Evangeline stood nervously outside Bo's office. The dream that had been haunting her for the last few weeks had finally made sense. The dream had been her mind's way of gently reminding her of what happened on the night of her kidnapping. Surely, this would be the break that they were looking for. She hoped that it wasn't too late for Natalie.
"Sorry, Ms. Williamson, the commissioner won't be back for quite a while. I think he's in a meeting with the mayor and the DA. Is there something I can help you with?" Officer McDuff, or Duffy as he was called, looked at her quizzically. As far as he knew everything was fine. He'd just finished up his shift and was looking forward to heading home. He'd been the one John had trusted to watch over Evangeline at night. It was a big deal, and everyone knew it.
Evangeline could tell he was worried. "I remembered something, something about my kidnapping. I just wanted to make sure the information got to the right person." She really meant to say that she had critical information about the case, but she didn't want to speak to John about it.
She'd done wall to avoid him since they disagreed about her being hypnotized. She was still getting used to this new side of John that she wasn't used to seeing. It made her wonder if this is what he'd been like when he'd lost his fiancée, Caitlyn.
"The lieu is not in either." Duffy looked at her kindly. He knew his boss liked to keep to himself, especially about his personal life, but when it came to things with Ms. Williamson things were complicated. He'd been shadowing her one night when John showed up drunk. He thought to intervene, but he didn't want to make it awkward. Things couldn't have gone well. He could tell by the look on John's face when he left.
"I'm no former FBI profiler, but me and the gang still get it done." He didn't mean for it to sound like a diss. John had been like a one man army since he joined the force. Some appreciated his enthusiasm, but others, like Duffy, didn't like his self-reliance. Duffy thought that it hurt the department more than it helped to have John around.
Evangeline smiled. Duffy was a seasoned officer. There was no reason to not put her faith in him. She hesitated for a moment thinking of the betrayal. John was the lead detective on this case. She should be giving him the information directly. She shook her head knowing there would be hell to pay if any harm came to Natalie. For now, she wouldn't worry about that.
"I've been having these weird dreams about being half conscious and being in a car. The details were never clear when I woke up, so I never thought too much of it. Last night, I had the same dream, again, but when I woke up I could remember everything vividly." She pulled out the map that she had stashed in her purse. She spread it out on the desk that she was standing near.
"I remember seeing this circled on the map. Maybe this is where the killers took us, or maybe it's where they're hiding Natalie. I know it's not much to go on, but it's something." Evangeline looked over at Duffy and took in a deep breath. There was no turning back now.
"This is the best lead we've got right now." He looked her over for a moment and smiled. She really was a hell of a woman. "Maybe you want to stick around until Lieutenant McBain gets here?"
Evangeline shook her head immediately. She looked at her watch as if she were in a hurry. There was always work to be done, but she was keeping her case load relatively light. She didn't want to wait until she was further along in the pregnancy to reduce her work stress. "I should get to work. If there's anything else I can do though, just let me know." Evangeline patted him on the shoulder and hurried out of the precinct.
John rushed up the stairs of the LPD. Today had been the one day he'd let himself relax, and now he would have to play catch up. He'd gotten a call from one of his detectives that they had a new lead. He didn't wait to hear the details. Three minutes later he was dressed and out the door. It would have made it there in record time, but a traffic accident had delayed him.
"What are we working with?" John shouted as he walked into the bullpen. To his surprise, everyone was moving about with a purpose.
"We've already got a warrant for a cabin up on Llantano Mountain. The strike team is ready to go on your orders. We've got eyes on Nick Messina and Hayes Barber." McDuff called back to John in between conversations with a couple different officers. "The commissioner is on his way in. He's already been briefed."
John wiped his hand down his face. He was slightly impressed and slightly annoyed. He never should have been left in the dark. "Where did we get this tip from? Who verified this information?" John figured it had to be bad information. He didn't want to play into the killers' hands or to tip the killers off.
"Ms. Williamson, she said she remembered something from when she was drugged and first taken. She had a map and indicated on it information that the killer had circled. We called you first, of course, to let you know that there was a break in the case, but we didn't have time to wait around for orders. We followed established protocol, and we've been waiting for you or the commissioner to arrive to make our next move." McDuff looked over at John almost as if he were annoyed. They weren't children. They knew exactly what was at stake here.
"Evangeline?" John didn't take offense to Duffy's tone. He was more upset that Evangeline had remembered something and he wasn't the first person to know. He swallowed hard trying to regain his composure. They weren't an item anymore, so he knew she wouldn't lean on him.
"Yeah." Duffy waited for John to respond. A few minutes of silence passed. "I think now is our moment to shine. We need to act fast lieutenant."
John nodded. He pushed his thoughts of Evangeline to the back of his mind. 'She's over you, John. There's no future with her.' He chanted that mantra in his head. "I want someone to get in touch with Marcie Walsh. If there's some cryptic clue there, she'll be able to decipher it."
"That it." Duffy nodded at an officer who already knew what to do without having to be told directly.
"Yeah, we leave now." John turned on his heels with his team behind him. He had a good feeling about this. He hoped this would be the end of it.
John chose to drive to the site in his personal vehicle. He'd needed a little more time to clear his thoughts. The two times that he called Evangeline, her phone went straight to voicemail. It wasn't likely that she was in court this early. That either meant that she had turned her phone off to avoid him, or she'd turned it off and had forgotten to turn it back on. Neither option comforted him. He'd thought about calling her office directly, but he didn't want to deal with her rejecting him again.
An update from his police radio had pulled him from his thoughts. The strike team had arrived and were already in position. The CSU team was bringing up the rear. They wouldn't be needed until later. John pulled his car up beside the other squad cars. He hopped out and surveyed their position.
"Doesn't look like anyone is home." Duffy had the men positioned to surround the place. No one would go in or even approach the structure until a plan was in place. He would never say as much, but he believed that it was John's impulsive need to rush in that had made the situation worse. It was his opinion that both Evangeline and Natalie could have been saved when the killer had them tied up at the Love Center.
"Keep the strike team in position. I'm going in." John pulled off is suit jacket and moved to his trunk where he kept his bullet proof vest.
"Alone?" Duffy spat out angrily. "Let's not have a repeat of the Love Center. We don't know if there's some trap up there or now. We've got the numbers. We need to use that to our advantage." Duffy was probably out of line, but he would not be silent. He was ready to put this case to bed.
"Excuse me." John looked over at the man that he'd worked with for the past few years. Duffy was by no means incompetent, but he didn't have John's experience. John knew serial killers. He knew what to do, or so he thought he did.
"What if we move in alpha team to scout the area? Beta team can stay in position and will be in position to move in if needed. You take a team of six and move in on the location." Duffy had this whole plan thought out. He just didn't think they'd have to use it. John was supposed to be their leader.
John thought it over for a moment and nodded. He wanted to rush in, but Duffy's plan was best. "Cerutti, Halston, Davis, Jones, Balthazar and Riggs you're with me. Duffy, I'm counting on you for the rest." The two men nodded in agreement.
John moved in with his team. The large house was mostly empty, but someone had been staying here. They had just secured the perimeter when they Duffy radioed in. "We've got Nick Messina in custody. He was headed up this way, so they went ahead and picked him up. Still got an eye on Hayes. He hasn't been making any unusual movements."
"Good. Make sure they keep him on ice for now. No calls, no visitors, no interrogation. Let him sweat." John would personally drag the information out of him. He had been a part of the Love Crew, yet he'd turned on the group. To think that he played a role in their deaths was shocking.
"This is alpha at the northwest corner of the property. We've got eyes on Natalie Buchanan. We need a rescue team." The voice broke through and interrupted John.
"On my way." John's throat was dry as he ran toward their location. His mind was numb, and his thoughts were jumbled. He prayed that she was still alive. "Natalie." He shouted as he arrived on the scene. He could see her slumped over at the bottom of a deep hole. He wondered how long she'd been there.
"She hasn't responded to any verbal cues, but we did see her moving around down there. We're just waiting for the fire department to get an EMT and a ladder down there." Officer Johnson looked over at John and saw the torment on his face.
John felt helpless knowing that he couldn't immediately go down and save her. He waited for the longest five minutes for the rescue crew to make their way through the rough terrain. After that, it was another few minutes before they were able to extract Natalie. She was barely conscious, but the EMTs assured him that she would likely be fine.
John had left Duffy in charge. He was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. Even if they hadn't officially closed the case, Natalie and Evangeline were both home safe. He called Bo to give him an update, and so that he could let Natalie's family know that she was on her way to the hospital.
Mike was there when he arrived at the hospital. He'd been there to triage Natalie. Hours passed quickly before there was an update on Natalie's condition. Vicki, Roxy, Rex and Jessica had all been waiting on pins and needles.
"She's going to be okay." Mike looked at the crowd that had gathered to welcome Natalie home. "She's a little dehydrated and suffering from exposure. She's awake and she's lucid. A few days of rest and she'll be as good new." Mike could see the relieved look on his brother's face at the back of the crowd. "She is up for visitors, but not for too long." He skipped the part about only two people being allowed in at once.
The family made their way in to see her leaving John and Michael behind. Michael watched John for a moment before speaking again. "You did it, bro. She's home."
John shook his head. "Wasn't me this time. The guys made it happen from a tip that Evangeline gave them. I just led the charge." John stared up at the ceiling and held back tears.
Michael smiled thinking of Evangeline. "Well, either way. It's over."
"Not yet, Mikey. Still have to nail the killers. We've got someone in custody. I don't think he's one to talk." John looked over at Michael confused by his smile.
"You uh, you talk to Evangeline. Does she even know?" Despite the horror of the day, there was a silver lining. John would finally know that he had something to be excited for. The news of his impending fatherhood would certainly brighten his mood.
John shook his head. He'd tried calling her, but her phone was still going to voicemail. He was sure now that she was ignoring him intentionally.
"Maybe you should go by and see her. Natalie's got her family here, so she's good." He knew they were broken up, but he still had hopes that the baby would bring John and Evangeline back together.
"Dr. McBain, you're needed in OR 1." A nurse came by to collect Michael.
"I'm on my way." Mike waited as the nurse excused herself. "Look, go see her, man. She's been feeling guilty about not being taken. Let her know that she can stop worrying about Natalie. Thank her for breaking the case." Mike didn't know how to read John's silence, and he didn't have time to try. "I'll catch up with you later."
"Later Michael." John watched him walk off. He'd thought about going to Evangeline now, but what good would it do. He decided to keep his distance for now.
"Come in," Evangeline looked up from her case file at the officer that stepped into her office. She smiled at Officer McDuff. "Everything okay?"
"Just wanted to let you know. We found Natalie Buchanan. That tip was exactly what we needed. We've got Nick Messina and Hayes Barber in custody. Barber's not talking, but Messina gave him up."
Evangeline sat back in her chair and absorbed the information. It was finally over. She was finally safe. "Is Natalie okay?"
"I hear she's going to make a full recovery. It's all thanks to you." When Duffy heard that John was waiting at the hospital to see Natalie, he took it on himself to talk to Evangeline. She had been through the ringer, but it had truly been her strength that had saved the day. "I know you don't need the detail anymore, but if you need a ride to the hospital. I can accompany you."
"No, no. I've still got some work to finish up here before I head out to see her. I really appreciate you stopping by and giving me an update." Evangeline was glad that Natalie was okay, but know she was worried about her own life.
She'd promised herself that she would tell John about the baby after Natalie was found. Now she had to make good on that promise whether she was ready or not. She decided to take some time to gather her thoughts. Afterward, she'd see Natalie. Then she would talk to John.
"You going to be okay then?" Duffy couldn't read the look on her face, but she did look a little concerned. He'd just dismissed her detail, but if she needed it he'd stay with her for a while.
"I'm okay." Evangeline said honestly. "Thank you again, Duffy."
"Have a good afternoon Ms. Williamson." He left just as quickly as he came leaving Evangeline to her thoughts.
Evangeline dropped her head into her hands. She'd prepared several different speeches for talking to John, but now none of them seemed appropriate. She gathered her things slowly wondering how he would react. "You will never be able to guess, Evangeline, so just be direct. Get it over with already." Evangeline gave herself a pep talk on her way to the elevator.
She had a quiet drive over to the hospital. It had been exactly what she needed to calm herself down. She walked with confidence in her stride as she made her way through the hospital. She had a feeling that everything would be okay.
She walked up to the nurses' station to find out which room Natalie was in. She thought for a second about seeing Michael first, but decided against it. She made her way toward Natalie's room and felt herself smiling. She hadn't been able to do that in a long time.
The confident smile that she wore quickly faded as she arrived at Natalie's room. The curtains were not drawn, so she could look into her room through the window. Her mood soured as she watched John holding Natalie in his arms. She could imagine Natalie throwing herself at him like she'd done before, but this was still a slap in the face. This was a romantic embrace. Memories of her interaction with John after she had been rescued came rushing back.
She turned on her heels to leave before either one of them saw her. Tears again threatened to flow. She urged herself not to cry instead wishing to feel anger. All that talk about Natalie being just a friend had been a lie all along.
Her anger blinded her. She wandered through the hospital with no destination in mind. She stopped and turned sharply after feeling a hand on her should.
"Whoa, where's the fire?" Michael looked down at Evangeline confused. He saw the tears that were pooled in the corners of her eyes. He called out to her several times, but she hadn't heard him at all.
"Michael, you scared me half to death." She pulled away from him and ran her hands through her hair. She started to take in her surroundings and realized she'd just been wandering aimlessly.
"Well, I called your name. I guess you didn't hear me." Michael frowned at her flustered appearance. "Is everything okay? Are you okay? The baby?" As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Michael understood. "You saw Natalie, didn't you?"
Evangeline watched him for a moment. She could read the disgusted look on his face. She'd drawn her own conclusion when she saw John and Natalie together, but if Michael had some insight on the situation she wanted to hear it. "I'm too tired for games, Michael."
Michael let out a heavy sigh. Never in his life had he wanted to strangle his brother more. He watched as John doted over Natalie, and it confused him. Questioning John got him nowhere, but he didn't give up. "I told him that he should talk to you first, so that you wouldn't be blindsided by it."
Evangeline shook her head in disappointment. She hadn't jumped the gun with her assumption. John and Natalie were and item. "You know that he would never be able to do that. That would mean he'd have to talk about what he was feeling, and we know he's not good at that. No, no, he's just not good at talking about his feelings with me. Natalie, well, he did tell her that he loved her, didn't he?" She didn't even try to hide the venom in her voice.
"Look, E, I'm really sorry. I know you deserve better than this." Michael reached out for her, but she stepped away from him. "My brother can be a real idiot sometimes."
"Don't apologize for him, Michael. Do not." Evangeline, letting the anger get the better of her, swayed momentarily. She quickly regained her composure and tried to calm herself down. Getting worked up over John wasn't worth it.
"Are you okay? You don't look so good." He remembered saying those exact words to her before after his brother had disappointed her. He would have laughed if it was funny. "Will you just let me check your vitals?"
Evangeline put her hand to her abdomen and remembered the life growing inside of her. She wouldn't let her anger put her child's life in danger. She nodded wishing that she could just see Lily instead. She walked side by side with Michael and allowed him to place his hand around her shoulder.
He walked her to his office where they would have some privacy. As far as he knew, the pregnancy was still supposed to be a secret. He checked her vitals and was glad to find everything to be normal. "Everything looks okay to me. It wouldn't hurt to see your obstetrician. She can do a more thorough examination."
Evangeline nodded somberly. Because of his snooping, Michael had become Evangeline's confidant. She felt bad putting him in the middle of things because he was John's brother, but she needed him. "This changes things."
Michael sat in the chair beside her. "Changes what?" He checked his watch noting that he needed to be starting his rounds soon.
"I can't tell him now, Michael." Evangeline's anger had subsided, and she'd gathered her thoughts. She'd come to the next logical conclusion to handling the situation. "I'll have to wait another couple of months."
"Months? Why wait, E?" Michael looked at her and wondered if there was anything he could say to change her mind. Among other things, Evangeline was headstrong. "You said yourself that John deserved to know. The sooner the better."
"Yes, Michael, he deserves to know, but not like this." Evangeline stood and paced inside of Michael's tiny office.
"God, please, do not make this about Natalie." Michael hated saying it, but he felt the need to call Evangeline out like he did John. "Don't let her interfere with John getting to know his child."
"You know me better than that Michael." Evangeline narrowed her eyes on him. "This isn't just about Natalie. I'm not out to punish him for being with her." Evangeline folded her arms across her chest. Even in this short amount of time, she'd analyzed the situation and came up with a plan.
"But that's what it sounds like." Michael put his hand to his head and sighed.
"If anything, I'm doing him a favor."
"How do you figure?" He looked at her incredulously. He couldn't wait to hear her explanation this time.
Evangeline sat on the corner of his desk. "Our relationship didn't stop Natalie from having feelings for John or even acting on them. I pushed him to be honest, but you know John. He couldn't do that without dealing with his feelings. He kept going with our relationship, because it was the easiest thing for him to do.
Michael couldn't contain his laughter. "You're serious." He leaned back in his chair and stared at his diplomas that were hung on the walls. "I'm sure it's easy for you to think that, because that's better than the truth. John did care about you."
"Did. Past tense." Evangeline interrupted. "Now our relationship is over, and there's not some complicated triangle to deal with."
"Evangeline, please," he started to plead with her before she interrupted again.
"Natalie baited a killer to get his attention. She risked her life to suck him into her web, and it worked. Now, I'm supposed to just butt in and ruin all her hard work."
"You're rooting for them?" Michael was truly confused. "Are you sure you're feeling okay?"
"You know your brother. If he finds out about the baby now, he's going to want to have some shotgun wedding to save face. That's the kind of man he is. All that aside, I know he has feelings for Natalie. There's no way I could look the other way and pretend to love him." Evangeline studied Michael's face. She didn't need him to tell her that's what John would want to do.
"He believes in family." Michael chose to defend his brother. "We didn't have that growing up. I can imagine that he wouldn't want his kid to feel like we did."
Evangeline shook her head in disagreement. "Getting married because of a surprise pregnancy is the easy way out. It won't change how he feels about me, or what he's feeling for Natalie. He'd be willing to create a fake family because it's easier than the alternative. I don't know if he's in love with Natalie, and at this point I really don't care." She stood and sat down in the chair beside Michael.
"Then why keep this baby a secret." Michael still couldn't put the pieces together.
"So they can have a chance at being happy. If I wait and give them a chance, I'm doing my child a favor. Having a loving, nontraditional family would be better than a fake traditional family. I know that first hand." Evangeline wasn't happy at the thought of Natalie being in her child's life, but it was reality that she needed to consider. "If he and Natalie are meant to be together, they need to be given a chance. I don't want to end up with John by default because we didn't use protection."
"You're forgetting that Natalie is Natalie." Michael didn't really dislike Natalie, but he saw her as an obstacle in his brother's life. "I don't think she's above being jealous of a baby. You've planned this all out logically, but you know how she's going to react."
"If I tell John about the baby now and he leaves her, she's going to be angry. I know she'll feel cheated. She's going to think I did it to steal John from her. If I wait to tell John about the baby, she'll be angry. She'll feel cheated. She's going to think that I'm trying to interfere with her and John's happiness. She's going to be pissed either way."
"Let's say you tell John about the baby now. What if you tell John you don't want to marry him and he stays with Natalie?" Michael found a hole in her plan.
"Then he'll be torn between us. He'll try to be there for me and the baby, but Natalie will find a way to divide is attention. She'll want to make sure that she's his number one priority. I wouldn't think twice about letting John know that our child would always need to come first." All this talk of Natalie was making her sick to her stomach.
"And that's just not going to happen if you wait to tell him about the baby. Won't Natalie still get jealous?"
"Probably, but that's not something I can control. That woman is like a hurricane. You can't fight it, but you can plan and prepare for its arrival. My only goal is to let them be. In the end, John will have to deal with her and the baby. He'll have to have his priorities in order. He'll have to be honest with himself and with Natalie."
"We are talking about my brother?"
"I won't hold his hand on this. He can be with Natalie and be in our child's life if that's what he chooses." Evangeline had gotten it all out and it made perfect sense to her. She wouldn't let her child be John's excuse to avoid his feelings. She would give John and Natalie as shot at love without interfering.
Mike stretched out his arm and placed it on her shoulder. "I can't say that I agree with your plan, but it's not my decision to make. I know you're right about Natalie too. She will be jealous and angry no matter what happens. I know you won't say it, but I can hope for it. Natalie and John gave it a shot before and it didn't work. Here's hoping for a repeat."
Evangeline smirked and then chuckled. Their breakup would be ideal for her, but she didn't see it as likely. She'd hope for the best and prepare for the worst.