Mediator Mom

By: ChocolateEclar

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that has to do with the Mediator Series by Meg Cabot/Jenny Carroll, including Jesse (please?), Suze, Paul, Father D, CeeCee, Adam, etc.

Claimer: I fully own Shaun, Charisma, Carmen "Carmenita" De Silva, Rosalinda "Rosie" De Silva and her pets, Tobias "Toby" De Silva, Jacob "Jaco" De Silva and his dog Hiei, and Dominique "Unique" De Silva. I also own the plot. 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 Clavel: Thanks a bunch. grins

To UnangelicHalo: The Slater family will definitely appear more. Don't be so sure who the shifters are yet though… laughs Thanks again!

To Enelya Tinuviel: Yeah, go De Silvas! No one messes with them. laughs Thanks for reviewing!

To SweetestReject: hugs Unique Thanks again!

To Luna Gypsy: A couple of days?! Not quite. Actually, it takes atleast a week or more for me to update. Most often it's ten to fifteen days. Thanks though!

To Allimba and xxStar: Thanks a lot!

Chapter 5: Mother's Nightmare

I'm not going to lie. My worst nightmare is not missing a big sale. In fact, my worst nightmare has nothing to do with fashion.

My worst nightmare is a whole lot worse. And I keep having it repeat over and over in my sleep. Not very for good beauty sleep, let me tell you. Jesse – unlike Toby – doesn't sleep like a log. He always asks me what's wrong…but I can't say it out loud. No, I couldn't bear it.

It's kind of funny though. Being afraid of a dream as an adult. I mean, the Paul/Shadowland dream I used to have was creepy, but nothing like this…

I hate it. I hate how it makes me feel. I hate how it makes me lie to Jesse and how it compels me to peer into my children's rooms in the middle of the night – just to make sure they're okay.

It started on the first day of the one-week suspension. Unique had been sent to bed with her little wrist incased in a cast. I was strangely tired. It wasn't too late. Only nine o'clock, but I felt exhausted.

Jesse peered at me after Unique had gone and asked, "Querida?"

"Yeah, Jesse?" I replied, yawning.

"Never mind. You're tired. Go to sleep," said Jesse, turning away.

I didn't think much of it. Now, I realize I should've persisted and asked Jesse to tell me what he had meant to.

I curled on my side under the blankets…and was asleep in moments.

Suddenly, I was inside a dark room with a high ceiling. Tables had been spread out over the vast marble floor. On top of each was a child. My children. I rushed to the closest table. Jaco was deadly cold. His eyelids weren't fluttered and his chest lay still. Panicking, I pressed two fingers to his neck. No pulse.

Oh God! I tried to push air into his lungs by pressing my mouth over his…but nothing happens. He was so cold and lifeless. Beside him on the next closest table, I could tell Rosie was no better. But a spark of hope flashed in me as I scanned my eyes over the others, looking for something to help me. Unique was letting out little haggard gasps – like she was trying desperately to breathe.

I was at her side in seconds, trying to keep from being sick. My chest ached as I called out, "Unique! Dominique, can you hear me?"

"Mam," choked out Unique, her eyes flickering open. Her pupils were very small in glazed green eyes.

"What happened?" I cried out. "Why are – "

Unique grabbed my wrist in a surprisingly tight grasp. "R-Remember…the time…out ritual?" she gasped. Her face was taking on a bluish tinge that terrified me more than ever.

"Shh, shh, yeah, of course I remember, but –" I began, trying to get her to relax and let me help her.

"He'll…use it in a…d-different way," coughed Unique. "He'll…h-hunt for us.

"What? Who'll – " I cried out.

"Don't…worry," Unique gasped. Her lips were turning blue now. God, no… "Stay…from…shadows," she continued. It was becoming harder for her to breathe. I couldn't bear it.

"Let me help – " I told her, tears burning my eyes.

"No!" said Unique with one last burst of strength. "Too late... Remember. Jaco and Carmenita aren't – "

She went limp then and her eyes rolled back and closed. Death closed in around me. There was a painful ringing in my ears.

My children were dead!

I awoke with a scream on that first night. Jesse practically fell off the bed in trying to scramble – half-asleep – to his feet. "Susannah?" he gasped as if I'd given him a heart attack. "What's wrong? Why did you – "

"Oh," I said, panting slightly. My heart was pumping a mile a minute. It was just a dream. A terrible dream of a mother's worst fear – the death of her children. "It was just a dream," I lied.

Jesse looked far from reassured though. In fact, he seemed even more worried. "What was it about?" he asked.

"I don't wanna talk about it," I responded, looking at the blankets.

"Querida – " Jesse started, but I didn't reply.

Since then, I don't shriek anymore. Instead, I wake up in a cold sweat and look anxiously at the room and then make sure the children are safe.

I know Jesse is aware of how much the nightmares shake me, but we don't talk about it. I can't talk about it.


It's hard looking at the children. Jesse and I took turns all week watching them during work hours because of the suspension. Normally, Carmenita and Rosie would be fine by themselves watching the others, but Jesse and I are half-heartedly punishing them all for fighting.

I couldn't bear it if that dream were real. It would kill me. I know I keep having it for a reason though.


"Mamá?" queried Unique as I sat in the living room before the television – not really watching it.

I nearly jumped out of my skin, but managed to squeak, "Yeah, Unique?"

"Can you try to convince Jaco that – even though his nose is crooked and broken – that does not mean he's ugly now?" Unique asked with wisdom normal eight-year-olds don't have.

I chuckled for the first time in days and went up to Jaco and Toby's bedroom with Unique. "You're not grossly disfigured!" shouted Rosie, leaning over Jaco's bed. The eleven-year-old was lying on his back on his bed with his nose still bandaged up.

"Yeah, Jaco," I said. "You still have Charisma. I bet she'll like you anyway."

Jaco turned red as his four siblings burst out laughing. I went over and ruffled Jaco's hair. "It'll be all right, Jaco," I said.

I was trying to encourage myself more than him though.


"Hey, Suze," drawled someone behind me. I turned from where I'd been flipping through fabric books and held back a grimace.

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Slater were standing casually in front of the checkout desk of my clothing store in Carmel. Just what I needed. Not.

I would really like to know. Does someone up there hate me this much?

"What are you doing here?" I hissed.

"Is this how you treat customers?" asked Delilah Slater with a frigid smile. Bring it on, she-devil. She set down a pile of clothes and brushed a lock of blonde hair out of her face dramatically.

"Only ones I can't stand," I said with an equally icy smirk.

"Come on, Suze," Paul said, pulling out a gold credit card. "We're just making a few purchases."

"Sure you are," I riposted, ringing up a pink blouse on the cash register for the she-devil. Might as well have them pay and leave as quickly as possible after all.

"Actually, we came by to talk about a few things. One being your daughter, Rosalinda," Paul said.

"Yeah," I replied. "What about her?"

"We know for a fact, she's dating our Shaun," said Delilah.

"Della's right," agreed Paul.

"What's your point?" I asked, taking Paul's credit card and slashing it through the machine. Good thing there was no one else in the store or I'd lose a few customers for being rude.

"Our point is," said Paul, "is little Rosie a shifter or not?"

"Kids don't tell their parents anything," I answered. "You know that."

"As I suspected," mumbled Paul. "Another thing then…"

"Are you prepared for them playing with the shadows once they're ready?" "Della" inquired. Both of them were grinning now. I didn't like it.

Shadows… In my dream, Unique always said in short gasps, "Stay…from…shadows." What did this mean?

"What are you talking about?" I snapped, placing Della's new clothes in a plastic bag.

"Oh," said Paul. "Nothing, Suze. Don't you worry about a thing. Soon, it'll all be over."

"Over?" I yelped. "What do you –" But they walked out the door – bag of purchases in tow – and totally ignored my protests.

I had a bad thing about this. The dream came to mind then. My nightmare. A mother's worst nightmare.


A/N: I'm finally getting down to the real plot. Next chapter: What does the dream mean? And what are Paul and Della up to? Is Shaun in on the plan? Find out next time… laughs

A/N 2: Don't forget to review! Bye.