As John brought the crew back into his brother's office, he personally took the flash drive that had the conversation on it and pocketed it. The crew seemed to take forever cleaning up. They were still cleaning when Michael tried to come back into his office.

"Hey, Mike. We're done, just wrapping up"

"How'd it go?"

"I don't know" he said, "he didn't admit anything, but he did make some threats against her"

"Must have been hard to hear"

"This whole thing is hard" he said, "Hey, um, do you know what time Truman gets off today?"

"5 I think" he said, "why? Something happening?"

"Something, for sure. I wish I knew what" he looked down.

"If anyone is going to get Natalie out of trouble, and it's not her, it's going to be you"

"It's not looking so good at the moment for either of us, Mikey"

"I believe you'll figure it out"

"Thanks Mikey"

The last of the guys were walking out of the office. John headed out behind them and headed back to the station. Hughes was waiting in his office when he got there.

"You were gone a while, how'd it go?"

"Not good, not bad" he said, and handed him the flash drive, "I'm not sure the threats he made will hold up as evidence, but it's not nothing"

"I'll try" he said, "he consented to being recorded?"

"Asa Buchanan is pretty slick. I wouldn't want to cross him"

"Okay" Hughes said, "the warrant came through for his safe deposit box" he said.

"Okay, let's get that evidence into a judge first, and then we'll see what time we're working with"

"sure" Hughes said, working towards the door, "you're not afraid that's wasting time?"

"Time doesn't matter much. This ends with him in a jail cell, one way or another. Tonight"

Hugh nodded, and left him alone.

John turned and looked out the window. He wondered if any of this was going to turn up enough to arrest him today.

"How are you going to find me anyway?" he heard from behind him.

"I don't know yet" he turned towards her. She had on a red tank top and shorts that came down to her midthigh. Absolutely gorgeous, as always, "I gotta figure that out soon"

"You better" she said, as she came closer and sat down on his lap.

"You gonna make it?" he asked.

"Trying" she said.

"I miss you" he said, looking down his hand on her bare thigh.

"I know" she said, "I miss you, too"

"I never should have let this happen to you" he said, "If I had followed you-"

"that's behind us now" she said, "besides, I could have been rational and not stormed out"

"that's not your style"

"And quitting police work isn't your style"

"I'm not going to lose you like this. Not if I can stop it. Badge or not"

"I don't want you to give up your career for me"

"I got options" he said, "you, though, losing you isn't an option"

"I have all the faith in the world in you" she said, and she rested her head on his.

He leaned up to kiss her. Instantly, she was gone. He took a breath. Of course, he'd known she'd been in his head, but he missed her so much he'd be willing to try and kiss a ghost. He shook his head. She wasn't a ghost. She was going to get out of this alive. If it was the last thing he did.

Her red tank top hit the green felt of the pool table as she leaned over to take a shot. He stood behind her and admired her body bent over the pool table, how her black shorts hugged her ass perfectly and he had to be closer to her. He glanced around the bar. Mac was still in the back working on closing. She'd done her usual thing, begged him to leave and plied him with the promise of a game of pool if he did so, but they'd gotten a late start tonight, and Mac was only letting them stay if they promised to leave as soon as he was closed. Not that he minded the privacy, in fact, he preferred it. He took a few steps closer to her and gently traced his fingertips along her back before he let them run further down to her ass.

"You can't distract me, I'm too good for that" she teased.

"Oh, I've given up on this game" he said, "I couldn't beat you now if I tried"

"Well, where's the fun in that" she said.

"I'm having fun" he said, leaning against the pool table as she took her shot and sent a few balls into pockets. She moved around the table to better get the cue ball and he kept his eyes on her, "you having fun?"

She smirked at him, "Of course" she said, "though I'm not sure I'm having as much fun as you"

"You are just" he paused, "real easy on the eyes"

"Thanks" she said, "I had the afternoon off, so I didn't really need to look ready for work"

"I'll have to mention to Bo how nice that schedule works out for us"

She laughed and she sunk the eight ball.

"Good game" they heard from the bar, and saw Mac had finished up, "Now it's time to go home"

"Thanks Mac" John said, and put his hand on the small of her back to gently guide her out.

"Yeah, thanks Mac" she said, "I really appreciate it"

"Get home safe"

As soon as they were outside and in the dark, away from prying eyes, John wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her passionately. She kissed him back, and he could have sworn the earth stopped spinning.

She leaned out to breathe after a minute.

"Where's that coming from" she asked.

"You're driving me crazy" he whispered.

"Lil ole me?" she whispered back, that adorable smirk on her face.

"That shirt, those shorts, your legs, your hair, that fricken smirk" he paused, "you're so hot walking around that pool table"

"You know, it's so humid out tonight, the room's going to be miserable" she said, "can we just head up to the roof, stay up there tonight"

"Sounds good to me" he said, and stole her mouth for another kiss.