A/N: Ah! Paul at last! swoon

Or not. Depends if you're his fan or not.

Anyway, enjoy!

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Paul's POV

It was four thirty in the morning. I could not sleep. The absence of the usual lulling sound of the waves crashing into the rocks just a few yards below at Pops' house did not help either.

Getting up and shivering, I slipped on a shirt and made to the glass wall. Usually, the dark, shimmering sea and a faintly glowing sky would have greeted my eyes. Now it was only the light silhouette of the giant oak in the garden, the vast spread of ranch below and a mother bird soaring the sky in search of food.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I surveyed the quiet landscape. My thoughts turned to Suze and Jesse and the whole phantom of why we were still stuck a hundred and fifty years behind our time.

All of a sudden, I wanted to kick myself.

What the hell was wrong with me? We had been on this ranch for about two weeks already. Two weeks. And I still hadn't made any move.

My plan had been to just take Suze and shift back home and make her my girlfriend and live happily ever after. Doesn't sound difficult, does it? But here I was with not a clue as to why I was stalling.

OK, I admit that those past few days had been if not enjoyable then intellectual. Heck, I'd never need to research for our local history essays anymore. I had first hand experience. But still, it didn't mean that I could allow my new experiences to be an obstacle to my plan.

As the daylight began to seep in above the horizon, I came to a decision. And I would stick by it at all costs.

Josefina's POV

I tightened the tough string of my cloak around my neck. Walking over to the jewelled metal chest in the corner of my room – a gift from mi Padre on my fourteenth birthday – I opened the lid.

From inside, I pulled out a piece of parchment and an old book. The book's pages were yellow and stiff from age and the deep red of the leather cover was fading away.

I walked over to my bed and, sitting on it, I opened the book. Tears came to my eyes as I looked over the words and pictures in it. Towards the beginning, the handwriting was big and awkward but towards the end it had transformed into a small, neat script.

From the book, I looked around the small wooden box that was my room. But all the wood was just a façade. Inside the layers of timber was buried sixteen years of fond memories. Memories which were now to be bottled up and safely stored away forever in a corner of my heart. A corner that would never be explored again.

Silent streams of water flowing down my cheeks, I took out my bottle of ink and my pen and sat down at my desk. After posing with the pen hovering above the parchment for a moment, I began to write.

Jesse's POV

I was thinking about what Anthea had shown us four days ago. Actually, since my family and I had viewed the moving picture, I was always thinking about that. Everywhere. When I was eating, when I was riding, when I was spending my time with Susannah, all the time.

And now at five in the morning as I was feeding the cows in the barn, I was thinking about that.

"I think, Jesse, you will soon know what to do." Those had been Anthea's parting words to me. But four days had passed and I still didn't know what to do. How did all this concern me? I thought it was all about Susannah's and Slater's powers. I had just coincidentally been thrown into the chain of events.

It wasn't coincidence. You know it was fate, Jesse. You know it. You and Susannah were meant to be.

Groaning, I flung the bunch of hay in my hand away hard. Frustated, I squatted down with my head hung down. Everything was just so complicated. Why couldn't Susannah and I have been born in the same age and time? We could have led our lives happily with each other and died peacefully, knowing that we would be spending eternity underneath the springs of heaven in each other's embrace.

Finishing off with the feeding, I trudged home.

Another boring, unproductive day to look forward to.

Suze's POV

"Shit," I groaned as I started getting up from bed.

My neck had cramps from lying in the wrong position. Holding my hand to my neck, I propped myself up on one elbow and squinted at the clock. It was seven o'clock. Way past the normal waking time in the de Silva household. Actually in the whole 1850s. With another groan, I slid out of bed, pushed open the windows to let fresh air in, and headed for the bathroom.

Forty five minutes later, I emerged from the bathroom, drying my hair with a towel. As I walked over to my glass-topped vanity, I dreamily looked out of the bay windows. The sky was of the freshest forget-me-not blue, birds were chirping, the air smelt of honeysuckle and I could see a little open-air carriage rattling down the dust path of the garden. A typical 1850 ranch morning.

And the classic setting for an 1850 date with a gorgeous Wild West Spanish rancher, I thought.

I snorted. Jesse would never ever take me out alone without an escort to accompany us. He'd not want to "imbrue my honor" as he put it. As if the people around would even care about the de Silvas' houseguest's honor.

Hanging the towel on the back of my chair, I reached out for my hairbrush. Instead, my hand brushed a piece of paper. Looking at it, I realized it wasn't even paper. It was a little more yellow and thicker. It was parchment. Beside it was an old care-worn leather bound journal that I'd never seen before.

Puzzled as to what a piece of parchment was doing on my dressing table – I was very much satisfied with good old A4 paper, thank you – I picked it up. I was about to unfold it when there was a knock on my door.

"Come in," I called.

The door opened and revealed a flustered Mrs. de Silva. "Susannah," she started.

"Morning, Mrs. de Silva. Can I help you?" I said, getting up, the parchment still in my hand.

"Yes…ah, I mean…yes. Did you happen to see Josefina anywhere this morning?" she asked, her eyebrows raised expectantly.

"Ummm…no," I answered, my eyes narrowed in confusion. "Why?"

She frowned. "Really?" she said. She sighed irritably. "Well, then I suppose she's gone out for a solitary ride again…though she ought to be back by now…" Her voice trailed off as she turned back to go out.

Suddenly, I got a very bad feeling. I couldn't pinpoint the reason, but I just knew that Josefina hadn't gone out for a solitary ride. I just knew, you know?

Looking down at my hand, the one holding the parchment, I gulped. Slowly, I raised it closer to my face and unfolded it. Sinking into the chair, I began to read.

Dear Susannah,

Now that you are reading this letter, I must be far away already. I have written this to you because, I admit, I am scared to write this to any of my family. Scared that their love for me will welter because of what I have done.

Suze, do you remember that ball we went to some time before? Remember I seemed attracted to that new man, Victor Lozano? The one who Padre so crudely abused the next morning at breakfast. I have fallen in love with him and him with me.

I know that he has a past which is not, for lack of a better word, decent. But, Suze, what we have, it cannot be just an act. I know that it is not an act. He resents his past just as much as mi Padre rightfully does.

I have to face the truth. My parents will marry me off in a few years time. And I know for sure that their chosen son-in-law will not be Victor. And I cannot live with any other man but him.

Now, I think, you know exactly what I have done. I assure you that Victor and I will find peace somewhere in this vast land and we shall settle down to lead a quiet, honest life there.

Before I bid farewell, there is one more thing I have to tell. I know everything about what went on between you and Jesse's ghost in the future. We all know. My whole family and I. We were visited by Anthea a few nights ago and she showed us everything.

The thing is, I know that you love my brother. I know you love him very much. Suze, thank you. Thank you for giving him what he deserves. My older brother is the best man I have ever known and you don't know how thankful I am to you for giving him the love he always needed.

At the end of the show, Anthea told Jesse that he would soon know what to do. But I think he doesn't know what he is to do yet. I do. All I'll say is, take care of him, Suze. You will both live a joyous life together I know.

One more thing. I leave with you my diary. It has recorded everything event of my life since I was ten-years-old, including all my meetings with Victor. I hope to God that you will read it and understand and forgive me for my actions.

The sun is starting to rise and light up my beloved ranch. Victor is waiting for me at the road. I should go now. I beg you please convey my heartfelt love to my family and, on my behalf, beg for their forgiveness.

So I take your leave and, for the last time ever, I sign my name,

Josefina de Silva

I stood shocked as the piece of parchment fluttered out of my hand and lightly landed onto the floor.