Four Leaf Clover - 16
Summary: Started from Trinity's challenge of J/N engaging in an affair behind the Evil One's back. EVenge kidnapped Natalie at gunpoint and confessed to killing Paul Cramer and Tico Santi – her husband! Hayes was arrested as the Killing Club Killer because they actually did real police work – ie, research – and traced him forward from Ivan Potter. Natalie overpowered the psycho lawyer and got them to the LPD. She was diagnosed with a mild concussion from being hit by Evangeline's gun, but refused to go home. John is dealing with the fact that he slept with a murderess. John asked Natalie to move in with him.
A/N: "See Grandpa, dreams really do come true."
>>>>>
"I'll be done in a few hours, why don't we do lunch?" John said as they stood outside Llanfair.
"Okay. Are you really going to take off those days Uncle Bo is demanding?"
"Yeah. I want to be there for Michael and my mother should be here tonight."
Natalie put her arms around John's neck and pulled him into a hug. His arms slid automatically around her and he buried his face in her hair.
"Maybe we can get in some alone time while we're both off this week? Look for a place to live?"
Natalie smiled brightly, clearly thrilled at the suggestion.
"You're easy."
"What?" Natalie was shocked.
"I like being able to make you smile." John kissed her.
"Tell Uncle Bo thanks for the extra day off."
>>>>>
Natalie parked her car and walked up the walk. It was eerie seeing the place blocked off with police tape, to know that three people had just died there. People she knew. Her hand shook slightly as she took the key out of her pocket. She had even dated Ron over the holidays. He was a nice guy, he just wasn't John.
She pulled the tape aside and opened the front door and walked in. Dave in CSU had said that they were done with the house and she could go in, but it didn't necessarily feel right to do so. She couldn't help seeing the fingerprint dust, chalk and other investigative detritus littering what had been a place of such happiness. For herself and Cristian and the Love Crew.
Suppressing a shiver wholly unrelated to the temperature, Natalie closed the door behind her and walked over the fireplace. She closed her eyes as she remembered the nights she and Cristian had spent making love and talking in this very spot. She turned and looked at the door and remembered all the times John had dropped her off on the way back from a pool match or after, when his mother had lived here, just came by to visit.
She looked at the couch, remembering sleeping on it with John hovering protectively in the foyer. She looked up and remembered where they had found the cameras that Haver had installed throughout the house to watch them.
She went into the kitchen and sat down at the table. She always told Cristian is was kind of a waste for them to have a kitchen. Neither of them particularly liked to cook and were often dining on Carlotta's generous presents or the dishes Vicki had the Llanfair chef prepare for them. Or burgers from Crossroads. Cristian hadn't liked macaroni and cheese and would always make gagging sounds when she would prepare it, sometimes with Rex as they reminisced about their childhood.
"Funny," Natalie said to herself as she recognized the irony of reminiscing about times that had been so hard and painful. But that was exactly what she was doing there that day. She walked back through the living room and up the stairs. Slowly, uncertain of what she would find there. Two of the bedrooms were blocked off with tape, including the master bedroom that had once been hers and before that hers and Cristian's. She pulled the tape off and walked into the chilly room – all of the windows had been thrown open to empty it of the killing gas.
Tears burned her eyes as she saw the bed she had once shared and then had learned to sleep alone in. The bed where Marcie had died. Her knees buckled as the finality of death rocked through her. She didn't bother to stop the sobs that heaved through her as she remembered good times and bad spent in these walls and the people who had once been here but would not be here any longer. She cried for Cristian, for Al, for Marcie, for Ron and for all the dreams of life that now would never be. She gave herself up to the goodbyes she had come here to say.
"Hey." She never heard John come in, but eagerly allowed him to pull her onto his lap. She took comfort in the rocking motion and the caresses he made over he hair and back.
He held her until her sobs subsided and then continued to hold her.
"How did you find me?"
"One of the guys on patrol saw your car outside and called me."
"I can't even get into trouble in this town anymore," Natalie said between sniffles.
"I'm sure you'll manage," John said dryly.
Natalie sighed and lifted her head to look at him. "I was just saying goodbye." She rang her fingertips over his face.
"I know."
"That place we're going to look for, how about we buy something?"
"Buy? A house?" he croaked out.
"Or a condo. Something that's ours. I'm going to sell this place. I could put the money into a new place, our place."
"I could probably swing that. You ready to get out of here?"
Natalie leaned her head on his shoulder and squeezed him tighter.
"What?"
"There are some boxes in the attic I wanted to get. Everything else we can have the broker deal with."
"Come on, I'll help you and then we'll go have lunch."
"Have I told you lately how lucky I am to have you?"
"You might have mentioned it, but it really can't be said enough."
>>>>>
"I guess it works out that I'll spend the night with Jessica and you spend it with Michael and your mom."
"You know you're welcome to join us. Eve, Shannon and Michael would love to have you there."
"I know, it's not that I don't feel welcome. I just think it's a McBain night and I miss Jess."
"Just so you know I want you there."
"I know."
Natalie and John stood, once again, at the front door of Llanfair. This time it was dusk and they were going their separate ways for the evening.
"We won't have to do this once we have our own place," Natalie said.
"Yeah, you'll never be able to get rid of me."
Natalie laughed and he swooped her into a heated kiss. Neither knew that the door had opened until they heard Jessica clearing her throat.
John looked up and glared at Jessica. Natalie pinched his arm to remind him to be nice to her sister and turned to say hello to Jessica. John made his polite, if hasty, greetings and then left.
"He's never liked me," Jessica said as she followed Natalie into the living room.
"Don't be silly." Natalie dropped her purse on the desk and walked over to the couch.
"Ever since Haver, then I got involved with Tico. He thinks I'm an idiot and I don't blame him."
"Jess, you're being too hard on yourself. We all make mistakes. Mitch Laurence and Paul Cramer. Now we're even. He doesn't think I'm an idiot."
"Do you want a glass of wine?"
"Changing the subject? Sure." Natalie sat down and contemplated putting her feet up on the coffee table. She was definitely more at home at John's than this pristine palace, even though it was home.
"What's up? You have a maudlin look on your face." Jessica handed Natalie her glass of wine and sat down on the couch next to her.
"John asked me to move in with him."
"Oh my God! I'm so happy for you!" Jessica hugged her sister. "At the Hotel?"
"Don't make that face, but no. We're going to buy a place together."
"That's good." Jessica sighed in relief and took a sip of her wine.
"What about you and Antonio?"
Jessica shrugged and looked into her glass.
"You can tell me anything."
"I'm done with all things Vega and Santi. It's never going to go back to how it was before Antonio found out he was a Santi and abandoned me and his daughter. To tell you the truth I don't want it to."
"I thought you love him?"
"I do, in a way. But he's very controlling, Natalie. He was always trying to get me to do what he wanted, he never listened to what I wanted. About my career, about getting married, about having kids and finally about this whole Santi thing. He never respected me."
Natalie opened her mouth, but then closed it.
"What were you going to say."
"I was going to say what I always say, that he loves you. But yeah, I always noticed he didn't quite treat you as an equal. I thought you were okay with it."
"Maybe I was then, but I'm not now. I need to take care of myself, I need…"
"What?" Natalie curled up and took another sip of wine.
"I haven't told Mom yet, so don't say anything. I'm going to go to grad school in California."
" California? Why so far?"
"I need a change. I need to get far away from Antonio and Tico and all the dumb things I've done. I want to start fresh. I'll finish my journalism degree, get some more experience and then I can come back and work at the Sun or the Banner."
"Mom is going to be upset."
"She'll have you."
"It's not the same."
"If you still feel that way then maybe it's a good thing I'll be gone for a while."
"Don't leave on my account, Jess." Natalie grasped her sister's hand.
"I'm not. I'm leaving on mine."
"I'll miss you."
"Me too. You'll have to come visit! We can tour the wineries in Napa. I've always wanted to do that."
"Okay." Natalie shrugged. She liked drinking wine, but never particularly cared about where it came from.
>>>>>>
The ringing phone woke the Buchanan sisters from the sugar-induced comas imitating sleep.
"Who the hell is calling at 3am?" Jess groaned and passed the phone to Natalie.
"Hello?" Natalie's voice was rough with sleep. "Whoa? She what? Wow!" Natalie shot up to a sitting position. "Yeah. I love you too. See you later."
"Johnny call to tell you he loves you at 3 in the morning? Isn't that a bit extreme?" Jess asked, rolling over.
"He called to tell me that Evangeline Williamson killed herself in jail about an hour ago."
"Hmmmm," Jessica murmured and fell back asleep.