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Misconceptions pt. 18

The pavement beneath her ass was cool, and actually welcome. It helped stave off the heat of the afternoon, which felt as though it were still growing at this late hour. She grabbed her wrist tightly, refusing to allow another glance at the watch she wore. There was no point. A mere fifteen seconds has passed since she last looked at the time. Damn! She should go! He should have called by now.

Natalie placed a flat palm on the ground and pushed, giving herself a little help as she rose to her feet. It was a bad idea to hang around where she was exposed to the world. She needed to leave, but her legs wouldn't listen to the logic. Her eyes once again dropped to the sleak, silver that read 4:12pm.

It was just a few minutes past. She was over-reacting. Another few minutes wouldn't hurt. She at least owed John that much for helping her. He believed in her when no one else did, and he gave her the name that she needed to find out who was setting her up. She leaned against the cool brick and sighed, beginning to really feel the weight of her exhaustion. John! He let her go, let her walk out of his apartment even though it was his job to arrest her. So she would wait a little longer.

For him she would wait.

John crossed his arms over his chest and willed himself not to squirm under the watchful eyes of his mother. They stood across from one another in silence, and it was killing him. He wanted to hug her and tell her how much he's missed her, but he couldn't. Not when she was here to interrogate him. The look on her face is one he hasn't seen in a lot of years, but he knew it well. He had gotten acquainted with it throughout high school, but he wasn't going to be the one to start anything. No way. He blinked, waiting for her to make the first move.

Eve stared. She took in his haggard appearance. His wrinkled, untucked shirt, and dark, brooding colors. Then she settled on the tense expression on his face. He was uncomfortable and angry, and he was the best thing she's seen in a very long time. Without thinking, she found herself wrapping her arms around his rigid frame, and breathing into his shoulder when he slowly returned the gesture. This was her John. She tilted her chin upward, placing her lips near his ear. "I've missed you," she whispered, refusing to let him go.

He hadn't expected this, but maybe he should have? Her words brought a lot to the surface, and he crushed her tighter in his arms. He really had missed her, never realizing how much until just this second. "It's good to see you, mom." She chuckled lightly, and it warmed him from the inside out, placing a brief smile over his lips.

She reluctantly stepped back and looked at him again - looked into those amazing McBain eyes. He was holding her hand, but he was also waiting. She knew him better than anyone, and he was waiting on her. That brought her back to the present, and what had to be dealt with for the sake of their family.

"What?"

Eve took a deep breath. The moment of ease between them was gone. It just was, and now it was time to face the truth of things. "Did you sleep with her?"

John was nowhere near ready for that question, and far from comfortable with it coming from her. He didn't know what to say? "Ma.."

Eve held up her hand, stopping him before he even got started. She had no patience for anything but getting to the truth of the matter. "Are you sleeping with her?"

He felt his discomfort begin to disappear. It was being replaced with something else, something familiar - anger. That was an emotion he could work with. "I haven't seen you in years and that's the first question you ask me?"

She stepped closer, locking her eyes onto his blue ones. "It's been two years, and we're not even going to get into that right now. There are bigger messes."

"Natalie isn't a mess."

Well, she just got her answer. "John, what were you thinking?"

He frowned, blowing out a quick, frustrated breath. "I'm long past the age of discussing my sex life with my mother. What I do, and with whom, is none of your business."

His words stung, hitting her exactly the way he had hoped. "Johnny, you have gotten yourself into one hell of a situation. You need to stay away from that girl."

He shook his head. "No, I need to find out who actually embezzled from Buchanan Enterprises. I was assigned to find the criminal, and that's what I'm doing." He turned for the door.

"Stop!" He did, and she walked up to him again. "Are you really willing to throw away your life for Natalie Buchanan, John? The FBI, your freedom?" She paused. "Everything?"

He stared at her, thinking long and hard at his answer, but there was only one to give. "Yes," he answered simply. Then he walked away and headed for a private office. He had an urgent phone call to make.

Natalie bit her lip and pushed herself away from the rough wall of the alley. It was 4:26pm now. He wasn't going to call. It occurred to her that maybe all of this was a way for him to let her go without hurting her feelings? Maybe he never had any intention of calling her? But that was a lie, and she knew it before the thought finished its fleeting run through her brain. All she had to do was close her eyes and remember; his words, his touch. ...the phone will ring at four o'clock. you just make sure you're there... He had pressed her against the door, and warmed her with the heat of his body. His breath melted her resolve as it blew over her ear. No, he said he would call and she knew that was no lie. So something else was going on.

The sound of tires on dirt pulled her from her thoughts, and she peered around the edge of the building. A car came into view, stopping in an empty space of the employee parking lot. And not just any car, a police cruiser. She bit her lip, cautiously watching and ignoring the rampaging heartbeat that thundered in her tight chest.

Two men stepped from the vehicle. They glanced her way and she pulled back, sinking to the ground and taking another look in their direction. One of them was talking on the radio, but they were too far away to be heard. Damn it, speak up! She spun around and scanned the alleyway. There was nowhere to go. Her only exit was through the backdoor and into Rodi's. That wasn't exactly an appealing option either. There would be people and potential witnesses inside the pub, and Mac could get into trouble. Too many people were already embroiled in her disasterous life as it was.

She peaked out once again, holding her breath as the two men began a slow meandering around the lot. They peered through passenger windows and scanned the perimeter slowly and carefully. She nearly screamed when the sudden, intrusive ringing of the payphone filled the air and drew the officer's attention.

Damn it! Natalie sat crouched against the brick. She listened helplessly as the ring that she had been waiting for, echoed repeatedly in her ears. Now was hardly the time to answer the call. Stepping out into the light of day with two approaching policemen was not an ideal situation. She quickly moved toward the dumpster and ducked behind it, remembering all too well how Max Carpenter had done the same thing the night that he attacked her. Her breathing was becoming eratic. She didn't have to see them to know where they were. The officer's were at the entrance to the alley.

"Hello?" Officer Evans glanced at his partner, before hanging up the phone. No one was on the other end. He shrugged. "Tell me why we're here again?"

"Because the redhead worked here. Cameron said to double check every viable location."

He didn't buy it. This was a waste of time. "Alright," he conceded, "let's get this over with already." Then they both moved into the alley and towards the metal door of the building.

Natalie didn't move. She didn't even breathe. There was no way she was getting out of this one, but maybe she could out run them? Yeah, in these shoes, not likely, Natalie! Her breath hitched, and her eyes widened in shock as the door opened. She watched Mac step onto the stoop with a full bag of garbage in his hands.

He spotted her immediately, as well as the cops that were now about four feet away. "Is something going on, officers?" he asked, keeping his gaze trained on them.

"You the manager?" Evans asked, stopping and staring.

"Yes, sir. Is something wrong?" Mac put down the bag. "Can I help you with anything?"

The men moved closer. "We're looking for Natalie Buchanan. Have you seen her around?"

He shook his head. "Not since Tuesday. A Federal Agent was here looking for her earlier."

They chuckled lightly. "Yeah, I'm sure. Mind if we take a look around the restaurant?"

He swallowed. "No, not at all."

They walked past the dumpster and climbed the steps, disappearing inside.

Mac stared for only a second, before closing the door behind him and leaving his friend in the shadows.

Natalie released the breath that she had been holding. There was a light sheen on her forehead, and a flush to her cheeks. That was entirely too close, and it was past time for her to get the hell out of Dodge! As she rounded the corner, the sight of the phone made her pause for a split second. Then she was moving past it, anxious to get away from here. She only got about two steps though, before another sharp ring stopped her in her tracks.

"Hello?"

John stepped into his brother's office and shut the door loudly. He wanted Michael's undivided attention. "I need to use your office."

"What's going on now?"

"Just.." John stopped talking for a moment. "I need to make some calls, and I need..." He took a breath. "I need to hide, alright?"

Mike's lip curled slightly. "Okay? From what exactly?"

"Our mother."

He laughed. He couldn't help it. "Come on man, do you really think that door is going to stop her?" He watched his brother shake his head. "She wants to know about Natalie." It wasn't a question.

John walked further into the room and took a seat across from his detective brother. "She wants a lot." That was all that he was willing to say on the subject.

An uncomfortable moment of silence hovered between them before Michael finally spoke. "So use the office." He stood and clutched some folders tightly. Then he went to the door and shut the wood at his back.

John closed his tired eyes for a second, wishing this day would just be over and done with already. He pulled a small box from his jacket pocket and took out the phone that was conceilled within. He dialed a number and held his breath. ...hello?...

She was there, and despite the plan they had devised, he found himself tremendously relieved. "Hey?" There was a tension over the line. "I've got the number." His pulse was racing through his body.

Natalie swallowed, tightening her grip on the receiver. "Go ahead." She had so much to say, but could barely manage two words. So instead, she listened and wrote down the phone number that he gave.

"You got it?"

She nodded.

"Repeat it to me." He was being so cold and distant right now. So business-like, but it had to be done. First and foremost, she needed to have this number. Otherwise, they had no way to communicate. Otherwise, she disappeared into the eather. That couldn't happen. There was another long stretch of thick silence. "Are you alright?"

She nodded again, fully aware that he couldn't see her. Her eyes scanned the parking lot and came to rest on the cruiser. "Yeah," she finally managed, "but I need to go."

He had to let her go, but he wasn't ready yet. "What do you need from me? What can I do?"

The sound of his voice sent shivers down her spine, and the double-edged meaning to his words made her heart soar, but her eyes were glued to the cop car. "Nothing. I thank you for what you've done for me, but we can't talk again."

He frowned. "Don't panic on me now. This phone is untraceable. I got it from a Secret Service friend, so we're good, okay?"

She shook her head. "No. We're not good. We're not anything. I've been on my own since I could walk, and that's how I like it. I'll help myself from now on."

John felt something he almost didn't recognize, fear. "Stop lying! It's way too late to push me away for my own good. You don't get to decide that for me."

She wiped her cheek, smearing the stray tear that rolled over her cold skin. "Wrong. Do your job, John, but stay the hell out of my business. I don't concern you anymore." She hung up, and squeezed the black plastic of the handle with brute force. That had to be done. It was best for the both of them. It had to be done.

With one last breath, Natalie turned to leave and stopped short at the man in front of her. Her eyes widened.

"Fancy meeting you here," Jason Cameron grinned widely, enjoying the utter look of shock and disbelief on the face across from him.