ABC owns them

Chapter 3

John watched as Ron walked over towards him.

"Hey, did Natalie leave?" Ron asked John, not see her anywhere.

"Yeah, she went back to the station, said she'd be back later" John told him as the two men sized each other up. Ron started to walk away when John stopped him.

"Can we talk for a few minutes, about Natalie?" John asked Ron and the two moved outside the terrace doors to speak.

"Well...you wanted to talk about Nat…Talk" Ron told him, the two of them stood in silence for a few more minutes, an awkward silence. John himself wasn't sure what he was going to say; he just thought something needed to be said, addressed.

"Natalie's always been special to me and...and…well, you two seem close, I just want to make sure... well... make sure you don't H--" John was trying to find the right words but it was hard, he just needed to know that this man, Ron Walsh wouldn't hurt her. That he was good for her.

"Hurt her? Is that what you were going to say? Cause I'd never hurt her, I'm not that kind of man, not ever with my fists or lack of words" Ron told John not roughly or arrogantly but calm and collected. John however was hit thru the heart with this last statement. John stood stunned for a few minutes as Ron watched his face.

"Listen John, I'm sure you're a good guy, from what Nat has told me about you, except for all that the two of you went thru emotionally she says you are a real good guy but... this really isn't any of your business. Natalie and I 's relationship isn't any of your business. In fact Natalie isn't any of you business at all. You left man. Left her, left your brother here and left town." Ron told John and again Ron's words pierced thru his heart.

"I just want to make sure she's alright, happy even," John told him

"Do you really want to know that? To make sure she's happy? Are you sure you can handle it if she is"

"All I've ever wanted was for her to be happy" John spat back, angry Ron's words

"Well she is. It took some time be she is happy. We're happy and we're in love, she and I. we love each other and we may even be getting married some time soon" he told John and that was what John said he wanted. He wanted her happy but... but why was he growing more and more jealous with Ron's words, why? Why was he getting a bit angry even, and why couldn't Ron stop his words at that sentence not the one that followed.

"I love her and she never doubts it. I tell her all the time so she knows I can say it, that I'm not afraid of it. And she says it back, over and over again, at some of the most amazing times." Ron told him as John got red in the face. He was envisioning Natalie and Ron exchanging I love you's in bed, while they were having sex, making Love. John closed his eyes briefly, shook his head to try and get the images of Natalie naked with Ron telling her he loved him out of his head. He crumpled up his fists and he wanted to punch something, punch Ron so bad. He counted to ten and reclaimed his control.

"Good, then she is happy. I just wanted to make sure" was all John could say as he headed back into the hospital and down the hall.

Natalie sat at her desk looking over the lab reports on the crime scene. She just about figured out the scenario on how he got to the alley. That someone claiming to be hurt lured Michael there. It was the only thing that seemed to make sense. She briefly closed her eyes and put her head down on her desk. After a few minutes she felt him, he was there, she looked up to her door, and he was standing at it staring at her.

"How long have you been standing there?" she asked him as he walked into her office. He looked around, it was nice, he smiled briefly, he was proud of her. She set her mind to it and she accomplished it, this was what she wanted before he left.

"Not long" he said and he smiled again," nice office" he told her

"Thank you, I like it," she told him as he walked to the two chairs that sat in front of her desk. He took a seat before she even offered it to him.

"If your here about the case, I don't have anything new yet" she told him and he flinched a bit. He wasn't sure why, he knew she would be all about business and nothing else. He hadn't seen or heard from her in a little over a year.

"Well... that and I just ...I just wanted to make sure you're okay, you've been okay" he told her a bit tongue-tied, it was so hard speaking to her, so awkward as of late.

"I'm fine. Don't I look like I'm been fine?" she told him with a bit of a snip to her voice. She was a bit annoyed that he would even ask something like that.

"I'm really not the one you have to worry about right now John, your brother needs your support" she told him not being able to hold it back. She needed to make sure he knew, knew Michael needed him here.

"I know, and yes to your other questions, you do look fine, just as strong as ever, but of course I knew that. You always were the strongest person I knew," he told her and she looked at him, she was about to open up her mouth and say something else when there was a knock on her door.

"Natalie, I've got the reports and break down on the metal tip from the scene"

"Thanks Jenkins bring it in, what type of knife was it from?"

"No knife" Jenkins told her as he noticed John there, he motioned to her to see if she wanted him to continue in front of the man

"Don Jenkins, John McBain, John use to be chief of Detectives here before you started" she introduced him and they shook hands. Don took a seat next to John in Natalie's chairs.

"So if it's not a knife, what did you match it with?" she asked him as John stood quiet and watched her, heard her. She really was good at this, then again, he knew she would be.

"A scalpel" he told her

"What? Like what surgeons use?" she asked and he nodded his head yes. Natalie started rummaging thru the files on her desk. She came to one file and started digging thru pictures; she found one picture in particular

"Would that scalpel make an entry wound like this one, the one from our first vic. last week." she asked as she handed him the picture, she got up from her seat and started to pace the floor as he continued to study the picture.

"So... this guy or girl, most likely a guy, lures his victims into the alley by stating he needs help, medical help, they go to help him, then he cuts them with a scalpel, Jenkins lets get all the facts for that scenario together and then lets see if we can come up with why? Why someone might want to hurt professionals leaving the hospital, and what maybe Michael McBain and Larry Andrew had in common." she told him and he was about to leave, she called back out to him.

"I'll be on my cell the rest of the day, call me when you have something, anything. Even if you don't think it'll pan out, it could be something," she told him and she watched him walk out of the door.

Natalie finally looked at John, he had been sitting there so quiet, to quiet she thought.

"John I'll keep you informed of the case," she told him dismissing him as she grabbed her files and her phone. She was headed towards the door when he grabbed her gently by her wrist and stopped her.

"Are you going to the hospital?" he asked her and he stared into her eye's that were now glaring at him.

"Let go of me John," she told him nicely, not wanting him to touch her, not anywhere. She didn't want to be reminded of his touch and how it made her feel. He slowly let go of her wrist.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to get your attention before you walked out of the door" he told her and she relaxed a bit.

"Yeah, I'm off to check on Gabby first and then I'll go over to see if there's been any change in your brother." she told him and he was about to open up his mouth to speak when her cell phone went off. She didn't look at the ID before she answered it.

"Buchanan" she answered," hey, how is he? Has the doctor been in to see him? Okay, yeah, you know what I'm at the station and John is here. I'll tell him, that's good news right? What do you mean you aren't' sure? If he's awake, what? Seizures, brain damage but he was stabbed not...the concussion. Okay... No Ron, I'm fine, I'll be there in ten minutes, Bye," she told Ron, she closed up the phone and looked at John who had heard every word that she said.

"Michael's awake, their not sure if that's a good or bad thing yet. They have to run more tests, he could have some type of brain damage. I'm heading over there now to be with them, do...do you need a ride?" she asked not knowing why.