Title: Unforgiven

Part 2 Title: Misunderstandings

Two months later, everything in Natalie Vega's life had changed… and not necessarily for the better. Cristian had left Llanview, sending her a long letter to apologize for how he had handled things, and also encouraging her to forgive John. He had explained what had happened that last night and said he only wanted her to be as happy as possible.

John McBain however had a different idea. He had gone to the police that night and turned himself in for tampering with an already-illegal DNA test, and he was awaiting trial. He refused all visitors except his attorney; a gorgeous brunette named Kassie Cooke. Natalie had tried to see him several times and had only just given up…

"Tell John it's Natalie Vega." The guard smiled apologetically. "We did, ma'am, and he said that you don't really want to see him and not to bother him about it again." Natalie hit her fist on the desk and the guard jumped. "Damn it! Tell him that—"

"I'm sorry. If you want to send a message to John McBain, why don't you give it to me? I'm headed in to see him now." Natalie turned to see a beautiful brunette with deep green eyes standing behind her, and she felt a knife rip through her heart as the guard greeted her. "Hey, Kassie. McBain's waiting." Kassie smiled at him. "Thanks Charlie. So, should I tell him anything in particular?"

Natalie shook her head as her eyes filled with tears. "No. That's all right." She hurried out of the prison, barely making it to her car before the hot tears began to fall. She laid her head on the steering wheel as she sobbed…

Kassie Cooke was talking to John McBain about his chances for the trial. "You just won't give me any leverage at all to use, will you?" John shook his head. "I don't deserve to get out of here… I need to spend the rest of my life paying for what I did to Natalie." "Natalie…" Kassie frowned.

"What?" "The other day when I came in there was a Natalie Vega demanding to see you. I told her if she wanted to send a message to you to do it through me. Then she looked really upset and got the hell out of Dodge. I really screwed up didn't I?" John put his hands over his face and groaned loudly. "Yeah, you really did. Natalie and I… We have a complicated past full of misunderstandings. I guess this is just another good example." He chuckled dryly.

"You know, maybe this is a good thing. Now she can move on with her life." Kassie smirked. "You don't want her to move on, McBain. You need to tell her how you feel or you're going to regret it for the rest of your life." She stood up. "Now, if there's nothing else you'd like to discuss I'm going to go find Natalie and tell her to come see you." She walked out not giving him a chance to retaliate.

John shook his head. "Damn it, why did I hire her?" He smiled as he remembered it was her stubbornness, the way she sank her teeth into a case and never let go. Why did he have a feeling that he and Natalie were going to be Kassie's next case?

TO BE CONTINUED