A/N: My God, it's been forever. It's been almost a year since the last time I updated. Anyway, I've gotten a few reviews lately and I'm amazed and very pleased that people are still reading this. I'm SOOOOOOOOOOO sorry it's taken me so long to update. Really I have no excuse. Thanks to all those who are still reading and waiting patiently. You guys are amazing.

And without further ado, Chapter 19!

A Second Chance

Chapter 19: Final Judgment

SUZE'S P.O.V.

"Susannah Simon," a man sitting at an ancient stone table—kind of like the one in all the King Arthur stories, only it was not round but rather rectangular—said. The man wore mostly gray and was extremely bored with the proceedings if his glum frown and jaded tone were any indication.

"Rhadamanthus," Jesse whispered in my ear. His breath was warm and reassuring against my numb skin. Who knew the Underworld would be so cold? Whenever I thought about it—which, admittedly, was not very often at all—fiery pits and little red demons were forefront in my mind.

Rhadamanthus. Was that a name?

It didn't sound like a Spanish curse word to me—not that I'd ever taken Spanish because of course I had no way of knowing that I would soon fall in love with the ghost of a nineteenth-century Latino cowboy determined to haunt my new bedroom.

Anyway, Rhadamanthus—for that must indeed be his name—continued in an apathetic, drawling voice. "You have no place among the dead. Come back to us when your life's thread has run out."

My life's thread? Was that some odd ancient Greek saying?

Maybe it was like in that Disney movie Hercules where there are those three women who share one eyeball. The Fates. They were the ones that spun the thread of life and then cut it when someone's time was up. Now personally, I found it a little creepy to think that three old women with one eye would determine my future. Did nothing I did make a difference? I always wanted to be the engineer of my own future, but with the Fates that seemed unlikely.

Or maybe I'm just reading too much into this. Either way, I seem to be safe for the moment. Jesse had warned me that the judges of the Underworld could be brutal. They would either send me to the Elysian Fields to spend my afterlife pleasantly—unlikely—or doom me to eternal damnation in a place known as Tartarus—way more likely considering my past sins, which I'm now realizing must be a huge list when all written down together; I mean, I haven't killed anyone technically since I've only exorcised ghosts, which may actually be a very Christian act since said ghosts were hell-bent on murdering the living, but I have had my fallings-out with a few of my nun teachers, and surely it's a sin to disrespect one of God's chosen messengers, if you could even call them that.

I figured I was in no immediate danger since the judges hadn't even passed sentence on me. That is, until another judge—one who had a lot of dangling gold jewelry and a shiny bald head—proclaimed, "Send her to Pluto's Palace to await further sentencing."

Pluto's palace was my ultimate destination, so it should have thrilled me that I would be able to go there so quickly. However, the judges had now turned their attention on Jesse, and I realized with dread that Jesse was in fact dead. He would receive a sentence.

"Hector Jesse DeSilva," Rhadamanthus droned.

Then again, Jesse was...well, Jesse. He was a complete gentleman and would never harm a fly. There was no way they could send him to—

"Tartarus!" yelled the bald judge.

"What?!" I couldn't help but yell, completely shocked. There was no way Jesse would have to face eternal damnation. He had always been the picture of innocence and chivalry in life—not that I'd known him when he was alive—and in the afterlife. It had to be some sort of mistake.

Jesse put his hand on my shoulder firmly to discourage me from putting up a fight, and I realized that I had automatically taken a step forward, toward the table of judges. I stepped back and grabbed a hold of Jesse's warm hand—odd how it could be warm when there was no blood flowing through his body; it had never felt warm before, but then again the arctic ice caps were warm compared to the Underworld.

"Now let's not be so hasty, Minos," Rhadamanthus suggested, sounding less bored now that he was faced with a challenge. I could have hugged that hateful old judge right then, I was so glad he was sticking up for Jesse. "Let us look at the facts."

"He committed murder," Minos stated firmly. "And against a family member at that! It's Tartarus for sure, eternal damnation."

I was shocked. Murder? Jesse? No way. It had been the other way around. A family member had murdered him.

Apparently Jesse had the same idea. "Murder, Sir?" he asked, clearly as shocked as I was. I took comfort in the fact that it couldn't possibly be true. Jesse himself had just denied it, and Jesse didn't lie. Actually, he was completely incapable of lying, I knew. Even when he would tell me a little white lie, he would end up smiling and laughing and telling me the truth even before I challenged him. He was definitely telling the truth. Although, he hadn't exactly denied it yet…What am I thinking? Of course Jesse didn't kill anybody!

"Not murder exactly, as the body was already dead," Minos admitted, "but a heinous offense none-the-less. Isn't it true, Hector, that you were involved in the exorcism of your own cousin and her husband?"

I gasped. "That's not true! I mean, yes, technically, it's true, but they were trying to kill us!"

"Diego will indeed receive his due for his part in the situation, and poor Maria wasn't even given the chance." Minos glared at Jesse, who hadn't made any move to stand up for himself.

"But that's not fair!" I yelled as Jesse shook his head slightly at me, silently pleading with me to stop. But I wouldn't. I couldn't just let him take this ridiculous criticism.

"Indeed the situation seems to have called for such an action, Minos," Rhaddamanthus pointed out. "In cases of self-defense, the victim may—"

"No matter the situation, his actions are unforgivable. It's Tartarus for him, no doubt."

Rhaddamanthus closed his eyes and considered for a moment. "This man has always acted out of courtesy towards others and has saved this girl's life countless times. He has made some mistakes, of course, but only out of love, as all men are wont to do. I say he deserves a peaceful afterlife. The Elysian Fields."

The vote was one to one and my breath caught as the final judge studied Jesse. This was Aecus, the final judge, the man known to agree more often than not with Minos. My heart thudded painfully as I prayed that this would be the rare exception to the trend. How could anybody send Jesse to what was basically the Roman equivalent of Hell?

Aecus looked to Minos, who slowly shook his head. Aecus sighed loudly before finally speaking.

The judgment for one who has been so chivalrous

But also at times too mischievous

Is complicated indeed,

But these words he should heed.

If first you can answer me this

You may exist in bliss.

Have you found through your experience and strife,

What, my dear, is the meaning of life?

R&R please!!

To all those who did not get a PM for their review, thank you so much for reviewing and next time I will be sure to thank you all individually. I love you guys!

Sorry if this chapter wasn't quite up to par. I'm not feeling well and in my hurry to get it up, I didn't even go back and read over it...hopefully it's okay. It definitely will not take me so long to get the next chapter up!!

Maddie