Dealing

Part 20: Shock

Natalie hesitated, and she had just opened her mouth to reply when Jessica's scream rang out from the foyer.

"Jessica?" Natalie and Viki hurried into the foyer to see Jessica, pale and trembling, clutching the banister for support as she tried not to collapse.

"Oh my god, Jess!" Natalie and Viki rushed to her side, each taking an arm and helping her to sit down on the steps.

"What happened?" Jessica held out her cell phone to Natalie without saying a word. Natalie took the phone and put it up to her ear. "Hello?"

"I'm coming for my son, beautiful. You won't know when or where… but enjoy every second you have left. You don't know which moment will be the last you'll ever share with him... but then, you have a new little one on the way, so he shouldn't be too missed." He let out a low chuckle and hung up.

Natalie began to shake as she heard a sharp click and then dead air. The phone slipped from her hand, hitting the ground with a muffled thud. She wrapped her arms around her stomach and looked up at Viki, terror evident in her eyes.

"Baby, what happened? Who was on the phone?"

Natalie took a deep breath and answered, holding her tears at bay even as they filled her voice.

"It was Thomas Jenkins… He wants Shane – and he knows that I'm pregnant." A sob escaped her lips as the reality of the situation finally hit her. "What the hell is going on? How could he possibly he know that and how was he able to contact me?"

Viki shook her head, overcome by concern for her daughter as she walked back into the library. "I don't know, but I am going to find out."

She had just picked up the phone to call Bo when there was a knock on the door. She put the phone down and walked to the door, knowing that neither of her girls was in any condition to answer it.

She opened the door and took half a step backwards. "John? I certainly didn't expect you to be coming by anytime soon."

John ran a hand through his hair as he smiled nervously. "Mrs. Davidson. Is Natalie home?"

Viki's eyes narrowed as she turned to look at Natalie, who nodded in consent as she wiped away her remaining tears. "Yes, she is. But why are you here?" she asked, a protective edge creeping into her voice.

"May I come in?"

Viki gave him an indecipherable look before she nodded and stepped aside, allowing John to walk inside. She shut the door and locked it, deliberately keeping her eyes on John as she went to Jessica, who had yet to say a word.

"If you think you'll be all right I'm going to take your sister into the kitchen and get her some tea. Would you like some?"

Natalie shook her head and gave Viki a grateful smile as she led Jessica out of the room, leaving her alone with John. Her hands automatically went to her stomach as she stared at him.

"What are you doing here?"

John frowned; he could still hear the tears in her voice. Something had obviously happened to upset her, and from the wetness he could see shining on her cheeks he would have guessed that it had happened mere moments before. He shook his head, bringing himself back to the present as he easily slipped into what those who knew him best called his cop mode.

"I'm here because we just got a call that Thomas Jenkins has escaped from prison. Given that you were the one who put him away, and that you have his son--"

Natalie laughed bitterly as she stood up. "He's already called here and threatened Shane," she said, her voice barely a ghost of a whisper.

John felt his jaw tighten in anger at Natalie's words. "When?" She met his eyes, taking a small measure of comfort in the protectiveness she saw there. "Just before you got here."

"That son of a bitch. I'll kill him before I let him near you or your son, Natalie. You know that, don't you?"

Natalie bit her lip as she nodded. She wanted to break the gaze their eyes had been locked in since he had entered the room, but she suddenly found that she couldn't. She didn't have the heart to say or do something that would kill the hope and love she saw in his eyes.

She had just opened her mouth to say something when Jessica's cell phone rang. Natalie's gaze moved to stare at the phone lying on the ground, the display screen lighting up with each ring. 'Caller Unknown' was visibly displayed to John, who moved to sit beside Natalie on the steps.

"Natalie?"

Her eyes remained transfixed on the phone. "Natalie, baby look at me." She didn't show any signs of hearing him and John gave up as the phone rang a fifth time. He picked it up quickly and answered it, praying that he wasn't too late.

He heard the breathing on the other end of the line and suddenly all of his anger and fear was unleashed as he began to talk into the phone, his voice low and more menacing than Natalie had ever heard it.

"Jenkins, you sick bastard if you come near Natalie or Shane I will do whatever it takes to make sure that you can never hurt them again."

He slammed the phone shut and then turned to Natalie, who hadn't moved her eyes from the spot where the phone had been moments earlier.

John moved to kneel in front of Natalie, taking her chin into his hand as he gently turned her head towards him. He muttered an oath as he realized that her eyes were unfocused. It was like she was looking straight through him.

Realizing that she was going into shock, John began to gently shake her head from side to side, calling her name. After a moment he realized that she was only slipping further and further away and he began to lightly hit her cheek with his free hand.

"Natalie. Come on baby, come back to me."

He breathed a sigh of relief and dropped his hands to her knees as Natalie blinked and then swung blindly, her fist connecting with his jaw and knocking him to the ground.

"What the hell!" John rubbed his jaw as Natalie's eyes suddenly focused on him. "Oh my god, John! I'm so sorry."

John smiled and shook his head, still rubbing his jaw as he pushed himself up and returned to sitting next to her. "Not a problem. I should've expected that retaliation from an AC girl, huh?"

Natalie smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "One of Roxy's rules – 'get hit, hit back.' Old habits really do die hard."

He chuckled and had just opened his mouth to reply when Jessica's cell phone rang.

Natalie's smile slipped and she shook her head when John reached to answer it, grabbing his hand as their eyes met.

"Let me."

John gave a reluctant nod as he pulled back, trying to ignore the pang he felt from the loss of contact.

Natalie took a deep breath as she tried to ignore the same pang, noting the 'Caller Unavailable' on the phone as she picked it up and answered.

"Hello?"

TO BE CONTINUED