Disclaimers: See chapter 1 or anything else I've written here.

Author's note: I can't thank you guys enough for sticking through me on this one. Judging by responses and hits on this site this has been my most popular chaptered story, and while I don't understand it, I thank you all for that.

I learned some valuable lessons on this story. Like I shouldn't write mysteries. Not if I want to stay sane. Not to start posting until I have a rough plot outline. Not to write a Jolie story where the characters don't really share a scene for 16 chapters—it only builds expectations a little too high for when they finally get one. I'm telling you now said scene is in this chapter. Please lower your expectations now. Okay, I feel slightly less terrified.

That wasn't me fishing, just me being unsatisfied with the end of this story (I hate writing endings).

Spencer looked anxiously around the lab as if he were trying to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. Just as he roughly jerked Natalie toward the door the handle rattled. When whoever it was found the door locked they began banging and Bo's voice bellowed, "Truman, we know you're in there. Open the door!"

Startled at the unexpected interruption, Spencer dropped his guard for a moment which was all Natalie needed to twist free of his grasp. Recovering slightly he lunged at her as Natalie grabbed hold of the arm holding the syringe and jammed it as hard as she could against his chest. The needle penetrated the skin and before he had a chance to remove it Natalie hit the plunger with the palm of her hand, pushing it all the way in.

Spencer stared at her wide eyed and staggered backwards a step as someone kicked the door open and Bo and Rex burst in. Raising his gun Bo said, "Spencer Truman, you are under arrest for the murders of Thomas McBain and one Dr. Snyder as well as the attempted murder of John McBain." Without lowering his weapon Bo handed his handcuffs to Rex and motioned in Spencer's direction with his head.

Still stunned Spencer did not resist as Rex jerked his hands behind his back and closed the cuffs around them. It was only after they were latched that he managed to stammer, "Wait. You need to take me upstairs. I need immediate medical attention."

"Yeah right," Rex said, but Bo noticed for the first time the syringe still sticking out of his lab coat.

"What was that?" he asked Natalie.

"He said it was a virus," she said, her heart still pounding, "the same one he gave Kevin at New Year's."

"That was you?" Bo asked.

"There really isn't time for this," Spencer said as beads of sweat formed on his face.

"I guess you never planned on contracting it yourself," Bo said smiling at him.

Spencer swayed and fell to his knees. "Please, I need…"

Looking over his fallen form Rex made eye contact with Natalie. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she said. "He threatened me, but that was all. I'm fine."

He nodded, "There's someone upstairs who wants to see you."

She looked at him blankly for a moment before it occurred to her, "John?"

He nodded. "He woke up a little while ago. He's the one who led us to you actually."

"What?" she asked.

"I'll explain later," he said, "after I understand it myself."

Natalie turned a questioning look to her uncle, "Can I…?"

"Go," Bo told her with a paternal smile, "you can make your statement later."

"Thank you," she said as she sprinted to the stairs.

She opened the door to his room to find John's mother and brother hovering around his bed. John saw her first and the others turned, following his gaze. "They said you wanted to see me," she said, fighting back the tears which had sprung to her eyes.

Michael snorted. "We practically had to sedate him to keep him from going after you himself." Sobering a little he said, "So they found you?"

"Yeah," she said, "I'm fine."

"And Truman?"

"In custody," she said, "well sort of."

"You know what?" Michael said starting toward the door, "I'll let them fill me in."

Taking his hint Eve stood up and said, "I'll leave you two alone. I know you have a lot to talk about."

Even after she left Natalie stood by the door unable to move foreword.

"You okay?" John asked groggily.

"Am I okay?" she asked with a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. You have no idea how good it feels to see those blue eyes looking back at me finally."

"Yeah, I do," he said, "I've been on the other side of this, remember?"

"Yeah, I guess that's true," she said moving towards him. "Why does it always take one of us almost dying before the other one can admit how they feel about them?"

"I don't know," he said.

"Are you okay?" she asked making her way to his bedside. "I heard your voice. You called me. You sounded afraid that's why I rushed over here and then Truman told me that you-"

"Not for myself," he said. "I wasn't scared for me. She said you were in trouble and I… I guess I was trying to warn you. I didn't mean to call you here… I led you right to Truman."

"No," she said squeezing his hand, "no you didn't. He just happened to find me. And it doesn't matter anyway, I'm fine. And you're going to be fine. Although your hairstyle may never recover," she said playfully. "I don't know if you've seen yourself--most of the right side of your head had to be shaved."

"I'll live with it," he said with a weak smile.

"Living being the key word," Natalie said tenderly. Hesitating she continued, "You said 'she', John, who were you talking about?"

"Caitlyn," he said, "she was here. Or where ever I was. She told me where to find you. It sounds crazy, I know-"

"Most things with us are," she said lifting his hand to her lips, "so much has happened in the last couple days... but we can talk about all of that later. I don't want you wearing yourself out."

"You shouldn't either," he said.

"Oh believe me when I tell you that seeing you awake gives me more than enough energy," she said with a tearful smile.

"Natalie," he said softly, "I know."

"Know what?" she asked.

"About the baby," he said.

"Oh no," she said the smile fading from her face, "you heard. I should have thought about that, I mean they told me you could hear, but-"

"Natalie, it's okay," he interjected.

"No," she said, "You don't understand-"

"Look I know that it's not an ideal situation," he said, "but this baby-"

"John there is no baby," she finally managed to interject.

"What?" he asked looking at her blankly.

"I'm not really pregnant," she said, "we made that up to draw attention away from you and onto me."

"You what?" he asked starting to raise his voice.

"Calm down," she said sternly, "I promise you can yell at me as much as you want later, but please don't send yourself back into a coma because you're pissed at me for trying to save your life."

"I'm not…" he looked at her, "are you sure?"

"Yeah John," she said with a small laugh, "I'm sure. It's been a couple months since we… I think I'd know by now." Seeing the stunned expression on his face she said, "You're disappointed."

"It's not that," he said, "it just doesn't make sense."

"I'm sorry," she said, "It was just one of my stupid schemes. But it worked, Truman believed it and-"

"No," he said, "you don't understand. I saw him."

"Truman?"

"Our son," he said.

"Our son?" she asked bewildered.

He stared at her trying to make sense out of his visions based on her revelation. "I saw you and our son but I wasn't there with you. I wanted to be, but I couldn't get to you."

"Well, maybe that's just what you needed to motivate you to come back to us," she said.

"I don't know," he said, staring off into space, still trying to grasp this, "I tried… but it didn't work. And when I saw Caitlyn I thought she was there to take me with her and I told her I couldn't leave you two… but I couldn't manage to wake myself up. Not until she told me that you were in danger and I needed to save you. But I talked to her about the baby, why didn't she tell me?"

"I don't know, John," she said shaking her head, "There isn't much of this that makes a whole lot of sense."

"I guess," he said looking away. It was strange how much grief he felt over the loss of something he'd never really had. He tried to hide it though, it wasn't her fault and he didn't want to upset her.

"You know John," Natalie said hesitantly, "just because I'm not pregnant now… it doesn't necessarily mean we won't have a son."

"And I don't have to die now to wind up leaving you two alone," he said without looking at her.

"Like your father did," she said, understanding the heaviness behind his words.

"Truman was responsible for my father's death," he said turning back to her.

"It looks that way," she nodded.

"No, he was," he said, "one of the cops from the AC PD he was paying off admitted to it. I found that out the day before… I was just trying to get together a little more concrete evidence because I'm not exactly on good terms with them down at the station right now and I knew it had to be airtight."

"That's why Spencer tried to have you killed," she said.

"Layla Williamson called me," he said trying to piece it all together, "she said that Truman had Evangeline. Something about Todd I guess. I went down there, I had to…"

Natalie nodded, not thrilled with the idea of John running to his ex's rescue, but understanding his nature well enough to know it was unavoidable. "Spencer was blackmailing her. She confessed. And David filled in for us a lot of what happened back then."

John let his eyes close. "Maybe my dad can rest in peace now. Truman will go to jail."

"If he lives that long," she said.

His eyes shot open as he looked at her curiously. "He tried to inject me with a virus," she explained, "the same one Kevin had. But he wound up with the needle in his own chest."

"Thanks to you?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said, a little proud of herself.

"That's my girl," he said squeezing her hand. He looked at her carefully again; it seemed like so long since he'd seen her face. "Are you sure you're not-?" he glanced down towards her stomach.

"Well I was five minutes ago," she said as she mentally tried to do some quick calendar math, "but you're kinda starting to freak me out."

"Sorry," he said.

"Looks like I'll be stopping by the drug store on my way home tonight," she sighed.

"Maybe you're right," he said, "maybe it was more of a hypothetical type thing."

"Maybe," she said.

Noticing she had gone quiet after a moment he asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"Truman," she said, "when he had me downstairs… he wanted to use the baby as leverage to keep you quiet. And to make me behave—he told me the virus would probably kill the baby. I told him there was no baby and it kinda threw him. He wasn't sure whether to believe me but… we fought. It didn't last long, but if I'd thought I was really pregnant I don't know if I would have been so aggressive. If I would have fought as hard… I just…I don't know I- "

"Shh," he said gently, "we don't have to work through all of this tonight."

"No we don't," she said with a smile of relief, "we have time. Which is a pretty amazing gift."

"Yeah it is," he said reaching up to brush her face with his fingertips, "it's good to be back."

"I just want to make one thing clear though," she said taking on a stern tone all of a sudden, "if we do have children. Whether it's sooner or later, you better not leave me alone to raise them."

"That's the last thing I'd ever want to do," he said.

"So no more gunshots and no more comas, okay?"

"I'll make you a deal," he said, "I'll stay away from the near death experiences if you will."

"Deal," she said kissing his hand again. He tugged on her hands, bringing her closer. Natalie rose from the chair, leaning forward until her face was hovering inches away from his. Tenderly, still in wonder that he had this opportunity, John circled his hand around her head and pulled her lips to his own. As the kiss deepened Natalie relaxed, letting her weight rest on his chest and they became lost in each other, unaware of the passage of time until the sound of someone clearing his throat brought them back to the outside world.

"Sorry to interrupt," Bo said with a smile as Natalie pulled away guiltily, "I just thought you both should know that Truman's being treated a couple rooms down. We have guards on him, but I doubt they'll be needed. He's not going anywhere for a while. They think he'll recover enough to stand trial though, so once you get the case together…"

"Thanks," John said hoarsely.

"And I don't want to be a party pooper-" Michael said sticking his head in behind Bo.

"So don't," his brother mumbled.

"-but he really does need his rest."

"I was asleep for three days!" John protested.

"Listen to your brother," Natalie scolded him, "he's right. I don't want to wear you out."

"Not to mention she hasn't slept in three days," Michael added.

John frowned at her, "You should sleep."

She nodded as she stood up, "I think I finally can, knowing you're okay. After I stop and pick up… you know what we were talking about."

"Okay," he murmured.

"I'll be back first thing in the morning though," she said, fingering his hair, "if not sooner."

"Give me a call if you… you know, if you find anything out," he said.

She leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead, careful to avoid the bandages. "John, I don't think you can hold a phone to your ear, but if I find anything out I think I'll be telling you in person."

"What are you two talking about?" Michael asked.

"I told you," she said walking by him with a smile, "there are details of my relationship with your brother that I'm not going to share with you." With one last glance at John she said, "I'll see you soon. I love you."

"Me too," he said drowsily. It was only later, after they talked that he understood why she and Michael both flinched as he said those words, waiting for the monitors to go off.

Fin.

That means the end.

Finally!