind me. "You're ancient cowboy is dead again thanks to you."
I turned around to face Paul and smirked. He was livid. A tall pissed off male teenager with curly brown hair. His fury was made obvious by the way his eyes glinted in the dark "Timeout Tunnel."
"Hey, Paul," I said coolly.
"You ruined everything, you stupid girl," hissed another voice from behind Paul. Coming towards us was none other than Maria De Silva Diego.
And coming up behind her was her husband, the slave-runner Felix Diego. Oh joy. It's a bloody reunion outside of time. "Hi, guys!" I said weakly, backing away from them. Three against one. No fair.
Maria was still in a hoop skirt with the big ruby hanging from a chain around her neck. Around her fingers were the same many rings – one of which had cut my gums the first time we'd met. Her glossy curls were shining in the strips of multi-colored light on the dark edges of the tunnel.
Diego was at her side by then – a dark figure with a mustache and goatee. He had on his usual puffy-sleeved white shirt, black pants lined in a silver design, and his cowboy hat with silver patterns on it as well.
"I'm afraid I have to agree with Maria, Suze," said Paul with a casual gesture with his hand – palm-up and forward.
"You brought them back from the Shadowland?" I asked Paul, balling my fists.
"Not before striking a deal of course," said Paul.
I turned to Maria and Diego. "You guys do realize Paul was going to have the police arrest you guys for attempted-murder," I pointed out. "Wouldn't that look bad on your reputations?"
Maria narrowed her eyes, and Diego commanded, "Is the girl telling the truth, Slater?"
"No, of course not," said Paul. "The police would have just broken the fight up. Then Jesse would've been blamed for the whole fight – resulting in Maria's father allowing you and her to marry, and Jesse to be pushed aside."
"You had best not be lying, Slater," hissed Diego.
So my plan on causing a rift in which the partners in crime had backfired. I had other options, right? Er… I'll get back to you on that.
Paul made his way towards me then, as I backed farther away. "A little help please! Pase? Tahemet!" I called out. No answer. Oh well. I can take these guys… I think.
"Paul, let's be reasonable," I said. "You're a bastard, so I have the right to stop any of your plans. Got it?"
"When will you understand that you're going to be mine – not the cowboy's – one way or another, Suze?" inquired Paul. "If that means I have do so by force, so be it."
"Use any force on her whatsoever and you will have much worse than a few broken noses and cuts, Slater," warned my well-known Latino Lovely.
My head whipped to my left to see Jesse De Silva as good-looking and as ticked at Paul Slater as ever. His arms were crossed and he was scowling at Paul as if one wrong move would mean certain, painful death. The scar across his eyebrow was glowing, and his eyes were glinting dangerously. I wanted so badly to touch those crisp, dark locks of his, but I stood still, drinking in every detail of him.
"Hector," Maria snarled.
Jesse eyed her indifferently – though I could tell she'd be next if both Paul and her did something any further out of line. Then Jesse turned to me and asked, " Are you all right, Susannah?"
I felt like saying, "Now I am," but instead I said, "I'm fine."
But I really wasn't. I still felt like I'd murdered him, and I didn't think I'd ever be fine again.
Jesse cocked one eyebrow in disbelief and turned back to Paul. "Move away from Susannah, Slater," he ordered.
Paul smirked and riposted, "What's the dead cowboy gonna do if I don't? Are you going to punch me again, Mr. De Silva? I'm alive. You're not. What do you think you have that I don't?"
I spoke up then. "He has a heart. You don't."
Paul laughed and asked, "You'll gain nothing out a relationship with this guy, Suze. He's dead, remember?"
"And you're point is?" I asked, one eyebrow raised.
Paul gave me an expression of complete disgust before controlling himself and saying in a too calm voice, "You really are something, Simon. You could date a presentable, rich fellow-shifter, and instead you pick this dead cowboy movie reject?" The last word was pretty much screamed.
But I turned towards Jesse and said, meeting his inky gaze, "Yes. I'd rather pick anyone than you, but Jesse most of all."
"Susannah," whispered Jesse.
"I'll admit Paul is rather a bastardo, girl, but what does my cousin have that's better, hmm?" asked Maria. "None of this good heart nonsense now."
I smirked and said, "It has nothing to do with being alive, more compatible than anything else."
I'd almost said the L word, but went for the compatible bit instead, which wasn't a total lie either. Jesse and I are a good match.
But if I'm going to say the L word, it'll be in private.
Jesse was looking at me so intently it was making me squirm. I turned away – trying to ignore the feelings that were fluttering in my chest at knowing he was still looking at me – and said, "So what's it gonna be, guys? To leave or to not to leave?"
"We have some unfinished business to attend to, girl," snapped Diego, glaring at Jesse and I.
"If that's the way you guys want it…" I said with a smirk. Three against two sounded a lot better than three against one.
I glanced at Jesse who nodded and dived at Paul. My grin widened and I went for Maria. Diego immediately went to his wife's rescue…only to be tripped by Jesse.
And the sequel to the fight between Jesse and me and Maria and Diego begins with the addition of Paul.
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A/N: And so Jesse's back! Yay! But how did he get in the tunnel…? Stay tuned to find out!
……..
And I get corny again. Oh well. Remember to review! Bye!