Angel Square Hotel
Room 6

John stood in front of the bathroom mirror and stared at the painkillers he held in his burned palm. They might be his only pathway to sleep, but if a call came he might not be able to wake up. Or the dreams. He knew they would come. They always did when his old wound acted up, which it always did when Natalie was in trouble. Scared. He could feel her fear seeping in as the image of the pills blurred in his vision. A life spent trusting his instincts and things he couldn't explain, he knew it was her. And that she was alive.

He dropped the pills back into the bottle and shoved back into the medicine cabinet.

He'd get just enough sleep to reorder his mind and then he'd go back to work.

Meanwhile, Bo promised to call if anything happened.

John tossed the wet towel onto the floor of the bathroom and walked naked towards his bed. He had just pushed the blanket out of the way when there was a knock at the door. Annoyed at the intrusion he walked over to the door without bothering to put anything on. He opened it expecting his brother and was surprised to see Evangeline. He bit back a terse question.

"I called the station, they said you came home. I wanted to. To. Uh. Ummm." Evangeline's eyes dropped below John's waist. She watched droplets of water slide down his thighs and through the hair between his legs.

John smirked and idly wondered if she would beat pills for getting to sleep. It had worked before, but right now he could barely muster enough desire for her to make it worthwhile.

"Yes?" He kept one hand holding the door and the other on his hip.

Evangeline's eyes darted back up to John's. Her cheeks warmed as she saw his disdain.

"Did you want to come in?" he asked. He was satisfied when he saw her eyes widen with anger.

"I just wanted to make sure you were all right," she said stiffly.

The hand at John's hip clenched and his breathing sped up. "You want to know if I'm all right with Natalie still missing and you and your harpy mother screaming at me because I didn't untie you first. You've got to be kidding me! You know what you really want? You want to seduce me into taking you back and telling you what you want to hear. You thought I was too damned stupid and common to know what you were up to. I knew all right. I just didn't give a fuck as long as you shut up long enough to have sex! So don't come here now and try to manipulate me again and begin your complaining about Natalie, Natalie, Natalie! Natalie!" John screamed her name over and over again.

"Maybe this was a mistake." Evangeline turned to go.

"You're damned right!" John slammed the door. Evangeline could hear him punch it. With a wide-eyed pout she stormed away.

John was breathing heavy and now his fist was throbbing. "God damn it!" He yelled when someone started pounding on his door.

"What?" he yelled as he wrenched the door open.

"John?" Michael's worried voice cut through the red haze blurring his senses.

"You all right Johnny boy?" Roxy nudged Michael over and gave John the once-over. Then she looked back up at his face. "You're worried about my Natty." She reached up and put a comforting hand on his face. With the other she pinched his butt.

"I can take care of my brother, Roxy." Michael grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her away.

"Call me if you need anything. I wouldn't roach the man my Natty wants, but thanks for the view just the same."

John broke into a genuine smile for the first time since he told Natalie to leave his room.

"Imagine growing up with her for a mother," Michael mumbled as he pushed his naked, grinning brother into the room and closed the door.

"You all right? I heard you bellowing Natalie's name down the hallway. Everyone did."

John's face fell and he walked towards the liquor cabinet. He pulled out a bottle of Jack Daniels with his good hand.

"You don't need that, John. Just get some sleep." Michael grabbed the bottle and engaged in a brief tug of war before John let it go.

"I was about to when she showed up."

"What the hell happened, man?"

"That selfish bitch was pissed off because I untied Natalie first in the gym. Her and her crazy mother. Ha. She thinks Natalie has a crazy mother that judgmental…"

"Whoa, whoa. I could see why she'd be hurt man. You two were together for a year and you and Natalie, you don't even love her."

"Natalie is kidnapped and I'm supposed to worry because her feelings are hurt when I was just doing my damned job? She got out safe and her hurt feelings are more important than Natalie's life?" John's face was bright red with rage

"No. No. I'm just trying to see her side."

"There is no side. She's selfish. From day one all she complained about was my friendship with Natalie. It was always about what she wanted and what she was feelings. Nothing else mattered unless it was about her. I had to tell her I loved her, like it was some kind of prize."

John grabbed a pair of boxers out of his dresser drawer, suddenly conscious of standing naked with his brother in the room.

"She loved you, John. She still does."

"That's the point, Mikey. She doesn't love anyone but herself. God damn it! Here we are talking about her when Natalie is out there scared out of her mind and her life is in danger!"

John grabbed the bottle from where Michael had left it and with a warning glare at his brother, poured two glasses out.

Michael took one and sat down next to John on the couch.

"Natalie got me the one armed bandit back there." John motioned behind him.

Michael choked a bit on the rough liquor while John drained his glass and poured another.

"Every night I see those lights and I think of her. When she gave it to me. This time we were in Atlantic City, together. The night I had her pressed against it and we were going to make love."

Michael shifted uncomfortably next to him.

"Sometimes I'd have Evangeline against it and I'd pretend it was Natalie."

"Too much information," Michael mumbled and took another sip.

"That's who she wanted to tell her he loved her."

"Which one, John? Evangeline or Natalie?"

"Yeah. Exactly." John's laugh was mirthless.

"I have to find her, Mikey. I can feel her fear and that's the best thing I can feel right now, because then I know she's alive. I have to find her alive." John's voice broke and he began to shake with sobs. He held the bottle of Jack in one hand and his empty glass in the other and sobbed and howled.

Eventually, John's sobs slowed and Michael took the glass and bottle from his hands and put them on the table.

"I miss her," John whispered as Michael pulled him up and guided him to the bed.

"I know. I do too."

Michael put his brother under the covers and smoothed back his hair like his mother always did for them when they went to be without any supper. He watched as his brother slipped from exhaustion into sleep.