Four Leaf Clover – Part 30
Athena13

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"I can't believe you're going so far away." Tears clogged Natalie's throat as she hugged her twin goodbye. They were at the airport for a final, final farewell.

"We had a great summer and I'll be back for Thanksgiving," Jess promised through her own tears. The girls still clung together. "You and Rex are going to do great."

"You helped us so much this summer." Natalie pulled back and visibly struggled to get her emotions under control.

"Come visit me."

"Why do you have to go so far?" Natalie asked for the thousandth time.

"You know why."

Natalie sighed. Antonio had spent the entire summer trying to get Jessica back, but she wasn't having it or him. Only Natalie's pleas had stopped him from coming to Jess' goodbye party at Llanfair the night before and to the airport today.

"It's better this way. I promise he'll be over me before I get back and maybe then he can concentrate on getting a life. Maybe he really will finish law school now instead of just talking about it."

Natalie grimaced. Since inheriting the Santi money Antonio had been trying to get even with RJ who had retained custody of Jamie, hounding Jess and generally doing nothing with his life.

"Now, come on. There are other people who want to say goodbye to me." Jess nudged her away, but held on to her twin's hand.

"Like Michael?" Natalie said in a stage whisper, causing her fair-skinned sister to flush.

"We're just friends."

"Uh huh. Just friends last night on that hill by Llanfair's back fence?" Natalie asked.

Jess flushed even more and squeezed her sister's hand. She turned and saw Michael watching them intently and she felt the flutter of butterflies in her stomach.

"Oh my god! You're in love with Michael!" Natalie whispered triumphantly.

Jess turned and looked at her, her emotions written on her face.

"Don't go. Stay here!" Natalie urged.

"No. I have to do this. If…if it's meant to be it will happen. When we're both ready."

Natalie nodded and squeezed her sister's hand and walked over to Michael and John. She slid under John's arm and buried her face in his chest as Michael walked over to her sister. "Let's give them some privacy." Natalie dabbed a tear off her cheek with John's shirt hoping no one noticed.

"Privacy?" John echoed.

"Geez. Let's go buy Jess some magazines for the flight." Natalie laughed and tugged John towards the concession. She grabbed up a pile of fashion magazines and a couple of newsies and peeked around the corner as John paid. A big grin spread across her face as she saw Michael and Jess sharing a kiss. A shy one, but a kiss nonetheless. She started calculating how she could fan the flames of this budding romance and lure Jess back home as often as possible.

"I smell something burning."

"Huh?" Natalie, startled, turned to look at John who was handing her the bag of magazines.

"You're scheming about my brother's love life."

"Does that bother you?"

"Well, Jess has grown on me this summer and my brother has a nasty habit of butting into my love life. All in all I might just help you." John smiled and put his fingers on Natalie's chin. He tilted her head up and initiated a sweet kiss that lasted a few minutes.

"I thought you hated PDA's?" Natalie asked, breathless, her own butterflies beating madly in her stomach.

"You just have this effect on me." John put his arm around her shoulders and led her back to their sweetly whispering siblings.