Misconceptions pt. 9

Eve McBain was enjoying the evening quite nicely. Things were going very well, and everyone was talking and laughing and telling 'Thomas' stories. It was working out just the way she had hoped it would. She turned to her husband and touched his arm to get his attention. "I'll be right back." He flashed her a wide grin, and then she stood and excused herself from the table.

On her way to the restroom, she stopped short, trying to keep her heart at a steady rhythm. Her son was standing a few feet from her, but he wasn't likely to notice since he was in a heated argument with a young woman. She took another step, and then another, walking toward the terrace that held them away from prying eyes. She peered through the window and got a good look at the stunning redhead at his side. It was Natalie Buchanan. She's seen her around town some, and knew her more recently from the news. Eve felt nervous. She opened the window slightly, trying to get a handle on what was happening with her boy.

She heard his forced laugh, but it was a bitter sound. He was angry. There was no mistaking that, even from over here. She saw him move closer to the girl and pin her against the wall. She was practically pressing her ear to the glass, trying to catch something of their conversation.

...what do you want?...

She stood straight, watching nervously with helpless eyes. He was furious, but that wasn't all he was. She could see it as clear as day, and then she heard Tom's fears again. ...he's getting involved with a prime suspect...John's not thinking with his brain, babe... It was true. Either her son was already involved with this woman, or he would be soon enough. She turned sharply, strategically placing her back toward the door as he strode inside. The redhead was still on the terrace. She watched him stalk across the restaurant and she quickly followed, knowing that the McBain family reunion was about to happen whether they were ready or not.


John moved with purpose, weaving around the tables so that he could get the hell out of here. She drove him crazy, and he needed some space to calm down. He wasn't paying much attention, but stopped when he realized that he was blocked by a large party of people. When he looked up, he froze, unable to move a single muscle. His dad was here, along with his brother and several officers from the station. He scanned the table. He was interupting some kind of celebration, which only angered him further. They were out dining instead of trying to find the truth about what was really going on at B.E.? He focussed on his brother.

Michael wasn't looking him in the eye, and he was chewing on his bottom lip. "Why so nervous?" John asked, scanning all the faces that were staring at him as though he had two heads. Everyone was silent.

He shifted slightly, about to apologize for the interuption, when a gaggle of waiters made their way toward the table with a mother of a cake in their hands. He glanced at his dad again. His mother put a hand on his arm as she strolled past. He watched her stand beside his father. The waiters were singing Happy Birthday, and a couple of the guests joined in and he frowned. Birthday? They put the cake in the center of the table, and that's when he knew. He read the green frosted icing that spelled the words, Happy 60th Tom.

John's head shot up and he stared at his father. That was today. He'd forgotten his own father's milestone birthday, but they weren't exactly close these days. Hell, he didn't even warrant an invite, so why should he feel guilty? He ran a hand over his face and smiled, continuing to stare at his dad. "Happy Birthday, pop!"

"John?" Eve said, leaning on the table a little. "It's not what you think, honey?"

"What do I think, mom?" He was in no mood to be placated.

She frowned. "Listen John, this was planned long before you came back, alright?" She looked past her son when Natalie stepped closer. She was watching from the sidelines. "We wanted you here, but then..."

"...you thought better of it. I get it." He got it all too well. "No one wants the black sheep at a party, right?"

"Brother?" Michael tried to speak, but was quickly given the brush off with a firm shake of the head. He felt his stomach drop.

John stared at his father. "Enjoy your party." He left the room and the restaurant as quickly as he could.

Eve stared at the door for a long moment. "That could have gone better." She sat down.

Natalie was furious! How could they do that? They were his family, how could they treat him like some stranger on the street? She waltzed up to the head of the table and stared at the man of the hour. "You're his father?" She had so much going on inside of her, but that was all she could manage to get out!

"This is a private party." He glared at the woman who was pushing her way into his son's life. She would ruin him.

Nat pulled herself together and looked at the woman at his side. She was strangely silent, and she had a feeling that this conversation wouldn't be their only one. Then she turned back to the Commissioner. She glared, hating this man. "You know, you're sitting here having a party - drinking and laughing it up while your son is out there trying to catch a criminal. A real criminal. He's spending every waking minute on this case, and you sit there on your ass and judge him. You sneer at his opinions, and look down on him because he's an inconvenience...a Federal inconvenience." She leaned on the table, knocking a glass of water to the floor, but her eyes didn't drop from Thomas McBain's. "You're a fool because he loves you. You treat him like he's nothing. He's not nothing." She paused to lick her dry lips. "He's worth ten of you." She turned and left the party behind in stunned silence.

Eve reached out and took her husband's hand and squeezed, thankful that he squeezed back. She looked at him, but she couldn't read his expression. She stood. "Thank you everyone for coming to the celebration, but," she paused, "I think it's obvious now that the party's over. Please, help yourself to cake before you leave." She sat beside Tom, and then watched him rise.

"Thank you everyone," he said, his voice gravelly. He turned and left the restaurant needing some air.

The room slowly began to empty out. Only Michael, Jason, and Eve stayed in their seats. They looked from one to the other in silence.


Natalie walked back to her table and found Jeremy staring at her with probing eyes. "What?" She shouldn't be using such a snide tone with him, but was well beyond caring at this point. She was too mad to care, and too worried.

He blew out a breath and stood from the table. "That was some floor show." She just continued to look at him, while he grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair and put it on. "So I guess he's more than just the cop out to get you, huh?" He didn't bother waiting for an answer. He paid the bill and left.

Natalie sat there for a few minutes, trying to figure out what she was supposed to do now? She let her best lead walk out the door, and now she was back at square one. That left Rex. Maybe he'd find something? She needed that name so that she could finally put an end to this. Sighing, she stood and walked outside to the terrace. It was a lot more peaceful out here when she wasn't being yelled at. She leaned over the stone railing and closed her eyes. The air was finally beginning to cool. Cool was good. She was very confused, and confused didn't work for her.

...what are you willing to give him in return?...

She frowned and stared out into the bushes below. The sun was completely gone now, but The Palace supplied plenty of light to guide you on your way. She shook her head. He had practically called her a whore! He may as well have stamped her chest with a Scarlet Letter for christsake! Her brow furrowed even deeper. He's a pain in the ass who thinks he knows everything! She didn't need that at all. She could take care of herself!

"Damn it, Natalie!" she snapped aloud, needing to scold.

So if she could take care of herself? If she didn't need him, then why get in his business at all? She marched up to the Commissioner of Police and tore a strip in the man in front of several co-workers. He was already working to send her to prison, but now he'd no doubt work overtime. Way to go! She just screwed herself over royally, but...but she would do it all over again. The look that had been on his face when he saw that cake. They had no right to do that to someone they claim to love.

The sound of the door shutting tight, snapped her out of her head. She turned to find the lady from the table. His mother. Great! Natalie stood straight and waited for whatever was going to come next.

Eve followed her out here, knowing that it probably wouldn't end well, but John was her son so she felt like she had no choice. She thought back to what she saw out here earlier, and then to the hateful words that spewed out of the redhead. She walked closer. "You're in love with him, aren't you?"

Natalie was not prepared for that. "What? Who?" The woman didn't speak, she just watched and waited, and it made her very nervous. "You're crazy! Just because I think you should treat him better than you do, doesn't mean that I'm..."

"...head over heels." She wasn't wrong. "You're completely taken with him. Don't bother lying."

Natalie blinked. Truthfully, she was afraid to talk.

"Some of what you said in there was true, but not all. It seems we're not the only one to judge? We love him too. Michael, myself, and especially Thomas. You can't possibly understand how much he loves that boy."

She wanted to laugh. "Right? It shows, but you know, this isn't any of my business, so..."

Now it was Eve's turn to laugh. "It became your business when you took it upon yourself to berate my husband in front of his birthday guests, don't you think?" She held up a hand to stop her from interupting and it worked. "John thinks you're innocent, so I'm going to try and give you the benefit of the doubt, but we need to get something very straight between us. That is the last time you'll talk to a member, any member, of my family like that again. You don't want to be on my bad side."

Natalie believed her. She was good with the threats. She opened her mouth to reply when her phone rang. She looked at the display, and then walked a few feet away to answer the call. "Yeah? Did you find it?" She bit her bottom lip. "That's okay, I know where to look. It'll be fine. I know what I said. No. I can't meet you right now. No. I said not now, Rex! I'll call you when I can." She hung up and turned, and Eve McBain was waiting patiently. She blew out an annoyed breath. "Look, I was angry and I reacted. That's all that was."

Eve smiled. "I want you to stay away from my son. He could get into trouble with you, Natalie. Real trouble. If you care about him half as much as I think you do, then you'll stay away." She turned back to the door and stepped through it.

Natalie looked at her phone again. Sorry, lady, she thought, but I can't stay away from him just yet. He has something I need. She grabbed her purse and left The Palace in a hurry.


John sat on his couch with a beer in his hand and a mess on his coffee table. His notes were scattered all over, and his feet were propped nicely on top of the pile. He took a long, smooth drink from his bottle. Today couldn't have been worse if he had gotten hit by a truck. That probably would feel better? He rubbed his forehead. How the hell did his life get so screwed up? He knew the answer though. It was a mess before the redhead, but a complete train wreck afterwards. She was a poison pill and he needed to stay away, but what was he supposed to do when he ran into her everywhere he went, and when he saw her dancing and kissing random men? He sat up and turned when there was a sharp knock on his door. Great! He stood and went toward it reluctantly, but he didn't open it. Maybe they'd just go away?

After another moment, he thought he was in the clear, but there was a more forceful knock. He took a quick drink and opened it wide. "Are you lost?" He was using anger as a shield, and he would keep using it. Her here, at the door to his hotel room, was not a good situation. His heart began to beat a little stronger at the sight of her, but he stood his ground.

She ignored his comment and stared. He was in his jeans and tank top, and her heart began to pound when she saw the tatoos that decorated his sculpted arms. "We need to talk." Her shoulders squared when he shifted his stance, and her skin broke out in goosebumps. Natalie tried to ignore the panic that gripped her, and the anticipation. She shook her head, determined to stay focussed. "Did you hear me?"

"I heard you."

Natalie held his cold stare, not quite able to believe what an ass he was being? "You want to do this in the hall?" The sound of footsteps drew her attention to the staircase, and she watched an older gentleman round the corner. His eyes were wide, as he realized that two sets of angry blue were watching his every move, and she felt a bit sorry for him. He mumbled an apology and quickly opened the door to his room, and she turned her anger back to the man who deserved it.

John took a breath. He didn't want her here, but he stepped to the side. She hesitated for a second and then moved past him, and he shut them in. She should never have come here, and he should never have opened the door, but here they were. He was exhausted and didn't want to have another fight. "What do you want, Natalie?"

She glanced around the room, observing the mess that decorated the tiny space. She spotted several empty beer bottles in various locations. She sighed, and turned to him. "I'm sorry about what happened at the restaurant."

He shrugged, hoping she didn't mean what he thought she meant. "What happened?" He felt his gut twist with a fresh knife.

"The party," she stammered, "your dad."

He sneered. "Well thanks, but you don't know anything about that." He saw her square her shoulders. "And we're not buddies so I don't really want to talk about it with you." He stared at her with cold, blank eyes. "Was there something else?" He ignored the voice that was screaming at him and telling him he was being an ass.

Her eyes narrowed, but she pushed down her temper, keeping it tightly restrained. She tried again. "I know that must have been..."

He stepped closer. He couldn't control his outbursts. Everything felt so raw, and she wouldn't let it alone. "What do you know? Do you even know about families? You were what - in your twenties when you finally found yours?"

Natalie walked up to him and slapped him hard. Then she walked around him and headed for the door.

"Hey?" he called out, watching her stop and stare. She was on fire she was so angry. "Aren't you forgetting something?" He held up a folder, and watched her big eyes look at it with interest. "That is why you're here?"

"What are you talking about?"

He moved again, shrinking the distance. "The suit at the restaurant, you wanted information from him, right? That's why you're here now." He slammed the file onto the table. "You want your name." She didn't move, or even blink, but she also didn't deny it. "Unless you've come to turn yourself in?"

"You ass! I didn't steal from my grandfather and you know it!"

"I don't know it!" he snapped, taking a few steps closer. "I don't know anything! The only thing I do know is that you are up to your eyeballs in trouble and you won't let anyone help you!"

She swallowed, trapped by the intensity of his eyes. "Well, that's why I'm here?" He didn't move or speak, and she had to surpress the urge to slap him again. "I've decided to let you help me."

He chuckled, not sure he heard right. "Really?" He didn't believe her at all. "You...what? Discovered a newfound perspective on life and law enforcement?" His hands moved to his hips, and his head tilted, watching her closely. He needed to find the truth in her lies, because despite everything, he did still think she was innocent. Only she was no angel, and she was lying about something?

Natalie knew that she was doing this all wrong. She was handling this all wrong. She hadn't come here to fight with him, but that was what they were doing. His defenses were up, and so were hers, and that wasn't going to get her what she came for. She lowered her gaze, quickly sweeping her eyes over the coffee table. "This isn't going well."

"No? How should it be going?" He stepped closer, deliberately invading her space.

She glanced up slowly, taking in the black tank top as she lifted her eyes. "I know you believe me," she confessed quietly. "I know you do. So I guess we're both liars?"

John felt his heart thud against his chest. How did she do that? "Why are you here Natalie?"

"I told you. You want to help me, and I..." She paused, licking her lips and ignoring the flame that travelled through her when his eyes dropped to her mouth. "I need help."

He was staring again. "And you trust me? You trust me to help you?" She nodded slowly, and he grinned. "Well, now I know you're lying." Her frame straightened instantly. He reached down and grabbed the envelope from his table. He seized her hand and made sure she took it. "There, now get out!" He needed her to leave him alone.

She stared for a second longer, and did as he asked, slamming the door behind her.