A/N: Just realized I never posted this here. Hope everyone that hasn't read it somewhere else likes it. I'm trying to get the muse to work again, but she's slightly stubborn. Or maybe I'm just getting a slight case of ADHD and can't focus on the task at hand. Until next time--PCGirl.
Natalie sat quietly in the hallway of the police station. She'd been in the squad room, but everyone had kept walking by and giving their congrats that she was ok she'd decided this would be quieter. Jared was in with Bo right now giving his statement, so she opened her purse and pulled out her cell phone which she'd found buried this morning in her sock drawer.
She deleted most of the messages already--after the first few weeks of her disappearance they'd gone from wonder at her leaving to all out fear that something horrible had happened, especially when she'd hadn't returned at Rex's shooting.
There were a few she left she wasn't ready to delete yet, and as she pressed play and heard his voice a smile appeared on her face,
Hey--it's John. Banks was just here, and I didn't want to let on to him, but that note you left--it didn't sound like you. You don't have to call me back if you don't want to, but a simple text saying you are ok will do.
She'd checked her text history and Tess must have heard the message because there was a simple 'I'm ok' with the same date stamp. It had been stupid of Natalie to make her passcode her birthday, and she'd already corrected that problem, as she listened to the next one.
Me again. I know you are probably off trying to find yourself, but I wanted you to know that Jessica's been acting weird. Well, weirder than her normal self. I know she just lost her husband, but from what I heard about how you took my death it's nothing like how you acted. Either call me or her--hope you are finding a way to enjoy yourself.
She'd again checked her text messages after hearing this one and seen Tess' response, "She's fine, John. Everyone grieves different--some don't dwell on it for 20 years. Butt out." She cringed at reading the words Tess had said in her absence--it must have been at that point Tess had hidden the cell phone because that was the last text message sent.
But it hadn't been John's last message to her,
Ok, you said butt out and I've been trying to do that, but Rex is in the hospital and I thought you'd be here. Thought you would have come home for him if nobody else. I'm starting to feel something in my gut Natalie--something I haven't felt since before I found you at the bottom of that pit. Call me--tell me I'm wrong, ok? I--just call.
Hearing the worry in his voice had put a smile on her face--he hadn't been there last night, but she knew somewhere inside he worried about her. She listened to the final message he'd left as she stood up and went back into the squad room,
Natalie, it is Friday, November 7th. If I do not hear from you in anyway by the 14th I will hunt you down--do you understand? I found you on more than one occasion and I'll do it again. That feeling hasn't gone away--if you are in trouble I'm sorry I didn't come for you sooner.
As she closed her phone up she saw him sitting there, and then noticed the shiny silver ring connecting his arm to the desk. At watching his eyes brighten at her sight she thought of all the messages he'd left the one she saw right in front of her meant the most.