Chapter Six

As they entered Bo's office, Bo lightly grabbed Johns arm and stopped him. "Listen, I hope the thing with me and your mother doesn't make you uncomfortable because…"

John held up a hand to stop him. "No, I am happy for you." John took a deep breath. He hated moments like this. "Bo, I want to apologize for my behavior that day. You were right – I was losing it. I'm sorry I let you down."

Bo shook his head. "It's all in the past." He gave John a small pat on the back, "I am glad to have you home."

John took a seat across from the desk and handed the photograph to Bo who gave it to the lab technician Taylor. A few minutes later Bo re-entered the room, this time with Natalie trailing behind him. "She wants to hear what happened." Bo explained as Natalie took a seat.

John sighed. "There isn't much to tell. I have been in Baltimore for the past few months working at a small PI firm. This morning I woke up and found that photo had been slipped under my door. At first I thought maybe someone had got the wrong room but then I saw the press conference."

"Have you had any trouble with clients as a PI?" Bo asked as he took down some notes.

John shook his head and told Bo everything he had thought about in the car.

"What about anyone you've been involved with? An angry ex?" Bo asked wording the question as gently as he could with his niece sitting in the room.

"There's been no one."

Natalie's eyes widened in shock but she remained silent. "What about someone from your time at the FBI?" She asked trying to cover her surprise.

Reaching into the pocket of his jacket, John handed Bo a piece of paper. "On the way over I wrote down a few names that came to mind. Most of these guys should still be in jail, but it's worth checking into."

Bo nodded and took the paper from John's hands. "I'll look into it." The older man turned his attention to Natalie. "What about you Honey? Have you remembered anything else?"

Natalie closed her eyes and thought back to last night, the memory of which had been playing over and over in her mind all day. "No." Sighing she looked back at her uncle, tears now in her eyes.

"Why would someone do this?"

Bo shook his head sadly. "I don't know."

Hating what he was about to do, Taylor Smith grabbed the computer print out and headed toward Bo's office. He had just started the job in the forensics department of the Llanview PD a little over a year ago and Natalie had done everything in her power to make the transition smooth. She had introduced him to everyone around the station and had even used one of her days off to show him and his wife around the town.

Nobody deserved to have to go through what she was, and knowing what he was about to tell Bo made it worse.

"Commissioner," Taylor said knocking lightly on the door to Bo's office. "I finished running analysis on the photo."

Bo motioned for Taylor to enter the room and close the door. "What did you get?" Bo asked. Taylor glanced around the room taking notice that Natalie and another man were sitting in the two chairs facing Bo.

Sensing the other man's hesitation Bo nodded. "It's fine."

Taylor took a deep breath and focused on Bo. "I dusted the photo for prints and managed to get a partial. I ran it through the system and got a match. I wanted to be sure and there was a handwriting sample there so I took the liberty to compare it to the note on the back."

Wordlessly Taylor handed the sheet of paper across the desk to Bo and stepped back. Bo looked at down at the sheet of paper and back at Taylor, his eyes narrowed.

"Did you double check this?" Bo asked his voice sharp.

Taylor nodded. "Yes Sir."

Noticing the look passing between the two men Natalie sat up straighter. "What's going on? What does it say?"

Bo handed the paper over to John and looked at Natalie. "Honey… this is going to be hard to hear… but…"

Trying to keep her temper in check, Natalie reached over and tore the paper from John's hands. After studying it for a minute, she allowed it to drop form her hands.

"Cristian?" She asked her voice shaking. "Cristian took my girls?"

Both Bo and Taylor remained silent knowing nothing they could say would help Natalie. But John spoke up. "Do we have any idea where he is?"

Natalie weakly shook her head. "Cristian left town right after he found out I was pregnant. No one has seen him since. Why would he do this? Why would he take the girls?"

"What about Antonio or Carlotta? Would they know where he is?"

"It's doubtful." Bo said. "Antonio and Layla Williamson moved out to LA and opened a series of night clubs; they've been gone almost 3 years now."

"And Carlotta passed away last year." Natalie finished. Suddenly feeling sick to her stomach, Natalie stood up and without warning rushed from the room. "I…. I…. can't be here."

Natalie rushed though the station ignoring those who called her name. She tore out the building and to the parking lot, fumbling slightly for her keys. A small part of her knew she was in no condition to drive but Natalie ignored it and jumped into her car.

She needed to get away.

As she drove toward her house, Natalie remembered the last time she had seen Cristian almost four years ago. Their encounter hadn't gone well, and for the first time Natalie had finally been able to see how much he had changed. It was also the day that Natalie had found herself able to forgive John for keeping him away from her.

Flashback

The loud ring of the doorbell awoke Natalie who had been dozing off on the couch. It had been almost a month since John had left town and Natalie had been wearing herself out trying to find him.

Sighing, Natalie got off the couch and pulled her sweater tighter around her, trying to hide the small bump of her stomach. Natalie was almost five months pregnant but hadn't told anyone aside from her immediate family as she had to have tracked down John by now.

Pushing aside thoughts of him, Natalie walked through the foyer and opened the door to revel a very determined looking Cristian. Inwardly groaning, Natalie held the door open for him and fixed him with a forced smile. "What brings you by?" She asked hoping her annoyance wasn't noticeable.

Cristian took a step toward her and fixed her with an intense look. "It's been over four months since I've been back and I gave you the time you asked for, but Natali, I want us to go back to the way things were before." Cristian said his voice and gaze never wavering.

"Cristian we have been over this…"

"Natalie you know I love you and with McBain gone there is nothing standing in our way."

Natalie sighed knowing what she had to do. "Cris," she began softly, unable to meet his eyes. "I'm pregnant."

Cristian's eyes widened and he looked at Natalie in shock. "You're what?"

Natalie stepped forward and put a hard on his arm. "I'm sorry Cris; I just thought you needed to hear it from me."

Cristian's eyes dangerously narrowed and he threw Natalie's hand off his arm and took a step back. "You're not seriously thinking of keeping it are you?" he spat viciously.

Natalie's mouth dropped open in horror. "Of course I am keeping it," she responded angrily once the initial shock wore off. "This baby is as much a part of me as it is John, and for you to even suggest that I…"

Cristian held up a hand to stop her, his expression suddenly turning to one of compassion. "I'm sorry Natalie, I didn't mean that." He paused for a few seconds and then his face lit up. "Then marry me Natalie. We can leave Llanview and raise this child as our own, no one will ever have to know it was really his."

Unable to believe what she was hearing, Natalie took a step backwards. "Cristian I know you mean well but you know I can't do that. I spent most of my life not knowing who my real father was and I won't do that to my child. And what about Eve and Michael? They deserve to know their grandchild, nephew or niece."

Cristians eyes flashed with anger. "Fuck the McBains, they deserve nothing. That bastard took my wife from me and I owe his family nothing. You can't do this Natalie.. You belong to me, you should be having our children not the offspring of that…"

"Is everything okay here?" Nash's voice rang out from the top of the stairs. He had been upstairs reading when he heard the commotion coming from the parlor. Seeing Natalie's ashen face he descended the stairs and came to stand beside Natalie.

"It's fine," Natalie said desperately trying to keep her voice calm. "Cristian was just leaving."

Shaking his head, Cristian muttered as string of profanities under his breath as he stalked toward the door. Throwing it open he paused and looked back at her.

"You're going to regret this Natalie, I swear you are going to regret this." With one more intense glare, Cristian turned and slammed he door behind him leaving a shocked Natalie in his wake.

End Flashback