Prologue:

The meadow glistened with a shimmering emerald field of shamrock as their leaves wafted gently back and forth in the early spring breeze. The velvety green scene was serene except for one corner where a ghostly figure was crawling through the shamrock on her hands and knees.

"AAACHOOOOOO……. AAACHOOOOOO." With every sneeze, particles of dust flew up in the air to settle a fine layer of dust on the ghost's gossamer gown. She sniffed and wiped her nose on her sleeve but never moved from her knees. She had to find the four leaf clover if took her to the end of time. WAIT! End of time? "Heck no," she thought to herself. "I must have it by March seventeenth."

The old ghost knew that the three-leaf shamrock was the symbol of St. Patrick's Day but she also knew that four leaves had a very different meaning. In the four-leaf clover, each leaf had a special meaning. One leaf was for HOPE…the second for FAITH…the third for LOVE….and the fourth for LUCK! It was rare to find a four-leaf clover and when it occurred, it was a sure omen of good luck. The old spirit knew she needed lots of luck to bring together Sam Lachlan and Grace Rockefeller.

She noted a movement at the edge of the field. As she glanced up from her stooped position, she saw a very small gnome turning cartwheels in the shamrock. He was dressed in old-fashioned green clothes, a green cap with a black band, and black shiny leather boots. He laughed with the sheer joy of being alive. He was a leprechaun and had just finished hiding his pot of gold. The ghost knew if she were to catch him, her hunt would be over for he would be obligated to give her a four-leaf clover in payment for letting him go.

He twisted and turned, moving nearer as she flattened herself closer to the ground. Just as he was within reach, "AAACHOOOOOO." Another sneeze ripped out of the old ghost, causing the leprechaun to bolt straight up into the air. He turned and ran as fast as he could. The old ghost became saddened as she watched her single ray of hope moving away as quick as his little legs would pump. Suddenly, the leprechaun let out a loud screech as he stopped abruptly in none other then her partner's arms.

The old ghost stood up and yelled at the top of her voice, "HOLD HIM! HOLD HIM! DON'T LET HIM GO!"

She lifted up the hem of her gown and soared toward the struggling pair. As soon as she reached them, the leprechaun stopped struggling and settled down in the young ghost's arms.

As the older ghost walked up, her young partner said, "And just what am I supposed to be doing with this little runt in my arms?"

"Runt! Ye vacant wisp of a shadow," the indignant leprechaun interrupted as the older spirit floated toward them.

"Hold him for me." The first ghost replied. "I need something from him that only he can give me."

The leprechaun's ears pricked up when the discussion centered on getting something from him. In panic he responded, "No! No! Ye can't take 'way me pot. I begs ye please don't take me pot 'o gold." He tried desperately to jump from the young ghost's arms but she held tight to him with a strong grip.

"No you don't. You are not going anywhere, you little runt," The young ghost goaded him.

"Go ahead. Ask him where the four-leaf clover is. He must tell you what he knows because you're the one who caught him," the older spiritual being stated in a breathless tone of voice.

"What do I want with a four-leaf clover?" asked the younger ghost.

"You don't, dear, but I do. I need this. Pleaseeeeeee," the older ghost begged as she moved closer.

"Dang it! You know that you can always soft touch me by that gentle plea in your voice," her mate responded as she suddenly turned the leprechaun upside down and held him by his heels. As she held him in the air, she punctuated each word said to him by shaking him up and down.

"OK… Runt. Tell…me…where…that…4-leaf…shamrock…is," the young ghost stated as she continued to dangle him head down above the ground.

With each shake, his arms flailed as his body absorb the downward movement. Finally, watching his hat rolling across the field, he cried out, "UN'CLE….UN'CLE. TURN ME TIPPY TOPS SO'S I'LL BE TELLIN' YE."

"Leprechaun Promise?" asked the old ghost.

"Aye…ye gots me promise," he stated as he made a cross mark over his heart. His head was beginning to spin from jiggling upside down and he knew he needed to turn back over shortly or he was going to pass out.

"Let him down," the oldest ghost said to her mate. She watched as the leprechaun eased gently to the ground.

He grabbed his hat while he was lying next to it and slowly got to his feet. He stood quietly for a few seconds before turning to the two ghosts saying, "Ye follow me."

In a flash, the leprechaun was running across the field, aimed toward the center of the meadow. Running in a short circle, he stopped abruptly, leaned down and plucked a perfect four-leaf clover out of the ground. As the ghosts walked up, he turned and handed the clover to the younger one. She, in turn, handed it to her partner, whose face became rapturous with joy, knowing she could begin to nudge the circumstances that would throw Sam and Grace into a closer relationship. As the older ghost and her partner stared with awe at the cloverleaf, the leprechaun slowly and quietly stepped backward until he was behind both the spirits. Turning suddenly, he darted back into the woods to disappear totally from sight.

"Oh baby. Thank you! Thank you!" the older ghost said to her mate as she hugged her tightly. "I've looked all day and I don't believe that I'd ever found this without help."

"Babe, why do you need this?" the younger ghost asked.

"I've a feeling with the fiery temper that Grace has and the stoic indifference that Sam displays, we're going to need all the luck we have to pull off this romance," she responded to the young spirit.

The old ghost reached out and grabbed her partner's hand saying, "Come on, darling. We need to set events in motion." She lifted her face up to the sky, pulling her mate closer to her side. In a very short period, they found themselves back in town outside the dormitory in which both Teddi and Grace lived.

It was pitch black when the two ghosts reached the building. The oldest ghost opened her hand, staring once more at her cloverleaf. She moved her hand up toward her chest where she quickly tucked the clover beneath her clothes next to her heart.

"Come, dear. Let's sit in the bell tower till morning," the old ghost said to her mate as together they spun their way to the top of the tower.


Part 1

"Come on. Open the damn door and get your lazy ass out of bed," Sam pounded on Teddi's door trying to get her out of bed to go running. "Damn it, get your ass up!"

As Sam pounded on the door, she noticed a door opening half way down the hall. Grace Rockefeller walked out into the hallway. She did not see Sam lounging against Teddi's door until it was too late to turn back. Coming abreast of Sam, she turned her head away in an attempt to avoid having to talk to Sam. Sam watched her with a smirk on her face. This was too good to let pass. She stood, turned toward Grace and said, "How you doing Grace? How's your knee?"

"Fine. Just damn fine." Grace answered belligerently, stopping to stare back into Sam's face.

Again, the Lachlan classic beauty overwhelmed Grace. In Sam's case, her short blonde hair was stunning in its honey tones. Sam's piercing chocolate eyes made Grace feel like she could get lost within their depths. Sam's height was imposing, as was her strong muscular build. "God, I love her body, but I can't stand her," Grace thought to herself. "She irritates the hell out of me."

"What the hell are you doing here this time of morning?" Grace asked in a sleep filled husky voice.

With a wiry grin Sam responded, "Humm… let me see," glancing at her watch, "it's mid morning and I'm trying to wake Teddi up to go running with me."

"Well babe, knock all you want 'cause Teddi isn't going to hear you. She didn't come back last night with the rest of us. She took Kristen back to her apartment and I assume that's where she is," Grace answered cautiously.

"Well, damn. She knew I'd be here this morning. I called her three days ago to remind her," Sam replied with some irritation in her tone of voice.


"Love….sweat? Love….sweat? Yep, bet love wins every time," Grace said as she mockingly held her hands up as if she were balancing objects in them.

"Shit. Guess I'm on my own this morning unless you want to bring your lily-white ass running with me," Sam said in irritation.

"You know what, sugar. I can run circles around you if I wanted to," Grace bragged. In fact, Grace had run track in high school and had been third runner-up in the statewide track meet her senior year in high school. Just because she dressed femininely didn't mean that she didn't enjoy or wasn't good at sports.

"Oh yeah, that I'd love to see," Sam said through gritted teeth as she leaned in toward Grace and glared into her eyes.

"Give me fifteen minutes to finish dressing. We'll just see who holds up the best," Grace said as she turned and continued her journey down the hall.

"I'll be downstairs in the lobby waiting," Sam called out as she jaunted down the stairs to the first floor.

"Yeah, yeah," mumbled Grace walking into the bathroom.

****

Sam sprawled out on the lawn beside the track, taking in huge gulps of air. Her lungs burned, her heart was racing, and her sides actually hurt from the last quarter mile of sprinting that she had done. Despite all the extra effort, Grace still finished at least fifty feet in front of her eyes.

"I wonder if I can act like my ankle is hurting," Sam thought to herself as she fought to get her strength back.

Grace turned, looked back over her shoulder and noted Sam lying face down on the grass. She feared that Sam might have hurt herself and taken a tumble as they rounded the last stretch of the track. She pulled up and jogged over to where Sam was lying in agony on the ground. She bent down to make sure she was not hurt.

Noting that Sam was simply winded and not injured, Grace stated, "You chicken shit, wimp. Here I thought you'd at least have given me a run for my money." She turned to walk away at which time; Sam reached out and grabbed her by the ankle.

The unexpected halt to her forward movement caused Grace to lose her balance. She teetered around trying to keep from falling but to no avail. She fell with a resounding thump, face down beside Sam on the grass. The breath was knocked out of her and she struggled to draw in more air.

As soon as she could talk, the words streamed out of her mouth, "You god damn bitch. You sorry assed loser. What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Sam, by this time, could do nothing more than laugh loudly as she watched the indignant Grace struggling to right herself. Grace pulled herself to her knees and turned toward Sam. Still unable to talk, Grace reached out and slapped Sam across the face. Grace pulled back in shock as she realized what she had done.

Sam stopped laughing in mid laugh as her face stung from the blow inflicted by Grace. For a split second, Sam nearly slapped Grace back. Instead, as she raised her arm, she reached out and quickly pulled Grace to her. Grace tumbled down against Sam's chest.

As Grace fell, Sam pulled her closer, pressing her lips against Grace's mouth in a quick, hard kiss. Caught off guard, Grace sank into the kiss, opening her lips allowing Sam's tongue to seek entrance into her mouth. It was over nearly as soon as it began. Sam pushed Grace up and off to one side. Leaving Grace lying on her back in the grass, Sam stood and walked away without a backward glance.

Grace was stunned. She was shocked by the event that just occurred. Grace watched Sam's retreating back and couldn't help but think about the touch of Sam's lips on hers and the taste of Sam in her mouth. She brought her fingers to her lips, touching them softly, as they still tingled in the aftermath of the kiss that just occurred. Finally, Grace rose to her feet, turned in the opposite direction away from Sam, and headed back toward her room, wanting only to forget about her clash with Sam.

From the bleachers, the two ghosts looked on as Sam and Grace both went in opposite directions. Prior to that time, the older ghost was thrilled by the events taking place. She knew the competition between the Grace and Sam was fierce and sparks were sure to fly. She also knew that any time that much emotion was involved; love could just as easily follow. Reaching up, the old spirit ran her fingers over the four-leaf clover lying next to her heart. Again, she muttered a little pray to help true love find a way as it needed all the help it could get. Her young mate heard her mumbling the words and she began to think of ideas that might help the situation.

"What to do? What to do?" the young ghost pondered as silence reigned around them once more. Then, it came to her. She would bring back the little runt leprechaun and with his assistance maybe they could help her mate nudge Sam and Grace's relationship in the right direction toward everlasting love.


Part 2

Sam called Teddi several days later, checking to see if plans were still on for her and Kristen to meet Sam for the local Saint Patrick's Day festival. Sam arranged to meet them at O'Malley's Bar on Glendale Avenue. O'Malley's generally held a wild party for celebration of the green. Anything green was the traditional attire, with a free flow of Guinness and a large portion of corned beef and cabbage for anyone with an appetite. Sam was in a festive mood and looking forward to the party. Teddi and Kristen promised to go along with Sam, not that she ever failed to have plenty of company at any party.

As Teddi and Kristen drove away from the dormitory, Grace and her friends were coming in from their last class of the evening. Grace turned toward her companions and asked, "Is anyone planning on going to O'Malley's tonight? I understand that neat Irish folk band will be playing tonight."

"Nope, didn't plan it," one of Grace's friends replied.

"FINE! Stay home and grow old. See if I care," Grace said as she flounced up stairs to change. She planned on going even if no one else did. Thank goodness, it was within walking distance.

Grace knew that once she got to the bar, she would have no trouble in finding a ride home. She rummaged in her dresser until she pulled out a solid green t-shirt. Slipping it on, she looked in the mirror and realized it made her red hair darken more. The emerald green of the shirt was the perfect match to set off her appearance. Quickly she slipped off her skirt and replaced it with a pair of skintight designer jeans. She topped the outfit off with a pair of low-rise Sketchers boots.

Grace briskly walked the several blocks to the bar. She could hear the noise of the crowd and the band from within one-half a block. Her excitement grew. She loved to dance and enjoyed mingling with lots of people. She hoped that one of her girlfriends would be there to dance with her if not, any partner would do. Grace paid her cover charge and entered the bar. It overflowed with people all wearing some shade of green. Some were even dressed in special costumes. She slowly made her way to the bar.

****

Teddi, Kristen and Sam had managed to find a table near the edge of the dance floor. They took turns getting up to either get drinks or dance so that someone always remained at the table to keep it from being taken over by one of the other patrons. The place was crowded to night. It flowed with excitement and boisterous merry makers.

Sam glanced around as she lifted her green colored beer and chugged from the mug. She saw several people she knew and nodded her head in acknowledgement as they made eye contact with her. She looked toward the bar as a new influx of partygoers entered the club.

"Oh no," she remarked to herself. "Damn if I don't run into Grace where ever I go."

As Grace entered the bar, the older ghost followed closely on her heels. The old spirit wondered where her partner had darted off to earlier today but she could not wait any longer for her to return. She had to be in the club to help Grace and Sam. She flew over the tops of the crowd, coughing as she moved toward the stage. The cigarette smoke rose to the top of the ceiling and it was very thick where the ghost was flying. Turning, she moved toward the end of the stage where she could watch the entire room.

The older spirit looked around the room and noted Sam sitting at a table at the edge of the dance floor. She watched as Sam sipped her beer. Looking toward the bar, the old ghost contemplated how was she ever going to get Sam and Grace closer to one another. As she thought over the situation, she noted her mate drifting through the main door. As she watched, her partner stopped and leaned down toward something behind her. The young ghost stepped to the side allowing the older haunt to see that the leprechaun from the field was clinging to her gown.

"Oh heck! Why in heaven's name did she bring him here?" the old spirit asked herself.

After finishing her conversation with the leprechaun, the young apparition stood up and noticed her partner staring at her from across the room. Waving her hand in acknowledgement, she flew above the crowd and headed toward the stage, leaving the leprechaun behind.

Meanwhile the leprechaun rubbed his hands in glee. It had been many, many years since he had last been in a real pub. He could smell the heady odor of rich beer and his mouth began to water. Running rapidly to the nearest table, he glanced at the half-filled mug sitting near the edge of the table. He slipped beneath the table, snuck his hand out, reached up, and swiped the mug from the table. In a single swallow, he downed his first beer of the century.

Dropping the mug on the floor, he looked at the pairs of legs beneath the table. His eyes gleamed as he reached out and untied the shoestrings on two different sets of shoes resting side by side on the floor. He retied one shoe from each foot to other, effectively linking the separate individuals together. Finishing that task, the leprechaun scooted quickly from beneath the table and darted behind the bar. His rapid movements were merely a blur to the normal eye as the party continued uninterrupted.
****

The young ghost drifted to a stop beside her partner. She reached out and hugged her tightly saying, "Darling, how are you doing?"

"I'm fine," the older one responded. "Why did you bring that Diabhal sceith (devil's spawn) here tonight?" she asked as she saw the leprechaun darting from beneath the table.

"Sweetheart, in this crowd we needed a big nudge to help Sam and Grace. You said so yourself. I know this is important to you and I know he can help us shift the odds of love in their favor," the young spirit replied.

"That may be true, darling, but how will we ever control him?" her elderly partner continued.

Slipping her cape open, the younger ghost remarked, "Oh babe. You don't have to worry. I have his 'pot 'o gold' and he will do what ever we want in order to get it back. He is ours to command."

"Oh…babe. Too cool! Thank you, darling. I needed something to help love along but just couldn't come up with any good ideas," the older one replied.


Part 3

Darting behind the bar, the leprechaun paused to get his bearings. He cursed his short stature for the millionth time, wishing he were taller to where he could see more than a bunch of ugly kneecaps. As he stood still catching his breath, his ears picked up the sound of coins hitting the counter above him. His body quivered as he climbed the shelves behind the bar until he was able to peep over the top. He saw a pile of loose change lying unattended on the counter. Quickly he reached out, raked the coins into his hand, and dropped them into his pocket.

He also observed a shot of whiskey sitting in the area where the coins had lain. He slowly moved his hand back over the bar until he pulled the shot back toward himself. With a quick toss of the glass, he downed the drink of rich Irish whiskey. He smacked his lips as he slid the empty shot glass back along the bar. He turned and dropped back to the floor, smiling widely as he heard the coins jingling in his pocket.

Staggering slightly, the leprechaun crept back around the end of the bar. Looking up he finally remembered why his short stature was beneficial. From his vantage point, he was able to look up under the short skirts of the two women leaning against the bar beside him. He loved women's panties and he was certainly getting his eyes full tonight.

Looking further down the bar, he spotted the red haired woman that the young ghost had pointed out to him earlier. This woman was his intended target. He was to nudge her closer to the tall muscular blonde woman he could see seated across the lounge near the dance floor. As he watched the red haired woman, whose name was Grace, another short, dark haired woman walked up to her and asked her to dance. As they moved together onto the dance floor, the leprechaun followed close behind.

Grace looked down at Alice as they walked toward the dance floor. She hoped that Alice would behave herself this evening. Alice had few moral restrictions and thought nothing of rubbing her body against her partner's body as they danced. Grace was not in the mood to 'make love' on the dance floor. As the music swung into a slow, romantic song, Grace and Alice slipped closer toward one another. Their arms wrapped loosely around their bodies as they began to sway to the music. Alice leaned closer and laid her head between Grace's breasts. She began to grind her pelvis against Grace as they continued to dance.

Meanwhile, Teddi and Kristin had returned to their table in time for Sam to reach out and pull Kristen back out onto the dance floor leaving Teddi to keep watch on the table. Teddi grinned as she watched the shocked Kristen follow Sam. Kristen turned one last time with a single glance over her shoulder as Sam pulled her into her arms.

"Well, 'sister...to...be'… How are you doing? Sam asked Kristen as she held her lightly in her arms.

"Oh Sam. Absolutely great. I love Teddi so much," Kristen replied with tears of joy welling up in her eyes.

"Shh….it's ok. I know you love her and I simply wanted to let you know how happy I am to see you in her life." Sam replied with a wide grin on her face.

"Sam, I can barely wait until April when Teddi and I commit to one another," Kristen replied. "I'm so ecstatic you agreed to stand with us."

"No. The honor is mine," answered Sam. "In fact, I'm….." Sam never finished her sentence as she felt a body slam into her back, causing her to stumble into Kristen. It took all her strength to keep them both from tumbling to the ground in a tangled heap.

As Sam steadied Kristen, she dropped her hand from Kristen's arm, telling her, "Kristen, go sit down and let me handle this."

"Be careful," Kristen stated as she turned and walked back toward Teddi.

Grace had been trying to figure out how she could move Alice back from pressing so tightly against her body. Alice was wrapped around Grace like an octopus, smothering her close and making it nearly impossible to move. As Grace tried to work out what to do, she felt Alice being shoved briskly into the front of her. Grace staggered and fell backward, slamming into a body behind her. She dropped her arm from around Alice, letting Alice step back.

Alice whipped around and looked over her shoulder. She could have sworn she felt hands covering both her hips, shoving her forward, and causing her to slam into Grace. Looking around, Alice believed she saw a small person darting away, but shook her head in confusion, thinking she may have had a little too much to drink. Forgetting about Grace, Alice walked back to the bar to get another shot of whiskey. She thought to herself that she didn't remember drinking the last shot she had bought but remembered the glass was empty when she reached for it. She had also forgotten to pick up her change when the shot was placed in front of her.

Meanwhile, the leprechaun ran up behind the young ghost. Tapping her on the hip, he stated, "Me best has been done. Can I have me pot o' gold back now?"

"Sorry, you little runt. Stay here with me where I can see you," the young ghost replied as she grabbed him by the coattails, holding him close to her. "We need to make sure that Sam and Grace are forced into at least talking with one another.


Part 4

Sam turned around to see who had collided so violently with her and Kristen. As she turned, she was in time to reach out and steady the person who had hit her. She grabbed the woman by the arms, stopping her rebound movements, which would have caused the woman to fall on her butt in the middle of the dance floor. As Sam looked at the person she had hold of, her heart jumped into her throat. It was none other than Grace, her nemesis. Sam gasped and pulled Grace closer to her.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Sam asked as she shook Grace back and forth.

Grace reached out one hand and placed it against Sam's chest to steady herself and stop the motion of being jerked around. She took several deep breaths before bursting into tears.

"Ah… geez. Please don't cry. Not here anyway." Sam said while awkwardly patting Grace on the shoulder. Her actions and words only made Grace cry harder.

"Why, oh why of all people did I have to bump into Sam?" Grace thought as she tried unsuccessful to stem the flow of tears. She felt Sam slide her hand down until Sam grasped Grace's hand in her own. Turning toward the restrooms, Sam pulled Grace along behind her. Moving down the hall, Sam bypassed the restrooms, instead opting to go into the empty storeroom. Once inside she pulled the crying Grace into her arms and held her tight while Grace continued to cry. It was as if a dam opened up with Grace crying even harder.

The two ghosts watched closely as Sam stomped off in the direction of the back rooms. The older one rose in the air to follow, calling out to her mate, "Come on, babe. Let's check this out."

The younger ghost grabbed the leprechaun by the hand, snatching him off the ground into the air as she lifted up to follow her partner. The leprechaun sporadically kicked his legs in vain, as he squealed to be back on the ground. The ghost only held tighter to his hand.

Nearing the storeroom, the two spirits hovered next to the wall. They proceeded to stick their heads through the wall to observe what was happening in the next room. The leprechaun began a litany of Irish prayers as he watched the headless spirits while he continued to dangle from the younger ghost's hand. He jerked and bounced against her hoping to break his hold. In one of his arching bumps against the side of the younger ghost, he rammed against a hard object hidden beneath her cape. He swept the material aside with his free hand and gasped in surprise. Before his eyes, was his beloved pot 'o gold.

Reaching out with his loose hand, he grasped the pot handle. His body shimmered and shook as a transformation overcame him. Within seconds, he too, became a spectral being with no solid body. He laughed aloud as he quickly withdrew his hand from the young ghost and in one rapid movement, flew quickly back through the barroom and out of the building. He hurried back toward the woods and his beloved field of shamrocks. He had his gold, a handful of new coins, and was besotted from the drinks that he had earlier consumed. "May ye be 'n heaven 'alf 'n hour 'fore the devil knows yur dead!" he shouted as he ran off to once again hide his pot 'o gold.

Meanwhile, Grace wrapped her arms around Sam and held on tightly as she pressed her face into Sam's shoulder. She let all that she was feeling pour out with her tears. She didn't understand why she was this emotional but she couldn't stop the tears. Finally, after ten minutes of hard crying, Grace quieted with just an occasional hiccup and sigh. Sam continued to hold her close as she felt Grace's heat penetrating the front of her outfit. Grace's tears felt like liquid fire as they soaked through Sam's shirt and saturated the top of her breast. Sam felt her body reacting to the closeness of Grace's warm skin.

Without a word, Sam pulled Grace gently back and looked into her wet face. Her eyes were red from weeping. Her nose was pink and shiny. Her lips remained luscious and softly swollen. Sam could not resist. She tilted her head lower bringing her lips in line with Grace's mouth. She tentatively flicked out her tongue and traced the fine line around Grace's lips. She felt Grace draw in a quick breath as she slightly opened her mouth. Sam pressed forward and sealed her mouth to Grace's. Raw heat passed between them as their tongues began to duel for possession of one another's mouths.
Sam wrapped her arms tight around Grace as she drew her in closer to her own body to deepen the kiss they were sharing. She could taste the hot essence of Grace's mouth as she pulled Grace's tongue into her own mouth. Sam let her hands slide lower to thrust Grace's pelvis tight against her abdomen. Grace moaned deep in her throat and Sam felt it within her own mouth. Desire soared between them as electricity coursed throughout both their bodies. Finding themselves short of breath, they drew apart and looked deep into one another's eyes, realizing that something different was happening with their relationship. Neither said as word as they simply waited to see what would happen next.

The ghosts looked on with joy and wonderment seeing new love blossom once again. They looked at one another and winked. The older one reached into her bodice and pulled out the four-leaf clover. She stretched out her arm and let the clover fall to the floor at the toe of Sam's shoe. She turned to her partner, saying, "Our work is done for tonight, darling. We have gotten done what we needed to do. Let's go. It's time to begin planning a wedding for our Teddi and Kristen."

The younger ghost nodded her head as she slowly pulled back through the wall into the empty hallway. Looking around she observed the leprechaun was no longer with them. She patted her outfit and realized he had retrieved his gold. He was long gone from the bar. "Oh well, I know how to get you should I need you again," she said to herself as she waited for her partner to drift to her side. Together they flew above the heads of the crowds, moving out into the cool night air as the revelry behind them continued long into the night.

Sam broke her glaze away from Grace's, looking down at the floor. She noted what looked like a shamrock near the toe of her shoe. She bent down and picked it up. Bringing it closer, she saw that it was a four-leaf clover. She reached out, picked up Grace's hand, turning it over so the palm was up. She laid the shamrock in Grace's hand and said,

"May your days be many and your troubles be few, May all God's blessings descend upon you. May peace be within you, may your heart be strong. May you find what you're seeking wherever you roam."

Leaning forward, Sam gave Grace one final gentle kiss on the mouth before turning and leading her back into the bar. Neither woman knew what lay ahead but tonight had seen a positive change in their relationship. Each one vowed to herself to work on discovering where this new path would take them. Hand in hand, they walked back into the throng of the party, willing to settle for a truce at least through the rest of the night.
 

The End
 

Copyright © March 2004 by Shadylady. All Rights Reserved

Read the sequel: Ghostly Nuptials.