It was just before ten as John walked into the station. He hadn't planned on getting here so early, but things had changed. He'd found an attorney to represent him, but their meeting was cancelled at the last minute. He left his paperwork with his lawyer's paralegal so that she could look them over. He would still be able to meet with his attorney before his meeting with the department shrink, so that was a plus.

His head was bowed as he walked through the bullpen, but he could feel the eyes on him. That was all the confirmation he needed. The cat was out of the bag now. No one dared approach him though.

"John, can I see you in my office?" Bo approached him from the side and caught him off guard.

John simply nodded and followed after Bo. He could only hope that Bo had changed his mind about the appointment with the IA shrink, but that was just wishful thinking. He would not get his hopes up.

Bo sat down with a heavy sigh and stared up at his lead detective. He'd heard from Nora about the baby and felt a familiar pain. A paternity scandal had kept him out of Matthew's life for years. He and Matthew were extremely close now, but he would always feel bitter about the time he'd lost.

"What's up?" John stared at him impatiently. He could read Bo like a book. He was pitying him.

"Why don't you take a seat?" Bo didn't exactly have a speech planned, but he didn't want to dance around the subject.

John started to argue but thought better of it. He sat down across from Bo and waited expectantly. He was not in the mood for a lecture.

"I hear congratulations are in order," Bo paused at the sound of John's hoarse chuckle.

"Thanks."

"John, to be honest I don't' know what to say. You've had it rough these last few months, and now things aren't going to get any easier for you." Bo leaned back in his chair and searched for the right words. "Evangeline did what she though was right. Try not to be too hard on her." Bo had always liked Evangeline. She reminded him of Nora. Unfortunately, she and his niece both had feelings for John. Though he wanted to be impartial, he was always in Natalie's corner. She needed someone like John to protect her.

"You know everyone is always talking about Evangeline like she can do no wrong. She didn't lie, but she hid this from me for months. Now our kid is not even born and she's suing me for custody. I'm the one who wants to be fair about this." John's voice was low and dark. He still had not been able to let go of his anger.

Bo's eyes were wide with shock at that last revelation. Apparently, Nora had left out some key details. "Well, you just have to do what you have to do." Bo knew there was no point in trying to dissuade John. If Nora was trying to keep Matthew from him, he'd fight too. "Just remember that she is going to be the mother of your child. You two are going to have to find some way to get along for the sake of the kid. If she's not going to be the reasonable one, you have to be."

"Well, thanks for the pep talk." John stood and started to walk toward the door.

"Hey John," Bo called after him, "I know things have been strained as of late, but maybe you should make it a point to see Natalie. Probably be best if she heard it from you." This was the real reason he wanted to talk to John. His thoughts were always family first.

John left without a reply. He didn't have time to make sure Natalie was not blindsided by the news. He had other priorities now.

John turned the corner toward his office. The blinds had been left open, and he could see someone inside. "This just ain't my day." He watched for a moment as Natalie paced back and forth in his office. "Guess she already knows then." He was glad. He wasn't exactly in the mood for comforting others.

He swung the door open wide and she was immediately alerted of his presence. He let it swing shut hard making the blinds swing violently back and forth. "Natalie, what can I do for you?" He pulled off his suit jacket and tossed it on his desk. He barely looked at her before pouring himself a cup of coffee.

Natalie looked at his back confused with her hands on her hips. It had been right at week since she'd seen him last. She was still angry about his conspiracy with Cris that kept her in the dark. Why was he giving her the cold shoulder? "So, turns out you're really great at keeping secrets John. How long did you plan on lying to me about this? Did you think I wouldn't figure it out?"

John turned with a smirk but said nothing. He walked over his desk and set his cup down. Natalie had no idea what she was in for. Today was not they day to be pushing John's buttons.

"I mean, I can get why Evangeline would want to hide this, but why you? Let me guess, you were doing it for my own good." Natalie was shouting now. It was irritating her that John was not more forthcoming with information. She'd heard from Rex who'd heard it from Roxy. "Why the hell am I always the last one to find things out?"

"Maybe you can ask Michael?" John sat behind his desk and started to arrange the files in some kind of order.

"Why the hell would I ask Michael?" She slammed her purse down on his desk. She didn't believe for one second that Michael was the father. She knew Michael had a crush on Evangeline, but he wouldn't betray his brother.

"Because Michael found out months ago about Evangeline. Me, on the other hand, well I just found out oh, let's see, about four days ago." John snapped at her. "I lied about Cris, and you know that. If you want to hate me, you go right ahead, but don't you dare come here and break my balls about something that you know nothing about!"

Natalie clasped her hands over her mouth in shock. Evangeline was a lot more devious that she'd ever imagined. "John, I'm so sorry." She sat down in the chair and moved her purse out of the way. "I just assumed you knew. Evangeline was just so critical about your lying about Cristian. I didn't think that she would have kept such a terrible secret of her own."

"Yeah, it was a real shocker to me too." John watched her intently then frowned. Maybe it was just his anger or maybe he'd just never noticed before because he was always turning a blind eye to her antics, but he saw something that he hadn't noticed before.

"So now you know what it's like to be lied to like that." Natalie smiled that they had a new connection that she was sure Evangeline hadn't intended.

John shook his head in disgust. This was just a game for her. She was only here to complicate the situation. She didn't exactly want to be with him right now, but she didn't want him to end up with Evangeline either. John wondered if she really thought so little of him that he could be so easily manipulated.

"This ain't exactly something I want to bond over. What I did was wrong. What Evangeline did was wrong. Nothing can change what's already happened though. I'm pissed at her, and you're supposed to be pissed at me, remember?" John ran his hands through his hair and sighed. This mess was of his own creation. Now it was time to put an end to it.

"John, I don't want to fight with you. I'm angry about Cris. I know you were trying to protect me. Everything's just so confusing now. I love Cris and I love you too. I just never thought I would have to choose between you two." Natalie continued to lay the groundwork of her plan. She wasn't expecting an immediate reconciliation, but she knew Evangeline was stubborn. She would push John away and right back into Natalie's bed.

"Then let me choose for you," John leaned in close and made sure she was looking him in the eyes. "Go be with Cris."

Natalie frowned that he wasn't even going to try and put up a fight. She knew he wasn't one to express his feelings, but this was too much for her. "So, I guess I didn't mean anything to you at all. Didn't you hear me, John? I love you."

"I heard you loud and clear, and now you need to hear me. I don't have time for this." John made sure to hold his tongue about the custody hearing. The last thing he needed was Natalie interfering.

"Of course, you don't want to talk about it! Isn't that a typical John McBain thing to say?" Natalie huffed with her hands on her hips. "Now isn't the time to be hiding from your feelings."

John simply shook his head in disgust. Sure, he could go off on her like he really wanted, but she'd just go and complain to Bo. John swallowed his anger and thought of the quickest way to get rid of her. "Natalie, are you here in your official capacity as a clerk?"

"No," she started before John interrupted.

"Then you can leave, or I will have someone escort you out. This isn't some talk show. Find someone else to vent to." John felt good to finally be done with her. Too many times he'd bent over backwards to be her rock, but he was done now.

"Fine, maybe I'll just talk to the IA shrink too. If he can fix you, then I'm sure he's a miracle worker." Natalie stormed out and slammed the door behind her. She'd said all she needed to say to get her point across. John was playing tough now, but she knew he'd be hot on her heels to make sure she kept her lips sealed about the IA shrink.

John leaned back in his chair and sighed deeply. Figures that Bo would have told her. As much as he wanted to run after her and do damage control, he couldn't make himself move. She was always going to play these childish games, and he didn't want any part of it. He would do what he needed to get clearance from the IA shrink. He could ignore the gossip. He would do whatever it took to stay out of Natalie's web.

Lucky for John, he had enough paperwork to keep himself busy. He'd forgotten all about Natalie and her shenanigans. The distraction had also calmed him down a little. He was still pissed at Evangeline, but he wasn't nearly as angry as he had been. He knew he'd only be in a better mood after he spoke to his lawyer.

He walked into the office and nodded at the secretary. She smiled back at him politely. He'd been a little curt with her early, so he decided against the normal pleasantries. He was just about to take a seat when he was greeted by an old graying man with short curly hair.

"McBain, right," he reached out and shook John's hand firmly, "Richard Goldberg. Nice to meet you. Come on back." He ushered John into his office. He motioned for John to take a seat while he settled in behind his desk.

John noted the classy décor and hoped this man was well worth the money he was paying him. On such short notice, he hadn't had time to do proper research, but this man would have to do. John stared at the man who was surely close to retirement age or perhaps beyond. The man reminded John of his high school principal, Mr. Carter. He even wore his glasses at the bridge of his nose in the same way. Suddenly, John felt uncomfortable. He started out as a trouble maker in high school, so none of his dealings with Mr. Carter had been pleasant.

"Okay, looks like we're ready to get started. Maggie brought me up to speed on the paperwork." He stopped for a moment and looked up at John and smiled. "What is it that you want Mr. McBain? How can we help you?"

John's jaw clenched with anger. He was paying this guy $200 an hour and he still had to spell it out for him. That smile on his face was only fuel for John's anger. It took a considerable amount of restraint to completely go off on him. "I want my child. Full time. Full custody. Sole custody."

Mr. Goldberg blew out a long steady breath before leaning back in his chair. "Full custody and sole custody are the same thing. In either case, you would be the primary caregiver of the child and would maintain physical custody of the child."

"Fine, I got it," John snapped. He didn't want a legal lesson. He wanted a win. John watched as the man stared at him for a bit. "Look, if I've got the wrong guy, just let me know. I'm crunched for time." That wasn't exactly true. John's meeting with the IA psychologist was still a couple of hours away.

Mr. Goldberg shook his head and took out a legal pad. He was used to dealing with people's misplaced anger. Family law was not for the faint of heart, but he'd been in business for 35 years, so he'd just about seen it all. "Now, is the mother of the child a danger to herself or others? Has she been drinking, smoking or using illegal drugs during the pregnancy? Does she live in an environment that would be considered unfit for a child? Does she casually associate with dangerous criminals?"

"No, none of that." John was answering as truthfully as he knew how. He really hadn't seen much of Evangeline in these last several months, but he couldn't imagine that she would intentionally do anything to hurt their child. "She's a defense attorney, Evangeline Williamson. I'm sure you've heard of her." John knew Evangeline was a workaholic, but she'd been taking a much lighter caseload as of late and it was now obvious why.

"I have heard of Ms. Williamson." He'd read the whole file, so he already knew who and what he was up against. He didn't know Evangeline personally, but he knew her to be a person of great moral character. She did lots of pro bono work and volunteered as often as her busy schedule would allow. Mr. Goldberg was actually quite glad that she was not representing herself in the matter.

"Then you know what we're up against." John knew they'd be fighting an uphill battle, but he didn't care. He couldn't just sit back and let Evangeline take their child from him.

"Mr. McBain, John," he pulled off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "I am your attorney and I will continue to represent you and your interests as long as you continue paying me and are satisfied with my services. With that in mind, I feel it's in your best interest if I don't beat around the bush."

"I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but this is my kid we're talking about. For god's sake, I don't even know if it's a boy or a girl yet. The kid isn't even born yet, and here I am. This is what she wanted." John pounded his hand down on the desk. "This isn't what I wanted. I didn't ask for this, but this is the hand that I've been dealt. As far as I see it, I have to play to win because I have too much at stake to lose." John felt his emotions getting the better of him. He was exhausted and it was starting to show.

"I don't read the local papers. They're just gossip magazines. Llanview is a small town, so word still gets around. There are some very, very rich and powerful people in this town. You were or maybe are still involved with someone from one of those families." He looked John right in the eye before he drove his point home. "Lucky for the family that not all of their drama reaches the paper."

"I'm not here to talk about my relationship, past or present, with Natalie Vega. This is about my child." John stared back at the man defiantly.

"You're right. It's not about that, yet." He leaned back in his chair and looked across his desk at the photos of his grandchildren. He too was a father, but he'd married the love of his life and they were still married to this day. He raised successful children that were all still on first marriages, and he hoped it stayed that way. "If you push Ms. Williamson for sole custody of the child, then I'm sure it will come to that. All of your sordid history will be hashed out in open court in front of a judge, and at the end of the day best you can hope for is joint custody. No judge is going to take a newborn from his mother and hand him over to a father without a damn good reason."

"So, what am I even doing here? I'm not supposed to fight to see my child. I'm just supposed to let Evangeline do what she wants and go along with that." John's frustration was starting to come to a head.

"Let me just make it clear since you seem to be confused."

"Enlighten me," John interrupted.

"This is not a custody hearing. Ms. Williamson cannot sue you for custody of a child that in the eyes of the law does not exist yet. Ms. Williamson is requesting binding arbitration in anticipation of her child's birth. Ms. Williamson has named you as the father, but until a DNA test is conducted Ms. Williamson is automatically going to have sole physical and legal custody of the child. After paternity is established, you may then ask the court to give you sole physical and legal custody of the child, but I've already said that's unlikely."

"Then if she's not suing me, what the hell is this all about?" John wished that he hadn't let his anger get the best of him. If he'd read the paperwork, he might not have needed to waste his time here. "Does she want me to sign my rights away?"

Mr. Goldberg almost felt bad for John. He could see that he was stressed and had jumped to completely the wrong conclusion. He knew for a fact that John hadn't read through the paperwork. "I've been doing this for longer than Ms. Williamson has been alive. I've come across all types as you can imagine. I can tell you that Ms. Williamson is a rare breed. Most people come here and they're upset. For whatever reason, working things out amicably with the other party is out of the question, so I step in as a mediator or mouthpiece to get things resolved."

John rolled his eyes. Yet another someone who was in the Evangeline Williamson fan club. "I thought you were supposed to be on my side or is that not what I'm paying you for."

Mr. Goldberg ignored John as he moved on to the point. "I'm not sure if you picked me because of my reputation or if you pulled my name out of the phonebook, but I'm the one who gets results. I'm the one you call when you want to stick it to your ex, so I don't see a lot of people who are working together over simple matter. There are much cheaper attorneys for that. With all that in mind, Ms. Williamson has submitted a custody proposal. Now a lot of this is written in legal jargon, but that's because Ms. Williamson knows the rules of this game. I can tell you that, by far, this is one of the most fair and balanced applications for a child custody arrangement that I've ever seen; especially since the child is not even born yet."

John leaned in closer, because he was sure he heard him wrong. "What?"

"Ms. Williamson is not trying to take your child from you or keep you apart. She very much wants you to be a part of the child's life. A traditional visitation schedule that you've probably heard of is a custody split four days a week with one parent and three with the other, or only weekend visitation with some holidays thrown in."

John could only nod as the information started to sink in. He could feel his stomach starting to turn and it was almost more than he could take.

"With a newborn that's not such a great idea to move him or her from one household to another constantly. It can be done, but it's not advisable. Ms. Williamson is instead proposing that she maintain physical custody, and that you will have multiple scheduled visitations daily for the first few months, and then an arrangement that will be similar but continue to change as the child grows. This isn't a long-term arrangement. She's asking for a year of this and then for you to both sit down again and modify the arrangement for the child's best interest."

"Evangeline, I still can't believe all of this." Nora walked a few steps behind Evangeline and tried to take in her surroundings. Oddly enough, she'd heard through the grapevine that Evangeline was expecting, and that John McBain was the father. Nora called Bo immediately to get the scoop, but she was shocked to hear that he was just getting the news from her. Both John and Evangeline had been careful about guarding their private lives, but Nora was saddened that her friend hadn't even kept her in the loop.

"Would you be surprised if I said I couldn't believe it either?" Evangeline laughed and tried to lighten the mood. She knew she'd hurt Nora deeply, but this wasn't about their friendship.

"I know I should have been there more for you, but everything with Daniel being so crazy. If I had known, I would have been here for you. It's killing me that you felt you had to keep this from me." Nora pulled at her hand to stop her from walking. Her daughter, Rachel, was around Evangeline's age and she was just dying at the thought of Rachel keeping something like this from her.

Evangeline just shook her head to interrupt her. "I'm okay, Nora. Really, I am. I wasn't intending for this to be some great big secret, but things didn't go as planned. John is already pissed enough as it is. I just didn't want him to be the last one to know."

Nora had to bite her tongue. She didn't agree with what Evangeline did because of what happened between her and Sam. She, too, had good intentions, but her son lost years with his father that he would never get back.

"If you're thinking about lecturing me, don't waste your breath. My mother already put me in check. Believe me. I've heard it all." Evangeline could read Nora and wanted to avoid another lecture. She pulled away from Nora and walked through the hallway into the kitchen. She wished that she had some sugary snacks to distract Nora with.

Nora followed close behind. She would not be deterred. "I don't think you have, Evangeline. You have to stop doing this or you're going to drive yourself crazy." Nora had pushed Evangeline to look past John's flaws, because she knew he was an honest man. She was shocked to find out that he'd let Cris Vega go to prison. John didn't kill anyone, but he played a dangerous game that almost cost Cris Vega his life. "You should not be bending over backwards to do that man any favors. John lied. He used Cris. He used the department. He used his badge to further his own personal agenda."

Evangeline frowned at her choice of words. This wasn't just about John. Nora was clearly still hurting over Daniel. "Nora, you don't understand."

"I understand perfectly. First, you hid the pregnancy to keep John focused. Then, you hid the pregnancy to keep John and Natalie together. At every step, you are putting his needs over yours; his feelings over yours. I think it's time for you to start being selfish. You did all that for him and look at what it's done. You had to hide something that you should be proud of, something you should be celebrating. You been dealing with all of this on your own, because you felt you would be betraying John if you told someone before him. You shouldn't have had to go through this alone."

"This was a situation that I created on my own. John didn't make me lie or hide the truth. I chose to do that on my own." Evangeline didn't like the idea of defending John, but she'd taken her mother's advice to heart. She needed to let it all go for the sake of her child. She would have to forgive him for his shortcomings.

Evangeline sat down on a kitchen stool and sighed. She hadn't even talked with most of her family and friends yet. She was already tired of other people's advice. She just smiled though. She knew keeping a secret this big for so long would have severe consequences.

"Would you please just stop?!" Nora didn't mean to snap, but she was angry. "You don't have to do the right thing all the time. You don't have to say the right thing all the time. You need to start letting your hair down and damn the consequences." Nora sat down on a stool beside her.

Evangeline smiled patiently and gathered her thoughts. Nora's anger was about Daniel, not John. For two women who prided themselves on being excellent judges of character, Nora and Evangeline had both entered into relationships that ended in terrible heartache. Maybe it wasn't love, but Evangeline knew John's feelings for her had been genuine. That he let himself get caught up in another one of Natalie's dramas was par for the course.

Evangeline reached over and held Nora's hands in her own. "Nora, I love John. Now that I'm carrying his child, I don't think that will ever change. I'm not perfect and neither is he. I was wrong for hiding this pregnancy from John. We created this life together, and we will have to learn to get along well enough to make sure our child is healthy, happy, and well-adjusted. I can't hold on to my anger or disappointment over what he's done. John has made some poor decisions and he's going to have to live with the consequences."

"Evangeline Williamson, you are one class act." Nora gave her an encouraging smile. "John is a fool for not realizing that."

Evangeline mustered a smile at the compliment. Her intentions hadn't been all good. The generous custody arrangement that she'd forced upon John was a rope. If he used it wisely, he'd be able to pull himself out of the whole he'd dug when he started to bury his emotions. If he used it poorly, it was just enough to hang himself with. For the sake of her child, Evangeline hoped for the best.