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Chapter 7

Natalie sat in the car with Travis Johnson, a man she talked down into surrendering eight years ago, a man who was a killer. She was blindfolded and her hands were even tied. Not too tight but he tied them. At first she thought him to be sick, still crazy, he had gone away to a home of the insane all those years ago but she was unaware that he had been let out. Natalie shook her head, she would have to try and get him talking again, but she was unsure how to handle it. He called her Sheryl, his dead wife's name at Connors school. 'Connor' she sighed inside as she thought about what a mess her boy must be right about now, what a mess John must be inside right now. How they both, both of her men in her life were probably trying really hard to hold it together and figure this out.

"Connor, you need to go to Aunt Jess', be with her and with your sisters" JOhn told him as he drove him towards the carriage house

"No" Connor said shaking his head " its my fault that man was around, I was mad at mommy even, I'm going with you" Connor said sounding just as stubborn as Natalie always did when she had something in her head.

"Connor, this wasn't your fault, I can't get into this now. I need you to stay with aunt jess, I need to know you are safe so I can concentrate on finding mommy"

"I can help you" Connor said pleading a bit

"No, I need you to help your aunt with your sisters, your grandma went over to their school and got them. The girls are gonna be pretty upset with the change in routine and I need you to take care of them. Can you do that for me? Please, Mommy would want you to" John told him as they approached the Carriage house. John stopped the car and looked over at Connor.

"Its best if we don't tell your sisters anything, Okay? Just for now, we don't need to upset them more, I'll have mommy home by tonight and everything will be fine" JOhn told his son hoping, praying the statement about having her home tonight would be true. Connor just sat there silent.

"No-one Connor, No-one pulls us apart" JOhn told the boy and he nodded, they both got out of the car and walked into the Carriage house.

"Where are you taking me Travis?" Natalie asked in a soft voice, she was trying so hard to figure out what Travis was up to. She was trying so hard to put the thoughts of her upset children and of John out of a head for a little while so she could figure out how to play this situation. Natalie figured out a course of action and she started it, If Travis Johnson thought she was Sheryl... then Natalie would act, she would be Sheryl.

"You know I don't like surprises," she told him still softly " and is it necessary to have me tied?" she asked but Travis never did talk back, never did answer her for at least a few minutes.

"Why aren't you talking to me, Travis say something, you're making me nervous now" she told him a bit anxious

"I'm not talking to you cause I'm still mad at you Sheryl" he told her and Natalie flinched a bit, him mad at Sheryl was not a good thing. She shook her head and preceded, she had no other choice.

"Why? Why so mad at me?" she asked him a bit soft tone with a glint of seductive pouting.

"Why! Because I go away cause I'm sick and you... you marry someone else... have children with him, he's probably another damn Doctor too, you always had a thing for Doctors, a son of a print shop owner was never good enough for you, was it?" Travis was getting mad and Natalie knew she had to calm him, try and keep him calm.

"Travis... I didn't marry him... I couldn't anyways... I'm still married to you, and... Those aren't my kids... they're his... what was I suppose to do babe, you were gone... gone for all these years... how was I suppose to live, they told me you weren't coming home. " Natalie started playing it, the Sheryl loved him angle.

"You could have waited," he told her still a bit nasty

"They said they didn't know if and when you'd be better, when you could come home to me. They told me not to wait. I would've waited if I would've known you'd get out and come back for me... but I was all alone Travis... all alone" she told him and she started to cry a bit. The crying bit was no act; Natalie couldn't hold things inside any longer. She just had to be able to use it to her benefit.

"I... I'm sorry... I didn't mean to make you cry... I hate to see you cry," he told her as he pulled up to where they would be staying.

"Why'd you stop the car?" she asked when she felt it stop.

"We're here" Travis said as he got out of the car and walked over to her side to get her out.

"Where?" Natalie asked as he guided her out the car. "Home" he told her and he took her inside.

JOhn walked back into the station. He walked into his office. It had been five hours since she was kidnapped. Five long hours John thought, in five hours he could have taken her anywhere, he could have been half way to somewhere far. Far away from him, their kids, their life. Their beautiful life, he thought as he took a seat in his chair.

John and everyone at the station had been searching so hard for her these past five hours. He had even called in a few FBI friends to help. Things were still being investigated and he knew in his brain it took time. But in John's heart... he knew he didn't have that type of time, neither did their children.

"We'll find her Boss" Bruce said as he stood by John's open door. JOhn just looked at Bruce, hopeless.

"She's smart, She's one of the best damn Tech's... Hell one of the best damn Detectives I've ever known. She talked him down once... she can talk him down again" Bruce told him. John just sat there speechless for a minute.

"I know... she's too damn smart at times." JOhn said and he swiveled his chair around towards his desk more. He looked at the file in front of him. Travis Johnson's file.

"Did you find out why they thought that mad man was fit to be let out into society again?" John asked Bruce. Earlier they had found out that Travis Johnson, a killer, was released from the instruction that he had called home for the past ten years. The place that was his form of punishment for Killing two Dr's and almost killing JOhn himself and his brother Michael.

"Not yet, Davis is speaking with his Doctors as we speak, I'll come and tell you when we have something." Bruce told him and he left the office.

John shook his head. He couldn't believe this day got so bad and so fast. He looked across the desk to his pictures that sat on the far side of it. Today was their anniversary, ten Years; they had been thru so much together.

John closed his eyes. He smiled to himself remembering the day. Their wedding day and how he wasn't even sure she would show that day. But she did, and she looked amazing.

Flash Back

"John... is there any reason she might not show, I mean... you and Natalie do have a... reputation for your intensity." Michael asked John as they stood in front of the fireplace at Llanfair. In front of a whole room full of people, who were just staring at them. It was late, the wedding was supposed to start twenty minutes ago.

John just stood next to Michael hoping... praying... she'd show.

"John...maybe we should...maybe I --"

"No" John shook his head. He would wait here even longer if he had to. He didn't care if he had to wait here all night. He would wait till she showed, or until he knew for a fact she wasn't. John noticed Michael was talking, whispering to Joey. Michael walked back over towards John.

"John... we should just call this, Okay? Joey doesn't even know where she is; no one knows where she is... I'm sorry Bro... it doesn't look like she's going to show" Michael told John. John looked down to the ground; maybe it was time to just give up. Maybe he shouldn't be so weak. Maybe he should just stand here and be strong, believe. Believe in her and them.

"No Michael, I'm not taking the easy way out of things again, I'm not leaving this spot till she shows." JOhn told him and no sooner were the words out of his mouth than she was walking down the silent aisle to him.

John saw her face before anything else, she was a bit serious. He noticed Flowers in her hand and he relaxed a bit. She walked right up to John.

John saw her give him a slight grin. He shyly grinned back at her. No words were spoken; they spoke thru their eyes.

Both turned towards Joey after a few minutes.

"I'm ready" Natalie told her brother.

"No, we're ready" John said softly looking also at Joey.

Joey started:

"Who gives this woman to this man?" Joey said as he looked towards his parents in the front row of the chairs in the Library.

"I do, I give myself to him." Natalie said and Joey proceeded with the ceremony.

End Flash Back

"Natalie... where the Hell does he have you? And what am I going to tell the children?" John said softly, he laid his head on the desk.