A.N - Big jump of time. But then I swear we're getting on with the plot.

This has got to be my longest chapter. I'm proud. So enjoy guys.

Chapter 16

Jesse was right. School the next day wasn't as big of a chore as it normally was to him. Not so much after he had met Susannah but it was still an effort to get up early every day. But since their declaration of love the days got better and better. So he was right. The next day was good, the day after that was better. The day after that was better still.

Three months passed and now it was December and coming up to Christmas. They passed happily for Jesse as well as his 'official' girlfriend, as she had now been deemed by the rest of the school, and painfully for Paul.

Paul had been true to his promise over the last two months. He barely said two words to Suze except when he had to. It was killing him. Every time he saw her around school he ached to go up to her and teach her a thing or two about shifting. How to deal with the ever insistent Craig Jankow who was still plaguing his brother's every move. But he resisted the urge to talk to her. It would make his plan that much sweeter when he actually put it into motion.

------

Jesse wasn't at all interested in Shifter Lessons. The time he spent at Paul's house was more often then not spent thinking about Susannah. Recently his thoughts had involved Christmas present ideas considering the actual event was only two weeks away. The school was having their annual dance to celebrate the next week and was breaking up for the holidays a week after that.

"At least I won't have to see Paul for a whole two weeks." Jesse thought with a grin. "Two weeks to spend with my querida."

Every time Jesse thought about his girlfriend in Paul's presence resulted in a huge smile. Susannah was Jesse's. Not Paul's. And he loved rubbing it in the other boy's face.

"Hector!" Paul shouted.

"Sí?" Jesse responded distractedly.

"The point," Paul seethed, "of all of this is for you to actually listen. You may actually need it someday."

Jesse raised an eyebrow.

"Since when am I going to have to travel through time?" He asked sceptically. "It's not exactly something you do on an everyday basis."

"De Silva, either you listen, or I go back to bugging Suze."

That helped Paul get his point across.

Jesse instantly started paying attention again. After all, he'd like to keep Paul away from Susannah. Not that he didn't trust Susannah. He did. Whole heartedly. It was Paul he didn't trust.

"Fine," Jesse sighed. "I'm listening."

"Good."

Paul continued up his lecture on 'How to Travel Through Time'. Jesse only half tuned him out this time. He heard words like 'artefact' and 'from the time' but it really made no sense to him. As he'd mentioned to Paul. Time travel was not something he had any intention of trying out.

Paul, however, knew that their talk months ago about Georgiana and Isabella Martinez had had an effect on him. Jesse, despite all of his protests, had started to believe even the tiniest bit in all of this 'nonsense'. The facts of it all were entirely to coincidental to actually be that. Coincidences. Now all Paul had to do was get him to try it. Even if it meant forcing him.

"So," Paul chirped. "Going to give it a go?"

"What?" Jesse said. "Time travelling?"

Paul greeted his question with a pointed stare.

"Nah." Jesse took his stare as a yes. "Never going to either. I still remember how it felt to shift. I think Time Travelling might make me feel slightly worse."

"Oh, yeah. I suppose so." Paul reluctantly agreed. "Forgot about that."

"Yeah," Jesse said. "Well, It's not like you actually tried it. So you would forget about it, wouldn't you?"

When Paul said nothing in response, Jesse threw out an 'I'm going' before turning and leaving the room without another word.

-------------

"So many choices." Suze muttered to herself, darting glances around the store she was currently in.

And there was. So many choices. Who knew shopping for a dress to wear to one dance would be such a hard decision.

"I wonder which one Jesse would prefer?"

She'd been doing that a lot recently. Dressing how she though Jesse would like to see her. Well, he was her boyfriend now. She had an excuse for wanting to impress him. He was her boyfriend.

Whenever she said those words she wanted to squeal. Girly and stupid, she knew, but when you're in love, things like that don't bother you.

Bringing her attention back to the many racks in front of her, Suze sighed again. It's not like she didn't have enough money. Her mom had made sure of that. Her mom had been so excited that her daughter had actually been asked to go, by a boy, that she had wanted it to be perfect. She had thrust money into Suze's hand and whispered something about not bring home change.

Who was Suze to argue?

Suze picked up a simple, sleeveless blue gown and held it up against her before putting it down again.

"No," She whispered. "Not that one."

People probably thought she was crazy, talking to herself. But she'd been caught talking to ghosts often enough - Ghost's that obviously weren't visible to the majority of Carmel residents - that It didn't bother her anymore.

Suze really wanted Jesse here to help her choose. But at the same time she wanted to surprise him on the night as well. It was a good thing he was at one of his Shifter lessons. There was no chance of running into him. As much as she wanted to impress him, she wanted to surprise him more.

There were many dresses to choose from. No sixteen-year-old should have to make this type of decision.

Suze shut her eyes and sighed, about ready to give up.

Then she opened her eyes, and something fluttered at the corner of her eye. Suze turned around quickly, eyes widening when she saw the dress.

"This is the one." She whispered to herself, walking over to it and clutching it to her, itching to try it on. "Definitely this."

---------------------

After taking off from Paul's house, Jesse drove around for a while before deciding to go to the mall. He could always try and find Susannah's Christmas present.

It was rather early he supposed - it was only the 12th - but he wanted his present to her to be perfect. Especially considering it was their first holiday together. Both of them had had to spend Thanksgiving with their respective families.

An item in a jewellery shop had captured his attention when he caught sight of his querida leaving a nearby shop, casually holding a dress bag. He smiled knowing she was obviously excited about the dress - you could see it in her eyes - but also knowing she didn't want to give that away.

"Susannah!" He called out to her after making sure to move away from the shop he'd been in front of. It would do no good for her to have any idea what he was going to get her. He wanted it to be a surprise, as well as perfect.

The look on her face when she heard her name was priceless. She looked like a dear caught in the headlights and she clutched her dress bag that much tighter.

"Jesse," was all she said. "Shouldn't you be with Paul?"

"Probably." Jesse shrugged. "I left."

He stepped closer to her and kissed her softly, lingering, on the lips.

"Hey," he whispered deeply.

"Hi," she whispered back, looking up at him coquettishly from beneath her eyelashes.

"Now," Jesse said wrapping his arms around Susannah protectively as he raised his voice to a more public level. "How about you show me what you bought?"

Susannah punched his arm in mock anger.

"No way!" She exclaimed. "You're just going to have to wait until next Friday."

"But that's over a week away!" Jesse pouted. "Can't I even know the colour?"

"Nope."

"Querida, por favor?" She loved it when he spoke Spanish. He also used his sexiest voice. The one that tended to get him his own way.

"Not going to work this time," she scolded before adding on as an afterthought, "Señor."

Jesse was silent then, a grin itching to be released at the corner of his mouth. Instead he just looked at her. Her emerald eyes were sparkling and her smile was blinding. She was so beautiful.

"I love you."

All the playfulness in his voice had gone. Instead it took on a pleading tone, almost as if he was begging her to see the seriousness of his words. How much he meant them.

"I know," She replied with a smile that told him that she really did. "I love you too."

Jesse smiled and pecked her nose affectionately.

"I know. Now lets get out of here. What do you think bout going to the beach?"

"I'd love to." Suze replied happily.

For once, her life was going perfectly.