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Chapter 14

Natalie walked into the station to see him already in his office. He was on the phone with his back to the door and she debated whether she should approach him. Whether talk to him again, give him her address now even. She watched his back and she saw him about to turn so she quickly moved from where she was, she hide from him, why? She asked herself, why would she not want him to see her? She knew why. She was feeling a bit embarrassed about what happened last night, that she had told him her darkest secrets, all about her, well almost all about her, almost all her secrets. There was still one that she couldn't tell anyone, one she was so ashamed of, that she swore she would never tell him, tell anyone. But... but that was before she let someone in, before she let him in.

Natalie stood with her back to the wall just outside his office, she was looking down at the ground caught up in her own thoughts, so caught up she didn't realize he was now standing in front of her.

"Hey" he said and she jumped sky high.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he said and he saw her jumbling for words to say, she was getting red in the face and he was actually a bit amused by it. She saw his amusement and it made her a bit mad.

'What?" she said a bit loud and obnoxious, he laughed, it broke the tension, she laughed to.

"Did you need to see me for something?" he asked and smiled at her.

"Like what?" she answered flirting, she knew he was talking about her address. He looked around the office to make sure no one was around; he brought his mouth real close to her ear.

"We are still on for tonight right?" he asked in a low raspy voice that sent chills down her spine, she smiled.

"Yeah, we're still on" she told him as he noticed a few officers walking towards them; he pulled his mouth away from her ear. He motioned for her to follow him into the office. She did and then he closed the door.

"Were you hiding from me?" he asked and she knew she had been busted, she knew it before when he was standing over by her but she thought with all the flirting he would just ignore it, forget about it.

"Yeah"

"Why?" he asked her as she took a seat across from him, he too sat.

"Cause... Because I'm embarrassed Okay? I mean, I told you all this stuff, stuff I never tell people, never told anyone and I know nothing about you" she told him and he smiled

'That's not true, you know I'm good in the sack, remember that's what you said earlier" he told her grinning, she grinned back for a second.

"Yeah, I know that but... you want me to be honest, it bothers me a little that I know nothing about you, and that you now know so much about me, It makes me feel like you have the upper hand."

"Alright, tonight, on our date, I'll tell you anything you want to know, anything" he said and she smiled.

"Anything?" she said now flirting again, he shook his head yes.

"Okay, I'll see ya later around seven" she said and started to walk out of the room

"Aren't you forgetting something?" he asked and she laughed

"No I'm not, I'm in the computer, just look up the address," she told him as she walked out the door.

Natalie was about to leave work when she walked out of the lab and saw her Uncle and John standing in the hall, she smiled at them.

"Hey Honey cutting out early tonight huh? Its only two hours over the clock tonight, something wrong you sick?" he asked joking a bit, he knew Natalie, she never left the station this early, it was barely five. She gave him a smirk and continued to walk out the door of the station as he called after her joking.

"Guess you must have a really Hot date to get ready for, if you don't have time to hang around and put me in my place tonight" he told her and she turned a bit, she was red in the face. She looked at John quick, and then looked back at her uncle. Bo wasn't stupid, he saw her red face, the way she looked at John, and he knew something was up but he ignored it for now.

"Just don't want to be late for dinner, that's all" she told him and she left the station, her red face and all, Bo turned to John after he saw her leave, he was just as red.

'John, we need to talk, my office" he told him and John followed him into his office

"John, is there something going on with my niece and You I should know about?" Bo asked point blank, John stood stunned, frozen even; he hadn't expected him to ask that, at least not so straight forward. He was fumbling on his words; they weren't even recognizable when Bo let him off the hook.

"I didn't mean to ask, and to ask so bluntly, I know its none of my business, however... if there is something going on whether it be the two of not getting along or the two of you getting along to well, if it interferes in my station, then it will be my business, and... Natalie, her being my niece, I'm very protective of her, there are things in her background that I know still affect her today, and I will not tolerate anyone, especially a man affecting her well being again. Are we clear?" he told John.

John listened to his words, Bo obviously knew something about all that Natalie had told him, but she said she never told anyone. He was confused.

"Things in her background? We've gotten a little close, she's told me some things, said she hasn't ever told anyone, How do you Know? You've had her looked up," he asked and then he realized Bo knew things by looking back into her past.

"I had to have her looked up, to work here, you know that, and as for you two being close... I can sort of see it, the two of you come across as the same type of person, and when I had your background searched I see she isn't the only one with issues, you however have seemed to overcome yours, she hasn't"

"Yes, I have my issues, and yes I have been able to overcome them, they never really go away but they become manageable, as for your niece... I'm not really sure why but she seems to trust me a bit, she's opened up a bit, let me a bit, and... I'd like to get to know her more, maybe help her open up more if I can that is." he told Bo and Bo shook his head.

"You know, I've never seen her respond to anyone the way she does you. Not even her husband or when she briefly dated your brother. If she's already opened up to you after only knowing you a short time, that's a good thing, you seem like a nice guy. Maybe, and I say maybe, maybe you are just what she needs, needs to find some type of happiness, content, peace" Bo told him and then his phone rang. He started to take the call, motioned to a shocked looking John that he was going to take the call in private and walked away.

John heard everything Bo Buchanan said about his niece, he apparently loved her very much, and he even heard that he said his brother, Michael? He questioned. Of course Michael, he hadn't another brother, Bo said they dated briefly, why was this the first time he was hearing of this? Is that why Michael was so bent on him not pursuing her? He shook his head as he gathered his things from his office and headed out for the night.

Seven O'clock came fast, Natalie was all ready to go, and she wore a basic blue tee shirt, a pair of faded jeans, and her black boots. She came down stairs of her cottage just as she heard the doorbell ring; he was here already, she told herself, as she stood frozen for a few seconds.

'Was she ready for this?' she asked herself as she felt a bit panicky inside. 'Would she let him in more tonight?' she asked as she now became nervous. 'Would she be able to control herself around him?' she asked herself, as she got really nervous now. She again heard the doorbell and she shook it off, the nervousness, she opened the door to his smiling face, 'Just have a good time natty' she told herself as she studied his eyes for a few minutes before he spoke.

"Hey, are you ready to go?" he asked her as they stared at each other still.

"Yeah, I am, I just wasn't sure where we were going so I wasn't sure how to dress, am I dres--" she was asking when he cut her off

"You're fine, better than fine, you look great" he told her as he grinned at her, she grinned back at him, he put out his arm, she took it and they left the cottage.

"Where are we going?" she asked and he smiled

'Well..." he said and then stopped. She looked at him confused.

"I thought we'd start at that Rodi's place, a few burgers, pool, a few beers," he told her and she smiled,

"I take it by your smile that meets your approval?" he asked joking and flirty

"Yeah, I love Rodi's, its my most favorite place' she told him almost beaming

"I kinda figured that" he said and they left.

They had arrived at Rodi's hours ago, they played pool and ate, was having a great time. They were at a table just talking, she hadn't asked him anything about himself yet, she wanted to wait to enjoy the night first, later, there would be time to ask him later, they were laughing about a case John was telling her about when they turned to see Michael standing next to them at the table. Michael was actually standing next to them as they continued to laugh for a few minutes just observing them interact before they even realized he was there.

"Hey" Michael said as they finally saw him, John and Nat both said Hello.

"Want to join us?" Natalie asked and John made a face, Natalie looked at him confused, this was his brother, what he hell was wrong with him.

"Michael is probably busy I'm sure" John said and Michael now looked at him, it was a bit awkward, the three of them didn't say a word for a few minutes. Natalie sensed the tension; Hell the whole bar could sense the tension.

"You know what? Michael stay for a few minutes talk to your brother, I have to use the ladies room" she told him and excused herself. Michael nodded his head and sat across from John.

"What's up Johnny? You and Natalie seeing each other now?" he asked him a bit cold and then he relaxed.

"And what if we are?" John spat back not liking Michael tone and definitely not liking the fact that Michael never told John he had gone out with Natalie.

"You know what? Nothing, never mind" Michael told John and John wasn't letting it pass.

"Are you so negative about me seeing her cause you have past experience with her?' John asked coldly

"Now I get it, she told you, you know, that's why, why you are tense, things are tense between us" he said to John and john nodded his head, they both didn't speak for a few minutes, they noticed she came out of the bathroom and stopped by the bar to talk to the bartender. She was laughing

"She and I barely dated, we decided to be friends, which ended better than how it does with most of the guys that she's dated. It was along time ago, three years maybe, she's got issues."

"So why are you telling me this now? Not the first time we spoke about her."

"Not sure why, I just think... maybe I've never seen her like this before. Look at her; she seems different somehow. Not sure how to put my finger on it, maybe you're good for her. I just hope she's good for you, you've just moved on from your own issues," he told him as they saw her start to walk back.

"She's good for me, we're good for each other, and she just hasn't realized it yet"

"And you have?" Michael asked John quickly as she approached.

"Yep, I have" John said with a smile as she took a seat, Michael excused himself and left.

"It's late" she said as she sat and looked at him, his eye's seem to be staring straight thru her.

"I know, let me take you home" he told her and they left the bar.

John drove them back to her house, in silence for a few minutes until Natalie had to get something off her chest.

"You know about me dating your brother along time ago, don't you?" she asked and he shook his head yes.

"Is that a problem?" she asked and he didn't answer it, he wasn't sure, it wasn't much of a problem, he just didn't like the fact or the thought of her having had slept with her brother.

"He and I never slept together" she said knowing just what he was thinking, she saw him smile briefly as he faced forward and watched the road, he reached over with the hand that wasn't on the wheel and took hers, he intermingled their fingers and now it was her turn to smile.

They arrived at her cottage and walked to the front door, she opened the lock and turned to him.

"Wanna come in?" she asked a bit shyly, he smiled, he wanted to go in, he really wanted to but... but he didn't know how he would keep his hands off her if they were in there alone, they had such a great time tonight, he at this point wanted her even more than he had wanted her before.

"Not sure it's a good idea," he told her and she understood perfectly but she didn't want the night to end, she hadn't even found out anything about him yet

"I understand, I just...I'm just having so much fun I don't want it to end, I haven't even learned anything about you yet" she told him and he looked at her, she was so damn beautiful, how could he turn this down.

"Okay, just for a few minutes, that way you can ask me a few questions" he told her and she pushed the door open and they went inside.