Natalie was still trying to recover from what had been the best sexual encounter of her life. When she heard him say he was sorry her heart froze in her chest, until she heard the rest of it. Smiling a smile full of joy and contentment, "no you didn't hurt me." Looking up at him she said softly, "you.. we.. that was the most amazing.." stumbling over the words. She just didn't have the words to tell him how wonderful he was.

John smiled with relief and joy. "yeah that was pretty amazing." As Natalie lay there too dazed and drained to move John went to the bathroom to clean himself up. As he was doing so he noticed that the condom had broken during their rough lovemaking. He swallowed hard. Now what? He thought to himself. Did he tell her or did he just keep it to himself?

He loved her and if she was pregnant he would love the child, but did she feel the same? She had just gotten divorced from an abusive husband would she want to start a family right away with him? John sighed he knew what he had to do. He had to tell her. He just hoped she wouldn't be too freaked out. Pulling on some sweat pants he had in the bathroom he took a deep breath and went out to tell her.

Seeing that she had gotten off the pool table and had went to his bedroom he followed. When he went in his heart stopped beating. She was lounging on top of the bed stark naked. He felt himself harden again. Taking a deep calming breath, "Natalie.." he began.

Looking up into John's face she saw a expression she had never seen before on him. He looked scared but excited, nervous but hopeful. Wondering what was the matter, "What's wrong, John?" She asked.

John swallowed hard, "I...um...uh...we..." he stammered not knowing how to say it.

"John?" Natalie asked starting to get scared. "Are you sorry?"

"God no!" he burst out, "that.. with you, was the most amazing experience of my life!"

"Then what is it?" Natalie asked bewildered at why he was acting so strangely.

John took a huge stabilizing breath and simply blurted out, "The condom broke, I could have gotten you pregnant tonight."

Natalie just looked at him blankly for a minute. "Oh" she said numbly.

She sat on the bed for a few minutes silently and John came over and sat next to her, trying to ignore the fact that she was naked. "What do you want to do about it." She finally asked him.

John took a deep breath while he tried to find the right words. If he told her the truth, that he wanted her to be pregnant and that he wanted to marry her, she might run the other way but on the other hand if he lied and said it didn't matter she might think he didn't care about her and run away. He sighed, he couldn't win in this situation.

Natalie took his silence as a bad thing, hurt she said flatly, "It's ok John, I really don't think I'm going to get pregnant. Before I left, Cris and I tried for months to get pregnant and I didn't. I don't think that just one time with you will do the trick."

John heard the hurt in her voice and silently curse himself, cursed the fact that he wasn't good with words. Closing his eyes he took another deep breath and took the plunge, "that's the problem Natalie. It's not ok." Looking down at his hands for a second then looking straight into her eyes he said the words that he thought would never pass his lips again, "I love you Natalie and if you were to have my baby I would be more happy then I have ever been in my life."

"I know you aren't ready to hear that and you probably don't feel the same way but I do, I love you." John looked down again, he didn't want to see the pity in her eyes when she told him that she didn't love him, that she didn't want his baby.

Natalie was shocked that John had just declared his love for her. Shocked and happy. She hadn't thought she was ready to love again, hadn't thought she even could love again but seeing the love shining in John's beautiful blue eyes she knew. She knew that whether she was ready or not she loved him. All the confusion she felt before the uncertainty she had felt about her feelings for John vanished leaving only the simple truth. She loved him. Whether it was too soon or whether or not she was ready it didn't matter. Because she already loved him and she didn't want to miss a moment of it.

"John," she said softly, and when he refused to look at her she took his chin in her hand she tilted his face up to look at her. "I love you too John." She said with conviction. "I tried not to, I tried to deny it but its there. I love you." Smiling when she saw the joy brighten his eyes and his face light up with his smile.

"Really?" He asked hopefully. "What about the other?" He asked.

"Yes really. I love you John and if I'm pregnant then we will deal with it. I always wanted children. The question is can you handle being a father? It takes a lot of time and working for the FBI you don't get a lot of time off." Natalie said with a smile.

"I can handle it. I'll quit if I have to. I have been thinking of taking another job for a while now." John said then was silent for a few minutes. "This has been the best day of my life." John said as he settled into the bed and wrapped Natalie in his arms. Pulling the covers over them he lay back bringing Natalie with him.

Natalie snuggled into John's embrace and smiled up at him, "Mine too."