A/N: Story starts right after the cabin scenes in February. Sorry it's taken me so long to post here. Hope you enjoy. Until next time-PCGirl.
John nodded at Lois as she let him into Llanfair and motioned him towards the parlor where he found Natalie sitting with her legs tucked underneath her as she sipped on some hot tea and stared out the back patio windows, "Hey—how are you doing?" he asked while taking note of what visible injuries she had left, the bruising on her forehead had gone away since he saw her last week.
He hadn't had an excuse to avoid her for the past week—just knew it was better for both of them if she recovered without him being around. He went with needing to see Brody to come here today—he didn't need to see him, but if it got him into Llanfair then he knew he might run into her.
"Fine—was just thinking maybe it would have been better if you'd let me go be with Jared when I was trapped in that car."
The tone of her voice stopped him from proceeding any further into the room, "Excuse me?"
"I was ready John—I'm tired of living without the only man that I ever loved and was ready to go be with him. Why else would I have pictured you were him?"
He wasn't sure which part hurt worse—her willing to just give up on that mountainside or that she just said Jared was the only man she ever loved. The later bit harder than the memory of the bitter cold that night when he thought the only way she'd fight to live was thinking he was Jared.
"You'll get through this-you are tough."
A harsh laugh came out of her mouth, "Like you did with Caitlyn? How long did it take you to get over it?"
"That's the difference between you and me-you have a support system that won't let you continue on like I did."
"I suppose. Why did you come anyways?"
John shrugged, "Needed to talk to Brody. Thought I'd see how you were doing."
"Or make sure I don't go searching out Mitch and do my own vigilante justice on him."
"I didn't say that."
"You don't have to-I know you John. Do you know the difference between you and Jared? The difference is he loved me unconditionally—no matter what I did—or how stupid it might be, he loved me and understood why I did it. You never could do that John—you never could let me do it my way without being irritated and treating me like a child instead of your equal. That's why we broke up—that's why I will forever choose Jared over you."
John stood there—half dumbfounded, half heart broken at what she said. He didn't want to say something he couldn't take back later, because he knew eventually this, along with everything else, would be discussed and smoothed out. Instead he spoke calmly before turning and walking out, "Fine. Hope you and your ghost live happily ever after."
-
"Hey-are you ok?" asked Jessica as she walked down the steps into the kitchen to see Natalie sitting there at the table.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be," she said as she looked at her twin and saw something.
"Lois told me John was here and she heard shouting-just figured he told you the news and you two got in an argument."
"Told me what?"
"Oh. Nevermind. I was thinking of taking Bree to the park-do you want to come?" she asked, trying to change the subject.
"Don't do that Jess-don't start to think I know something and then change the subject when it's obvious I don't. What do you think John could have told me that would have started an argument between us?"
She sighed as she slipped into the chair next to her sister, "I saw Marty when I had my check-up earlier. She's pregnant."
"Oh," said Natalie as she took the information in and pushed some stray hair behind her ear. "I'm happy for John and her. I'm glad they smoothed everything over about what happened at the mountain."
"Yeah, about that-what did happen?"
Natalie smiled, "Now it's my turn to change the subject. All that happened up there was Brody got to you before Mitch got to make his sick plan a reality-whatever it was. If we'd only caught him in the process."
"All I can keep thinking of is how he's not done-Mitch doesn't stop til he gets his way."
"And when he tries we'll be ready for him," she said as she put a reassuring hand over her sister's.
"I know-Brody keeps telling me I'm safe again, but I keep going over the past few months. Like how he got you and Rex to go to Napa so easily. He has all these minions and we could meet them anywhere and never know it until it's too late."
-
She pulled into the parking lot and sat there for a moment-it had been Jessica's comment that had got her thinking. At the time it had meant nothing, and after Jared's death she hadn't wanted to relive all the moments that lead to his death. But he'd told her something-told her he'd never been here. There was only one explanation as to who put the bogus Napa information on there and she decided she'd confront him. Give him what he wanted and maybe he'd leave her family alone.
Natalie walked into the hotel and was glad to see he was at the desk—if she had to stay a night here and wait on him she might begin to second guess herself, or they'd start to wonder where she was and start looking. She had to make this all right—had to find someway to keep her family safe, and this was how it had to be—well, she'd live with it or create a cocoon in order to do so.
"Hi, how can I help you? Did you ever find your husband?" he asked, recognizing her after months. She wondered if Mitch expected her to do this—to come to him in order to keep him away from Jessica, Rex, and both her mom's.
"I want you to call the Messenger, I want you to tell him I'm ready to negotiate."
"Excuse me?"
"I'm not dumb. I know my husband was never here before—I know you were put into this hotel so when my brother and I showed up you led us right into his trap. Well, game over—he wins—now call him and tell him I said that."
While she stood there and watched him on his cell phone she remembered something Rex had said that night they were looking for Jared—how in order to disappear you'd practically have to drop off the grid. And she wondered—just how far off the grid was she going to fall. And in the end—would it really matter?