Disclaimer: All of the original and familiar characters are property of Meg Cabot and her series The Mediator, but the plot and new faces are property of me.

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Chapter 6

"Paul! What the hell was that?" I ask furiously stuffing my arms into my jacket and trying to keep up with Paul's fast pace. "What could Sister Ernestine want from me?"

"She needs to talk to you about Father Dominic, of course," he says while shooting a smile down my way. I can't resist softening up a little. I relax my shoulders. We walk down towards the Mission and away from Jesse. "But," Paul says when we are out of sight of Jesse and the graveyard, "I do have to talk to you first."

Paul takes a hold of my upper arm, and pulls me into a broom closet. We are really close and I can smell his expensive colon made to make him smell like a man. Jesse, doesn't need that stuff to smell like a man, I can't help but think. Paul's hand finds it's way into my shoulder. There is such little light, that I can barely make out the outline of his face. But I know his face by heart, because well, it's a good-looking face.

"Suze, I have to ask you something." Paul says while leaning away from me a little bit. I guess it was to make it more "friendly" between us, but this just makes me loose all perspective of the room.

"Ask away Paul; ask away." I try and shift my feet in my Jimmy Choo boots, but I misstep and end up falling against Paul's chest. Something that I know for a fact looks really good naked.

"Is there anything wrong with you and Jesse, because if you need a guy's opinion; I will give you an honest one. You can talk to me about anything. You know that, right, Suze?"

I can just see the puppy-dog look in his eyes, and I want to say yes. But that fact is, I don't know if I completely trust Paul right now. I mean, eventually, I'll forgive him, but right now, there's just something about how he and Jesse pull away from each other to really make me think that Paul has the best intentions in his heart, even if he himself doesn't realize it.

I decide to just nod my head and say sure. Paul lets out a sigh and smiles down at me when we come out of the closet. I glance down the hallway, to make sure that no one will see us coming out, and then I proceed onto Sister Ernestine's office, to talk to her. Paul follows.

"Suze, I was wondering when you would finally show up. Could you not find her Paul?" Sister Ernestine says while I take a seat in her office.

"No," says Paul still standing with his back against the wall. "We just got held up."

Sister nods her head, and then sets me with a cold look. She has always had it in for me. I try my best to give her my best sincere smile.

"Suze, I have been wondering," Sister says while taking her throne, I mean, seat. "How have you been handling our dear Father Dominic's death? It was sudden, yes, and I know how close you two were. I want you to know that Paul is my best pupil, and you can come to me or him or any of the other Sisters if you ever need to talk about anything. Anything at all."

I am in shock when these kind words bubble out of Sister's mouth. I don't even think I blink.

Sister turns to Paul, "Is she alright, dear?"

"She's fine. It's just been rough having to come back here without Father D. around. But we can still feel his spirit." Paul comes over to me, and puts an arm around my shoulder. "Come on, Suze, I'll walk you back to class."

Sister looks at Paul with pure admiration, and I want to puke. She is just trying to fill her "good Samaritan" quota for the day, I think viciously. When Paul guides me out of her office, I yank away from his grip when I see Father Dominic's ghost right in front of us. I rush up to him and give him a good hug.

"Hello Susannah. Paul." Father D. says while hugging me back, and then letting me go quickly. He was never really one for physical show of emotions.

"What's going on, Father Dom?" Paul asks quite rudely. And I want to smack him, which I do.

Paul stumbles for a moment, but regains his composure, while I get an ear-full from Father. "Susannah, there is no reason for behavior like that!" Blah, Blah, Blah.

Paul looks at me, and I know that he knows that I was right to hit him, and that if he ever takes that tone of voice again with Father he'll get more than a slap.

"I'm sorry Paul," I say while giving a side glance at Father Dom. I know he doesn't want me to be mean to Paul, especially when he's the only other one of "our kind" I know. I mean sure, Jesse can see ghosts and whatnot, but he isn't a shifter, as Paul insists we call ourselves.

"No problem," Paul says and then turns to Father Dom. "Well good seeing you Father D. but I got to go. Suze, I'll call you later, okay?" And then Paul walks away without a glance back.

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"So, Father D. I don't mean to be rude, but is there anything you need?" I ask.

"Actually no, but I was wondering what Sister wanted with you."

"Well, she just wanted to know if I was okay. Wait? Why didn't you just come on in and listen for yourself?"

"Oh Susannah, I'm really not cut out for this ghost stuff. I still use doors," Father sits down on the ledge.

"I thought you couldn't touch things."

"Well no, I walk through doors. But in thought that is still using them." Father's face look really sad, and I want to give him a hug, but then the bell rings, and I look around as students pour into the hallways coming back from lunch.

"I guess you better go, Susannah, I don't want you to be late for class. I will talk to you later." Father Dom stands up and smiles fatherly down at me.

"You know where to find me," I say and smile up at him. Then I walk off down the hallway and into Medical Science. CeeCee glances up at me while I take my seat. She puts her magazine down, and asks, "So where were you?"

"Ceece," I say, but then this guy walks into class, and everyone stops talking. We all stare, even Paul, who is sitting in the back of the room with Kelly, who can't keep her hands off of him.

"Hello," the guy says and smiles at the class. It's a nice smile if I say so myself. "I'm Marc Baumann. I'm your new Medical Sciences teacher. I am a MD, and I went to school in Britain, where I grew up. You guys can call me Marc if you want to. Being called Mr. Baumann just makes me feel old." There's a collective laugh.

Now that I think about it, I can hear the British accent, which is almost as sexy as Jesse's Spanish one. Reluctantly (well maybe) I slip into a daydream.

CeeCee nudges me; she has turned bright pink. I snap out of my little hallucination, and see that Marc, I mean Mr. Baumann, no Marc, is staring right at me.

"Let's go through the role, shall we?" Marc calls out names, in no particular order. "Paul? CeeCee? Kelly? Amanda?" And so forth… I am the last person he calls on. "Susannah?"

"Actually," I begin, while looking at his gorgeous eyes, "I prefer Suze, if you don't mind."

"Not at all," Marc says, almost flirtatious, I dare to say. He smiles down at the piece of paper, while making a note.

"So," he says while glancing around the classroom, "what was the last thing you covered?"

Amanda, the brain of the class, raises her hand. She is the Hermione of the school. "We just got done with the heart, and we were going to move onto the nervous system next."

Marc looks pleased at this, "Okay, well I guess you all can get out your books and read the chapter; we'll begin notes tomorrow."

With a groan, the class gets out our books, and we begin reading. I am half way through the long chapter, when Marc stops in front of my desk.

I look up at him. "Can I see you after class, Suze?" He asks, and the class 'ooh's'.

"Um, yes," I whisper. I just stare at my book again, but don't read anymore for the rest of the class period.

At the bell, I pack up my things slowly. Marc is sitting behind his new desk, and I walk up to him when I'm done packing.

"You wanted to see me?" I ask.

"Yes, Suze," Marc says, his British accent coming out in full bloom, and it makes me go weak in the knees. "I know that you have suffered a great loss with the Father Dominic situation, but I want you to know that I was good friends with Father Dominic, and he has told me a lot about you. And well, if you need any help with anything, just let me know, and I will do anything I can to help."

I am shocked at this announcement, but I should have known better. Father Dom had lots of friends, he would have told good friends about me. Now about my powers on the other hand, I'm not so sure about. I nod my head, and turn to leave. And when I'm at the door, Marc says, "Oh, and Suze, if you see Father Dominic around, would you mind sending him my way, I have a couple of papers I would like him to look over for me."

I look back aghast, but I can't say anything, because I have to go.