She didn't remember the last time she was here. She knew he'd bought the place and maybe that was why she'd stayed away. Regardless, she couldn't go back to the station today so she thought this was her best bet. He was behind the bar when she walked in, and for some reasons she found that funny.
"Hey" she said, heading up to the bar.
"Hey" he said, "I'm sorry about this. Gigi called out"
"You need some help back there?" she asked. She was surprised she'd offered.
"I feel bad but you are definitely a better bartender than me"
She chuckled. In short order she was behind the bar and she was shocked at how quickly it came back to her. John was handling the bar backing since apparently Schylur had called out, too. They worked through the dinner rush and once it had slowed, John apologized again.
"Thank you for jumping in like that, you really saved my ass"
"It was good to be busy" she said, and she looked down, "John-"
"Natalie, don't"
"You should arrest me" she whispered.
"I'm not going to do that" he said.
"The evidence is going to point to me. It was Jared's letter opener"
"Don't worry about the evidence"
"I can't let you lose your job because of me"
"I won't" he said, "you do have to go with my story, though"
"John-"
"I already gave my statement. You're going to need to give yours and back me up, or this isn't going to work" he said, "Neither of us need to go down for the likes of him"
"Why go through all of this for me?"
He shrugged, "It's the right thing to do"
"It's far from the right thing to do. You know it's not"
He replayed the events of the day in his head. He'd found a picture with red fibers, and then another picture, taken 2 minutes later with no fibers. He'd shoved the pictures in his desk, already sure of what it meant. Against everything he knew, he hoped beyond hope there was some explanation that wouldn't blow up their lives even more.
It had not been easy these last few weeks. He knew it was largely his fault, he knew he was impossible to live with. He'd taken the best person he'd ever known and reduced her to a shell of herself, and he didn't know how to fix it. If this were true though, he wasn't sure what laid ahead for them. He took a breath as he opened his door, finding her there on the couch. She was reading and she had a pillow hugged to her chest. Some moments like these made it feel like they could go back to before the accident but too much had happened and he knew this moment would vanish like all the others.
She turned her head to him, "hey" she said, "How was the rest of your day?"
"Bad-um we got to talk" he said.
"About what?"
"Truman- the night he was killed – you said you went to crime scene"
"Yeah" she said "You knew that"
"Yeah, but I had taken the meds and it's real foggy" he said.
"You mean I drugged you"
"Natalie-"
"That's what you've been saying about it, why are you changing it up now?"
"I was working on the case today" he said, "one photo has some red fibers on his body they're not in any other photos"
Natalie looked down.
"Natalie, tell me it wasn't you"
"You were wearing a red scarf that day. I had no idea where you'd gone, the meds had those side effects"
"You took them because you thought I killed him" he said incredulously.
"I thought that it looked like he was going to walk. I thought you were angry about it and you weren't in your right mind"
"You think I could kill someone?"
"He's a monster, he deserved to die" she said, getting up off the couch and away from him.
"That's not for you to decide" he started to get loud, "and it's not for me to decide either"
"I saw the fibers. You had been wearing a scarf that color. I made a choice and I'd do it again" she said.
"You tampered with evidence, Natalie" he shouted.
"For you" she said.
"I didn't kill him. You knew, you knew better than anyone how badly I wanted him to go to jail. Drugged or not drugged –"
"You'd do it for me" she said, "Based on this conversation I hope you never have to but you would. I know it"
"Natalie, you are trying to get your forensics license and you tampered with evidence" he yelled, "This could cost you your career"
"Are you going to report it?" she asked, and she was shocked he was considering this.
"There's proof that it happened" he said, "If I don't say something, someone else will"
"I don't believe it" she said.
"Natalie, you want a career in this field, you can't-"
"I put that career on hold for you" she yelled
"I didn't ask you to do that" he yelled back.
"It was the right thing to do"
"Yeah, but this isn't the right thing to do" he yelled.
"This is something you might never understand, John, but I care about you more than I care about any career I might have" she said.
"I don't want you to make that sacrifice" he said, "Natalie, like it or not, you did what you did and I found out. We got to go to Bo"
"I need to get out of here"
"You can't avoid it, Natalie"
"I just need space"
"From me? I'm trying to help you"
"John" she yelled, but then she got quiet, "I really hope you never have to find out that the lines aren't always so black and white. You'd do it for me. That's why I did it for you. You'd do it for me" she turned and left the apartment.
"You don't have to help me close up" he said.
"John"
"Sometimes things aren't so black and white" he said, "You don't deserve to go down for this, so you're not going to"
"John, how are you going to make the evidence-"
"I got it taken care of"
"So you tampered with evidence" she whispered, "You could lose your job"
"No one is going to catch me"
"What are you going to tell Bo?"
"Bo doesn't need to know" he said, "You know if we're going to keep talking in circles, you want to play a game? I think we're the last ones here"
"I haven't played in years" she said.
"maybe I'll win this time then" he smirked, "C'mon"
"Will you answer my questions for real?"
"I'm not going to get you in any more trouble"
She headed towards the pool table, "Don't you think I'm in enough trouble?"
"You usually are" he joked as she broke and sent the balls flying, "I guess that time off didn't make you any worse"
"Thanks" she said, "So how is the evidence not something to worry about?"
"Don't worry about it" he said.
"It had Jared's initials on it"
"No, it doesn't" he said, "It's bagged, tagged and in the evidence locker"
"How are you going to get Mitch's prints on it"
"Don't worry about it. God willing, he doesn't live to see the morning"
She made another move, sending two more balls into pockets, "From your lips" she said, "John, I know how much being a cop means to you. I can't let you give that up or worse go to jail because of me"
"I know what I'm doing"
"You've never bent the rules before" she said, continuing to clear the table.
"Yes, I have" he said, "You know that. And you know, sometimes the rules get in the way"
"Why for me though? John, you've got enough on your plate without adding me to –" she finally missed a shot.
"I got work to do" he said, taking a cue.
"You gonna answer the question?"
"You told me once and it's the best explanation I got – you'd do it for me"
She looked down, immediately remembering what he was referencing, "I can't do it for you like this"
"but you did" he said, missing his shot.
She lined up her next shot, "that was different"
"How was it different?"
"Because I didn't have a career to throw away yet. You've worked your whole life for your career and you're going to lose it" she said, "And you're overlooking the fact that you didn't kill Spencer, and I did stab Mitch"
"Yeah, but you were right. Some things are more important. And the fact stands- you would do it for me"
She sunk the eight ball, "I guess that is something I can understand"
"You haven't gotten any worse" he said, "So- honest? How you holding up?"
"Honestly? I don't know. I feel- lost, numb"
He nodded, "How you holding up at home?"
"I hate it" she said, "Our suite hasn't changed at all. I mean, I packed all his stuff up for goodwill, but I can still see it. And then there's Jess and Brody and my mom and Charlie- I feel like I'm in glass or something"
"Anything I can do?"
She nodded, "I guess I don't have to ask you to kill him"
"That's something you don't need to be a part of" he said.
"I suppose I've already done enough on that front"
"You should get home, it's late. You want your cut of the tips?" he said.
"No, you can keep 'em" she said, "and if you ever need help again, please let me know. God help the next soul who drinks your Cosmo"
"I say, no more cocktails" he said, "You get a beer or you get nothing"
She laughed, "I do wonder how you've managed this long" she joked.
"Hey, I'm doing alright" he said, "Thanks for all your help. You need a ride home?"
"No, I got my car I'll be fine" she said, "You'll call me in the morning?"
"If he wakes up, plus someone'll need to get your statement"
She nodded. "Good night John"
