A/N:  If anyone knows me, they're probably shocked/disappointed that after two years of not posting on FF.net, I post a Mediator fanfic instead of an RK one.  Sorry peoples.  I might get back in that groove during the summer, but until then, here's a twist.

This story follows the basic plot of the first book, but obviously roles have been changed and the plot quite a bit more condensed.

There is no need to review, I'm mainly using FF.net as an archive since my computer crashed and burned awhile back with any incomplete stories it had on it (yes, that's what happened to the RK stuff)

Role Reversal

Summary:  Jesse de Silva moves out to New York after his father remarries to a woman with three daughters.  Hardly able to complain since his father is so happy, he still misses the freshness of California.  Taking care of his new younger stepsisters in his spare time, Jesse settles at his new high school even if he's only going to be there for a semester.  But there's something else for Jesse to keep an eye out for.  Or someone that is.  Susannah Simon, the ghost of a fiery young woman clad in Victorian dress, occupies Jesse's new apartment.  She's welcome company to Jesse and attractive as well, but that's besides the point…

As a mediator, Jesse has learned as much as he could from Father Dominic back at Carmel but nothing could prepare him for what was to come.

Chapter 1:

I wasn't really planning on leaving California, but I felt that it was necessary.  After all, I wanted to be on hand if Dad ever needed help with his new family.  He may have been used to caring for me, an only child, but three little girls?  

All right, I admit it.  I wanted to check out this new family of ours.  I could've stayed back in Carmel, but transferring wasn't so bad.  Adam and CeeCee would keep in touch (and hopefully spend a bit more time with each other).  I smiled as I thought of them.   CeeCee had an enormous crush on Adam for as long as I knew them.  What about me, you ask?   Oh, sure, there were girls interested in me for awhile.  Kelly Prescott hounded me at first glance, but once it was clear I was too much of a do-gooder and a bit odd, she backed off in frustration.  Any interest in me went that way. 

As a mediator, what else could I be but a do-gooder?

Ever since I was small, I could see ghosts.  It's my job to send them on their way to whatever it is ghosts normally do after they die.  What that is, I wish I knew.  You'd think we'd get a bit of info on that, but no.  We just complete whatever is asked of us, and they move on without a word.  Father Dominic, a priest and the principal of Mission Academy, was also a mediator.  He was very kind and understanding and taught me everything I knew.  Be understanding with the undead, listen to them, and work things out.

Of course it didn't always go that way.

I'm a bit ashamed to admit that on more than one occasion, a spirit has been less than reasonable.  Well, then I have to resort to other methods of calming them down.  That method being a bit more… violent.  Keep in mind, these were a last resort.  As a mediator, I can physically touch (or punch) ghosts.  Most people will only get a chill or catch a fleeting glimpse, but nothing more.  Not me though.  I once had to kick a ghost-guy out of the girls' locker room back at the academy.  Of course, I did this after school hours, because no amount of explaining would get me out of trouble like that.  Father Dominic only allowed it because he was unwilling to go into the locker room himself.

Anyway, that was before.  This is now.

New York, that is.  I had just stepped off the plane at JFK airport when the breeze hit me.  It was cold!  It was January, and back at Carmel, that meant the teenagers were already shopping for bathing suits.  Here, it seems that meant you could peel off the first of five layers of clothing.  I clutched my rather thin coat around myself and walked off towards the greeting area. 

I spotted them right away.  Dad had his arm around a woman about his age with long brown hair.  She was looking at me eagerly.  Her eyes were bright with enthusiasm as she could hardly contain her excitement.  Her name was Annie.  Beside them were three girls.  The oldest, Carrie, was about 16, slender and tall.  She had hair like her mother except with blond highlights that she flipped over her shoulder.  The first time we met, she looked me up and down as if appraising me.  It was a bit unnerving.

The middle girl, Jenny, was slightly hidden behind a sign that they had made.  "Welcome Home Jesse!" it said in red magic marker.  She looked shy, wore her hair shorter, and only blinked up at me in curiosity.  But from the way her eyes crinkled at the corners, I could tell she was hiding a smile.  As I walked up to them, I suddenly spotted the third, Megan, clinging to her mother's leg.  She was the very picture of her own mother, both in looks and excitement, but with her hair in pigtails.  She couldn't have been more than 5.  I knew them all, but very vaguely.  We had only met a few times before the wedding. 

I couldn't help but smile, Megan was so adorable.  Before I could say anything though, Annie had stepped forward and embraced me.  I blinked in surprise because it had been such a long time since I had been hugged like this.  My own mother passed away when I was 6 in a car accident.  She popped in once in awhile just to check on us.  I really did try to get her to move on, but she just waved me off and changed the subject.  She didn't even object to Father's remarriage.  Mother had said that she wanted to see him finally happy and that 12 years of mourning was plenty enough to know that we loved her. 

After a moment of hesitation, I hugged her back warmly.  As she moved away, I saw that she had such a brilliant smile; I had to give one back in return.  Annie said, "Oh, welcome, Jesse!" 

Carrie stepped forward and held out her hand, that I took and shook cordially.  She said, "Welcome to New York."  She said it in such a way though, that made me think she had far more things on her mind.  At the time though, I just contributed it to her having better things to do than wait around for her new stepbrother to arrive.

Jenny hesitated before dropping the sign a little to get a better look at me.  She didn't offer a hand, but smiled shyly and said, "Hi." 

I gave a slight nod to all of them, the most I could manage with the backpack I had brought as carry-on, and said, "Thank you for welcoming me.  I hope I won't be too much trouble to have around."  I gave them a rather nervous smile.  I couldn't help it.  Suddenly having four more women in my family did seem a bit daunting now.  And when I'm nervous, I resort to congeniality. After all, it's hard to dislike a nice guy, right?  Well, unless you ask Kelly Prescott.

Carrie and Jenny looked somewhat surprised, but Annie just clapped her hands with joy.  "Such a polite young man! Just like his father."  It was Dad's turn to be embarrassed. 

Afterwards, he just clapped his hand roughly against my back in a fatherly manner.  He said, "Come on, Jesse.  Lots to be done now!"  Dad had that big goofy grin he usually sports when he was nothing but completely contented.  I suppose having a full family again would make anyone pleased.  Dad and I picked up my suitcases (my much heavier baggage like my books were being shipped here later) and followed the girls outside.

Nombre de Dios, is it cold here!  I once again pulled my coat closer around myself and covered any bare skin on my arms with it.  Amidst the noise and hustle and bustle, Dad loaded up my things into his car.  But then I noticed that Annie, Dad, and Megan were getting into one car while Carrie and Jenny were going into another.

Carrie turned to me, "Come on, Jess, we're taking you."  She added in a whisper, "Mom and Alex need some time together."  Alex was short for Alejandro, my father's full name.  Just like Jess was short for Jesse.  Then again, my full name isn't Jesse either.  Only when my teachers first met me did they call me Hector before I politely corrected them.

Seriously.  Hector.

Still, my mother had named me (claiming it was traditional), so there's not really much I can do about it, barring legal action.

 I nodded to Carrie and got into Annie's car.  She got into the driver's seat and Jenny buckled up behind us.  As we drove away, Carrie spoke up again, "We usually don't drive this thing, but we couldn't all come and fit your stuff in one car."

"Dad told me that he's selling his car too, later."

She shrugged, "Well, you guys honestly won't be needing it that much here.  The subway will get you to wherever you need to, including school and college when it comes to it.  Wanna know about the school?"

It was my turn to shrug and I stared out the window as she talked on, mostly about how it wasn't so bad for a school in New York and that I was lucky that I there was space even if only for a semester and something about the food court.  After awhile, she turned her attention back on me.  "Not much of a talker, are you?"

I grinned a little.  "More of a listener."

She shook her head ruefully, "Man, wait till everybody gets a load of you."

Before I could ask her what she meant, everything came into view.  I mean everything.  I knew NYC was large, but I never anticipated how everything was just so completely packed together to sprawl over the land, almost right into the water. 

I must have been gaping since Jenny spoke up, "Great, isn't it?  The best setting for a mystery novel."

I repeated curiously, "Mystery novel?"

Carrie rolled her eyes. "Don't mind her.  Jenny's just a little nut when it comes to weird stuff.  Aliens, Bigfoot, murders, ghosts, and the like.  She was thrilled to hear you were coming because of it."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise.  I had never given my dad or anyone besides Father Dominic an idea of what I did in my spare time.  Dad almost caught Mom and me talking on more occasions than I'm comfortable with, but he never let on if he was suspicious.  Maybe he just thought I was dealing with her loss.  I asked as levelly as I could, "What do I have to do with that?"

Jenny perked up instantly, "Because I hear your apartment's haunted!"