Disclaimer: ABC owns the characters.

Chapter 6

Natalie wrapped her arms around her body. It was a lot colder than she had expected. She stood in front of the angel statue at Angel Square. She often came here because it was one of the few places where she could still feel her husband's presence. Chris, why did you have to leave me? she thought. She brushed the tears from her eyes angrily. Why am I so weak?

Natalie felt John before she saw him come into Angel Square. He took off his jacket and draped it over her bare shoulders. Slowly he turned her around to face him. "Crying isn't a sign of weakness, Natalie."

Natalie wasn't even surprised that he had guessed what she'd been thinking. They were connected like that.

"I thought that you'd be okay if I left you alone for a few minutes at Rodi's," John said.

"I'm fine," Natalie lied.

"One thing you could never do was lie to me. I know that you're not fine. I know what Evangeline said to you."

"She was mostly right," Natalie said.

"Nothing that she said was right. I'm sorry that she said that to you."

"Why are YOU sorry? You didn't do anything," Natalie said. She sighed. "John, I just want you to be happy. You were able to move on with her." She took off his jacket and handed it to him. "It would be better if we stayed away from each other." It hurt so much to say those words, but she had thought about this.

"Better for whom?" John asked looking hurt. "Come on. I thought that we were friends."

"Why do we keep lying to ourselves? Friends don't act the way that we do and you know it," Natalie said in frustration.

"And how do we act?"

Like we want to make love every time that we see each other Natalie started to say. Instead she said. "I have to get home."

"Don't close me out, Natalie."

"I need some time to think, john. Besides, Mom's probably worrying about me right now. She's been doing that a lot lately. I forgot to leave her a note before I left."

"Well, I'll walk you home then," John said. There was so much that he wanted to say to her. He wanted to tell her that she was the most important person in his life and that he loved her more than anything in this world or the next. He just wasn't sure how she would take it. He wanted the timing to be perfect when he professed his feelings for her. Now was definitely not the time. So the pair walked to Llanfair in silence.

"Why don't you stay for dinner, Detective McBain?" Viki asked when they arrived at the mansion.

"Um…sure. Why not," John shrugged off his jacket and tried his best to relax.

John and Natalie barely said a word throughout dinner. Jessica and her mother exchanged a worried glance. Something was going on. Kevin was oblivious to the tension in the air.

After dinner, the five of them sat down for a glass of wine. It was the kind that Chris had loved. Natalie faked a yawn in order to hide her tears. She played with the wedding ring on her finger until it slipped off her finger and onto the floor. She stared at it with a blank expression on her face, but she didn't move to pick it up. No one said a word. "I…I'm going to bed. Goodnight everyone," she said, and then headed upstairs.

Jessica picked Natalie's ring off the floor and put it in a desk drawer. She started to go after her sister, but John shook his head.

"I'll go, Jessica." John went upstairs and into her room not bothering to knock this time around.

Natalie was sitting on the edge of her bed holding a picture of herself and "Chris" during Christmas. "John, I'm so angry right now. How do I get past the anger?"

"You have to let it out," John said. "You can't lock your emotions inside all the time. It's a sure way to self-destruct."

Natalie threw slammed the framed picture against the wall near her bed. She found satisfaction in the sound of the glass shattering against the pink concrete. She drew her legs up against her chest and put her head against her legs. She rocked back and forth. "Stay away from me. I just ruin people's lives. I already ruined yours. I know that you broke up with Evangeline because of what she said to me."

"How did you…?"

"Because I know you, John. I know you better than I know myself."

John knew that she was right because he felt the same way about her. He shook his head. "I broke up with Evangeline because she and I weren't right for each other. It's not your fault."

"Chris and I… we were right for each other," Natalie said. "But he had to go and die, leaving me all alone." Tears streamed down her cheeks. The walls had finally come down. She didn't care if John saw her cry.

"Come here," John said. He pulled Natalie from her bed and into his arms. "You're not alone. You have so many people who love you." Me most of all he thought.

Natalie could feel all of her control slipping. She couldn't stop the sobs, and she didn't want to. She opened up her mouth to say something, but she choked. She cried so hard that her whole body shook in John's arms. She had never felt safer in anyone else's arms. Everything that she had held in since "Chris's" betrayal poured out. Her pain—her grief. She didn't know how long she cried—how long John held her. He didn't say a word. Instead, he just held her closer.

It was a long time before Natalie's tears subsided. When they did, John led her to her bed, and she climbed in, kicking off her shoes.

"You're going to be okay, Natalie."

"I know. Thank you."

John covered her with her blanket and started to leave.

"Wait John," Natalie called out. "Please, don't leave me alone. Please." She hoped that she didn't sound desperate.

John nodded. He pulled off his shoes and got into bed beside her. She leaned back against his chest and closed her eyes. John gently massaged her shoulders.

"I can't stay here in Llanview," Natalie whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"I need to get away for a while. I …everything here reminds me of Chris. Both my husband and the imposter."

"I'll take you wherever you want to go, Buchanan. Just name it—Tahiti, California…Mars," John with a nervous laugh. He did not want her out of his life—not when he had finally realized how he felt about her.

Natalie chuckled. "You can't leave. You have work. On the other hand, I don't have much of a life anymore."

" I wouldn't say that. Look, Natalie. I have some vacation time left over. I'm not letting you go off anywhere alone."

"I'm a big girl," Natalie said. She wondered why she wasn't feeling annoyed by his protectiveness. She actually thought it was cute. "I think I can handle myself."

"Any other time, I'd agree, but not right now," John said.

"Okay, John….just take me away from here. I don't care where we go. I just need to get far away from here." Her voice came out in a whisper. Slowly she drifted off to sleep.

John called Bo bright and early in the morning.

"I was wondering if I could take the week off from work?" John asked.

"Well, after solving Tico Santi's murder, I think you deserve it. How about two weeks?"

"Um...two weeks sounds great," John admitted. Two weeks with Natalie sounded perfect.

"John, I want to thank you for standing up for my niece. I had no idea how Evangeline felt about my family. I know you two were close. I'm sorry."

"We obviously weren't that close or I would have known how she felt a long time ago," John admitted.

"Well, enjoy your time off. Relax and try to have fun," Bo said. John was always so uptight. Bo wondered if he ever relaxed or had fun other than when he was playing pool with Natalie.

John hung up the phone. He looked over at Natalie who had just wakened up. She looked at him curiously. "Get dressed and packed. We leave this afternoon."

Natalie sat up. Her eyes were wide with excitement. "Seriously?"

"Have I ever lied to you?"

"No."

John got out of bed. "I'm going home to get packed. When I'm done, I'm going to swing by Rodi's and pick up some breakfast for us. Then I'll come pick you up."

"Sounds like a plan, McBain."

When John left, Natalie quickly showered and dressed. She folded up her clothes and packed them neatly in her suitcase. She stuffed any extra stuff she might need in a duffel bag. None of her family was home. They were probably at work. She left them a short note and then waited for John.

"Can you believe that Asa is calling another family meeting? This will be the second one in three weeks," Kevin said. "You know, I'm sure that he'd understand if you didn't want to come, Jessica."

Jessica shook her head. "I want to. It will keep my mind off of other things."

"Let's just stop by Llanfair and get Natalie first," Kevin said.

However, when they got home, Jessica found that Natalie wasn't there. She picked up an envelope off of Natalie's bed, opened it and pulled out a note.

(I'm kind of in a rush right now so I'm going to make this quick. I don't want you guys to worry. I just had to leave town for a little while. I need time to get my head together and get away from everything that reminds me of Chris. Hopefully I will be back in a couple of weeks. I love you all and I know that I'll miss you. I don't know where I'm going right now, but when I do, I'll give you a call.

Love, Natalie)

Jessica took a deep breath. This was just great. Mom was going to be so upset, and Grandpa was going to hit the roof. "She's not home," Jessica informed her brother.

"She's probably at Rodi's or Carlotta's diner."

Jessica handed him Natalie's note to read.

"We'll show this to Uncle Bo. He might have some idea as to where she's going," Kevin said, "Don't worry. We'll find her."

Asa's House

Asa looked around his living room. "Okay, Nigel. Take attendance."

Nigel took out his pad. "Duke Buchanan?"

"Here," Duke said. He slouched on the couch, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else.

"Kevin Buchanan?"

"Present," Kevin said. He was thinking that for once, he and his son were on the same wavelength. He didn't want to be here either.

"Matthew Buchanan?"

Matthew swung his short legs off of the couch and sat at attention. "Here." Everyone laughed.

"Jessica Buchanan?"

Jessica nervously mumbled a "present". She knew that her twin was next on the role call.

"Natalie Buchanan?" There was no answer. "Natalie Buchanan?" Nigel repeated.

Jessica glanced at Kevin before saying, "She's not here."

"What Do You Mean 'She's Not Here'!" Asa bellowed.

"Is she okay?" Bo asked.

Jessica handed Bo Natalie's note, which he read silently. "I wish she had talked to us first."

"I want you to put an APB out on my granddaughter," Asa declared.

"Pa…" Bo's eyes grew wide. "I wonder if…"

"Wonder what, Son? Spit it out."

"Detective John McBain called in this morning asking for time off. I gave him a couple of weeks off. It could be that they're together somewhere," Bo said. That had to be it.

"That makes sense," Jessica said, looking relieved. "He was at Llanfair yesterday night." And he spent the night, she almost said. She had wanted to talk to her sister about that. Oh well, it would have to wait.

"I thought that John was dating Evangeline," Duke said.

"He was until yesterday. She said some things about Natalie and our family," Bo said. "I was there and it wasn't pretty. John basically threw her out of her office."

"How dare she!" Asa yelled. "No one…"

"It's okay, Pa. Don't go getting upset over that. Right now we just need to make sure that Natalie is safe."