A/N: Becky, glad you came out of the woodwork for the review. New reviewers always bring a smile to my face--especially when I know they read both sides of my writing.

Everyone seemed to take the twist very well--here's the next chapter. Probably won't be another one til after the weekend. Everyone have a great one! Until next time--PCGirl.

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John had been ten miles outside of Llanview when he realized where he was headed. Before he wouldn't have cared if he was heading back to AC or not, but now—it held memories and he wasn't sure if he could deal with that. He thought about turning around and facing it—joining in with the mourning of Natalie that had probably already started.

We have new developments in the missing Buchanan heiress.

John turned the station—he couldn't hear the words over the radio, much less think about them. Going to Llanview was out of the question—he'd go to AC for a few weeks, get himself together and then he'd figure out what to do next.

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"I was so worried in that well—at what I thought was the end—that you and John would blame yourselves," said Natalie softly as she looked at Rex who was sitting by her bed and refused to leave.

"Yeah, well that night I was at the quarry worrying what to do next. I couldn't picture my life without my big sister," he said giving her hand a squeeze. "I'm sorry—did I hurt you?"

"No, I'm fine, Rex," she said as the door opened and she smiled at seeing Vicki and Roxy walk in. "Hey."

"How are you feeling?" asked Vicki as she came over and kissed the top of Natalie's head—her hair still damp from the bath she got to take awhile ago.

"Right now good—glad to have gotten a bath of some sorts," she laughed. "You should go home and rest—I'm fine, really. Actually—I want all three of you to sleep—there's no reason to be doting over me the entire time I'm here in the hospital. If I need anyone I'll call."

"Ok, but we're just a phone call away," said Rex and he kissed her on the cheek and began to walk out with Vicki. "You coming, Mom?"

"Yeah, I'll be right behind you," she said as she walked next to Natalie's side and began playing with her hair. "Baby—I hate to tell you, but your roots are starting to show. Want me to come up later with secret stash of hair dye. We can make you look sparkling for when Johnny boy finally shows up," she grinned.

"Roxy," laughed Natalie as she began to tear up. "When I thought it was the end—when I went to sleep thinking I'd wake up to be with Cristian again—I was sad because I thought I'd never get to hear you say something crazy like that again. I love you, Mom."

"I love you too," said Roxy as she leaned down and hugged Natalie gently, tears slowly falling also.

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"Bo—I'm glad you're here," said Michael as he came off the elevator to see that most of the crowd had fanned out and it was just now Bo and Michael.

"Yeah, I was just about to leave—Vicki, Roxy, and Rex were sent home to sleep on Natalie's orders. I'm going to do the same and then bring Matthew up—he wants to see his cousin really bad. You find John?"

"No, but I found this," said Michael as he handed the note to him and then he passed it to Kevin.

"What does this mean?" asked Kevin. "Why does he think she's dead?"

"I don't know, but I'll get to the bottom of this John thing," said Bo as he took the note back.

"What John thing?" asked Natalie as she stood in the doorway of her room—using her IV pole to keep her weight off her bad foot.

"Natalie—you need to get back in the bed," said Kevin as he came towards her sister.

"I am—I will—I wanted to walk some—or hobble at least," she laughed. "So where is McBain anyways?"

"He's—."

"Has anyone seen John? He left his cell phone at my apartment last night," spoke Evangeline as she walked off the elevator—Kevin blocking her view of Natalie.

"Excuse me? What did you just say?" asked Natalie as she pushed Kevin out of the way.

"Natalie—you're alive," said a shocked Evangeline. "John must be so happy and relieved."

"Yeah, I'm sure he would be if someone would tell me where he is and how we get in contact with him. But you would know how to do that wouldn't you Evangeline since it seems you were the last one to see him," she snarked.

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John sat in the dark and musty bar downing a drink. It was an old stomping ground of his when he was in the Police Academy and still a beat cop—before he'd joined the FBI or met Caitlyn. He kept waiting for an old friend to show up and ask him how life was. Well he could tell them honestly—it's not been a fairytale—he could never be the Prince Charming that Natalie needed.

"Well, look who the cat dragged in," smiled the girl that sat down at the stool next to him.

"Sally," he said, a smile appearing on his face. He'd helped her once with an abusive boyfriend when he was a beat cop.

"I haven't seen you in nearly nine years—you still a Fed?"

"No, not for a year," he said as he motioned for another one.

"You're still a cop though?"

"I guess you could call me that—though I don't feel like I do much rescuing anymore."

"You rescued me from Mickey that night."

"You didn't go back to him, did you?" he asked, a slightly worried tone in his voice.

"That loser? No way. I married this guy—Joe—a few years ago. We've got two kids now. Wanna see pics?" she asked as she pulled out a couple and handed them to him.

He gave a smirk to amuse her—it wasn't that he didn't want to catch up, he just wasn't really up to it tonight. "Cute."

"So what about you Johnny? Any kids?"

"Nope. Never got married."

"A good looker like you never tied the not," she laughs. "So you want to play a game of pool and finish catching me up on the big world of the FBI?"

He takes a look at the pool table and sighs. "Not tonight, Sally."

"Oh man—she must have been something."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, turning to her and trying to hide the irritation in his voice.

"You used to not be like this Johnny. I mean you were always a bit closed off—but now it's like you've had your heart ripped out and someone is flouncing around with it somewhere."

"It's definitely something very close to that," he smiled. "I'm sorry I'm in a bad mood—how bout we meet a couple days from now. Maybe I'll be in a better mood then."

"Sure. I gotta go tuck the kids into bed anyways," she smiled and gave him a pat on the back.

John turned and watched her go. She'd been so close to the truth—he'd lost his heart once to Caitlyn and now it seems that he'd lost it again. How could you lose something you didn't think you'd had for years?