Hi readers,

Long time, huh? I'm very sorry about that. I'm just getting back into writing as I just started my Bachelor of Journalism this year! I am determined to finish this story so I'm hoping I will update far more regularly than I have.

Thanks so much for your patience.

Hotapps xo

~Disclaimer~ I do not own the Mediator!

I looked at her with wide eyes, but only briefly as I fell into a pit of darkness. I finally awoke to Jesse fanning me as I lay on a sofa. I inhaled with relief. "Jesse! You wouldn't believe the dream I had…my grandmother was a-"

"Oh, Susannah, you're awake. Here, drink this," the old woman said as she came back from the kitchen. I sighed out of disappointment.

"Susannah, after your grandmother revealed the…um, news, you were a little…shocked. Well, actually, that is an understatement because, well, you fainted." He smiled down at me uneasily.

I slowly sat up and swung my legs around so I was sitting properly on the sofa. I looked at my feet, then at Jesse and then back up at her. "I don't understand…I mean, since when?"

"Since your grandfather passed. I kept getting these dreams from him, telling me he was well and to move on and I could always hear him in the back of my mind. I've never been able to see the spirits, I can just hear them. I could hear that boy you were talking to as bright as day." She sat down beside me and handed me some lemonade. I took a sip and looked at her.

"So…you can't see them. You can only…hear their voices?" I asked, perplexed. It seemed like the concept of a mediator changed with each one I met…which seemed to be an awful many, I had noticed. Around me, anyway.

Jesse just listened in silence. I could tell his idea of the supernatural had become a whole new playing field. He didn't seem all that happy, either. "Wait, how long have you had this?" He questioned, a little too sternly.

"Well...I would say…perhaps…16 years?" She looked at him and smiled slightly. He just blinked at her.

"Just one moment…You have had this for years and you never thought your granddaughter may have a similar gift? I mean, she told me about all the encounters she had with police…other ghosts she had involved herself in that resulted in some form of injury, punishment or judgment…and it never occurred to you that you were possibly connected in that way?" I looked at Jesse, shocked. What on earth was he on about?

"Jesse, relax…it was so long ago and I was fine-" I started.

"No, Susannah, you put yourself in so much danger trying to help the dead. I mean, I know it must've been so much worse in New York City compared to Carmel. She could've helped you…" He looked at my grandmother in a painful way "You could have helped her. I mean, you even had two others to help you in Carmel, as well as me and I come here and I just can't bear to think you did all of that stuff alone before that." He sat down beside me and put his face in his hands.

"Jesse…" I cooed comfortingly, turning to him beside me and taking one of his hands. "Baby…it doesn't matter anymore…" I looked into his features, scrunched up in despair. "Hey…Look at me…" I moved his face with my free hand so that I could look into his eyes. "There isn't a scratch on me. I'm here now, that's all that matters." He leaned his face into my hand and smiled. I smiled back at him lovingly.

I could feel Grandma watching us so I turned back at her and smiled. "I don't blame you. I think it was better I did things on my own, to be honest. But I mean, you never seemed to communicate with the ghosts that I did. I don't know how your element of the gift works."

She just shrugged. "Nor do I. All I know is that I used to hear Arthur speak to me and then when I stopped hearing him, I heard others. I became comfortable with it and I was never lonely. It helped me to get where I am now, that's for sure."

"I know just how you feel." I smiled at her slightly and looked at Jesse, linking fingers with him. "Anyway, we've kept you long enough for today, I think. We should get going. I'm sure Gina has something else planned for tonight which means we need to rest up." I embraced my grandmother and Jesse pecked her cheek good bye.

I just couldn't fathom any of what she had said. The whole way home I thought about it over and over in my head and couldn't think of a single moment when the ghosts I have communicated with ever spoke to her. Maybe she could only communicate with particular spirits. Maybe as a child, I could only communicate with particular spirits. There were so many things unanswered, and I knew who I had to talk to for that to change. I could tell Jesse was getting worried by my silence from the driver's seat so I turned to him and smiled, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

I looked in the rearview mirror to check my hair and screamed out of shock. "Paul! Could you stop being so dramatic with the ghost tricks and the sudden appearances. God!" I shook my head at him. Jesse glared at him from the rearview mirror. "Look, I had to tell him about you."

He glared at me. "Why? Why does everything have to involve him? I trust you and you just totally betray me."

I looked back at him sharply from the front seat. "Hey! I didn't tell him anything besides your current state. He knows nothing. I've kept my promise, I won't tell anybody. I mean he'll find out eventually, but it's your story to tell, ok?"

"He is driving the car. He can hear everything you are saying to each other," Jesse chimed, slightly irritated.

My teeth bit into my lip as I my hand rested on his knee. "Sorry, sweetie, sworn to secrecy. Unless Paul…" he shook his head firmly and disappeared. "…I'll take that as a no." I sighed. We arrived back at Gina's around 2pm. We had about three hours until Gina got home, which Jesse and I thought would be the perfect opportunity for nap. We fell into bed and snuggled up, dozing off when I felt someone watching us. I sighed and opened one eye, and there they were in all their glowing glory. I sat up slowly, trying not to wake Jesse.

"Toby, you came back. Finally. Now, can you tell me how to help you move on? I'd appreciate it if I could get this over and done with before the reunion." I smiled at him hopefully. He nodded. "Sit down or something." He shook his head. "What's wrong?"

"I…I don't think I can tell you," he replied with a whimper. I looked at him as he began blinking away tears. I didn't know what to do. I'd never seen him like this. He was always the tough guy in school. Now all I could see was an ashamed, young man crying out for help.

I stood up and embraced him. "Ssshhh…it's ok, Toby, it's ok." I pulled back and made him sit down. I sat next to him on the bed, careful not to disturb Jesse. "You can tell me. Everything here is in confidence. I promise." He shook his head. "Come on. I want to help you. It's my job." His face fell into his hands. He was quite distraught.

"I-I…did something bad. I never thought I had it in me, but it just happened." I put a hand on his shoulder.

"Just tell me…please."

"You can't tell anybody. It would just…ruin me…it's already done enough. My heart is in so much pain." I nodded in assurance. He paused and looked at his feet and then back into my eyes. "I…well, I…"

"Toby, just blurt it out." I encouraged. He looked at me biting my lip but I just nodded at him intently.

"I killed someone."

Jesse's POV

I know it was wrong, but I had to know if my Susannah would put herself in anymore danger. So I pretended to be asleep and listened to the ghost's confession. I could barely contain my surprise.

"Excuse me?" Susannah and I both said in unison.

Toby looked around at me, gritting his teeth and glaring. I had just ruined one of her biggest breakthroughs with a ghost…Oh dear. She would definitely have my head for this. She furrowed her eyebrows at me crossly and punched my leg fairly hard, for a girl her size. I winced and lay back down in hiding.

"Toby wait…" She called but he had already disappeared. She stood up and faced me putting her hands on her hips. "Jesse De Silva!" I sat up, slightly frightened. Susannah wasn't very pleasant when she was mad. "I was getting him to open up! That's a major thing for me! Now who knows how long it will take for him to trust me again. Sometimes you are just so annoying with all your chivalry and protectiveness over me. Don't get me wrong, it's something I love about you, but you need to understand that I can handle things. I'm an independent, successful 25 year-old woman. I think you should give me a little credit." Now I furrowed my eyebrows at her.

"Of course you are. I never ever thought you weren't capable. I can't help that I have a protective nature…but Susannah..." I paused, trying not to upset myself, "…Querida, if I were to lose you, I have no idea what I would do with myself." I rested on my knees as I moved forward to take her hands in mine. "My heart is so swollen with love for you that if I picture you in danger…if I see you hurt, the guilt I feel is indescribable. That sounds awfully selfish when I say it out loud but I can't help it." I looked into her beautiful eyes and kissed her hands. She sighed. I wasn't sure if it was a good sigh or a bad sigh.

"Gosh, you make it so hard for me to stay mad at you." She leaned in to kiss me, making me pull her onto the bed as she moved her hands around my neck. The heat between us began to rise as we embraced each other passionately. She began pulling at my shirt and before I knew it, it had made its way onto the floor. I could feel her soft hands touch my bear chest and I could barely control myself. I began undoing the buttons on her shirt right down to the bottom. She let out a small moan as I finished which alarmed me and made me pull away.

"Oh dear…Susannah, I'm sorry. I went too far." She shook her head and tried to pull herself closer to me again. "Susannah…my darling…" I tried but she wanted me just as much as I wanted her. "My querida…" She sighed and pulled away, looking into my eyes as if to beg. "You know how much I want it, but I don't think it is right. June, Susannah, June," I smiled at her, kissing her nose and hugging her tightly.

"I can barely wait," She whispered in my ear before kissing my cheek.

"You and me, both, Querida."

Ta da! Next chapter will get a bit more in depth :D

Hope you enjoyed my comeback chapter.

Review!

Hotapps xo