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Chapter 23

John and Natalie made there way to the Station and to the meeting announcing John as again Chief of Detectives. They walked into the squad room, almost everyone was there, Bo was in front, and he smiled upon seeing them.

"Okay, now we can start the meeting, everyone is finally here" Bo announced as he saw John walk near him in the front and Natalie walk towards the back near Bruce.

Natalie stood up against the wall as she looked to her side to see Bruce.

"Hey sunshine, how was your trip?" he asked as he saw her start to tell him something but she stopped when she heard Bo announce john as the again Chief Of Detectives. Natalie smiled as she heard his name, she saw Bruce's face, and he laughed.

"What are you laughing at?" Natalie asked him still beaming

"You, you're smitten with him again," he told her and she ignored him listening to John speak.

"I'm not big on speeches so all I want to say is I'm happy to be here again, the LPD is the best, I see some familiar faces and a bunch of new ones, and I'm looking forward to working with each and every one of you." John said and he took a breath, he looked over to Natalie, she was standing in the back with Bruce standing next to her, she was staring back at him and smiling.

"That's all I really have to say except that... well... I think there is something I need to bring out into the open so there aren't any assumptions and surprises" John said and he took a deep breath now, he had to do this, he had to just put it out there. Everyone looked on confused by his statement, even Natalie looked on confused.

" When... When Tech Buchanan and I are married in the very near future... it will not affect our work at the station or any of you. We will be strictly professional at work and the officers that know us from when we use to be together way back when already know that to be the truth. Thank you and lets get to work." John said and he saw everyone, including Nat's mouth hung open.

John never liked letting anyone into his private life but he felt it necessary and he wanted to yet again show Nat he had changed some. John shook his head as no one left the room, he saw Bruce turn to Natalie with a grin on his face, John told himself he wouldn't be jealous, no, he wouldn't. She was already his wife and although he felt it necessary to now lie to the squad about that fact to. He knew he was into his charade too much now to back out of it. He knew the only option he had was to move forward with his lie and then after he gave her a church wedding, then he could tell her, then maybe he could get her to see why he felt he had to do it.

John approached Natalie as Bo told everyone a bit sternly to get back to work, as the officers left the room they turned to Natalie and smiled at her.

"Hey, maybe you should've let me know first that you were announcing it, my parents don't even know yet" she told him and he sighed.

"Sorry Babe, didn't even think of that, just thought it was a good idea to get it out in the open, no secrets or games in the squad room" he told her and he saw she wasn't really mad but just taken off guard.

"Well congratulations kids, Boss I mean" Bruce said with a smirk, he looked at John then focused on Natalie" may I be the first one to kiss the soon to be Bride? " He said and he faked going in to kiss Nat. John stepped in front of his face as he brought it towards hers.

"Now Bruce... its time to play nice with the Boss and his wife" john said and then regained himself quickly so they didn't pick up on it. "To be"

Bruce smiled at John " yes, Sir, you won't be having anymore trouble with me sir, just as long as you don't hurt her, in any way shape or form, I'm very protective of my favorite Forensic Tech" he told John and John nodded. Bruce walked away leaving John and Nat alone in the room.

"I'm going to have to go to Llanfair after work and tell them right away you know, and... What did you mean... your wife in the near future, when were you looking to get married, McBain?" she asked him and he didn't have to think about it.

"As soon as possible" he told her, she smiled and asked " well if you're in that much of a rush we could've just gotten married while we were in Vegas" she told him and he nearly choked on his own saliva.

"John are you alright?" she asked him and he looked into her eye's.

"When do you want to get married and where, and how?" he asked, she thought about it for a minute.

"I'd like it soon too, maybe a few weeks, something small, I'm not sure, we've only been engaged for three hours you know" she told him and they touched hands briefly and then parted, went there separate way to get some work done.

One month later the wedding was all set. The Buchanan's talked Natalie into letting them have the wedding at Llanfair with the immediate family and friends.

Tomorrow would be the big day; the past month had gone fast for John and Natalie, wedding plans, working, getting adjusted to living together. It was a fast month and it was the night before the wedding.

John was in his office going over some paper work, it was around 10 and he didn't want to go home to an empty apartment, Natalie was spending the night with Jess in the carriage house.

John was thinking about the important day tomorrow, how she would wear a beautiful white dress, her hair would be up she said, he sighed almost contently as he reached his hand into his desk and pulled out a piece of paper. Their Marriage certificate from Vegas, he stared at it, he wonder if he should even tell her about it at all, once they were married, when they were married they would be happy and... and well what he did by marrying her in Vegas, well. That was cause he loved her and wanted to show her. As warp and twisted as it was, that was why he did it.

John had thought about calling an old buddy at the FBI a few days ago, ask him to have it erased, the Vegas Marriage, the Feds did things like that all the time, things got accidentally erased or lost but he still wasn't sure what to do about it. All John knew was that at this time tomorrow, she would know they were husband and wife, they would be celebrating the beginning to their future together, their life together and that was all he wanted and all that mattered.

"Chief, I need your help with a complaint out here" Officers Davis told John as he called into his office, John rose from his desk and shoved the marriage certificate into the draw for a moment till he got back.

Natalie walked into his office, she had asked Davis to distract him for a minute as she set things up for him. She closed his door and put the bag of food from Rodi's she bought him on the desk, she went into the bag and pulled out his food, put it on his desk.

Natalie thought it would be nice to just sit with each other tonight and eat, tomorrow, their wedding day would be so chaotic that maybe a little down time together tonight would be nice. Just as long as she left before midnight, she didn't want to break the old wedding superstition of the bride and groom not seeing each other before the wedding.

Natalie set up his favorite beer that she brought for him. She twisted the cap and she accidentally spilt a bit on a few papers on his desk.

"Shit!" she said out loud as she started scrambling for something to clean it up, there were no napkins in the bag so she stuck her hand inside his desk, as she did she brought out a few napkins and a piece of paper, an official looking piece of paper.

Natalie wiped the mess but noticed something on the paper that stood out to her, her name. She looked at in shocked as she heard his door open.

John saw her at his desk, he smiled briefly, and then he saw her looking at something in a bit of a shock. He knew what it was.

" Natalie... let m--" John tried to get out but couldn't, she wouldn't let him.

"Seems I can stay with you all night if I wanted, no fear of superstitions and not seeing the bride on your wedding day, we're already married, been married according to his paper here since Vegas." Natalie told him upset; she sank down in his seat.

"A month John? We've been married a month and you didn't tell me" she asked him but she wouldn't let him answer.

"What the Hell? When? I... I know... the date on this is the night before we came back, the night I don't remember cause I was so drunk, how could you?" she asked him and he shook his head, this was going to be bad, really bad. He saw her tear up and he sat in a chair across from her with his desk in between them.

"I'm waiting for an explanation John, how could you take advantage of me and marry me, and then not tell me?"