A/N: Sorry for the delay-the muse and I hit a stumbling block but we're back on track now. Ya'll enjoy! Until next time-ya'll are the best-PCGirl.
John watched as Eddie walked through the squad room-nobody spoke to him, he'd pretty much cut himself off from the rest of the force when he became Ramsey's eyes and ears when he wasn't around. He stood up though as Eddie didn't turn and walk past Bo's other office door.
Seeing that he went into the locker room he followed the man in there, nodding to another officer as he walked out. John opened his locker, just a few ones down from where Eddie was now standing, "We must have some pretty big rats around here."
"How you figure that?" he asked, not even looking over at John.
"Well, something must have closed the evidence room door while I was in it last night."
"Yeah, I heard about that," chuckled Eddie.
"What did Ramsey promise you, Eddie? Promise to get you a cushy job at the FBI? I hate to tell you this-but my buddies at the FBI already informed me he wasn't called back. They haven't heard from him in months."
"What are you saying, McBain? You think I had something to do with your precious red head going missing?"
John slammed his locker shut causing Eddie to jump as he looked to see John directly in his face, "I said nothing about Natalie's disappearance being connected to Ramsey's sudden leaving-but you sure seem to know something."
"That's what you're trying to get at, right? That I had something to do with your whore going missing."
John slammed Eddie against his locker, cutting off his air circulation, "Say that again and it'll be your last breath."
"You know it's true—she's probably slept with half the force, they are just too scared of you to brag about it," he grinned as John began pushing harder against his throat. "You even sure the kids yours?"
"You really want to die today?" said John through gritted teeth. "I've nearly killed a man before for kidnapping Natalie—I have no problem going all the way this time."
"Don't worry, McBain—she's not my type," he said as he looked over at the door opening and Bo walking in.
"John," said Bo as he rushed over to where John was and pulled him off of the other man. "What the hell are you doing, Lieutenant? I get my job back and five minutes later I find you nearly killing a fellow officer," he said as he looked over to see Eddie bowed over trying to breathe.
"I have suspicion this is the reason I was locked in an evidence room all night," said John as he pointed at Eddie and he looked up at the other two men.
"I want—I want to press charges of assault," he gasped.
"What for? I didn't see anything—you are going to get your breath back and walk calmly out of this room and into Interview 4, that's an order Officer."
"He blindfolded me and I remember driving for awhile-I tried to count the time, but couldn't. When we got out of the car I tried to listen to sounds around me—cars, music, birds, but there was nothing. He walked me in here still blindfolded—I didn't go up any steps so we're on the first floor still," said Natalie as she finished the story of her being taken hostage the night before.
"You willingly allowed yourself to be taken? Why?"
Natalie put her hand protectively on her stomach, "Because I felt like fighting him wouldn't be safe for me-or my baby."
Natalie watched as Marty's eyes went wide before she began speaking, "Congratulations to you and-Jared, is it?"
She had a quick moment to decide on telling the truth or let the other woman believe what she wanted to, "Actually, it's John's."
"Really? You're pretty far along for it to be his," she sniped out.
Natalie's first thought was to deck the woman for that comment, but she would let it slide-for now, "I'm not going to fight with you Marty-you can believe what you want. I didn't plan on having John's child-I thought that opportunity was in the past, but apparently there are people above that see differently. We have to live in this room for who knows how long until someone rescues us, so I think it's best if we just end the discussion on my pregnancy now."
"Ok, we can do this one of two ways-you either sing to me like a canary or I'll let IA get a whiff of this and they'll be all over you faster and harder than John was in the locker room before I broke you two up," said Bo as he watched Eddie continue to sit uncomfortably in a chair.
"I'll talk, but not with him here," he said, keeping his eyes locked on John's.
Bo turned and looked at the man he trusted and knew it would be easier if John wasn't in the room, "Let's go outside."
John walked out of the room, his arms crossed at his chest, and ready to argue with his newly reinstated boss, "Bo, I'm not leaving."
"You've been awake way too long today, John. If I hadn't gotten back from the Mayor's office when I had you would have beat the crap out of a fellow police officer."
"He deserved it."
"Perhaps, but let him dig his own grave. Go home-get some rest-Antonio should be back with all the evidence soon and once that's all sorted out we'll know where to go next."
"Don't go soft on him, Bo."
"I won't," he said as he walked back into the room and shut the door behind him. "I've heard you were pretty friendly with the new commissioner while I was gone. He treat you right?"
"Yeah, and he got more done than you ever did. I don't know why you think I had something to do with McBain's woman going missing."
Bo sat on the edge of the table, "Let me remind you that his woman is my niece, and she is well loved by every officer out there. If you had even the slightest thing to do with Natalie being taken last night it will get out-maybe not by me, but it will get out-I can't promise to stop the next person who decides to use a locker to bash your face in. So I suggest you start telling me everything you know."
Natalie laid on her side facing away from Marty-she was so tired, but a part of her was scared to sleep-her defenses were down if she did. But then, if she didn't get any sleep it would be bad for herself and the baby.
As she closed her eyes and tried to tune out the sound of Marty's breathing across the small space she allowed herself to feel the fluttering in her stomach-and a smile came across her face as she realized it was the first feelings of the baby. Focused on the baby she was soon asleep.
It had taken John long enough to fall asleep—he'd finally forced himself to lie there, and now, as he stepped off the elevator onto the 9th floor of BE, he knew he was dreaming. He began walking to Natalie's office—but it was the shouting down the hall that caught his attention.
As he reached the office he thought was Clint's he saw a different man in the chair and soon realized—this wasn't a dream but a full fledged nightmare, "Mr Buchanan?"
"Hey boy—glad you could finally make it," smiled Asa as he told the person on the phone he'd have to call them back. "Have a seat—you are a tough man to get in touch with."
John looked at the other man strangely, "I'm sorry. Did you want to talk to me about something?"
"Darn tootin' I do. I want to talk about that granddaughter of mine and what you're going to do about her."
"I'm still looking for her—I just, I just had to take a break so my mind will be clear. Don't worry sir—I won't sleep again until I find her."
Asa breathed deeply, "I'm not talking about that—I know you'll find her. What I want to talk about is what you're going to do after she's back. I know Natalie—she's feisty, and she'll fight you tooth and nail on stuff—don't let her."
"I normally don't," he said, a slight smile appearing on his face.
"Good. She reminds me a lot of her Grandma Renee," he said as a misty look came to his eyes. "I wasted too many years without her in my life—don't let the same thing happen to you and Natalie."
"I won't," he said as he watched Asa go back for the phone—showing that this conversation was over. "Can I say one more thing? I think Natalie's doing a great job at BE—you'd be proud of her."
"I am. I just wish her dad would be hiring some better people lately—there's one I definitely don't trust and wouldn't allow him to walk within a mile of BE."
Natalie walked up to the ranch house and stared at the door, "Why am I dreaming of this?" she said quietly as she pushed the door open and looked to see the doors into the living area were wide open and there was Asa standing there waiting for her, "Grandpa," she said as she ran to him and gave him a big hug.
"There's my filly—I've missed you," he said as he pulled her back and but kept his hands on her shoulders.
"I've missed you too—you weren't around long enough to show me all the ropes of BE—what it means to be a Buchanan business woman," she smiled brightly.
"You're doing fine—don't you worry your pretty little head about that," he said as he walked over and sat down on the couch. "Now let's talk about what's going on outside of work."
Natalie laughed as she sat down on a chair across from Asa, "Which part? The part where I went along with what a kidnapper wanted and allowed myself to be taken hostage or the part where I got knocked up and when the guy proposed to me I laughed in his face."
Asa just looked at Natalie with that crooked smile of his, "You keep underestimating yourself—whatever this guy throws at you—whatever happens, you are one half Buchanan and one half Lord—that makes for a hell of a combo. You're going to come out of this thing just fine—mark my words.
"And as for my new great-grandchild that's coming in this world—you don't have to worry one second about John running from your bed to that blasted Marty Saybrooke's—he loves you and I don't see him going anywhere anytime soon."
Natalie just smiled at his words, "I know. Guess it helped hearing it from someone else—you know when you died Kevin, Joey, and Jess sat around with me and talked about growing up with you. I didn't get enough time with you, Grandpa."
"I know," he said as he leaned over and covered her hand with his. "Well, I'm going to go find a horse around here to ride—you'll be fine," he said, giving Natalie a wink before walking out the french doors that led to the stables.
Natalie woke with a smile on her face, as she rolled over and her eyes adjusted to the dark the smile stopped and her brow crinkled, because the spot where Marty Saybrooke slept shortly before was now empty—bed and all.