Disclaimer: I don't own the Mediator Series, and if I did there would definitely be a seventh book, but the series belongs to an outstanding, one of the best selling authors, Meg Cabot.
Summary: Its Suze's first Christmas with the Ackerman's and with Jesse of course. Suze doesn't want that much for Christmas except for Jesse or to see her father who has moved on again. But what happens when Suze learns there's even more to the whole Mediator thing? Like being able to see someone who has moved on for one day?
Not only that, Suze's plans for Christmas are basically spoiled, when she and Jesse come across a six year old ghost who got hit by a car. Will they travel to the past to save her or was the little girl meant to die in the first place?
Chapter One
When I first moved to California, I never expected strange things to happen. You see I am a mediator, or like Paul Slater and Dr. Slater call us, a shifter which means I have the ability to speak and talk to the dead. I always knew that, but I never expected to fall in love with a ghost.
Likely, that ghost, his name is Jesse isn't a ghost anymore. That's because Paul Slater and I decided to play with the past, well he started it. He kept threatening me that he would send Jesse to the great beyond or keep him from dying. Well, we kept him from dying, Jesse in the past, the past Paul and I shifted to, killed Felix Diego, the guy who supposedly killed Jesse in the past we didn't play with, the original past.
Well, after Jesse killed Diego, I got stuck in the fire and Jesse rescued me, only to shift back to the twenty first century with Paul and me.
Paul and I ended up rushing Jesse to the hospital, where I thought it would be the last time I would be able to be with Jesse, but thanks to my dad, also a ghost, who has finally moved on from wondering through two dimensions, let ghost Jesse know what was happening and he showed up.
Jesse's soul found his body and instead of dying that night in the hospital, Jesse got a second chance at living; he is now part of my life and as well as a Mediator…or shifter…whatever.
Now it has been nearly a year since I moved to sweet North California and yes, they have palm trees here. I found that very odd when I first set foot here.
The winter formal was a while ago and the days are growing colder, no cold enough to snow, besides this isn't New York from where I originally come from. Jesse is supposed to come over and we're going Christmas shopping together; my first Christmas with the Ackerman's.
After my father died from a heart attack, when I was six, my mom met Andy and remarried. This is why I live in California now and this why I'm stuck with three step brothers. There's the red head, David and known by only me as Doc; He's really smart and this girl Shannon has a crush on him. Then there's Brad known by me as Dopey; he's about my age and I can't stand him. Last, there's Jake known by me as Sleepy; he goes to college and delivers pizza by night.
I was sitting in my room, by the dressing table, looking into the mirror just to make sure my hair would stay the way I put it throughout mine and Jesse's first shopping experience.
The honk of Jesse's car, or should I say father Dominic's, who is my school's principle, a priest and a Mediator just like Jesse and I, startled me. I stood up and walked over to the bay window and looked down.
I opened the window. "Jesse, you can come in. I'll be right down." I yelled.
Jesse rolled down his car window. "No, Querida. I noticed your mother's car." He yelled.
"Jesse, my mom likes you, so does Andy and David; I'm sure they forgot about what happened at dinner Sunday night." I yelled.
I could barely see Jesse's dark brown eyes from my bedroom window as I looked down, but even at a far distance sight, they made my heart sink. "Querida, I'll just wait down here." said Jesse.
"Fine." I said closing the window. It was kind of chilly out, so I grabbed my leather jacket and headed downstairs.
My mom was in the living room, hanging on new pictures, to my surprise, one of them was of Jesse and me. My mom looked at me as I was about to head out the front door. "Oh, hi Susie." She said.
"Hi, Jesse's here." I said grabbing my purse.
"Why won't he come in?" asked my mom in a disappointed voice.
"Because of what happened on Sunday." I said. "Got to go now, bye mom." I headed out the door and ran to Jesse's car.
Jesse got out of the car and I gave him a hug, gosh he was so warm. I can never let go of him. "My mom doesn't hate you." I said. "She's hanging a picture of us in the living room."
Jesse looked at the house, which was once a boarding house a hundredth and fifty years ago. "I don't know, Susannah. She could be doing it for your sakes." He said.
I planted a kiss on him. "You can't run away from my parents forever." I said.
We got into his car. Jesse still didn't have a license. I always wanted to drive instead. I said it every time, but Jesse just protested. It's even worse knowing that a hundredth and some year old guy, who lived back, when horses transported people around, liked to speed. One of these days, the police would stop us and what would we do? Jesse has no license.
I pointed that out, but Jesse still protested. "Querida, I won't do it, drive too fast." He said.
"We'll see." I said folding my hands across my chest.
I think mentioning the police, made Jesse pee his pants. He drove so slow; I thought we wouldn't make it to the mall.
"Okay." I said taking out a note pad from my purse. "I need to buy the following, something for the kitchen for Andy. I was thinking a sweater for my mom, something that deals with pizza for Jake. I have no idea what Brad wants and something scientific for David."
"David explained to me why we can't live on any another planet, but earth." said Jesse.
We were walking across the parking lot. I put my note pad away and took a hold of Jesse's hand. "Okay." I said. "Maybe I should just get them all gift cards."
"What do you want for Christmas, Querida?" asked Jesse. That's how it was to date a hundredth and some Spanish guy. He always called me, Querida, which as I looked up in the dictionary before, meant sweet heart.
But when, Jesse asked his question, the only thing I wanted for Christmas was him, just to be with him for every day of my life to come, but what also crossed my mind was my dad. Even though when he been dead, I still saw him around, but now he's gone. He moved on to Heaven or his next life or wherever ghosts go after I mediate them.
"I don't know." I said. "Get me whatever you want."
We walked into the mall. It was so warm and cozy inside. To our surprises, as soon as we walked about a few feet, Jesse and I ran into our friends Cece and Adam, who were now a couple. "Suze!" yelled Cece waving, when she saw us.
"Hi." I waved. Cece and Adam walked up to us.
"What are you doing here?" asked Cece.
"Um…shopping. What else?" I asked.
"Well, I know that!" said Cece happily. "But, you should have had called; we would all have gotten together."
"Um, next time. Sorry Cece." I said. I just wanted to just spend time with Jesse. I love hanging out with Cece and Adam, but Jesse is who I just wanted to be with right now.
"Well, we're here now; How about it?" Cece asked.
I shrugged not knowing what to do, so I looked at Jesse. "It's all right with me. How's it going, Cece?" he asked trying to act cool. No, he got it all wrong. I rolled my eyes.
"Great, where were you planning on going Suze?" asked Cece.
I looked around the mall. "Um…" I was supposed to be buying Christmas presents and Christmas is only a week away.
"They have a shoe sale at Daisy's shoes." said Cece.
I don't care. I just want to shop with my boyfriend and my own best friend was ticking me off. Jesse was going to get a punch, big time when we're done shopping, so I came up with something.
I sank down to a near by bench and held my stomach. "Ow, ow." I said. "I got bad cramps. You two go along. Jesse!"
"Oh, do you need anything?" asked Cece.
"I don't want to spoil yours and Adam's plans. See you in school on Monday." I smiled.
Cece took Adam's hand. "We never hang out." She said to me.
"Well, we will soon, can't stop mother nature." I grabbed my stomach some more.
Cece gave me a puzzled look. "Didn't you have your period last week?" she asked.
I looked at Adam and Jesse. "Cece!" I yelled.
"Sorry, see you in school." She said about to leave with Adam.
"See you Suze." said Adam and they left.
"Are you all right, Susannah?" asked Jesse sitting down next to me.
I let got of my stomach. "Jesse, I love Cece and Adam, but today wasn't the day to hang out." I said once Cece and Adam were out of ear sight.
I stood back up. "Now, okay." I said. "We need to buy…" But I couldn't think. Why does Christmas shopping have to be so hard? I shook my head. "We better not run into those two."
"Susannah, I don't understand." said Jesse. "They're your friends."
"I already told you. Today wasn't the day to hang out." I took Jesse's hand. "Now let's shop."
We went a few places, like Macy's and Sears. Then Jesse and I came across a Christian store. "Father Dominic." said Jesse. "What should we get him?"
"A thank you card." I said. Father Dominic was the one that got Jesse a social security number and a job.
"We thanked him enough." said Jesse. "But, we should get him something special. Don't you agree, Querida?"
I totally zoomed out. Jesse's abs came to my mind. Oh, I couldn't wait until summer.
"Well, yeah." I said. "He gave you everything. A place to live and he lets you borrow his car."
"I can't wait until Medical school." said Jesse.
"How are those SAT practice test coming along?" I asked. "Do you even have a high school diploma?"
"Let's walk into the store." said Jesse. I nodded my head and we walked in.
"The SAT's are pointless and the father has the diploma thing under control. He's a high school principle. He can get me one easily." said Jesse.
"Oh, yeah, if he could only do that for me." I said.
"Susannah, education is an important aspect in life. You should read more too." said Jesse.
I looked at pictures of Jesus on a wall. "You mean history books? No thank you." I said.
"Anything." said Jesse looking into my eyes. My heart sank in my body and I felt so warm.
"We'll see." I smiled.
Jesse and I looked around the store more. I looked out at the mall and saw Cece and Adam. I ducked.
"What's wrong, Susannah?" asked Jesse looking down at me.
"Cece." I whispered.
"Enough of your foolish games; She's your best friend." said Jesse.
I stood up. "You are right and we had enough shopping for one day." I agreed with him, because he had to be right. I loved him.
So still seeing Cece and Adam with bags out in the mall, I yelled and waved, "Cece!"
She smiled and noticed me, pulling Adam into the store. "Suze!" she said. "Feeling better?"
"Yes." I said. "Do you want to have lunch?"
"We already ate." said Cece tossing her blond albino hair. "We were just leaving."
"Oh, then well see you in school." I said.
Cece looked around. "I thought you weren't catholic." She said.
Jesse straightened up. "It's for father—."
But I interrupted him. "It's for Jesse's father, very religious man." I picked up a picture of the Virgin Mary. "Would he like this? Jesse."
"Something more meaningful." He said.
I put the picture down. "Maybe a book; you said I should read, so maybe father Do….your father would like some book."
Adam looked at his watch. "Cee, we better go." He said. "Bye guys." Adam and Cece left the store.
I looked at Jesse. "Do you think it's normal to buy your school principle a gift?" I asked.
"Yes, aren't you giving Christmas cards to teachers?" asked Jesse.
"But not gifts." I said through clenched teeth.
"Susannah." Jesse took me aside. We stood behind some shelves in the store. Was he going to make out with me?
But instead of Jesse sticking his tongue into my mouth, he gave me lecture, oh great. "Susannah, I think you should tell them, your friends that you're a mediator." He said in a soft voice.
"Are you out of your mind?" I asked. "Jesse, they'd think I'm nuts? You can tell them that your one, but then again, they'd think my boyfriend is nuts!"
"It would be a nice Christmas present." said Jesse. "For them or even your mom."
"My mom would think your putting spells on me!" I said.
Jesse put his arms around me. "I would say I believe you, because I saw you talking to someone who wasn't there." He said.
"She would still think I'm talking to walls." I said.
"That no one, but us, saw." said Jesse.
The next thing I said, I wished I never said. "Then she would think her grandkids would be insane." I blushed. How embarrassing.
Wait, would my kids ever turn out to be Mediators? We'll be the family on the street, who talks and see the dead. No one would want to hang out with my kids, because they'd be the odd kids, the odd family, the family that everyone would avoid as much as possible. But I loved Jesse too much to not want that.
"Susannah, your mother has to believe you some day." said Jesse. "You should try to tell her."
I tried, many times. "You think it's so easy." I said. "Try telling her, I see dead people. She'd think I'm dating an insane man."
"Get father Dominic the book. I think your hungry." He said. We bought the book for Father D and headed out of the store.
We were walking to the food court, but on our way there. We saw a huge line of kids waiting to sit on Santa's lap.
One kid caught my eye. After five sets of parents and their kids stood a woman holding a baby boy, while a girl was yanking at her jacket saying, "Mommy, mommy." She kept saying it over and over again. Tears were in her eyes.
No response came from her mother. I held onto Jesse. He looked down at me with concerned eyes. "What's wrong Querida?" He asked.
"Look." I said nodding my head to the girl. Her mother ignored her the whole time and only admired her little brother.
"Yes, children. You want many." He said.
"No, Jesse." I shook my head. Then realized what I meant and corrected myself. "Well, yeah, but it looks like we might be having lunch later."
"Why is that, Querida?" he asked.
I looked some more at the little girl. She was glowing, which meant, I was right. Lunch was going to have wait, because it looks like Jesse and I have to do some mediator business, because the little girl appeared to be dead.
A/N: Was it long enough? What did you think?