A/N: Hey! How's it going? I'm glad you're still reading and this is a shorter chapter than the rest. I hope Italics is working now because it didn't before and it'd help a lot with the Spanish and stuff. lol You can tell I went a little overboard with it hehehe.

Well, I hope you like it. :-)

SUZE'S POV--

Lucero and I walked around to the backdoor of Rosa's house, tiptoeing around plants that looked suspiciously like Poison Oak until we found ourselves at a back window. There wasn't any glass, but thick, iron bars in a flowery pattern blocking any intruders from entering.

Lucero put her finger to her lips, telling me to hush, then leaned up against the wall and stuck her hand into the house, knocking on the wall as loud as she could, which wasn't very loud considering that this was Adobe. After realizing that no one would hear her that way, she bent over and picked up a stone off the ground. While I watched from around the corner, she hit it hard against the iron bars, but just soft enough so that no one would get suspicious.

After a moment's knocking, a tall, thin woman walked into the room. She, too, was wearing a big, flowery hoopskirt, and soft pink gloves on her arms. Her back was toward us and she appeared to be digging through a bag on her desk. Lucero then groaned softly and actually threw the rock inside so that it hit the desk she was leaning up against. I put my hand to my mouth, stifling a laugh.

Rosa squealed and turned around. Seeing her good friend at the window instead of some rugged cowboy, the look in her eyes quickly changed from one of surprise to a look of anger, or possibly disappointment.

She rushed over to the window, her heals clicking on the tiled floor and her dress dragging beneath her. "Lucero," she cried in a thick Spanish accent. "Is that you?"

"Yes," Lucero hissed. "Now will you just let me in before someone sees us?" Rosa nodded and disappeared into the hallway, emerging later from the side door, letting us walk swiftly through the hallway and into her bedroom.

I wandered inside, my arms crossed tightly in front of me. Rosa spoke to Lucero in whispered, exasperated Spanish as she leaned forward and picked up a silver mirror and pushed a dark curl out of her eyes.

"Quiero que me hagas un favor. Esta muchacha no tiene adonde que ir y no familia," she declared, picking up a hair brush and running it through her silky black mane. "This girl does not have where to go and does not have family. Ella no puede permanecer con mí porque Hector vive con nosotros. We can't live with me because my brother is there."

Rosa nodded slowly. Clearly, she wasn't understanding what we wanted her to. "Y que quieres que yo hago?" She asked, one eyebrow raised. "What do you want me to do?"

Lucero turned around, a bored look on her face. "Well, I want her to stay here with you of course." I smiled from the corner. It was so nice that she was willing to go through ALL this trouble, just so I wouldn't end up living on the streets or something. I'd really developed a sincere appreciation for this girl, you know?

Rosa's mouth dropped open and she shook her head. "Absolutely not! Sabes que mi papa me va a matar!" She cried in disgust, but then observed me quietly for a second. "She seems really nice and everything, Lucero, but you know she can't stay here."

Okay. So as you can see, it would take more than a little persuasion to get Rosa to give in, but after some serious groveling on both of our parts, she finally sighed with defeat, telling us she'd talk to her Grandparents (who she lived with) about it. Lucero got really excited at this point, saying that she was positive Rosa's grandparents would allow me to stay with her.

And sure enough, they did. The only room they had left was a very small one that used to belong to a servant of theirs, I was told, with only a small cot and a table with a candle. So it wasn't the luxury suite I would've liked during my stay in the all-popular tourist spot, nineteeth-century Carmel, California, but it was decent. At least I would have a roof over my head. Granted, it'd be a very small roof, atop a very small room, and I'd be sleeping in a very small bed, but it would do. It'd have to.

Rosa's grandmother was a real sweetheart. She was an old, tired looking woman but had such a warm smile. Wrinkles carved into her dark brown skin and her hands looked over worked and gnarled. Yet she was very kind to us girls, understanding everything Lucero explained to her.

Her voice was soft and crackling as she said, "I remember when I was your age. By then, I was married to your grandfather, Rosa. We were very much in love and I know those feelings that you get when you're that age. You love this person more than anything, you can't spend a day without thinking of them." I smiled, recognizing these as the exact feelings I felt toward Jesse.

We sat around her on Rosa's bed, her grandmother sitting in the middle. Rosa sat by her legs and her grandma was braiding her long, black hair, smiling as she spoke of her childhood for what could have been hours but only felt like minutes. The stories only got more interesting the longer we listened, making me forget about everything I'd endured that whole day. It all seemed kind of worthwhile, listening to this one woman's little piece of history.

Eventually Lucero had to go home, since it was getting late, but Rosa and I insisted on walking back with her to meet her sisters. We had to trample through this small field to get back to her home, and Lucero assured us it was a shortcut. While they treaded forward, I stopped in the middle, my head tilted toward the sky.

It glowed a deep, indescribable violet with stars twinkling above. Millions and millions of them. I'd never seen so many in my entire life. Maybe it was because there was no light pollution here, but it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.

I even recognized a few constellations, the ones Jesse had been trying to teach me. Orion, the hunter, and Taurus, the bull. I smiled to myself in the dark at having remembered all of that.

We'd be sitting on the roof, and my head would rest on his shoulder as he pointed up into the heavens, naming the stars and constellations as he went along. Though, according to me, I wasn't really listening. All I could think of was how perfect that moment was and how great it was that I'd met such a perfect guy who was smart and hot. Not once during that time did the reality that he was a ghost cross my mind. Not even for a second. I was just lost in the moment.

The girls called me from near the house, waving me over. I smiled as I picked up the bottom of my skirt and followed them inside.

Okay. So you all know I don't scare easily. I mean, I could battle a pack of vengeful ghosts in the middle of the ocean, or exorcise an angry, suicidal ghost, or even be alone in a car, in the middle of nowhere, with a murderer and barely break a sweat. (Alright, not literally.) But, I swear, when I saw her standing there, her lips pursed and her hands on her hips, my blood went cold in my veins.

"W-what's she d-doing here?" I choked.

JESSE'S POV--

"Hey Jesse," Will said, hitting me on the shoulder. I was in the town's general store, picking up some supplies for the ranch, when I ran into Will Hanson, a good friend of mine.

He was from out east. Missouri, actually. A real cowboy, my sisters always say. But then again, they are always sighing and acting very shy around him, fascinated by his bright blonde hair and radiant blue eyes, even though he has a girlfriend.

Will moved to California last year when he heard about the gold rush. He'd only made a small fortune in the end, but he was just thankful that he hadn't lost anything or even broken even, like so many others had. But for him, it was enough to buy a small home around this area and start a small ranch for himself.

"How's it goin'?" he laughed, picking up a box of cigars and reading the back of it.

"Ah, I've been okay," I said with a grim face as I followed Will to the front of the store. "Up until last night, that is."

This suddenly sparked Will's interest because as he was paying I began to walk out the front door, but he jumped in front of me and put a hand on my shoulder and went, "Wait, Jesse, what? What happened last night, I mean?"

(a/n: lol Lolly this reminds me of you lol)

I laughed dryly and pushed him aside, keeping my eyes averted to the ground."Will, you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"No," he called, following closely behind. "Tell me, Jesse. I'm your friend, I promise I won't think you're crazy." I turned around and he was grinning broadly. I didn't see what was so funny. I honestly didn't.

His grin faded as soon as he saw the look on my face. "Aw, come on Jesse don't be that way. Tell me what's going on, that's all I want to know." And boy, did he ever want to know. I swear, Will reminds me of my little four-year-old sister sometimes instead of a full grown man in his twenties, he's so stubborn. The whole way back to my house, he would not stop talking about it, and insisted I tell him what was wrong with me.

I stopped halfway there, ignoring his pleas, and walked down to a small stream that ran through the area. Once near the water, I took a seat on a rock under a bridge and picked up a smooth, silver stone, tossing it across the water. I watched through squinted eyes as it skipped along the clear water and made small splashes. Will joined me a second later, a thick, brown cigar held tightly between his teeth.

A puff of smoke drifted up into the air as he looked at me, his eyes twinkling a bright blue. "Look, I'm sorry. If you don't want to talk about it then let's not talk about it. "

I chuckled. "Yeah, thanks," I said, nodding more than a few times. It was silent for a second except for the soft chirping in the tree above us and an occassional plop as Will tossed a few pebbles into the stream.

The silence was so unbearable for a second that I muttered, "Oh, what the hell. Actually, Will, there is a problem." His face lit up and a sly smile spread slowly across his face.

"Hey," he said, punching me across the shoulder playfully. "Hey, hey. So, what's it about, Jesse? Uh, your parents, your sisters... A girl?" He paused for a second and looked at me. "It is about a girl, isn't it?" He laughed bis trademark, loud infectious laugh.

"Her name is Susannah," I confessed. Will's eyebrows raised higher. "I met her last night. I know it sounds strange, but, well... I feel like I've met her before, Will. It's strange, since I just met her, but I really care about this girl."

Will let out a long, low whistle. "You got it bad my friend. Real bad."

"Yes, well, there is really nothing I can do about it. My parents would never accept her." I shook my head, defeated. "It's late, so I guess I should be leaving. I will see you later, amigo. Adios."

I got to my feet and walked up the jagged rocks. From there, it only took about five minutes to get back home and, thankfully, Will didn't bombard me with as many questions as I thought he would and only followed behind, silent and respectful. That is, at least, until we got back to my home.

I knew from the small train of horses standing restlessly in front of the house that my father was home. I walked faster only to be caught in the arms of an old woman, who squealed pleasantly in Spanish as she pulled my face to her lips, planting several big kisses on my face. I heated up and turned a deep, deep shade of red.

It was my aunt. She must have come back with my father from his trip. My uncle was also here. But that meant that if they were here, then--

Will let out another long, low whistle, scratching his head. He pointed forward, saying, "Whoa, Jesse, that her? Is that Susannah?"

I shook my head wildly. "No," I whispered, baffled. "That's my cousin.... Maria."

A/N: Alrighty then. I know it was shorter than the others but I was kinda stuck and just wanted to get something posted. Alright?

Okay, and Paul's POV is coming up soon, don't worry. The next chapter. Review?

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