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 22

Bo came back up just in time to hear John's ringing declaration of love. Seeing John throw his badge in his former bosses face was quite amusing and he was happy that John was admitting he was in love with Natalie. He came up to the two men and said, "John can I speak to you in my office?" Motioning to the office door on the right side of the room, he waited for John's nod and led the way into the office.

John closed the door behind him wondering what to expect. "Bo...I..." John started to say but Bo cut him off

"I have an idea how to get Natalie out of here." Bo explained, seeing that John was all ears he went on, "We need to find Gloria Renolds. If she can come in and corroborate Natalie's version of events, providing she tells us all what happened of course, then the charges will have to be dropped."

John knew that but he also knew that Gloria probably wouldn't come in to help Natalie out. "I'd thought of that but first we have to find her then we have to convince her to come in. I don't think she will."

"I'll find her. I have all the Buchanan backing so finding her will be the easy part. I agree though. She probably won't want to talk to us."

John was just happy to have a plan, something that might help get Natalie out of jail before she was taken back to Atlantic City. He knew that once she was back there it would be even harder to prove her innocence and the fact that she had killed the real Victor Grossman was more likely to come out if they pressured her. He feared she might break down and tell them because of the quilt she felt for taking a life. He knew she felt guilty because he heard her crying in her sleep that she didn't mean to do it and that she was sorry. The guilt was tearing her up inside but every time he tried to talk to her about it she would clam up and refuse to talk about it.

"First we find her," He told Bo. Looking out the office window he saw that Asa, Agent Franklin, Agent Johnson and Dune were arguing with each other. "When will that lawyer be here?" He asked Bo.

Bo also looked out at them and said, "Soon I hope." Picking up the phone he started making the calls that would bring him to Gloria.

John left the office and went down to the holding cells, needing to see Natalie. He saw her sitting on the cot looking dejected. "Natalie." He said.

Natalie looked up and saw John outside the bars. She could tell by his expression something had happened. "Did you find something?"

John smiled slightly at her ability to read him and said, "We are planning to find Gloria. She can clear your name. We just need to convince her to talk."

She smiled at him, relieved that Bo had understood. But it also worried her because she knew that it was a long shot, if Gloria didn't talk of if they couldn't find her... ""John, what if you can't find her?"

"We'll find her. You have the entire Buchanan clan looking." He said taking her hands through the bars and squeezing them reassuringly. He was positive that they would find her though he was less sure they could get her to talk. After all if the FBI ruled it anything other then self-defense she could be considered an accomplice.

Natalie nodded even though she was still scared and uncertain. Stepping closer to the bars she wound her arms through and hugged John around the waist. When he hugged her tightly in return she was comforted. They stood like that for a long time, just holding each other.

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Bo smiled triumphantly as he hung up the phone. They had found her and she was closer then anyone had expected. He needed to tell! Getting up he walked out into the station and groaned. The FBI guys were still here, even after they had been told that it would probably be late when Stanley Morgan, Natalie's Lawyer, got there. Asa was still here too, as was Vicki. She had gone down to see Natalie but had come back up quickly saying that Natalie was getting the comfort she needed.

It was strange having a daughter. He loved her as much as Matthew yet had only known her a few days. He would do just about anything to keep her from jail so going behind the FBI's back and finding Gloria didn't bother him in the lease. He was shocked that John had told his boss to shove his job up is ass but it did create an opportunity to keep Natalie in Llanview once all this was settled.

Walking down to the cells Bo thought about his plan to offer John the currently vacant Chief of Detectives job. He only hoped John would take it. Not only would it keep John and Natalie in Llanview but also John was an excellent cop and would be a huge asset to the police department.

As Bo rounded the corner and stepped into the cell room he saw John with his arms around Natalie thru the bars. Clearing his throat Bo chuckled as they jumped apart like guilty teenagers. Coming closer he said, "I found her."

As Bo stepped forward and cleared his throat John had suddenly felt like a teen getting caught copping a feel of his girlfriend and being caught by her father. Bu when he spoke John's brain kicked into all-business mode. Gloria had been found and now they had a chance of getting Natalie out of this cell tonight!

John nodded and again reached for Natalie hand. "I'll find her and bring her back here. You'll be out of here but the morning. I promise." John said and then asked Bo, "Where is she?"

Seeing that they were gonna talk business Natalie shooed them out, hurrying them along. She wanted to get out of this cell, and fast! As they left she was filled with an unexpected feeling of hope. She wasn't used to feeling such an emotion but there it was. She had John to thank for that. He had brought hope and some semblance of happiness into her life just when she thought it was going down the toilet.

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John talked to Bo for a minute then headed for his car. Gloria was so close, only 3 towns over, and he was determined to bring her back. As he walked out of the station he looked behind him trying to see if he were being followed. Once he was positive he wasn't being followed he continued to his car. Stepping out into the street he failed to see the speeding car that was coming around the corner.

He felt the pain first, in his head and leg then here heard the screeching tires as the driver slammed on the brakes trying to stop. Falling to the ground blackness engulfed him and his last conscious thought was that he had failed Natalie.

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Vicki didn't feel guilty for eavesdropping. This was her daughter after all. Hearing the address of the woman that could clear Natalie she didn't wait for anything else. Leaving while John and Bo were still talking she jumped in her car and made her way to Gloria, hoping that a mothers pleading would convince the other woman to come in and help Natalie. She didn't hear all the commotion or even know that a reckless driver hit John. All she knew was that she needed to find Gloria and bring her here.

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Bo heard a loud screeching stop and then a tire squealing take off and had a terrible feeling in his gut. He ran outside and saw a brown ford taking off down the road. Looking in the street he noticed someone lying in the middle, obviously having been hit. He shouted behind him for someone to call an ambulance then took off at a run to the prone figure in the street.

As he stopped in front of the man he was shocked. It was John! Carefully checking John's pulse Bo looked back and saw that almost the entire station was out on the steps. He prayed someone had called an ambulance and was relived when he heard the sirens. Giving his description of the car to another officer as John was loaded into the ambulance, Bo also got in. He needed to go with John, his son-in-law, not only to get his accounting of the events when he woke up but also so that he could assure Natalie that John would be ok. He knew that once she found out she would want to know everything!

To be continued...