A/N I do not own these characters ABC does. Yada Yada!

Rated R for Violence and language.

Jan 12ths show pissed me off so much I had to write this one-shot.

Evangeline's day in Court

Natalie watched from the back of the courtroom as Evangeline declared John a hostile witness. Fury radiated from her in waves. That Bitch! How could she bring up John's therapy? She was supposed to be in love with John! This on top of how she had caught Evangeline getting comfort in John's arms the other day! What kind of woman was she?

She lets the man comfort her because she can't handle the backlash of taking the case of a baby killer then she tears him apart in open court! Natalie clenched her fists to keep from punching something. And to think Evangeline had apologized for attacking her mother on the stand! This was the last straw! She had warned the bitch! This meant war!

John sat on the stand stunned. How had this happened? What difference did him being in therapy make now? He hadn't been when Todd had killed his own child! Anger coursed through his system as he thought of how he had comforted her, how he had defended her. He saw right through her now. She was a manipulator. She had used him and then when she didn't need him any more told him to hit the road.

"Yes, its true I'm in therapy right now. I believe its policy after something like a prison riot." John answered her question calmly while inside he was seething. This woman professed to love him? You don't hurt the people you love like this. John smiled at the irony maybe it was true. You do always hurt the people you love. After all look what happened with Natalie.

"Why are you smiling Detective McBain? Do you find being in therapy funny?" Evangeline asked him. She loved to look at the man. He was one of the best looking men she had ever seen. Oh well you do what you have to. She didn't much care that she had to discredit him on the stand like this. She thought John seeing a shrink was a bit funny actually.

Startled out of his thoughts of Natalie John simply blurted out his most honest answer, "I was just thinking how the saying is true, you always hurt the ones you love. Sorry. You were boring me with all your talking. My mind wandered. " He shrugged as the jury started to snicker.

Evangeline reeled back in shock, but decided to question him further about his statement. Maybe this was the time to get him to admit that he loved her. After all he was on the stand and he had sworn to tell the truth. "Ok since your brought up the subject, would you mind telling the court what you mean by that?" She said with a slight smirk.

John shifted in his seat uncomfortably and looked around the room. Catching sight of Natalie in the back he locked his eyes on her, "Do you really think that is necessary?" He asked.

"Well if you are going to waste the courts time then why not tell us what you mean?" Evangeline said smugly thinking she had John right where she wanted him.

John sighed, he eyes locked on Natalie as she looked at him, "Ok If you insist. I was thinking about how much I hurt the woman I love when I lied about Cristian Vega." Seeing Natalie's eyes widen he smiled ruefully at her.

"What woman would that be?" Evangeline said with an air of triumph.

John looked directly at Evangeline for the first time since he had been on the stand and said, "Natalie Buchanan Vega."

Evangeline's eyes widened and she gasped, "No! You love me! You can't love her!"

The jury at this point was spell bound. This was the most interesting thing that had happened all day. This was the first time that they had seen the defense lawyer display anything even close to an emotion, other then smirking at the prosecutor. Leaning forward not wanting to miss a moment of this they listened raptly.

The judge was banging his gavel and telling Evangeline to move on but she had flown into a rage. "You can't love her!" Evangeline screamed at John spittle flying from her mouth. "You're mine. You have always been mine! After all I have done for you, you can't love her!"

John jerked back slightly at the fury in her voice. She was truly deranged! "It's always been Natalie. I've loved her since the fist day we met. I just never thought I deserved her. Dr. Crosby helped me see that I do deserve to be loved no matter what you told me. Besides you already knew I loved Natalie."

"No matter what I said? What the hell are you talking about? You can't love Natalie. You love me!" She screeched out.

John just rolled his eyes at her and replied, " I do love her. You were forever telling me to be a better man and how you were too good for me. I realized that I was too good for you and you were trying to bring me down to your level."

"What? How dare you!" Evangeline said and with a howl she lunged at John trying to slap him in the face. The courtroom exploded in a flurry of action. Natalie was out of her seat and grabbing Evangeline's arm before she could reach John. The Judge, who was a close personal friend of Asa Buchanan, waved off the officers who had started towards Evangeline.

"Oh no you don't!" Natalie said calmly before letting go of Evangeline's arm and turning to John. "I love you too, John" Natalie said with tears in her eyes. "I forgive you." John stood up and went to embrace Natalie but out of the corner of his eye he saw Evangeline take a swing at Natalie. "Natalie, behind you!" he shouted at her.

Natalie spun around in time to duck Evangeline's punch and returned with a punch of her own, dropping Evangeline to the floor with one punch. "You really are pathetic. John has always been mine. I love John more then you ever could imagine." Natalie said to the fallen woman. Taking Johns hand she started to leave the courtroom. When she heard movement behind her Natalie turned around, surprised. She hadn't thought that the lawyer was so stupid.

Evangeline had struggled to her feet and look like she was going to attack Natalie again. "Don't do it Vangie" Natalie sneered at her. "I grew up in AC and I'll kick your ass."

"Evangeline, Stop it!" John said to her. Looking around he wondered why no one was doing anything and suddenly realized that the entire Buchanan clan was there, cheering! Cheering on Natalie! Looking at the Judge he said, "Do something!"

The Judge looked at the jury then said, "I'm declaring a mistrial," and asked Natalie, "Do you want to take care of this of would you like to have the bailiffs handle her?"

"Evangeline..." John said again but both Natalie and Evangeline snapped, "Stay out of this John!"

John nodded and stepped back, secretly enjoying watching Natalie go.

"I'll handle this," Natalie said to both the Judge and John. Looking at Evangeline who was huffing and puffing with anger Natalie asked with a smirk, "You sure you want to do this?"

Evangeline just screeched again and lunged at Natalie. Natalie stuck her foot out and stepped aside quickly tripping the crazed lawyer. When Evangeline struggled to her feet again she screamed at Natalie, "You ruined everything. John was mine but then you had to go and get kidnapped and thrown into a pit! How am I supposed to compete against the constant victim?"

"Oh, and you boohooing on John's shoulder because "No one is on her side" the side of a murdering baby killer was all about being a strong woman. Oh please. You really are pathetic." Natalie said with a laugh.

"You Bitch!" Evangeline screamed and lunged at Natalie again, this time actually catching her around the waist and dragging them both to the ground. Trying to scratch Natalie in the face Evangeline was caught off guard when Natalie pulled back her fist and punched her squarely in the jaw. Stunned Evangeline loosened her hold on Natalie and that was all she needed. Natalie was up and on her feet in an instant.

"You do that again and I won't hold back," Natalie yelled at Evangeline. Holding on to her control by a thread she wanted to kick the shit out of the skanky lawyer.

"Oh don't hold back bitch," Evangeline got out as she struggled to her fee yet again, "I know your kind. Always want what isn't yours. I know how you stole Cris from Jen. Just like you stole John from me. Its jut lucky you didn't get John killed too! But then Cris wasn't dead was he. He just pretended to be so he wouldn't have to be with you! No one loves you Natalie! You are nothing but a waste of space!"

Her words enraged Natalie and her control snapped. Jumping on the lawyer Natalie whipped her arm around and punched her in the face, breaking her nose. Evangeline went down and Natalie was on her in a heartbeat. Punching her again and again Natalie took out all her rage on the stunned woman. When someone pulled her off Evangeline Natalie screamed, "Let me go! Fuckin let me go!" Now that her control was gone Natalie had reverted to her Atlantic City ways and was gonna pummel Evangeline.

John was stunned when Natalie lost it. Seeing her beating the older woman to a pulp her he jumped in and dragged her off before she could kill Evangeline. "Natalie!" He shouted to her, "Natalie stop!" Finally Natalie stopped struggling and looked at him breathing heavily. "I'm ok now. You can let me go." Natalie said and John let her go.

"Way to go Natty!" Rex shouted from the back of the room. Natalie looked around and noticed that the room had been cleared so that only her family, the Judge and bailiffs remained. The Buchanan's all crowded around her and John cheering her on. "That's my girl, a true Buchanan!" Asa said as he hugged her tightly.

The bailiffs came and dragged Evangeline from the floor. When she was standing up they pulled her hands behind her back, "You are under arrest, You have the right to remain silent..."

Evangeline, struggling to stay on her feet, screeched again, "What? I'm being arrested? What about her?"

The judge winced and said, "You screech like that again and I'll fine you 1000 dollars. You started the fight. There was a whole room full of witnesses." Looking at Todd who had been aloud to stay, "I think you might want to find a new lawyer."

Vicki walked up to Evangeline and slapped her in the face, "How dare you treat my daughter like that!" With that Vicki turned and walked back to Natalie, who was smiling widely, and hugged her.

Todd looked at her in disgust, "Natalie is right you are pathetic. You are the worst lawyer I have ever seen. You're FIRED!"

Evangeline was still struggling to figure out what had gone wrong. She was perfect. How could this be happening to her? "But.. But.. I thought you all loved me?" Looking at Layla who had also been aloud to stay she said, "You will stick up for me won't you?"

Layla looked at her in pity, "You know I used to look up to you Vangie. But that was before I found out who you were. I wanted to be just like you. But now that I see who you are I am glad I am nothing like you!" With that Layla left and didn't look back.

Natalie had eyes for only John as she asked him, "Did you mean it. You love me?"

John nodded and smiled a tentative smile, " Did you mean what you said. You forgive me, love me?"

I meant it, every word." Natalie said with a smile. Throwing her arms around him she pulled him close and John kissed her. Both forgetting everything but their love for each other.

Evangeline saw this and started to sob. "He was mine, John was mine!" she said through her sobs. Everyone else in the room looked at her with looks of pity and amusement. They all knew that John had always been Natalie's.

The Bailiffs dragged Evangeline out of the room and to a holding cell when she started screaming, "He loves me. He loves me!" The judge ordered a physiological evaluation.

John and Natalie continued to kiss not even noticing when everyone left and they were alone in the room. When they finally pulled away from each other Natalie smiled at John, who stuck out his hand and said, "Lets go home."

"Home, I like the sound of that" Natalie replied and they left for home hand in hand.

The End