"What!" Antonio said again approaching John.
"This is John Mcbain and he's my husband," Natalie said to Antonio as he walked over to her and John.
"He can't be" Antonio said as he stopped in front of the two of them
"Of course he can and he is! What the hell is wrong with you Antonio, you're acting strange." Natalie said as she saw Jessica walk over to them, everyone else was still trying to rack their brains around how Natalie could have done something so impulsive.
"Natalie, I think Antonio is just a little upset because he still thinks of you as Christians wife although, well, you know what I'm saying." Jessica told Natalie as she approached john. Jessica held out her hand to shake John's.
"Hi, I'm Natalie's sister Jessica, we met at your brother Michaels party," Jessica said to John as they shook hands, Antonio was still mad at something and it was confusing everyone.
"It's nice to see you again Jessica" John said as he saw Antonio's glare start to soften a little bit.
Jessica went to Natalie and hugged her. Jessica leaned into Nat's ear and whispered into it.
"As long as you're happy Nat, I'm happy for you but I'm not to sure it's gonna be as easy for them." Jessica whispered as she looked over at the rest of the family that were glaring towards John.
"I'll handle it" Natalie said back to Jessica in a soft voice only she could hear. Natalie and Jessica watched Kevin make his way towards Nat, and John and they prepared themselves.
"So you just marry my sister? After what knowing her three or four days? What kind of man does that?" Kevin said starting to get in John's face.
"Kevin, this really isn't any of your business, we're married and that's all you need to know, if you can't and won't understand it I don't give a shit, it's my life," Natalie said as she got in front of Kevin before he got to close to John. Kevin took his focus off of John and stared at Natalie.
"None of my business, you know Nat you go and do these stupid things all the time and then we your family have to clean up your messes. I bet you didn't even think about a prenup, did you? You really can be a stupid twit sometimes," Kevin said with an arrogant tone and John didn't like it. John moved himself in between the two and then when he heard Kevin's last remark John calmly lost his cool.
"I don't care that you're her brother, don't ever let me catch you talking to her like that again." John said as he stared at Kevin intensely. They stared for a few minutes.
"Okay, Okay now lets just hold back on all the name calling and accusations, Kevin don't you and Kelly have to get to BE for that meeting?" Clint said as he approached them, Kevin nodded his head and he and Kelly left the house.
"Maybe the rest of us should leave too," Jessica said as she and Antonio walked out the door followed by Uncle Bo. Bo stopped by Natalie and John on his way out the door.
"I'm happy for ya honey, you look good, real good with everything you've been through" Bo said as he leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Bo went over to john and shook his hand.
"Welcome to the family, I'll see you at work tomorrow" Bo said as he shook John's hand.
"Thanks, I'll be there" John told him and Bo turned and gave Natalie one last look and a wink.
"Good luck honey" Bo mumbled to her as he walked out of the library.
When Bo left he closed the doors to the library and Natalie took John's hand and walked him over to the couch by where Vicky and Clint were standing.
"I know this is a shock to both of you and I know with everything that's happened over the last few days that maybe you think I made, we made a hasty decision but we don't feel that way, we love each other and It doesn't always matter how long you know someone, it's how well you know them inside that counts." Natalie said as she looked at both of her parents with their own private debates going on in their heads.
"Natalie, Darling are you sure this was a wise decision, I mean with everything that just happened to you, with being kidnapped by that awful man and finding out things from your past. I just don't want you to regret this, maybe if the two of you gave each other time to learn more about each other, get to know each other more, spend more time together, then maybe, but it happened so fast." Vicky said trying to get her point across.
"I love your daughter Ms. Davidson, and that's all that matters," John told Vicky as Vicky just glared at him
"No offense Detective McBain but you don't know my daughter. I don't mean to sound harsh but this could all be a hero thing. You saved my daughter, for which we are very thankful for but then she thinks she's in love with you." Vicky said as John stood up.
"Yeah, your right I saved her, and I would do it everyday of my life if I had to because I love her so much. But, I'm not the only one who's done the saving here. Natalie saved me too, I had a dark life till I met her, she brightened it, she made me feel, she made me love, and she made me realize she's my fate. Now I'm sorry if you don't like the situation or how it came about but we will not apologize for it or be ashamed of it, the fact is that we love each other and we didn't want to waste any more time in our lives being apart." John said as he grabbed Natalie's arm and guided her up. They turned knowing anything they would say to either of her parents wouldn't make a difference. They started to walk to the front door when Vicky and Clint both came up behind them and asked them to wait.
"Are you sure baby? I mean I don't know him, could he just be after your trust fund?" Clint said and Natalie was done being nice.
"Go home Dad, go back to London, I think you know as much about me as you know about John. I don't know why I thought you could actually be here for me just this once." Natalie said as she and John walked out the front door. She looked back quickly when she heard Vicky call for her but she didn't stop walking. She knew they would be like this, somehow she knew, she didn't doubt that they loved her but they just were never very supportive of the things she did, yes she did stupid things sometimes but this wasn't one of them. They walked to the car in silence when John turned to face her.
"Are you alright?"
'Yeah, I am, as long as I'm with you" Natalie said and he took her hand and helped her in the car. They drove to Nat's house so she could get a few things to take back to his hotel room that they would be calling home for a little while as they searched for a place all their own.
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The next few months went by fast, John and Nat found a small house not far from town and they moved into it. Natalie had her cottage up for sale and she had already gotten an offer on it. They were blissfully happy with each other and their new marriage even if some of Natalie's family wasn't. Natalie and Vicky had a long talk and the two came to understand where the other was coming from and Vicky eventually gave Natalie and John her blessing. Clint, well he was a different story, he was acting just like Asa, a stubborn ass. He refused to see their marriage as anything but a mistake. Natalie hadn't spoken to him since the day they announced their marriage and she wouldn't till be changed his way of thinking. Then there were the family members that were supportive, Uncle Bo, Jessica, Michael, Roxy and even Rex believe it or not. Rex even liked John, when they weren't arguing over football that was. But for some reason Antonio and Carlotta were acting strangely, very strangely, not that they were acting like they didn't approve but when ever John and Nat were around them Antonio got quiet, very quiet, and Carlotta got nervous, very nervous. It bothered Natalie so she decided while John was at work she would go confront them, both of them, first Antonio and then Carlotta. Natalie knew Jessica was on assignment when she showed up at the apartment Jess and Antonio shared.
"Come in" Antonio screamed from the kitchen when he heard someone knock on his door. Natalie walked into the apartment and she saw Antonio's face when he saw it was her.
"Hey, what's going on?" Antonio asked her as he went over and kissed her cheek hello.
"I was kinda hoping you'd tell me," Natalie asked as she took a good look at him. He was trying to avoid her eyes.
"What? Not sure I know what you're talking about Nat" Antonio said as he started to pick up some stuff Jamie had thrown around the apartment.
" Yes, you do, you've been acting weird and I want to know why? Is it because of Christian?" Natalie asked as she made him stop picking up stuff and look at her when she spoke to him.
"Antonio, I know you loved Chris very much and maybe you are just feeling bad cause I've moved on with my life while you're brother is dead but I really think Chris would want this for me, want me to be happy, want me to have a life again, to live again." Natalie said staring at him
"My brother Christian, the brother I grew up with, he would have done anything for you, he would've wanted you to be happy." Antonio said and Natalie gave him a weak smile, she found herself thinking the way he was talking was still odd but she ignored it, she felt it was just something he would deal with in time, something he would have to get use to in time.
"I'm sorry I've been strange lately, I promise once I get use to it, it won't happen anymore, he seems to really Love you Natalie and I'm happy for you." Antonio said as he kissed her forehead.
"Thanks, that means a lot to me, I'm gonna go now, I'm on my way to the diner to talk to your mom about the same thing." Natalie said and Antonio jumped.
"What? No, you can't. I mean my mom's sick with a flu or something" Antonio said
"Okay, ummm. Alright I'll just see her when she gets better, can you give her my love and tell her I hope she feels better if you see her" Natalie said as Antonio shook his head and Natalie left. She left with a bad feeling, a feeling that there was something else going on but she shook it off for now.
Meanwhile at the police station John was at his desk working on some files when Bo came into his office.
"John, I just got a call from the detectives in AC, they've got a lead on who put the hit out on Louie Stokes. It was the Santi organization." Bo told John as he took a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk.
"The Santi's Huh? Did they say why? Did they find out anything else?" John asked Curious
"Nope that was all they knew, they said they'd continue to keep us informed" Bo said as he got up to leave.
"Wait a minute, I remember Natalie telling me Antonio is really a Santi, could he have anything to do with this" John asked Bo before he left the room
"Doubt it, Antonio walked away when he found out he was a Santi, he wanted nothing to do with that life, nothing at all." Bo said and he left John with a puzzled look on his face. While John was still in his thoughts there was a knock on his door, he looked up to see his beautiful wife standing there with two bags of food. Natalie walked in and put the food on his desk and walked around the desk to go over by him.
"Hey" John said as she gave him a long wet kiss hello.
"Hey, yourself" Natalie said as his arms went around her waist and he pulled her into another kiss.
"Whats going on? I thought you had errands to run today," John asked as he stared into her eyes.
"I do but I always have time to bring my husband lunch, since I know he won't take the time to stop and go out for some." Natalie said as she moved out of his grip and sat in one of the seats in front of his desk. John returned to his seat and she opened the bags and started handing him his lunch.
"Burgers and Fries from Rodi's you are to good to me" John said as he took the food from her. He started to eat and he noticed she didn't have any food in front of her.
"Didn't you get yourself anything? Don't tell me you still aren't hungry" John asked remembering that last night at dinner she just picked at her food, that she said she wasn't that hungry.
"I had a late breakfast and I'm just not in the mood for all the grease," Natalie told him and they engaged in small talk
"We found out who was behind Louie's hit today, it was the Santi organization" John told her when he felt she was relaxed. They had spoke about Louie before and everything that happened but he still didn't like to dampen her mood by bringing it up too much.
"The Santi's Huh? But why? What's the motive behind it?" Natalie asked
"Not sure, the AC police are looking into that now, didn't you tell me that Antonio was a Santi? The next in line after Manuel Santi died?'
"Yeah, but Antonio wanted nothing to do with that life, his fathers life"
"Wait, if Antonio was Manuel's son then he and Chris weren't really brothers?"
"Yeah, that's true not biologically but Carlotta raised them as brothers, so they'll always be in their hearts, Manuel was Carlotta's brother, it's a long drawn out story that I'd rather not get into right now, I'm not feeling real well. I'll see ya at home later" Natalie said as she stood and reached over for a quick kiss on the lips
"Are you alright?"
" Yes, I'm fine, I'm so tried of hearing you ask me that sometimes, I'm just a little lightheaded but I'm fine, I have a few more errands and then I'll go home to rest before my shift at Rodi's." Natalie told him as he walked her to his office door.
"Promise you'll rest," John asked and she nodded her head yes
"And if you don't feel good don't go to work, stay home and I'll come take care of you" John told her and she smiled. She remembers how he takes care of her all right, it starts off with him tucking her in bed, then he snuggles with her and then they make love, then they snuggle again and joke about maybe making a baby. Wait, Natalie left his office and remembered, remembered what she just thought about, making a baby. She got a smile on her face and walked across the street to the hospital.
Natalie walked over to the Nurse's desk and asked to see a doctor about getting a pregnancy test done. Natalie was unaware that Carlotta was a few feet away and she overheard what Natalie just asked for.
