Chapter Five

Natalie kept her eye on all the available exits as Cris walked her to the gymnasium. He was a nice enough guy but she was barely paying attention to his talking as she looked down each hall they passed and each doorway.

Her mind was also on John and how she almost got caught in his closet. The situation was actually a bit laughable and she couldn't help but smirk at not being caught.

"so how often do you train" Cris asked her as she was snapped from her thoughts..

"oh I don't train or anything" she said quickly..

"not even work out? I mean without sounding too upfront, you have a very nice body" he blushed a little as he spoke..

"yeah well I haven't had any time to just sit back and relax ya know, being on the road and such" she said honestly.

"I remember those days, god it sucked" he laughed a little and she smiled nervously.."you know um if you ever wanted to watch a movie or something" he began nervously as her eyes got wide. Was he seriously trying to ask her out? Thankfully they were interrupted as Rex came walking down the hall towards them..

"there you are, I was getting worried that you wouldn't show up" he said as he walked over..

"well its a good thing she ran into me, she was looking for ya Rex" Cris smiled some as Natalie nervously smiled but Rex could tell she was up to something..

"well thank god for small favors, can you give us a moment" Rex said as he took his sister by the arm and pulled her off to the side out of view of prying ears.."what are you doing" he said sternly..

"i was looking for you" she yanked her arm back roughly.."you don't have to talk to me like im a child Rex, might I remind you that im four years older than you" she snapped at him..

"wow by the way you have been acting I wouldn't know" he said as he put his hands on his hips..

"You know Rex your attitude is really getting old" she rolled her eyes..

"are you trying to ruin this for us, huh" he was pissed and she rolled her eyes again as he stepped closer to her.."we have a chance here for a fresh start"

"you mean you have a chance" she said sarcastically..

"You could have a chance too Nat, why are you fighting this, things are good here" he began with a shake of his head..

"Oh yeah and having Bryan here is soooo good for us, right" Natalie snapped at him.."did you forget all the shit he did"

"oh so this is about him, fuck him" Rex snapped.."I'm not gonna let the idea of him being here ruin this for us"

"oh so im just suppose to pretend that he didn't rob us of everything we had" she said angrily..

"Oh please it was like twenty bucks and a gun, your just pissed that he left you not that he took stuff" he rolled his eyes now..

"You really think I care about that little asshole leaving me, seriously Rex" she laughed sarcastically..

"it looks that way, so what he broke your heart" Rex began as her eyes got wide..

"broke my heart, now thats hilarious!" Natalie laughed bitterly..

"I know you cared about him Nat" Rex said seriously but before she could respond,John came walking up to them and she huffed loud as Rex turned to face him..

"You know last time I checked the gym is that way" John said as he eyed the both of them..

"Yeah we were just going there, right Nat" Rex said sternly as he looked at his sister and she rolled her eyes at him..

"Yeah whatever" Natalie walked past him and Rex followed but before Natalie could get to the door, Johns hand came on her arm..

"we'll meet you inside" he said to Rex as Natalie yanked her arm back from him..

"i thought I already told you not to touch me" she snapped at him..

"You know that little attitude isn't going to get you far in here" John said dryly. She couldn't help but notice his physique as he stood there. Apart from the fact that she thought he was a huge asshole, well he did have an amazing form. He stood in a pair of board shorts and a tank top. He was seriously hot! She kept her eyes averted though as she watched Rex walk through the double doors that lead to the gym..

"You know last time I checked I didn't have to answer to you" she finally said defensively..

"You got a lot to learn and maybe you should start with the snooping" he raised an eyebrow as she swallowed hard..

"snooping? I have no idea what your talking about" she kept her face calm as she looked at him now.."Maybe you shouldn't be so paranoid" she went to walk past him again but he stopped her once more.."hey!" she yelled out as he held her upper arm tight..

"not so fast" John said as he leaned up close to her.."next time I find out that your hiding in my closet I may just give you an appropriate show" he smirked and then let go of her arm as she stood there a bit shock..."now get your ass inside, this ain't no daycare center" he said as he stormed past her and into the gym as she stood there and huffed, then she quickly went inside..

The gym was filled with bleachers as people sat and talked. Natalie saw as Marcy waved ridiculously at her and even though she didn't want to be around the bubbly woman right now she didn't want to be around Rex either. She quickly walked over and took a seat..

"glad you got up, you don't want to miss this" Marcy said with a smile as Natalie's eyes followed John as he walked across the gym and into the center of it where a microphone stood.

"Oh great here we go, I wonder if he is going to have some long speech again" Ariana said sarcastically as John walked to the microphone..

"its actually not that bad" Marcy smiled reassuringly..

"Alright everyone settle down" John began as the room got quiet.."as you all know the next coming weeks are going to be taxing, we have a lot of hunts to go on and some may take us out of the compound for a bit" he said as Ariana huffed and looked at Natalie."I know we usually go one on one but for today were gonna amp things up a bit, two on one and lets see how you all do, grab your partners" he said as Natalie looked around at everyone as they all began to get up and walk over to another person..

"Man it sucks being the new kid on the block" Kelly said with a weak smile.."maybe just try and find someone" she said as she walked away..

Natalie didn't know who to go over to, she quickly saw Cris across the way and went to make her way over to him. It would be nice to at least know one person but then she saw him, Bryan as he stood next to another guy laughing and talking..She immediately clenched her fists by her side..

"hold up there a second" John called to her and she huffed.."I already have someone for you" he said as he walked over to her..

"No thanks I think I can find someone myself" she said sarcastically but then she saw him calling Bryan over and her eyes got wide as John smirked..

"Might as well get all that aggression out" he said as Bryan started walking over to him and then he saw Natalie and he moved cautiously..

Natalie couldn't help but smile, maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. She did want to beat Bryan's ass and now was as good of a time as any..

"whats up John, I was just getting Brody" Bryan said and then he glanced at Natalie.

"yeah well change of plans" John said as he looked at Natalie and then at Bryan..

"what? No way man" Bryan began as Natalie couldn't help but smile..

"what are you too scared Bryan, you'd rather just hit and run" she said with a smirk, she was feeling better already.."or maybe just run"

"listen this aint a good idea ok" Bryan began to say towards John..

"I wasn't asking alright, now put your big boy pants on and lets go" John said and for the first time since Natalie had met John, she began to wonder if he wasn't so bad after all.

Natalie followed John over to a mat on the ground as Bryan stayed out of reach of her, she was gonna love this, she could already tell..

"ok since Natalie here is new were gonna change things up a bit and show her how the one on one works" John began as he looked at Bryan and then Natalie."take your place" he said towards Bryan who visibly swallowed hard and Natalie stood back with her hands on her hips, a huge smirk on her face.."this isn't like your typical wrestling match or boxing, you give it all you got, there is no such thing as a clean fight" John said towards her and now she swallowed hard.."sixty second intervals" he continued as he got into a fighting stance and so did Bryan. Then within seconds John was charging at him and Bryan didn't even have a chance as John grabbed him and slammed him to the ground hard.

Natalie's eyes were wide at the scene before her and Bryan was coughing up a storm as the wind was knocked out of him.."again!" John yelled out as he got up and Bryan slowly pulled himself up..This time Bryan swung at him but missed but not before John grabbed his arm and spun him around and punched him hard in the gut. Even Natalie had to wince at the sight.."come on Bry, your not even giving me a decent fight" John said as he stood and smiled. Bryan got up quickly this time and charged for john, he landed one punch on his chest but John barely moved as he smiled at him and then within seconds he had him spun around and in a head lock as Bryan cried out to stop, John finally did as Bryan gasped for air.."think you can handle that" John said to Natalie as he pushed his long sweaty hair back from his forehead.. Bryan was attempting to stand again but when he saw he would be fighting Natalie he smiled as he wiped blood from his lip..

"definitely" Natalie said confidently as she stepped onto the mat and got into her stance. Bryan charged at her and she went to land a right hook on his face but he elbowed her in the mouth as she fell forward and tasted blood in her mouth..

"a little rusty Red" Bryan smirked as she wiped her mouth and stood up as she looked at him..

"don't call me Red" she said through gritted teeth as she put her fists up and so did he. He lunged for her now and she threw a kick but he grabbed her leg before it landed and she fell face down as he laughed..

"come on Natalie, get the hell up, show this punk what you got" John yelled as she quickly got to her feet..

"Oh your not gonna cry are ya Red" Bryan smirked at her and she ran at him and quickly faked a right then hit him square in the chest as he was knocked back and gasping..

Natalie smiled confidently but Bryan charged at her and within seconds they were on the ground as she kneed him in the stomach and he punch her in the side of the face. It was one hell of a punch too, she literally saw stars but she kneed him one more time but this time it hit her target as he fell onto his side, grabbing his groin..

"Bitch" Bryan hissed at her as he stayed on his side..

"good now lets switch" John said as Bryan rolled himself off the mat and Natalie looked at John.."and don't hold back" he grinned as he lunged for her but she ducked just in time as she landed a kidney punch but it barely affected him as he spun and knocked her feet out from under her and she fell in a huff as she panted heavily.."come get up, there isn't time to wallow out there, you have to be on your game at all times" John said as he went to help her up but instead he pulled her and quickly spun her around as her back was against his chest and his hand was around her neck.."and you would be dead" he said into her ear and then pushed her off of him.."again!" he yelled out and she was so damn pissed that she ran at him and jumped to kick him square in the face but he grabbed her leg and she twirled in the air before hitting the mat hard.."come on, at least act like your trying!" he yelled as she quickly got to her feet. She charged at him again, fists flying as he dodged every one until she was nearly out of breath and then he kicked her feet out from under her but she grabbed his hair before falling, causing him to fall too.

She landed one good punch to his chin before he pinned her down on the mat. She watched as his fist came flying at her and it literally hit the mat right next to her head hard as she gasped.."you let your guard down too much, it will get you killed out there" he said as he got up and turned from her.

Natalie quickly got to her feet and pulled her knife from her boot as John kept his back to her and she immediately grabbed him from behind and placed the knife at his neck.."You shouldn't let your guard down" she said to him as she quickly stepped back and he spun, an impressed look on his face.

It wasn't until that moment that Natalie saw that everyone in that gym was watching them and then second she stepped back they all began to cheer..

"alright alright alright, everyone get back to it" John said loudly and then he looked at Natalie.."you play dirty"

"yeah and" she said as she shoved the knife back in her boot..

"i like it" he grinned and then looked at Bryan.."lets go". Bryan looked a little more worse for wear as he walked back up on the mat.

The fighting continued as before, kicking, punching and pinning to the mat until Natalie was an absolute sweaty mess not to mention she was absolutely exhausted and bruised..By the time John called it quits Natalie had landed a few good shots onto Bryan but she was more beat up then the both of them, it was unnerving to say the least especially since she thought of herself to be a very good fighter but now she didn't know what to think..

"alright everyone wrap it up" John said as everyone began to leave the gym and Natalie grabbed her towel from the ground as she wiped the blood from her face and began to leave.."Hey hold up" John said as he came over.."You did good back there" he said honestly, she definitely wasn't the best but for a beginner she wasn't half bad.

Natalie looked at the bloodied towel and rolled her eyes.."yeah, sure" she turned from him..

"if you worked more on your defensive skills then it would help" he said as she stopped now..

"Yeah well if I could use my knife or gun" she said sarcastically..

"Your not always going to have those available to you" he said as he walked over to her.."You need to be able to defend yourself first, everything else comes later"

"well I made it this far" she rolled her eyes..

"yeah, surprisingly" he shook his head..

"I just have to get my head back into it ok, you said yourself I did pretty good" she said defensively..

"Yeah but you need to be great not good" he said honestly..

"yeah well right now I just want to take a shower and lay down" she turned from him and within seconds he grabbed her from behind..

"what the!" she yelled in shock as he held onto her tight..

"fight back" he said as he locked his arms around her chest..She kicked her feet as she tried to break free but he barely budged.."come on Natalie, break free!" he yelled into her ear..

"I cant damn it" she yelled back with frustration as she kicked some more..

"your not even trying, now fight me" he taunted her and she was so pissed as she continued to kick and then without a second thought she leaned her head down and bit onto his arm hard until she tasted blood, he immediately let go of her as she spun around and kicked his feet from under him in a rage as she pulled her knife and then held it to his throat. He looked absolutely stunned and that was because he was as she pinned him down with her body and she panted heavily as she held the held the knife there.."now your thinking outside of the box" he said with a smirk as she quickly got off of him..

He too got up and looked at the bite mark in his arm.."don't worry I had my rabies shot" she said sarcastically as she tossed a towel at him..

"see now thats where you gotta fight from, not from your mind but from your heart, its the only way your gonna take anyone down" he said honestly.."come on I wanna show you something" he said as he began to walk across the gym. She wanted to protest because she was exhausted now but she kept her mouth shut as he opened a door that lead to a weight room.."Lets see your kicking range" he said as he walked over to a kick boxing bag and she huffed..

"Right now?" she said with a huff..

"No one said training was gonna be fun, lets see what you got" he said as he walked behind the bag and held onto it.. She sighed as she walked over to it and kicked it weakly.."Seriously? My grandma can kick better then that... Again"

"im tired" she huffed..

"do you think those things out there are gonna care if your tired or not, you need to get stamina otherwise your first mile run is gonna wear you out,..now kick" he said loud as she huffed and kicked it but with a little more force.."would it be easier if I put Bryan's face on it" he raised an eyebrow and she kicked it a bit harder now.."i mean im sure Bryan wouldn't mind having another go at you" he smiled and she kicked it even harder now.."hell he would probably do it just to get a rise out of you" he kept smiling and she kicked it harder now.."i mean if your ok with being the weakest link"

Natalie let out a loud yell as she jumped and roundhouse kicked the bag hard, nearly making john get knocked off, and then she kicked it again and again till she could barely see from the sweat in her eyes..

"Not bad, but not great" John said as he tossed a towel at her and she quickly wiped her face.."Now that were warmed up, how about that run" he said as he began to walk over to a door..

"Your kidding, right?" she said out of breath..

"do I look like im kidding" he said as he opened a door that lead to outside and she just stood there.."move it Natalie, the only way your gonna shock your system is by shocking your system" he yelled and she threw the towel onto the ground, fully pissed now as she walked over to the door and outside. It was sunny and she noticed the large track in the back.."see if you can keep up" he said and then he began running, she huffed and then began to run even when her legs already felt like they would fall off of her body.

Natalie ran more than she had in years, even when her and Rex were on the run it was different because they were always running from something. It had helped to keep her in shape but over the last months she had done less running and more hiding. It was a tiring job to be on constant alert and so they had found themselves hiding out in motels and abandoned buildings for the majority of the time.

Her legs felt like jelly but she kept pushing herself, she used the anger she had built up inside and the bitterness she felt for how her life had turned out. She wondered how different things would be if her mother had been alive. Would she of finished high school and gone to college. Would she be married by now and possibly have a child? All the what ifs of the world were consuming and the fact of the matter was that she was here now. This was her life and it didn't seem to be changing in the future.

"Just one more lap" John called from ahead of her and she bit her tongue. He was like a damn drill sergeant and at this point she didn't know if he was trying to help her or completely break her down. She used that anger to push her further and before she knew it she was catching up to him as he ran. She got closer and closer, her mind focused as she ran as fast as she could.

Before he could even see what was happening she was running past him at an incredible speed..He was beyond impressed at her strength, he had a feeling that she didn't even know how strong she was..

As she got to the end of the lap, she nearly fell to the ground panting as John ran up to her.."how the hell did you do that" he asked as he leaned over and panted. He had given it all he had and he still couldn't get to her. It was rare to see anyone outrun him but she just had..

"what? That? That was nothing" she said as she tried to catch her breath..

"well whatever you used to push yourself, do that more often" he said as he fell on the ground onto his back and breathed heavy..

"i think my legs may be broken" she said as she too laid back on the ground..

"its good for you, you know, it gets your body strong" he said as he stared up at the blue sky.."you did good Natalie"

"Just good?" she said sarcastically as she rolled her head and looked at him. He too rolled his head and looked at her..

"OK maybe just a little better then good" he smirked as he looked back up at the sky and she couldn't help but smile. She had beat him, like really beat him..A few minutes went by before either of them spoke again, finally he did.."so how long before you take off and go AWOL" he asked as she sat up now and looked at him shocked..He sat up to.."I know a runner when I see it so how long"

"well aren't you the observant one" she said sarcastically but with a hint of a smile..

"ive been told that, so a week, a day?" he asked seriously..

"Listen I just, I don't belong in a place like this" she finally said, she thought why the hell not be honest about it. She was planning on taking off. She stood now and dusted off her pants..

He stood too.."and you think its better out there, by yourself?" he raised an eyebrow.."i didn't take you for a stupid woman"

"Yeah well we all have reasons" she began..

"because of Bryan? Don't tell me its because of that prick" John began as she sighed..

"No, not just him. It's just this place, I don't do well in places like this" she said seriously..

"so you've been in places like this before?" he asked with his head cocked to the side..

"well not exactly but" she began..

"then you cant say that you don't do well, this is a good place Natalie" he said honestly.

Before she could answer him, the sight of the long legged brunette Vange came walking over to them.."There you are John, I was looking all over for you" she began as she looked at Natalie and then him as he touched his arm..

"Ive been busy" he said with a bit of annoyance as he looked at her..

"Yeah I can see that" she rolled her eyes as she looked at Natalie who was walking away now. John looked too and sighed heavily as he ran a hand through his hair..

"so what is it" he said dryly to her..

Natalie made a quick bee line for the building, she really didn't like that Vange chick and she didn't like the way she looked at her either. She didn't want to stick around for anything uncomfortable so she split quick and without a second look back..