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Chapter 21

The next morning seemed to come on Natalie fast when she woke to find that she had slept longer than she expected. She rose and noticed it was ten am and shook her head thinking it must be the medication she was still on that made her sleep so late. She got up slowly and looked around the house for them, Lauren and John, but they were nowhere to be found. Natalie continued to wonder the house for a few minutes when she found a note from John taped to the refrigerator.

Nat,

Took Lauren and we went to get breakfast, didn't want to wake you, you need the sleep. Be back soon and we'll bring you something.

John

Natalie smiled while reading his note and then thought about what happened last night. They told Lauren, sort of, well she understands that John's going to be her dad now and that they are getting Married but, but... Nat's thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell. Someone impatiently was ringing it and Natalie knew exactly who it was.

She answered the door and motioned for Rex to come in.

"Ugh.. Did you even take a shower? " Rex said seeing Natty in the same sweats she was wearing yesterday..

"Rex, just the person I wanted to see" Natalie said ignoring the showering comment. Natalie gave Rex an accusatory look and rex folded, he knew what it was she wanted to talk to him about. So before any questions he started to speak.

"Alright, I know I shouldn't have told the munchkin about you and John but, but, I couldn't help it. She was sad with you in the hospital and she was just missing you so much." Natalie continued to be silent and gave him another look to make him talk more.

"geez.. Nat.. Maybe you should be the one to be a detective not me cause you've got this interrogation stare that would make any criminal talk... okay, I just thought maybe it would help if I talked to her first, you know maybe break the ice a little for John,"

"But, you don't even like John"

"No, that's not true... okay he's not my most favorite of people but he apparently Loves you so that's what's important, Right?"

"Right" Natalie said softening with a grin

" Yeah, and when I found out about Chris being such an asshole towards you it's better that he isn't Lauren's real dad, Jo--" Rex said as Natty cut his words off

"You know about that too! How?" Nat said almost yelling

"I'm damn good at what I do Nat. and... and you left some evidence to that upstairs in your room" Rex said

"You were in my room!" Natty said as they both heard the front door open and they saw John and Lauren walk in.

"We'll finish this another time. Oh and by the way, it's a good thing you are so fond of John all of a sudden since he's your new boss." Natalie said as she started to push him towards the front door.

"Hi, Rex. Wanna stay for breakfast I got extra," John said as he started to help Lauren off with her boots

"Rex was just going. Say goodbye Rex" Natalie said as rex tried to explain why he was really there and Natalie just opened the door and thru him out of the house. Natalie turned her attention back to John and Lauren and smiled looking at the bag of breakfast in John's hand trying to figure out what they brought her.

"Whatcha get me? " Natalie asked trying to get the bag from John who looked at Lauren and smiled.

"Donuts" John said with a serious face and then he looked at Lauren and she giggled

"Donuts, you know I hate donuts for breakfast" Natalie said seeing there was a joke going on between John and Lauren.

" Ok, mommy not donuts, bagels" Lauren said and Natalie and John both laughed

"Bagels Huh? The ones with holes in them like donuts?" Natalie asked and she laughed a little more.

"Great cause I'm hungry" Natalie said and then she saw Lauren run into the living room and put on the TV. So she could watch it. John leaned into Natalie's cheek while she was standing next to him and he gave her a quick peck on it.

They stood for a few minutes in the foyer and discussed how Natalie was feeling and then made there way into the kitchen to have their bagels and coffee. Natalie was buttering her bagel when she decided to discuss last night with John. Discuss the fact that Lauren still really didn't know that John was her biological dad and that it was probably best for now, not to confuse the kid with it. As long as she grew up to think of John as her dad as the years go by she won't even remember Chris and then one day when she's much older they can tell her the whole truth.

Natalie got that serious look on her face and John knew what she was thinking about.

"It's alright with me Nat, if she really doesn't get it, get that she has my genes, her not knowing now won't effect anything in the long run" John said as he stood next to Natty who was still buttering her bagel.

" How do you answer questions I haven't even asked, how do you know me so well to know what I'm thinking?" Nat asked with a smile on her face

"I just do, smart I guess, or maybe just connected, connected at the heart, and that is where most of your questions come from," John said and he leaned in and gave her a soft lingering kiss. Natalie pulled away from the kiss for a minute and smiled within inches from his face.

"Tell me what I'm thinking now, feeling with my heart now?" Natalie asked as John's arms went around her waist and he pulled her body even closer to his.

"That you wish it was a week later so your recovery was over, over so I could take you up to your bedroom and feel your..." John said with a smirk and then he got to the last part and saw Lauren run into the kitchen.

"Heart" John said as he gave Nat a quick kiss and then they heard Lauren make a kissy-face noise and they laughed.

About a week later it was in the middle of the day and Natalie was just getting back from her follow up doctors visit when she noticed John's car was in the driveway. That's odd she thought, today was his first day at the station, why would he be home so early. She went inside to see John standing at the fireplace looking at the pictures on the mantle. Pictures of Natalie, Lauren, even a few on him that Natalie printed up on her printer. John heard her walk in but didn't turn to meet her eyes yet. He had something awful to tell her, something he knew would be painful to her, he wasn't really sure how she was going to take it. He pulled himself out of his thoughts when he heard her ask him if everything was alright. John slowly turned to her and spoke.

" Natalie, I need to tell you something. Is Lauren still at your mom's?

Natalie nodded yes to the question about Lauren and then John guided over to the couch to sit down.

"You're really scaring me John, just say it" Natalie said trying really hard to figure out what could be wrong.

"OMG! It's not Rex is it?" Natalie asked quickly before letting words come from john's mouth.