A/N: AHH! They finally kissed for real so I figured that was worth
putting up a new chapter. Happy St. Patty's Day! Until next time—PCGirl.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Hey—are you hungry?" asked Natalie as she walked down the stairs and saw John sitting on the couch with a pile of files near him.
"Nah—I don't eat," he laughed as he looked up and back down to the papers.
"Are you sure? Because I was thinking of cooking up some fish or something."
"I'm sure," he said leaning over and grabbing another file.
"Oh. Is everything ok—I mean you've been quiet since I got home earlier and didn't say much when we saw each other at the prison earlier."
"Everything is fine, Natalie," he said not looking up this time.
"Then look me in the eye and say that."
"Fine? You want to know what's wrong? I've got 2 questions for you, and if you answer them truthfully then everything will be peachy again. Ok?"
"Ok," she said sitting on the arm of a chair.
"Why were you at Statesville today?"
"Why? Because I wanted to see Haver. I wanted to tell him he couldn't hurt us, and tell him what I thought of him. He could have killed us both—almost killed your mom, and killed how many women?"
"Thirty six," he grumbled. "Second question—why did you leave the safe house? I mean I know it was because you thought Christian was living, but you should have contacted me or Bo first—instead you put more lives at stake. I thought you were a smart woman Natalie."
"I am smart, but I thought he was alive. That's the difference between you and me John—I still can hang onto the hope that Christian is somewhere alive—you can't do that with Caitlyn because you saw her dead body lowered into the ground and dirt thrown over it—you know she's dead."
"Actually, I didn't get to see that because I was in the hospital clinging to life from a bullet wound for six weeks. But you are right Natalie—you get to hang onto that hope, so keep on doing that," he said getting up and trying to collect the files with one arm.
"John, wait—I didn't mean for it sound like it did."
"But you are right Natalie—completely right. I have to get on with my life, move on from Caitlyn because she's not going to come back. So that's just what I'm going to do," he said as he leaned over for the last file and they all came flying out and covering the floor. "Damn it," he muttered under his breath.
"Let me help you with those," she said getting closer to him.
"No, I'm fine," he said as he looked up at her and then went back to the files. He didn't turn his head back up until he heard her soundly in the kitchen and sat on the couch pulling out his cell phone, "Hey Michael—can you come pick me up? Don't ring the doorbell though—call my cell phone. Thanks, bye," he said picking up the rest of the files and then heading up to his room.
---------
"What was that all about man?" asked Michael as he pulled out of the cottage driveway and turned on his headlights.
"I had to get out of there."
"But I thought you were enjoying Nurse Natalie," he smiled and looked to see John glaring back at him. "Fine, I won't call her Nurse Natalie anymore. Where do you want me to take you—and why couldn't you take your car?"
"Because she'll notice my car is gone. For tonight—take me to that motel on the north side of town. Can you come pick me up tomorrow? I need someone to help load my car up and fast."
"You're leaving town? Where are you going?"
"First back to the Bureau and beg for my job back. Maybe if I agree to take anger management class or some rubbish like that they'll rehire me. If not that, then I'll try for something around Atlantic City—or go over towards Newark, anywhere but here."
"Why? I mean you've got a new job at the station, me and Shannon are here now, and I thought you and Natalie—well you know," he said shrugging his shoulders.
"No, we're not—and probably not for anytime soon. Can we just finish the ride in silence please?"
"Sure," quieted Michael.
-----------
Natalie stood behind the bar looking out into space. This morning had been beyond strange—John, Mr "I'll sleep when I'm dead" had been asleep when she left—had actually been asleep when she went to bed also. Her thoughts were interrupted when she noticed Jessica standing in front of her, "Oh—hi."
"Hi yourself. Are you ok?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. What did you ask me just then?"
"I asked what was going on with John earlier."
"What do you mean?"
"I had breakfast with Mom this morning, and when I was leaving him and Michael were pulling into the driveway—a bunch of empty boxes in the back."
"Wait—this morning? Are you sure? I mean when I left he was asleep."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Well, no—but his car was there and Michael wasn't."
"They were in Michael's car though."
"Oh," she said looking over to the other bartender, "I'll be right back."
"Nat—where are you going?"
"I'll be back!" she hollered.
---------
"I think this is the last box," said John as he shoved the box over to Michael with his foot. "Take that one to the car, and I'll manage another one if needed."
"Sure you can get it?"
"Yeah, I'm sure," he said as he began to hope dresser drawers for a double check and heard the door slam. "Michael—a little easier with the front door," he yelled.
"Well, it wasn't Michael slamming it," said Natalie as she came running up the stairs. "What do you think you are doing?"
"I'm moving out—what does it look like I'm doing?"
"So I'm not a good enough roommate anymore?"
"Sweetheart, this city isn't a good enough city anymore. I need to go—need to get a fresh start."
"So not only were you going to move out without telling me—you were going to let the last interaction between the two of us be me being an insensitive ass?"
"Mmm, yeah," he said finding a shirt and throwing it in the box.
"Fine, you want to go then GO!" she yelled and ran to her room.
"I have no problem with that," he said rubbing the back of his neck and looking around one last time before heading out.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Hey—are you hungry?" asked Natalie as she walked down the stairs and saw John sitting on the couch with a pile of files near him.
"Nah—I don't eat," he laughed as he looked up and back down to the papers.
"Are you sure? Because I was thinking of cooking up some fish or something."
"I'm sure," he said leaning over and grabbing another file.
"Oh. Is everything ok—I mean you've been quiet since I got home earlier and didn't say much when we saw each other at the prison earlier."
"Everything is fine, Natalie," he said not looking up this time.
"Then look me in the eye and say that."
"Fine? You want to know what's wrong? I've got 2 questions for you, and if you answer them truthfully then everything will be peachy again. Ok?"
"Ok," she said sitting on the arm of a chair.
"Why were you at Statesville today?"
"Why? Because I wanted to see Haver. I wanted to tell him he couldn't hurt us, and tell him what I thought of him. He could have killed us both—almost killed your mom, and killed how many women?"
"Thirty six," he grumbled. "Second question—why did you leave the safe house? I mean I know it was because you thought Christian was living, but you should have contacted me or Bo first—instead you put more lives at stake. I thought you were a smart woman Natalie."
"I am smart, but I thought he was alive. That's the difference between you and me John—I still can hang onto the hope that Christian is somewhere alive—you can't do that with Caitlyn because you saw her dead body lowered into the ground and dirt thrown over it—you know she's dead."
"Actually, I didn't get to see that because I was in the hospital clinging to life from a bullet wound for six weeks. But you are right Natalie—you get to hang onto that hope, so keep on doing that," he said getting up and trying to collect the files with one arm.
"John, wait—I didn't mean for it sound like it did."
"But you are right Natalie—completely right. I have to get on with my life, move on from Caitlyn because she's not going to come back. So that's just what I'm going to do," he said as he leaned over for the last file and they all came flying out and covering the floor. "Damn it," he muttered under his breath.
"Let me help you with those," she said getting closer to him.
"No, I'm fine," he said as he looked up at her and then went back to the files. He didn't turn his head back up until he heard her soundly in the kitchen and sat on the couch pulling out his cell phone, "Hey Michael—can you come pick me up? Don't ring the doorbell though—call my cell phone. Thanks, bye," he said picking up the rest of the files and then heading up to his room.
---------
"What was that all about man?" asked Michael as he pulled out of the cottage driveway and turned on his headlights.
"I had to get out of there."
"But I thought you were enjoying Nurse Natalie," he smiled and looked to see John glaring back at him. "Fine, I won't call her Nurse Natalie anymore. Where do you want me to take you—and why couldn't you take your car?"
"Because she'll notice my car is gone. For tonight—take me to that motel on the north side of town. Can you come pick me up tomorrow? I need someone to help load my car up and fast."
"You're leaving town? Where are you going?"
"First back to the Bureau and beg for my job back. Maybe if I agree to take anger management class or some rubbish like that they'll rehire me. If not that, then I'll try for something around Atlantic City—or go over towards Newark, anywhere but here."
"Why? I mean you've got a new job at the station, me and Shannon are here now, and I thought you and Natalie—well you know," he said shrugging his shoulders.
"No, we're not—and probably not for anytime soon. Can we just finish the ride in silence please?"
"Sure," quieted Michael.
-----------
Natalie stood behind the bar looking out into space. This morning had been beyond strange—John, Mr "I'll sleep when I'm dead" had been asleep when she left—had actually been asleep when she went to bed also. Her thoughts were interrupted when she noticed Jessica standing in front of her, "Oh—hi."
"Hi yourself. Are you ok?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. What did you ask me just then?"
"I asked what was going on with John earlier."
"What do you mean?"
"I had breakfast with Mom this morning, and when I was leaving him and Michael were pulling into the driveway—a bunch of empty boxes in the back."
"Wait—this morning? Are you sure? I mean when I left he was asleep."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Well, no—but his car was there and Michael wasn't."
"They were in Michael's car though."
"Oh," she said looking over to the other bartender, "I'll be right back."
"Nat—where are you going?"
"I'll be back!" she hollered.
---------
"I think this is the last box," said John as he shoved the box over to Michael with his foot. "Take that one to the car, and I'll manage another one if needed."
"Sure you can get it?"
"Yeah, I'm sure," he said as he began to hope dresser drawers for a double check and heard the door slam. "Michael—a little easier with the front door," he yelled.
"Well, it wasn't Michael slamming it," said Natalie as she came running up the stairs. "What do you think you are doing?"
"I'm moving out—what does it look like I'm doing?"
"So I'm not a good enough roommate anymore?"
"Sweetheart, this city isn't a good enough city anymore. I need to go—need to get a fresh start."
"So not only were you going to move out without telling me—you were going to let the last interaction between the two of us be me being an insensitive ass?"
"Mmm, yeah," he said finding a shirt and throwing it in the box.
"Fine, you want to go then GO!" she yelled and ran to her room.
"I have no problem with that," he said rubbing the back of his neck and looking around one last time before heading out.