Chapter One
Natalie thumbed through the file before her, it had been one that kept her up now for two days, ever since the disappearance.. She pulled out the picture and held it, she fought the tears that threatened to fall even though her stomach twisted, she sighed heavily..
"Damn it Tess, where did you go this time" she spoke softly, anyone that would pass by would think she was just mumbling to herself, but her sister was missing again, but it wasn't Jessica this time, this time it was Tess, apparently up to her old tricks again..
Natalie was a twin even though her and Jess looked nothing alike, and surely didn't act alike, and this Tess, Jessica's alternate personality was nothing like Jess or Natalie for that matter..As much as Natalie loathed Tess for her reckless behavior and endangerment of Jessica, she also felt sorry for her, Tess was always on the run, always looking for love in all the wrong ways and now she was missing, which made Jessica missing which led to Natalie now sitting behind her desk at the Lanview PD looking at the file before her..
No one ever took Tess seriously so when she went missing it wasn't as if the police department put out an APB, she was a grown adult, sometimes grown adults take off but this was Natalie's sister and Tess or no Tess she had to find her, she had to before Tess got herself in trouble..
No one really knew how long Tess had been in control this time around, she was getting better at hiding it but the home life gave it away cause Tess was never one for settling down and being a homemaker like Jessica was..
Natalie sighed heavily as she put the picture down, this time was different then the others, Jessica had Bree now, and even though Tess was reckless and irresponsible she wouldn't of left Bree, this was unlike both of them, and she was the only one who saw that..
"Jessica would not leave Bree behind, I know she wouldn't mom" she said to Vicki, her mother as she tried to find a clue, anything as to why she left.. "But Tess would sweetheart, we should be lucky she didn't take Bree and run off"Vicki said softly as she glanced at a sleeping Bree in her crib, she was grateful the baby was left there, one less person to worry about.. "Tess loves Bree too and she wouldn't just leave, if anything she would of taken Bree just to spite us all" Natalie huffed in frustration, she knew how Tess was, she never missed an opportunity to piss off the Buchanan's, and leaving Bree was not her style.. "Tess wasn't ready to be a mom, parenthood frightened her cause of her own past" Vicki began, always trying to have an answer for everything..
Natalie glanced back down at the file, maybe Vicki was right, maybe she was wasting her time looking for someone who didn't want to be found, but then what about Bree, does she just grow up with out a mom, even though in this circumstance it may be safer and less chaotic for the baby girl..
When Natalie became a police officer she never had this in mind, never thought that she would be staring at pictures of her missing sister, a knock on the door got her attention and she quickly closed the file, the last thing she needed was Bo getting on her case again about searching for Jess/Tess, she hated that her family seemed to be happy that she was gone, or maybe they were just relieved that Bree was safe, either way none of it settled right with Natalie..
Bo peeked his head inside.."You got a minute Natalie"
"Sure Uncle Bo, come on in" she suddenly felt self conscious of the mess around her and began straightening things up.."whats up?"
"You don't need to clean on my behalf, it just shows how you really take your job seriously" he smiled genuinely and she returned it, Her uncle Bo was the only one here at the station that had faith in her that she would make it through the Police Academy, he pushed her, treated her like the others even though she was his niece, he respected her, she was grateful for that especially since she felt she had to work harder then the rest of the officers just to prove she wasn't getting the easy road..
Working harder meant less sleep, more coffee, more cases, all of which were slowly wearing a toll on her young 25 yr old body, not that she didn't look amazing and drew attention to herself all the time from the bright red hair and blue eyes, but when she looked in the mirror sometimes she didn't even recognize herself, she was now a former shell of her normally positive self, she didn't go out often, she kept mainly to herself and the last time she had any kind of a boyfriend, well that was Christian Vega and that was a long time ago, her work had gotten in the way and he had enough..
The breakup with Christian had been one that weighed heavy on her, especially since he had quickly found himself a new girlfriend, a sweet girl too, one who wasn't a police detective, one who could tend to his needs..
"I just don't see how were going to do this Nat" Cris said with sadness in his voice as he stood in her office.. "Let me just get done with this case OK...its just taking a lot of my time" she sighed as she looked down at the folder that held a picture of Tina Chambers, age 21 brutally raped and murdered, her killer still on the loose, how could he expect Natalie to do anything but find justice for this young girl who was taken too soon.. "and then what Nat" he put his hand on top of the file she had been eying, she looked up at him now.."it will be another case, it always is" she saw a look in his eye, it made her stomach twist even though her features stayed stone like.. "what are you saying Cris" her voice remained calm but even as she spoke those words she knew what was coming, and part of her wanted to jump and grab him, hug him, promise him that everything would be OK, they would be OK, she couldn't, she looked away.. "I'm saying that I love you Natalie, I do, that will never change, but this.." he began looking around her disheveled office, the one that seemed to eerily coincide with the appearance of her life.."this will always take first priority in your life" his voice held emotion, his eyes held tears, she just stared forward, for two years they dated, for two years they were happy, why now? "Cris I have a responsibility to uphold" she decided to take the politically correct road and he smiled some but it wasn't a happy smile, it was a sad smile, he touched her hand.. "Your a wonderful detective Nat...and you will continue to be a wonderful detective, you will bring justice to those who deserve it, I just cant" he removed his hand, his eyes glancing at the ceiling. "cant we talk about this tonight Cris" she said quickly, she knew she was pulling at limbs here but she honestly didn't want to continue this here and now, in her office, she knew where this was heading and she was sure that if she had time, time to think this through she could make it work.. "Natalie I met someone" he met her eyes now and she felt a stab to her chest, but again her features did not show it..."I'm sorry" he looked down, ashamed, Natalie felt her heart race, she couldn't talk, for once she was speechless..."I just...i need more then you can give me" he began and instead of letting her emotions get to her, instead of feeling what he was saying, she stood, quickly.. "Cris I got work to do" she said coldly and he reached out for her, she backed up, her arms crossed protectively over the heart he had just crushed.. "Please don't do this Natalie, we were friends before, I was hoping" he began and she cut him off.. "That's fine, were friends still, now if you don't mind" she stood her ground and he sighed heavy and then spun around.. "I really am sorry Natalie" he said as he left..
Natalie glanced up at her Uncle who was now going on and on, she hadn't been paying much attention but the last words he said got her attention, it was about Tess and a club..
"what club?" Natalie asked quickly, pen and paper ready..
"Listen this could be nothing so don't get your hopes up" Bo began as he gave her the address.."Its right outside Lanview, there was a credit card purchase, I think its a night club or a bar"
Natalie grabbed her keys and stood quickly but Bo put his hand out, touching her arm.."I hate to see you like this Natalie, you need to get some sleep"
"I will sleep when I know Jess is OK" she stated blatantly, Bo knew how much this was driving her crazy, hence him helping her out even though her family had been so against it..
"Jessica is very lucky to have a sister like you" Bo said sincerely and Natalie just nodded as she took off in search of this place, the place called The Underground..
The address was a familiar one, she knew that part of town right outside Lanview, it was full of bars, clubs, strip joints, a hang out for many of the local residents of Lanview, a place she could definitely see Tess traveling off too, if there was alcohol involved she knew Tess would be there..
She knew that by the time she got to this club Tess would of already been gone, she never stayed in one place too long but it may just be what she needs to find Tess's next destination..It had been awhile since Tess had gotten control, after the intergration everyone was sure things would be fine but it would seem that Jessica was just getting better at hiding the truth..
It hurt Natalie that Jessica wouldn't confide in her that something was wrong, granted they weren't incredibly close but they were still twins, they still shared a bond..
She pulled down the dirt road and glanced at a large brick building as she glanced at the address in her hand again, a tiny sign on the side of the building read DETOUR and it pointed at at a large metal door, it surely didn't look like a club from the outside she thought to herself as she rechecked the address again, this was definitely it, she got out of her car, her black heels immediately sticking into the soft dirt below, she huffed, they were new, they went perfectly with the black and white pin stripe suit she now wore, leave it up to Tess to make sure her shoes would be ruined, she huffed as she walked carefully and slowly across the dirt, groaning as her heels became dirty..
As she neared the large metal door she could hear faint music inside, she stopped for a second, looking around her then back at the door but it began to open, she stepped aside, her heels digging in deeper in the ground as the door swung open and she was immediately hit with the loud music, and a young couple walking out, they stopped for a second, looking at her..
"what are you looking at?" the guy spit out and that's when she noticed her eyes had to be as wide as can be, her mouth slightly agape as she took in their sight, as they seemed to do to her as well..
"Nothing" she looked away, her heart racing, the couple had been dressed in all black, leather to be exact, maybe in their late twenties, it wasn't their clothes that caught her off guard, it was the collar around the girls neck, the leash that hung from it and was held tightly in the mans hand, and the look that both had in their eyes, it chilled her spine..
"Its rude to stare" the man said defensively and she didn't know what to say, this had to be one of the new age goth clubs, she had heard about them.."Unless your giving me an invitation" the guy grinned and she immediately backed up, her back hitting something hard, she knew right away it wasn't a wall but another person, a large person..
"Dylan don't scare the guests" a husky voice laughed from him her and she jumped spinning around.."don't worry sweetheart he is harmless, wouldn't hurt a fly" the grin on his face was telling as Dylan began to laugh, they seemed to share some inside joke that was completely lost on Natalie..
The man before her was tall, at least 6 foot to her petite 5'2, he was shirtless, his chest definitely belonged to someone who took care of themselves, a tattoo on the upper right quadrant of his chest, right above his nipple, it was some Chinese symbols, he wore a pair of black slacks, had to be Armani as well as black boots underneath, his hair was long, somewhat matted and sweaty like the beads of sweat on his chest, she caught his eyes, he smiled, they were blue, dark blue, the kind of eyes you could get lost in..She realized she was staring, she became flushed, embarrassed, what the hell was this place..She turned her eyes from him quickly, clutching the piece of paper in her hand..
"Don't stop looking on my account, Dylan has just had a rough night, he normally isnt so rude" he smirked, she felt steam rising from him, his stare was intense as he looked at her, she had to get herself together, she straightened her stature..
"I'm sorry I think I may be in the wrong place" she began and he walked around her, taking in her appearance as he looked her up and down, she had never felt so self conscious in her life..
"actually I think you are exactly where your suppose to be" his voice went through her and she flushed some more, she did the first thing she could think of, she whipped out her badge from her back pocket..
"Sir I am Detective Buchanan and I have a few questions for you" she immediately went into professional mode cause it was a lot better then being open and vulnerable..
A smile curved his lips, he crossed his arms over his large chest, making his shoulders seem huge, he was now blocking the entrance of the door.."an officer of the law...what do I owe the honor?... come in side..." he began walking in and she stood for a second, almost scared to see what lies on the other side of this door, she already had her suspicions after seeing Dylan but she pushed her fear aside and stepped in, immediately being taken back not only by the grandeur of it all but the many devices all around her.."can I get you a drink officer?"
"No" she stated quickly as she looked around, this place was insane, definitely not a club she had ever been in, she didn't even know if it could be labeled a club, thankfully it was empty at the moment cause with the numerous chains on the walls, swings hanging from the ceiling, a few tables with straps on them in the room and doors leading off to god knows where she could only imagine what it was like when it was filled..
"I take it this is not what you were expecting when you came here" he was smirking again, he was getting a thrill out of this, she straightened her demeanor quickly as he leaned against one of the tables, a drink in hand as he looked at her.."I'm sorry I should of properly introduced myself" he put his hand out to her.."My name is John McBain and this is my world" she quickly shook his hand, pulling it back fast, he was intimidating her and that didn't happen often..
"Well Mr. McBain" she began and he cut her off..
"Call me John,...and can I call you" he began and she cut him off..
"You can call me Detective Buchanan" she stated quickly, he smiled again...
"OK then, Detective Buchanan, what can I do for you today" he leaned back on the table and she fidgeted some as her eyes looked all around her, she pulled out a picture of Jess..
"Have you seen this woman" even as she said those words she couldn't believe that Jess or Tess for that matter would be here, in a place like this, it was a bit extreme even for Tess..
John took the picture, glanced at it for a second.."Nope"
"Mr. McBain I really need you to take a better look at this picture" she began and he sipped his drink nonchalantly..
"ive never seen her" he began but she knew he was lying, if anything she had learned over the years of being an officer of the law it was being able to see if someone was telling the truth..
"i have a credit card receipt that says different" she snapped at him, she didn't like that he was enjoying making her feel uncomfortable..
He seemed to ponder her words, he began walking around.."You know Detective unless im under arrest for something illegal or under investigation, I really don't like to speak of clientele, people come here to escape their everyday lives, to unwind, to be themselves, I owe it to them and to myself to keep strict confidentiality rules"
"I don't like games Mr. Mcbain, this is official police business" she began quickly and he spun to meet her eyes, he looked angry now..
"I told you to call me John and I said I haven't ever seen that woman"he stated loudly, he was hiding something, she could feel it..
"fine, im not getting anywhere with you" she spun around.." I will just have to get a search warrant for this place and send someone to bring you down for questioning" she began..
"is she dead" he called out and Natalie felt her blood go cold at his words, she stopped by the door...
"I would hope not for your sake" she began as she heard him walking over to her.."are you sure you haven't seen her" she turned and held the picture up again for him, he grabbed it this time and began walking with it..
"Now that I come to think of it , yes...i remember her" he said quickly and Natalie looked at him.."But I haven't seen her in days, she was alive and happy"
"was she participating in" Natalie looked around and he handed her back the picture, she didn't finish her sentence, she didn't have to, he did it for her..
"participating in games, lessons, discipline?" he raised an eyebrow at her..."You said Detective Buchanan right?"
"Mr. McBain im really not in the mood for games, this woman has gone missing and the last place she was known to be was in your... your establishment" she still was in shock that Tess would be there...
"as in Buchanan Enterprise, and police Commissioner Buchanan?" he asked sarcastically, she didn't answer.."well I take it this isn't official police business cause you would have had cops all over the place by now, this is something personal, tell me Detective, who is this woman to you?"
Natalie felt the uncomfortable feeling hit her again as she looked at him and spun around, she wasn't going to play into his hand.."When your ready to stop playing games Mr. McBain you can find me at the station" she snapped..
"detective...just answer my question" he yelled from across the room as Natalie walked out the door and immediately to her car, she had to get out of there, there had to be another way to find out information about Tess, one that didn't require her going into any more clubs like that one..
Natalie thought about telling Bo of her discovery but she opted to keep it to herself for now cause this was a conversation she definitely didn't feel like having with him, or any of her other family for that matter, she called in for the rest of the day, after the encounter she just had what she really needed was a drink, so off to Rodi's she headed..
Natalie sat in Rodi's a beer in front of her, her laptop opened as she began searching bondage clubs online, she had to get herself familiar with this cause next time she saw John McBain she would be prepared, and she knew there would be another time, what she wasn't expecting was that it would be so soon..
"they say curiosity killed the cat" she heard that raspy voice behind her, she froze for a second then spun her head around, there were those damn blue eyes again, she slammed her laptop closed.."please don't stop on my account, your curiosity intrigues me" he grinned..
"I'm sorry Mr Mcbain but what are you doing here" she said with a hint of anger in her voice, it hid the embarrassment she felt for being caught looking at those websites, he scooted into the booth in front of her..
"I did what you said, I went to the station, someone told me I could find you here" he looked around at the place then back at her..
"Listen unless your ready to start talking" she began to stand up, he made her feel uncomfortable, he stood too, towering over her..
"I think you too need to relax, are you always this tense" he began and she rolled her eyes at him and reached for her laptop..
"This missing woman really has you worked up" he put his hand on her laptop and she yanked it from under him..
"that missing woman is my sister" she snapped and his eyes got wide with curiosity.."I thought I would get some answers from you but I was wrong" she spun herself away from him, he reached out and touched her shoulder..
"OK OK..im ready to talk" he said quickly and she looked at him, trying to read him.."at least let me have a drink with you"
"fine" she huffed and he called over one of the bartenders and ordered himself a drink, she took the opportunity to take in his appearance, he was fully dressed not with a blue silk button down shirt, his hair was washed and combed, still hanging by his face, his cologne tickled her nose, he smelt good, she looked away and sat back down..
"so do you always sit here alone?" he sat down now with a drink in his hand, it looked like scotch, he nursed it slowly..
"Mr McBain, this is not how this works, I ask the questions" she stated firmly, he smiled..
"You have a bit of control issues I see" he grinned..
"I'm doing my job Sir" she snapped, who the hell did he think he was..
"sir? hmmmm, now I definitely like that" he smirked and she felt her body flush, she fidgeted in her seat uncomfortably.."I'm sorry, I make you uncomfortable, this is an important matter"
"Yes it is and don't flatter yourself Mr. Mcbain, you don't make me uncomfortable" she snapped quickly and he leaned back some as he looked at her..
"I can see why your here alone" he smiled as he sipped his drink..
"Excuse me?" she said with shock at his words, was he insulting her?
"Don't get all upset now, detective... its not a bad thing, I too find myself being a loner" she heard truth in his words but it didn't change anything, he still wasn't talking about the matter at hand..
"do you have something to say about my sister or not" she snapped and he sighed.."I don't have time for this"
"Oh I am sure you do, cause like you said she was at my establishment, you don't get out often do you, you don't sleep well either, your cases keep you up at night detective?" he looked at her in such a way that she shuddered slightly..
"I'm sorry but who are you, you don't know me" she stood up quickly, he did as well..
"OK im sorry Detective... lets try this again, I let my curiosity get the best of me...sit ….please, I will tell you what I know about your sister"
