A/N I do not own these characters. I am simply borrowing them for my own amusement, and hopefully that of my readers. I mean no harm and am gaining no profit from the use of these characters so please, please don't take me to court! Thanks Ya'll...

Chapter 18

John heard Natalie scream and took off at a run. He had come in thru the garage window. Coming in the side door from the garage and into the kitchen he had heard voices. Cautiously moving thru the house he had been very quite and wary. But when he heard Natalie scream all thoughts of being careful vanished.

He tore thru the house and down the hall, following the sound of her voice. He stopped at the bedroom door and listened. He could hear Natalie's muffled cries and he opened the door. For one shocked second he stood stock still, taking in the scene before his eyes.

Chris lay on the floor in a pool of blood and ANTONIO was struggling with Natalie on the bed. With out another thought he ran towards the bed and took hold of Antonio's shoulders. He yanked him off Natalie and flung him across the room. Antonio landed on the floor in a heap. His body had hit the bedroom door and it slammed it shut with the force of the impact.

John immediately focused his attention on Natalie, who was crying softly. The sight of her blouse hanging open filled him with rage and then concern for what she had been thru. He bent down and untied her wrist then moved on to her other. Just as he was loosening the rope he heard Natalie let out a cry and he spun around quickly reaching for his gun.

Before he could get a shot off Antonio tackled him and the gun went flying. John struggled to block the other mans blows while still landing a few himself. He held on to Antonio's shoulders and using his legs to push and then to flip Antonio onto his back in a martial arts move an old friend taught him. Now that he was on top he began to punch Antonio in the face. Rage made him ruthless and added strength to his punches.

Natalie couldn't see what exactly was happening on the floor and struggled with the ropes holding her wrist. Finally she got it free, thanks to John loosening it up. She sat up and gasped at the display before her. John was beating Antonio to a bloody pulp and if she didn't stop him he was going to kill him. "John!" she called but he didn't pay any attention. He kept pummeling Antonio, landing blow after blow to his face and body. "JOHN!" she shouted at him.

He heard her this time and blinked. The red haze of rage lifted and he hesitated with his next punch.

That's when Antonio made his move. Pushed John hard, sending him flying, then dived for his gun, the one he used to shoot Chris with, sitting up he aimed it at Natalie. "She still dies!" Antonio shouted and pulled the trigger.

Natalie screamed as the gun went off then felt as if she had been hit. After she was struck with the bullet she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder. The force of the impact sent her flying back on the bed, her head connecting with the headboard. "AHHH" She screamed, both in pain and in fear, then blacked out.

John saw Antonio pull the trigger and was on him in a second. The sight of Natalie falling back to the bed and the sound of her scream still ringing in his ears he went for the kill. Grabbing Antonio's chin from behind and his other hand fastening to the opposite side of his head John yanked with all his might. Antonio's head twisted around and the bones in his neck made loud popping sounds as his neck broke.

Dropping the now dead Antonio to the floor John ran to Natalie's side calling her name. He felt her pulse; it beat strong and steady. Letting out a sigh of relief that she was alive he quickly checked her now bloody shoulder. Pushing her shirt aside he saw that she had only been grazed by the bullet and let out another relieved sigh.

Natalie began to wake up. Her eyes fluttered and she moaned in pain as she became aware of the throbbing in her shoulder and the ache in the back of her head. She groaned and reached her hand to the back of her head and found a lump. "Owww!" she muttered then focused her attention on John. "John!" she said pleased to see he was alive and appearing to be unhurt.

John saw her wake up and he, quickly with out thought, sat on the side of the bed, and dragged her into his arms. Holding her tight he rocked her back and forth saying over and over, " I love you, I love you."

Bo's heard the gunshot and he and his men stormed the cabin. His heart in his throat he raced thru checking the rooms. Getting to the master bedroom he barged in and then stopped short. John held a sobbing Natalie and BOTH Antonio and Chris were dead. He felt devastated at the loss of his friend and collogue but relieved as hell that Natalie was alive.

He moved further into the room and saw that Natalie's legs were tied down to the bed. He quickly cut them loose. "Natalie... John... are you guys ok?" he asked waiting for someone to say something. He was stunned when John turned around and looked at him. There were tears on his face.

"I'm fine but Natalie needs a doctor." John said, his voice husky with emotion. "She was grazed by a bullet."

Bo nodded and then called outside for an ambulance. He came over to Natalie and saw that she was really ok. He looked her over and aside from the shallow bullet wound on the top of her shoulder that had already stopped bleeding she appeared to be fine. He hugged her gently and said, "You really gave us a scare young lady!"

Natalie grinned then shrugged, wincing at the pain that shot thru her. "Sorry uncle Bo." She smiled wanly at him, "You know how I like to be the center of attention..."

Bo laughed a little at her comment then got up and stepped back as the paramedics rushed in to look her over.

After Natalie had been brought to the hospital to be stitched up she, John, and Bo talked about the night's events. Everything had been put on hold until Natalie had gotten treatment. "What exactly happened?"

"I was at Llanfair when Chris attacked me." Natalie started. She wanted to get this over with so she and John could go home.

Bo nodded but said nothing. She would tell this at her own pace and he wasn't about to rush her. She had to be exhausted after all that had happened before and after she gotten to the hospital. Just about every member of the family had been in to visit her and see if she was ok and it had taken its toll.

"He grabbed me and injected me with something and I passed out. The next thing I knew I was tied to the bed at the cabin." Natalie said to Bo. She looked at John, her eyes telegraphing her feelings. She smiled slightly when John took her hand in his and squeezed gently.

"He kept ranting that no one left him and that if he couldn't have me no one could." She closed her eyes for a moment before reopening them. Tears formed in her eyes and threatened to spill. She looked at John and said, "I was so scared. I thought he was going to kill me right then."

"It's ok. You're ok now." John said softly, reassuringly. He continued to hold her hand even as his mind raced with thoughts about what could have happened had he not gotten there in time. He had been thinking about it ever since Natalie had been loaded in the ambulance. The more he thought about it the more he realized that his life would be meaningless with out Natalie. The thought of her not in it scared him like nothing else he had ever known.

Natalie continued her story completely unaware of the tumultuous thoughts going thru John's head. "Then Antonio came in..." Natalie paused, her eyes now locked on Bo. "I'm sorry Uncle Bo."

Bo was confused. "Why are you sorry? I don't understand."

Natalie closed her eyes; not knowing how to tell Bo that one of his closest friends was a murder. Hell, she was still trying to process it all. Antonio had fooled her, badly. She had trusted him, loved him like a brother and all along he had been obsessed with her. His sick obsession had almost caused her to loose her life. "Uncle Bo," she said slowly, "Antonio was in on it."

Bo's eyes widened and his mouth fell open, "What?" he gasped certain he had heard wrong.

"Antonio was in on it. He helped Chris kidnap. In fact he is the one that killed Chris." Her voice started off soft, trying to soften the blow to Bo, then hardened as she remembered the events of that night.

Bo's mouth worked but no sound came out. Shock had made him incapable of speech. He just sat there staring as he tried to process it. Finally he got out one word, "Why?"

"He was in love with her," John answered. "I think he was using Jessica to stay close to Natalie. I think that when Natalie became involved with me he used Chris's anger to his advantage. He thought that Natalie would turn to him if Chris killed me."

Natalie's eyes widened at his understanding. "That's right. Chris was the one who told Mickey's men where you were John. He told them how to find us hoping that you would be killed."

John nodded not surprised. He had figured as much when he had met Chris for the first time.

"Anyway," Natalie continued, "Antonio killed Chris then tried to convince me to run away with him. We 'talked' and I convinced him to untie my arm." She smiled for a second, "He did. As soon as my arm was free I tried to hit him with Asa's 1,000 dollar lamp."

Bo chuckled at that, his shock wearing off as she continued to speak.

"He got mad and ripped open my shirt." Natalie stopped smiling at that memory. She had been so scared at that moment. When John had come in and pulled Antonio off of her she had never felt such relief. "He kissed me. I screamed. Then John came in and pulled him off." She finished.

John took over the story. "Antonio and I fought and he shoved me away. He got a gun from the floor near the bed and shot Natalie. I uhhh... kinda went a little crazy after that. I broke his neck." John looked down at his hands then back at Natalie. "I thought he killed you." His eyes welled with tears as he looked at her.

Natalie reached out and touched his face with her hand, using her uninjured arm. John took her hand in his and brought it to his mouth, pressing a kiss to her palm.

Bo could see that they needed some time alone so he stood up and said, "I'm going to go to the station and write all this up." He paused then swallowed hard, "Then I have to go tell Carlotta that both her sons are dead."

"You don't have to go uncle Bo." Natalie said but Bo just smiled sadly and then turned to John, "Make sure she gets some rest."

John smiled at Bo and said, "I will." He stood and shook Bo's hand, "I'm sorry about Antonio. I really thought he was a good guy."

Bo just shook his head, "I'm sorry too. But I am even sorrier for Carlotta. It won't be easy for her to know that both her sons turned out so wrong..." he said. With another shake of his head he turned and left the room.

John sat next to Natalie on the narrow hospital bed and took her hand in his. They were both silent for a long time. John didn't really know what to say. He didn't know how to express his feelings adequately enough for Natalie to understand just how much he loved her and how glad he was that she was safe. He opened his mouth several times only to close it with out saying anything.

"John?" Natalie questioned seeing that he was trying to say something but seemed to be having trouble getting the words out.

John looked at her and took a deep breath. He opened his mouth and two words tumbled out, just two. "Marry me?" he blurted.

Natalie's eyes widened at his words. She was shocked, then deliriously happy! She took a deep breath and then said the only words she could. "Of course I'll marry you!"

John was the shocked one this time. He hadn't meant to propose; at least not like this. And he really hadn't expected her to say yes. After taking a second to register and absorb her answer he smiled a huge smile and then pulled her into a kiss.

And that was how Michael McBain MD found them when he came in to give Natalie her release papers. He grinned at the sight before him. Leaving the papers on the table he left the room.

John and Natalie didn't even notice...

The End