Walking into the empty bar the first thing Natalie did was go into the kitchen and start a pot of coffee. She needed it-sleep hadn't come easy last night, knowing today would bring answers to questions she'd had for awhile. And new questions she had now that she knew Bo had St Dwynwen. After it was brewing she went back into the bar and flicked the lights. Glancing over to the pool table she remembered where the questions began.
As she walked into Bo's office and saw her uncle's face she knew something was wrong. "Hey, is everything ok? You wanted to see me?"
"Yes. Have a seat," he said as he picked up the envelope that was addressed to him and walked around the desk to his niece. "This envelope from the FBI showed up on my desk this morning. When I opened it there was a smaller envelope with a flash drive," he said as he handed her the smaller envelope and she saw all that was written was an 'N' on it. Even with just the one letter she had a feeling as to who it was from. She sat down on the couch and watched as Bo turned his computer around so they could view the video together, and then sat down beside her.
As John's face appeared on the screen she could tell he was bothered by something. "Are we taping?" he asked off screen and then looked back into the camera, taking a deep breath before talking "Hey, Natalie."
She smiled as she reached over and grabbed her uncle's hand for support.
"Ok, here is what I can tell you-what I'm being allowed to tell you. I was finishing my assignment a few weeks back, was about to come back to you and I received an envelope under my door. It was surveillance pictures of you, Liam, Marcie and the kids. One was of you and Liam at the park, and the one of Marcie was her picking the kids up at the daycare. My handler knows, my superiors know. We all understand what this means-someone is giving me a warning. That they know who I am and know who my family is."
Natalie watched as he rubbed his eyes, and wondered if he looked at the camera they would be glassy, just as hers were. Off camera she heard someone call him McBain and tell him he had three minutes left.
"I have to go back under. Please understand that I'm protecting you and Liam. Protecting Mike, Marcie, and the kids. I love you, all of you. Don't try and figure out where I am. Don't try and contact the FBI anymore-ok? Bo-if you are watching this-I need you to destroy this flash drive as soon as the video is over. Don't let our girl talk you out of it," he said with a slight laugh and smirk.
"Natalie-you need to move on from me. Find love again-find the best father you can for Liam. Because I don't think it's going to be me. Another message is going to Mike, but you two can't talk about this, ok? At this point I don't even know if you two communicating is safe. Don't tell anyone you've heard from me. Not your mom, not Jess, no one. If I can reach out again, I will. I love you, Natalie," he said and the screen went blank.
Bo just sat there and watched his favorite niece as she composed herself. Finally he stood up and took the hard drive out of the computer.
"Bo-please, don't," she begged.
"You heard him, Natalie."
"What if this is another of Dad's tricks? What if those pictures sent to him were just a way for dad to keep John out of our lives."
"Your dad wouldn't have had someone taking pictures of Marcie. And you could tell John believes it is more than just Clint Buchanan trying to ruin your relationship."
Natalie nodded, she knew what he was saying was true, "How can he just walk away from us? I just-," she said as she began to break down in sobs that this was it. That John was possibly out of her life forever.
"Hey. Shhh," he said as he sat down on the couch and pulled her into a hug. "He's walking away because of how much he loves you. What were his last words to you? That he loved you. And he wants you to find that love again, ok?"
"I don't know how to do that," she sighed as she got herself back under control.
"You will. And John will be happy for you. All he wants for his family is for them to be safe and happy. You can do that, right?"
She sighed and nodded, "Yeah. I will."
Going into the back again she made them each a cup of coffee and when she came back out she saw John walking in, "Good morning. Coffee?" she asked as she sat his cup in front of him.
"Yeah, thanks," he said as he rubbed his eyes. He'd been up part of the night-trying to go over in his mind what all he could tell her.
"Bad night sleep for you too?" she asked as she took a sip of her cup.
John just nodded and took her in. She looked as beautiful as the day he saw her. After what Liam had said about her health he'd been worried about her, but maybe it had just been an overactive childhood imagination. Maybe it had been nothing at all. "Where do we want to start?" he asked, wondering if she wanted to skirt over the Sam McCall issue-he sure did.
"How about when you left Port Charles?" she said, knowing that everything before that was moot. They both knew the answers she wanted had nothing to do with his time there.
"Ok, Anna came and told me the FBI had recalled me. Some of the stuff I'd been doing in Port Charles required me to be under their thumb again," he said as he paused. Reaching under the ledge of the counter he hoped to come up with a shot glass and pointed to the whiskey behind her. "I'm going to need something stronger for this part, Natalie."
Natalie saw a darkness come to his eyes. One she remembered from long ago that had diminished with time. She said nothing, just brought the bottle over and poured him a single to start.
John took the first shot before talking, "It was a human trafficking ring. Mostly women between 18 and 24. I was to be a handler-use my Johnny Mac charm and bring women to these-men." he said, using the term loosely. They weren't human-they were animals. "The women I would bring were undercover agents. But still-I'd see a redhead and think of you. Or a blonde and think of Starr. It was sickening-but we got that syndicate down. It was just a small part of a bigger organization-but my part was done. I was wrapping up-ready to come home and fight for you when I got the pictures."
She felt like she was going to throw up at hearing him have to talk about this. Reaching out she put her hand over his, "We don't have to talk, John. I can tell this isn't easy."
"Actually, it feels good to talk," he said as he looked at her hand on his. She knew he wasn't one to talk, but with her it was easier. It was just something about her presence. "When I saw the pictures of you and Marcie I knew what they were saying. They knew who you two were-and how easy it would be to grab either of you. It just wasn't your lives though-it was the kids. What if they got to either of you and the kids were without their mom? So, I went to my superiors and we started a new plan. I was going to be a behind the scenes coordinator. I would direct the guys that were the handlers to where they needed to go. To get further in and higher up the chain of command. We got more female agents to be put into the ring so they could tell us from the inside what needed to be done. It took eighteen months but we took the whole thing down."
She saw a pride in his eyes at that, "Thank you, John. For saving all those women."
John gave her a smirk, "Just doing my job, ma'am."
"Don't be modest. Everything is more than just a job for you. And thank you for protecting me and Marcie."
"If anything had happened to you," he said as he suddenly looked down and couldn't look her in the eye.
"I did what you asked-I found love again. And a father for Liam."
"I know," he said as he looked up at her and she realized what he was saying.
"You were there? At the wedding?"
"Yeah. Michael accidently told me you were getting married. I never was going to crash it-I just wanted to see you-that's all."
"That's when Bo got St Dwynwen."
"Yeah," he said as he remembered that last visit with Bo.
John laughed slightly as he walked away from the rooftop ledge and came to the center, "Leave it to you to know I was in town and where to find me."
"I thought my eyes were playing tricks with me. Is it safe for you to be here? Are you putting them in danger?"
"No, it's fine. I wrapped the case up a while ago. Got taunted by one of the higher ups-he went on about Natalie and Liam and then Michael and Marcie and the kids. I knew he was the one and so I feel it's safe. I've visited Mike a few times."
"Good," he said with a smile. "So, answer my question-why did you come here? On today of all days."
John pulled out the medal he'd had with him through everything. The one he would hold to his chest to get him to fall asleep on some nights, "I just wanted to see her one last time. Both of them. She was so beautiful today."
"Yeah, she was. Our girl did what you asked of her, John. She found love again."
"Carter is a really great guy. We didn't work out, but he's still a dad to Liam," she said, hoping using that word for someone other than John didn't hurt him. He didn't flinch so she knew he understood.
"She's pregnant, John."
John's head snapped up to look at his old friend, "She is? I didn't-."
"Not far along enough to show yet. They are a family as of today."
"Good-yeah, that's good. What I wanted for them, right?"
"Right," he said as he glanced at his watch. As much as he needed to catch up with his friend he knew his absence would be noticed if he didn't get back soon. "I need to get back. Are you staying in town?"
"No, I'm leaving tonight. Like I said-just wanted to see them one last time. Can you take this though?" he said as he handed over the St Dwynwen medal. "If something happens with her and this guy-."
"He has a name."
"Maybe it's better that I don't know it," he said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Anyways-if something happens with them will you give it to her? She'll know it's from me."
"I will, but I don't see that happening, John. And I don't think you want her heart to be broken again, do you?"
"Of course not. Just hold on to it-just in case."
"I wonder why he never passed it on."
"When we separated I was going through something pretty big plus Izzy was born right then too. I think he knew it'd be too much to add you into the mix."
"Right-yeah. So what do we want to tell, Liam? About us. About why I was gone for so long."
"He's an adult now, John-and a cop. I think he can handle the whole truth. No reason to sugar coat it or dumb it down to a level a child has to understand."
John nodded and realized the best way to approach this, "So let's not give him the story as his parents. Let's give it to him as a cop and forensic tech giving evidence over a long ago case to a new cop."
"How do we manage that without letting him know it's your story-or keep from revealing classified information? I don't want him to get invested into this and start going down a rabbit hole. He may be a cop, but he's my son John-I will always want to protect him."
"There's nothing to go down-it's a closed case with all parties in prison. No threat to him, I promise," he said as studied her before pushing back from the counter, "I need to get back to DC. Do you still have the same cell phone number?"
"Yeah," she said, a small part of her saddened that he had to go.
"Good. Give me a few days to wrap up some stuff there and work on the paperwork to give Liam. I'll text you when I know I can make it back here. Take care, Natalie."
"You too," she said with a wistful look as he walked out.