It was 3 days later and Natalie still hadn't been found. Rex was in Bo's office.

"Where could she be Bo?" Rex asked in a small voice. He missed Natalie so much. Natalie was the only person who treated him like he mattered. With out her he was lost.

Bo sighed, he wasn't feeling much better. He missed Natalie too. She had been gone from Llanview for over 8 months and that was eating at him. The fact that she had run away rather then turn Cris in also bothered him a lot. He had thought that Natalie could tell him anything, he had thought that he would know if someone was hurting his family. The fact that he hadn't even noticed was tearing him up inside. What kind of uncle was he not to notice that his niece was getting beat on by her husband? Heck what kind of cop was he not to notice something like that!

"I don't know Rex. We will find her. John hasn't stopped looking since he got here. If anyone can find her it will be him." Bo said tiredly. He hadn't had a good night sleep since Natalie went missing.

Rex began to sob quietly into his hands. "I should never have left Atlantic City with out her!" Rex sobbed, "I should have insisted that she go to the police instead of handling it ourselves."

Bo felt terrible for Rex, out of Natalie's family Rex, Jessica, and Vicki were taking this the worst. Rex practically lived at the station now and Jessica was a mess. Only Nash had managed to get her to get some sleep and even then she put up a fight about it. Vicki was put on bed rest because she had a relapse when she had found out about Natalie. And if Rex and Jessica were frantic with worry John was 10 times worse. He refused to go back to his room at the Angel Square hotel to sleep. Ever since the night 3 days ago when he claimed to have felt that Natalie was in trouble he hadn't left the station except to search for Natalie.

Coming around the desk Bo hesitantly put his arms around Rex. He was a little surprised when Rex embraced him tightly, his shoulders shaking with his silent sobs. After a while someone knocked on the door and they drew apart. Rex looked at Bo, "Thanks," he said simply.

Bo nodded and gave him a slight smile. He was fond of Rex. He was like a son to him and if giving him a shoulder to cry on helped then he was more then happy to lend his.

When Bo called for who ever that had knocked to come in, John stepped in the room. "Bo, I think I might have a lead!" John said urgently.

Bo nodded and said, "Let's go then." He, Rex, John and Jessica raced to the car. Bo called for back up on the way.

Natalie was now terrified of Cris. He had tried to rape her three nights ago. If it hadn't been for that guard coming in, Natalie knew he would have. She had retrieved the pipe she had found on her first day in the awful room and had hidden it under her pillow. She would be ready if he should try again.

"Mommy? Mommy where are you?" Natalie heard in her sleep. This was a now familiar dream to Natalie. Each night she had dreamed of this little girl.

"I'm here!" Natalie called out into the darkness. "I'm right here, baby."

"Mommy I can't see you." The little girl cried again. "Mommy."

Natalie reached out in her dream and took hold of the scared little girl. "Its ok. I'm here."

As Natalie embraced the her lovingly, the little girl looked over Natalie's shoulder and screamed.

Natalie woke up with a jerk reaching for the pipe under the pillow. She felt herself being shook to awaken her. Hearing the voice she had been dreading to hear for three days she tightened her hand on the pipe.

"Wake up, my sweet wife." Cris said, "It's time to finish what we started the other night."

"No!" Natalie yelled lashing out with the pipe. Catching Cris off guard she hit him in the side with the pipe. As Cris screamed in pain and rage Natalie hit him again and again in the side chest and arms. She hit he four more times then managed to get in a forceful hit to his head, Cris went down like a stone. Blood poured from the head wound but Natalie was to shaken up to notice.

Hearing a commotion in the room one of the men guarding the door ran in with his gun drawn. Looking from Cris to Natalie he brought his gun up to shoot her. Natalie thought she was dead. Her only thought was that she couldn't die without getting to see John one last time. Two gunshots rang out and Natalie screamed.

Natalie jerked when the gunman's bullet struck her upper arm. Not even feeling the pain of the gunshot wound she watched stunned as the gunman dropped onto the floor dead. Looking beyond him into the doorway she saw the most beautiful sight that she had ever seen in her life. "John!" Natalie cried happily running to him only to be brought up short by the chain securing her to the wall.

When John saw the man about to shoot Natalie he didn't even hesitate. Raising his gun he shot him dead without a second thought. All that he could think about was that he had found Natalie and that she was ok. Going to her as she ran to him he was horrified to see that she was chained to a wall. Taking in her ripped shirt and battered face he wanted to kill Cris then and there. As he got to her he pulled her into his arms, tears running unchecked down his face. "I found you." he said over and over as he held her gently but firmly.

"Natty!" Rex cried as he saw her. The police had secured the little cabin that Cris had been holding her in. It was on the property of Lion's Heart but hidden by the dense forest. He smiled at John happily. He had his sister back! Rex's smile tuned into a frown when he saw the chain tethering her to the wall. "What's that?" He asked as John again noticed the chain and took out a hand cuff key and unlocked the cuff around her wrist.

Pulling away from John Natalie embraced Rex. John smiled at them happily. He was just so relieved to see her alive. Looking around he noticed Cris lying on the floor. Bending down to check his pulse. He was still alive, but barely. John reluctantly called for the paramedics. He would have been happy to let the bastard die but he knew that Natalie would be consumed by guilt if she were responsible for his death. If he was right then it was Natalie who had dropped Cris and for her sake John hoped Cris lived.

Bo who had been securing the area rushed in with a very worried Jessica. "Natalie! Thank god!" They both said in unison and Natalie looked up from Rex's shoulder and smiled happily. Catching sight of Cris, who was being worked on by the paramedics, she shuddered and let out a small cry.

Bo and Jessica also hurried to embrace Natalie, as Bo hugged her he encountered a sticky wetness on her shirt sleeve. He touched the area and Natalie cried out in pain. "What happened?" Bo asked urgently.

Natalie looked at her arm confused for a second, then remembered, "The guard shot me. I didn't even feel it." She said dazed then simply passed out, crumpling to the floor. Bo caught her and gently lowered her to the floor calling for help.

John rushed to her side as she went down. Feeling frantically for her pulse he sighed in relief when he felt it beating strong. "What's wrong with her?" John asked not bothering to conceal the worry in his voice.

The paramedic checked her over then looked at John. "She's in shock." Cleaning the gunshot wound and bandaging it he said, "The gun shot wound is clean and she has a lot of bruises. She may have a cracked rib but I think she will make a full recovery."

"Why did she faint?" John asked, still concerned.

"She's been through a lot and she has lost quite a bit of blood. This should bring her around," said the paramedic, taking out some smelling salts he waved them under her nose and Natalie started to stir.