A/N. I do not own these characters. ABC does.
This is an AU fic. Cris was supposedly killed int the FBI sting but it wasn't John that was the FBI Agent. Cris came back just like before but again no John. The story picks up after Cris comes back.
Natalie sat in her new apartment looking in the mirror at her recently acquired bruises. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine her life would have turned out this way. How could he do this to her. She had thought he loved her. But people that love you don't hit. He had found her this last time. But if there was one thing she was it was resourceful and she had gotten away.
Natalie got up and started to get ready for work. She wasn't a stranger to working in bars. Back in Llanview she worked in them all the time. She liked meeting new people and she was comfortable behind the bar. She had seen people with bruises like her come in to bury their pain in the bottle. She refused to do that. She had already run away, something she had refused to do before.
He husband had been so sweet before he had come back. Now he was angry and abusive. The first time he had hit her she had excused it. After all he had been tortured for a year on that ship and she had surprised him after all. The second time, she had woken him up and he just lashed out at her. He had said it was her fault for startling him but he was sorry. He was always sorry. She had started to believe him. Maybe it had been her fault. After all she had changed so much since he had been gone.
With a sigh Natalie finished getting ready and went to work. She could always loose herself in her work. Especially on a busy Saturday night like tonight. If only that worked as well when she wasn't at work. She wanted to look into getting a different job but then he would find her. If it was just him she wouldn't be worried but he had the Santi's out there looking for her too. Changing her name had thrown them off her scent for a little while at least but she knew she would have to leave again soon. This was the third bar in the third town since leaving Llanview 6 months ago.
"Hi, Natasha." Pam, he co worker said, startling out of her thoughts.
"Hi," Natalie said pulling her sleeves down to cover the bruises. She didn't want Pam to see them. She didn't want anyone to know that she had failed so bad in pleasing the only man she had ever loved.
"What's wrong with you arm?" Pam asked, noticing that Natalie had been rubbing unconsciously. She always wondered why Natasha was so aloft with everyone. Natasha was friendly but never let anyone too close. She never went out or had any fun at all.
"Nothing. I just bumped it on my dresser moving furniture around." Natalie said with a shrug, wincing when the movement hurt her shoulder, getting right to work.
After that Pam let it go. If she didn't want to talk that was fine with her. She had enough problems to deal with.
Natalie was rinsing out some beer glasses when someone asked, "can I get a beer?"
Without looking up she said, "sure what kind?" As she set his beer in front of him she looked up and caught her breath. He had to be one of the best looking guys that she had ever seen.
John McBain was having a bad day. First his perp had gotten away then he had gotten yelled at by his boss. All he wanted right now was a beer and a game of pool. As he sat waiting for the pretty red head behind the bar to notice him he admired her figure. Wow she was a hot one that was for sure.
When he realized that she wasn't going to notice him anytime soon he spoke up asking for a beer. When she spoke he was mesmerized. Her voice was very pleasant but it was the way she said her words that captivated him. She has some Jersey inflections with a little Pennsylvania accent mixed in. It was very interesting.
He had heard the Pennsylvania accent in Llanview when he had been there investigating the Santi's for the FBI. Now he was back in AC on a different case. He almost wished he had taken Bo up on that offer for a job. The FBI was starting to loose its appeal. He had immersed him self in it after Caitlyn had died but that had been 6 years ago. He needed to move on with his life, as his brother was always telling him.
He looked up at the woman's face and almost whistled. She was gorgeous. Their eyes caught and held. Something electric passed between them, she looked as shocked as he felt, before she shuttered her gaze and put her mask back in place.
"Anything else?" Natalie asked, feeling very uncomfortable with the way this man looking at her.
"How about your name?" John said in a flirty manor.
"How about you order something else or leave me alone." Natalie said abruptly.
John frowned at her tone. Obviously she wasn't a real friendly one. But there was something about her. Something he couldn't explain. He needed to get to know her better.
"Fine, If I order a burger will you tell me your name?" John asked slightly less flirty. He wanted to get to know her not spook her.
Natalie turned slightly so he could see her name tag.
"Natasha, hmmm, beautiful name." Sticking out his hand he said, "I'm John McBain."
When he stuck out his hand Natalie flinched and backed up a bit before reaching out and shaking his hand. "Natasha, now do you want that burger."
John frowned when she flinched and took a step back like she expected him to hit her. Someone had obviously been hitting this beautiful woman. This made him want to find the SOB and teach him a thing or two about how to treat a woman. He jolted when their hands touched. The force of his reaction to her skin against his palm was surprising. He hadn't felt this way since Caitlyn.
Shocked at his thoughts and his reaction he pulled his hand away and finished his beer. He ordered his burger and settled down at a table where he had a clear view of Natasha. He finished his burger quickly and then sipped at his beer watching her move around. After about 10 minutes of just watching her he excused himself and left the bar planing to come back tomorrow.