I'm so sorry it's been forever since I've updated. This is the last chapter! I hope you like it, I really didn't know how to end it…but I tried. So read, review and enjoy!

Chapter 9

I pulled into Paul's gargantuan driveway, shivering as I stared up at the huge glass house. The place gave me the same cold feeling that the Shadowland did…the same feeling Paul did.

I crossed my fingers and rang the doorbell. Mark—Slaski's attendant—opened the door.

"Suze! What a surprise! Paul's not here right now…"

I cut him off, "I'm not here to see Paul, actually, I'm here to talk to Mr. Slater."

Mark gave me a blank look, and I realized that your typical teenage girl did not visit other people's grandfathers without a reason. Well, I wasn't a typical teenage girl. I was a mediator.

…But I didn't really want him to know that…

"I'm doing an interview with some of Carmel's senior citizens for our school newspaper. We want to know what they think of the recent changes in our community, and how the town has changed over time," I flashed him my attempt at a 100 watt smile.

"Oh, how wonderful, I'm sure he'll love the company, come on in."

God I'm good.

I followed Mark down the hall, around some corners and finally he stopped in front of a door I had come to recognize, knocking firmly.

"Dr. Slater? Are you awake? You have a guest…" he pushed open the door.

Slaski was, as expected, drooling in front of the television. If he was surprised to see me, he didn't show it. But he didn't ever really express emotion. At least, not when other people could see him. For some reason, I didn't fit in that category.

"Can I get you a glass of water, or a soda Suze?" Wonderful. I needed him out of the room.

"Water would be great, thanks."

"And you Mr. Slater?"

He drooled in response.

Mark left the room and Slaski dropped the geriatric facade.

"Okay, I know you have something to do with this, or at least know what's going on, so would you do me a favor and go straight to the point? Mark is coming back any minute now."

"If you're refereeing to the fact that ghost boy is now alive, I had nothing to do with it."

I raised my eyebrow at him, "am I supposed to believe you have no idea how this happened?"

He frowned at me and wrinkled his forehead even more (if that was possible).

"I didn't say I knew nothing about it, just that I didn't have anything to do with it. I've only heard about one case of a ghost coming back to life, and that was years ago. Before I was born. And let me tell you girlie, that was a long time ago."

"So? How'd it happen?"

He smiled. Not a nice, sweet, old person smile either. But a rather malicious looking smile, so it caught me off guard when he said, "true love."

I gave a snort. What? You wouldn't have? It was pretty corny.

He continued, no longer looking at me, but out the enormous glass window with its million dollar view of the sea, "well…the ultimate sacrifice, more precisely. You would have given up everything for him. Your future, a life with someone alive…you know, the easy way out. Sometimes, things…intervene."

"Things?"

"I don't know. Why do you care anyway? Go be all lovey-dovey. You should just be happy that he's alive…"

And then Mark came in.

2 Months Later

I never did find out more about why Jesse had come alive. Paul didn't know, Father D didn't know, and if Slaski knew, he wasn't talking.

And you know? I'm not sure I even cared how it happened. I still wasn't to keen on the idea that there was some higher power messing around in my life, but hey, beggars can't be choosers.

I looked to my left and down toward the water. On a day like this, I didn't want to think about all the technical details. Adam was attempting to teach Jesse how to surf. Considering Adam doesn't know how to surf, they weren't making a whole lot of progress.

"So, how do you do that again?" Jesse looked over at Adam.

"Well, you just sort of…swing your leg up and you know, stand. Go on, try it." Adam gave Jesse an excited look.

Poor, poor Jesse.

Even though this kind of thing was a fairly regular scene, it still got to me. The feeling of being able to watch him be with my friends. Watching him have a normal summer vacation for the first time in over a century and a half. And the fact that college was going to start in the fall—for both of us.

That was a scary thought. He was going into his first year of med school. I was going to my first year of Community College. I had no idea what I wanted to be, but for now, I'd be near him, and that was all that mattered.

I got up out of the sand and brushed myself off, heading for Jesse.

"Are we getting anywhere?"

Adam gave me a look, "he's a bad student."

I grinned at him, "I think you're a bad teacher. He learns just fine." I grabbed Jesse's hand and tugged him toward the water. He followed me, laughing.

Adam trudged over to Cee Cee who had begun to shout at me for abandoning her from our (well, considering she couldn't) my tanning spot.

Jesse reached down and lifted my chin in his hand, smiling down at me. It really would have been a perfect moment, the sunset, the ocean….but, the seagulls.

I hate seagulls. If you live anywhere near an ocean in California, you hate them too. They poop on you, steal your lunch—I was cut off from my seagull thought pattern when his lips brushed mine. And I decided that (even with the seagulls) life, was just about perfect.

I really hope that you liked it! And once again, I'm sooooooooo sorry I took so long to update.