Misconceptions pt. 34

Natalie sat beside her brother, but she wasn't even sure that he knew she was there? His eyes were trained on the brunette who was weepy and wounded, while Officer Tate wrote up the report of her arrest. Every time she looked into those brown doe-eyes, she wanted to get up and smack her across her manipulative face again, but there was no longer a need because she would be in lock up soon enough. She sighed, placing her fingers over Rex's, who immediately pulled away and tucked his hands beneath his legs. He was stoney and silent, and it made her nervous. "She fooled me too, you know? She fooled everybody."

He swallowed. "Yeah, but everybody wasn't sleeping with the enemy. That was me." He saw Adrianna find his eyes from across the room, and he felt his heart pump faster. That made him mad. She still had an affect on him.

"Rex, look at me please?"

He sighed, biting his lip and turning toward the concern that was flashing back.

"This isn't your fault."

He stared for another second, and then refocussed on the woman who was holding his attention. She wanted to come to him and explain. He could see that clearly, but what could she possibly say at this point? He cleared his throat, finding it hard to use his voice. "She looks the same to me."

Natalie got up and went to the vending machine. She dropped some coins into the metal slot and grabbed for the ice water that clanged free.

"How's he doing?" Michael asked, leaning in his doorframe.

She stood straight. "About how you'd expect." She took a few steps closer to him. "She really did a number on all of us, but he fell for her. He really fell." She paused, staring directly into the blue eyes that she recognized very well. "We don't fall very easily in my family."

He smiled. "But when you do..."

She smiled too. "Yeah. So any word on what's going to happen to him?" Her heart was pounding again. The conversation just shifted from one man she loved to another.

"No, nothing." He could see her brain working. "Any idea on how to get him the hell out of his mess?"

"My mess," she corrected quickly, "and yes, I have one." She walked away from him and gave her brother the drink. He took it automatically, but wasn't really interested in it. She reached out and brushed a strand of his hair back. "Listen, are you going to be alright on your own?"

That finally got his attention. He stared at her. "I'm always fine, Nat. Go, get him out of there." He felt a warmth spread through him when she smiled. It made him lighter. If he couldn't have his happy ending, then maybe she could? "Go," he pushed, watching her finally listen to his command. She disappeared out the front door with her phone attached to her ear.

Jason Cameron sat in a metal chair with ease, propping his legs onto another one and relaxing. He spun the cup of coffee in his palm, thinking about everything that has happened with this case from the very start. He knew that having John come to town unexpectantly would take a toll on his family, but even he wasn't prepared for all of this mess! The man was a selfish ass! He steamrolled over everyone, and it didn't matter to him that he was breaking hearts along the way. What did matter was the girl. He wanted the redhead, and that was priority number one.

The door opened and a uniformed officer strolled in, tugging one Maxwell Carpenter into the interrogation room. "Here you go," he offered, firmly placing the prisoner in an opposing chair. "Anything else?"

Cam grinned. "Yeah, you can take off the hardware." He looked at the kid. "Don't worry, Max here won't try anything with me. He only beats on women, isn't that right?"

"Sure thing, detective." He did as he was told and undid the handcuffs, and then he headed for the door. He paused for a brief moment. "Good luck, kid." He left the room.

Max glared, feeling very uncomfortable under the other man's scrutiny. "I don't beat up on women," he blurted, defending himself. He didn't. It was a one time thing, and it was only because he was strapped for cash.

"You worked Buchanan over pretty good, and you did your job well too. No marks that would leave a clear indication that they weren't self inflicted. Good job." He sat straight, continuing to stare the boy down.

Max was tired. They already had him on assault, so what the hell was he doing here? "Look, you got me alright? I already confessed!"

Jason grinned again. "Yeah. You've been a good boy Max, but I need a little more from you, and you're going to help me out."

He sighed. "So? Am I supposed to guess?" He shifted, wishing he felt as tough as he was behaving.

"Let's talk about Adrianna Cramer."

"Who?"

The kid was lying. He was lying when he said that he never knew who hired him, and he was lying now. He knew her. "Don't piss me off, Max. You won't like it."

He squirmed again, rubbing his palms over his pant legs. They were moist. "Who's this chick?"

Jason shook his head, and slowly stood from his seat. He walked around the grey table and took a comfortable perch on its edge. His eyes stared down at his prisoner, and they were cold. "I see that we're going to have to do things the difficult way." He watched the kid swallow, and then he grinned wider.

John was getting sick of having two things to stare at: the ceiling or the empty cell across the hall. Not the most stimulating of views! He sighed, sitting up when the screech of the door alerted him to a new arrival. His stomach clenched while he waited for his guest to join him, slightly afraid that his father was returning. Only it wasn't his dad. He grinned and slid from the cot, sauntering closer to the beautiful woman paying him a visit. "So what brings you to this neighbourhood?"

He dropped his gaze slowly, taking in her appearance from head to toe. It's been a good month since seeing her, other than the five minutes at the bait shop, and she looked really great. She usually did. Her blonde hair was no longer high on her head. She seemed more relaxed, with the strands dangling past her shoulders and curling at the ends. The jacket was missing, allowing all her curves to show through the tight, knit top that she was wearing very well. He saw her try to pretend that she didn't notice his perusal, and it made him smile.

Gina shook her head in disbelief. Leave it to John to flirt while incarcerated. She held up a brown bag, and chuckled when he snatched it eagerly from her grip.

"Please tell me this is what I think it is?" He ripped into the bag and smiled, finding her amused eyes. "Well, halleluiah!" She was staring at him with that look, the one that told him they'd be having a serious conversation at some point. "Thank you."

"No sweat." Her heart was thumping. Those eyes of his were working their magic. "So how you holding up?"

He shrugged. "I'm starving and I'm bored, but thanks to a friend of mine I now have a burger to dive into...and you?"

Her face grew serious. "We got Cramer. She's being booked right now."

"Good." He took a slow breath. That was good. "Did Natalie knock her around?" He smiled softly, imagining how the scene played out.

Gina smiled too. "Only a little. We figured we owed her."

He nodded, but neither spoke, and the silence was becoming insurmountable.

"You're in jail, John."

He put the bag on his bunk and returned to the door, staring into her eyes. "I did what had to be done, Gina. She was alone." He could feel the change in her. It was time for that serious talk.

"Always the hero, hey? But who rescues you?" She wanted to smack him, because he was a little too relaxed about all of this.

He ignored her taunt. "I did what had to be done," he reiterated firmly.

She wrapped her fingers around the bars and held his stern gaze. "If you go to prison then you're a deadman, and you know that! What the hell were you thinking?" She was terrified for him.

He didn't answer right away, instead he just watched her watching him. "Don't worry about me, alright? I'm exactly where I want to be."

She sighed, resting her head on the bars as she continued to look at him. "And suddenly we're not talking about this cell, are we?" She felt a sadness. "John," her voice was cracking, "Natalie is..."

"...none of your business."

She straightened. If she wasn't clear on where he stood before, then she was now. "No, I suppose she isn't, but you are, so you better stop sitting on your ass and fight!"

He smiled. "Or what?"

"Or prison will be the least of your worries."

He stretched out a hand and brushed a loose piece of hair behind her ear. "Tell me where she is, Gina?" He needed to know. The fact that she wasn't in the cell beside him told him that she didn't kill Cramer, but that's all it told him.

She took a deep breath, and then a step away from his reach. "I don't know where she is? She took off with a phone glued to her ear. She had a fire lit under her ass, I'll tell you that."

He frowned, suddenly very, very nervous. Where are you? he wondered again. She was up to something, and his gut twisted with worry. Christ!

Natalie walked through the front doors of the building, not thrilled that she was beginning to feel comfortable here. It was the police station, and the last place on earth that she wanted to be at home in! She ignored the front desk officer, who saw her, but let her pass without incident. Apparently, they were getting used to her being here as well. She stopped and glanced around the squadroom slowly, realizing that there was a life outside of the drama that was hers. People were making reports and answering phones, and absolutely none of it had to do with her in anyway.

Rex was gone and so was that bitch! Her stomach clenched a little. Where did they go? She wasn't gone that long. Just long enough to get what she needed. Her eyes spotted the man who she wanted to converse with, and then she made her way closer. He was on his cell, and disappearing into the staffroom, the one where John had helped her after the assault.

She stared at the closed door for a moment, feeling a swift heat travel her body from the memory. He had been so gentle and understanding, and the way he walked her through his actions while taking the shoe print from her clothes and skin? She bit her lip, growing hotter by the second. His blue eyes had studied her closely, taking their time when she was in nothing but a bra. The memory made her heart pump. Nothing was sexier than when he wrapped his shirt around her to protect her from Cameron's prying gaze. She took a quick breath and stepped through the door with purpose. She had to focus on the now.

She smiled widely. "You're just the man I want to see!" she exclaimed, cheerily.

He frowned, closing his phone and continuing to pour himself a cup of coffee. "So now that you're a free woman you think that you own the place?" He finally turned, giving her his full attention. "You can't just wander around here freely."

She closed the door, happy that they were alone. They needed some privacy for this conversation. "Look," she began sternly, "we need to clear up a few things, starting with John, and that's what we're going to do."

He shook his head in amazement. "We're done talking about McBain, Natalie. You got what you wanted, you're free. So go enjoy it." Clayton sat at the table and grabbed a donut. She wasn't finished yet, but he wasn't about to make anything easy on her. It was her fault that his best man was locked in a cell.

Natalie stared for a long moment, before successfully pushing down the anger that was trying to surface. Her losing herself wouldn't help, and helping John was all that mattered right now. She walked to the table and sat across from him. "It's time for you to let him out of that cell, and that's exactly what you're going to do."

He smiled, taking a bite of the sugary dessert. He licked his mouth, trying to keep the white powder from staining his lips. "And why's that?" He genuinely wanted to know?

"Look!" She didn't want to play games, she only wanted John and was beginning to get impatient. "You don't want him in there anymore than I do. We both know that he shouldn't be locked up, and he was right, damn it!"

He sighed, agreeing with the woman wholeheartedly. "We've already had this discussion, and I'm not having it again. Stop wasting my time!" He popped another piece of his pastry into his mouth, but the flavour was dissipating. He was too upset to enjoy the treat. "His intentions are irrelevant because he broke the law," Andrew leaned closer, staring directly into her blazing eyes, "and that's your fault, Natalie. You can live with it."

She stood from her chair, leaning on the table. Their eyes were locked. "Thankfully, it's not something I'll have to live with, because you...you're releasing him."

He chuckled, relaxing in his chair again. "I think we're done here."

Natalie stood tall, crossing her arms over her chest. He was not going to do anything to help her or John unless he was forced too. She could work with that. "The FBI is all over this case because I'm a Buchanan." He stared, not bothering to deny it. "Except that I'm not your girl, Andrew, but you do have the right one now - Adrianna Cramer. She's not a Buch, but she's the next best thing. The daughter to Dorian Lord." She watched him closely, and he was listening...not softening, but listening. She sat. "There's still a high profile suspect for you to use to your benefit. You don't need John."

He sighed, sitting up and leaning on the table. They were both staring and it would be laughable if the conversation wasn't so serious. "Yes, that's true, but we do have her. She's ours, and I see no reason to release another prisoner." He wished that he could just give in and let the boy go, but that wasn't his job. "You don't have any leverage here, Natalie. Go and live your life."

She groaned and ran a palm over her face. "You are a stubborn and infuriating man, Andrew."

"Right back at ya, Buchanan."

"Let me be very clear here. If you don't let John go, then I'm going to have to play dirty and you don't want that." She paused. "I don't even want that, but I'll do it. Do not make me ruin you."

He shook his head again, smiling. "A threat?" he said, lightly. "Yeah, I can see that. It's what comes next, except that you don't have anything to threaten me with."

She got very serious. "I'm a Buchanan, you ass! You know, my brother Cord is very good friends with your boss, Director Simms. Apparently, they were in boarding school together?" She could see his surprise. "Did you know that?"

Unbelievable! Andrew stayed silent, letting her say her piece. She was threatening him, and he was beginning to take it a bit more seriously now.

"I had a really good conversation with Cord on the phone, and he thinks that if John were to be prosecuted over this mess, that it would be best for BE to stop funding the FBI Community Outreach Program." She continued to watch him, feeling a little upset at such a heavy-handed tactic. He was giving her no choice, and John was not going to keep suffering because of her. "And my other brother Kevin, the Governor, is concerned about how this case has been handled? He thinks that my family may have to fight back against the injustice that was done to me. What do you think?"

His head was spinning. This manipulative little bitch was essentially trying to end his career! "I think that you're more larcenous that I suspected, Miss. Buchanan."

She sighed, frowning. "Only when I have to be." She moved around the table and sat at his side. "Just let him go. He deserves to be free." Then she stood and went to the door. Her fingers gripped the knob tightly. "Stop being so by the book for one damn minute, and do the right thing. You want too, so just do it already?"

Clayton jumped when his phone rang, and he quickly answered it, listening intently to the voice at the other end. After another moment, he hung up and found the big, blue eyes of the redhead. "Well, it seems that Simms just got a call from a friend of his from his school days, and there's some concern about this case. He's expecting an update within the hour." He glared, feeling his heart pound harder than it has in quite awhile.

Natalie didn't say anything else. She simply left the room, anxious to find her brother and know what's been going on?

Andrew continued to stare at the door for a long time, having a hard time wrapping his brain around what just went down? She snowballed him, and she did it well, and despite his irritation and anger he grinned.