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.) I may not own the fact that Jesse has five sisters (ages 6-16 when he died), but I do own who the five girls are – i.e. their personalities and names. In short, I also own Juanita "Nita" De Silva, Estefana De Silva, Felicidad "Felly" De Silva, Dolores "Dolly" De Silva, and most of all Carmen De Silva.
To jessedodamnfine: ^_^ Thanks so much for reviewing!
To feefee: Thanks for the review. ^___^
To BloodyRayne: It's ok. ^__^ Thanks again!
To aZn-DiViN3-bLeU: When did I say everyone was in the Slate house? Couldn't Dr. Slaski and his attendant be out on a picnic or something? ^__^ Thanks for the review.
Chapter 13: A Toast to Life
Thump. Thump. Paaaa-thump. I think my heart is going to explode.
Jesse, that look is not helping me explain anything to you!
I swear if looks could kill I'd be dead and buried right now. But no, here I was walking down Paul Slater's driveway with Jesse De Silva – who was looking at me with one eyebrow raised and a suspicious, knowing frown.
"Why were you at Slater's residence, Susannah?" insisted Jesse.
Well, you see, Paul kidnapped me and… Never mind. That'll just cause more bloodshed. "I needed help with my homework," I lied. Oh yea. Like Jesse's going to believe that!
I am so dead. Say good-bye to professing your love for him, Suze, because he knows your lying. And now he's pissed.
He said not to avoid his questions. He said nothing about telling the truth. But can I tell Jesse that? Definitely not.
"Susannah, did Slater touch you?" Jesse demanded. The scar on his eyebrow was white with the beginnings of rage.
"No," I answered quickly. Too quickly.
"Querida, I'm not angry with you. Just tell me the truth," Jesse said. His arms fell to his sides, and he stopped walking. I turned to face him to see a look of genuine concern visible on his face.
He was afraid Paul had hurt me.
I couldn't lie anymore. That look of his wouldn't let me. So, taking a deep breath, I replied, "He just pulled me out of the graveyard after I met Carmen."
"And took you to his home?"
"Yeah." I met his eyes and added, "Don't go back there."
"I wouldn't –"
"You would," I persisted. "And then you would get exorcised or worse again."
Jesse let out a little sigh and ran a hand through his hair. Finally, he laughed and smiled at me.
Paa-thump. Paa-thump.
God, that smile is amazing!
"You're right, Susannah," he said before becoming suddenly serious. "What was Slater going to do with you?"
"Oh. I dunno," I said. "Honestly, he just put me in the basement and told me I couldn't call you. So I called Carmen instead."
"She is a different kind of spirit," Jesse said. "She is here with permission even though she's already moved on."
"Which is why I could call her, but not you," I realized.
"Most likely," Jesse said. We were walking side-by-side again.
"Did…Did Carmen get to talk to you much?" I asked.
"Yes. It hasn't been too long since I last spoke with her. Just since she died," Jesse explained. "It hasn't been very long compared to the last time I talked with my other family members anyway."
"Did you see her a lot?" I asked curiously.
"Once or twice a week," Jesse answered. "More often if she needed help with something."
Nodding, I gulped and prepared myself. You can do this, Suze. Just focus.
"Jesse, I…I-" I stammered. My anxiety increased as he looked at me.
"Yes, Susannah?"
That's when I saw it. A half-puzzled, half-knowing little smirk on his face.
"I think you know what I want to say," I said as we stood still on the side of an empty road with trees all around us.
"Maybe I do," Jesse replied, "but it was Carmen who pointed out to me all the things you have done for me." Here he paused, and my heart was roaring in my ears just like they say in romance novels. Not that I've touched any of CeeCee's books or anything… "So," he continued, "if you don't mind, I believe it would be best if I said it first."
And then he leaned in close to my face and whispered, "I love you, Susannah."
He kissed me then, and I don't think I'd ever been that happy in my entire life.
But one good deed – or, in this case, proclamation of love – deserves another, so, when we were done kissing for the moment, I said, "I love you too, Jesse."
The truest smile I'd ever seen on Jesse's face appeared then, and we kissed once more. This time it was different though. More feeling was in it than ever before.
That was how Carmen found us five minutes later.
"Well, what do we have here? A couple of lovebirds perhaps?" she cooed.
Jesse and I unlocked our lips and stared at Carmen with a mixture of horror and embarrassment.
"Carmen!" squeaked – yes, squeaked – Jesse.
"I was married and had five children, hermano," Carmen clarified. "There is no reason to feel ashamed. Besides, you were only kissing."
Blushing, I chuckled and asked, "What do I do now I've proven myself three times?"
Carmen's smirk widened as she answered, "Are you so sure Jesse is still dead?"
I stared at her and then Jesse. He tried to dematerialize to test Carmen's theory.
It didn't work…
Oh my God… IT DIDN'T WORK! Jesse's alive! He's alive!
"Are you really alive?" I gasped; just to make sure before I totally lost it.
Jesse made eye contact with Carmen, who nodded. "I feel no different…yet…" he muttered. I flung my arms around him. He really was the same to me, but now there was no glow to his skin, and he was warmer.
"You have been granted life's touch," Carmen whispered. "And with it comes something that will aid the mediators of this plane of existence for all time. A gift that may seem like a curse to some, but a blessing to all that have done their part in the end."
"Curse?" I mumbled. It hit me at that moment. Jesse was alive and could still see Carmen… "Wait, can Jesse see you because you're a special ghost, or is it because Jesse's a mediator now?" I inquired.
Sighing, Carmen said, "It comes with life's touch. Now that you have been dead, Jesse, you will always have the bond with them that a mediator has."
"If I did not," Jesse pointed out, "I wouldn't be able to assist Susannah very easily with mediating, now would I?"
I had never thought of it that way. Just think what it would've been like with Jesse not being able to help me… He'd go through an overprotective stage again for sure.
I was still holding onto Jesse as Carmen smile softened, and she said, "I have to leave at sunset, hermano."
Jesse sighed and asked, "Must you leave so soon?"
"I'm simply following the rules," Carmen replied miserably.
As such, it was a mixture of pure bliss and sorrow that twilight arrived upon us.
Carmen – who I could tell genuinely loved her brother – sat with us on the top of the porch roof as the sky began to turn pink and gold. "Remember when I introduced you to Elisa? You were totally flummoxed," she told Jesse.
"Well, I was an uncle twice over by then," Jesse said.
"Who had a baby by then?" I asked.
"Estefana and her precious Pedro Morales. They had a bouncy baby named Hector after Jesse," Carmen answered with a smile aimed at Jesse.
She sighed and frowned suddenly. "Nita wasn't the same after her Owen died," she whispered. "I believe you met him?" she asked me.
I nodded and she continued, "My William was reincarnated, so I was fine, but after I discovered the way of changing the past and realized I couldn't use it on Jesse, I begged Pase to let me use it on Owen. She sprung a deal with me and said I would have to limit my time with you on this very day to half a day if she let me save Owen. I accepted it and Nita had a baby with Owen right after I had my first. She ended up having more kids than the rest of us."
Jesse rested a hand on her shoulder and said, "You did the right thing."
"I know," Carmen muttered tearfully. She abruptly beamed at me over Jesse. She really is as moody as a pregnant woman, but not in a bad way. "Treat him right, amiga," she said.
I nodded and said, "Rest in peace."
"Thank you," Carmen said. "Heaven's gorgeous this and all times of the year."
She slowly began to fad with each gust of wind on our backs.
"Until we meet again, Carmen," Jesse said softly.
"See you around, Carmen," I said.
"Adiós, Jesse, Susannah," Carmen exclaimed as wisps of her hair and legs vanished. Then her abdomen went with the rest, along with her hands. And suddenly, she was totally gone, and we were left sitting on the hard rooftop.
It was saddening – yet, somehow, I felt better than I had in ages at the same time.
Jesse was alive, and he loved me! The memory of those three little words made me feel lightheaded.
Jesse looked like he was having the same conflict of emotions as I was. His youngest sister was gone for good until he was finally at rest.
But what about us? How would I explain to my mom that Jesse was from a time when college really wasn't that common an option and he had no job?
For now, those questions would have to wait. For the time being, it was only Jesse and I sitting together, watching the sunset. No thoughts about family. No thoughts about the future.
Just Jesse and I together forever.
Besides, why not put off what you can do tomorrow?
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A/N: I think we're nearing the end this time… But I could be wrong again. My brain works in mysterious ways sometimes. ^__^ I had fun writing all the mushy bits in this even though I'm not a romantic person myself. I just like reading sappy stuff at times. ^_-
A/N 2: REVIEW! I'm sorry this took longer than I thought it would, but, once again, MY BRAIN WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS! ^__- Until next time! Bye!