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Chapter 3

Natalie continued to smile at Dr Crosby as he smiled back at her. He released her from the hug and reminded her to come and see him again so they could talk. Natalie watched him walk away as he glanced at John, smiled briefly at the brooding look he gave the Dr and Crosby chuckled as he went on his way.

Natalie was still feeling uncomfortable with standing so close to John and with unspoken words that she had building up in her mind, words and questions, that she wanted to ask so bad but felt out of place saying them, asking them, why was this so hard for her? She asked herself, why was this so hard for them? To be near each other now and not feel comfortable, at ease, if nothing else, this was John, a friend, a good friend, even if things had changed with them loving each other, which she knew deep down inside it hadn't at least for her it hadn't. It just shouldn't be this hard for them now, now only six months later.

John stood mere inches from her, the woman he loved, and the woman who scared every inch of his being. She was finally here and in person, six months had passed, six months of dreaming about her and her coming home and yet... yet he couldn't bring himself to feel comfortable with her, he couldn't bring himself to speak, to ask, to talk, to tell her, tell her what he hadn't been able to before.

John shook his head and knew he wasn't going to let this opportunity pass him by like t he rest, like all the others, he opened his mouth and was about to speak when she too started to speak at the same time. Realizing that they both spoke over each other they looked at each other and smiled, laughed even. For that split second all the awkwardness was gone, it was comfortable, they were comfortable, they were them.

"Go ahead say what you were going to say" she told him with a smile still plastered on her face. She knew she was still smiling and she tried to make herself stop but she just couldn't, did she really want to? She questioned herself as she heard him speak.

"I..I just wanted to tell you that... that I heard.. ummm.. heard from Bo that you finished, finished your schooling, and with flying colors so he stated quite proud"

"Yeah, I did, it was pretty hard work, really challenging but it feels good to have been able to accomplish what I set out to do, it .. It feels good inside" she told him still in their comfortable state, he watched her as she spoke, her bright smile was still in tact, the wide bright smile she got when ever she talked about something that made her happy, the smile he loved, loved to see on her face when she use to talk about pool, when she use to talk about him.

They stood frozen for a few more minutes, just staring into each others eye's, their eye's that when they were locked together shut out the world, as if no one, nothing else existed but the trance they were put into by their eye's. John smiled as he watched a piece of her red hair fall in front of her face, without thinking, without words at first, he walked closer as if a magnet was pulling him to her, he brought his hand up and pushed the hair away from her eye's so they could continue to stare blue eye's to blue eye's.

"I'm proud of you" John said softly, Natalie heard him but didn't acknowledge hearing him.

"What?" she asked needing to hear him say it again, needing to feel his warm breath on her skin as he spoke again within inches of her face.

"I'm really proud of you Natalie, I really am" he again said and she could have sworn he was going to lean into her and kiss her, and she knew if he did she wouldn't refuse him access to her mouth again, to her heart again.

John was so close, extremely close to her, he wanted to touch his lips on hers, he wanted to be closer, he leaned in and.. and.. he saw her lean in to, which he knew was a good sign, they leaned in till they heard someone clear their throat, they backed up away from each others lips and to Nat's surprise their was John's stalker, the person who always seem to be working at the police station although she was a defense attorney.

"Evangeline, nice to see you " Natalie told her as she just looked between her and John.

"Nice to see you to Natalie, you look good"

"Thank you and so do you"

"Well that's because I have a real man that takes care of me" Evangeline said as she looked towards John.

"Oh, well that's great, so happy for ya" Natalie said in a snide tone since she felt Evangeline was trying to get some sort of message across, was she trying to make a point to her or to John? Natalie shook her head not really giving a shit what lecture the whiner was giving.

"Well you should be, Christian and I are in Love, he has the capacity to feel love, to express love, to ----"

"Oh, you know what that's great for you guys, so happy, I just don't have that much time for the sermon today, have a great day and give Chris my Love.. Oh wait sorry about that, wouldn't want to give him the wrong impression if you told him that he might come sniffing around again, just tell my Ex husband I said Hi!" Natalie said and started to walk away a bit from Evangeline, she smiled as she saw John walk behind her chuckling to himself as Evangeline walked off steaming.

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't help it" Natalie told John as she faced him, they both laughed and the intense staring was about to start again when Natalie broke eye contact this time. She slightly looked down and then walked away from him a few feet so not to be tempted with him being so close.

"It was nice seeing you John but.. I've gotta go"

"I understand, you seeing your family?" he asked and she nodded.

"Good, are you staying with them?"

"No, I'll probably be staying at the hotel"

"Angel square Hotel?" John questioned with a sneaky smile that he couldn't hide even if he tried.

" Of course, did ya think I would've changed that much as to stay at the Palace?"

"Had hoped you hadn't" John told her

Natalie was starting to become uncomfortable a little again, she needed to get out of there before things started taking a turn for the worse or even worse than that, for the better.

"Well I guess I'll see ya around" she said as she walked passed him and headed for the door of the station, he ran up behind her as she was trying so desperately to make her way out without.. Without showing her hand, showing what she hadn't realized was obvious, obvious to everyone in the station, that she was still very much John's, and He was hers, in their hearts. They still loved each other and to anyone watching them interact, they would know.

"Hey, before you go.. How about pool later? I mean if .. if you have time.. Wanna play some pool?" he asked her shy and vulnerable. She looked at his face, his shyness that she loved so much. She thought about saying no, but she didn't want to, she loved playing pool with him. She loved him.

"You know what? I would love to play pool sometime later"

"Great! Wait. You do mean you'd love to play pool with me later, right?" John was excited at first but then got a bit insecure, Natalie laughed at his insecurity; she shook her head and started to walk away again before she spoke.

"Yeah, with you John, of course with you" she said as he called back to her before she was completely out the door.

"Seven o'clock Rodi's?"

"See ya at seven" she told him as she was almost out in the parking lot.