A/N: After multiple tries, including just now, I've gotten the chapter uploaded and ready to post. WOO HOO! A little birdy told me she likes new chapters to read so this one is for her, and all the rest of my fellow Jolie lovers out there. :) Hope ya'll don't think it's too choppyI kind of do, but then I don't also. Enjoy! Until next timeya'll are the bestPCGirl.

"Yeah, the papers I had Antonio send here came in. How about you meet me at the corner and then I'll catch up with you after I talk to this informant guy who wants to meet with me?" said John in his hotel room looking at the extra note that Antonio wrote saying to call him—there was something important he needed to know.

"Sure—is everything ok?" asked Sonia

"It's fine—I just have something else I have to do before it gets too late back in Llanview. Let's hurry up and meet—my informant won't wait forever—if he even has the guts to show up."

"Ok, I'll see you in a few."

John hung up the phone and sat down the note next to the phone—he was curious as to what Antonio felt was important that he should know, even more curious if it had to do with Natalie.

"I think this is what I needed," said Natalie on the stationary bike as she peddled faster with Joey standing in front of her. "I mean I'm taking all the frustration I have out on this predicament I'm in and putting it to good use. And the positive thing is that if I don't figure it out soon at least I'll have lost some weight," she laughed as she began to slow down.

"Just don't work yourself silly, Nat. We'd like you to be in one piece when you go back to Llanview."

"I'll be fine. Don't you have somewhere to be soon?"

"Yeah, I need to go—will you be ok getting back to the house?"

"I'll be fine—I brought clothes for dinner so I'm going to shower and change here and then make my way to the restaurant you gave me the name of. I'm sure I can find a nice Londoner to point a poor Yankee like myself in the right direction," she smiled as he gave a laugh and headed off to get showered and changed himself. She'd tagged along with Joey a few days ago here and now it seemed like it would become a regular spot for her to relax.

She continued to go slow on the bike as she thought about the week she'd been here—she'd talked to Jessica a few times, seeing how everything was going back home. She had said everything was fine, but hadn't mentioned Cristian once—Natalie couldn't call him, couldn't give him the glimmer of hope of what was going to happen when she went back. The thought of just being on her own had gone through her mind a few times—she'd taken care of herself before and knew she could do it again.

She looked down at the screen for a moment and when she looked back up she froze. What was he doing here? Was Joey right and she was pushing herself so hard she was beginning to believe she was seeing John McBain standing in the same room as her.

She got off the bike and grabbed her water and she walked towards him and gave a cough before speaking, "Excuse me—but you look like someone I know."

He recognized the voice before turning and smiled at seeing Natalie standing there in a grey tank top and black leggings, "Natalie—hi. What are you doing here?"

"Spending time with my Dad and Joey. What about you? Are you still on the case?"

"Yeah," said John as he looked around and saw his informant standing over near the weights. "There's someone I need to talk to but I want to talk to you later."

"I've got dinner with Dad and Joey at 6:30, but we can meet at 6—there's this pub called The Rose and Thistle."

"I know where it is," he said giving her a smile and watched her walk away. Helping Sonia with everything was hard enough, but now that he knew the pretty red head he was in love with was near by—it was going to be damn near impossible.

Natalie looked at her watch—it was getting close to 6:30 and John still hadn't shown up. Oh well, maybe she'd somehow see him around London. She was pushing her chair under the table when she looked up to see him walking in, "Hey."

John smiled at what she was wearing now—a v-neck green sweater and flowery skirt that had the same green in it—she looked gorgeous, "Hey—glad you are still here, I was worried you might have had to give up on me. Is the restaurant you are meeting them at far?"

"No, just down the street."

"I'll walk you over that way." They were quiet for awhile before he finally spoke up, "You don't have to answer this, but what happened after I left that night? It must have been something big to bring you here and escape Llanview."

"It's complicated," she said and then began laughing. "That's the story of my life lately—everything is complicated. I needed to figure out who I want to be and."

"And what?"

"Who I want to be with," she said as she looked up to see his face was expressionless. "Like I said—complicated."

"Not really. That's why I didn't want you to know I was gone until after you and Cristian had recommitted your vows—I didn't want to make you chose between us. And I still don't—maybe we shouldn't see each other here until you are sure you know what you want."

"No, I want to see you—you're going to be busy as it is with this case so it won't be much. It's not like the Haver Case where I knew everything you knew. But with this case—if you need a little break from stakeouts and working with Sonia, I wouldn't mind helping get your mind off the case for a bit."

"I'd like that," he smiled and pulled out his notepad and wrote something down. "Here's my cell phone number and hotel room and phone number—I'm usually calling it a day around 6 so call me then and we can meet up. Maybe we can even find a billards hall nearby to play at."

"I like the idea of that," she smiled as she went into the restaurant for dinner—hoping Joey wouldn't nag her about the smile on her face.

Natalie walked into her room and saw the small box on her bed. She leaned her head out of the door and yelled, "Joey—where'd this box come from?"

"It came today—I think they said it was from Llanview."

"Oh," she said softly as she opened the box and found a card on the top.

Natty,

You gave her to me so I wouldn't be lonely and now I'm doing the same. I had me, Jessica, and Shannon searching for her the entire day after you left. I'll do anything for you—but I think you know that already.

Rex

Tears filled her eyes as she pushed back the tissue paper and pulled out Mrs. Grundy—the only doll Roxy ever let her have as a child, and the one thing she'd given to Rex when Roxy sent him away. She knew she was loved by her family and more—and she was pretty sure she wouldn't be lonely while she was here either.

"I'll get it," hollered Natalie as she opened the door to see John standing there. "This is a change of pace—I thought I'd meet you at the pub like usual."

"I finally found that Billard's hall and it's close to here so I decided I'd catch a taxi over and then we can walk."

"That's fine—let me tell Joey bye first," she said as she closed the door as he walked into the foyer.

It'd been two weeks since her and John had seen each other the first time. They'd meet every few days—usually around 6:30 or so and either have dinner together or just go walking around and being tourists. She had quickly told Joey the truth that her solitary excursions weren't so solitary and he said he was glad she was having a good time with him but not to get burned.

"Joey—that was John at the door so I'm going to go."

"Ok, let me say hi to him," he said as he came out into the foyer and shook John's hand. "Good to see you again."

"Same here," he said awkwardly.

"Nat—let me give you my cell phone because Jessica always seems to call while you two are out and I'm running out of excuses of places you went to. Here's a better idea—tell her your spending time with John—I'm sure she's not going to bite your head off about it."

She gave a shrug as she put the phone away, "I know—it's just I don't want her to see this as a bigger deal than I think it is."

"She's a smart girl Nat—she's going to figure it out," he grinned as he walked them both to the door and closed it behind them.

"Good game—you ran the table, again, but if I had gotten another chance to take a shot I could have given you a run for your money," grinned John as he watched Natalie sink the eight ball into the corner pocket.

"Keep on dreaming, McBain," she said as she put down her stick to reset the balls but her phone began ringing. "It's Jess—hello."

"Natalie—hey. I called the house and Joey said you'd gone out for a bit."

"Yeah, I'm enjoying a lot of alone time lately—it gives me time to think," she grinned as she took a sideways glance at John who was grinning himself.

"Oh."

"You sound like you're disappointed I'm by myself," she grinned as John grabbed the phone out of her hand. "Hey—give me that back."

"Natalie? Are you there?"

John put the phone to his ear, "Jessica—we're playing a game of pool. Everything is fine—we're being friends, don't worry we haven't jumped each others bones but when we do I'm sure you'll be the first to know." John finished by hitting the end button and handing it back to Natalie.

"Oh my god—I can't believe you just said that to her," she laughed as she put the phone back into her purse. "She's probably mortified that you just said that to her—I should be mortified you said that."

John gave a slight shrug as he finished arranging the pool balls, "What Joey said inspired me—we can't be hiding the fact that we know the other one is in London forever. So do you want to break or let me? Because you've lost your concentration that you had before and I think I might be able to beat you this time."

"You want to make a bet?" she grinned and took the first shot. Her friendship with John was quickly becoming the easiest thing in her life again—she just had to wonder if it was the same for John.