A/N: I had this ready to post before Athena probably left, oh well--she'll just have to wait two weeks to read it. YAY! that Melissa re-signed (gotta watch that hyphen--LOL)--I really didn't want to end it the other way anyways.Everyone enjoy!Until next time--PCGirl.

John was beyond frustrated as he walked into the police station the next morning—he had the killer that was copying Marcie's book, Paul's killer, and Jen's death on his hands already—not to mention last night's conversation with Cris hadn't gone as planned.

"We need to talk."

"About what?" asked Cris—putting his paintbrush and pallet on a small table beside the canvas he had.

John looked over at the painting of Natalie, inside he was thinking how beautiful she was, but he couldn't say that outloud, he needed to get the story out, "Natalie's life was in danger two nights ago—there's a murderer out there and he's decided she's his next target."

"Does she have protection now?"

"She did until she sent him home—she's been with Rex or the Buchanan's the rest of the day. Even though I don't care for Rex—."

"He'll protect her as much as anyone else though."

"Yeah."

"So why'd you have to tell me this?"

"Because she's in danger and the person best apt to protect her would be her husband."

"No, absolutely not. You said you'd find a way to protect her and keep my secret—no turning back on that promise now, McBain."

"I've got a full case load, and though I want to protect her I don't have the time to do it. Plus, I can't get that close to her knowing you are still her husband."

"What about Antonio?"

"He's in the middle of a custody dispute with RJ."

"You'll find a way to protect her, McBain, you're good at that. As for me telling my family the truth—no way—the scars from the imposter are probably almost healed by now."

"I doubt that, but it's your life, man. If you want to throw it away in here then go right ahead, but as for Natalie's happiness—she can't truly be happy with anyone if she's still legally married to you."

"John. Earth to John."

John's thoughts were interrupted by hearing a female voice in the room and came back to reality with a shake of his head, looking over his shoulder to see Natalie standing in the doorway, "Hey."

"Hey yourself. Where were you just then?"

"Thinking about a case. Close the door—I want your opinion on this," he said, thinking to himself if he was crazy to throw this situation out and see her response to it.

"Ok," she said—it'd been awhile since he'd asked for opinion on a case.

"There's a case I did awhile back where we found this guy guilty with very little evidence. Now evidence has come forward that shows he's innocent. That's where I was last night—telling him this, and he turns it around and says he doesn't care. That he'd be better off in there than having to face his family again."

"Even though he's not guilty on all charges?"

"Yeah. So I'm trying to decide what to do now."

"Aren't you legally obligated to present the new evidence?"

He gave a shrug of his head before speaking, "I suppose I could just give the evidence to a lawyer and let them go through the proceedings of getting his ruling overturned. It's just I don't understand why he wants to stay in prison for something he didn't do."

"Makes no sense to me either. You're a good cop, John—you'll figure it out," she said with a smile and then got up.

"If you say so," chuckled John and decided to put aside the Cristian dilemma for a bit and focus on the current crimes he still needed to solve.

Natalie walked back to her desk where she'd had Rex wait for her and didn't see him around but jumped at the sound of shouting coming from Bo's office she ran in to see Rex furious at something, "What's going on?"

"Someone messed with the evidence in Jen's case," he shouted, letting the whole department hear him.

"What? How?"

"According to the medical examiner there was no DNA evidence of Jen's attacker found anywhere on her body."

"Rex, I thought you said—."

"Yeah, there was. I'm sure of it."

"I'll call him and see if he might have forgotten about it. Just calm down, Rex," said Bo as he called down and talked to someone on the phone. "Are you sure? And he didn't say how long he'd be gone? Ok, well if he happens to call let me know."

"What'd he say?" snapped Rex before Bo put the phone down.

"Easy Rex. He's gone on a sudden unplanned vacation."

"Ted paid him off—damn it!"

"We don't know that, but I'm going to put a search out on him—see what we can come up with."

"Good. What can I do?"

"Nothing. Let us do our job. Natalie—did you tell John you were taking a couple days off?"

"No, he seemed into a case so I forgot to tell him. Are you sure you want me to be off? You might need me here."

"We'll be fine, sweetie—but take your brother with you."

"Ok," she said with a laugh and grabbed his arm to lead him out of the office and station all together.

"Do you think it'd be better if we never came here?" asked Rex as he and Natalie sat on the floor of a closed Ultra Violet with drinks in their hands. This had been where he'd wanted to go when they left the station and she hadn't argued with him.

"I don't know—why?"

"We'd never had met Jen or Cris and they might not be dead and we'd be better off in life."

"True. But we'd never get to find each other again."

"I don't think we were ever separated that much Natty—you were always just a thought away as I was growing up, and even if you weren't with me you were always where it counted," he said, placing his hand on his chest.

"Alright Rex—it's time to take away the booze from you," she said, stretching forwards to get the bottle away from him but he held it close to his chest in protection from her.

"I'm not drunk and I'm being serious Nat. Yeah this town brought us back to each other, but look—even if we weren't raised together we're exactly alike still—two screwed up kids thanks to Roxy looking for love."

"Are you thinking of leaving town?"

"Maybe—I don't know. I mean as long as we know who our family is and that they love us and we're always welcomed back into their home does it really matter where we call home?"

Natalie was surprised at how deep he was getting in this conversation and it scared her but she had a point—she knew who her family was and they loved her, maybe it didn't matter if she left them to figure out who she was for herself.