A/N: ABC owns them
Chapter 2
John laid in bed that night awake he turned his head and stared out the window to the left of his bed, it was so still out, calm, dark, the only light that he saw was a small bit from the lamp post outside. He wanted so desperately to find sleep but he wasn't accomplishing it, he lay awake going over his day, his month, his life.
His life he told himself and he wasn't sure if he had wanted to laugh or cry. His life was far from interesting, far from light, it was dark, dark and miserable. He was dark and miserable most of the time, he wondered how he had gotten that way, how he became a person who had nothing more then work, a career, a career which began the whole focus of his being.
He turned his head up and stared at the ceiling, he shook it slowly and just a little as he thought about his career and why he had nothing else. He was 27 years old and he had nothing in his life, and had never really had, yeah, he had his mom but she was working on a cruise ship in the Caribbean, she was singing her little heart out and although they spoke quite often it really wasn't the same as her being here. He had a brother, a younger brother who he hadn't kept in touch with for a while an occasional letter here and there but that was it, nothing else, no wife, no girlfriend, not even a dog.
As he rolled on his side to try and get more comfortable he began to close his eyes and think, think about when the last time he laughed was, the last time anything, or anyone had caught his eye. He smiled, as he saw her in his head, the thing that made him laugh tonight, the beautiful thing that he couldn't keep his eyes off. He excited himself thinking of her, she was beautiful, more than beautiful smart too the way she worked that guy over, he chuckled to himself remembering how smooth she was, and then he touched his lips, he sighed, she was one hell of a kisser too, the heat he felt as her lips came upon him.
"Okay" he told himself out loud "tomorrow I find out all there is to know about the Red Head with the killer bode and lips" John also said out loud as he drifted off to sleep.
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Natalie curled up in the chair in her room, it was really late and she had just finished studying for one of her college exams that she was having tomorrow. She closed the book and let a bout of depression set in, she didn't score any money tonight, none, she needed that money from that con but that asshole Detective made her give it back. She shook her head as she went over to her small dresser and took out a tee shirt to sleep in.
She continued to become more depressed, her next college tuition payment was due soon, soon and if she didn't pay she was out, kicked out this time they said, she was late with the payments before and some how at the last minute she always came up with the cash, but this time it was very difficult, she already had three jobs, and they just didn't pay enough to pay the tuition and to keep Roxy face up so to speak.
She tried so hard not to give in to it, she fought it back but she couldn't help it, she became teary eyed. Things were getting desperate and she knew she might have to leave school, She needed to get her hands on some money and quick, she needed it, she was so desperate for it, she needed to get out of this place, the place she was living in and the town that just caused her heartaches growing up and took all of her. It was just to hard she told herself, to hard to stay a float around here and not let it take away who you were inside.
She walked over to her bed, shook it off, the depression, laid down and said a silent prayer, a prayer of questions, a prayer asking for answers to those questions, the questions of why did she feel like was suppose to have more, be more. She stopped praying, this is what I'm suppose to have in life. She told herself as she heard a drunken Roxy come in the front door of the apartment with a guy friend. She let out a sigh, pulled the pillow over her head, closed her eyes to shut out the misery and desolation she felt, Tomorrow was another day and she would survive it, she would again figure out how she would get thru paying for another semester and get thru the undeserving hand life had handed her.
The next day went fast for John, he was assigned a new partner, a Detective who had worked with his dad all those years ago, the guy was young then but now he was much older, wiser, tougher even, he gave john a run for his money at work today and although John was exhausted he loved every bit of it.
It was sometime about eight o'clock when John pulled up at the address on the paper that he held in his pocket on the shirt on his chest. He was so busy today but not to busy to look up all he could on the Red Head, the Red head who now had a name.
" Natalie" he said to himself as he smiled "Natalie Balsom" he said again and smiled yet again. He looked at the filthy apartment building and was almost disgusted by it, there was a man over in the corner and he was peeing on a light pole, he knew this part of town wasn't the best, hell, it was the worst part of AC, drugs, prostitution, corruption even murder. He now understood why she came across so tough last night, she had to be to survive this area, this part of town. He thought about her toughness and although she had the tough part down pat he could tell there was something else underneath, to what he wasn't sure but underneath he could almost se it, see a softer side, he was only hoping he got a chance to see that side up close and personal.
John continued to watch as he picked up a file on her, a file he printed up although she herself wasn't ever in any type of trouble her mom sure had been, even her younger brother at one point and time. Her life was messed up, beyond messed up, their were reports of neglect, abuse. The file also told him something that disappointed him to know end she was barely eighteen, just turned it three days ago to be exact, she was young, very young especially compared to him and he knew getting so worked up over a girl that young was wrong but he couldn't help himself, he was already so intrigued by her, he knew this more than likely wouldn't go anywhere but ... but just watching her, listening to her made him laugh so what the hell? He told himself
John shook his head not knowing why he really cared so much and so fast but he did for some reason and then he saw her walk out of her house, she got into her car wearing an even sexier outfit than he saw her in last night, she looked to kill, he stood frozen for a minute as he watched her drive off, he followed her closely but not to closely as he saw her get out of the car and go into a bar.
John followed her into the bar and she had already got herself a new chump. His guy even looked dumber than the one last night. He sat for a minute not far from the table and watched, she set the guy up and then she turned her head over to the right and saw him sitting there, their eyes locked and she sighed knowing this wasn't happening tonight she wouldn't be conning anyone out of anything, at least not with the good detective sitting near by. She didn't even try, she excused herself from the guy slowly and quietly as John smiled, she walked over by him, he was still smiling.
John watched her with his eyes never wavering from hers as she just gave up the con, the sting, she walked over by him, her eye's watching his and John continued to smile as her face seemed to say she conceded.
"Are you following me Detective?"
"No" he told her flirty
"Really cause it kinda looks like maybe you are, and I just figured I'd tell ya that I'm not into games, that is other than pool and what ever it is you think you might want from me isn't going to happen." she told him upfront and he smiled even wider
"Well that's good Ms. Balsom, cause pool is the only game I'm interested in also" John told her and she got a confused look on her beautiful face. She watched as John got up and went over towards the pool table that was now clear of people. He started to rack the balls.
"Do you want to break?" he asked her again smiling the same smile that hadn't left his face since seeing her tonight
Natalie stood frozen for a minute and she couldn't believe it, all he wanted was to play pool, there's got to be something else. She'd been around cops before, they always wanted something, and there was always a game a ploy behind their motives. No one, no cop, or anyone else just wanted to play pool.
"What's going on here?" Natalie asked him in a softer tone than a few minutes ago, almost as if letting her guard down.
" What do you mean, we are going to play pool? Is it alright if I break?" John asked and she slowly nodded her head yes. She still looked confused when he sank a few balls and then scratched, he went over and handed her a stick for she still looked confused. She looked into his face and took the stick, their fingers guided over the each others gently and they looked into each others eyes more intently, Natalie walked passed him and over to make a shot. She leaned down to line it up but didn't follow thru, she stood back up straight.
"Are we playing for something here?" she asked wanting to know what she was getting herself into
"Yeah, for fun, maybe even friendship" he told her and her breath caught in her throat, she was a little shocked by his words, it was almost sweet. Natalie loosened up a bit at his words, she never really thought he was like the others, the other cops she knew, the ones that tried so hard and that were so dirty. She relaxed a bit and decided to see just how much fun she could have with this guy.. this.. this detective...
"Do you have a name?" she asked him and h smiled as he watched her start to line up another shot, he watched her make the shot and then he went closer to her and put out his hand to shake it.
"John Mcbain" he told her and they shook hands, he held her hand in his a bit longer than he should have and he knew it, she pulled her hand out of his and looked away quickly, she moved away to make her next shot, she missed it on purpose, he looked at her and again his smile came to his face.
"You're trying to take it easy on me aren't you? Are you trying to con me?" he said teasing and she laughed, the ice at that point was officially broken
