To all my reviewers: I'm sooooooooo sorry the last chapter was so short!
I know it seems like writer's block wouldn't have been too big of an issue,
b/c Jesse and Paul would have just beaten the shit out of each other,
right? Yeah...I'm working on something...So I apologize in advance if this
chapter sucks majorally.
And now, onto the story:
Suze's POV:
When I woke up that bright Saturday morning, I was somewhat surprised to see Paul's chest in front of me.
Yes, I woke up in his arms. Nothing happened- at least, not in the way Jesse was probably thinking when he burst in.
"Susannah!"
I jumped, and then glanced at Jesse. "Damn you, De Silva! What are you doing here?"
Then he got all pissy, and was like, "What is he doing here?" Meaning Paul.
"What's it to you?" I said, sitting up and glaring at Jesse. "What goes on in my bedroom is none of your business!" Then Jesse started in on all of the stuff he'd been going on about the other day, but I wouldn't listen.
"No, I will not listen to you! You can't stand to see me happy, can you? You want me to mope around and spend my time with you. Well, I can't do that, Jesse! You're DEAD! I can't act like I am too!" I said angrily, falling over breathless and pulling the blankets over my head.
The next thing I knew, I heard someone get punched, and go flying into my dresser. I yelled at them to stop, but neither one would listen. Normally, I would have tried to break it up myself, before someone came in and asked why Paul was in my room so early in the morning, but it appeared no one was home, so I just let them fight. I've learned that sometimes, people just need to beat the shit out of each other.
Of course, when Jesse held up a new dolphin-shaped lamp I just got over Paul's head and screamed, "This is for taking away my querida!" I intervened.
By jumping on top of Paul and recieving the full force of that lamp.
What? I had to. Jesse was about to impale the guy I loved!
The look on Jesse's face was priceless. He had this look of utter disbelief mixed anger and...love. That's what freaked me out. The guy was evil but he still loved me.
Paul was just staring at me. I felt this stabs of pain in my back and realized I was bleeding fairly hard. Well, duh. You were just hit with something majorally sharp, did you think you wouldn't bleed from it?
Carefully, Paul picked me up, took me down outside to his car, and started to drive off. "Where are you taking her?" Jesse growled. "Where are you taking my Susannah?"
I couldn't speak, it was as if I'd gone mute or something. Everything went black in front of me, and at first, I thought it was because I was losing my vision, but it was just because I closed my eyes. I coughed, and blood started to come up.
"Where the hell do you think I'm taking her?" Paul snapped. "A hospital, dumbass! If you hadn't noticed, your precious querida is about to DIE."
Die? Me? No way, I'm invincible! I can fly...sometimes...There's no way I'm gonna die! I was vaguely aware of Paul sitting in the driver's seat, and whispering, "Suze, it'll be OK...We're going to get you to a hospital, they'll fix you up...Suze...Suze, show me you're still alive! Say something!"
So I said something. I said, "Stop screaming and DRIVE."
Then I passed out.
Jesse's POV:
I paced the hospital room of my querida, cursing Paul, and myself. I had slammed that animal shaped lamp down on Susannah's back. Though I had not meant to...Susannah was resting peacefully now, Paul still in the emergency room for the injuries I gave him. I believe he told them it was a lover's quarrel...Ha! If this were a true lover's quarrel, Susannah would have left him with more than a newly broken nose and a black eyes.
I paced more, wishing Susannah would wake up so I could chance explaining to her what had happened. Father Dominic and I had been working on a way to undo Paul's hypnotism, but I doubted I would have a chance to do it before she lost her temper again.
"Susannah...I know you can't hear me...Or maybe you can...Paul's hypnotised you into thinking you love him, and that I'm evil. You must know this is not true! Father Dominic and I...We're trying to save you..." I trailed off as one of Susannah's brothers, the oldest one, Sleepy, she calls him, entered the room.
Jacob sat down in the chair next to Susannah's bed, across from me. "Hey Jesse." he said, looking me straight in the eye.
"Hello Ja-" I stopped short. "Nombre di dios..You can see me?"
"Yeah." He left it at that. "I saw Slater." Jacob continued.
I grunted to show my dislike for Slater.
"Yeah...He doesn't know that I can do the whole talk-to-dead-people too. Suze doesn't even know. I don't think anyone does...That's why I figured it was OK to leave last night, because I kinda sensed you were there, to watch over Suze." Jake said.
"Great job I did, didn't I?" I said.
"Don't beat yourself up." Jacob said. "Just explain what really happened to Suze. I know this wasn't a 'lover's quarrell' as Slater put it."
I sighed an explained the whole thing. Jacob's eyes got very big when I told him about how Slater was in Susannah's bed this morning. "I don't think anything happened between them." I added hastily. Jacob grunted and I continued, telling him how Susannah had dived on top of Paul and the lamp then smashing down on her.
"The doctors say she'll be ok, and that she's just sleeping right now." Jacob said. He stood up and wiped Susannah's hair out of her eyes in a protective-big brother way, the way I used to with my sisters.
"She will be better when Slater is finally gone from her life." I said, taking hold of Susannah's hand. I didn't even care that her brother was here. Jacob saw it and said, "So, I take it you're the reason Slater did this? Suze loves you, you love her, and Slater's out in the cold?"
"Something like that." I murmured. I leaned down and kissed her cheek. "I'm going to go get something from Father Dominic." I said, more to Susannah than Jacob. He nodded anyway, and replied with, "I'll watch her." I nodded and dematerialized to Father Dominic's office.
Paul's POV:
The ride to the hospital seemed unbearably long. Suze kept making weird moaning sounds, and kept getting paler and paler. We finally got to the emergency room, and they whisked Suze off to stitch her up, and then they stitched me up. I made up some excuse about how we'd gotten into a fight, and it was all an accident. The doctors looked at me like I was Satan or something, and refused to tell me what room Suze was in. Nope, they stitched me up and sent me home.
Right. As if that ever stopped me. All I really had to do was think about Suze and I could find her. It took a hell of a lot of concentrating to get her room number, but I got it. When I opened the door, I saw Suze's oldest stepbrother, Jake, sitting in the chair, keeping watch over Suze. She was out cold still, but looked peaceful- which is more than I can say for Jake.
"Get out." Jake said in a growl that rivaled De Silva's.
"Why should I?" I said. "Suze is my girlfriend. I'm her boyfriend and I-"
"You're also the reason she's here!" Jake said, jumping out of his chair. "SO GET OUT!"
Whoa, cool it on the over-protective big brother gene, ok? "I'm not the sole reason she's here." I said.
"Don't even try to deny it, Slater." Jake said. "I already got the entire story out of Jesse."
Damn that De Silva! But wait.."So you know that technically he's the one who smashed the lamp down on Suze?"
"Yeah. But none of this would have happened if you hadn't done something wonky to her in the first place!" Jake said, still glaring at me like I was Satan. That seems to be the general view people get of me.
"I didn't do- Wait, you got the story out of JESSE?" I had missed it when Jake first said that, but now I got it. "So that means you...you're a..."
"Mediator." Jake said simply. "Yeah."
Ok, I did NOT see that coming.
Jake's POV:
When I went by the house to do some laundry- well, leave some for mom to do- I wasn't expecting to see Slater's BMW tearing out of our driveway like there was no tomorrow. Immediately suspecting the worst, I ran up to Suze's room, expecting to see her in tears.
Instead, I saw a huge mess, indicating a fight, and a little blood on the carpet. I got back in my car and took off in the direction of Slater's BMW, and followed it to the hospital. I parked, ran into the emergency room, and waited for the doctors to give me an update. Apparently, Slater called it a 'lover's quarrell'. I had to laugh at it- mainly because if they got into an actual quarrell, Suze wouldn't be the one unconscious.
About an hour later, I called mom and dad and told them that Suze was in the hospital. They freaked, thinking it was some accident, but I told them the same thing the doctors told me- that Slater and her got into a fight, and he rushed her here. They freaked out some more, forbid Suze to see him ever again, gave me permission to beat the shit out of him (not in those exact words, but the tone was there) and said they would be there as soon as possible. I walked into Suze's hospital room, and wasn't all that shocked to see Jesse sitting there.
Yes, I see dead people. No one knows (well, now I suppose Suze will know) but I've managed to spend all nineteen of my years talking to ghosts, getting to move on, and doing the basic mediator thing without others finding out. Until Suze came into our lives.
I could tell right away. I mean, she freaked out at the thought of going to school at the Mission because it's an old building, and most old buildings have old spirits. Then she freaked out in her new room- where I'd already seen Jesse, but hid my knowledge, just grateful that Suze got that room. Every time she came home with a new bruise, I figured it was mediation stuff. Suze attracted the violent ones, that was for sure.
"Hey Jesse."
"Hello Ja- Nombre di dios, you can see me?" Jesse said. I really don't think he had any idea. See, my 'play dumb' exterior has fooled everyone.
"Yeah. I saw Slater." I said.
Jesse grunted to show his hatred for the guy. Then he started to beat himself up over not protecting Suze, and started to tell me what really happened between them. I felt like I was going to pass out when I heard that Slater had spent the night in my little sister's room and I was about to go into meltdown mode. Jesse hastily added that he thought nothing had happened.
"The doctors say she'll be ok, and that she's just sleeping right now." I said, trying to make him feel better.
"She will be better when Slater is finally gone from her life." Jesse said, taking hold of Suze's hand. I saw it and said, "So, I take it you're the reason Slater did this? Suze loves you, you love her, and Slater's out in the cold?"
"Something like that." he murmured. I leaned down and kissed her cheek. "I'm going to go get something from Father Dominic." he said, more to Suze than me, but I nodded anyway, and replied with, "I'll watch her." Jesse nodded and dematerialized.
A few minutes later, Slater had the nerve to come in. I went over- protective big-brother on him, and he seemed majorly freaked out when I told him about my gift. Then I told him to get out, leave my sister alone, and to never contact her again or I would sic several very violent ghosts on him. Of course, the ghosts would be nothing compared to several of mine and Brad's mutual friends.
Slater was still sanding there, holding Suze's hand, when she started to come to. Suze turned her head over and let out a tiny moan before saying, "Jake? Is that you?"
I tossed Slater a look of hatred, and said, "Yeah, it's me Suze. How you feeling?"
"Like a truck ran over my back." she said weakly.
"Well, yeah. Got a lamp smashed into it." I laughed slightly. She still hadn't noticed that Slater was here...Until he took her hand and said, "Hey sleeping beauty."
And now, onto the story:
Suze's POV:
When I woke up that bright Saturday morning, I was somewhat surprised to see Paul's chest in front of me.
Yes, I woke up in his arms. Nothing happened- at least, not in the way Jesse was probably thinking when he burst in.
"Susannah!"
I jumped, and then glanced at Jesse. "Damn you, De Silva! What are you doing here?"
Then he got all pissy, and was like, "What is he doing here?" Meaning Paul.
"What's it to you?" I said, sitting up and glaring at Jesse. "What goes on in my bedroom is none of your business!" Then Jesse started in on all of the stuff he'd been going on about the other day, but I wouldn't listen.
"No, I will not listen to you! You can't stand to see me happy, can you? You want me to mope around and spend my time with you. Well, I can't do that, Jesse! You're DEAD! I can't act like I am too!" I said angrily, falling over breathless and pulling the blankets over my head.
The next thing I knew, I heard someone get punched, and go flying into my dresser. I yelled at them to stop, but neither one would listen. Normally, I would have tried to break it up myself, before someone came in and asked why Paul was in my room so early in the morning, but it appeared no one was home, so I just let them fight. I've learned that sometimes, people just need to beat the shit out of each other.
Of course, when Jesse held up a new dolphin-shaped lamp I just got over Paul's head and screamed, "This is for taking away my querida!" I intervened.
By jumping on top of Paul and recieving the full force of that lamp.
What? I had to. Jesse was about to impale the guy I loved!
The look on Jesse's face was priceless. He had this look of utter disbelief mixed anger and...love. That's what freaked me out. The guy was evil but he still loved me.
Paul was just staring at me. I felt this stabs of pain in my back and realized I was bleeding fairly hard. Well, duh. You were just hit with something majorally sharp, did you think you wouldn't bleed from it?
Carefully, Paul picked me up, took me down outside to his car, and started to drive off. "Where are you taking her?" Jesse growled. "Where are you taking my Susannah?"
I couldn't speak, it was as if I'd gone mute or something. Everything went black in front of me, and at first, I thought it was because I was losing my vision, but it was just because I closed my eyes. I coughed, and blood started to come up.
"Where the hell do you think I'm taking her?" Paul snapped. "A hospital, dumbass! If you hadn't noticed, your precious querida is about to DIE."
Die? Me? No way, I'm invincible! I can fly...sometimes...There's no way I'm gonna die! I was vaguely aware of Paul sitting in the driver's seat, and whispering, "Suze, it'll be OK...We're going to get you to a hospital, they'll fix you up...Suze...Suze, show me you're still alive! Say something!"
So I said something. I said, "Stop screaming and DRIVE."
Then I passed out.
Jesse's POV:
I paced the hospital room of my querida, cursing Paul, and myself. I had slammed that animal shaped lamp down on Susannah's back. Though I had not meant to...Susannah was resting peacefully now, Paul still in the emergency room for the injuries I gave him. I believe he told them it was a lover's quarrel...Ha! If this were a true lover's quarrel, Susannah would have left him with more than a newly broken nose and a black eyes.
I paced more, wishing Susannah would wake up so I could chance explaining to her what had happened. Father Dominic and I had been working on a way to undo Paul's hypnotism, but I doubted I would have a chance to do it before she lost her temper again.
"Susannah...I know you can't hear me...Or maybe you can...Paul's hypnotised you into thinking you love him, and that I'm evil. You must know this is not true! Father Dominic and I...We're trying to save you..." I trailed off as one of Susannah's brothers, the oldest one, Sleepy, she calls him, entered the room.
Jacob sat down in the chair next to Susannah's bed, across from me. "Hey Jesse." he said, looking me straight in the eye.
"Hello Ja-" I stopped short. "Nombre di dios..You can see me?"
"Yeah." He left it at that. "I saw Slater." Jacob continued.
I grunted to show my dislike for Slater.
"Yeah...He doesn't know that I can do the whole talk-to-dead-people too. Suze doesn't even know. I don't think anyone does...That's why I figured it was OK to leave last night, because I kinda sensed you were there, to watch over Suze." Jake said.
"Great job I did, didn't I?" I said.
"Don't beat yourself up." Jacob said. "Just explain what really happened to Suze. I know this wasn't a 'lover's quarrell' as Slater put it."
I sighed an explained the whole thing. Jacob's eyes got very big when I told him about how Slater was in Susannah's bed this morning. "I don't think anything happened between them." I added hastily. Jacob grunted and I continued, telling him how Susannah had dived on top of Paul and the lamp then smashing down on her.
"The doctors say she'll be ok, and that she's just sleeping right now." Jacob said. He stood up and wiped Susannah's hair out of her eyes in a protective-big brother way, the way I used to with my sisters.
"She will be better when Slater is finally gone from her life." I said, taking hold of Susannah's hand. I didn't even care that her brother was here. Jacob saw it and said, "So, I take it you're the reason Slater did this? Suze loves you, you love her, and Slater's out in the cold?"
"Something like that." I murmured. I leaned down and kissed her cheek. "I'm going to go get something from Father Dominic." I said, more to Susannah than Jacob. He nodded anyway, and replied with, "I'll watch her." I nodded and dematerialized to Father Dominic's office.
Paul's POV:
The ride to the hospital seemed unbearably long. Suze kept making weird moaning sounds, and kept getting paler and paler. We finally got to the emergency room, and they whisked Suze off to stitch her up, and then they stitched me up. I made up some excuse about how we'd gotten into a fight, and it was all an accident. The doctors looked at me like I was Satan or something, and refused to tell me what room Suze was in. Nope, they stitched me up and sent me home.
Right. As if that ever stopped me. All I really had to do was think about Suze and I could find her. It took a hell of a lot of concentrating to get her room number, but I got it. When I opened the door, I saw Suze's oldest stepbrother, Jake, sitting in the chair, keeping watch over Suze. She was out cold still, but looked peaceful- which is more than I can say for Jake.
"Get out." Jake said in a growl that rivaled De Silva's.
"Why should I?" I said. "Suze is my girlfriend. I'm her boyfriend and I-"
"You're also the reason she's here!" Jake said, jumping out of his chair. "SO GET OUT!"
Whoa, cool it on the over-protective big brother gene, ok? "I'm not the sole reason she's here." I said.
"Don't even try to deny it, Slater." Jake said. "I already got the entire story out of Jesse."
Damn that De Silva! But wait.."So you know that technically he's the one who smashed the lamp down on Suze?"
"Yeah. But none of this would have happened if you hadn't done something wonky to her in the first place!" Jake said, still glaring at me like I was Satan. That seems to be the general view people get of me.
"I didn't do- Wait, you got the story out of JESSE?" I had missed it when Jake first said that, but now I got it. "So that means you...you're a..."
"Mediator." Jake said simply. "Yeah."
Ok, I did NOT see that coming.
Jake's POV:
When I went by the house to do some laundry- well, leave some for mom to do- I wasn't expecting to see Slater's BMW tearing out of our driveway like there was no tomorrow. Immediately suspecting the worst, I ran up to Suze's room, expecting to see her in tears.
Instead, I saw a huge mess, indicating a fight, and a little blood on the carpet. I got back in my car and took off in the direction of Slater's BMW, and followed it to the hospital. I parked, ran into the emergency room, and waited for the doctors to give me an update. Apparently, Slater called it a 'lover's quarrell'. I had to laugh at it- mainly because if they got into an actual quarrell, Suze wouldn't be the one unconscious.
About an hour later, I called mom and dad and told them that Suze was in the hospital. They freaked, thinking it was some accident, but I told them the same thing the doctors told me- that Slater and her got into a fight, and he rushed her here. They freaked out some more, forbid Suze to see him ever again, gave me permission to beat the shit out of him (not in those exact words, but the tone was there) and said they would be there as soon as possible. I walked into Suze's hospital room, and wasn't all that shocked to see Jesse sitting there.
Yes, I see dead people. No one knows (well, now I suppose Suze will know) but I've managed to spend all nineteen of my years talking to ghosts, getting to move on, and doing the basic mediator thing without others finding out. Until Suze came into our lives.
I could tell right away. I mean, she freaked out at the thought of going to school at the Mission because it's an old building, and most old buildings have old spirits. Then she freaked out in her new room- where I'd already seen Jesse, but hid my knowledge, just grateful that Suze got that room. Every time she came home with a new bruise, I figured it was mediation stuff. Suze attracted the violent ones, that was for sure.
"Hey Jesse."
"Hello Ja- Nombre di dios, you can see me?" Jesse said. I really don't think he had any idea. See, my 'play dumb' exterior has fooled everyone.
"Yeah. I saw Slater." I said.
Jesse grunted to show his hatred for the guy. Then he started to beat himself up over not protecting Suze, and started to tell me what really happened between them. I felt like I was going to pass out when I heard that Slater had spent the night in my little sister's room and I was about to go into meltdown mode. Jesse hastily added that he thought nothing had happened.
"The doctors say she'll be ok, and that she's just sleeping right now." I said, trying to make him feel better.
"She will be better when Slater is finally gone from her life." Jesse said, taking hold of Suze's hand. I saw it and said, "So, I take it you're the reason Slater did this? Suze loves you, you love her, and Slater's out in the cold?"
"Something like that." he murmured. I leaned down and kissed her cheek. "I'm going to go get something from Father Dominic." he said, more to Suze than me, but I nodded anyway, and replied with, "I'll watch her." Jesse nodded and dematerialized.
A few minutes later, Slater had the nerve to come in. I went over- protective big-brother on him, and he seemed majorly freaked out when I told him about my gift. Then I told him to get out, leave my sister alone, and to never contact her again or I would sic several very violent ghosts on him. Of course, the ghosts would be nothing compared to several of mine and Brad's mutual friends.
Slater was still sanding there, holding Suze's hand, when she started to come to. Suze turned her head over and let out a tiny moan before saying, "Jake? Is that you?"
I tossed Slater a look of hatred, and said, "Yeah, it's me Suze. How you feeling?"
"Like a truck ran over my back." she said weakly.
"Well, yeah. Got a lamp smashed into it." I laughed slightly. She still hadn't noticed that Slater was here...Until he took her hand and said, "Hey sleeping beauty."