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Chapter 20

John saw Darren run from the house and then he noticed what looked like fire crawling up the drapes of the windows in the front of the house.

"Oh. My. God. John, is that fire? That's Darren's office, Natalie... Natalie's in there" Henry got the words out as he saw John run as fast as he could to the house.

Henry too started to run with him but John screamed back to him.

"Call 911, take care of Aiden, she would want you to" he screamed back to Henry and he stopped running, Aiden started to cry out in his sleep.

"Mommy... Mommy" Aiden cried out as the neighbor opened the door and took him inside with them.

John ran to the front door of the house, he felt the knob it didn't burn his hand and he proceed to turn it and enter the house; he walked in thru the foyer and towards Darren's office. When he looked into Darren's office his heart sank into his chest as he saw her again on the floor, she wasn't moving, her still body laid in front of the window and drapes full of flames, the flames were starting to spread on to the near by furnishings and he knew he had to get her and get her out before they moved closer to her.

John walked carefully into the room as it seemed the flames were everywhere, he, without hesitation bent down and picked her up, she held a file folder in her softened grip as he pulled her close to his chest and he escaped the room just as the whole thing, the whole room ignited into flames.

John carried her outside as he heard the sirens, he carried her far away from the house, he laid her down on the grass, she still hadn't woken yet and he wasn't sure how much smoke she had inhaled. He said a silent pray as he started to unconsciously rock her back and forth as he held her on his lap.

"Wake up baby, please wake up"

"John" she said upon waking, John heard her and he pulled her off his chest to look at her face. He smoothed back her hair as he continued to caress her face.

"Aiden? Where is he? Is he okay?" Natalie asked him as she started to panic, she never did see or hear Henry take him out of the house.

"Shhhhhhh.. He's fine, he didn't see a thing, he doesn't know a thing," he told her as he again started to rock her

"Darren, did ya get him, did Henry give you the files, where's the file I had?' Natalie asked as she pulled herself off his chest and half way out of his arms. Natalie started to cough a bit, a heavy deep cough.

"The ambulance will be here any minute, any minute babe, you're gonna be alright" he told her reassuring her that she was fine. They stared into each other's eyes for a minute and she got an even more scared look on her face.

"I...I forgot... the baby" was all she could get out as she let herself shed the tears that were gathering inside her eye's.

John held her for a few more minutes as the ambulance arrived, he held on for dear life, not wanting to even let go when the medics told him they needed to check her out. Just as the medics were about to transport her both John and Natalie saw Henry walk over to them.

"Natalie, Thank God, I'm so sorry I shouldn't have left to get Aiden, I should have insisted you leave with me, with us, I should have made sure."

"Henry, you got Aiden out before anything could happen to him, that's what I wanted you to do, please don't do this to yourself" Natalie told him

"Give John the files," she told Henry and Henry, told her he would, she was about to be transported when a paramedic asked her a question about her pregnancy.

"What?" Natalie asked cause she didn't hear the whole questions

"How far along are you?"

"Oh, about three mon---" Natalie went to say but stopped herself, she smiled. Everyone looked at her and was confused.

"Natalie?" John questioned

"I... I don't think I'm pregnant, I mean.. It's impossible for me to be having Darren's baby"

"What?" John asked not sure where this was going

"I remember, my memories are back, I remember the roof John, the Saint Jude's medal, Michael and his corny jokes and I remember... remember that Darren is sterile"

"I'm not having a baby John, it was just another one of Darren's games, another ploy to be the perfect family and get elected tomorrow." she said as she smiled, all thou she was exhausted, looked like hell, she got up enough energy to smile at the fact that she wasn't having his baby, it just wasn't possible.

"Natalie" john said as the medic started to wheel her off, she looked up at him.

'What?" she asked as he followed behind the gurney over to the ambulance, the men lifted her up and put her in the ambulance.

"What John?" she asked again and he took a breath, he shook his head, he was going to say, he wanted to say it but what if it wasn't true, what if he just disappointed himself, what if he said it and she got disappointed and the whole thing was phony, not just the time line. He bit his tongue and pressed the words he wanted to say down deep.

"Nothing, I.. Henry went to get Aiden, I'll follow right behind the ambulance with my car, I won't let either one of you out of my sight again" he told her as the Medic closed the ambulance door. John stared at her thru the back window of the car.

"Maybe you're having my baby again," he said out loud as he heard the medic start the engine of the ambulance.