A/N: YAY! New story time! That's always exciting, isn't it? hehehe-hope ya'll enjoy! Until next time-PCGirl.


"How are you feeling?" asked Gigi as she stood behind the bar at Rodi's. She'd taken Natalie to the doctor's and then home yesterday after the amniocentesis.

"A little sore, but the paperwork the doctor gave me said I would feel that for a day or two. I'm just ready to find out the results."

"Of what—is something wrong with the baby?"

Natalie twirled around to see Marty standing there behind her, "Oh, hey Marty. No, everything is fine with the baby."

"I saw both of you yesterday leaving the hospital—you said, results—did you have an amnio done? Does John know?"

"You know, Marty—I'm sorry, but this really doesn't concern you," said Natalie as she tried to shake the other woman off.

"Why are you hiding something from him? You finally got him back, and here you are already keeping secrets about his child from him. Wait—it's not John's, is it?"

"Excuse me? Where did that come from?"

"If it really was nothing John would know, and he would have been with you for the procedure—and you wouldn't be freaking out at the accusation."

"I believe that accusation, in any situation, is worth freaking out over. And no—I have never cheated on John," she said defiantly, proud that at least in all this that last statement was still true.

"Then tell me why you needed an amniocentesis? You seemed honest when you said nothing was wrong with the baby. Why put your unborn child through one otherwise?"

"Fine—you want to know what happened?" shouted Natalie, ignoring Gigi's plea for her to stop. "John didn't show up at midnight at Rodi's because someone decided it would be best to steal the letter I'd left him. So I got myself drunk, went over to my sister's boyfriend's apartment to tell him goodbye, and we ended up having sex. Happy?"shouted Natalie into Marty's face.

"Natalie?" called a shaky voice from behind, and she looked to see Jessica, Brody, and John standing there. "Hey guys," she said, trying to show a smile and keep her voice from shaking.

"You—did you say you slept with Brody?" asked Jessica as she walked towards her sister and everyone else for the moment seemed to melt into the background.

Natalie felt her world come crashing down at the question, "I'm so sorry Jess. It was the night of the Prom, and we were both upset. We never planned for it to happen—I swear."

"So that makes it all ok? That because your life was in shambles you decided to destroy mine as well?"

"It wasn't like that—I never meant to hurt you, Jess. You are my sister."

"No, the only sister I have is dead," she spat at Natalie.

Natalie felt her nightmares becoming reality and wasn't how much blame she could handle. Looking at Brody he was useless—in the end she knew he'd throw her under the bus if it meant keeping his relationship with Jessica. She wanted to look at John—wanted to see his face, but was scared to know what was showing in his eyes-anger or hurt. Pleading with her sister as tears came down her face she spoke with as strong of a voice as she could find, "I know you don't mean that Jess. And one day—I'll make this right, I swear I will."

Finally she glanced at John and realized she couldn't read him right now. Keeping her eyes glued to his she said one final thing before rushing out the back door of Rodi's, "I'm so sorry."


Natalie blinked through the tears as she made it up the drive to the cottage. How she'd gotten here through the crying and hysterics she didn't know, but she was here. Rex was at the driver's door before she was parked, and pulled her into a bear hug, "Hey—it's going to be ok."

"No, no it's not. I lost my sister today, I know it," she mumbled into Rex's shirt. "And John—I could barely look at him. He was just standing there—I have no clue what he's feeling."

"It doesn't matter, Natty. Because there are two things that won't change in all of this," he said as she finally pulled away from him and he was able to see her face. "You are going to be an amazing mom, and I will be the most awesome Uncle ever."


John stood at the door and looked around-he shouldn't be doing this now. Sober and straight minded would work better in this situation, but he really didn't care.

What he was about to do was what he wanted to do this afternoon, but had instead left Rodi's and tried to bury himself in cases. Then he'd gone and closed up Rodi's for the night-drinking himself into the stupor that he was in now.

As the door opened he gave himself a few seconds to see if the thought that had been rushing around in his head most of the day would subside, when it didn't he let his fist come in direct contact with Brody's nose.

As the man stumbled back he walked into the room uninvited and closed the door, "Get up," he shouted as he pulled Brody back to his feet and shoved him up against the door so they were eye level. "Are you proud of yourself? Proud that you took advantage of a vulnerable woman and ruined her whole life."

"There were two of us in this room that night, John," he said as he shoved John away and tried to stop the bleeding.

"Yeah, and do you remember the oath you made when you became a cop? Serve and protect. She came to you as a friend, Brody. A friend!"

"We regretted it the moment it happened. Talk to Natalie-she wanted you to know from the beginning, but I couldn't do that to Jess."

"Then I guess you have more apologizing to do than anyone else in this," said John as he decided it was best to leave before he did something worse than just deck his partner.