A/N: Ok, so I was mean with the ending of How to Save a Life. Here's the sequel-set two months after. Ya'll enjoy-I'll have more for you later this week, I promise. Until next time-ya'll are the best-PCGirl.
Disclaimer: All characters are property of ABC/Disney-I'm just borrowing them. :)
John closed the file and shoved it over to the side of his desk—he'd take it to the secretary to file on his way out of the office. The past week he'd thrown himself into all the cases he'd been neglecting for the past two months—and now he was done with all of them. "All but one," he said out loud and he opened the bottom drawer to his desk and pulled a manila file out from the back and placed it in front of him.
He'd put it back there last week—hoping out of sight, out of mind would work, but it didn't—not really. It couldn't work when he thought every red head on the street he saw walk around a corner was her. It'd been two damn months and it was like she'd dropped off the face of the planet. He'd gone everywhere he could possibly think she could be—cashing in favors with old buddies from the FBI—even Asa had put searches out for her—but they still came up with nothing.
He slid the letter she'd written him to the side—reading the words still hurt, even when his gut feeling had told him she'd been forced to write it. There had been two other letters sent by her that day—one to Jessica and one to Rex. Jessica's spoke of what Natalie had talked about time and time before, her guilt over how she'd acted when she first came to town. Asking her twin to forgive her for everything that happened—and that when she got her head and life straightened out she would contact Jess.
Jess still hadn't received that call.
Rex's had talked about places they used to go when growing up in AC. About how she always loved him and missed him—how she couldn't walk past those places after he was gone and not think of him.
John had used Rex's letter as a treasure map—hoping she would leave someone a sign at those locations as to who had her and where she was. Nothing had turned up—but he had people keeping an eye on the locations just in case.
"Where are you, Natalie?" he sighed as he closed the file and slipped it back in the back of his drawer before grabbing his coat and calling it a night—it was already after 10, but he figured he still had time for a beer to numb the loneliness.
"I need another, Mac," said John as he finished off his beer and put the empty bottle on the table.
"No, John—I think you've had enough for one night. Why don't I call you a cab?"
"No—no cab for me, I can walk," he said as he stumbled off of the stool and turned completely around before looking at Mac. "Did I ever ask you Mac? If you saw her that day."
"No, I didn't—wish I had though. Sit back down—I'll call Michael to come get you," he sighed as John agreed and was able to get himself back on the stool.
"Ok, we're home," said Michael as he opened the door to the cottage and helped his brother in the door.
"It's not home—not really," he mumbled as he made it to the stairs.
"I know—maybe we should move out of here—Marcie and I were thinking of buying a place of our own—maybe moving out of here will be a good idea for you too."
"I'm not leaving here—not until she's back in Llanview and has our mother's ring on her finger again," he said as he went up the stairs, though he knew sleep wouldn't come—it hadn't in two months.
"John!" she screamed as she sat up in bed—the scenes in her dreams had been scattered as always. These past few months—trying to remember her life from before had been unbearable because those scenes made no sense—they were something out of one of those crazy dramas on television.
She heard the door knob turn and saw him open the door to come check on her, "It's nothing, Dad—just another bad dream—just go to sleep."
"You want me to give you something to help you sleep?" he asked, pushing her hair out of her face.
"No—I just wish I could remember—," she stopped, her blue eyes filling with tears as they had been for months. It was the dark that brought the nightmares and the visions—he said it was because that's when the fire had happened that had taken her husband, but that with time she'd forget him.
"Trust me—it's better to not remember, with time it will become easier and you will forget all about that life. Now get some sleep, sweetheart—I've got something special planned for you tomorrow," smiled Mitch Lawrence as he walked out of her bedroom and closed the door behind him.