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Chapter 1
Seven Years from present time.
John walked into the church. As he got to the front he shook Dr Crosby's hand and nodded to Michael.
"Is Mom here yet?" John asked as he looked around the church to see guest after guest walk in.
"Yep. She's in the Back room," Michael told John as John smiled at Crosby. Crosby grinned and smiled at John.
" Been a long time coming Son but I guess its time" He told him and John just smirked deeper. It had been a lot time coming. John knew it. Crosby knew it. Hell the whole town knew it.
The priest joined them up in front and the three men were told to take their places. Told the wedding was about to begin.
The bride walked down the aisle and she was beautiful. Simply Stunning John thought as he saw her walk down by herself. She winked at him and he laughed as she turned her head towards the good Dr.
The priest began the ceremony. All was quiet as the sudden noise echoed thru the church. The noise of two boys giggling and everyone turned to look at them.
"Shhhhhhhhh...Boys" Natalie told her five and three year old boys as she came into the church. She ran into the church holding one in each hand and she looked up and noticed everyone looking at her.
"Excuse us... where running late as usual" Natalie said apologizing as her face got red with embarrassment and she guided the boys into a back pew.
John saw her walk in and he smiled at the sight of her adorable children. He hadn't seen her in over five years. She was just as beautiful... He was caught off guard when the priest asked a question and Michael gave him a nudge with his elbow.
"I'll repeat myself again," the priest said as John realized he lost his train of thought there for moment.
"Who gives this woman to this man?" The priest asked and together in unison John and Michael replies" we do."
John watched on as the rest of the ceremony continued. He glanced out to the guests a few times to look see her. She looked so damn good. Then again she always did. He remembered back those five years ago when he saw her last. How happy she was. She seemed.
Flash Back"John" Natalie said as she walked over to him.
"Hey" he said as he took the sight of her in. She was dressed like the rest of the bridesmaids. Just a lighter color pink of a dress. He wasn't sure why. Maybe because she was her sisters Maid of Honor or what ever it was called.
They just smiled at each other for a few minutes. It had been almost two years since Natalie had left Llanview. Two long years for John. He had been heartbroken when she left but... but he knew he gave her no other choice.
John was so happy to see her. He had dreamed about seeing her everyday for the last two years. He was about to open up his mouth and tell her when a man walked over. A man similar height. Lighter , much shorter hair. Crew cut style, Military style. Brown eyes. The Man walked right over to Natalie and placed her shawl he was carrying over around her arms. Natalie's eyes at first continued on John till she saw the man. Then they reverted to his Brown eyes.
"Thanks Honey" She told him and he smiled. Natalie smiled back at him and then turned to John.
"I'm sorry.. John this is my husband nick Ciprani" She told John and John had already had a suspicion this man was more than just a friend to her. "Nick this is John Mcbain an old friend" She said and the two men shook hands.
"Very nice to meet You John.. Natalie talks about you all the time. She says you were her hero for a long time. You've gotten her out of some messes she says," Nick said making conversation. John just watched the two of them. Natalie seemed happy with him. In love. He was just having a hard time wrapping his brain around the fact that she was with someone else. She was married to someone else.
"Nice to meet you to Nick" John told him and the awkwardness could be cut with a knife. The silence was loud and clear in the fact that the three were confused on what to say or do next. Natalie was about to speak when Nick spoke first.
"Natalie tell you our good news?" Jake asked John as he started to slowly smile.
"No" John said softly. Almost afraid to hear the news. The long pause by Nick caused him to be curious. Caused him to realize what it could be. He listened closely and almost prayed he wasn't going to say what he thought he would say.
"We're expecting our first child in five months" Nick told John. Natalie stood silent as she saw John's face go white and then he quickly recovered.
"Congratulations. That's wonderful news"
"Thank you, we're pretty excited about it ourselves," Nick said and Natalie just looked between the two men for a minute. Then she turned to Nick.
"Can you get me some water? I'm really pretty thirsty," She asked him and he said of course.
"Thanks babe" she said and her words almost hurt John but wasn't sure why but they hurt. Natalie turned to John when Nick was out of distance.
"John" she said as he started walking passed her. She followed him. He stopped walking for a second and turned to her. He grinned.
"So a baby Huh?" he said still smirking. She nodded her head yes. She smiled.
"You've always wanted one of those haven't you?" he asked her and again she nodded her head yes.
"I'm sorry John," she told him and he looked into her eyes." What do you have to be sorry about?" He told her and he knew. He knew what it was she was talking about. The thing that made them turn out like this. Separate and apart.
"I'm sorry that I wasn't able to have your baby all those years ago" Natalie told him and he just grinned weakly and ran his hands thru his hair.
"I hope you aren't still beating yourself up about losing our baby... it was along time ago." He told her not wanting to get into that time in there lives again. So he decided to change the subject.
"So... you're married Huh? Nick Ciprani Huh? He seems like a decent guy. Nice and all. How long have you been married?" John asked wanting to know. Needing to know.
"Three months. And Yeah... he's a great guy. I'm happy John." She said and he looked into her beautiful blue eyes. He studied them. She did seem to be happy.
"And I'm glad you are Natalie... Really glad. He's a lucky man your husband... a real lucky man"
End FBJohn came out of his thoughts as he heard the priest announce his mom and Dr Crosby husband and Wife. He watched as they walked down the aisle towards the back of the church to say hello to their guests as they left the church.
John stood by the alter for a few minutes as he watched Natalie go into the aisle with her tow little boys. He smiled at how cute she looked with them.
"John.. you need to go to the back of the church with your mom and Crosby" Marcie told him as she walked over to him and observed what he was watching. John still couldn't help take his eyes off of her. He watched as she went to his mom and hugged her. He watched them speak and he wondered where he husband was. Marcie spoke to him for a few more minutes as he came out of his thoughts. Not all the way out of them.
"I know Marcie, in a minute... "
"Too busy watching Natalie I see... some things never change" Marcie said with a small smile on her face.
John ignored her little comment and just asked what was on his mind.
"Where's her husband?" He asked and Marcie's face got serious. She even seemed confused for a few minutes.
"You don't know, do you?" Marcie asked but could tell John didn't know. John just stared at her for few minutes.
"He's dead. He was killed in the line of duty of some drug case he was working in Philly" Marcie told him and his face went pale for a minute. He didn't know if he wanted to cry for her, for her boys, or if he was almost happy about the fact that she was no longer married.
"How long?" he asked and Marcie told him.
"A little over three years ago... I can't believe you never heard about it. It was everywhere. On the news. The television. We even went to the wake. Wait... that's right... You were away when it happened... you and that girl... what was her name.. I can't remember but... you took a vacation with her... that's probably why you didn't know." Marcie told him and he looked at the two little boys standing quietly now an still holding their moms hands as she talked to Crosby. He studied them and wasn't sure of their ages.
"How old are her boys? They were pretty young weren't they?" He asked.
"Yeah well... the little one, Evan.. he wasn't even born yet. She was seven months pregnant with him when Jake was killed. And the Ethan... He must have been around two I guess."