The Mediator: Egyptian Style

The plane ride home was peaceful. To tell you the truth, I slept most of the time. Our flight was throughout the night, so it fit perfectly.

Jesse tried sleeping, but I knew plane rides made him uncomfortable, so he just read most of the time.

When we got to our apartment after the flight, I was astonished by what we came across.

A Welcome Home party.

Wow. I mean, just...wow. I never thought that would happen.

But it did, apparently.

As soon as we walked through the door, everyone popped out and surprised us. Well, more me, but whatever.

But anyway, the party was going great. Jesse and I were still a little tired from the flight, but when we got sight of some coffee on the counter, we went for that and enjoyed the party.

I guess Jesse had planned this beforehand, because he didn't seem one bit surprised. It kind of irked me a little, but I let it go. It was a nice thing, a surprise party, and I wasn't going to ruin it.

Everyone was there. Andy and my mom, in all her very-pregant glory, David and Shannon, CeeCee and Adam, some new friends I'd made over the years, Gina and Jake, and Brad and...well, nobody. And then, not too long after the party had started, someone else arrived.

Take a guess?

Haha, that's right.

Paul.

To tell you the truth, I wasn't all that surprised to see him. He was sort of a friend to us now. Maybe not so much to Jesse, but he could at least bare being in the same room with him without having the urge to cause him bodily harm.

Well, at least now that he knows I would never choose Paul over him.

But anyway, Paul came through the apartment door, his new girlfriend hanging off his arm, and said, "Surprise!"

And, okay, I laughed. "You're a little late, Paul," I said, coming over to him and giving him a hug.

"Ah," he said, hugging me back, "but fashionably late."

"Uh huh," I said and shook my head. "Well, its great to see you."

He smiled. "You too." And then he introduced me and Jesse and to his new girlfriend, Sara. She seemed nice enough, and actually possessed quite a few braincells. It was good that Paul actually got a girl who was nearly as smart as him, as opposed to, say, Kelly Prescott.

And it turns out, as Paul ever so swiftly whispered into my ear, she was also a mediator. Huh, small world.

I shook her hand, since I wasn't really big on hugging people I had just met and told her it was a pleasure to meet her.

Everyone was having a great time.

And then, around 5, Andy took my mom home because she wasn't feeling too well. And its not like she could have a few drinks, with her being pregnant and all.

Jesse and I were out in the kitchen, getting a bottle of Smirnoff and a bottle of Bacardi from the cabinet later on, for the guests who still happened to be there.

I was kind of tired, but I wasn't going to pass up a Screwdriver or some Rum and Coke, or even a daiquiri. Oh, my God, Jesse is the king at making daiquiris.

But anyway, Jesse brought out the drinks, while I went back in to get some coke and orange juice. That was when Paul followed me in.

"So," he said, as I bent down to get the beverages from the refrigerator, "how the was honeymoon?"

There were two things he was hinting there and I knew what both of them were. Any ghost encounters and how Jesse was in bed.

"One," I said, retrieving both the orange juice and the bottle of coke from the fridge, "I almost was killed by a resentful Egyptian bitch, and, two: I'm not telling you."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Oh? What the hell did you do now, Simon. Oh, wait, I can't call you that anymore. Damn. But anyway, what did you do?"

So I explained to him what happened. Everything. From Harrison to Nefelinuf. But I left out the parts where Jesse and I had a fight and when we, erm, made up from said fight.

"Wow," he said. "Looks like you two were busy. So...what else did you two do? Stay inside a lot?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "That stays between me, Jesse, and the bed we slept in."

"You're no fun, Suze."

I rolled my eyes. "I don't go around asking about your girlfriend's ability, now do I?"

He just shrugged. "Whatever."

I grabbed the beverages and went back into the other room.

After I set the drinks down on the coffee table, Jesse wrapped his arm around my waist and kissed my cheek. I giggled and turned around and kissed him on his lips. Then I pulled away, realizing we had guests.

Paul was looking at us, his eyebrows raised. He just shook his head at us and went back to talking with his girlfriend.

We didn't want our guests to drink too much, since we kind of wanted tonight to ourselves and all. We didn't want people staying over because they were too intoxicated to drive.

Actually, I sent Brad and Jake on their way, because I knew they'd be drinking a lot and I didn't want to be held responsible if anything happened.

We were all a tiny bit buzzed, but we were talking about marriage and how it was for Jesse and I so far.

"Well," I said, looking at Jesse. "It's been quite blissful so far."

Jesse raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. He knew what I was implying.

Adam laughed and CeeCee giggled. Paul just looked disgusted. But I can't really blame him. I know he still had feelings for me and talking about Jesse and I . . . well, I don't think it really was big for him.

But then why was he trying to get me to talk about us on our honeymoon?

He was probably just trying to get a rise out of me.

Soon enough, everyone was leaving and Jesse and I were all alone. I helped him clean up everything from the party.

And while he was cleaning some dishes, I came up behind him and slid my arms around his waist. He turned around, smiled, and leaned down and kissed me tenderly but fervently.

When he pulled away, I reached behind him and shut the running water off. He smiled down at me and scooped me up in his arms and carried me to our bedroom.

He laid me down on the bed and came up over me. I grinned up at him and he just grinned right back down at me.

And, let me just say, if you just get Jesse slightly buzzed, he's all over you. I knew, before it even happened, that it would be . . . excellent.

And, believe me, it was.

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Disclaimer: The Mediator characters and series is owned my Meg Cabot, 'cause she's awesome.