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Chapter 14

John stood by the bed in the dingy Hotel room that he had called home for the last two and half weeks. He caught his guy like he always did and was packing his stuff so he could head home. Head home to his daughter, his Natalie, his life. He hadn't been able to call this whole time and he wanted to get on the road as quickly as possible so he could get back to them, get back to them today, Valentine's day. He thought about calling her from the car but he wanted to surprise them. He finished packing his things and got on the road, five hours he thought, five hours and I'll be right where I belong with them and I'm never leaving again.

Natalie and Lauren sat at a booth at Capricorn with Rex. Rex knew Nat was upset with not hearing from John and with it being Valentine's. Rex had wanted to keep Nat's mind off things so he decided to take his two favorite ladies out for dinner. Lauren was just finishing up dessert when Nat reached up with her hand and a napkin to wipe ice cream off her face when Rex grabbed her hand and pulled it to him.

" What's this I see? Is it a ring? An engagement ring? " Rex said and Natalie gave him an angry look telling him to drop it because Lauren knew nothing about it.

Natalie looked at her finger with the ring on it and couldn't help but smile. She thought for a few minutes how this morning when she was getting dressed that she decided to put it on her finger. It had been almost a week since she found it in Lauren's book and Nat still couldn't believe how romantic John was by putting in there. She had been keeping it with her every second of every day for the past week as if it was a piece of him, of John, how she had hoped he would be coming back to them soon, coming back to them alive. She shook her head of that last thought as she heard Rex speak again about the ring.

" Rex" Natalie motioned with her head that she didn't want Lauren to hear anything about it.

" I didn't know things were that serious with Jo--, Mr. goody two shoes" Rex said as not wanting to drop this.

" Now isn't the time or place for us to be discussing this Rex. We can talk later." Natalie said as her cell phone rang. She picked it up and it was Carlotta asking if she and Lauren could stop by the diner that she had spoken with Chris and that she owed Nat an apology. Nat tried to get out of it and said Lauren was tired but Carlotta had insisted so Nat and Lauren left Rex and made agreements to meet him later at the cottage to watch a movie.

Natalie walked into the diner with Lauren but it looked strange. It was dark, almost as if it was closed but the door was unlocked. As soon as Nat walked over to the counter she knew, she knew she had been set up. There were a few candles lit on the counter and a stuffed heart for Lauren. Before she could turn and leave Chris came out from the back and Lauren saw him.

Meanwhile... John arrived at the cottage and waited outside on the swing for Natalie to come home. Her car wasn't here so he knew she was probably out. He had been waiting there for about thirty minutes when he saw Rex come over by the front door. Rex didn't see him at first and jumped when John called his name.

" Hey, you're back" Rex said

" Yeah, do you know where Nat and Lauren are? " John asked

" They should be back here by now?" Rex said confused

" What do you mean by now?" John asked starting to get an uneasy feeling about him

"She was suppose to meet me here after she had a talk with Carlotta" Rex said as he saw John not waste anytime. John didn't say another word and got into his car. He had an uneasy feeling that just wouldn't go away, so he headed for the diner.

-

Back at the diner

" Daddy!" Lauren said and she ran into Chris' arms, Natalie was starting to get a little nervous, a little nervous and pissed. Pissed that Carlotta would do something like this. Carlotta always felt Chris and Nat belonged together and Natalie knew Carlotta didn't know about the abuse. Natalie hadn't told the Vega's about it, heck she hadn't told anybody in her family other than Jessica.

" Lauren, we really have to go, uncle Rex is waiting in the car for us" Nat said lying trying to make him believe they weren't alone.

" No he not" Lauren said giving away the truth. Natalie walked a little closer to the two of them and started to feel shaky, and shakier as she became closer and closer to him.

" We'll have to see Daddy another time, Lauren we have to go" Natalie said as she attempted to pick Lauren up, when Chris stopped her.

"I just want to spend a little time with my girls" Chris said with an evil smirk as he looked at Nat.

" We have to go" Nat said as she was really becoming unraveled. She grabbed for Lauren and Chris grabbed her wrist tightly to stop her.

" Chris, don't do this" Natalie warned him as he gave her an evil grin

" Lauren, Grandma's upstairs why don't you go see her? " Chris told her while still holding Nat's wrist hurting her. Nat was about to say something but thought it best for Lauren not to be down here, she wasn't quite sure what Chris was capable of anymore and she didn't want Lauren getting caught up in it. As soon as Lauren was upstairs Chris let go of Nat's wrist and went over and locked the door before Nat had a chance to leave. Nat saw him lock the door but she knew she couldn't leave without Lauren so it was unnecessary.

" What do you want Chris?" Natalie asked as she backed up against a wall as he walked forward to be near her.

" This " Chris said and he forced a kiss on her. Natalie took her hand and went to slap him but he caught her hand in mid air. He stared her straight in the eyes and then saw something on her finger.

" What the hell is this!" Chris said getting angrier as he looked at the ring on her finger and then dropped her hand, Natalie quickly side stepped passed him trying to make her way over towards the swinging door that led to the kitchen when he grabbed her and pushed up against the counter next to the cash register.

John had arrived at the diner in record time and he saw there were no lights on but Nat's car was in the parking lot. He ran up to the front door and he could see them. That bastard had her up against the counter and she looked really scared. He checked the door quietly but it was locked and then he watched Chris take a hold of her arms roughly and shake her. He needed to get in there and get in there now. John went quickly around the back to see if the back door was open and it was. John walked in thru the kitchen and made his way over by the swinging door that led to the eating part of the diner when he heard some of the disturbing things Chris was saying to Natalie and he lost it.

John charged in thru the door and Christian who was still with Natalie by the register turned and pushed Natalie slightly to the side. Chris reached into the register to where Carlotta had kept a gun since the last robbery and he grabbed it. John didn't know about the gun in the register, nor could he see Chris take it out and he continued to come towards Chris, when Nat saw that Chris had taken the gun from the register she quickly moved in front of Chris blocking his target of John and then Chris fired the gun shooting Natalie at close range in the stomach.