LSun – your review totally cracked me up! Glad to meet another Evain hater. Great minds, and all that!

Mcnatfan – I'm so waiting for the karma fairy. But than again, I'm writing fic, I don't have to wait eg

Jibaker – So you want a confession scene? Oh, okay.

I'm off for a 2 week vacation to Europe this weekend, not sure if I'll post anything before I leave Sunday. But this is certainly a good place to leave off, no?

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Chapter 8
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John's smile was wiped off his face when he got a look at Natalie's face. She was pale, tear streaked and with dark circles under her eyes. But worse, far worse, was the despair in her eyes.

His stomach clenched as he walked over to the bed and looked down at her.

"Hey," he said quietly.

"Hey." Natalie looked straight at the flowers he held in his hand.

"These are for you." John held them out, a little boy's smile on his face.

"I figured that." Natalie took the flowers and buried her nose in them.

John sat down on the chair next to the bed and scooted up closer to her.

"I hear I was in your office when I passed out."

"You don't remember?" John asked.

"No." Natalie sighed and looked up at John through her lashes. "Did you catch me when I fell?"

"Of course I did. You don't remember what I said before you passed out?"

Natalie shook her head and shrugged. "Sorry."

"You should be. It takes me forever to say it again and you not only pass out, you forget." John tilted his head and smiled sweetly at her.

Natalie couldn't help smiling at his words and expression, as he had hoped.

"Aren't you going to ask me what I said?" he took one her hands and held it.

She looked down at their clasped hands and then back up at John's face. A fluttering had started in her stomach and she bit her lip. "What did you say?" she asked, breathlessly.

"I said that I want you. That I love you."

Natalie's smile brightened up her face. "No wonder I passed out. We should call off the crime lab on this one."

At the mention of the crime lab, John's grip tightened.

"Did you mean it?" Tears filled Natalie's eyes as she waited.

"Yeah. I did." John cupped her cheek with his free hand and leaned forward. His lips poised centimeters from hers, he asked "can I kiss you?"

"Yeah." Natalie's voice rasped and then was silenced by his lips. She dropped the flowers and her now free hand slid into his silky hair.

As it always was between them, the gentle kiss turned hot. John was out of his chair and sitting on the bed and Natalie was crawling into his lap as they drank the other in and melted against each other.

"You love me?" Natalie broke off a moment to seek reassurance.

"Yeah." He didn't ask in words, but his eyes pleaded for a similar declaration.

"I still love you," Natalie choked out through her tears.

With a groan, John gathered her to him and began to kiss her again. For the first time in longer than he could remember his load felt lighter. Having stopped fighting his feelings he felt like he could take on the world.

Or whoever it was who was threatening his Natalie.

End…for now ;-)