"Look at him—faking that he's asleep just so we'll stop discussing you-know-who," grinned Shannon as she leaned over to Michael in the airplane and motioning to John next to her, who had taken his coat and used it as a pillow and shut his eyes ten minutes ago and didn't even move a muscle when she tapped him on the shoulder.
"Hey Johnny," said Michael as he leaned forward to see around his cousin.
"What Michael?" groaned John, hoping this wouldn't be another Natalie discussion.
"How many of those fruitcakes were you able to get rid of before we left?"
"Twenty seven—including four that I gave to Marcie. I'd be expecting at least one from her for a present and I'll give you the other ten that are still in my office if this is some way to bring up Natalie again."
"Yeah, speaking of Natalie—," smiled Shannon as she grinned at Michael.
"That's it, I'm never going on vacation with you two ever again," he yelled and sat up in the seat.
"I was just going to say that when you and Natalie get married and if Rex and I get married—we'll be brother and sister-in-laws, or something like that."
"We're not getting married Shannon—she's already married, remember?"
"You can't fight the inevitable, John," she said with a grin which caused him to groan and smother himself in his coat.
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Natalie stopped searching but stayed in a squatted position in the Cottage attic—it had to be here somewhere, it didn't just sprout legs and walk off. She hadn't wanted to see it or look at it when it first came, but now some part of her wanted to see the painting tonight. Could someone from the Love Project came over here and moved it? She heard Cristian calling for her and she turned her head towards the door, "I'm up in the attic, Cris."
It was then she saw the edge of the painting and smiled as she stood up and grabbed it behind some other items and began staring at it.
"Hey—what are you doing up here? We're supposed to be over at Llanfair in a bit," said Cristian as he came to the door and saw her looking at the painting. "What is that?"
"It's the painting you did for me for our Christmas last year—before it made me cry to look at this painting so I put it away for when it wasn't so painful," she said as she sat it down and smiled up at Cristian. "But you are here now, and that is all that matters," she said as she kissed him—he'd been in such a good mood she hoped it would last forever, it definitely made her want to work harder to keep their marriage together.
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"Ready for hugs and squeals of joy?" laughed Michael as he knocked on the hotel room door and heard a muffled call to come in from the other side. They didn't enter but just knocked again and heard their mother's footsteps come to the door and open it to see her two sons and niece standing there.
"Merry Christmas!" sang all three in perfect harmony as she pulled them into a huge hug.
"You three—how—why—what's all this for?" she said as she wiped the tears away and looked at them closer as they walked into the hotel room.
"We can't come visit our mom for Christmas?" asked John.
"Oh you three can come whenever you like—this was just so unexpected. I was planning on going out and having a nice dinner alone, but now—now I have my family together," she said while again wiping the tears. "Let me look at you three—have you all been eating good? Not working yourselves too hard," she said glaring at both Michael and John.
"We're fine mom—we're eating good and watching each other's backs—right Shan?" smiled Michael.
"Ok, I have to hear the story behind that because I know there is one. Let me redo my makeup—I probably look horrible, and we'll go find a nice place to eat dinner and I want to hear about all of your lives—that includes John and what is going on with Natalie now," she smiled and turned towards the bathroom.
"Busted," whispered Michael under his breath and saw John give him a glare to be quiet.
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"Merry Christmas, Sweetheart," said Vicki as Natalie and Cristian walked into Llanfair carrying a bag of presents along with some food Natalie had made.
"Hi Mom. Merry Christmas," smiled Natalie as she gave her mom a kiss on the cheek and handed off her food to one of the staff members that came from the kitchen door.
"Merry Christmas, Mrs. Davidson," said Cristian softly.
"How are we doing today?" asked Vicki, happy to see her daughter smiling like her normal self.
"Good," said Natalie as she squeezed Cris' hand and heard the front door open and turned to see Roxy walking in. "Hi Roxy."
"Hey—wait a second, let me get a picture of you two," said Roxy as she fumbled with her purse and camera strap and dropped her plastic bag in her hand, a liquid oozing out of it quickly and Cristian running to help her.
Natalie tried to laugh, "I hate to ask—but what was in that?"
"Just a bottle of rum—thought I'd bring a hostess gift. Oh, and a fruitcake," said Roxy as Cristian pulled out the box from the bag now leaking all over the foyer floor.
"I'll get a staff member to clean it up and a trash bag also," said Vicki as she went into the kitchen and Cristian followed her.
"Roxy—my mom really was going to thank you for the hostess gift. Where did you get the fruitcake from?" she asked, knowing she'd bought the store out of them for John's present.
"It was from Johnny boy—he dropped it off while I was in the middle of doing a dye so I didn't get a chance to thank him. Speaking of Johnny—did I ever show you the picture I took of the two of you here last year? Let me tell you—you two were one hot comradery. Too bad Cristian had to come back."
Natalie's went huge at what Roxy said, "Roxy. That is so uncalled for."
"You know me—I just call 'em like I see 'em."
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"And don't forget my beer," called John as his mom closed the hotel room door for Michael and Shannon as they went down to the bar to get some drinks and make a few phone calls back home. Eve turned to look at him sitting on the bed and John suddenly felt like a small child about to be disciplined as she sat down next to him.
"How are you doing, John?"
"Me? I'm great—work is slow, but it's good."
"That's not what I'm talking about, honey," she said as she grasped his hand. "Tonight at dinner I remembered a specific Christmas dinner—it was just you and me that year, your father had passed away and Michael—he couldn't make it home for Christmas that year," she said, her eyes wandering off to another time.
"Yeah, I sat there with both chairs and tried to be him and myself at the same time," he said with a laugh—remembering telling Natalie that story not so long ago.
"You did that to make me happy that year—you were always trying to make everyone else happy, whether you were the reason they were heartbroken or not. I think you did that with Natalie also—made her happy when her heart was breaking inside for Cristian."
"Yeah, well maybe I should have just let her be—then we wouldn't have this problem."
"Problem?"
John got up off the bed and walked around the room some before speaking, starting with a slight chuckle, "I don't know if it would have helped any if I'd avoided her like I wanted to after Cristian died last year—the first time I saw her at Crossroads, I knew then she was something special. But I drug my feet—felt like I didn't deserve to love again, especially a woman whose husband was dead because of me.
"You know, I've been trying to figure out what Evangeline was—why was I attracted to her? Was I trying to get even with Nat for lying to me about being with Paul? Probably. Most likely. Hiding my feelings also—we had so many arguments about why I was with Evangeline and she was with Paul—she wanted me to admit I had feelings for her. Truth is—I had them from day one, I just wasn't ready to love again.
"I'm glad you finally are admitting this—you deserve to be happy, John. And I think Natalie is the one to do that."
John shook his head, "She's with Cristian—she wanted to be with him for so long and when he came back she still wanted to be with him."
"Michael said something at dinner about fruitcake—want to share that with me?"
John laughed at his mom, "Last year I wanted to get a smile on her face so I got a Santa bag and filled it with fruitcakes—she returned the favor this year by filling my office with them."
"Sounds like you mean something to her."
"Friendship—that's all, we've said it to each other multiple times since he's been back. I'm not giving up on something more—Cristian keeps slipping with her, he's acting different—before too long he might just slip up enough that she realizes he's not the man from before. But until then—I'll sit on the bench until it's my turn to go to bat for Natalie's heart."
"I think you might already have it," smiled Eve.
"You think so? I know one thing—she has mine. She's the first person since Caitlyn to make me feel the way I do."
"Why don't you tell her that?" asked Eve as he started to argue with her and she interrupted him, "Tell her that—it might help you get off the bench a little quicker."
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Natalie wiped her hands on her pants and walked into the living room to see just Roxy and Vicki sitting on the couch, "Where'd Jess go?"
"She went for a late night walk with Antonio. Did Cristian leave?"
"Yeah, he's got a headache," she sighed—remembering how often they came since he'd been back. "But tonight was a good night, I think—what do you think?"
"I think he seemed like he felt he belonged here again. He's had bad days—especially when he sees John," she said, wishing she hadn't said his name.
"Well, can you blame him? I mean he was gone and you were all rooty tooty fresh and fruity with McBain," smiled Roxy as she leaned against the edge of the couch.
"Roxanne—please. What happened with John and I is now in the past—anyways, Cristian doesn't even know what really happened between us. And I'd like if it were to stay that way," she said as her adopted mother pouted a bit and got up off the couch. "Roxy, I'm sorry—I didn't mean it like that to hurt your feelings."
"I know—it's just, well I kinda liked you with Johnny. You two came from the same place and have been through the same pains in life—he understands you pretty good."
"I know he does. Let me to walk you out,"saidNatalie as she got up to walk her to the door.
"Merry Christmas, Vix," smiled Roxy.
"Merry Christmas, Roxanne."
"I know you like John, but I also know you liked Cris before. It's taking some used to, but try for me—please?" said Natalie as she hugged her tightly.
"I'll do anything for you, Babe," said Roxy as she patted her daughter on the cheek. "Sometimes though—it's easier to go forward than backwards."
"I know," smiled Natalie as she closed the door and went back into the living room and sat next to her mom, lying her head on her shoulder, "You want me to help clean up before I go?"
"No, don't worry about it sweetheart. I think I know what Roxanne was trying to say a minute ago. In her way she was trying to say though making Cristian is happy is a good intention on your part, Natalie—you have you be happy also."
"I know—," said Natalie as she gave a deep sigh and received a kiss on her forehead from Vicki.