A/N: My Jolie-loving heart is beating so hard right now. Hehehe—and remember it's cool to take the train. ;) Until next time—sigh, I'm a sap—PCGirl.

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"I'm fine, Jess—I can walk on my own," said Natalie as the walked into Capricorn and took a seat in one of the booths—she stretching her leg out on the seat.

"So what did Michael say earlier?" asked Jessica as they waited for someone to come over.

"He said he knew where John was, but didn't get off until the morning so I'll have to wait until then. Said we can go as soon as he gets off," she said as she saw the waitress walk over and saw something behind Jessica's eyes.

"Oh, if it isn't the person that ruined my sister's relationship and her sister—Miss Splits Personality," said Layla.

"You've got to be kidding me," sighed Natalie. "You're Evangeline's sister?"

"Good guess—or are you just picky on whose relationships you destroy?"

"Ok, listen here—Laya," she said as she stood up on her bad foot and came face to face with her.

"It's Layla."

"Yeah, whatever. I did nothing to their relationship—I can't help that John is emotionally unavailable to your sister. But hey—she had her chance on his drinking binge night to be his support that night, but he was too intoxicated for her taste.

"Now let's talk about you. Are you choosy in the relationships you destroy? Or is it the fact that Jessica was somewhat out of the picture that made you go for Antonio? That's low sweetheart—lower than I would ever go."

"That's not what I've heard."

"Oh—you're going to wish you never said that," she said that as Antonio came walking over and she backed down.

"Is there a problem?"

"Yeah—I want to know how you could do this to Jess."

"Natalie," said Jessica. "I can fight my own battles."

"No—you've got other battles you need to be fighting. Let me say this to my dear brother-in-law while I'm thinking about it. Jess loves you and she needs you and you had to go tramping around with—this."

"It was never like that."

"Then how'd Jess find her bra at the apartment?"

Antonio blushed, "I love your sister, Natalie. I want to help her through this. Yes Layla stayed one night but that's because Evangeline asked me too. Nothing happened between us and nothing is going to—I'm fully committed to being with Jessica through this whole ordeal. Ok?"

"Ok, but if you do anything—."

"You have every right to pound on me," he grinned at her and then turned to Layla. "Layla—why don't you go take a break while I get their orders." He waited until she'd walked off and then motioned for Natalie to sit.

After she'd sat she gave a sigh, "I'm sorry—I shouldn't have acted like that. It's just I thought one Williamson sister was bad, and now we've got two to deal with."

Antonio laughed, "It'll be ok—any news on John?"

"Yeah," she smiled as she watched Antonio rub Jessica's back. She was ready for John to be back in her life—ready to see if they could finally end the dance they'd been doing for so long and finally be more than friends between each other.

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"Seems pretty empty without his stuff in there, doesn't it?" said Michael as he watched Natalie stand in John's doorway.

"Where'd you put it all?" she asked as she walked with Michael to his room.

"Well, I stole the couch and the slot machine," he said as he pointed over to the corner where the slot machine and pool stick now stood.

She grinned as she walked over and pulled the arm, "Did you know I gave this to him?"

"Not for a long time—I'm not sure if Evangeline ever did. Or if she just thought it was one of those weird AC quirks of his."

"Did he ever play it?"

"Yeah," he laughed at something.

"What? Is there a story I should know?"

Michael stopped putting clothes in a bag and walked over to it. "I was coming home late one night and could hear a banging sound downstairs. So I walked up the steps and could tell where it was coming from—some of the other people were looking down the hall. Suddenly I hear John just curse really loud and one final thud."

Natalie was grinning, "What was he doing?"

"The third reel was sitting millimeters from landing on jackpot. And John was just banging the heck out of it trying to get it to come down. Did you know this thing still had the tilt mechanism on it?"

She began laughing, "He froze it? How'd you fix it?"

"I got reeled into sitting on the floor with him while he figured everything out. I didn't get any sleep that night—and John got shocked a couple times."

"Well serves him right. You ready to go find your brother and tell him what everyone else already knows?"

"Yeah—I'll be right back," he said as he went into the bathroom for something.

"Ok, I'm going out in the hall," she said as she went to the door and saw Marcie walking down the hall and glare at her. "Hey."

"A little early to be hanging out with Michael, isn't it?" she snapped.

"Actually he's helping me."

"I'm sure he is," she said as she rolled her eyes.

"We're going to find John. He said he'd help me find him and I'll help him—nevermind," she said as Marcie walked towards Ron's room and was gone before Michael saw her.

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"I think I was wrong about you," said Michael as they took a left turn over the railroad tracks in Atlantic City.

Natalie turned her head from looking out the window and remembering when she'd been in this part of town before—years ago, "Yeah?"

"Yeah. I mean I thought Evangeline was the one he should be with, but while you were missing I could see that he had to find you. That and I can tell you understand him—you know where he's come from and it's easier for him to be himself around you."

"Thanks, Michael," she smiled.

"Alright—you ready?" he asked as they pulled into the parking lot and could see John's truck parked a few cars over. They walked into the smoke filled bar and Michael motioned for her to take an empty table as he walked up to the bar and took a seat next to John. "You sure are hard to find."

John looked over and then took a swig of beer to wash down the burger, "Maybe I didn't want to be found. How'd you know to look here anyways?"

"It was Dad's old hangout also John. I remember this one time—he picked me up from something at school and brought me here. Told me 'Mikey—don't tell Mom or Johnny. Ok? This can be our secret'," he sighed at the memory. "And then he got me a big burger and fries and I thought it was strange when he—."

"Mike?"

"He put mustard on his fries," he chuckled as he looked back to see that Natalie was ordering something from the waitress and glanced towards Michael for a second. "So why'd you leave Johnny?"

"Because it was time too—I had to."

"Well there's a lady in Llanview that's mad you left without seeing her first."

He chuckled, "Evangeline deserves better than me. Besides loving me will kill you—trust me, it's happened enough. I screwed up her life the moment I walked into town."

"You're not talking about, Evangeline."

"How'd you get through med school?" he laughed. "No—I'm talking about—," he couldn't say her name—but forced himself to say it "I loved her, Michael. I loved Natalie and she's gone and it's all my fault," he said as his eyes filled up.

"She's not gone, Johnny," he said as he looked back and nodded at Natalie to come over.

She walked quietly over and though she couldn't see his face she could tell by how he was sitting he was hurting. She put her hand on his back and softly spoke, "John."

A shiver went down his spine as he turned away from his brother and looked into her crystal blue eyes. He moved his hand and touched her cheek with the back of his hand to make sure she was really there.

"Hey. It's ok, John. I'm alive," she smiled—seeing a sea of emotions in his eyes that she'd never seen before.

"Natalie," he sighed as he pulled her into a hug and just held her.

She let out a big sigh and looked up at Michael and just nodded that it was ok—she'd take care of his brother and he could go back to Llanview.