Misconceptions pt. 25

Rex stood, staring mutely at the wide metal door. He was being a coward. He ran a hand through his disheveled hair and straightened his clothes, wishing there was the opportunity to change and shower before finding her. He sighed, willing his heart to keep beating.

He knew he couldn't very well stay in this hallway forever, but truthfully, remaining in that crusty, cold cell was actually more appealing at the moment. She would be pissed, beyond pissed. He disappeared in the early morning hours with his sister, and then all but dropped off the face of the earth. He never showed for their lunch date, and he never once called to try and smooth things over...but he couldn't, could he? And say what exactly? Hi honey, sorry but I'm a wanted fugitive right now! Can we reschedule our date? Our lives? He blew out a quick breath, promptly sucking in another deep one.

His hand stretched out and tugged on the metal handle, sliding the heavy door across its track. The apartment was dark. Maybe she's not here? he wondered, swallowing. Would she just leave me after two years together? His gut twisted, because he honestly didn't know?

Somehow his legs stepped over the threshold, carrying him further into the room. He didn't bother with the door. It just didn't seem important at the moment. His eyes dropped to his wrist. 5:24am. That explains the darkness, but not the emptiness of the apartment.

"Adrianna?" he called out softly, scanning the space carefully. Everything looked the same. It appeared as though she still lived here, and that was something to cling to tightly. A tiny pinging sound reached his ears and he turned. The window was open. He walked toward it, catching his first glimpse of her as she sat out on the fire escape. She didn't move, and that made him more nervous than if she had come at him screaming obscenities. He licked his lips. "Hey."

She took a breath, before slowly looking into his wide, scared eyes. "Hey?" She slid across the metal and made her way back inside their loft. "Hey, Rex?" She was angry. He disappeared without a trace, and no one even knew where he went! No one! Her heart had barely beat all day because of him, and now he was standing here looking all contrite. "That's all I get?"

"No!" he answered quickly, bracing himself. "That's definitely not all." His chest was aching with every frantic pump of his heart. He loved her. He loved her, and he never understood what the hell she saw in him? "Just listen okay?"

She chuckled and brushed past him, stopping at the fridge. It opened and covered the space in white light as she stared hard at its contents. "I'm listening!" she snapped, refusing to look at him. He didn't deserve her undivided attention.

He sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for scaring you." He could see her hurt, even though she was staring at anything but him. "Babe?" He licked his lips again, waiting until she finally met his probing gaze. "I'm sorry I scared you."

Adrianna felt all her emotions wash over her at his words. She ran to him and squeezed him tightly, forgetting that she was ever angry at all. "Oh, Rex!" she breathed into his ear as she clung to him. "Don't ever do that to me again!" And just like that her anger was back, but she didn't have time to focus on it because he was kissing her. That quickly overrode anything that may have been in the forefront.

He grabbed her hair and pushed his tongue into her mouth, and she forgot everything except his hands as they travelled her curves slowly, igniting an instant fire in her belly. She pulled back and found his eyes. "This doesn't mean I've forgiven you." He grinned that arrogant grin of his, and then they were kissing again, slowly and purposefully. They took their time with each other, and she shoved him toward the bed. "You owe me, Balsom." There was that grin again. It made her melt.

She grabbed the hem of her bed-shirt and lifted it smoothly over her head, exposing her naked breasts. Her nipples hardened as he scanned her body, carefully observing her in all her glory. There was a time when she was shy regarding sex, but that was an eternity ago. Too much has happened in her life since being in the convent and first arriving in Llanview. Rex came barrelling into her world, and now being shy seemed ridiculous!

Rex could feel his entire body tighten when she tossed aside her top. God, you're beautiful! She was the most beautiful woman he has ever seen in all his days, and she was offering herself to him. He stepped closer, stopping short when he remembered the door. His legs took him to the entryway in record time, and then he was shutting and locking the rest of the world outside. When he looked into her eyes he could see her anger again. "What?"

"Since when are you the shy type?" She knew exactly why he shut the door, and it made her furious.

"Since the LPD is on my ass, following me in the hopes that I would lead them to my fugitive sister." And there you have it, the truth. Oh, how he hated the truth. It was most definitely overrated, and tended to make his life worse.

She bent and grabbed her shirt from the bed, slipping it on in frustration. "Right? Natalie! The one person to single-handedly come between us whenever given an opportunity." She sat on the mattress, tired. "You always choose her over me."

He frowned. "I'm not choosing anything." He was a little angry himself. "I don't havea choice at all. She's my sister."

Adrianna glared right back, refusing to be bullied about how she felt. "Well, I guess that's something I'll never understand. I'm an only child, remember?"

He walked up to her and ran a hand over her smooth hair. "I don't want to fight with you, and especially about Natty. Can't we just..."

"No we can't!" she interupted, standing and staring directly into his sharp gaze. "I don't want to do this anymore, Rex."

He felt his blood run cold. "Do what?"

She felt the moisture threatening to fall from her eyes. "This. Us, how we are now?" He shook his head, obviously confused, and she was a little too. "You won't let me in, and I don't want to be just someone to warm your bed."

He stepped back, stunned. If she had slapped him, the effect would have been less traumatic. "What are you talking about? I love you!"

"I'm not sure I believe you anymore."

He didn't know what to do, how to respond? How could she doubt his feelings after everything they've overcome? Getting together in the first place, her aunt Dorian's interference and lies. "Adrianna...?"

"I love you, Rex!" she blurted, needing to push through, "and I don't have a problem with you helping your sister, but when she comes running you leave. You just leave, and I'm stuck here alone until you get back. You don't let me in, and I can't allow that anymore." Her heart was racing. Was this it for them? She had to make him see, to trust her finally, or all of this was for nothing.

He could barely get his brain to work enough to form a sentence, and not just any sentence. "Are you breaking up with me?"

A tear rolled over her cheek. "No," she felt panicked, "no, well, I don't know, I mean..."

He held up a hand. "What are you trying to say? What do you want from me?"

She bit her lip. "I want you to trust me. To talk to me. Where were you last night? What's going on with your sister that has you wanted by the police?" She reached out and took his hand in hers, squeezing tightly. "Are you afraid that I'll hurt her somehow, Rex?"

That was unexpected. "What? No! Why would I think that?" He watched her sit on the end of their bed and let her pull him down too. She didn't say anything, and he knew it's because she already knew what needed to be voiced. He swallowed. "You don't like her," he confessed softly.

"No, I don't, and you know why?" He nodded, watching her closely. "Natalie and I have never really seen eye-to-eye on anything, especially you. She helped me steal Craze Magazine away from my mother, and then she turned around and took it from me. That's hardly a basis for respect or friendship." His hand touched her cheek, and she closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the sensation. "We'll never be friends, Rex, but I love you and you love her."

He was processing her explanation, really trying to get everything straight in his head. "She screwed you over and you have every right to be mad about it."

Adrianna smiled, stretching out her hands and unlatching his leather belt. Their eyes were locked on one another. "I am, don't worry about that, but that's the past. I let it go, because I got something better than that stupid magazine. I got you, and that's everything." She eased his shirt from his hard, chiseled body. The temperature in the room was getting hotter by the second as she looked at him. "Besides, Layla and I are really doing well now, you know?"

"Yeah," he croaked, falling onto the mattress as she crawled on top of him. Her breath was hitting his chin and warming him from limb to limb. "I do trust you." He really, really did.

"So tell me everything." She kissed his neck and shoulder softly, listening as he sighed and finally began to open up to her. Filling her in on the charges and the fed, and their plan to get her out of this mess. She listened as her lips travelled his body slowly, wetting him as she moved, tasting every inch of his flawless skin.

A small gasp escaped her when her shirt quickly became an after thought, and she felt his strong hands on her bare breasts. "I love you," she whispered over his belly button, as her fingers worked at removing the denim from his toned legs. She felt happy. Happy that he was finally, truly with her. He was letting her in, and she loved him everywhere she could reach as he spoke of McBains and computers and railyards. She loved him, and then they stopped talking altogether.

"That was fast, Thomas," Eve said, observing the uneasy expression on her husband's face. He had spent only a few minutes on the phone with an Agent Clayton, before hanging up in eery silence. "Is he..," she trailed off for a second, "is he...removed?"

He shook his head. "No. I should have thought that out before reacting to everything." He felt tense. "Stupid!" he shouted suddenly, scaring his wife to her feet.

"What is it?"

He ran a nervous palm over his face. "The only legitimate way to get John pulled from the case was to tell them about Buchanan, and if I did that, then..."

"...he'd be in the fire that we're trying to keep him away from."

He nodded slowly. "Agent Clayton was not too happy with my call, so he's on his way here." He sat in his chair and felt like an idiot. He should feel like an idiot. That was a rookie move. "What the hell was I thinking?"

Eve sat too. "What were we thinking?" she corrected. They stared at one another for a long time. "Do you think Michael was right?" she asked, hesitantly. "What he said?"

Tom licked his dry lips. He cleared his throat. "Maybe? I don't know? I think there was a lot of truth, but not all of it." He didn't want to think about this anymore. It was beginning to give him a headache.

She went to him and gently took a seat on his lap, kissing the side of his head while his arms wrapped around her. "I think maybe we need to find a way to trust our son? Any ideas on how we do that?"

He chuckled lightly. "None. Shouldn't that come easily? I mean, isn't that how it's supposed to work?" He looked into her eyes and curled a hand behind her neck. Then he kissed her, thankful to have her during all of this. It was the only thing keeping him sane at this point.

Eve played with the hair at the nape of his neck, hugging him tightly. "I want to trust him Tom, but how can I when he's fallen for that woman?" She pulled away, finding his attentive eyes again. "Even if she is innocent, she's not right for John."

"Well, maybe this is where we need to start?"

"What do you mean?"

He smiled, needing a bed. He was tired. "He's a grown man right?" She nodded, and he slid a finger down the side of her beautiful face. "So we have to let him live his life."

She frowned. "I'm usually the one saying that to you."

He laughed. "Yeah, well I think we both forgot that for awhile." The silence in the room was surrounding them, leaving them to their thoughts. Finally, he stood, bringing her to her feet as well. "You want to go home with me?"

She grinned, and took his strong hand. "Let's get some sleep. Things will be more clear after some sleep." They walked out of the station together. Taking a step away from everything was what was needed right now. Their sons could handle themselves for awhile.

John walked through the spinning glass doors to the train station, stopping on the otherside. He scanned the room methodically, taking in everything he could. It was surprisingly busy for six in the morning, but he guessed there were a lot of commuters starting their day. The ceilings were vaulted, looming high overhead, and the walls were wide. He turned sharply toward a gentleman who bumped him as he was entering the building. His legs moved further inside and away from the buzz of the entryway.

He saw what he was supposed to see - people sitting on long, smooth wooden pues as they waited for their trains to arrive. There were concession stands along the outer walls, and sections of pay lockers for patrons to store luggage securely. He glanced back toward the roof. The cameras were in almost every corner, easily covering the room in its entirety. A security guard stood to his right, and several others were walking the perimeters. He spotted her picture on the posts that held the mighty beams above, as well as on numerous bulletin boards. She wouldn't be here. Not here, exactly.

He wound his way toward the outside platform, walking to the very end. Then he hopped down to the dirt and took a casual stroll away from the station.

"Hey mister," a voice called, forcing him to turn.

There was a young kid, probably around eight years or so, and he was watching him closely. John didn't speak.

"You're not supposed to do that."

He grinned in amusement. "Yeah well, lately I've been doing a lot of things I'm not supposed to be doing." He reached into his pocket and flashed his badge, holding a finger to his lips.

The boy watched wide-eyed as he was shushed, and he nodded eagerly. That was cool. A real FBI agent. He watched the man wander away, disappearing around an empty train.

John walked the corridors, not sure where to begin looking? This place was enormous, and he couldn't know if she was actually here somewhere or not? His heart was at a steady rhythm as he moved, going deeper into the maze of metal that surrounded him. He needed to find her, to know she was okay. Her call really scared him.

A rock struck something a couple lanes over and he ducked, peering beneath the cars at his side. He could see a pair of polished black steel-toes and a crisp, blue pant leg. Security! He stayed perfectly still, not anxious to explain why he was wandering around out here, and not interested in drawing attention to the situation. The last thing he needed was the LPD to know where he was and what he was doing. The legs continued on, and his heart stopped when he spotted a flash of red in one of the train cars down the line.

He crawled to the otherside of the train and made his way toward her, trying very hard to be silent as he got dangerously close to the man on the far side of this particular train. The steady rhythm in his chest was no longer steady, it was wild. He held his breath until it stopped altogether.

He watched helplessly as she jumped from the car and sprinted away with the guard shouting at her and following in pursuit. This isn't happening! He was about to intercept when another guard rounded the corner spotting him. He had two friends with him, and John sighed, bolting the other way. He couldn't lead them to her, so first he had to lose them, and he had no choice but to hope that she had been telling the truth back at his apartment. Now was the time for her to prove she could take care of herself.

Rex focussed on his breathing, trying to even out his heartbeat as it thundered in his chest. He laughed lightly, blinking and staring straight above. She was laying at his side, laughing as well. "So?" he asked with a croaky voice. "Am I forgiven?"

She stretched out a hand and grabbed him between his legs, forcing a grunt as he rolled over her. His hair fell into his eyes and she pushed it away. "No," she answered honestly, grinning like a fool. "You'll have to do more of that first."

He took her mouth, grabbing her hair and kissing her long and hard. She felt so good, so hot and smooth against his wet skin. "If I have to, I have too."

Her phone vibrated loudly over the wood of the nightstand, interupting the moment. They both stared at it.

Rex glanced at the alarm clock. "It's early," he said, feeling his heart rate again. Logically, he knew it wouldn't be her, but he couldn't help but hope it was Nat. She wouldn't phone Adrianna. He picked up the cell and passed it to her.

"Hey Layla," she greeted quietly, holding his stare. He rolled back to his side of the bed, and she rose from the mattress. "I know, it's okay. It'll only take a second to forward it to you." She walked to the kitchen counter, comfortable in her nakedness. It wasn't lost on her that Rex was watching her every move from his pillow. She opened her laptop and searched for the needed material, sending it to her friend and business partner. "Okay. You should have it soon. Uh-huh. I'll see you at the Palace at one o'clock. Bye." She hung up and turned to her waiting boyfriend. He tapped the mattress playfully and she grinned, taking her time as she strolled over to him.

He had his hands on her hips the moment she was within reach, and then she was on her back, sinking into the douvet. Her teeth caught her lip, but not the moan that escaped when he licked her collarbone. He sucked the soft skin of her neck, and it made her wet. "Rex," she whispered, taking matters into her own hands. She found his length and pulled, pushing them both into a frenzy, and she let herself get lost in him as he made love to her in their bed.

Natalie leaned against the cool planks of a large shed, trying to be quiet as she caught her breath. This was not good. She was running through this damn courtyard with security on her ass, and no way out as far as she could tell. She had forgotten how large this place really was, and now she was lost. And her damn phone didn't work! The battery was next to dead, and so a phone call to John or anyone else was out of the question. Thanks a lot brother! she thought bitterly, tossing the cell into the dirt. It was useless anyway. A brief moment of satisfaction passed over her as she imagined throwing the phone at Rex's head. He had meant well, but that didn't really help at this point in time.

She heard the sound of rushed footsteps coming her way, and sighed, running back amongst the trains. Getting caught would be bad for everyone so she would do her best to stay free. If you could call this free? Her legs ran fast, shaking slightly from all their exertion. She was running out of steam.

Natalie sprinted around a train car and nearly screamed, but a hand covered her mouth quickly, muffling the surprised cry. "John?" she said against his skin. He lifted his palm and touched her face for a second. His finger went to his lips, and she nodded, following him as he lead her away from their pursuers.

After several agonizing moments, they came to a long, long stretch of cars. This section was too long to follow. They would be seen before getting anywhere near the end of the corridor.

He took her hand and directed her toward the nearest car, urging her to follow him up the ladder. He pulled himself onto the roof and then hung over the side, helping her to join him. The men were almost on them. They lay flat, watching the unwanted entourage as they searched the area slowly, painfully. Taking their time as they carefully scoured the train for them. Eventually they moved on, still deliberate in their search, but unsuccessful in their goal.

She blinked, looking at him as he relaxed slightly and finally faced her. "How the hell did you find me?"

He didn't answer. He just crawled from the roof of the car and waited for her, assisting her until they were securely on the earth. He could see she wanted her answer. "Rex," he finally replied, once again allowing his hand to caress her face softly.

She stared. "So now what?"

He licked his lips, wanting to taste her. "We need to stay out of sight." She nodded numbly, watching him, and it made his heart ache. He held out his hand, relieved when she took it, and they walked away together.

"Okay stop," Natalie finally ordered, holding her ground. She could see that he wanted to keep going, but she was done for now. Her night on the run has lasted a little longer than his, so she was taking a much needed break. Her hands stretched out and grabbed a rung, and a small gasp slipped into the air when she felt him hoist her from the dirt. She made her way into the car and sat against the far wall, wondering what he would do next? "Rex's phone died," she said quietly, lost in his intense gaze. She was nervous and needed to fill the silence that was suffocating them both. "That's why I couldn't talk to you earlier."

He nodded, hearing every word, but he couldn't bring himself to care about it at all. Instead, he walked up and hauled her to her feet, kissing her with insistance. Her tongue danced in his mouth, driving him to push her flush against the cool, rusty metal at her back. He stopped long enough to see that she was absolutely on board with him touching her this way. "Nat?" he mouthed against her cheek. "We need to leave here before reinforcements arrive to help the security guards." She nodded, slipping her tongue into his mouth and making him groan loudly at the soft sensation. He was having a hard time breathing, and so he wrapped his fingers around her tiny throat and held her in place. She couldn't distract him if she couldn't keep kissing him, but the action left him hard as a rock in his pants. He wanted to do a lot of things to her against this wall.

Reluctantly, he stepped back. "Wait here, alright? I'm gonna check things out and then we're going to leave here together." She was silent and he wasn't sure how to read her? "Okay?"

She smiled. "Okay, John." She watched as he left their temporary sanctuary. Her legs lowered her to the dirty floor. Despite the warning bell going off in her brain, she was happy. She was no longer alone, and he was going to help her through this nightmare. They would get through it together.

"I thought he'd never leave," a cold voice spoke, breaking her silence, her calm.

She jumped to her feet, staring wide-eyed as a man in uniform joined her in the car. "Look, I know I'm trespassing, but..."

"Save it." He walked closer, grinning widely.

Her eyes travelled his body, scanning him from head to toe, and something wasn't right? This man was wearing the guard uniform, but looked very sleazy. He was covered in tatoos and sporting a messy goatee. "I can just leave."

"No," he said evenly, blocking her exit, "no more running, Natalie."

She froze. "How do you know my name?"

"Well, because I'm going to kill you." He grabbed the gun from his side and pointed it at her. "Sorry, darlin'."

She was scared, but more than that, she was mad. "Sorry? You son of a bitch!"

He chuckled, squeezing the trigger.

John found what he was looking for quickly. He inspected the gate closely, sure that they could get out this way, but they had to move fast because he wasn't joking when he said that reinforcements were coming. More men, or worse, cops. He spun back around and walked toward the car that was stashing her from prying eyes.

Thank God he found her! That phone call absolutely terrified him, but she was alright, and he was going to make sure that she stayed that way. No one, including his family, was going to hurt her anym...

...BANG!...

John choked, fighting the instant terror that gripped his heart and threatened to stop it from doing its job. That was a gun. A gun was fired. His legs were moving fast as he ran full force toward the sound. Why did he leave her? His lungs burned and so did his eyes, and his chest was the heaviest its ever been.

She's okay! he chanted repeatedly, while sprinting at top speed. She WAS okay, she had to be okay! He was going so fast that he nearly blew past the car that shielded her. His shoes slipped, sending him sliding into the dirt for a split second, but he righted himself and got a clear view inside. He couldn't breathe.

What the hell was going on?