A/N: Another update! Sorry it's so short, but I'll make it up to you in the next chapter.

Disclaimer: All characters you recognize property of my idol, Meg Cabot. I also borrowed the nickname Rico Suave from SASTMJ. I didn't even realize it until someone pointed it out. Sorry 'bout that!

Scrooged: Chapter 5: Tears and Tombstones

I was not one to be scared, but I feared the ghost of Christmas Future more than any ghost I'd ever met before. And I had met a lot of ghosts in my life time.

This spirit was covered from head to toe in a black cloak, the hood pulled low to shadow its face. The wardrobe of this spirit was almost identical to that of the one in A Christmas Carol.

Wordlessly, the Spirit offered me its hand. "Are you to show me what has not yet occurred but what shall be if I don't change?"

The spirit nodded. I found its silence to be the most frightening thing I'd ever encountered. With a shaking hand, I grabbed the hand offered to me, closed my eyes, and hoped. I hoped that my fate would not resemble that of Ebenezer in the movies.

I hoped that what I would see would be less fearsome than this spirit whose hand was clutched tightly in mine. Most of all, I hoped that the future would see me together again with the man I loved.

When I opened my eyes, I was standing in front of a rusting, iron fence. Beyond it were hundreds of headstones.

The cemetery.

The Spirit led me wordlessly through the gate and to the graves beyond.

"Wh-Why have you taken me h-here?" I asked, though I thought I knew the answer already.

We stopped before a small tombstone overgrown with weeds. I looked to the Spirit for direction and it was to this small grave that the Spirit raised one slightly shaking finger.

Dreading every step, I moved closer to the tomb. I forced my eyes shut and prepared myself for the worst.

After a few deep breaths, each held for a count of ten, just like my anger-management counselor had instructed, I opened my eyes.

Hector "Jesse" de Silva, the headstone in front of me read.

I gasped. This was not what I'd expected.

The words inscribed into the stone blurred as tears filled my eyes, threatening to overflow. For once, I let them come. I welcomed the tears, for they clouded my vision, protecting me from the terrible truth of the words in front of me.

"He was fine," she Spirit said sadly and I was startled by the sound. Up till now, the Spirit had said not a word. I found I no longer feared her. After seeing what I had seen, nothing seemed to matter anymore anyway.

The Spirit, to my surprise, was definitely a woman. She sounded older than me, but not much.

"Up until the day he died, he was fit as a fiddle. One day, he just stopped being okay. The doctors did every test imaginable, but they could find nothing wrong with him." The Spirit paused, took a deep breath, and said, "They say he lost the will to live."

Those words cut like a knife through the heart. I could feel all the color drain from my face. My fingernails dug painfully into the palms of my hands as an involuntary shudder ripped through me. I fell to my knees at the grave and sobbed.

It couldn't be.

"Suze," the Spirit said, her voice sounding strange, as if she herself was struggling not to cry. "I'm sorry."

"I know," was all I could manage between gasping sobs.

The Spirit patted me softly on the back, something my mother used to do when I was young to calm me. It worked even now.

She offered me her hand and we shifted back.

For a moment, there was only silence. It was not awkward nor frightening as it had been before. It became a welcome sound, broken only by my occasional sobs.

Then, the Spirit spoke up.

"Follow your heart," she instructed. "It will serve you well."

I nodded sadly, the image of Jesse's grave still fresh in my mind. I couldn't let this happen.

I knew what I had to do, but itt wasn't going to be easy.

"I think I know you," I whispered suddenly and as I said the words, I knew they were true. Perhaps for the first time that night.

Though her face was covered in shadow, I could almost feel her smile. It was not a joyful smile. It was full of sadness and remorse. I knew this smile well.

"I think you do," she replied as she lifted back her hood.

R&R. The next chapter will be dedicated to whoever can guess correctly who the Spirit is. I've given plenty of clues as to her identity throughout this chapter. The next chapter will be posted just as soon as I either recieve three reviews or someone guesses who the Spirit is!