(A/N): Wow, look at me! I have 23 reviews!!! YAY!! ::bounces around the room joyously:: And none of them are flames!!! ::bounces more:: GO ME!!!!! ::cheers::

Alenor: Thanks! Yes you will find out soon what happened, but not in this chapter and probably not the next. Thank you for being my only reviewer for this chappie. For that you get a special prize. ::gives Alenor a gazillion dollars:: Haha! That'll teach everyone to review more!!!!! ::grins like a maniac::

Chapter six: Bravado

About an hour later we were still standing around in Paul's bedroom. We were discussing how we should handle the Biker Bob situation. Or rather, Paul and Jesse were. I wasn't really paying attention.

It's amazing how different things look when you are dead. Everything seems to have a slight fuzz to it. Like your eyes can't quite focus or something. I'd asked Jesse about it and he'd said it was normal for the first few days. That, since I wasn't technically supposed to be here, the world might try to "cast me out". I wasn't to worry about it, though, because as long as I was strong enough I would stay firmly in place. My vision would just be a little wacky. And it should wear off soon too.

But apparently some ghosts don't last long. That's why most of the ghosts I mediated asked favors of me. They needed stuff and the only thing keeping them here was the desire to finish things. Will power is an incredible thing... And I really wasn't worried. I mean why should I be? I was the most willful person I knew. Well, except for Jesse if the length of time he had stuck around was any indication. But, who knew, maybe I would stick around for 151 years and have him beat. But by that time he would have been here for 300 years... Well damn.

"Susannah!"

I looked up and realized that it had been Jesse that had called me. And apparently he had been trying to get my attention for a while.

"Huh?" I asked.

"Are you alright? What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing. Just wondering how long I'll be able to stay."

His face softened a bit when I said that. "Querida, you are so stubborn you could stay here for a thousand years without even trying." He smiled. "And I would stay right here with you for all of that time."

I grinned and walked over to him. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me into another hug. I'd lost count of all the hugs we'd had since...

"Ahem!"

I glanced over at Paul as I pulled away. "Ahem what? You gotta problem with me hugging Jesse?"

"When I can see it, yes."

I grinned again and wrapped my arms around Jesse's neck and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Well, tough luck." I said. I looked up at Jesse and saw that he was looking back at me with a huge smile on his face. He was about the only thing in the room that wasn't in a haze. Besides Paul. I didn't know if all people were clear or if it was just the two people in this room. Maybe it was only mediators/shifters and ghosts. I dunno.

"What?" I asked, already preparing to go on the defensive.

"It is nothing," he said, bending down and kissing me quickly. It left me a little dizzy. I was glad that Jesse wasn't still mad at me for being with Paul. Actually, I think he had forgotten about it altogether. He hadn't mentioned it. And he hadn't even so much as glared at me when I wasn't looking. I knew because I was constantly looking at him. I just couldn't resist! He was so... so... bravura!

"Okay, that's it! Stop making googly eyes at each other! We have a serious situation here and neither of you seem to care!" There was something close to pain in Paul's voice. If it had been anyone else I would have said he was hurt by our PDA ((Hehe, I just learned yesterday that that means Public Displays of Affection. Did anyone else know that? I sure didn't)).

"Shut up Slater. We will do whatever we wish." Wow, Jesse really sounded... well jealous isn't the right word I guess, but angry doesn't really cover it either. Somewhere in between.

"Calm down Jesse. He's just being Paul. No big deal." I made a cute pouty/smiley face and gave him another kiss. I was liking all of the kisses just as much as the hugs. Very fun! So much fun, in fact, that I giggled. Seriously! I, Susannah Simon, actually giggled! In a giggly way! Like I really wanted to giggle. Not like I was forcing myself to! I swear! It's true! What are you laughing at? It's not funny! STOP IT!!!

"God, you guys are making me sick." And with that, Paul left. Yippee!

I waggled my eyebrows suggestively at Jesse, who laughed and pressed his forehead to mine and said, "Susannah, we really should find out what happened to your body."

"Oh, Jesse, who really cares? I'm dead! I'm not part of my body anymore! Wadda I care if some dead Hell's Angel breaks it?"

"Susannah, you know you do not mean that."

"No, I really do. I don't give a shit about it! Biker Bob can rape it, beat it, burn it, I don't care!"

He ran his hand up my arm and gave me a sympathetic look.

"Don't look at me like that! I don't care Jesse. Really. That stupid ugly thing means nothing to me anymore. I'm over the initial shock. I'm fine!"

"One, it is not ugly. It is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. And two, you do not have to hide how you feel from me, querida. I know you are more upset about this than you are letting show."

"I am not!"

He gave me a look that said "Come on! If you expect me to believe that, then you really are crazy!"

"I mean it Jesse. I'm not upset."

"Okay Susannah. If you insist."

"Now, lets go find Paul so we can finish deciding on a course of action, shall we?" I smiled sweetly as I said this. I was determined to convince him that I was fine. Jesse I mean. Not Paul. Because I was. Fine I mean. Really! ((Has anyone else noticed that Suze does that a lot? Babbles I mean. Cause she does. You know, babble. Has anyone else noticed? Have you?)) I didn't wait for an answer. I spun on my heel and walked out the door.

I found Paul in the kitchen, rummaging through the fridge. He didn't look up when I came in, just kept shuffling thing around. He came up with a jar of jelly in his hand. I noticed that there was already a jar of peanut butter and a loaf of bread on the counter. When he saw me he jumped about a foot in the air and dropped the jelly jar, which was thankfully plastic and didn't break.

"God, Suze! Don't do that!"

"Don't do what?"

"Don't sneak up on me! You scared the shit outta me!"

"Sorry, didn't mean to."

He gave me an incredulous look then muttered, "Yeah, sure, whatever."

I shrugged and walked over to the counter and sat down on one of the barstools there. What'd I care if Paul nearly had a heart attack. Personally, I would have found it to be a blessing.

Then I noticed what I was actually doing. "Hey, look! I sat down without even trying!"

"Good for you. Never known anyone to do that before." He replied sarcastically.

"No, you idiot. I touched something!"

"Oh," he said, then grasped the meaning, "Oh! Well, that's great!" He smiled. A genuine, open smile. It was kinda nice.

Before I knew it, I had stood up and kissed that smiling face. Not a long, passionate kiss or anything. Just a quick, friendly peck on the lips. But it was still more that I was supposed to do.

I reeled backwards really fast and tripped over the stool, falling to the ground.

"Ouch!" I screeched.

Paul rushed over and tried to pick me up, but I slapped his hands away yelling, "Don't touch me!"

Then Paul was flying across the room and standing in his place was a very distraught looking Jesse, who must have stayed behind in the bedroom instead of following me.

"Querida, are you alright? What did he do to you?"

"What did I do!" I heard from the other side of the kitchen, "I didn't do anything! I just tried to help her up when she freaked out and fell over!"

"I'm okay, Jesse. Just went a little crazy for a second." I was grateful to Paul for not saying that I had kissed him, but I knew that he thought it was more that it was. I'd have to talk to him later.

It was clear, however, that I would have to talk to Jesse first. He obviously didn't believe that I had just "freaked out". I wasn't, of course, going to tell him the truth, but I had to think of a believable lie sometime soon. I seemed to be doing that a lot lately.