John clicked the end button on the phone—she was pregnant—with his child. That's all he could think of. He sat quietly for a minute not saying anything—ignoring the sounds of the poker game going on behind him.
"You know you went over the time, Irish," egged one of the guys as he walked past John to go into the kitchen.
"Your point?" he snapped, ignoring the nickname they'd given him years ago when they were still in training at Quantico.
"She's not coming, is she? Wised up since you've been gone," teased one of the other guys who began to shuffle the cards.
"She's coming," he said as he got up and grabbed his beer off the poker table and took a swig before walking off.
"You in or out this hand, Irish?" called the dealer.
"I'm out for the night—and don't think of touching my money, Mouth," he hollered as he took the steps slowly to his room. When he got in the room and shut the door he laid down on the bed staring at the ceiling.
Natalie was pregnant with his child and she was coming here to be with him.
"Here's all the paperwork," said Bo as he handed Natalie a stack across the desk. "You talked to your mom about this?" he asked. He'd spoken with John the night before and reluctantly agreed that Natalie might be able to help out some. Plus, he knew they were both calmer when the other was close by.
"I told her there was a forensic tech school you wanted me to attend—that I'd call her when I got there and settled in. I'll still be able to call, right?"
"I hope so," he smiled as he came around the desk and gave her a big hug. "It's going to be quiet without you around Natalie. And the coffee's going to start tasting like crap again," he laughed.
"I'll tell you where my secret stash is," she said with a wink and a laugh as they walked out of his office together. "Get off the desk, Rex," she ordered as he jumped off the desk and slid papers onto the floor by accident. Natalie just laughed at watching him—her voice getting stuck in her throat at the realization that she wasn't going to be able to see him for who knows how long. She went forward and hugged him tightly.
"Whoa—hey," he said as he pulled her back and brushed her hair away. "You ok, Nat? I thought we were doing better."
"We are," she smiled through teary eyes. "I've got to go—but I'll see you later," she said as she squeezed his hands and walked out of the Station—suddenly realizing how much she was leaving.
"He's alive," blurted Rex as he walked into the hotel room without even a knock.
"Ever heard of knocking? And what are you going on about?" she stumbled out of her mouth, her clothes halfway packed up.
"You heard me—that's why you are acting this way. That's why Roxy just gave me some story about you going to a forensic school somewhere else."
"If he's alive where is he Rex?"
"You tell me. In one day you've decided to randomly up and leave this town—these memories—for what? A degree you can get at the station?"
"Did you ever think the station has too many memories? That this whole town has too many memories?"
"It had memories when Cris died—both times. Don't lie to me, Natty. You can't con a con."
She couldn't help but grin at her brother standing there—reading her like an open book. She walked over to him and gave him a hug, "I'm going to miss you."
"Me too," he sighed. "You know where you're going?"
"No," she shook her head as she pulled out of the hug. "I figure I'll know when I get there."
"You leave tonight?" he asked as she nodded her head and went back to packing. "Need a lift?"
"Yeah, that'd be nice."
She racked the balls again—it was five til 9—Rex had dropped her off and left twenty minutes ago. Actually, if she guessed correctly—he was probably parked nearby, hidden from view, waiting for Aaron to pick her up.
She saw the headlights light up the windows and put down the pool cue—the game could wait, getting to John couldn't. She turned the lights off and locked up—the irony of the last place she'd be in Llanview was the location of the first time she met John.
By the time she'd gotten the place locked up Aaron had put her one suitcase in the trunk of the car and was holding the door open for her, "Thanks," she smiled—not saying much, unsure of what to say.
They drove quietly for a few minutes—a classic rock station playing on the radio, but it was the silence that was deafening. "So how long have you known John?"
"Irish and I were in the same class at Quantico."
"Irish?" she laughed—she couldn't wait to ask him how he got that name.
"Yeah, we stayed in touch while he was still in the FBI—I knew Caitlyn somewhat, but not really well. When he left the Bureau though it's like he dropped off the map. Some of us figured for him to disappear like that he must have fallen hard. After hearing him talk about you and now seeing you—it all makes sense," he grinned.
"He—he talked about me? Are you sure we're talking about the same John McBain? Because mine never talks about anything—especially not relationships."
Aaron let out a loud laugh, "I know. He's changed since I last saw him. He hasn't told us much—just that you've saved each other on more than one occasion—and he reluctantly admitted you kick his ass at pool almost every time.
"Your relationship with him his different than what I saw between him and Cait. He'd call her when we were on a mission, but it was really one sided—he'd listen to her, and not say much. When you got off the phone last night with him—he got razzed a little for having this dreamy look on his face. A look I never saw when he was with her."
Natalie couldn't help but smile as they talked for the rest of the drive about John and former stories of him in the FBI. They got quiet as they pulled into a small airfield, with a single engine plane on the runway, engines already going.
"Your carriage awaits, my lady—Irish is waiting for you," smiled Aaron as he put the car in park, turned the engine off and then went around to help her out of the car.