Disclaimer: I own nothing but the concept; all OLTL characters and trademarks belong to ABCD.

Author's Note/WARNING: This fic deals with NCS (non-consensual sex; aka RAPE). It's not described hardly at all but it's very much implied.

A/N2: I should also mention that I've had this idea for probably three months now and finally started writing it last month. I've just now finished part 1, so I'm not sure how long part 2 will take--but Dulce's fic made me want to go on and post this. Maybe my muse being fed will help me out!

Dedication: Not that I think anybody particularly wants this dedicated to them LOL but I would be very remiss not to mention my Mandy (who turns 21 this Friday! Happy birthday!) because she read it over several times and declared it fit for posting the night I originally posted and then helped name it. I love you sis!!!

Title: Unexpected Consequences 1/?

Natalie walked out of the hospital feeling dazed and numb from the news she'd just received. Barely able to make it to her car, she knew that she was in no condition to drive and instead began to quickly walk towards the pier and its' welcoming darkness so that she could begin to process the news in peace.

John was leaving the hospital after a quick follow-up appointment on his hand when he saw her. Natalie was pale as a sheet and had a look in her eyes he couldn't remember ever having seen there before. Rushing to his car, he started it and pulled out onto the road intent on following her and making sure everything was okay.

Natalie had only just made it to the cool darkness of the pier when the hot tears began pouring down her cheeks. She held onto the wall as she sobbed, trying to figure out what she was going to do…

John parked the car and quickly went in pursuit of Natalie. After a few moments he heard what sounded like sobs coming from nearby and followed the sound until he turned a corner to see Natalie clinging to a wall and crying harder than he could ever remember seeing her cry. "Natalie?"

Natalie froze at the sound of his voice and immediately took a deep breath, trying to calm herself as she quickly wiped her face as best she could. "Yeah?" she said, finally turning to face him.

He frowned as he saw the tear tracks on her face and the total despair in her eyes. "I was leaving the hospital and saw you… You looked like something was up."

"I'm fine."

"Yeah, this," he gently brushed away a stray tear rolling down her cheek, "really helps convince me of that."

"Look, it's not a big deal really—"

"Natalie, look. It's me. You can tell me anything, you know that right?" She nodded weakly. "Okay. So what's going on?"

Natalie looked at the ground and then back at John. Taking a deep breath she decided to take the plunge. "Okay…. It started the week after I found out about Cristian… I wasn't handling it well so I drove to the bar a few miles outside of town to have a few drinks. Well one thing led to another and pretty soon I was drunk. I'd been talking to a guy since I got there and he hadn't had anything to drink so he offered to give me a ride home in my car.

"When I got home he made the point that he didn't have a car or any way to get back to it so I invited him in to call the cab company but he somehow talked me into sitting on the couch and just talking for a while.

"That was when it all started."

"You are one hell of a woman."

Natalie smirked and rolled her eyes. "And how would you know? You only met mea few hours ago… you don't even know my name."

"You don't know my name either but you let me into your house."

Natalie felt a twinge of unease at his remark and unconsciously moved away from him a few inches. "So what is your name?" she asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"You tell me yours and I'll tell you mine."

She shook her head and folded her arms over her chest, her AC girl instincts coming out in full force. "I don't think so slick. Either you tell me your name or you can get out of my house."

"He told me his name was Thomas… For some reason that made me feel safe. I don't even know why." Her breath caught in her throat as she looked at John and realized that was a lie. As her eyes met his she knew that he had recognized the connection as well.

"I told him my name was Jessica… I don't know why but I didn't think I should give him my real name. And that feeling makes what I did next seem even stupider than it was…

For some reason after a little bit had passed I thought it'd be a good idea to get out a bottle of wine…"

"Good year," Thomas observed, reading the label on the wine bottle as Natalie handed him a glass.

"You know wine?" Natalie asked, settling back against the couch and taking a sip.

"A little bit. My kid brother is in the wine business so I know a little bit about it."

"Suddenly I looked at the clock and it was three forty-five in the morning."

"Whoa."

"What?"

"Check the time," Natalie told him. "You have to go."

"Why?"

"Suddenly I couldn't remember why he needed to go and while I was trying to think of a reason he kissed me."

Natalie pushed Thomas away and slapped him, wiping her mouth disgustedly with her other hand. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"He didn't answer, just smiled and kissed me again. And… even though I knew it was wrong, even though I knew that I would hate myself for doing it… I kissed him back."

Natalie looked at the ground, unable to look at John and see the disappointment and disapproval she knew would be in his eyes. The tears began to fall faster down her face as she re-lived what had happened next…

"So we kissed," she whispered, "and then he leaned me back onto the couch. At first it was all okay… but then he unbuttoned my jeans."

"Whoa." Natalie half moaned as Thomas kissed her neck and unbuttoning her jeans. "Stop, you have to stop."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not the kind of girl that has one night stands and I'm not about to start now," Natalie told him, pushing against his chest and trying to make him move.

"But he wouldn't move…. And he wouldn't stop," Natalie said in a choked whisper.

"Honey, one thing you should know about me," Thomas drawled, looking down at her with a smirk as he slowly and deliberately pulled the zipper down on her jeans, "I don't tolerate teases."

John shut his eyes tightly as a wave of emotion overcame him as the full implication of what she was saying hit him. "Are you saying—Natalie, are you saying this guy raped you?"

Natalie nodded, but she didn't feel like that was enough so she said, "Yeah. He raped me."

Saying the words out loud suddenly made the nightmare real, and she let out a whimper as she began to collapse to the ground, her tears coming faster and harder than ever.

John caught her gently in his arms and went to the ground with her as he hugged her to him. She whimpered, trying to push him away and he let her, having dealt with enough rape victims to know that close physical contact after re-living the event was often too much for them.

Even as his arms ached to pull Natalie to him as she wept John forced himself to retreat a few inches away and settle for lightly stroking her hair and whispering comforting words.

After what seemed like forever to both John and Natalie but in reality couldn't have been more than half an hour Natalie wiped her tears away and went into John's arms. He breathed in the scent of her hair thankfully as he gently stroked her back, making sure not to hold her too tightly.

"That's not all," she whispered against his shirt.

John tightened his hold just a little bit. "What else?"

"I'm pregnant. That's why—that's why you found me the way I was."

"Natalie…"

"You don't have to say anything… Just hold me John."

Speechless, John pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head fiercely. He didn't know what was going to happen next, but he did know that he was going to be there to help Natalie every step of the way.

TO BE CONTINUED