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Chapter 4

Natalie is home to stay after two years, Kyle a cop who she was involved with in Fla., who turned abusive and even caused her to lose a child has shown up in Llanview. John met him in the park and he asked about a job with the LPD. Nat doesn't know he's in town yet. John and Natalie saw each other at a party on the roof of the hotel for Michael. They got caught in each other and almost made love when John found a mark on Nat's back he didn't recognize. He asked her about it and she didn't want to tell him that it was from an abusive boyfriend so she asked him to leave her room on the fifth floor, John left reluctantly but told her he was there for her. As John was walking down the stairs to his room Kyle was in a closet near Nat's room spying on her.

Natalie tossed and turned all night trying to get to sleep, she just couldn't, she had an uneasy feeling about her and she just couldn't shake it. She was sure the feeling was brought on by what happened with John or what was going to happen with John. What she wanted to happen with John. She knew she shouldn't have let it get as far as it did, I mean they hadn't even spoke to each other in two years, and they were just going to what? Make Love like old times and it would mean what exactly? What would it have accomplished? Well she wouldn't be longing for his touch any longer, but what if he was involved with someone? No, she knew he wouldn't do something like that if he was involved with someone, that just wasn't John, although he slept with her knowing her husband was alive, no, she shook it off knowing he wouldn't do that. Her thoughts again came around to why she stopped and just about threw him out. He had found something different on her body and had questioned it, questioned it as if he knew it was something wrong, as if he knew something had happened to her. It was like a sixth sense with him; whenever she was in trouble he would sense it, but how come he hadn't sensed things when she was away? How come he hadn't when she was involved with Kyle? When Kyle was hurting her? She shook her head knowing why, it was for her to take care of, she was supposed to handle things herself and she did. It wasn't easy at first. But she did.

After Kyle beat her so bad that she ended up in the hospital she went and stayed with a few friends, Kyle came by a few days later but she was gone, she had gone a few towns away and she knew he knew where she was. But for some reason he didn't bother her, even when she started with the shelter, he never bothered her, it confused her at the time but she had thanked God for it. Natalie looked at the clock next to the bed and it was five am. Did she even get any sleep? She asked herself not feeling like she did. She got herself out of bed and got ready for her run.

John looked at his clock and it was five, he barely got any sleep last night, all he could think about was her. About Natalie, she was back and they almost spent the night together, they had almost made Love. He had missed her so much in the past two years, with all that had happened between them she still held his heart; no one in the last two years had come close. They were so close to making Love last night but something stopped them, something he found different on her body, a small scar smaller than the size of a dime, something so small any other person wouldn't have found it but he had and then he just couldn't let it go, he needed to know about it, he needed to know why she was marked, what had happened to her while they were apart. She got distant and asked him to leave; obviously his instincts of it being something were right. She was hiding something, something she didn't want him to know or she would have told him. Why hadn't she trusted him enough to tell him about it, what ever it was, why? He shook his head when he decided to get a jump on his day at work. He showered and tried so hard to get Natalie out of his thoughts but he just couldn't. It was near six when he ran up the two flights of stairs to her room, he needed to see her this morning to make sure she was all right. He knocked but no answered, after a few minutes he started to walk away. He walked out to the lobby and went to the station.

Natalie came back after her run and showered, she was going to go to the station today to see her favorite uncle, the one who meant so much to her, maybe even get to have a few more words with Hugh about his help. Natalie entered the station and was greeted by some of the cops she used to know from when she used to work there. She walked over to her old desk and smiled at the assistant that was sitting at it.

"Hi, I'm the commissioners niece and I'd like to see him if he's not to busy"

"He's in a meeting right now but he should be out in a few minutes if you want to wait" Natalie shook her head yes and she went over to the coffee machine and got herself a cup of coffee. She walked back a few feet and looked into her uncles' office thru the blinds but couldn't see anything. She saw the door to his office open and Bo walked out.

"Oh my gosh, Natalie honey, you're back" Bo said as he gave her a hug and kiss.

Natalie was to busy smiling and hugging her uncle to see who walked out of his office with John. Bo broke out of the hug and moved away from her for a moment. Natalie picked up her coffee that she had put down when he came over to hug her. She was sipping it when she turned to see who Bo started to talk to.

"Hey, I'm sorry I almost forgot" Bo said as he looked back at John and Kyle.

Natalie saw John first and met his eye's briefly then she saw who was standing next to him talking, she became frozen, she heard her uncle say something about Kyle being hired and she dropped the cup of coffee from her hand and it shattered into a hundred pieces.

John saw her drop the hot coffee on herself and it was as if she didn't flinch. He ran over to her to help her clean up and she didn't move. He waved his hand in front of her face a few times and then she snapped out of it.

"Nat are you alright?" John asked her, it was a minute or two before she answered him, he saw her face, her eye's, her motionless body. He was now more confused than he was earlier.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I guess it just slipped" Natalie said as she came to her senses and started wiping herself off with a towel Bo's Assistant brought her, she quickly took a brief glance at Kyle who was all smiles talking to her Uncle as she cleaned off. John watched her carefully something was up, he saw her look at the newest officer of the LPD and he got a funny feeling it had something to do with him. He finished helping her wipe off and he turned so he was facing her while he spoke to her.

"Natalie, I know something's wrong what is it?" he asked her as she barely acknowledged his words. She didn't say a word and she pushed right passed him over to Bo and Kyle.

"What do you think you're doing here?" Natalie asked Kyle as she approached him with a stone cold look to her face.

"Natalie honey, do you two know each other?" Bo asked her as he saw her face; Natalie ignored his question and again spoke to Kyle.

"Why are you in Llanview and why get a job here?" Natalie asked Kyle acting like there wasn't anyone else around. John stood still a few feet away observing what was going on.

"Yes, commissioner Buchanan we know each other and very well, I didn't mean to keep it a secret I just didn't want to get a job on my girlfriends merits or relations." Kyle said and Natalie got pissed.

"You can't hire him uncle Bo and he's not my boyfriend" Natalie said standing in front of Kyle

" Natalie babe" Kyle said as he got closer to her and she backed up briefly, he put his hand out and touched her arm. Natalie quickly pulled it back as if being burned by his touch.

"Don't," she told him after pulling her arm back. John saw her pull her arm away and he was getting concerned. There was most definitely history between the two of them, some not so good history, something bad for the way Natalie pulled back and almost looked frightened as the man touched her.

"Uncle Bo can I have a few words with you" Natalie asked her uncle and Bo nodded. The two of them walked into Bo's office and closed the door. John and Kyle both watched as the two left the room and then John approached Kyle.

"So, are you and Natalie still involved?" John asked Kyle trying to get a feel for the guy, Natalie said they weren't and with the way she acted he knew she wasn't still with this man, he wasn't quite sure yet if she ever was.

"Oh, we're still involved. There is nothing that's going to come between us, nothing" Kyle told John as John watched Kyle closely as he watched Natalie Thru Bo's office window. The guy was almost salivating at the mouth, something that bothered John to no end.

"So where was it that the two of you met?" John asked him walking in front of him blocking his view of Natalie.

"In Florida, I'm sorry man, I know this must be a shock for you, she told me the two of you had something sexual once" Kyle told John and pissed him off. He knew Natalie would never say they only had something sexual.

"So you knew who I was when we met in the park?" John questioned

"No, not till you said your name but I didn't want past things to get in the way of me finding a job. Natalie missed her family so much that she told me it was over and I wanted to surprise her by coming here for her." Kyle told John and John started to think about it, it could be true, but if it was why had she almost made Love to John last night. Why did she act like Kyle was fire when he touched her, and there was something else bothering him, the scar. Where did she get that damn scar? John thought to himself as they watched both Nat and Bo come from his office.

"Kyle" Bo called for him as he came out of his office

"Yes sir" Kyle said as he moved towards Bo and Natalie

" I'm sorry but I just realized we didn't do a complete background check on you, it was my mistake and I'm sorry, it's procedure and I can't hire you till it comes back and comes back clean. I'm sorry about the inconvenience and I'll call you" Bo told him and at first he saw the man's face get bitter but then it changed to a small smile.

"I understand perfectly Comm. Buchanan, I'll be looking forward to your phone call" Kyle said as he shook Bo's hand and started to walk away. Kyle turned back for a minute.

"Natalie can I have a few words with you?" Kyle asked Natalie nicely as Bo shook his head No. Natalie looked at Bo and told him it was alright, she went over a few feet away with Kyle as Bo and John never took their eyes off of them.

John stood with Bo when he was curious to what was going on.

"Bo, what's going on with Natalie and this guy?" John asked as they both still faced the two in the corner talking

"She'll tell you if she wants to" Bo told him as they continued to watch.

"What is it Kyle?" Natalie asked him

"Do you think that was a good idea? Telling your uncle about me, telling him your lies about what I did to you" Kyle asked her with a sweet smile on his face never breaking it and causing alarm to her uncle and John who were watching.

"Kyle, this isn't Florida and your not a cop here, you won't be able to pull the same things as you did there, so your just better off leaving" Natalie told him as she saw him take a step closer to her and she backed up quickly. An action that didn't sit well with Bo for he knew the truth, Bo walked over to them.

"Natalie darling lets go get a cup of coffee," Bo told her as he started to walk away with her. He turned back towards Kyle.

"Don't call us, we'll call you" Bo told Kyle as he left the room with Natalie. Kyle walked over by John briefly and he looked at him. He was mad on the inside and he had to try and cover it quickly.

"I just didn't think she would still be this upset," Kyle told John baiting him to ask.

"About what?" John turned towards Kyle and asked

"About losing our child, she hasn't wanted me around since she lost it and it bothers her to even have me touch her," Kyle said as he saw John's face before he walked out of the station.

John quickly went to his office and slammed the door behind him. He knew he shouldn't give any thought to what that guy said but for some reason it pissed him off, the thought of her having a baby and with a man like that. He caught himself, why? What kind of man did he think Kyle was? There was something off about him, something definitely felt wrong when it came to Natalie and Kyle. What was it? Was it just his own jealously? John wondered. Was it just that he didn't want to ever think about her having a child with someone, someone other than him? He tried calming himself knowing there was more to the story that he hadn't learned yet when there was a knock on his door. He called for them to come in and he saw her face as she did. She was scared and nervous, he could tell, she also looked like she had something to say but she stood across from him in his office just searching his eyes. He wasn't sure what it was she was searching for, was it forgiveness? He asked himself. They both stood staring at each other for a few more minutes when Hugh Hughes knocked on the open door.

"Natalie, I've got a few minutes before I have to be in court if you want to sit down and discuss what help it is you need from me" Hugh asked her as he then looked an saw the tension between the two.

"I'm sorry did I interrupt something?" he asked and they both shook their heads no.

Natalie moved to walk out with Hugh and looked back at John briefly before she joined Hugh in the hallway. John stared into her eyes and asked her.

"Why can't you tell me what it is you so desperately want to?" he asked her as a tear came to her eye.

"I could have asked you the same question two years ago before I left" Natalie told him and she walked out the door to talk with Hugh about the shelter.