A/N: I know I said that this would be the last chapter, but my original plans have changed. A lot. So it's not the last chapter. I've got a at least a few more after this one. Wasn't going to post this quite yet, but hope u like it!

Disclaimer: NOT MINEEEEE!!

Dedications: Wow. A LOT of people guessed correctly the identity of the Spirit in the last chapter. You guys are good. Or was it just too easy? Anyway, the reviewers who guessed correctly include: Sweet-and-Sexy-That's-MY-Jesse, Querida101, MarcyPlayground, book pirate, Crujido de Coco, biddy-grub, and acavoo in that order. This chapter is dedicated to all of you!!

Scrooged: Chapter 6: Redemption

"I think I know you," I whispered.

Her face was covered in shadow, but I could almost feel her smile. "I think you do," she replied as she lifted back the hood.

As the Spirit lifted back her hood, curly chestnut locks cascaded down her shoulders. I looked into her eyes, which I was not surprised to find were emerald in color. She looked sad. If I had looked in a mirror, I'm sure I would have found our expressions to be exact replicas.

The Suze standing in front of me looked a few years older, perhaps in her early twenties. These extra couple of years showed more than they should have. Worry was etched across her features, forming slight wrinkles in her forehead.

She smiled, but it was a fake smile, empty of all emotion. It looked odd, out of place on her otherwise weary features.

"Jesse?" I breathed. That was all I could get out before nearly bursting into tears again.

She got my meaning though. Spirit Suze sighed. "He's…He's not so good."

I sniffled and then, involuntarily, I could feel tears welling again in my eyes. I couldn't help but think that I'd cried more in the past ten minutes than I had in most of my nineteen years. What was wrong with me?

"Suze-" the Spirit Me began in an attempt to comfort me.

I interrupted her. She was trying to make me feel better, but I didn't deserve to feel better. Never again. Not until I fixed this mess I had created. "I know what I have to do," I said sadly, unable to look her-um, me-in the eyes. I stared at my feet. This wasn't going to be easy.

As I looked back into Spirit Suze's piercing green eyes, I saw her nod. Then, without another word, she shimmered and disappeared.

A lone tear escaped my defenses and fell freely down my cheek, leaving a wet, glistening trail.

00 Morning 00

I awoke in heap of blankets on my bed. Stretching and yawning, I sat up. Then I remembered. The lessons of each of the Spirits were clear in my mind.

Little Tooth-Fairy-Ghost-Girl was the first. Lily. She had died on Halloween a couple years back. I felt I owed it to her to help her figure out what was holding her back. She had after all helped me to realize what a disaster my life had become by showing me what it used to be.

I called to her, but no one answered. LILY!!! I called again, louder this time. Still, there was no response. I called once more, but it was no use. Lily was no longer on this earth. She had accomplished whatever was holding her back and she'd moved on. I smiled happily.

Next was Paul. The same Paul who'd always been scheming, trying to break Jesse and me up. Though in the end, it seemed I had done that myself. It was this same Paul who just hours earlier had encouraged me to change, to make up with Jesse. It appeared I wasn't the only one who'd changed.

Then came the third and final Spirit, who at first had been terrifying and silent but who had eventually spoken and given me that last push that I needed. I had to change, I realized. For myself…but mostly for Jesse.

I remembered the events so clearly and yet I found myself unsure as to whether they had happened at all. Was it all just a dream?

A voice in the back of my head, a voice that had remained silent for two whole years now spoke up to answer me. I think they call it a conscience.

Does it really matter? it asked.

I smiled. There was just something about today.

I ran to my bedroom window and threw it open. I breathed in the pure Carmel air.

"You there," I called out to a boy passing on the street. He looked up at me. "What day is it today?"

"Why it's Christmas Day, of course!" he answered.

It was still Christmas. I hadn't missed it. I wasn't too late to change that horrible scene, the letters engraved into that gray tombstone overgrown with weeds.

It was time to get up. There was much work to be done.

00 About an Hour Later 00

The doorbell made a soft, musical noise as I raised a shaking finger to it, pressing it down slowly.

Part of me, a scared part, wanted to run and hide in the bushes. But a larger part knew that I had to do this. I had to change what I had seen.

I stood there for a moment, waiting.

Inside, I heard heavy footsteps coming closer. It was him.

With every new step, the part of me that wanted to hide grew larger and larger. I couldn't do this. It wasn't too late to hide. I could still make a run for it.

But just as I turned around, ready to dash into the nearest bushes, the door opened and I was face-to-face with Jesse once again.

To say he looked surprised to see me would be a huge understatement. He stared at me in astonishment, unable to say a word.

"Jesse," I whispered to break the silence. He still didn't move or speak.

I didn't know what to say. I had rehearsed what I would say to him when I saw him again so many times over the past two years, but all the lines had suddenly floated right out of my head. Was it a mistake to come here? He probably didn't even want to see me.

What he did next made me realize that though this man was older and probably no longer in love with me, he was the same Jesse I remembered. He remembered his manners before he remembered how to form words and stepped aside from the doorway. "Would you like to come in?" he finally asked.

I nodded and walked over the threshold, my heart pounding.

"Susannah-" he started, but I cut him off.

"Oh, Jesse!" I said. "I'm so so so so so so so so-" He looked at me, slightly impatient. "-so so so so sorry!" I finished.

He didn't say anything. Didn't even react. He just stood there.

It was a mistake to come."

I turned to walk out the door, but he put his hand on my shoulder, stopping me.

Slowly, I turned to face him.

A tear had slipped again through my barriers, unnoticed.

"Susannah-" he said.

I couldn't take it. I couldn't do this.

I ran.

And this time, he didn't run after me.

R&R