AGAIN

Chapter Nine: First Date

"I think you should speak now, Suze."

"It has to beep first Doc."

"Just start talking."

"Are you sure this thing is recording?"

BEEP

Hey! Suze, it's me, Adam! Are you home? Why aren't you home? Are you at Jesse's? Yes, probably. You know, with all the time you spend at his place you two should just better move in together. Seriously. You'll save a bit of dough in rents… believe me. But that's not why I'm calling… I need to speak to you right now. I'm going to call you at Jesse's okay? So just ignore this message.

(Pause)

Save where I said you would save a bit of money if you moved with Jesse.

Okay, bye.

------------------

"I think you should speak now, Suze."

"It has to beep first Doc."

"Just start talking."

"Are you sure this thing is recording?"

BEEP

Suze. We need to talk. Call me; I'm staying with Jack and my grandfather. You know the number. It's important. CALL ME!!!

-----------------

"I think you should speak now, Suze."

"It has to beep first Doc."

"Just start talking."

"Are you sure this thing is recording?"

BEEP

Hi! Suze, it's me, Jack! I believe Paul just call you. Don't call him back. He's just being lazy and doesn't want to take care of his mediator duties. Are we still on for Tuesday? You promised helping me to pick up a setting for my date with Ella, hope you haven't forgotten.

I guess I'll see you at the Mission on Tuesday.

And really, don't call Paul.

Is nothing.

He's just being lazy.

Call me if you can't make it for Tuesday!

-----------------

"I think you should speak now, Suze."

"It has to beep first Doc."

"Just start talking."

"Are you sure this thing is recording?"

BEEP

Hi! It's me… again. I just remembered that tonight is the night for you and Jesse. THE BIG DATE, right? Sorry. I won't call there. PRO-Mi-SE. Just that I really needed to talk to you. Anyway, we'll go out for breakfast Monday morning. Ok? It's really important… Cee Cee will be arriving from San Francisco around two-ish on Monday which should give us plenty of time… Yeah, that'll work. See you Monday!


Suze

FINALLY!

Jesse and I were finally having a date. A REAL one! And the coolest thing was that it had been all his idea! Really, I didn't say a word about it; he came up with it on his own.

We were at my place, though lately that term has become blurry, I spend a lot of time at Jesse's – he took me there after my little car accident and kept me there for full two weeks before acknowledging that I was strong enough to return to my own apartment. But still, he spent and awful lot of time in my place too.

Anyway, we were watching Jeopardy and he was answering everything while I just sat there cuddled to him as he stroked my hair.

Alex Trevek had just read this answer: "Famous for her Vampire Slaying techniques, she was also known to have Cruel Intentions."

"Uh, who's Sarah Michelle Gellar?" I yelled, happy that for once I knew the answer. I turned my head a little, so I could look at Jesse. "See, I know some too."

Jesse laughed and kissed the top of my head. "I know, querida, I know." Then, just as Alex was reading the double jeopardy categories, Jesse said: "You know what I was thinking, querida? We have never had a real date."

"I think we are a little bit past dating, Jesse."

"Probably, but anyway, I was thinking I could cook and you could come over and…"

"You know how to cook?"

"Of course I know how to cook!" he said a bit indignantly. I laughed and kissed him and we settled our date.

And let me tell you something, Jesse CAN cook! Boy did it smelled so good when he opened the door and let me in. So far all we ever had was take out, why were we having take out when he could cook?!

It was the most romantic evening of my life. Jesse applied himself to being charming and he wouldn't let me near the stove to help and cleared the dishes himself. It was ALL so perfect!!!! And afterwards we were having dessert in the living room –vanilla ice cream and chocolate coated strawberries, btw – well, trying to have dessert which was hard because our lips were kindda glued together. And there was a lot of tongue-activity going on.

And so, one thing lead to the other, we totally forgot about the ice cream and the strawberries, let me tell you. Especially when Jesse finally got to my bra. But I didn't mind, didn't mind at all. I didn't mind it either when Jesse picked me up and carried me to the bedroom.

Did I think it was good when we used to do it when he was a ghost? Well… this was way better…


Jesse

"I never dared to dream I would be like this with you again." Susannah murmured sleepily as she cuddled against my bare shoulder.

I kissed her forehead and held her close "I did. Believe me, amor; no one has ever hated waking up as much as I did.

She smiled vaguely. "I'm so tired Jesse," her hand came to rest in the middle of my chest; I took it and kissed the back of her fingers.

"Then sleep, querida."

"You sleep too." She said, moving around a little, as if she were trying to find a comfortable spot on me as If I were her pillow.

"Not when staying awake is way better than anything I might find in my dreams." I whispered against her temple, she had already fallen asleep.

I laid awake by her side for a long time, reveling on the feeling of her. Of having my querida again with me. These last few weeks together, since we told each other we loved the other, had been amazing… and this is the most amazing, perfect culmination to those weeks… and the best part is that this is only the beginning. I'm not planning on letting her go, not now, not ever.


"Hello, you have reached the number of Jesse de Silva, leave a message and I'll get back to you."

BEEP

"Hey, Jesse it's me, Jerry."

(Background) "And me!"

"And Sam." (Pause) "We were just wondering how your Big Date went. Apparently it went just fine since you aren't answering the phone. Naughty, naughty! I just hope you remembered to use a condom…

"JEREMY! One doesn't go around leaving a message with the word 'condom' in other people's answering machines!"

"Oh, sweetie, you just say it and it's all in tape."

"Shut up!"

"I was just saying!"

BEEP


Suze

I woke up a little earlier than my usual…Jesse was there and I could feel his warm breath against my temple, I looked at him and I couldn't help myself… a very goofy smile reached my lips. Jesse looked so cut yet hot when sleeping. His olive skin contrasting with the blue sheets and that little smile on his face made him look so angelic…. And those locks of hair that fell over his forehead – he wore his hair a little bit longer no than when I meet him – gave him a boyish, devilish look and was, well… HOT!

I reached out to caress his cheek and that seemed to wake him up.

"Good morning," he said voice sleepy-scratchy.

"Hi!" I said with a smile of my own. "I had forgotten how good you look in the mornings."

He smiled, "You look wonderful, querida."

"No, I don't I look like a smurf."

"No, you don't." He said, getting a bit on top of me and starting to kiss my throat."

I giggled. "You don't even know what a smurf is!"

He shrugged. "Anyway, you're beautiful." He said and then kissed me while his hands started to wonder around.

Round two, here we go!


Paul

One would think that only so many things can go wrong…

Starting with my little brother giving me an ultimatum when he happened to run into some documents I was preparing to sue Jesse for that time when Suze was in the hospital and he wouldn't let me see her.

Jack whet all "No you won't! You aren't going to ruin Suze's life more than what you already have!"

To which I answered. "Stay out of this Jack! I mean it."

"And I mean it when I'm telling you I'm not going to let you do it! When I was a kid and I was thinking I was a nutter Suze was the only one who sat down and explained things to me. I practically owe her my life! And I had to sit by and watch as you practically destroyed her for years! Well, I'm not doing it again. Either you leave her alone or I'll rat you out to the Bar of lawyers or whatever it's called –not to mention to the press - about how you have blackmailed government officials to get those permits you wanted on that strip mall case you handled six months ago."

When the hell did the little guy developed a back bone, don't' ask me. The thing is that he had me there. Jack had me by the balls with that little piece of information and he knew it.

So I cursed and yelled and ended up getting drunk.

See getting drunk is not something I particularly enjoy. But it's fun from time to time. And I'll admit there was a time when I was drinking a little bit too much but I don't do it anymore.

In my drunkenness I went to see Suze, and saw her tongue wrestling with De Silva. There was a little fight and then that thing with Suze and me throwing her in the way of upcoming traffic.

See, that's the part where I got really pissed off….

I didn't move. I couldn't. I didn't want Suze to get hurt but I didn't care enough to move and do something the way De Silva did. He just saw the car and ran for Suze, he was late and the care did hit her but De Silva was there a second later trying to rouse her and yelling for someone to call 911.

I called 911 and stuck around a little. Enough to see Suze wake up and talk to De Silva… the look in her eyes… she had never looked at me like that. Suze looked at De Silva not only as if she needed him… she also looked at him as if she WANTED him.

I got pissed off and wondered around for a while, ending at the hospital a little bit after midnight. I was in for another fight with Rico but there wasn't such. I did ask Suze why she always chose Rico and she said "You just don't know me."

What kind of freaking answer is that?

I was married to the woman for five years and she claims I don't know her!

Fine, whatever. I wasn't going to keep losing my time on her. I could find another woman, prettier and way more interested in me. So I told De Silva that he could keep Suze for all I cared and stormed off. Only that I was still plenty mad, madder than what I had ever been ever before in my life. I wasn't drunk anymore so I decided to drive around for a little, try to cool off.

And what happened might I ask you?

I bloody drive my BMW into a palm tree. Of all things a Palm tree!

And ended up under the care and supervision of Jack, grandpa and Mark –pop's male nurse. Great, just freaking great!

Just as I was thinking my life couldn't suck more –what with me being forced to a two month long vacation from the firm due the fact that they believe it was an excessive amount of stress what caused my car accident, and having to leave my wonderful apparent courtesy of my grandfather ordering me to move with him and Jack –I quote -'for and undetermined amount of time till I'm convinced you have stopped being a little pisser' or he would disown me (and we are talking serious money here) - I thought things just couldn't get any worse.

Guess what?

They could.

And they did.

I thought I could handle any type of ghost. I really did.

Was I ever wrong?

Nothing prepared me for the nun-ghost-girl….

Which was why I stood there that Sunday morning, pounding on De Silva's door, demanding to talk to Suze.


Notes:

Hey, this was fun!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! You guys rock!!!!!

Now, there is a bit of Paul here... and there will be a bit more on the next chapter. I'm kinda fond of nun-ghost-girl who's haunting Paul. She's fun. But you'll meet her next chapter. Just as you'll know why Adam has in mind and of course, more Jesse/Suze fluffiness.

Lol!

Thanks to RD for reminding me of the word "Smurfs" I had forgotten it and was trying to remember. Congrats on your b-day too!

Thanks again for reading and keep tooned for the next chapter

Much love,

Crazy, lovable me!

PS. Click the review button, it's calling you!

----