A/N I do not own these characters. If I did Jolie fanfic would be unnecessary because they would have good s/l's on the show. However since the Hack is head writer and can't write to save her life fanfic is necessary; hence this story.

Chapter 21

John stood next to Natalie as she proudly announced that he was her husband and was once again struck by how much he liked hearing her say that. He never imagined himself a romantic but every time she called him her husband he got a thrill. He loved her so much that some times it scared him. The fact that he could feel this way so quickly scared him. He could feel her clutch his hand tightly as they waited for their reaction to her news.

There was a heavy silence, everyone shocked. Bo had said nothing about her being married! After a long moment Asa exclaimed, "What!"

Bo was just as shocked as everyone else but he knew John had been in love with Natalie he just hadn't known She returned his feelings. Obviously she did so he hastened to try to sooth things over, "John works for the FBI. He has been protecting Natalie from the Mob. There was a contract out on her life and he kept her safe."

"My granddaughter will not be married to some money grubbing FBI grunt! I won't allow it!" Asa bellowed, then seeing Natalie's furious expression he said, "He is after your money, surely you can see that!"

"I don't have any money you arrogant ass!" Natalie said coldly.

"Actually you do," Kevin spoke up, "The minute Asa heard about the DNA results he set up a 5 million dollar trust fund for you."

Natalie gasped and was about to answer when John did it for her. "With all do respect sir when I married Natalie I didn't know she was a Buchanan."

"But you knew it was a possibility! You knew she might be and you wanted to get rich quick!" Asa said accusingly.

"Look I would have married Natalie if she had been living on the street in a cardboard box. I don't care if she has money, frankly I wish she didn't, and I don't appreciate the insinuation that I married her for money!" John growled at Asa.

Natalie was confused, not by John's anger but by his words, he actually sounded like he meant it when he had said he would have married her if she were living on the street in a box! The intensity in his voice frightened her in a way that she couldn't really explain. She looked at him trying to figure out what to say to that, nothing she could think of sounded appropriate to her.

As everyone was once again rendered silent a loud banging on the door made them all jump. Vicki went to the door and opened it. Standing there were two men in black suits. The looked official and asked if Natalie Balsom was there. When Vicki let them in John saw that they were FBI. "Johnson, Franklin. What are you doing here?" he asked a trifle nervous. Surely they didn't know about the canceled contract already. "How did you even know where we were?"

Johnson answered, "I had them follow you. We are here to arrest the girl." Seeing John's look he said, "You knew this would happen after the contract was lifted, John."

"Arrest? For what?" Asa demanded. "Natalie's not going anywhere until I get some answers!"

"Who are you?" Franklin asked arrogantly, unused to dealing with this sort of thing.

"I am Asa Buchanan. Natalie is my granddaughter and she isn't going nowhere until you answer me!" Asa told him belligerently.

"Well Sir," Johnson said, "Your granddaughter is under arrest for murdering Victor Grossman." Nodding to Franklin he said, "Cuff her."

As Franklin moved forward to handcuff Natalie John jumped in front of her and said, "Stay away from My Wife!"

The two men were shocked. They had known John a long time and never had he gotten involved with a suspect! This was just so unlike him, and to marry the girl! "You married her!" Franklin gasped out.

"Yes! Now stay away from her!" John said, panicking. He knew that they were going to arrest Natalie and there was nothing he could do to stop it. "It was self defense! He attacked her." John said knowing that they wouldn't believe him.

Franklin sighed, "Do you have proof? Witnesses?"

Asa and Bo were both strangely silent thru all of this. But suddenly Asa piped up, "I'm calling Natalie's lawyer. Don't say anything else either of you!"

"I don't have a lawyer." Natalie told him.

"I hired you one. The best!" Asa said reaching for his cell phone. Calling the lawyers office he said, "Morgan Stanley please. Its Asa Buchanan!"

It was then that the room erupted in chaos. Everyone began talking at once and demanding that the FBI men leave. John and Natalie exchanged looks both knowing that she was going to be arrested. Finally Natalie whistled really loudly and said, "Look I know you all want to help but we all know that there isn't anything to be done till my lawyer gets here."

With that said she put her arms out in front of her and Johnson put on the cuffs. Bo stepped up and said, "I'm Bo Buchanan, Llanview's Police commissioner, and I know my daughters rights. You can't remove her to federal custody before she has had a chance to speak to her lawyer!"

Johnson shot a look at Franklin who nodded in grudging agreement. They looked from Bo to Asa to John and finally said, "Fine! But she still has to go to jail! We insist she be locked up in a cell tonight, right now in fact!"

Natalie sighed; she was scared. After all she had done she belonged in jail but she really didn't want to go there! "John?" she whispered to him, hoping that he had some clever way to get her out of this. She was about to be arrest for something she technically had done but just not when they said she had done it. In this case it really had been self-defense and an accident.

"It'll be ok," John said to her, praying he could think of something. He knew the FBI's case on her and it was all circumstantial. Still...he had seen people convicted with less. He took Natalie aside while everyone was still yelling at each other and took both her hands in his. "Look you are going to have to spend a night or two in the cell but once we get a bail hearing we'll get you out. I'll get you out! I'll figure out how to get you out of this. I promise!" An intense look passed between them and John leaned down and covered her mouth with his own, kissing her gently.

All too soon it was over and Johnson was pulling out his handcuffs. "Natalie Balsom, you are under arrest for the murder of Victor Grossman. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say could be held against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney, if you cannot afford an attorney one will be appointed to you free of charge. You have the right..." he continued but Natalie wasn't listening, she had her eyes glued on John. He looked both furious and resigned. As if feeling her eyes on him he looked up. As Johnson began to pull her to the door he mouthed, "I promise!"

Asa seeing Johnson and Franklin begin to lead Natalie to the door chimed in and shouted, "I demand to know the name of your supervisor I am going to file a complaint!"

John looked to Asa quickly and then at Franklin and answered, "His name is Paul Dune. I have his number right here." That was his boss and he would love to see Asa take him on. That was something he would pay to see. Despite the situation he chuckled a bit and handed Asa the number. "He is in the area he could probably meet us at the station." John told Asa knowing that the boss would have came with Johnson and Franklin on this case. It was practically a mob case and that was what Dune loved, to get his name in the paper.

Practically growling in annoyance Franklin glared at Bo and said, "Lets get her in a cell. We don't have all night." Although he didn't want to Bo was forced to lead them out of the house, he could see both John and Asa coming behind him and grinned. Franklin also saw this and said, "What's this?"

John grinned his usual sarcastic grin and said, "You didn't think I was just going to twittle my thumbs while you arrest my wife and throw her in a cell, did you? What does it look like I we are doing? We're going with you. Natalie isn't going anywhere with out me.

Natalie smiled at him gratefully as she was lead to the car. The drive to the station was tense and silent and Natalie was lead out of the car and to the station front doors, she heard John again behind her and twisted around. Seeing him there with Asa, Kevin and Vicki was a shock to her. She was unused to anyone being there for her and now she had not only gained a husband but an entire family, it was very overwhelming to her.

They all went inside the station. Bo led Johnson and Natalie down to the cells and opened one up reluctantly. He looked at Natalie and said, "I'm sorry, I don't want to do this." As he shut the cell door and took off her cuffs though the bars she whispered to him, "Gloria Renolds. She was there. You have to find her." Bo nodded and glanced quickly at Agent Johnson to see if he had heard anything.

"What was that?" Johnson asked trying to hear what they were saying.

Meanwhile upstairs Paul Dune had arrived and Franklin had filled him in to what had been going on. Upon hearing of John's marriage to Natalie he became furious. "What were you thinking McBain! She is a murderer for God sake! This is unacceptable! You leave me with no choice."

John knew what was coming but asked anyway. "What choice is that?" His voice hard and cold, showing the depths of his anger towards the other man. He knew Natalie was innocent. He would love and stick by her even if she weren't and he would give up anything to be with her, and he was about to.

"You know exactly what I am going to say John. You have a choice, either you dissolve your marriage to the Balsom girl or I will have to fire you. I can't have my agents going around and marrying our suspects, not only is it against the rules it looks bad for the agency. So it's either the girl or your job." Dune fully expected John to pick his job, it was his life and he had spent years getting where he was. No way would he let a woman cost him that.

"Fine if you're forcing me to choose then I chose Natalie. You can take your job and shove it up your ass!" John said throwing his badge into the older mans face. "I love her and I will not abandon her when she needs me the most!"

To Be Continued...