A/N These characters belong to ABC. I do not own them. If I did I would not treat them so badly.

After seeing the show on the 22nd I was struck with an idea. Hope you like it. Just remember it is supposed to be funny.(hopefully) Don't be offended. Please! Its all in good fun. really.

Trying to remain calm John stalked over to them. When Evangeline looked up at him and gave him a smug smirk John lost the battle to be calm.

"What the hell is going on here?" He yelled. When Natalie jerked her head up to look at him he immediately felt bad. Her face was streaked with tears and he knew she had been crying because of him. But she was taking comfort in Evangeline's arms and he wanted to know why.

"What are you talking about?" Natalie asked confused. John looked really angry.

"Yes, John. Please enlighten us." Evangeline said with a false innocence that John detected but Natalie seemed oblivious to.

"You know what I am talking about Evangeline. Natalie isn't like that!" John said although he was secretly scared that Natalie might just want to be 'like that'.

"Like that? What the hell are you talking about?" Natalie asked even more confused. Did John actually think...? No? he couldn't think that. "John?" Natalie asked hesitantly.

John was beyond hearing the disbelief in her voice. Looking at Natalie he dropped down on his knees and took her hands in his. "Natalie! Don't let what Cris and I did turn you into something your not! Please don't put men out of your life all together! Come on you aren't really attracted to women are you?"

Natalie's mouth had dropped open and she stared at him in disbelief. He actually thought she had turned into a lesbian. She almost laughed aloud. That was just so bizarre! Why on earth would he think that? "John. John!" Natalie said loudly interrupting him mid sentence, "Why on earth would you think that?" She asked him.

"Because Evangeline is in love with you and you were hugging her. You don't even like Evangeline but you were hugging her, letting her comfort you." John explained. As he waited for Natalie to respond he looked at Evangeline again. She looked down right happy that Natalie hadn't immediately denied the possibility of them together.

"John, Evangeline isn't in love with me! Why would you think that? She was just offering me a shoulder to cry on. That's all." Natalie said shaking her head in shock. Good lord had he flipped his lid? "Are you drunk or something?" Natalie asked worriedly.

"She is in love with you Natalie!" John said. "Just ask her."

Natalie rolled her eyed and turned to Evangeline. "This is ridiculous, John. Tell him. Tell him you aren't in love with me." Natalie said to Evangeline.

Evangeline looked between them and knew she had been caught. Gathering up her courage she said softly, "I'm sorry Natalie I can't. I am in love with you."

Natalie's mouth dropped open in shock. "Excuse me!" She stammered out.

Evangeline looked Natalie straight in the eye and said, "I love you Natalie. I am in love with YOU, not John. I have been since you hired me to defend John for Mitch's murder."

Natalie looked like she would pass out. "Oh MY GOD! Is that what this was? A way for you to get me to... to... to want to be with you?" Natalie asked both shocked and angry. Another person had tried to manipulate her.

John was reeling from all these revelations. Evangeline had been in love with Natalie and not him? He had slept with her and he hadn't know? Feeling sick to his stomach again he looked at Evangeline and asked, "If you loved Natalie why were you with me?"

Evangeline laughed and said, "To make her jealous of course. And it worked. But it wasn't the way I wanted it. I wanted her to be jealous because I was with you, not because YOU were with me."

John looked at Natalie to judge her reaction. She looked shocked. Shocked and disgusted. "So you aren't interested in her like that, Natalie?" John asked hopefully.

"John, if Evangeline were the last person on this earth I wouldn't be interested." Natalie stated in a matter of fact voice.

Evangeline got mad at this. "After all I have done for you, you would dismiss me like that? Well let me tell you something. I knew about Cris before John did! I knew and I didn't tell you. What do you think of that?"

Both John and Natalie's mouths fell open. John was the one to say, "You knew? You knew and you me suffer the guilt of keeping this secret? What kind of woman are you?"

"When I found out about Cris I knew that was my chance. I knew that she would hate both of you. So I just waited for it to happen. So yes I knew." Evangeline spat at him stinging from Natalie's rejection of her. She had waited so long and tried so hard to get Natalie and to have her just dismiss the idea like that was humiliating.

"I laughed to my self when I saw that you were having such a hard time with it. But I knew you wouldn't say anything. I knew you wanted Natalie all to yourself."

"How did you know I wouldn't say anything?" John asked skeptically.

"Oh come on John! Everyone can see you are in love with Natalie. Do you really think that I didn't. I knew you would screw it up all on your own! And you did!"

Natalie was extremely angry. "You knew about Cris and you didn't tell me for over a year? You bitch!" With that Natalie slapped her hard across the face. "I would rather be with a rattle snake then you!"

John saw Natalie slap Evangeline and he laughed. He couldn't help it, he just burst out laughing, mostly in relief.

Evangeline grabbed her cheek and ran off in tears. She had told Natalie how she felt and Natalie had rejected her! She knew she couldn't show her face in this town again. She had to get away from Llanview. Tonight! Packing her stuff Evangeline left Llanview that night.

Natalie looked at John in shock. What else was going to happen today? He couldn't seem to stop laughing and soon Natalie found her self laughing as well. They laughed for a while before John sobered up, looking at Natalie he said softly, "I'm sorry Natalie."

Natalie stopped laughing and looked at John. "John, I know you are sorry. But I also know you lied to me. I just can't forgive you yet. I don't know if I will ever be ready to forgive you."

John sighed but felt slightly better. Just last week she was swearing she hated him and today she had said she couldn't forgive him YET. That word gave him hope. Hope that one day she would forgive him, that one day they would be together again.

"Natalie," John started. He needed to tell her this, needed her to know how he really felt about her. He couldn't spend Christmas alone and not have her know. "I love you." Looking her straight in the eye he repeated, in much the same manor that she used when she had told him, "I really love you." He leaned over and kissed her softly on the cheek and whispered in her ear, "I just wanted you to know."

Natalie was in shock! He had said it! Shaking her head she stared at him in disbelief. Just a week ago she would have given anything to hear him say that! She was so confused and didn't know what to say.

John turned and started walking away when Natalie shook her head. He hadn't expected anything but he had hoped she would way something.. anything. "JOHN!" he heard and stopped short. As he turned around he was surprised when Natalie threw herself in his arms and kissed him passionately.

When John started walking away Natalie knew she just couldn't let him go. She couldn't let him walk away thinking that she didn't love him. Because the fact was she did love him. She had loved him more then she had ever loved Cris. That was why what he did had hurt so much. With out thinking she called out his name. And again without thinking, when John turned around, she ran to him and kissed him.

When they pulled back they looked at each other and smiled shyly. John felt like his heart would burst out of his chest when Natalie whispered "I love you too, John." He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight, feeling hope again in his heart. He didn't know what tomorrow would bring, but he knew with Natalie's love he could face anything!

The End