Author's note: This is set a year after the original game going on the assumption that Natalie didn't end up with any of the guys. But I've slid in references to different events in the game. Hope you enjoy it.
Natalie flopped back on to her bed with a tired sigh, having finished with her last class of the semester. Her already packed suitcase on the floor by the foot of her bed. Her roommate Clara couldn't help but comment.
"At least you seem to be a lot more prepared than last year." She said with a smile. Natalie cringed and covered her face in embarrassment.
"Don't remind me! I can't possibly have made a worse first impression even if I drove my car right through Susana's front window." Natalie sat up and smiled as she thought about seeing all the friends she had made in Fairbrook again. Clara laughed and crossed the room to give her friend a pat on the shoulder.
"Well you made it good in the end though, I heard Susana practically begged you to come back this year." Clara wasn't sure but she thought she saw a blush cross Natalie's face briefly and grinned mischievously. "And of course, there are the boys too…"
"What do you mean by that?" Natalie asked with caution as she eyed her friend with mistrust. Clara rolled her eyes and sat down next to her on the bed with a slight shove.
"You can't tell me that not one of them caught your eye while you were down there! What are you? Made of stone?" Natalie gave her a slight glare before moving her gaze a little wistfully to the window.
"To be honest, Clara, they all caught my eye in one way or another. I mean Jacob is such a hard worker and really sweet too, Ryan is so smart but really down to earth when you get to know him. Steve's so easy-going but he has an undercurrent of determination and Trent is so much fun to be around but I know he'll always look out for me." Natalie closed her eyes for a second before opening them with a sigh. She looked so sad that Clara nudged her, dropping her voice.
"Hey… what's the matter?" It was unusual to see Natalie with such a solemn look on her face.
"I'm really looking forward to seeing them all again, do you think all of them, or any of them for that matter, are looking forward to seeing me?" Clara gave her a deadpan look.
"Are you kidding me? Sure things started out on the wrong foot but you stuck at it and really tackled your responsibilities head on." Clara dropped an arm around her shoulder and gave her a squeeze. "When I went back in the summer, all I kept hearing was how hard you worked and how well you fitted in once you found your feet. Absolutely everyone asked me how you were doing." Natalie looked up a little unsure.
"Even Sam?" Natalie asked. Clara smiled with a nod of affirmation. She glanced at the time.
"I'll let you get some sleep, it's a long drive after all, I'm just gonna go make a call to my parents, I'll do it outside so I don't disturb you." Natalie gave her a tired nod as she pulled back her blankets to make herself comfortable. Clara took her phone out as she left the room, scrolling down to the flower shop, she'd make sure they'd give Natalie a suitable welcome back.
Natalie pulled up in front of the flower shop in the early evening, it was already dark. She smiled at the building she had spent almost three months in last year. She pulled up her handbrake and got out the car, all the lights in the shop seemed to be off.
"That's odd, I did tell Susana I'd be arriving today…" Natalie said to herself, she walked over to the door and saw a note attached to it. She grabbed it and took it over to the light given by the lamppost to make reading it easier. 'Natalie, I'm sorry but I had to rush out this afternoon, door's unlocked, come in and make yourself at home. –Susana'
Natalie couldn't help but feel disappointed, maybe Clara was wrong and they hadn't missed her that much after all. She put the note in her pocket and unlocked her trunk to get her suitcase, she pulled the heavy case behind her as she tried the flower shop door, sure enough it was unlocked and she shuffled herself into the darkened room with her case.
"SURPRISE!" The lights were suddenly flicked on and Natalie jumped in fright from the loud group greeting. She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the light and she saw all her friends standing there under a homemade banner that said 'Welcome back, Natalie!' Once she got over her shock, a smile spread across her face from ear to ear.
She approached Susana first and gave her a warm hug.
"That was mean, brilliant but mean." She teasingly scolded Susana, who grinned unapologetically.
"Why, Natalie, I have no idea what you are talking about…" Before her eyes softened. "Thank you for coming back, it's so great to see you." Natalie found her jacket and scarf taken by a smiling Jacob as soon as she pulled them off.
"It was nothing really, I was really looking forward to coming back to be honest." Anything she had wanted to say past that was muffled as Trent's big strong arms went around the smaller woman's frame and her face was buried into his broad chest. Steve tapped his blonde friend on the shoulder,
"Don't suffocate her before she's even got through the door, bro." He teased, giving Natalie a wink as she was released.
"Oh, heh, sorry." Trent patted Natalie on the head in affection. "Marian wanted to be here but she had a workshop she was running tonight, but she says she hopes to see you soon." Natalie nodded as Steve grabbed her suitcase from her to take it into her bedroom.
Natalie turned to the one person in the room she hadn't greeted yet, Ryan was leaning against the wall at the back of the room, happy to let everyone else jump in first and wait his turn.
"Hi Ryan, I believe I have you to thank for me acing my geometry course." Natalie told him, Ryan's eyes lit up and he smiled.
"Well you were the one to take the exam, Natalie, not I." Ryan answered her, Natalie rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment and Ryan raised a quizzical eyebrow. "What?"
"Well, about the exam. I took it and finished really quickly, then I panicked thinking I must not have understood something properly or missed a section out because it was too easy. So I spent the remaining time going through the whole paper, cover to cover, trying to figure out what I'd done wrong." Natalie looked at her feet sheepishly. Jacob laughed from his position to her right.
"Good to know some things never change." He commented, Natalie suddenly realised she was having to look up at the younger man more than she remembered having to last year.
"Well some things evidently do, you must have shot up at least a foot since I last saw you." Jacob blushed a little but he was smiling, Natalie was glad the blush was still there, taller or not, Jacob was as adorable as ever. Natalie looked into the kitchen, it was filled with finger food, Susana must have been busy all afternoon.
"I can't believe you guys went to all this trouble for me." Natalie stated as she was handed a cup of spiced apple tea, the smell of which reminded her of the hot cider they had all shared after the Grand Battle of Natalie's car as it had come to be known. Steve grinned at her from the door and said.
"Well a little bird may have told us that you were feeling uncharacteristically insecure about whether we were looking forward to seeing you again." Natalie looked confused before it clicked; she flushed a bit but tried to hide it by taking a sip of her tea. "Sooo Clara called Susana and Susana called everyone else and we set up this little welcome back party for you."
"Thank you, all of you." Natalie said turning to the others with a great beaming smile. "Now I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm famished!" Laughter filled the air as everyone piled into the kitchen for food.
After her warm welcome Natalie easily fell back into her old routine, she'd help Susana in the mornings and then her afternoons were her own. She tried her best to spend time with everyone regularly but it almost felt like there were simply not enough days in the week.
One morning, roughly two weeks into winter break, found Natalie groaning as her alarm went off. She still wasn't what anyone would call a morning person, Susana had even started stocking Steve's coffee to perk up her friend but today her body felt particularly heavy.
Still, she dragged herself out of bed and into her clothes before going to join Susana in the shop.
"Good morning, Nata-" Susana stopped her cheery greeting and her forehead creased in worry. "Are you alright?" Natalie nodded, ignoring the pain that simple gesture caused her.
"I'm just a little under the weather, I'm sure I'll feel fine once I get going." The younger woman answered as she reached for her apron. She was surprised when the blonde woman actually batted her hands away before a beautifully cool one was placed on her forehead.
"You are most definitely more than a little under the weather." Susana frowned. "I was worried this might happen after last weekend." Natalie had gone with Jacob for a walk up near his place when he needed to escape the exuberance of his siblings and extended family. Natalie had got startled by a deer darting out in front of her. Unfortunately when she jumped she lost her footing and fell into the partially frozen creek that ran alongside the path. Jacob had got the young woman out the water and back to the flower shop as quickly as he could, even phoning Ryan for advice. Susana had got her dry and warm as soon as possible and Natalie had been fine, well up to now that is.
"You need to go back to bed, Natalie." Natalie was about to protest, she knew there was a lot of work to be done. "Don't worry about the orders, I'll call Jacob and ask him to come and help me. Now back to bed and call me if you need anything."
Natalie realised she wasn't going to win this one and trudged back into her bedroom; she got changed again and curled up under the blankets. She had to admit that she was feeling pretty rough, her head was pounding and she was shaking from chills.
She managed to doze off however and when she woke up a glance at her clock told her it was late morning. Her throat was sore and scratchy and she decided to get up to see if Susana had anything in her kitchen to soothe it.
She shuffled along and put her hand on the door handle, about to push through into the shop when she heard voices and she paused. She didn't want to be in the shop in her pyjamas when customers were around, that wouldn't look very professional at all.
"Hey Susie! You look busy." Natalie realised it was Trent and was about to open the door when the blonde young man spoke again. "Where's Natalie? Don't tell me she's fallen back into her old habits?" There was the sound of a frown in his voice.
"Oh no, nothing like that, she-" A painful coughing fit bubbled up from Natalie's chest exposing her eavesdropping and blowing her cover so she opened the door. "Oh Natalie, did you need anything?" Natalie heard a gasp from Trent but refused to look in his direction.
"I was wondering if you had any hot lemon or something similar?" She asked in her painfully croaky voice. "I can make it myself, I know you're busy."
"No, don't be silly. Go back to bed and I'll get the hot lemon brought in to you." Susana gave her friend a concerned look as Natalie turned around and shuffled back to her room, still not acknowledging Trent's presence.
Natalie sat up in bed while she waited, small painful coughs echoing out of her every few moments as she pulled her blankets higher. There was a gentle rap on her door.
"Come in!" She called before coughing again. The door opened to show Trent carrying a tray with a teapot; cup and what looked to be a jar of Susana's homemade honey. The tall blonde looked ridiculously childish with that guilty look on his face. He put the tray down on the bedside cabinet. Natalie managed to say a small thank you but she still wouldn't look at him; she heard him sigh as he poured out some of the lemon tea and added a generous spoonful of honey.
"Here…" He said as he handed her the cup, she blew on it a couple of times before taking a sip. The liquid soothed the rawness in her throat and she could feel the comforting warmth all the way down to her stomach. "Natalie, I'm sorry. I jumped to the wrong conclusion and… I'm sorry, I didn't mean it." Natalie stared into her cup, considering not answering but she needed to ask.
"Then why did you say it? You don't honestly think I'm the same lazy brat I was last year, do you?" She finally looked at him; her dark green eyes full of hurt. Trent almost winced at the sight of them.
"No, of course I don't… It's just that I'm protective of Susie and that messed up my judgement and I just assumed, I'm really sorry. I didn't know you fell in the creek and got ill." He put his hands in his pockets and looked away, unable to bear the betrayed way Natalie was looking at him.
Maybe it was because she wasn't feeling well but Natalie found herself tearing up, she put her cup down on the bedside cabinet before she spoke again.
"That really hurt me, Trent." Her voice full of tears as she sniffled. The blonde man looked at her in horror. "I really tried hard to change, everyone here inspired me to do better. Your sister especially so. But what's the point if you all think I'm still the same anyway?" She covered her eyes with her hands as her sobs finally got the better of her.
She felt the bed shift with a sudden weight and before she could react she was wrapped up in a firm embrace, she weakly pushed against Trent's chest and beat on it for a second before she just sank into his arms crying and coughing pitifully. Trent didn't say anything; he just rested his chin on the top of Natalie's head and stroked her back in a soothing manner.
After a few minutes the sobs slowed to a sniffle, Trent let go of Natalie but had hold of her shoulders at arm's length.
"No one thinks that you are still the same as you were, you earned everyone's respect, including mine and I'm sorry that I made you think I felt any different." Trent told her firmly, Natalie wiped her eyes with a nod. "Now tell me, what can I do to make it up to you?" The purple haired girl blinked as she considered it.
"I'm not sure…" Her mind had literally drawn a blank as soon as he asked.
"I could always get you some flowers." Trent told her with a grin, the joke got the desired response as she smiled with a laugh.
"Heh no, I think we may be looking at edible 'I'm sorry' gifts." Natalie answered. Trent got up with a wink.
"Lots and lots of sweet things coming right up, I'll swing by the store, see if they have any cold medicine too." Trent said as he patted the hair sticking up from Natalie's head back down, at mention of the store, Natalie suddenly remembered.
"Ah! I'm meant to be going ice skating with Ryan this afternoon, could you let him know that I'm not going to make it? I wouldn't want him to think that I've stood him up." Trent laughed with a nod.
"No problem, now drink your tea and I'll be back later." He paused and looked a little unsure again. "Am I forgiven?" Natalie gave him a bright smile and nodded. The blonde let out an exaggerated sigh of relief as he took his leave.
Natalie poured herself another cup of the hot lemon and honey, she finished it and was about to settle back down to sleep when she received a text message on her phone. It was from Ryan, telling her not to worry about skating and to get better soon, stay warm and drink fluids.
Natalie smiled at the screen, typical Ryan but at least he wouldn't get the wrong end of the stick. She sent a message back to thank him then lay back down and buried herself under the covers once more.
It was late afternoon before Natalie woke up again, she opened her eyes sleepily to see Jacob putting a thermos on to the bedside table.
"Ah, I'm sorry; I didn't mean to wake you." Jacob said in panic. Natalie sat up rubbing her eyes.
"It's ok, don't worry." She nodded to the thermos. "What's that?" Jacob looked a little embarrassed.
"Hot chocolate, I thought you might like some." A smile spread across Natalie's face as she reached for it, to be honest she had been looking forward to having some more of Jacob's hot chocolate all year. She poured herself a cup and took a sip, it was even better than she remembered.
"Mmhm, you've changed the recipe, it has a creamier texture." Jacob beamed with happiness that she had noticed. Natalie spotted that her beside cabinet was covered with sweets, cakes and cold medicine. "Wow, I guess Trent wasn't kidding about the lots and lots of sweet things… he must have felt bad."
"And so he should." Jacob growled with an angry look, evidently he had been filled in on the events of earlier.
"Hey… don't be angry for my sake. We sorted it, so it's ok… though I may need a hand getting through all these goodies." Natalie offered, Jacob just smiled and shook his head.
"No but thanks for offering, I've got to go and help Susana; I just wanted to pop in to give you the hot chocolate." He turned to leave the room. "Feel better soon, ok?"
"I'm sure I will, and thanks again." She held up the thermos, the young brunette just smiled and closed the door lightly behind him. Natalie drank the rest of the hot chocolate and noticed Trent had left a couple of books from the library for her, so she curled up with one of them, munching on her sweet treats until she fell back to sleep.