"Rex, can I speak to you alone for a few minutes?" Natalie took her brother's arm and tugged him away from the line of people going into the living room for an after dinner drink.

"Depends," Rex replied, "You're not pulling me away to tell me you're leaving again, are you?"

"No," Natalie shook her head and smiled as John put her coat around her shoulders. "We need to talk to you about something, and I think it would be better if we took a walk to do it."

"You're not pregnant with another one of John's babies, are you?"

"While that would be a neat trick, no," Natalie shook her head. "It's important, Rex. Please?"

"Lead the way," Rex motioned her along.

"This isn't an easy thing to say," Natalie began after they'd walked a few minutes and were a safe distance away from the house. "You're most likely going to be really pissed at me for not saying anything sooner."

"That's a promising start," he quipped.

"Rex, man, just listen to her," John advised. "This isn't easy for her to say, and it's not going to be easy for you to hear."

"It's not Roxy, is it?" he asked with dread.

"No," Natalie shook her head. "I found some things out while I was gone. Some of them were a little surprising, and one of them was downright shocking."

"Just say it, Natty," Rex responded, "The suspense is killing me."

"Gigi's alive," Natalie stated with her eyes clamped shut. She couldn't bear to see the look on his face.

Rex stood speechless for several minutes, staring blankly at a spot off in the distance.

Natalie opened one of her eyes and looked at Rex, "Say something. Please?"

Rex opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out except a high pitched squeak.

"Rex?" John put a hand on the man's shoulder.

"I don't…How could she…Did I hear you right?" Rex stammered out.

"I found a picture of her with Cutter Wentworth," Natalie started. "And before you say anything, please know that I wouldn't be saying this if I wasn't completely sure it was her."

"Gigi died," Rex stated, "We buried her."

"It was Stacy," Natalie managed to say.

"No, it was Gigi," Rex corrected her.

"You're not going to like this next part," Natalie stated slowly. "We had the woman dug up and ran her prints. They matched Stacy."

"Which part am I not supposed to like? The part where you went behind my back and dug up the love of my life, or the part where the fingerprints match her psychotic sister?"

"Rex, listen to me. The woman in the coffin was not Gigi. She was Stacy. Stacy had surgery to make herself look like Gigi so she could come here and take Gigi's life."

"Then where is Gigi?" Rex asked, "Because if she was alive, she'd be here with her son. She wouldn't make him believe for a second that she was dead when she wasn't."

"That's the other part of the story," John took over. "She thinks she is Stacy because that's name she was being cared for under and she has no memories of who she really is."

"I've entered a parallel universe," Rex shook his head.

"I wish you had," Natalie said. "I wish this wasn't happening. I wish you and Gigi had gotten married and that she was in the house with Shane. Most of all, I wish there was no need for this conversation."

"So where is she? When can I see her?"

"She's in Texas," Natalie admitted. "I'll make some calls."

"I need to tell Shane," Rex stated numbly.

"Rex, think a minute before you do that. Gigi has no memory of any of us. Do you really want to put him in a room with his mother knowing she doesn't know who he is?"

"I can't lie to him, Nat," Rex shook his head.

"So don't," Natalie said. "Just tell him you got a lead on a case and you have to go to Texas. That's not a lie."

"While that is not technically a lie, it's too close for my comfort zone," Rex told his sister.

"Rex, think about this for a moment," Natalie said. "Think about everything that Shane's been through this year. Do you want to add having his mother look at him and not know who he is?"

"He has to know, Natalie," Rex insisted.

"And he will know," Natalie replied, "I'm not saying don't ever tell him. I'm saying wait to tell him."

"John," Rex turned to the other man.

"Don't drag him into this," Natalie said.

"I agree with Natalie," John spoke up.

"I take it back. Drag away," Natalie responded.

"Rex, Shane has been through quite a lot. He's in therapy already," John replied, "You don't want to add to his pain unless you absolutely have to."

"This is a mess," Rex groaned putting his head in his hands. "How did this become my life?"

"I could go to Texas with you," Natalie offered.

"Thank you, but I think if you try to leave town right now, Clint and Viki will lock you in the attic."

"They'll understand if I tell them the reason," Natalie replied, "You shouldn't be left alone to deal with this right now."

"I'll be fine."

"Okay, if you won't let me come with you, then let me send Drew with you."

"Drew? The 'friend' who keeps checking out Jessica's ass?"

"Yeah him. He's an ISA agent."

"How did ISA get involved in all of this?"

"You don't want to know," Natalie shook her head. "I'll talk to Drew when we get inside."

"I suppose some backup would be a good idea."

Natalie hugged him, "Promise to call every few hours."

"Perhaps maybe once or twice a day," Rex amended as he accepted his sister's hug.

"Let's go back inside. You can talk to Drew. Then you go get your girl."

d-d-d-d-d-d

Natalie sank onto the couch just after she'd said goodbye to Rex and Drew for the night. Rex was ostensibly taking Drew to the airport since he himself was going to Texas. Shane had gone upstairs to go to sleep and John was putting Liam to bed.

"Natalie?"

"Didn't we throw your ass out before dinner?" Natalie asked Brody without even turning around.

"I was hoping we could talk a little more calmly now."

"Your hope is misplaced. Leave or I'll call the police and have you tossed out on your ass."

"I am the police," Brody reminded her.

"Not for much longer," John said as he entered. "Your tampering with evidence has been reported to the District Attorney. You can be expected to be relieved of duty very soon."

"This doesn't concern you," Brody shot John a look, "This is between me and Natalie."

"There's nothing between you and me," Natalie said with an eye roll. "If you want your ring back, I'd check the highway between here and Corinth."

"Natalie, we were a heartbeat away from becoming husband and wife," Brody pointed out, "Those feelings don't just end with a toss of a ring."

"No, they end with me realizing you lied to me for months about my son's paternity and that you were willing to destroy evidence of Marty's crimes against me and my son just to keep your so-called family."

"I've lost one son already," Brody responded as the sorrow entered his voice, "I couldn't handle losing another. It was a mistake, and I'm sorry. My feelings for you were real."

"No, they weren't. If they were, you would've told me the truth the minute you found out."

"What do you want me to say?" Brody barked out.

"Goodbye works," Natalie suggested.

"Natalie…"

"Goodbye, Brody," Natalie said as she turned away from him.

"Natalie," Brody tried again.

"You should leave," John pushed him out of the room.

"Hands off, McBain," Brody shrugged out of his grip. "This isn't your concern."

"She's my concern. Liam's my concern. You have no business here."

"You heard him," Viki spoke up, "Brody, you need to leave."

"Viki, I-"

"My daughters both loved you at one point," Viki said. "That is the only reason I haven't gotten Asa's long barrel and pointed it at you."

Brody finally took the hint and left.

"Are you okay, Sweetheart?" Viki asked her daughter as she went to comfort her.

"I'm fine, Mom," Natalie assured her. "But you look tired. Why don't you go to sleep? I know you're working tomorrow morning at the Banner."

"I am a little tired," Viki took the hint as Natalie and John traded looks of longing, "Good night, John, Natalie."

"Night Mom," Natalie hugged Viki.

"Goodnight, Viki," John nodded.

Viki discreetly closed the doors behind her as she left the room.

"So," John began.

"I was in Australia," Natalie said before he could ask.

"Alone?"

"I had Liam with me," Natalie said.

"But there isn't anyone else that's entered the picture that I need to worry about?"

"No," Natalie shook her head. "Everyone I've come into contact lately has been married."

"I'm not," John pointed out.

"Neither am I," Natalie returned. "You want a drink?"

"Make it a double," John nodded.

"There's still some whiskey left," Natalie poured their drinks and handed John one. "May you live as long as you want and never want as long as you live."

"Cheers," John nodded.

"Where do we start?" Natalie asked as she fidgeted in front of him, "You say you want to fight for me and Liam, but really what is there to fight for?"

"Us," John said. "The us that's been there for so many years, Nat. We keep screwing it up. We have to stop. It's too important now."

"You're right. We keep screwing things up, but maybe there's a reason for that."

"Fear," John said.

"I'm not afraid of you," Natalie scoffed.

"No, we're afraid of permanency."

"You're afraid of permanency," Natalie shot back, "I've been married before. I'd probably still be married if my husband hadn't died."

"You sure about that?" John asked her as she walked by him.

"Yes, I am," Natalie shot back.

"I was engaged once before, remember?" There were shadows in John's eyes as he mentioned his fiancée, Caitlin Fitzgerald. "And I was married."

"Marrying Blair to help her keep her kids does not count," Natalie scoffed. "Caitlin and Jared count because we loved them. We count because we loved each other."

"Love," John corrected. "We love each other."

"Do you?" Natalie asked. "Do you love me, John? Because I've never been sure. We always fall apart so quickly and so easily."

"We always find our way back," John reminded her.

"And then we fall apart all over again," Natalie reminded him. "Maybe it's just not worth it."

"It's always worth it," John told her. "We're worth it."

"John…" Natalie shook her head.

"No more running away, Natalie. I'm not going anywhere."

"Promise?" Natalie said after a moment.

"Yeah," John nodded. "Yeah, I promise, Natalie."

"Good," Natalie smiled.