Four Leaf Clover – 22

Summary: Started from Trinity's challenge of J/N engaging in an affair behind the Evangeline's back. John and Natalie have bought a condo together, Natalie has graduated college, she and Rex are going to start an as-yet-unnamed PI business together. James Moretti from Atlantic City shows up in Llanview to start a turf battle within the organized crime world. He has ties to both John and Natalie.

A/N: Thanks for all the great feedback! I'm so glad you're liking this new storyline.

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"I can't tell you anything!" Natalie protested, but she stopped resisting Bo's embrace. She bent her head and sucked in a deep breath, trying to quell the terror that began to rise up in her at the sight of the two bodies that had been pulled from the gorge. Visions of that night flashed through her mind.

"I can't breathe." Bo eased her down onto the floor. She was gasping for breath, her hair obscuring her face. " I. Can't. Breathe."

Flashback

"Jamie? What are you doing?" Sixteen year old Natalie Balsom got out of the passenger seat of the black Camaro. Her red hair was rough cut down to her shoulders. Her make-up was heavy and worn off in places by the summer heat.

"Get the fuck back in the car, Kitty!" James Moretti yelled as he brandished the gun at the two boys who had driven up and interrupted their necking session.

"Jamie. Come on, leave them alone." Natalie's words were slurred from the vodka James had been feeding her steadily all night. More vodka than she had realized was in her drinks.

"I don't feel so good, Jamie. Please just take me home," Natalie pleaded and walked unsteadily towards him. "Please, let's just go."

"You want to watch, Kitty? Wanna watch me show these guys what happens when they mess with my turf?"

"James, let's go home. Come on." Natalie tried to grip his arm. He elbowed her and pushed her down on the dewy grass. She fell back and felt the world tilt around her. She hated feeling like this. Now she was just like Roxy. She flinched as she heard two pops in the distance.

End Flashback

"Natalie, you're having a panic attack. Just breathe slowly," Bo spoke calmly. "Shhhhh."

John got down on the ground and took her cold hands in his. "Natalie. It's okay. You're here with us." John continued to murmur to her, trying to get through the panic smothering her.

"No. No. No." Natalie gasped.

"Should I get a doctor?" Rex asked and was ignored.

John put his hands on Natalie's face and tried to get her to focus on him. "Hey. Hey. It's okay. You don't need to tell us anything." He breathed a sigh of relief when she focused on him and her breathing got easier. "It's all right."

"John?" she said, sounding very young.

"Yeah. It's me. You're with me." John gathered her into his lap and began rocking her. She put her arms around him and settled into his embrace.

Bo stood up and put his arm around a resisting Rex and led him out of the office.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

Natalie shook her head and began to push out of his arms. "I'm fine. Just give me a minute." She pushed out of his arms and gathered herself. He kept hold of her hand and they sat facing each other in silence for a few minutes.

"You're going to hate me."

John shook his head and tightened his clasp on her hand. "There's nothing you could do that could make that happen. You should know that by now."

Natalie looked away. "You don't know this," she whispered.

"Hey. Trust me."

"I do, John. I do trust you." Tears spilled out of Natalie's eyes.

"What do you know about this?" He put the file in her lap.

"I was there," she whispered. "I never told anyone. He…he threatened to kill me and Roxy. He said the police would arrest me too. He never got in trouble, but he said he would make sure I did."

"You were sixteen then, you believed him."

"He never lied, John. Never. What he said would happen, would happen."

"Like what?"

Natalie shook her head.

"You're not sixteen anymore, Natalie. He can't hurt you. I'll make sure of it. So will Bo. And Rex. And the entire LPD for that matter."

"He'll kill you, John. If I tell you he will kill you, he'll kill Rex. He'll kill anyone who tries to help me." Natalie's voice was that of a young, scared girl. "I thought it would be different this time. But it won't be. I thought I could fight him this time."

"It is different now," John promised and stroked the hair off her face and brushed away her tears with his thumb.

"You don't understand. You don't know. There's too many people now. Too many people he can hurt." Natalie was rambling.

"If you testify we'll nail him."

"I can't testify!"

"You'll be safe."

"As long as he's alive I'll never be safe. I thought I was. I thought it was far away. A long time ago." Natalie shook her head.

John looked at Natalie, his mind trying to fit the pieces together of what she was saying. What she was not. The boyfriend warred with the cop, trying to bring himself back to a place of detachment. Suddenly a light went on.

"Natalie, who else did he kill? What else did he do to you?"