It had been seven hectic days as they tried to pack everything they owned in boxes that would fit in only two cars and the pickup. Eve, Thomas, and Michael all stayed and Eve cooked them all dinner once they were moved in. It was a good transition, really, they were all unpacked and goodbye that wasn't really a goodbye had time to be had, and by the time the three of them left, no one was really sad. Eve was emotional, but she always was.

The apartment really was beautiful for what they were paying. It was two and half rooms, a bedroom and a kitchen/living room with a bathroom in between the two rooms. The kitchen was small, but not unbearably so, with wooden cabinets, a marble counter top and an off-white tile floor. The stove had four burners, and an oven. Above the stove was their microwave, and on the far left side of the small u the kitchen made was their fridge and freezer. They had a small table set up off the side of the kitchen and a couch and a chair pointed in front of a small TV which constituted their living room. The couch was a deep blue color and was extra wide and was actually really comfortable and it was easy to imagine the two of them relaxing on it while watching TV. Their bedroom which was through a small hallway to the left of the living room, had gray carpeting, which gave the room a nice, homey feel. Their bed was a queen size, not too big, but bigger than the twins they'd had before. Eve had gotten them an off-white bed set with a comforter that was extra large for the bed, so they would be extra comfy. She could imagine how John would look sprawled out, sleeping in their bed. Their bed was set up parallel to the window, and they had a nice view of the area they were in. On the far right of their room were their closets, two separate ones that were side by side, and their dressers on the wall to the right of their closets.

At last it seemed that they were alone in their new home, standing by the door after the three McBains had gone.

"Wow" Natalie said to break the silence, "We did it"

"Yeah, we did" he said, putting his arm around her shoulder.

"So, now what?" she asked.

"Well, I say first things first" he said, pulling her into a heated kiss.

She melted into him, needing this just as much as he did. He put his other arm under her knees, picking her up, and carried her into their bedroom. He laid her down, gently laying on top of her, and they lost themselves in each other.

Afterwards, as he held her against him, her head on his shoulder, she smiled and turned her head into him, placing a chaste kiss on his shoulder.

"I love you" she told him, running her hand along his chest.

"I love you, too" he said, placing a kiss on her forehead.

"It has been way too long since we've done that"

"Way too long" he agreed.

"It must have been, like six months since that night"

"Well, at least we'll never have to go that long again" he said.

"I can't believe it" she said, "Tomorrow, I'm going to wake up in your arms and know that you'll hold me that night, too"

"That's just the first, of everyday, for the rest of our lives"

"this is just so wonderful"

He kissed her head, "get used to it. Short of me working a night shift, we can do this every night"

"You really think we can do this? Make this place feel like home?"

"I got you. As far as I'm concerned, that's all I need to feel at home"

"You mean that?"

"Of course I do" he said, "We're in this together. Don't go doubting me now"

"I'm not, it's just-" she paused, "I'm so happy. I don't want to lose this"

"We won't" he said, rubbing her back, "cuz I'm not losing you"

"You know, we do have three whole days before life starts again"

"You're ambitious" he said, smiling.

"We don't have to get out of bed for three days"

"I have to say, this whole adult thing isn't so bad" he yawned.

"Get some sleep" she said, "I'll be here all night"

"Mm good night" he said, leaning into kiss her, "I love you"

"I love you, too" she said, "good night"

He stood in the alley. He'd been there a dozen times since he started this, and yet, he still felt like he was missing something.

"If I shot a cop, what would I do with gun" he muttered.

David must have turned to run in the opposite direction, but David, according to his interrogation stayed away from the violent side of the "business" he'd inherited. So he probably didn't know what to do with the gun.

"I'd drop it" he said.

But CSU had been over the alley a million times. It didn't make sense.

His phone rang.

"McBain" he answered.

"John, I hope you're sitting down" he heard Hugh start.

"Yeah, why's that?"

"Vickers changed his plea"

"What?"

"He changed his plea guilty. I requested he be held immediately. He's in holding right now"

"I'll be right there" he said, and hung up.

It seemed he only ever had more questions. Maybe this time he'd get some answers, starting with why he'd changed his plea. It had to be Truman, there was no other explanation, but maybe he'd get an answer to why this time.

He got down to holding, half expecting it to be too good to be true.

"Well, this is interesting plot twist"

"Yeah, I bet your the edge of your seat" Vickers replied.

"So, mind telling me what happened"

"I'm guilty. I shot your father"

John looked down, needing a minute to compose himself. He wasn't sure what he thought this moment would get him, but somehow he knew it wasn't over.

"Didn't you know that already?"

"Where's the gun?"

"What?"

"You confessed. You think I'm going easy on you for that? I won't" he said, "I am going to do everything I can to nail you to the wall. Where's the gun?"

"I don't know" he said, "I dropped it"

"Where?"

"I ran like a bat out of hell, I couldn't tell you"

"You think you got anything left to lose?"

"Fine" he said.

John handed him a pad of paper and a pencil.

"Draw the alley" he said, "Show me where you were standing, where my father was standing and where you dropped the gun"

"This is a very boring picture" he said as he began to draw, "Art school would be displeased"

"I'm sure" John said, "You're sure this is where you were standing?"

"Yes"

"And that's where you dropped the gun?"

"Yup"

"That doesn't make sense" he muttered.

What David was saying didn't match the autopsy report, which said that his Dad had been shot at from the right, but David was saying that he'd been shot at dead in front of him. He'd have to check the autopsy report again. then, he realized where the gun had been dropped.

"Storm drain" he said, "Damn forensics"

"You're welcome?"

"Yeah, thanks" he said, looking at the drawing still.

"So you gonna ask why I changed my plea?"

"We'll get to that" John said, "Meanwhile, enjoy your stay"

Within the hour John had CSU back in the alley and digging up the storm drain. Sure enough, there it was covered in muck.

"that's it" he muttered, "That's the gun that killed my father"

"Lutenint" the head of CSU got his attention, "You wanna look?"

"yeah, Gilbert" he said, taking the gun, "You guys think you're going to be able to get any ballistics on that?"

"We'll do our best"

John looked at it for a moment, feeling the gravity of the situation. He wondered for the thousandth time what his dad must have been thinking in his last minutes alive. He opened the gun, wanting to see if there was any ammo left in it. There was, he took a bullet out, not entirely sure why.

"What the hell?" he whispered, "That can't be"

The bullets were blank. Which means this wasn't the gun that killed his father. But it had been exactly where Vickers said it would be. That didn't make any sense.

"Gilbert" John said, "Forget your best. I need a full ballistics report on this"

"Alright, Lutenint"

John put the gun in the bag, standing and walking away. Just more and more questions.

"Hey" he said, seeing her at the stove when he came in.

"Hey" she said, and leaned up to kiss him as he came in, "How was your first day as an employed officer of the law?"

"Okay, I guess" he said, "All the new people had to go through orientation for the building, learn our beat, stuff like that"

"Did you see your dad?"

"Yeah, for a minute. We didn't get to talk, though" he said, "Mac and cheese?"

"Hey, I'm learning" she teased.

"I'll take it" he said, "Though this is setting a dangerous precedent for me, you know. One day in and dinner's ready when I come in-"

"Yeah, don't get used to it"

"I wouldn't dare" he said, "I'm going to change out of this"

"But you look so good in it" she teased.

He rolled his eyes, and went to the bedroom, shouting behind him, "So, did you turn in your applications?"

"Yeah, I did" she said, "Now I just have to wait"

"How long you gonna have to wait?"

"March"

He came back into the kitchen, in a t shirt and sweats, "Only two months"

"You hear only two months, I hear fifty something days that will never end"

"Hey" he said, "You're going to get in"

"I hope so" she said, starting to fill two bowls with mac and cheese.

"Natalie. Listen to me. You're going to get in, I know you are"

She smiled, "Thanks"

"So how was your ride to school?"

"Long" she said, "The way back isn't as bad, you know, since work's about halfway"

"That sucks"

She shrugged, "It's only another five months"

"I guess" he said, "I just feel bad"

"This is so normal" she said, "this is awesome"

"Yeah, it's pretty awesome"

"I think you're right. We can do this"

"I know we can" he said, "and I know, this is good mac and cheese"

She laughed.

"John, I've read the autopsy before"

"Yeah, I know, it's just with the new evidence, I wanted to revisit it" he said, sitting down across from his boss, not sure how to go over all that he'd learned.

"What's this?"

"That's Vickers' account of where he was standing and where he dropped the gun"

"That's where he was standing?"

"I double checked with him"

"That doesn't make sense with autopsy report"

"Well" John said, "It makes a little more sense when you look at the ballistics"

"Blanks?" Bo said, "He was shooting blanks?"

"His fingerprint's on it"

"It wasn't him"

John shook his head, "It looks that way"

"Now what?"

"Well, he could have reloaded, I guess"

"You know he didn't" he said, "So what are you thinking?"

"I want to know who gave him the gun"

"You think it's Spencer"

"It wouldn't surprise me" he said, "I'd also like to know why he changed his plea, but I'm willing to bet that has something to do with Truman, too"

"We have to let him go, John"

John shook his head, "I don't want to do that, Bo. He could go right to his brother, and then we lose him"

"That's unlawful imprisonment"

"He doesn't know that"

"John-"

"I just want one more go at him before we cut him lose, that's all"

"Fine, I can't stop you anyway" Bo said, "And John?"

"Yeah?"

"Check the bullet against the gun?"

"You know what that's going to come up as"

He shrugged, "Just in case"

Before going to get Vickers, he went to the lab to request the test for bullet. Then, he got Vickers out of holding and got his files.

"You again?" David asked, as John entered.

"Did you reload after you fired?"

"I don't know how to reload a gun" he said, "I thought I made that clear, I don't do guns"

"Yeah, well, you had one that night"

"Believe me, not willingly"

"Where'd you get the gun from? It's registered to your father"

"Yeah, he left them for me and Spencer. Spencer keeps them both, I don't care about them that much"

"Spencer gave you the gun?"

"Yeah, he had me to a run- I didn't want to, I try and stay out of that part of my life as much as I can, but Spencer-"

"What?"

"Well, he's got some stuff on me, so when he asks me to do stuff, I listen"

"So why'd you change your plea?"

"I'm guilty"

"You were guilty before you changed your plea"

"I grew a conscience?"

John laughed.

"Hey, it could happen"

"No" he said, "You would've let that hot shot lawyer do his best to get you out of paying for what you did. So what changed?"

"Spencer"

"What did he do?"

"Told you, he's got stuff on me. And proof. I was going to jail one way or another"

There was a knock on the door and the lab guy came in. It was precisely the results he expected, but it did show it was the same make and model-

"You said Spencer had two guns"

"Yeah"

"Same make and model?"

"Yeah"

"Was he in the alley that night?"

"What?"

"Was he in the alley with you that night?"

"I don't think so, but I didn't look around" he said, "John, why does that matter?"

"Your gun was loaded with blanks"

"What? I was shooting blanks?"

"Yeah, but, the bullet that killed my father was the same make and model as yours-"

"Spencer-"

"You're going to get released" he said, "You don't leave town, you don't tell anyone about this, you got that?"

"Yes, sir"

John rubbed his face, "I'll get Hughes to sign off, you breathe a word to your brother-"

"Yeah, yeah, you want to kill me, I get it"

John left the room, heading back to his office, determined now more than ever to find proof.