A/N: Due to my screw up the original a/n is lost. Sorry Gracie you aren't for sure totally cool to the max. ;)

"And make sure to wear some regular clothes," said Natalie as she walked towards her car in the parking lot of school. It'd been a week since she'd seen him last, and she didn't know the last time he hadn't been wearing a suit.

"Regular clothes?" he chuckled at his desk—ready to be closer to her in a matter of hours.

"Yeah—you know—not work clothes."

"Is there something wrong with the way I dress?"

"No, not really—if you don't mind looking like you are going to a funeral everyday of your life."

"Thanks for the compliment."

"Anytime," she grinned. "So tell me, John—did you dress better in high school or even then were you dressed like you were ready to teach class?"

"It was the 80's—take a guess."

She laughed loudly, "I can imagine. I should get your Senior Prom picture from Eve—I bet you were gnarly."

"Oh yeah—grey suit with a pink bow tie."

"Very stylish, McBain," she said, holding in the laughter that was building up inside.

John snickered, "Remind me to call my mom and tell her to burn the pictures."

"She won't—she loves me, and I know if I ask before you get a chance to she'll send them to me."

"Fine—but no laughing. I'm sure there are times in your wardrobe then that you'd rather not be remembered."

"With Roxy as a mother—oh yeah. She used me as a guinea pig for new hair dyes. One month in middle school I went through five different hair colors—I'm surprised my hair didn't fall out."

"You'd still be beautiful," he sighed—ready to give up on everything and move out to where she was. "So what are our plans for tonight?"

"Not sure—by the time you get here I'm sure I'll have something planned."

"Can't wait," he grinned. "I love you, Natalie."

Her heart skipped a beat at hearing the words—she could never hear them enough, "I love you too, John."

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"Good, I was worried your plane was going to be late," said Natalie as she opened the door for John and he saw how she was dressed. Jeans, a red tank top and Phillies jersey, and backwards baseball cap.

"What's going on?" he laughed as she plopped a baseball cap on his head and leaned up for a kiss.

"The Phillies are playing today—did you know that?" she grinned.

"Well, it is baseball season," he said as he got a better fit on the cap.

"Here, John. They are playing in San Diego today—I forgot how much I missed seeing them on tv. Are you coming or staying?" she asked with one foot out the door and keys in hand.

John chuckled at her spontaneity at this—just hours ago before he got on the plane he called and she was unsure what to do, and now she was all ready to cheer on her baseball team.

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"Oh give me a break! That was so out of the box! Get some glasses Ump!" yelled Natalie as she sat in Qualcomm Stadium with John at a Phillies/Padres game.

John just grinned at the sight of her—it made him sad to think of all the chances for other memories they had lost because of his denial of feelings for her. He leaned into her and whispered in her ear, "I think if you don't stop the fans around us are going to boot us out of the stadium—perhaps San Diego all together."

"If they can't handle a bossy AC girl then let them. I don't care," she said, never taking her eyes off home plate. "Besides—I'm not going to get to see these guys play that much while living here. At least with the Eagles they'll be nationally televised."

John kept grinning and returned to watching the game, but said under his breath, "I love you."

Natalie just smiled at hearing those words and looked at him, "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

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"I'm so glad the ump finally saw the light and let our guys win," laughed Natalie as she walked in and threw her hat on the couch. "You want a beer?"

"Yeah, so now what?"

"Hmmm?" she asked as she walked back in from the kitchen.

"Where do we go from here? I mean its killing me to be away from you," he said as he touched her face and watched her shiver slightly.

"Me too, but—."

"Why's there have to be a but?"

"Because I'm in school John—and incase you forgot you do have a serial killer on your hands," she grinned and took a few steps away from him.

"Thanks for the reminder."

"Anytime," she grinned. "I guess we'll just have to get through the obstacles in our way and until then enjoy every moment we have together."

"Yeah—too bad for that," he smiled as he took the few steps closer to her and covered her mouth with his.

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"You almost done over there?" asked Natalie as she sat on the couch indian style, a textbook laying open in her lap and a notepad on the arm of the sofa.

"Hmm, yeah," sighed John as he turned to look up at her. He was sitting on the floor with his laptop he'd brought with him in front of him—a federal looking website opened on screen.

"What were you looking at anyways?" she asked as she put aside the textbook and scooted over behind him.

"Marcie gave me a list of people in the killing club, and I was looking at any information the FBI had on them. Thought maybe I missed something the first time."

"No luck?"

"Nope. Nothing. I mean we're talking none of these people are as cracked as they were in the past. They've made it past the Killing Club it seems—one's a medical resident, one is a writer for the Times, and there are two that are in law school right now. Nothing to make you think killing maniac getting revenge on Marcie for writing the book."

"It would hurt their reputation though for the truth to get out that they thought these things."

"Yeah, I guess. But we've interviewed them—nobody cares really. Plus nobody except people in Llanview really know that it's from a true club. You know?"

"What if it's not one of the members, but an associate?"

"Like an accomplice?"

"Have any of them died or passed away already?"

"Yeah—this one guy, Anthony Trayer," he said tapping his name on the list Marcie had given him. "But his record was clean before he died."

"Maybe it's a relative to him—maybe you should get his picture and see if it resembles someone we know," she said as she rubbed his shoulders, trying to get the knots out.

John leaned his head back into her lap and smiled at her, "That's why I love you. You always give me a new perspective on things.'

"And we didn't even need any paint this time," she said, laughing as she leaned down and kiss him.

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A pout formed on Natalie's mouth as she heard the radio alarm turn on and Kelly Clarkson's voice filled the room. She looked over to see John's eyes were closed and she went to snuggle closer, "I'm not going to school—I quit."

He laughed at her statement and pulled her tighter, "Why?"

"Because I have to leave in a little while and your plane will take off while I'm gone."

"I'll be back soon though—and you need to go to school."

She sighed and pulled herself closer so she was almost on top of him, "I know. So what do you think we could do before you have to leave?"

"I think we have enough time that we could do quiet a few things," he grinned as he finished pulling her on top of him and pulled her head down to his so her thick hair blocked out the morning light.