ABC Owns Them

Chapter 12

"Wanna talk about it?" he asked her and she pulled away from his chest

"No, not really, but I do want to catch a killer before anyone else gets hurt, so lets get to that meeting and concentrate on that" she told him pulling herself together.

"Sure... but one thing Honey... its not that bad, you know, some people can't even find one man that loves them and you've got two"

"I know, I've got you and Ron," she said smiling knowing what he was getting at.

"Natalie...you know he does, don't you?" he asked her referring his question about John.

"I use to think I knew along time ago, use to think I could feel it but... obviously time has changed things for him, obviously not for me however and that's... that's just something I will have to deal with. And that's all I'm going to say on the subject." she told him and she made up her mind. No more effort would be put into John McBain, not into Ron Walsh for now. For now it was time to catch a killer and nothing else.

Hospital

"Hey" John said as he walked into his brother's room. Michael was awake and Marcie was sitting with him. Eve was in the back of the room playing with Gabby.

"Johnny" Michael said low and soft spoken

"How are you Mikey? You do know if you wanted me to come back to Llanview all you would've had to do is call" John told him joking, Michael broke a small smile

"Well if I thought that would've worked than I would've done it," he told him and John gave him a weak smile. He deserved that, he totally deserved that. Marcie looked at Eve; they both excused themselves and went out to give them some privacy.

John sat in the seat next to his bed, he looked at him, they just looked at each other. After a few minutes John started to speak.

"I saw your precious angel, she's beautiful Mikey, I...I'm really sorry I wasn't here for you" He told him and Mikey gave him a look.

"Yeah, well, I guess you're here now aren't you? And maybe you'll be staying too?" he asked him but John didn't answer him.

"No, I can't stay. I've screwed things up enough, hurt people enough, I'll be going back to NY soon" he told him, he got up from the chair and started to walk around.

"Maybe you should rest" John told him but Michael shook his head no.

"I take it you've seen Natalie" Michael said knowing not asking. John didn't answer for a minute

"I don't want to talk about Natalie"

"I guess that's still one of your hang ups, never wanting to talk about Natalie, talk to Natalie, show Natalie you care even" Michael started going off a bit.

"Mikey, I'm here for you not Natalie"

"And if it was Natalie that was in a coma and almost died because of a serial killer, oh... wait a minute that kinda happened already hasn't it? The killer part like twice." Michael said being a smart ass

"Michael I don't want to fight with you. I'm happy you going to be alright, I came here for you little brother you. Leave me and Natalie out of it " John told him and Michael stopped prying. The two brothers spoke for a few minutes and then a nurse came in to check Michael. John excused himself and walked out into the hall to see Marcie and Eve over a few feet away from the room.

John started to slowly walk toward them when out of No where he felt a fist hit him clear across the jaw. John automatically grabbed for his Jaw as he saw an enraged Ron Walsh standing by him moving back and forth like a nut.

"You son of a bitch! You're sick you know that! You come back screw with her brain again, have sex with her and then send her packing towards me again" Ron told him pissed as John was now getting pissed too.' that fucking word Sex again' John thought. He managed to get out a few words before he felt Ron's fists hitting him again.

"It was Love" John said as he felt the pain from the man's fist again, he fell this time when the blow hit him and he heard Marcie scream for Ron to stop.

"Ron... please... leave him alone, he's gonna leave like he always does and she'll be happy again with you, just wait this out"

John heard Marcie's words and they stung just as much as Ron's fists. He pulled himself up off the floor never breaking eye contact with Ron at this point. John wiped a bit of blood that was on his mouth from when he bite down on his lips. He started to walk towards his mother by the chairs who looked on mortified as she held Gabby.

"Johnny... no Johnny don't go" Eve called out to him as he walked away. John was headed towards the stairs when he heard a woman come from the stair well screaming.

John automatically ran closer to the woman as he tried to calm her. She pointed to the stairs and said there was a dead body down a few feet. John took out his gun and proceeded slowly down the stair well and he yelled out for someone to call the police.

Ten minutes later John stood waiting by a dead body in the stairwell between the third and fourth floor. He scrunched over the body and started his own investigation into what he thought happened. He was deep in thought when he heard someone clear their throat to get his attention.

"Okay sir, you need to leave the investigation work to the professionals, please move yourself out into the halls like the rest of the civilians" Carl told John as John just stared at him. John didn't move, he just continued to walk around the body on the steps.

"I don't think you heard me, this is for the p--" Carl was telling John as Natalie came upon them and interrupting him.

"Carl this is Federal Agent McBain, he has been helping out a little with this investigation" she told him and she saw him start to say something as she stopped his words in there tracks.

"The Commissioner said it was fine, he use to have your job," she told Carl and Carl looked at her.

"Oh, so he's the one you ... the last chief everyone said you were involved with, no wonder you've been all over the map the last few days" he told her and she gave him a glare.

"Even with me being all over the map the last few days I can still solve a freaking crime faster than you" she told him and he laughed

"Nice to have your spunk back again Buchanan, at least he hasn't taken that from you, now get to work" Carl said as Natalie and John both glared at him as he walked away.

Natalie tried so hard not to look at him, she needed to do her job and help catch this guy. She looked up at him briefly

"Yeah, I know, he's an ass" she told him knowing exactly what he was thinking. John just nodded his head as he watched her start to look for clues, for evidence.

Twenty minutes later they were both still quiet just looking around trying to figure things out. John was feeling a bit distracted, more than a bit, she was so close, they were so close. He could see she was trying so hard also. So hard to just do her job and ignore what she was feeling inside, the pain, the hurt she must be feeling. John had to ignore it; he had to work, to help on this case. This case was important to him, to catch this guy not only to put a bad man away for killing people and to maybe prevent him from killing others but for Michael, this man attacked his brother.

Natalie continued to ignore his presence and did her job. She looked for clues, for anything, she could see him every now and then out of the corner of her eye's. He was behind her over to the sides and every now and then he looked at her when he didn't think she could see him.

Natalie looked at the body, the Dr that laid on the second and third step of the stairwell leading to the fourth floor.

"He wasn't killed here," she said out loud and she heard him agree with her. She was about to say something else when her phone rang. She pulled it from her pocket and answered it.

"Buchanan, Bruce, yeah... Okay, did you check all the names against the Hospital files, yeah... Sheryl Johnson, alright go visit her husband find out where he's been when these killing occurred... No you can do it on my order... don't laugh, you know he likes it when I take charge." Natalie spoke to this Bruce guy on the phone, she even laughed a bit, was she flirting with him? John shook his head, keep it together john, you're losing it, now you're jealous of her co- workers.

Natalie closed her phone and put it away. She again didn't speak to him when he this time started to talk.

"He was probably killed in the park' he told her and she looked at him, "He's got grass stuck in the bottom of his shoes" John said clarifying.

"Not a park, I bet the new courtyard here at the hospital," she told him

"A courtyard? When did they put that in?" he asked as he caught her eye for a minute. She was stuck for a minute; her eye's her train of thought. She shook her glare away from him.

"About six months ago, its a beautiful place, very peaceful, a few trees, plants, grass, a few tables, the doctors and patients really enjoy it" she told him and she motioned with her hands for a near by officer. The officer came over, she told him to get over to the courtyard and close it off that she would be over there in a few minutes.

John was in mixed thoughts as he saw her bend down to pick up her stuff. She stood on the very edge of the third step and when she grabbed for a few bags of evidence she lost her balance. John automatically grabbed for her to avoid her from falling. His arms so naturally went around her waist and he held her to steady her. Well... at least that was the reason to catch her, to stand there holding her, that was a whole different reason.

"I'm fine... I'm fine," she told him after a minute of letting him hold her. Why? She asked herself why am I letting him even touch me. She yelled at herself mad now when she didn't see nor feel him let her go. She refused to look into his eyes and he knew why.

"Let go of me," she told him softly but insistent.

"No, not yet, I think maybe we should talk" he said and she just about Laughed in his face.

"Ha! The last thing I want to do with you right now John is talk, well... maybe not the last thing... I mean, I certainly don't want to be used for make John McBain feel good sex again, that would probably be the last thing I'd want to do or feel again" she told him snide, she still wouldn't look at him as he still held her. He closed his eyes briefly as her words hit him and he had to just let her go.

"Thanks" she said again snide as she brushed herself off and started to again gather her stuff and leave the stair well.

John saw her just about walk away completely; leave the stairs when he called out to her.

"Wait!" he told here but she didn't turn

"There's something we missed in the man's back pocket" he told her and she turned back and went by the body.