Disclaimer: I totally forgot to add this in the first chapter! Obviously, I do not own any of the Mediator characters. All I own is the plot, and Tequila "Tiki" Roberts.

Note: Go back and read Chapter 3 over...Actually, I just cut out the last line of it, where Jesse goes, "If I hadn't fallen asleep, maybe Susannah would still be here." Just wanted to let you guys know that, so you don't keep reading and go, "Where did she go? She's still here!" in a few chapters.


Suze's POV:
You'd think that with the Paul fiasco I've got going on, the ghosts would go to someone else. I mean, seriously. They were alive once, they know what it feels like to be overwhelmed, right? Guess not, since the next day when Jesse took me to the beach in an effort to forget about everything, I met the ghost of a young surfer girl. I was just lying there on a towel, almost asleep because I was so relaxed, when I heard this lazy voice go, "You the mediator?"

I groaned and considered not answering. But she heard my groan and said, "I'll take that as a yes." She plopped down next to me and said, "I'm Tequila Roberts. Everyone calls me Tiki though."

"Tequila?" I said questioningly. Jesse looked at me from his towel next to me. "Querida, you're only sixteen, in case you've forgotten. I'm sure you're not allowed alcohol at that age."

I grinned. "No, I don't want tequila. I'm talking to the girl next to me named Tequila." I guess Jesse can't see dead people.

"Ah, I understand." Jesse mused over why he couldn't see ghosts like I can, considering he was one for over a hundred years. I turned to Tiki. "So, what's the sitch?" (A/N: I stole that from Kim Possible! I love that saying!!!)

Tiki looked at me and raised an eyebrow. "Sitch? I don't have a SITCH. I'm dead, I don't know why I haven't moved on."

"Ok, sorry. Um, how'd you die?" I asked. Probably drowned, considering she was wearing a bathing suit. Not revealing like my bikini, but a triangle top with short-style bottoms, with a hibiscious flower print. Her dishwater blonde hair was cropped short in back, but was styled in the front so that it fell over her bright green eyes. She had a dusting of freckles over her nose, and looked nothing like a Tiki. More like an Allison.

"Surfing accident." She said simply. "I was out about 500 yards, about to catch this amazing wave, and ride it back to shore, when the undertow got me. I fell, my board conked me on the head, and I was out like a light. Next thing I know, I'm wandering around the beach at midnight."

"Ok, so when did this happen?" I asked, keeping my voice low so the only people who could hear me were her and Jesse.

"Uh, last summer." Tiki said. It was the end of September, still hot enough to go to the beach, but generally too cold to do anything but sit on the sand and stare wistfully at the water. I vaguely remembered reading a story about a girl who'd drowned surfing, but I'd had other things to deal with at the time. Like Paul, and Jack exorcising Jesse, and Maria and Felix Diego trying to kill me...

My life is hectic. It sucks.

"Alright." I sighed. "Can you think of anything you left undone? Maybe you never told someone something, or want to amend something, anything like that?"

Tiki looked at me like I was speaking an alien language. Shaking her head, she said, "Nope. Nada. Well, I didn't want to die a virgin, but I can't do anything about that."

I burst out laughing, because I'd never heard that one before. Tiki laughed too, and Jesse looked at me like I was nuts. Then he remembered the ghost girl, so he understood. "So, is there something you wanted to tell your parents? I mean, there's got to be something other than dying a virgin that's keeping you here." I said, between giggles. Jesse's eyes got HUGE when I said that.

"There's nothing I can think of." Tiki said. She started to look a little hopeless.

"Then maybe it is the virgin thing..." I said, trailing off. "But I don't know how we'd fix that."

"Susannah?" Jesse said, breaking my thoughts. "It's almost time for dinner. We should be going."

"Right, Ok." I said, gathering my stuff. Andy has a fit every time someone is a millisecond late for dinner. "Tiki, I'm sorry I have to go so soon. You wanna think about what else could be holding you back, and get back to me?"

"Yeah, whatever." Tiki said. "Bye, uh...what's your name?"

"Suze." I answered. "Bye Tiki."

"Bye Suze." She dematerialized without another word.

"That was an interesting ghost." I said, throwing my towel into my beach bag and then linking hands with Jesse.

"From what conversation I heard, I can imagine." Jesse said. He turned bright red as he remembered it.

"Why, Jesse De Silva," I said with mock shock, "Are you embaressed?"

"Of course not, querida." Jesse said hastily. "It just isn't something you expect to hear."

"Uh huh..." We turned the corner and soon reached my house. We walked in and saw that Mom and Andy weren't home yet. I hopped in my shower to wash off all the sand, and Jesse went in his own shower. By the time we were cleaned up, Mom and Andy were back from wherever they'd gone and were working on dinner. Jesse and I helped by cutting up veggies for the salad, and then set the table. The phone rang right as we were sitting down.

"The person who tries to get up and get that gets grounded for a month." Mom said sternly. She refuses to let anyone answer the phone when we're eating. As a result, people leave a message and we get to hear that message be left because the machine is right there on an end table in dining room.

"You've reached the Ackerman/Simon residence. We can't take your call right now, so please leave your name, number, and brief message after the beep, and we'll get back to you." Came my mom's chirpy voice. "Beeeeeeeeeeep!"

"Hey Suze, it's Paul." The fork I had been holding now clattered onto the plate. "I know you're there, so if you know what's good for you, you will get up from the table and go out front. I'm waiting." Then he hung up.

I swallowed, my entire body frozen in terror. Jesse took my hand. Jake and Brad both looked at me, as if waiting for me to ask them to go kick his ass again. Andy and Mom looked at each other, as if unsure about what to do. David just looked at his plate. I swallowed again, and took a bite of the chicken kiev Andy had made. "This is really good." I commented, even though everything tasted like cardboard. I swallowed and ignored everyone's stares at me.

The phone rang again. Again, we ignored it. Again, Paul left a message- this one a bit more threatening. "Suze, I'm waiting. We wouldn't want anything to happen to anyone, now would we?"

I stared down at my plate. The food swam in front of my eyes, and I realized I had started to cry. And I hate crying. I excused myself as quietly as I could and ran to my room before the tears could fall. No one stopped me.

I locked the door to my room and collapsed onto my bed, tears now flowly freely down my face. I put on my Linkin Park CD and hit play. Usually, listening to Linkin Park or Maroon 5 or Switchfoot calmed me down, but not tonight. I couldn't get calmed for anything.

About twenty minutes later, Jesse knocked on the door quietly. I knew it was him because he said, "Susannah? Are you alright?" I got up and unlocked the door, letting him come in. "I'm ok." I said, as 'Breaking the Habit' came on. "Any more calls from..." I couldn't even say his name without tears threatening to flow again. I'd unplugged my phone extension so I wouldn't have to hear it.

Jesse looked pained. I could tell there had been more calls, but they were so distressing he didn't want to tell me. "Jesse, just tell me."

"Querida...how would you like to go on a trip?" Jesse asked with fake happiness.

"Jesse." That's all I said, but Jesse looked like I'd hit him. "Querida, he called three more times. Each message was more threatening than the last."

"And what was his last message?" I asked, choking out the words.

"Susannah..." Jesse trailed off. He won't tell me. It must be bad, if Jesse can't even tell me. I bet mom started crying.

"Jesse, just tell me." I said. My legs were starting to feel like jelly as I stood by my bed.

Jesse's POV:

"Jesse, just tell me." Susannah said.

How do you tell the woman you love and want to marry that her mortal enemy has sworn to kill her?

"Susannah...Mi querida...He's going to..."Jesse, you must not falter! Just say it! "Kill you."

There. I said it. Susannah, however, didn't look so relieved. Her legs gave out, and Susannah passed out on the floor, muttering, "No, no, no...."

I bent down and, placing one arm under her knees and the other around her back. Lifting Susannah up, I placed her on her bed and sat down next to her. "Susannah, if you think for one minute that I'm going to let that...that...thing kill you, you have another thing coming, querida. I love you to much to let that happen." I leaned over Susannah and pressed my lips to hers. I kissed her deeper and wrapped my arms around her. Susannah kissed me back, with such fervor that I was sure she was trying to make herself forget about everything.

"Susie..." I heard Susannah's mother knock on the door, and come in. We immediately broke apart. "Susie, are you going to be OK?"

"Yeah, Mom." Susannah said in a voice that clearly said she wouldn't. Mrs. Ackerman heard that tone, and said something that surprised us both. "Jesse...if you want to stay with her tonight, to protect her, you can."

I nodded. I couldn't speak for a moment, and then finally got out, "Thank you, Mrs. Ackerman. I'll protect her with my life."

"I know you will." Mrs. Ackerman said. "That's why I'm letting you stay." Susannah looked up at us, as if debating whether or not to argue that she didn't need protecting. In the end, she didn't argue. Mrs. Ackerman left after a few more minutes, and I laid down next to Susannah. Her emerald eyes were clouded in fear, and she didn't move. Susannah laid there, lifeless. She only moved to turn off her stereo, and then the light switch a few hours later. It was midnight when she drifted off to a fitful sleep.

Paul's POV:

I can't believe this.

When a guy makes threatening phone calls, he expects to be listened to. I called Suze's place when I knew she was sitting down at the table. No one picked up- probably some stupid rule made by her parents- and I left my message.

And then I called again when Suze didn't come outside.

And again.

And again.

AND AGAIN!

NOTHING! I saw Suze go to her bedroom. I heard the loud music come through, and then I saw De Silva show up. He told Suze about my messages, which made her faint, and then I saw Suze's mom come in. Suze's mom left after about 10 minutes, and then De Silva stayed. The music went off, the light went out...and De Silva stayed with her!

So, my threatening phone calls did nothing. That's alright. De Silva couldn't protect her forever. I'd get Suze alone soon. Then she wouldn't stand a chance.

Of course, I'm not really known for my patience. No, I wanted her and I wanted her NOW. And we all know that Paul Slater not only gets WHAT he wants, but he also gets it WHEN he wants it.

So I climbed to her window. So what if it was closed? I sunk my fist into the window, shattering the glass.

Suze bolted upright, and screamed. De Silva was awake and off the bed, stalking towards me. He didn't start screaming at me. He just looked at me before beginning to pummel me. Suze screamed again and seemed frozen in fear. I just stared at her. De Silva pounded me and I stared at Suze. I fought back some, but mostly just stared at her. Her beauty held me prisnor. Every curve of her body, every brunette curl, the sparkle in her emerald eyes. Everything that made Susannah Simon beautiful held me prisnor.

The funny thing was, I didn't seem to be getting weaker.

Nope. De Silva kept hitting, and I didn't feel like passing out. Sure, I started bleeding and had I was pretty sure my nose was broken again, but I didn't give up. It was like Suze's beauty was keeping me alive. After what seemed like hours, De Silva stopped pummeling me. I think he realized it was getting pointless. I sat down on the window seat, De Silva on the bed, holding Suze protectively.

"You will get out." De Silva said.

"When I'm good and ready." I retorted. I stood. "And I'm just not ready." I added. Waving my hand, I opened the door, and attempted to fling De Silva out of it. I managed to get him off the bed, and at the frame, though. It takes a lot of energy to throw people out of rooms, and De Silva's love for Suze was holding him down. Suze screamed as he went flying, and attempted to run to him. I held her on the bed however, and De Silva became weaker as he saw that Suze couldn't move. I took the opportunity to throw him the rest of the way out, and shut and lock the door.

"Familiar scenario, isn't it Suze?" I said, taking my block off of her. Suze scrambled to the headboard, far away from me. I knew I didn't have much time before De Silva broke down the door. He was already attempting too, and by the sounds of it, so were Brad and Suze's stepdad. I leapt onto the bed, and tore into Suze.

She screamed bloody murder as I ripped off her top, revealing her lace bra. I ravaged what little bit of her body I could, enjoying her screams....

Suze's POV:

I screamed as Jesse went flying from my bed. I tried to go after him, but Paul held up a hand and I was frozen. I couldn't move for anything, though I tried. Jesse saw this, but was thrown the rest of the way out. Paul shut the door, locked it, and started towards me.

I shrank back against the headboard as he said, "Familiar scenario, isn't it Suze?" I heard Jesse, Brad, and Andy all trying to break down my door, but I knew they wouldn't be able to on time. Paul leapt onto my bed, tearing my fitted blue shirt off of me. I screamed as Paul continued to tear my clothes off, literally ripping them to shreads.

"STOP, PLEASE! Paul, NO!!!!!! STOP!!!!!!" I sobbed harder as he climbed on top of me, kissing my neck and chest so hard it hurt. I felt like I was on fire. This was not a good fire, it wasn't the kind that Jesse gave me. Jesse gave me a loving, protective fire, while this one...This one was harsh and cruel. Unloving...

I squeezed my eyes shut, awaiting the inevitable, the moment when Paul would rape and kill me when suddenly, Paul was thrown off of me and into the wall. Jesse was all over him again, pounding him into a bloody pulp. Brad helped him, while Andy plugged in my phone and called the police. Apparently, no one had thought to do that sooner.

I wished I could take comfort in the fact that he was going to be locked up with around-the-clock security, but I couldn't. I welcomed Jesse's protective embrace, and tried to believe that it would all be OK. I knew it wouldn't though.

Call me pessimistic, but Paul Slater was a man with a mission. And that mission included seeing me dead. He would not stop until I was dead.

It was about three in the morning when I finally drifted off, Jesse still holding me. I woke up a few hours later, to get ready for school. I started to get out of bed, but decided that I didn't want to go to deal with people. I wanted to sleep for a million years.

Mom let me and Jesse stay home. We slept until noon or so, when CeeCee called to check on me. I numbly said I was ok, just shaken up, and that I would be back to school the next day. We hung up, and I went back to sleep. Jesse didn't, I don't think, but he kept watch over me, keeping everyone out.

Except the ghost he couldn't see.

Whew, that was long. Now I'm going to go to sleep...Sleep is good.....