A/N: Howdy y'all. First of all I want to apologize to certain reviewers. Thank you so much for reading my story and reviewing. I feel terrible that I didn't update for so long. I have been really busy. My uncle drowned while we were camping over the summer so even after we got home I wasn't really in the writing mood. Sorry. Because I didn't write a lot I kinda lost track of the notebook that I keep all of my stories in and since I have severe short-term memory loss I forgot what I wrote! Unh Emma moment. Anyways, further apologies on my last chapter. I do realize that it was all filler. I had a brain cramp and felt bad for not updating soon enough. Back to my notebook I found it in a backpack I thought I threw out because of that damn duck! Long story, check my profile if you don't like being lost. Also, about Tristan, my best friend's last name isn't DuGrey (I had just finished watching Gilmore Girls and he thought that my story would attract stalkers so I used DuGrey). Also, I realize that some of my facts are off, but I changed them to suit my story. Well here is my next chapter, Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Hmm…who is that beautiful woman in my mirror? You know it kinda looks like Meg Cabot. Hunh, imagine that. Aww hell, who am I trying to kid! It's just me. A random person that does not own Suze or Jesse (sigh) but likes to twist their lives to fulfill her weird fantasies! (but is still beautiful lol)
Chapter 3: In the Beginning…
The man I woke up next to wasn't dead. He was alive and breathing. Oh, and I was in the year 1850.
When I had finally fallen asleep, Jesse had been sitting on the window seat reading Bridges of Madison County for about the tenth time, and it was the year 2005. When I woke up, I wasn't in the pink, frilly room that my mom had decorated for me. I was in a blue room. Light blue wallpaper with random smatterings of rose buds adorned the wall. The comfortable four poster bed I was lying in was covered with a blue, patch-work quilt. There was even a blue-speckled chamber pot (eww) and wash pan. Everything was blue.
Despite the color change, I could tell it was still my room from the bay-window that overlooked Carmel. Even with all of the trees and scattered farm houses that had replaced the buildings I remembered, I could make out the dome of the mission. What was going on?
My thoughts were interrupted when a warm appendage circled the purple bodice of my dress. Holy crap! Bodice? Something was definitely screwy here. I threw the offending appendage off of me and sprung off the bed. Let me tell you something. Springing isn't exactly easy in this hideous dress I was wearing. That thing must have weighed 20 lbs.! Needless to say my landing wasn't exactly graceful. In fact, I landed on the floor with a loud 'thump'.
The person that still resided in the bed slowly yawned and did a full body stretch, pushing the covers down so that I could see the person. It was Jesse.
"Su…Su…Susannah, is that you?" he yawned again and cracked his eyes open so that he could see me. Hold the phone. Jesse just woke-up. How could that be? Ghosts don't sleep. Come to think of it, he was under the covers. Why would he need covers? I studied him closely and noticed the subtle rise and fall of his chest.
I let out a gasp, causing him to fully open his eyes. "Susannah, is everything all right?" I stared in amazement. Jesse was alive.
"What are you talking about, Querida?" Oh shit, I think I just spoke out loud.
"Susannah, what do you mean 'alive'," he breathed. I slowly inhaled and regained the ability to speak. "Jesse, you are breathing." I barely whispered the last word but he still heard me. He looked at me as if he didn't understand and then he looked at his hands as if he'd never seen them before. He flipped them over and studied the backs. Haltingly, as if he was trying to decide what to do, he lifted the rest of the covers off of his body and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Cautiously he set his feet down onto the ground and tested his weight.
He bounced on his toes experimentally and then looked at Susannah is awe. "I'm alive?" He chuckled softly to himself, "I'm alive!" Then, he burst out laughing. Ok, great. Whatever had happened to send me back to the 1800s had also made the love of my life crazy and stuck me in a really heavy dress. Although, I have to admit, the cut and color is kinda flattering.
Jesse's inquiries interrupted my thoughts, "What happened? How could this be? How could we be back in the boarding house? I'm alive and you're…," apparently he hadn't noticed my outfit until now, "…What are you wearing?" He inspected my outfit and then returned his gaze to my face.
Hmm….lots of good questions there.
"I-I don't know what happened. I mean one minute I was having this really good dream and then the next I wake-up in…oh-no." I closed my eyes. Damn. He warned me about this.
He gave me that look and then asked, "What does 'oh-no' mean, Susannah?" His eyes were boring into me waiting for an answer. How was I supposed to explain this, 'Oh yeah, Jesse, I was dreaming about marrying you and accidentally shifted us here?' I don't think so. I gulped, "Um…I think-I think I shifted us here." I bit my lip and started to chant a silent mantra in my head, 'Please don't ask questions, please don't ask questions.'
"How exactly did that come to be Querida?" Damn. "I guess I was dreaming about life in the 1800s and then—no that couldn't be it. I'd have had to have touched something from the 1800s." He was silent for a moment, looking contemplative.
"Like me?" Like Jesse? What could he mean by that?
"Yeah that's possible. Did," I hesitated, "Did you touch me while I was sleeping?" I squinted my eyes and could've sworn that I saw Jesse blush. Then again, it could've just been a trick of the light. Shoot. He stuttered and cleared his throat.
"I was removing the book from your hands and I guess I must've accidentally touched you." Oh, so that means it wasn't intentional. Hold on, "I wasn't reading a book." I swear that he turned a shade darker and was about to answer when someone knocked on the door.
"Jesse, are you awake yet?" All of the color drained from Jesse's face and he cut his gaze to the closed door. There was another knock followed by, "I hope you are decent because I am coming in." The knob began to turn and I rushed to stand behind the door. Well I don't know if 'rushed' is the right word. How did women move in these skirt things? I just made it when the door swung open to reveal a man about Jesse's age. He was about 6' tall with wavy, blonde hair, tan skin, and blue eyes. If I wasn't completely in love with Jesse, I think I would've swooned on the spot.
Jesse hadn't moved or spoken since the guy had walked in and it looked like all of the color that my question had brought to his face had disappeared. Tristan gave Jesse a questioning look and exclaimed, "Are you ok Jesse? You look like you've seen a ghost!" At the mention of the word ghost, Jesse's eyes focused and some of the color returned to his cheeks.
"Yes I'm fine I was just…thinking about something." The guy nodded his head in understanding and said, "Take a deep breath Jess. Maria will understand when you break the engagement. Don't worry. Everything will work out fine." I have to admit this shocked me, Jesse told this guy he was planning on breaking his engagement with Maria? They must have been really close.
Jesse quickly replied, "Thank you, Tristan. I'm fine, just dreading her reaction." The guy, apparently named Tristan, laughed and commented, "I don't blame you. I wouldn't want to be in you situation either. Are you coming downstairs or what?" Looking a little skeptical, he waited for Jesse's answer. "I'll be down in a little bit, just trying to figure out what I'm going to say to her." Accepting Jesse's answer, Tristan turned and walked out the door shutting it behind him.
I let out a sigh of relief when I heard his retreating footsteps and stepped out from behind the door. Further stepping out of the shelter of the doorway, I questioned Jesse, "Who was that? We're you friends? Or is he on Maria and Diego's side? What—"the rest of my tirade was cut off when Jesse responded, "His name is Tristan DuGrey. He is—was—my best friend. He married my sister…" he paused to think about it, "next year. No, he isn't on Maria and Diego's side. He tried to look for me after I died, that's how he and my sister got so close."
"Oh." Was all I could manage before the door burst open, revealing none other than Tristan himself. He obviously didn't see me right away because he started ranting, "Jesse, I know you. Something isn't right with you and I'm not talking about your breaking up with Maria. Something…" his eyes focused on me and he trailed off. For a moment nobody spoke, and then Jesse decided to introduce me.
Clearing his throat he started, "Tristan, I don't believe you've met Susannah. She is…" all at once he seemed at a loss for words. Quickly covering I continued with his thought, "I'm Maria's new maid. She sent me to tell Je—Hector that…." I couldn't think of anything to say. I didn't know anything about Maria besides the fact that she wanted to kill Jesse. I don't think that sharing that fact with Tristan would change the way he was looking at me.
Picking up where I left off Jesse finished, "She told me that Maria would be arriving later than she expected." Tristan looked quizzically at Jesse then turned his gaze to study me. Jesse could tell I was getting a little uncomfortable with Tristan eying me so he said, "She is also an old friend of the family. My mother actually got her the job as the maid recently." Diverting his attention from me Tristan turned his calculating stare to Jesse. After a moment he relented and shook his head. I don't think he believed our story.
Whether he believed us or not didn't matter because he nodded his head and said, "Ok. I expect to see you both downstairs. Soon." He must have seen my worried expression because he added, "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone you're up here. Alone. Together." Spinning on his heel he exited the room.
His words seemed to register with Jesse just as the door closed. Quickly following his friend, he swung the door open and came face to face with none other than Diego.