Four Leaf Clover – Part 14
Summary Reminder – Started from Trinity's challenge of J/N engaging in an affair behind the Evil One's back. EVenge kidnapped Natalie at gunpoint and confessed to killing Paul Cramer and Tico Santi – her husband. Marcie, thankfully, is dead thanks to Hayes Barber and LPD already know he's the killer because they actually did real police work – ie, research – and traced him forward from Ivan Potter. Natalie overpowered St. Vanity and is tried to bribe the limo driver to take her to the LPD.
A/N – So I went back and read my own story and realized there is a reference to faux-Cristian in part 2 – I've amended that on FF so just ignore it.
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John and Bo ran outside the station. They had been waiting for a call back from Highway Patrol when an officer burst into John's office and told them they were needed outside. They pushed through the crowd of officers to find a limo with Natalie alighting out of it gun in hand.
"The psycho who kidnapped me is in there." She handed the gun to a startled and relieved Bo. John grabbed her by the face and kissed her, then moved past her to go get Evangeline himself.
"John." Bo grabbed his arm. "Go arrest the woman in that limo," he ordered a couple of uniform officers. "Put her in the pen until we work up the charges."
"I have a few you can add," Natalie said.
"Like what?" The two men turned and looked at her.
"She killed Paul Cramer, Tico Santi and Katherine Fitzgerald."
"She confessed?" Bo asked, looking more than impressed at how Natalie had obviously handled herself.
Natalie nodded.
"Are you all right?" John reached out and touched the bruise forming on her temple. He sighed when she flinched and pulled her into his arms, not caring who saw them.
"Whore!" Evangeline screamed out when she was led past them.
Natalie stiffened and John tightened his hold. "Do you know what it did to me when I heard you were taken? We thought it was Barber at first." John let out an audible breath as he savored the feel of her.
"I'm sorry."
"Hey, it's not your fault." John put his hands on the side of her face.
"Why don't you take my statement now?"
"You should have someone look at your head. Michael's inside."
"How's he doing? I was planning to go see him today when I got a bit sidetracked."
"We'll get him through it. We both have been there."
"Yeah. We have." Natalie took John's hand and walked into the station with him.
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"Let me go answer the phones," Natalie pleaded."You should lie down," Bo ordered. "Adele can handle the press."
"I don't want to lie down."
"You have a mild concussion, Michael said so," John put in.
"I'm not ten years old and I don't need anyone telling me what I feel up to doing. Answering the phones is my job."
"Fine. Fine. Go Answer the phone!" John turned and went back to his desk and pretended to be engrossed in a file.
Natalie looked at Bo who shook his head and walked out.
"What's your problem?" Natalie put her hands on hips and stood on the other side of the desk from him.
"You just were kidnapped in case you forgot."
"No, I didn't forget. I also managed to close three cases and get back here in one piece. So why are you so pissy about it?"
"Because I should have solved those crimes dammit instead of sleeping with the perp!" John exploded. Files went flying off his desk.
Natalie waited.
"How the hell did I not know I was sleeping with a killer? What kind of cop does that make me? Jesus!" John slammed the wall by the window and looked out, trying to get himself under control.
She knelt down and began to pick up the files.
"Don't pick up my mess!"
"Fine." Natalie stood up and kicked one of the files she had neatened for good measure. The act elicited an involuntary laugh from John who quickly scowled and put his hands on his hips and stared at the top of his desk.
"I should have known. I should have checked her out. I always do that."
"She's a hot shot lawyer who was named woman of the year. You had no reason to expect to find anything. Heck, you met her family."
"That should have warned me," John mumbled.
This time Natalie laughed.
"No, really, there's something not quite right about the family. I think the sister is a hooker."
"You probably should not be telling me that." Natalie moved closer to the desk.
"How come I didn't know?"
Natalie sat down on the desk and thought about it. "I think it's partly what I said already, she's a lawyer with ties to practically everyone in town on a professional level. And I don't think you ever really looked closely at her to begin with."
"What do you mean?" John sat down on the opposite of the desk and leaned in.
"Well, you started sleeping with her after I got involved with Paul. It kinda seemed like the two were related."
"That I did it to show you I didn't care?" John asked.
"That and maybe to show yourself that you could after what didn't happen between us before."
"And you stayed with Paul to show me back."
"We're talking about you." Natalie poked him in the arm. "Your eyes were always on me, John." When he nodded in acknowledgement she continued. "I think you thought what you thought was her perfect upbringing was just going to rub off on you. That suddenly all that you had to overcome would just wash away and it would be a heck of a lot more peaceful than being with me. Someone who, like you, had to fight through crap to get to where we are. You didn't want someone who understood you. Am I making any sense?"
John looked thoughtful for a moment. "I think it does. You know she did stuff I didn't like, listened in on confidential conversations and then ran to her client to give them information. I let myself think it was a fluke even though I knew she was very calculating. God, I had no idea how calculating."
"Kinda makes our having an affair not so bad now, huh?"
"You are unbelievably audacious." John looked at her in amazement.
"Love that about me, don't you?" Natalie leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek and hopped off the desk. "I gotta go handle the press and you have quite a mess in here to clean up."
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"We picked up Hayes." Bo's voice was laced with satisfaction.
"Good. I can't wait to question the bastard." John walked over the coffeepot in Bo's office and poured himself a refill. It had been nine hours since Natalie had come back and they all had been living on caffeine.
"You're not questioning him, John. This is too personal to you."
John started to argue, but Bo abruptly cut him off.
"It's too close and we're not going to do anything that could get him off on a technicality. Got it? And you need to get Natalie out of here. She won't leave without you. I've tried."
Both men looked through the blinds out to where Natalie was sitting at her desk. The bruise on her temple had darkened and stood out in stark contrast with the pallor on her face.
"And you've been working non-stop for days, you need some sleep."
"You too, boss."
"I'll get it after Hayes is locked up."
"I'll take care of her."
"I know, John."
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"What's in this? Rocks?" John asked as he took Natalie's school bag and they walked out of the police station.
"My car is still at UV," she remembered suddenly.
"I had someone drop it off at the Hotel this afternoon." He put his free arm around her shoulder.
"Thanks. I can't believe I forgot."
"You've been busy. You did a great job fending off the vultures." John chuckled. "I loved when you chased them out of the station."
"They got a picture of me." She sighed and leaned against him. "The headlines aren't going to be pretty."
"But you will be."
"John McBain!" Natalie looked at him.
"What?" He wondered what he had done wrong.
"You are so sweet and romantic!" Natalie stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. She could swear she could see him blushing in the dark street.
"Let's go home." John put his arm back around her shoulders and walked her to the Angel Square Hotel.