"Morning," smiled John as Natalie opened her eyes to see him lying next to her. In the morning light she could pick out the silver hairs that she teased showed up more everyday.
"Happy Anniversary," she said as she leaned up for a kiss.
"Oh yeah—that's today, isn't it?" he laughed, trying to be unassuming. "I guess you want some type of present, huh?"
"Being married to you for twenty years is enough of a present for me."
"Then I guess you don't want this then—maybe Meghan would like it," he shrugged as he reached back and pulled open his bedside drawer and took out a small box that was wrapped beautifully.
"You didn't wrap this, did you?" she laughed as she began to unwrap it.
"That obvious?" he laughed.
"Yeah," she said as she pulled out the soft grey box.
It had started on their wedding day—a simple gold bracelet with a single charm on it—a small disc with their wedding date on one side and their initials on the other. He'd kept giving her a new one every year and on special moments in their life together. She'd been wondering what this year's would be and as she opened the box she gasped—this year there was no charm but a gold ring with two diamonds on each side and a beautiful dark sapphire in the center, "It's beautiful."
"Like you," he smiled at her reaction and took it out of the box.
"When did you buy this?" she asked as he held it on the tip of his finger.
"Remember a few weeks ago when I had an out of town investigation?" he asked as she nodded and tears filled her eyes. "Well, I didn't have an investigation—I went and met up with Meghan that Saturday and we went to a jewelry shop and she helped me pick this out. Read the inside," he said as he handed it back to her.
She tilted the ring so she could read the inside, Love Always, J, M, and T. "Oh John," she sighed as she threw her arms around him. "How did I get you?"
"Just lucky I guess," he said as they broke their embrace before he took the ring from her and placed it on her finger. "Happy Anniversary, Natalie."
"Happy Anniversary," she said as he suddenly covered her mouth and pushed her back into the pillows. Even twenty something years later they still had the same passion as when they first got together.
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"Morning Mom," said Meghan as she sat on the small breakfast nook at the house off of the kitchen. She watched her mom get a cup of coffee before joining her on the bench.
"Hey sweetie—did you have a good time last night?"
"Yeah," she nodded softly. "We ran into Jamie though—and you know that never ends on a good note."
"I know," she said softly herself. The Vega's and Buchanan's had not been friendly towards each other in a very long time and though both Meghan and Lauren tried their best to be civil, the other end was not reciprocating it in the least. In reality it had happened the same exact day that the truth came out.
"Here—drink this," said Jessica as she placed the small delicate tea cup into Natalie's hands and all but poured it down her throat. She hadn't said much since she left the Palace—except that she wanted to go home. When they got there she remembered she forgot her purse, but there was already a message from Renee saying she'd drop it off on the way home this evening.
"Why did you want us to meet you there?" asked Natalie—shoving her own problems to the side for the moment. Normally Jess would have called and suggested the diner to eat, but this time she'd said the Palace would be better.
"It's nothing Natalie, don't worry," she said as she patted her on the leg and got up to make herself a cup.
"Please—I don't want to worry about my own crazy love life at the moment. What made you chose the Palace over the diner today? Something didn't happen with Antonio did it?"
Jess put the teapot down and hung her head for a moment, "Last night I told Antonio I wanted to take a break—that I was confused. I've—I've been seeing Nash lately."
"Are you having problems with Tess wanting to come back out?" asked Natalie—now fully focused on her sister instead of the choices she needed to make.
"No," she shook her head. "Every time we've seen each other I've been fully aware of what I was doing. I did it first to try and get a hold of who Tess was—how she acted around him. He's in love with her, and a part of me can see why. He's really a great guy—and that's why I'm confused. I've loved Antonio forever, but Nash—he's different and I want to know if it's Tess or me, Jessica, that's interested in him. Don't worry about me Natalie—I'll figure out what's right for me. What about you? Do you know what you want to do next?"
"Yeah—it's not much, but it'll be a start."
Jessica and Antonio never did get back together—the more she and Nash hung out the more she began to fall in love with him—for the same exact reasons that Tess loved him. Antonio had lost custody of Jamie then—mainly due to Layla being seen as an unfit role-model for the little girl.
Antonio had blamed Jessica and continued to blame Jessica at every opportunity that he could get until the court granted him longer scheduled visitations six months later. By that point Jessica was pregnant with Lauren.
Natalie remembered a day in the park when the girls were little—Jamie came over and played with them for awhile until Antonio showed up—where he'd been for the time before that they didn't know, but he dragged Jamie off and they heard him tell her to not play with them—that neither of their mother's cared about her when she was younger and so she shouldn't care about anyone with the last name Buchanan either.
"So do you want your present now or later?" asked Meghan as she pulled the small box out from beside her.
"Sweetie—you didn't have to get me something."
"I know—it's just a little something from me and Thomas—we figured you were missing getting one this year," she said as she watched her mom take the box out and open the small jewelry box. "Well?"
"I love it," she laughed as she moved the little charm around in the box—it was of a small slot machine "You two are the best," she said giving Meghan a big hug.
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John sat down at his desk to work on some paperwork—he wouldn't have come in on his Saturday off if Natalie hadn't gone shopping with Meghan, but he figured it would be safe for just an hour to be away—he couldn't be gone long though, she'd already told him he needed to get his tux for the party tonight.
"What are you doing here today?" asked Matthew as he poked his head in the door.
"Just catching up on some stuff," he laughed. Matthew was considered his what—cousin by marriage? He was a damn good cop though—just like his dad. John and Bo laughed that when it came to both of them retiring that the chances of the head detective and chief of police being a McBain and Buchanan again were going to be pretty high.
"Alright, I'll see you later," said Matthew as he walked off.
"See ya," he said as he read over a file. They'd had numerous apartment b&e's lately—the latest address seemed familiar and he remembered why—it was the same building he and Natalie had lived in years ago.
He heard the apartment door unlock but didn't move from the darkened living room—she was halfway across and to the bedroom they shared when he finally spoke, "Natalie."
She jumped and turned, "John? What are you doing in the dark? Why aren't you at work?" she asked, surprised by her caring at all for him at the moment.
"I don't know—why are you here?"
"I came to get some clothes," she said, turning on a dimmer light so she could at least see his face.
"So it's over, huh?" he asked as he grabbed the bottle of scotch and poured himself a glass.
"I don't know John—I don't know what to do, but when I do—you'll be the first to know."
"I knew something, but I didn't tell you first and I've lost you—I get it if you don't ever want to talk to me again."
"John," she sighed. "You know what—nevermind. You sit here and give yourself a pity party because you deserve one. I'll make sure Michael comes to check on you later to make sure you didn't die of alcohol poisoning," she said as she turned and went into their bedroom, closing the door behind her.
She let out a brief sob before she grabbed a bag and filled it with clothes she needed. A few minutes later she walked out to see he was standing on the balcony of the apartment—he took a brief look at her—wanting her, ready to plead for her to stay, but he just turned back and let her walk out.
He'd avoided her for a week or two—she'd left the station and gone back to Rodi's, which she bought from Mac when he decided to retire somewhere warmer. Then Michael had sat down with him one night and changed everything.
"Go away!" yelled John at the door as it kept pounding. He had been suspended from the force pending investigation into the entire matter and all he wanted do was sit in silence in the apartment he once shared with the woman he loved.
"John—I'm not giving up," hollered Michael from the other side. "In fact," he said—unlocking the door and walking in—dropping an overnight bag next to his feet. "I'm moving in."
"Like hell you are. How'd you get a key to this place anyways? First Layla—now you." He said as he stood up and stumbled some.
"That doesn't matter," said Michael as he slipped Natalie's key back into his pocket. "First of all we're going to remove you from the situation you've put yourself in," said Michael as he grabbed the empty beer bottles and half finished bottle of scotch that were on the coffee table. He went and put them in the kitchen, waving his hand in his face at the dirty dishes and empty pizza boxes all over the place. "Phew man—when was the last time you cleaned up around here?"
"It's been awhile, Mike," said John as he sat back down on the couch Putting his head down—all he wanted to do was be alone in his self-blame, why couldn't they let him have that if nothing else.
Michael finished filling the trash bag up and ran water in the sink to let the dishes soak before he came back in and sat down next to John, patting him hard on the back, "Ok, let's talk."
"About what?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
"Natalie—what are you going to do about her?"
"What is there? She's gone and I'm alone—again. Nothing else much I can do Mikey," he said finally sitting up and running a hand through his hair.
"But you're wrong John—she's miserable—I can tell. You two are both the happiest when you are with each other."
"And how do you know that?"
"Because I see her everyday at Rodi's—she asks about you—wants to make sure you're ok. If you love her, if you miss her, if you want her in your life, then you've got to fight for her.
"That's all she wants John—is for you to fight for her. If you come around and push your way back into her life right now—show her that you made a mistake—sober up and maybe take a shower more than once a week then I think you'll have a pretty decent shot, Johhny."
"You think so?"
"Yeah—I do. Go for it man—what more do you have to lose?" he laughed as John shoved him and a slight grin appeared on his face for the first time in weeks.
So he had gone for it—it had been tough, but in the end he'd ended up getting the girl. Her happiness was all that mattered then, and it was all that mattered now.