The next 3 weeks took on a routine for John. He went to work, he was still stuck in the office doing paper work, then he went to Marty's, the bar where Natasha worked. Every time he saw her his heart sped up a little and he felt like smiling. She was a breath of fresh air. She had warmed up to him very slowly.

It took a week for her to even speak a sentence to him with out snapping at him. John thought ruefully. He had tried to charm her but every time he flirted with her she clamed up and froze him out. It was only when he stopped flirting and just simply talked to her that she finally had a conversation with him. It took another week for her to smile at him, it had been the tiniest of smiles but it had been like a the sun had come out on a cloudy day.

The crazy thing was that he enjoyed her company even when she was snapping at him and giving him icy looks. She had a presence about her that just intrigued him. She was a mixture of boldness, shyness, anger, sadness, compassion and fear. Every time he saw her he wasn't sure which it would be.

Again he thought of her reactions whenever he came near. She didn't like for him to get too close. When he got to close she would back off in a hurry looking a little afraid. He also wondered at her reaction at people coming into the bar. Every time a male customer came in she would watch them like she was expecting them to recognize her. He wondered if she was hiding from someone.

"Hi, John" Natalie said with a smile. She had really come to like John McBain. He had been coming in every day for 3 weeks. She knew it was just to see her and that both flattered and bothered her.

"Hey," John said in his usual husky voice that sent chills down Natalie's back. He had just about the sexiest voice she had ever heard.

"The usual?" She asked, as had been their routine. He usually stuck around and they chatted about the weather or his recent cases. He couldn't talk about his current ones and Natalie understood. After all her Uncle Bo was a cop so she knew all about confidentiality.

John nodded admiring how she filled out her shirt. Even though he had stopped flirting with her he still found her very attractive. "So are you going to play some pool with me today?" John asked expecting her to refuse. As she had every other time, he had asked her to play and she always replied that she didn't play. "You know I could teach you how to play."

"You know what," Natalie said with a secret smile, "I think I will let you teach me how to play."

John almost choked on his beer. "Really! Ok, lets go." He said quickly not wanting to give her time to change her mind.

Natalie was just as shocked as he was by her answer. She had been all set to say no but the words just popped out and she couldn't take them back. Plus it kind of irritated her that he assumed that just because she didn't play that she couldn't.

"Right now?" She asked, surprised that he had already jumped up and was waiting for her to join him.

"Yeah. I don't want you to change your mind." He said honestly.

"Ok. Just let me tell Pam I'm taking my break." Natalie said turning around and calling to Pam that she was taking her supper break. Turning back to John Natalie said, "Ok show me how to play pool," hiding a smile.

John smiled at her happy that he was making progress. He knew that she had just let him in a little and it made him happier then he had been in a long time. Natasha was becoming a very important person in his life. He was starting to think maybe he was falling in lo... NO! he couldn't think that way! Caitlyn was it for him. He couldn't risk that pain again. But.. there was something about Natasha that he couldn't seem to stay away from. Shaking the thought from his head he led the way to the pool table and racked up the balls.

Natalie followed John to the pool table. She was amazed that he actually kept coming back to the bar to see her. She had treated him coldly for a solid week but it hadn't put him off like it did everyone else. She didn't want to be but she was happy that he had kept coming back. She really liked John, his dry sense of humor and his sometimes confusing demeanor were the bright spots in her day.

A part of her felt like she was betraying Cris because she liked John so much. After all they were still married, as he hadn't signed the divorce papers yet. After talking to her lawyer she had started the proceedings where she didn't need his consent to divorce him. But that took time. This was so hard, there was a part of her that still loved him.

Since talking to Jess about the situation she had come to realize that this wasn't her Cris. The Cris she married wouldn't do this to her. Natalie was actually surprised that he hadn't found her yet. But then he probably wouldn't suspect her to go back to Atlantic City. He probably thought that she would go somewhere new, somewhere he didn't know about.

Looking down at the pool table Natalie felt a little guilty. Pool is what started this whole mess. It was what had changed her life. If she had never play in that pool tournament Cris wouldn't have 'died' and he wouldn't have been tortured. He would still be the same loving man that she married. But she still loved the game. She hadn't played since the tournament so this was a big deal even if John didn't know that.

John noticing that Natasha was lost in thought said, "Hey, you still want to learn how to play?"

Natalie grinned to her self before answering, "yup. I want you to show me what you know." Taking her cue she said, "Now what?"

John grinned at her enthusiasm. She was like a different person. He liked this grinning impish Natasha. "I'm gonna have to touch you to position you, so don't get freaked out, Ok?" Natalie nodded and he proceeded to show her how to hold the cue and how to line up her shot.

Touching her a bit more then necessary to get her into position.

After a few minutes of him showing her how to break, he was getting 2 or 3 balls in at each break, she said smartly, "ok I can do that. I think I got it now."

John grinned at her tone while saying, "Don't get cocky now. It took me a long time to learn how to do that."

Natalie ducked her head and smiled to her self. Getting into position she prepared to break. Lining up, she made her shot. It was perfect. 5 balls want into the pockets. Natalie turned around and gave John a huge smile, John's mouth had fallen open. Winking at him she said, "just because I don't play don't mean I can't."

At that John looked at her then threw his head back and laughed. "Your something else kid. You know that?" Laughing some more he watched as she cleared the table with out much effort at all.