Disclaimer: All characters are property of ABC/Disney--no money is being attempted to being made off of them, and I promise to put them back right where I got them from when I'm done.

A/N: I'm not sure where this story came from, but I hope you like. It's moving along pretty good though, so that's always a plus. The rating is due to some smut in chapter 5 (yes, I do know how to write smut, believe it or not). Ya'll enjoy! Until next time (and as always)--ya'll are the best--PCGirl.

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It was the combination of orange glow and flashing red lights from the fire trucks that caused Rex to slow the car and pull into the parking lot. This wasn't happening—was all he could think as he jumped out of the car and made out the back of John's head as he heard the man barking out orders. "What's going on?" asked Rex as both watched the Angel Square Hotel begin to go up in flames.

"Arson, most likely. I'll give you two guesses as to who the number one suspect is—," said John as he turned to look and see Natalie was not with her brother. "Where's Natalie?"

"She left an hour ago—said she had forgotten something. I'm sure she's been long gone from the hotel," said Rex, concern washing over his face.

John glared at him for a brief second before pulling out his cell phone and dialing quickly, "Come on, Nat—answer your phone." But she didn't answer and he immediately could feel the bile rising in this throat and redialed.

"Hello?" choked a voice on the other end and John could literally feel his heart stop. "Where are you?"

"I'm—John—there's smoke," coughed Natalie.

"I'm coming to get you," he said before she could argue and hung up. "John, wait—," said Rex, grabbing him by the arm and stopping him in his tracks.

"Roxy is storing a box of hairspray from Foxy Roxy's in the hotel—," he was stopped when there was a sudden blast from the inside of the hotel. John didn't say anything just ran past the fire fighters and straight into the building.

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Three weeks before

"So when is the test?" asked Jessica as her and Natalie sat in a booth at Capricorn, hoping John and Antonio would be able to join them soon.

"Next Tuesday," smiled Natalie proudly. "I really think I know my stuff this time, Jess—I feel like I've been focusing on nothing but taking this test and I'm going to pass and everything will be fine," said Natalie as she watched her sister make a face. "What's that for?"

Jessica shook her head before talking, "That just didn't sound like you right then, Natalie. It sounded like the old Natalie."

She gave a slight laugh before she spoke, "I feel like that lately though—that no matter what I do or try it's never going to be enough. I'm never going to get what I feel like I deserve."

"And what is you think you deserve?"

"Some downtime with just me and John. First there was his recovery, then Spencer's death, and now this arsonist that's running around town. I guess I just wonder if the moment is ever going to come where there isn't a case keeping us apart is all."

Jess put her hand over her sister's, "It's going to come, Natalie—you'll get your happy ending."

"I know. It's silly—I mean I know John loves me, but I wish—I guess I just wish that I had more than just the words from him," she said as she looked up to see Vincent Jones and another man walk into the club together. "Have you seen him before?" she asked as Jessica turned to look at the man.

"I think I've seen him once or twice at the coffee shop. Why?"

"He just looks really familiar," said Natalie as she gave up trying to remember where she'd seen him from and turned the conversation onto happier subjects.

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"Hey," said John as he walked into the room to see Natalie sitting on the bed with a book opened in her lap reading.

"Hey," she smiled as she closed the book and put it on the night stand. "Any clues as to the arsonist?"

John shook his head as he began to undress himself from the long day at work, "The arson investigators will get a better look around tomorrow, but it'll probably be like the others—no leads and no witnesses."

"We're going to catch him John—he's going to slip up and we'll get him then."

"I know—I just don't want anyone else to get hurt or die before we do."