Prettyinpinkgal: Sorry for the delay! 43 reviews...Thank you everybody! Thank you thank you thank you! I love reading what you guys have to say, especially with the many reviews bashing Natasha and supporting WinnieJesse! Well, I've kept you guys waiting long enough; here's chapter four!

Disclaimer: I don't own Tuck Everlasting at all. So please don't sue! But in case you do sue, I have a lawyer ready! (shows lawyer, aka Patrick from Spongebob).

Patrick: Is this Pizza Castle?

FOSTER EVERLASTING

CHAPTER FOUR: WELCOME BACK

Jesse and Natasha, having confided in both about their eternal decisions, traveled to France, touring the Eifel Tower and Notre Dame. They began to like each other, and eventually loved. Thirty years after that, since there was no hurry, Jesse asked Natasha to marry him. With great happiness, she said yes and are now married in a nice little cottage in Sweden with their ten kids...(A/N I'm kidding! There's no kids, no cottage, and they're not married yet. Just engaged. Sorry; had to do that XP)

Jesse had no recollection at all about Winnie. His only focus was on his love right in front of him, Natasha. "Say, Natasha. How about we go and live in the home in Treegap I lived in once? We wouldn't have to worry about people finding out about us or anything since it's in the middle of the woods. What do you say?"

Natasha beamed and nodded. "That sounds wonderful! We could have a nice, private wedding and everything. It would be great."

"How about we bring my family? I'm sure they'd love to see the wedding," Jesse replied.

"Of course!"

"Then let's find them and get going!"

A year later, they found the Tucks and began on their journey to Treegap.

Thirty years. It had been thirty years since Winnie Foster had drunk the water. Thirty years since she had decided to wait for Jesse's return. She had taken up residence in the Tucks' old home. She kept it neat and clean, ridding it of all the cobwebs that had started indwelling in the house. Winnie hadn't moved anything an inch from where the Tucks had left it, except when she sat to eat some food she had bought at other towns (always disguising herself, just in case).

One day, Winnie was cautiously walking through the woods, thoroughly enjoying it, despite her caution. She remembered that Jesse had let his guard down when she first met him, and while it proved to be a wonderful event for Winnie, she still was careful walking around.

Winnie glanced at the spot where the magical water had been. She had decided twenty years ago to bury it and make it look like it was never a spring. To her surprise, there was a gravestone there. Her gravestone.

What in the world? she wondered as she gazed at it. It read that she had...married and had children? Winnie couldn't believe her eyes.

"This is so strange...Why would someone do this?" she wondered out loud. Then she realized it: Her parents probably did it to explain her disappearance. They told everyone that she had married and was a mother, then died.

Shaking her head at the tombstone and the sudden overwhelming urge to see her parents, she continued walking. Her family would be the Tucks, when they returned. Winnie imagined Jesse, her Jesse, looking at her in surprise when he came back with his family, then would be overjoyed. She smiled to herself. She couldn't wait to see him.

Of course, Winnie Foster was looking forward to seeing Mae, and Tuck. They always treated her kindly, and they were closer to her than her own parents. Miles was also missed by Winnie. He was like the older brother she never had.

Winnie sighed as she walked back to the Tucks' old house. How much longer do I have to wait to see them? she asked herself. Winnie glanced up at the blue sky mostly hidden by trees. "I want to see you, Jesse..."

Jesse and Natasha explained their engagement to the Tucks, who were overjoyed. They immediately started heading back to Treegap.

While Natasha was asleep, along with Miles and Tuck, Mae spoke to Jesse quietly as they moved along the road. "Jesse," she started, somewhat hesitantly. "Jesse, do you truly love Natasha?"

Jesse looked at her with wide eyes. "Of course I do! That's why I asked her to marry me!" Mae shushed him, as to not awake the others.

"It's just that," Mae said, "I can't help thinking you and Winnie belonged together..."

"Winnie? Who's that?" Jesse asked, thoroughly confused.

Mae stared at him. "Jesse Tuck, you know who Winnie is. Winnie Foster, Winifred Foster?" she offered.

"I think I remember some person named Winnie, but not to well." Suddenly, he remembered. He ran his fingers through his hair. "That's right, I remember now. But Ma, Winnie is probably some rich woman living in France or something. She wouldn't have drunk the water. She's smart; she wouldn't have done something to make her like us."

"Yes, yes, I know, but still...I don't know. I just have this feeling in my bones that you two should be together. Don't get me wrong, Natasha is a wonderful girl, but..."

"Ma, I love her, and that's that! Not some forty-year-old Winnie Foster!" With that, he put his hat over his eyes and tried to sleep.

Winnie awoke one morning when she heard horses. She prayed quickly that it wasn't anyone from town, and her prayers were answered as she briefly looked out the window.

Her gasped happily and quickly got dressed. She ran outside and waved. "Mae! Tuck! Miles! Jesse!" she cried with delight.

The group turned towards her. Time stood still for a moment. Winnie's hand dropped as well as her smile. "You don't remember me, do you?" I should have known, she thought bitterly as she felt more and more like she'd been kicked in the stomach. It's been decades; of course they wouldn't remember me.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a, "Who are you?" It came from Miles.

Winnie kept her misery hidden as she put on a smile. "Um, a seventeen-year-old Winnie Foster."

Again, silence. Then...

"Oh, my goodness, Winnie!" Mae ran up to her and hugged her tightly. Winnie sobbed out of joy and hugged her just as tightly. "Look at you, just look at you! You've grown up to be such a beautiful young woman, Winnie," Mae cried, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Winnie." The girl turned to see a flabberghasted Miles Tuck. She just laughed and hugged him as well. To her surprise, he was crying too. "I can't believe it's really you!" he said, covering his mouth as he tried to calm himself down.

"You drank the water, didn't you, Winnie?" Tuck asked, glaring at her.

She looked at the ground. "I...I'm sorry, I just felt like it was something I had to do. I almost didn't drink it, but I decided against it."

"Do you realize what you've done?" came Tuck's biting words. She nodded. His voice became kinder. "Well, it's too late to do anything about it. It's good to see you again, Winnie Foster." He patted her on her shoulder, and Winnie hugged him.

"Where's Jesse?" she asked excitedly. The three looked at one another and shifted from one foot to the other.

"Winnie, dear, there's something we ought to tell you..." Mae began.

"Who are you?" Winnie turned to see a girl about her age. On her hand was an engagement ring.

Prettyinpinkgal: Cliffy! Mwahaha! I'm sorry again about the long wait. I had a bunch of other stories to try and update, as well as school and piano...so I'm sorry! But, um, anyway, please review!