Misconceptions pt. 40
Cameron sat in the metal folding chair, staring at the cup in his hand. It was spinning and leaving a wet circle on the table, but he wasn't really seeing it anyway. In fact, he was beginning to feel as though he would go cross-eyed if he didn't get a decent sleep. This entire case has managed to work his last nerve, and now that it was finally wrapping up, he should feel better.
But he didn't.
John McBain was still in town to play with the emotions of everyone important to him, and he just wanted things back the way they were. He yawned, glancing slowly toward the door of the lunchroom as it opened. He swallowed, genuinely surprised by who was joining him. "I thought you left?"
Gina leaned against the door jam and crossed her arms, meeting the waiting brown eyes that were expecting their answer. Arrogant ass! she thought in amusement. "Well, I was about to head out when I got a call to come here." She frowned. "You don't know anything about that?"
He stood, feeling that feeling. The one that made his gut clench because an unwanted shoe was about to drop. "No. I sure as hell didn't call you." He paused, scanning her slowly. "No offense, sweetheart."
She stood. "No offense taken, pumpkin!"
He grinned and walked up to the blonde. "Well, we can stand here and flirt all day, or we can find out..."
"...what's going on," she interupted, impatiently. "Yeah, I get it." She turned to leave for the squadroom, but stopped suddenly. "Oh, and Cameron? If you think that was flirting then I suggest you get out more." She lead the way.
He shook his head and rubbed his tired eyes, not thrilled that an agent was hanging around his town. He followed, wanting to know why he was twisted up inside, because something was about to go down and it was making him very, very uncomfortable.
The McBains sat side by side on the couch in silence, each riddled with their own brand of tension and disappointment. Michael glanced at his watch for the millionth time. 6:41pm. He sighed, running a hand over his face and standing. His parents didn't look anymore happy than he felt, but life had to go on. "So, I'm getting pretty hungry."
Eve chuckled, ignoring her heartbreak long enough to focus on her other son. "You're always hungry, Michael."
He grinned. "So let's cook some barbeque."
She smiled, nodding and heading for the kitchen. "I'll just finish up with the salad," she voiced, before disappearing from the room.
Tom stood. He put a hand on his boy's shoulder for a second and then walked out into the backyard. It was time for them to have that family dinner.
Mike paused in the doorway, frowning. He really thought Natalie would get him here, but clearly he underestimated her powers of persuasion. Or maybe she didn't really even try? There was always the possibility that he flat out refused to come, but he chose not to dwell on that one. It hurt too much. He grabbed two beers from the fridge and kissed his mother on the cheek, and he joined his father by the grill.
John stood stiffly, staring at the door as though he could see through it if he just concentrated. This felt weird. The last time he was here...hell, that was years ago. He showed up for the holiday at Caitlyn's urging, but had been called away before Christmas dinner was even put on the table. He sighed, trying to will away the weight that seemed to be permanently parked on his chest. A squeeze of his hand pulled him out of his head, and he turned to her and smiled softly. "You sure you want to do this, because we can..."
"...get in there before all the food is gone." She reached for the knob, but he grabbed her wrist and turned her quickly, kissing her with a passion that she felt in her toes. God! He was being wonderfully aggressive, and a sound slipped from her. It was almost a purr.
He held himself over her delicious lips for a moment, and waited for her to open her large eyes. When she did, he took a quick breath and grinned. "Just thought maybe we both needed that first?"
What was he saying? Her hands were on his chest, needing to hold him at bay while she translated his words in her muddled brain. "Ready when you are," she teased, aware that he understood the double meaning to her response. It was obvious by the spark in his baby blues.
John licked his lips and stood tall. He grabbed her warm hand in his and lead her away from the door.
Natalie stopped, holding her ground and looking at him with worry and confusion on her face and he smiled again. He just stared, and after another hesitation, she followed him. They went to the side of the house, where there was a thin strip of lawn and a bed of flowers that ran along the foundation. A large, six foot high wooden fence separated the McBain property from the neighboring yard. She caught a quick glimpse of what looked to be a bedroom as they passed a window, and then they were at a gate.
His hand tightened over hers as he opened the door, and he smiled at the sound of the squeaky hinge. Will he ever oil this damn thing? John walked into the backyard, and would have laughed at the shocked expressions on his family's faces, if he wasn't so damn nervous. He waited until Natalie was beside him, and then he waited for them to make the first move.
Tom's gaze dropped to his grill for a moment. He needed a second to get a handle on the emotions that were overwhelming him, the strongest being relief. He dropped the long, metal fork and walked up to the two new arrivals. He stared into his own eyes. "You're late John, and you know what that means."
He blinked. "Hey, I'm a guest."
Tom sneered, offering Natalie the beer in his hand. She took it cautiously, clearly in the dark about what was going on here. "She's our guest, you...you're late." He walked back to the barbeque.
John couldn't believe it! "Hey...wait..."
"No way, bro! You're busted and you know it!" Mike chuckled, taking a comfortable seat in one of the nearby patio chairs. The puffy white cushions matched the paint on the quaint home. His hand was on his beer. "Nat, why don't you take a load off?"
She grinned, shrugging as she moved across the lawn. The patio furniture suited the house perfectly. It was a large set, big enough for a family of eight, and the umbrella overhead was massive. It provided a large shady cover, draping the flat pine deck and turning it into a cool oasis. The yard was larger than it appeared from the front, and she could imagine a young John and Michael playing back here with space to spare. Her hand curled around the beer bottle, and she tilted it, smiling wide when her companion knocked their drinks together.
John slowly walked up to his father with a deep frown on his face. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared. "That's not fair, pop!" he protested avidly.
Tom shook his head and turned a steak. "Rules are rules John, and you don't have a leg to stand on and you know it!" This time he looked up with a huge smile stretching his lips.
Natalie leaned on the table, whispering in Mike's direction. "What's going on?"
What's going on is he had his brother back? "He's on dish duty tonight."
She sat straight, laughing as she turned to John. He was not happy with her at the moment and it made her laugh harder. "What?"
He continued to grumble under his breath while the steaks cooked over the flame, but the tension that had been in his shoulders on the drive over was slowly slipping away. He watched his father standing with the stupid Don't Hate The Chef apron, while he constantly flipped the meat from side to side. It was amazing how everything about this moment was normal...right. It was familiar. He took a small sip of his beer. It was home. "You know, you're doing that wrong?"
Thomas lifted his head and immediately faced the challenge that was being issued. "I have been barbequing since..."
"...before I was born." He put down the bottle and placed a hand on his hip. "Yeah, I know, and it shows. That's why the steaks are always dry."
Ouch! Michael winced, looking at the redhead. "Duck and cover."
Natalie didn't know what to make of this? Where was the fighting and the blame? She had expected World War III, but what she was getting was...Family Ties. She never really experienced anything like this before, not even with her own family. The Buchanans weren't exactly BBQ types. Sure, they gathered and it was pretty great, but this really felt good. She was beginning to think that things might work out okay, that is until she caught sight of a sharp pair of eyes looking at her from a window. Her heart sped up, and she sighed, turning to the detective. "I'm going to go and give your mother a hand in the kitchen."
His head snapped around pretty fast. "You're...what?"
She smiled. "It'll be okay, Mike. Just talk to your brother." She refocussed on John as he argued the finer points of grilling with his equally passionate father and she smiled.
...you need to let the meat sit so that it can cook in its juices...
...if you let it sit too long, then it'll be drier than snuff...
Natalie crossed the wide deck, and stopped long enough to see Tom pouring beer over the meat. The flames were reacting, blazing out of control. She shook her head and went into the house. She found Eve McBain at the kitchen sink, peeling carrots and potatoes with a pearing knife. The temperature in the room was very chilly. "Can I help?"
Eve glanced out the window and watched her three men behaving like children, and it made her heart ache. She's missed this so much. There weren't words to describe what she was feeling, having John home again. She swallowed. "You can wash the lettuce."
Natalie almost thought she heard wrong. After a long, shocking pause, she went to the tiny woman and started her duty. They were all going to have dinner.
"You did what?" Jason Cameron was staring at his friend and co-worker as though he didn't recognize him at all. "You're standing here and telling me that you called a Federal Agent to my station because a suspect demanded it?" He paused, glaring hard.
Tate swallowed, nervously. "Yes, but..."
"But what?" he shouted, beginning to lose his last scrap of patience. "You're not a detective, and this sure as hell isn't your case, so what the hell were you thinking?"
Gina inched between the two men so that she could look the ass in the eyes. This wasn't her business, and she was possibly even more annoyed by the twirp because she has since missed her train, but this was getting out of hand. "Maybe if you stop bellowing for half a second, we can get some straight answers!"
He was royally pissed off! This had to be the icing on a bitter cake, because a blonde was telling him how to behave in his own town and with his own man. "Listen, honey..."
She stepped closer, holding her ground. Her voice got very low, but there was no mistaking the warning behind the words. "One more term of endearment out of you, and we will be having a very real conversation, detective."
Tate was tired. He slammed is hand on the desk to get their attention, and then quickly regretted the drastic move when it actually worked. "Just listen," he squeaked, "I spoke with Cramer when she caused a stink about thirty minutes ago. I went to sort it out, and she told me something very interesting." He stopped, feeling his heart pound frantically under their collective scrutiny. "I think you should talk with her...the both of you."
Cam watched the uniform squirming as he talked, but there was no denying the curiosity. Something spooked him enough to act against procedure. "Where is she?"
"In holding."
He turned to Agent Rowlands, and she was already staring his way. "Well?" He knew her answer, because she wanted the same thing he did - to know what the hell this was all about? "Take her to interrogation room two." Then he headed for the lunchroom, and a fresh cup of coffee. The girl followed.
When they were loaded up, they quietly walked the hallway together, and nobody broke the silence, but it seemed pretty deafening anyway.
Natalie sat back in her chair and watched the family as they interacted over a meal. It was a sight to see, and an entertaining one at that. Who knew that a few too many beers would loosen their tight asses right up? She snickered, dropping her eyes to her plate so that she could continue to stay under the radar. This was far more fun for her, to see them behave in a relaxed and comfortable state. She saw John laughing, and she felt her heart expand.
"You didn't?" John couldn't believe his ears! His father was painting a picture of Mike's Chief of Police ceremony, and it wasn't a pretty one. "Michael...?" He just couldn't envision his newly appointed brother streaking across the courtyard of Angel Square, no matter how hard he tried.
Michael felt the flush in his cheeks, as his dad regaled the event with as much delight as the first or tenth time he told it. "Look, I had no choice, alright? It was a bet...a bet, man!"
John grinned and took another swig of his beer, which was dangerously close to empty. "And you did lose, right?"
Mike frowned. "Smart ass!"
He leaned forward on the table with his elbows, thankful to have the room now that his mother had at least partially cleared the space. Their plates were stacked on the one end. "Who did you bet with?" He didn't know why, but his gut told him he had to know?
Thomas put his bottle down a little louder than intended, but his motor functions were beginning to fail him. He was semi-drunk, but not drunk enough to keep in the laughter that burst free. "That would be me."
John and Natalie both spit out the amber alcohol they had been simultaneously nursing. "You?" she choked, wondering if beer was the best idea? It was messing with her brain. "Alright, that's it! I'm cutting myself off!" She stood from her chair, unable to keep the image of the new Chief darting naked through a public park on the same day as his inauguration. She glanced his way quickly. He wasn't his brother, but he was a hotty. That would've been one hell of a sight! She collected some bottles and a few of the plates, and then walked into the house with them.
And that's when it hit her. She was comfortable.
"I know what you're feeling," a voice inferred from the doorway.
She turned and faced Eve, who was leaning casually against the wood. She was smiling, but that never quite reached her eyes. "I'm feeling a little drunk."
She chuckled, and began to help clean up her countertop. "You're feeling happy to be here, but also a little out of place."
How does she know that? She suddenly felt even more awkward, and wasn't sure what to say?
"You got him to come here." She paused, taking a deep breath. "Thank you."
"It was my pleasure."
"I have no doubt."
Natalie felt the first stirrings of something unsettling. "Meaning?"
"Meaning...you're probably very good at persuading my son to do a lot of things. And I think you enjoy it too."
She stood there with her mouth open for a second, before her defenses kicked into place. "So I'm a whore?" She chuckled.
Eve sighed. "I don't think you're a whore, Natalie, I think you're a manipulator and I think you use your assets to get what you want."
"I can't figure you out." She was tired of feeling on the defensive with this woman. There was something else going on here? "You're the one that told me that I was in love, but you act as though I'm using John?"
She dropped the dish that was in her hand, and it fell into several others. The noise was telltale. Eve faced the redhead who was proving to be the biggest threat to her family. "I don't doubt that you love him Natalie, I never did, but that doesn't make you good enough. It doesn't make you right. You'll leave him."
She blinked, standing straight. It took her a minute to reply because she wasn't prepared for such confidence behind the insult. She cleared her throat. "You don't know what you're talking about! I will NEVER leave John!"
She smiled, turning back to the sink and resuming her task as though they were discussing a recipe for potato salad or something? Truthfully, it was all an act, but she was just better at it than the little con artist. She decided to approach this topic logically. "So what are you two going to do? Where will you live?"
Her heart was thundering. "We haven't figured that out yet."
Eve glanced her way. "Well what about B.E, your grandfather? What about your family? They're all here right? So it stands to reason that you'll live here, and you wouldn't want to give up that apartment in the sky, because it's what you've worked hard for, right?"
She was feeling a little light-headed, and wasn't sure if it was alcohol related or in-law related? "We haven't figured it out yet!" she repeated firmly. She was rapidly losing her cool.
"You know, John's not going to want to be your man on the side. Eventually, he'll get back to doing work that he loves. He's not going to be okay with living off your Buchanan money, but I suppose you didn't think of that either?"
"So what?" she snapped, placing her hands on her hips. "I'm not good enough because I have money?"
Eve turned sharply, staring at the wide-eyed girl in her kitchen. They were toe to toe. "No, you're not good enough because all you love is money...all you want is money! I know all about your life and how you got to where you are now, and Adrianna Cramer wasn't even the worst thing you've ever done! She's just the only one to come back and bite you in your deceiptful little ass!"
"That's enough!" Tom had the misfortune of walking into his happy home, only to catch his wife digging into Buchanan with everything she had! He felt a guilty pang of joy, grateful that it was him to come and check on the girls and not his son. "Natalie, I'd like a word with my wife!" He softened his tone when he found her blazing eyes. "If that's okay?" She didn't speak, she just nodded and went back outside, and then he allowed his anger to come to the forefront. "What the hell are you doing?" he hissed, trying to keep his voice low.
She walked from the room, knowing that he would follow, and she was right. "I'm losing my temper, that's what?" She finally stopped moving and stared at her angry husband. "I'm holding on by a thread here, Thomas. Beer was probably a bad idea."
"Don't joke! John damn-well showed up here, which is a bloody miracle! Are you trying to chase him away? If he storms out this time, then that's it, babe!"
She felt moisture behind her eyes. "I know, but..."
"No, buts! You're going to back off of that girl right now, do you hear me?"
She heard. He was right, she knew he was right. She couldn't seem to stop herself when she was alone with the redhead, but they needed their son back, and if that meant behaving and acting civil, well she would do it. Her heart and her head were fighting with each other and it was beginning to take its toll. "I'll be out in a bit, I'm going to go and get an aspirin."
"Evie!" he barked, staring at her hard. "I mean it!"
She nodded. "It won't happen again." She really hoped she wasn't lying, but it was getting harder to sit around and pretend that that woman was welcome or accepted. Then she walked to the bathroom, holding her shaky hand as she moved.
Natalie took her seat and watched the brothers as they bantered back and forth, though she was completely lost to the subject matter. She felt John's hand go to hers and squeeze, holding it while in her lap. It was such a simple contact, but she was determined that he never know how important it would always be to her. It seems he is destined to rescue her, even when he's oblivious, and she smiled softly at the nice thought. "So what'd I miss?"
He looked at her, staring for a moment. "What's wrong?"
"Hmm?" Damn him! "Nothing, I think I had too much beer, that's all!"
He continued to look at her, but brushed off his doubt. She was adamant and so it was probably just the alcohol. "So no one's killed each other yet?"
Not yet! He turned back to Michael and they began to get lost in conversation again, and she was very happy that he was so easily distracted. It would allow her time to get back in control. There would be no more illusions about his mother's feelings toward her, and there would be no more insults either! She loved John, but wasn't about to sit around while someone disrespected and degraded her. She just couldn't do it, not even for him. It wasn't in her.
Adrianna sat in the chair, irritated that she was being made to wait when they were both watching her through that damn mirror. "Can we just do this already?" she asked her reflection. "You're going to want to hear what I have to say to you." After another agonizing moment, they entered the room and she smiled.
"So spill it!" Jason wanted to head home, and maybe, just maybe, call his girlfriend.
She frowned, taking note of the look on the Agent's pretty face. She was no more impressed with his conversational skills, and it made her chuckle a little. "He always so pleasant?"
"Always," Gina answered, despite herself. She couldn't pass up the opportunity. Then she focussed on the job. "I missed my train because of you."
"Oh, boohoo!" Adrianna was pissed off! "Try being in lock up and then whine to me!"
Cam slammed his hand on the table and leaned forward, staring hard. "Talk or you're going back to your cell, and we're going home for a goodnight's sleep!"
"Alright, geez!" She took a small breath and stared between the two cautiously. "You're looking for the money," that got their attention, "but you won't find it."
"What did you do with it, Cramer?" Gina was hopeful for the first time since joining this operation. Maybe it would finally end here?
"That's just it..."
There was that twinge in his gut again. Jason stood straight, trying to brace himself for whatever was about to become known. "What?"
She looked wide-eyed. "I never had the money. Someone beat me to it."
Another hour passed, and Eve rejoined them, and Natalie was amazed at how well she could mask her emotions. There wasn't even a hint of the animosity that was brewing beneath her calm exterior. She shook her head, thinking that she could have taken lessons from the womanback in the day. The foursome were talking and laughing, and telling story after story of the McBain family history, and she felt very happy to learn so much about the man who stole her heart. Even as a kid he was hard-headed, but she guessed that immediately. From the moment he stepped into that interrogation room they butted heads, and it only got worse as the instant attraction grew to epic proportions.
"Natalie?"
"What?" She blinked, realizing that she didn't hear the question.
Eve looked at her. "I asked, what about you?"
She frowned. "What about me, what?"
John looked between the two women and frowned. It wasn't what they were saying, because they were perfectly polite. It was what they weren't saying. He knew his mother's feelings perfectly well, because she had been her usual bulldozer self when he was incarcerated. And Natalie was on edge, despite the smile. He wasn't clear on what to do about any of it? He couldn't make them like one another, and for the first time in forever, he actually wanted to be here. He sighed, opting to drop it for now. Natalie could take care of herself. If things got too heated, then he would step in.
Eve smiled brightly. "We were trading childhood stories, and it's your turn."
Natalie froze. "Oh." She shifted uncomfortably.
"I've got one," Mike offered, chiming in on her behalf.
Eve turned to her son. "No Michael, we've been talking Natalie's ear off all night." She stared at her guest. "I for one would like to hear a little about her." She waited.
Natalie wanted to reach across the table and slap the bitch! It was bothersome the way she always seemed to know how to push, what to poke at for maximum effect. "Sorry," she began, "no family stories from me." She stood. "No family." Then she walked into the house.
John sighed, more than a little pissed at his mother. He stared at her for a moment, but she wasn't even slightly regretful about her rude behaviour. It was amazing. He saw an equally upset Michael make a move to stand, but he shook his head. "I'll go." He got up and went to talk to Natalie. Maybe it was time to leave? They had it good for awhile.
He found her in the livingroom. She was on the sofa with her jean clad legs curled beneath her. He just watched for a moment. "Why don't we call it a night?"
She shook her head. "It's only nine."
He moved closer, sitting on the couch but being careful not to touch her. "Look, we can't fix everything in one night."
"Especially if we leave."
He was getting annoyed that she wasn't looking at him, so he made her. "You don't have to out-stubborn my mother."
She was on her feet in an instant. "Oh, that's where you're wrong!" She went to the kitchen and grabbed another beer. "We're being rude." Then she tried to get past him, but his arm blocked her exit.
John took her hand and practically dragged her back into the livingroom. His hands were on her hips, and then they were both on the comfortable piece of furniture, only this time she was straddling his lap. "You need to cool down."
She closed her eyes when his lips began to kiss her neck, leaving a wet trail on her skin as he moved. She was having a hell of a time catching her breath. "John...?"
He flipped her until she was flat on the cushion, and he kissed her...hard at first, before lightening the pressure. She was instinctively wrapping herself around him, her arms, her legs. It was incredibly arousing. A part of him wondered if this was simply revenge on his mother for her poor behaviour, but when he felt Natalie's tongue mastering his heatedly, the thought was lost. This had nothing to do with his mother.
She pushed at his chest, panting against his hot lips. "This isn't cooling anything," she confessed, burning from head to toe.
He rose from her slowly, keeping his eyes on her body as he knelt high between her legs. She was unbelievably sexy when she was full of desire. He could smell her lust, and it ignited his own. He held out a strong hand. "Come with me."
She knew that everything about this was a bad idea, but she also knew that she just didn't care. Her hand went to his, there was no stopping it. He lead her down a hallway and up a flight of stairs. The next thing she knew they were in a large bathroom with his and hers sinks. "Wow...romantic."
He grinned, pulling her against his thrumming body. "We'll do romantic later," he promised in earnest. His eyes locked on hers, as his fingers opened her pants. He slid past her panties and sighed at the feel of her soft, heated flesh.
"Oh boy!"
She found herself on the countertop, with her jeans dangling precariously around her ankles, but she couldn't remember how that had happened, and so quickly. There were better things to focus on, like his fingers. They were inside her body, sliding in and out with deliberate speed and purpose. She felt her eyes roll back slightly.
John had never seen her look more inviting. She was completely compliant, and it was turning him on and making him ache. He continued his welcome assault, watching her chest heave as it struggled for air. She was so wet, so close to cracking, and he used his other hand to lower his zipper.
"Hurry," she begged softly.
The sound almost pushed him too far. He sucked in a sharp breath and barely managed to hold off the release that his body and soul were clamouring for. He pulled at her, urging her closer, and was about to replace his sopping fingers with his throbbing erection when he stopped.
...John?...
He buried his face into her hair and growled, muffling the frustration.
...John...honey?...
It was his mother. And now his father. He went to the door and opened it a crack. "Yeah?" he barked, clearly irritated. There was a pause.
...Maybe I should talk to her for a minute?...
He rested his forehead against the wood of the door. "No! It's fine, we'll be right there." He shut the barrier and she was exactly where he left her, and it tore at him. He wanted to bury himself in her so badly, but that just wasn't going to happen. Not with his parents downstairs, yelling at him while he's trying to have sex. He walked back and touched her face, which was still flushed. She was stunning. "I'm sorry."
She shook her head. "Don't be, we shouldn't have started this."
He got a wickedly delicious idea. "No, but I see no reason why one of us can't end it." Then he was pushing a finger back into her still quivering body, and she arched instantly. Her head bumped the mirror. It was spectacular! There was no time, so he picked up his pace and used his thumb to rub her the way he knew she liked. Then it was over. He watched her bite her lip hard, and whimper as she was rocked with a powerful orgasm. She shook and squeezed, and her soft moans sent chills down his spine. They went straight to his groin.
Natalie felt the tremors overtake her, and she was helpless to stop them. They kept coming, over and over, making her wet as well as the hand that was still delightfully active between her legs. She slowly found his eyes, and they had a devilish gleam to them. "That..." Her breath was gone. "That was payback, wasn't it?"
He chuckled, adjusting himself in his pants. He lifted her languid weight from the surface, steadying her on her feet. He washed his hands and went to the door. "Don't take too long."
She stared at the messed and frazzled reflection in the large mirror, and smiled. She took her time reassembling herself so that she was presentable, but not too presentable. The last thing she needed during this reunion was for Eve McBain to know what was happening in this room. It was a private matter between the two of them, and she wasn't about to let anyone taint it because it was beautiful.
She took a last look to make sure her appearance was acceptable, and then headed back into the lion's den. A smile curved her lips as she moved. No matter what else could happen tonight, she felt more prepared to face it. John's passion gave her strength, and that was definitely passionate. Her grin got bigger.
John sat alone at the patio table, trying not to think about the fact that he left her upstairs in that bathroom. How he found the strength to walk away he'll never know, but there was something fundamentally daunting about sexing up your girlfriend while your parent's were trying to hold a conversation. He shivered, pushing away the uncomfortable thought.
His father was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, and he stared back, not sure what to expect at this point? Frankly, he was completely overwhelmed by the strangeness of the evening, and that they were still here? He watched him walk over and join him.
"So?"
He swallowed, dropping his eyes to the bottle in his tight hand. It was spinning, and that was a nervous habit. "So?"
He shifted in his seat, but someone had to start this, and he knew that it should be him. John has been through enough over the expanse of this nightmare case. "I'm sorry that you lost your job, son."
He glanced up, and then he smiled. He couldn't help it. "No you're not."
Tom shook his head, amused. "Actually...I am."
John frowned. He sounded sincere. "Pop..."
"Just...let me say this." They stared at one another and the vibe in the air was growing heavy along with the conversation. Thomas laughed. "God, you're hard to talk too, John!"
He smiled. "Ditto."
"Do I like the FBI...no, but I should never have turned my back on you for doing what you wanted with your life." This was long overdue. "I'm sorry."
John suddenly felt as though all the oxygen was gone, so he took a quick drink of his beer, but he couldn't erase the frown from his face. This was too real, too hard. He cleared his throat. "Don't sweat it, what's done is done, right?"
He nodded slowly. "Yeah." They both sat for a long time, neither one attempting to talk. Finally, he stared at the boy he hardly knew and smiled. "So, you're going to need a job."
John felt a tension roll through his muscles. Things were getting weirder by the second. "Are you offering?"
"Yes."
He sighed, rubbing his heavy eyes for a minute. "Thanks, but no." He could see the confusion, the apprehension, and knew that it was necessary to explain. "We can't work together, pop."
He sat back in his chair, pondering the rejection carefully. "It wouldn't always be like it was with Natalie, John."
He knew that. "No, but we're too different. You and I are two very different kinds of cops." There was that silence again. "You follow the rules and I don't."
"But you've never broken them before, not until..."
"...it was necessary," he interupted sharply.
Tom sighed. "I was going to say, not until we forced your hand."
He blinked, surprised yet again. "Listen, really, thank you for the offer but I'm not looking for the LPD." He ran a palm over his hair. "But maybe we could talk more? See one another?"
Tom smiled. "I'd like that, John."
He smiled too. "Good."
Eve and Michael were in the kitchen, giving the two of them some much needed space to have their conversation, when Natalie joined them. "Need any help?"
Eve stiffened slightly, but turned and faced the young woman who had a clear hatred in her eyes. She sighed. "No, you're our guest."
There was a long silence in the tiny kitchen, and Mike was about to break it when Cameron walked in with a Fed. He frowned. "What's going on?"
Cameron glanced at Natalie, before going to Eve and giving her a quick hug in greeting. "We've got some news that you're all going to want to hear."
Natalie stared at Gina, who she couldn't help but notice was still in town. It kicked her anger right to the surface in an instant. "Shouldn't you be leaving? The case is over, right?"
Michael stepped forward. "Natalie, let's hear them out." He knew his friend, and it was obvious that this thing was important. "Come on, John and dad are out back." They all filed out the door and headed for the duo, gathering around the table.
John stood. "What are you doing here?" he asked, zeroing in on Gina. This could not be a good thing.
She went to him and put a hand on his arm. "Sit, listen." She took the chair at his side and ignored the pointed stares from the redhead. "It's not good, John."
"Well what the hell is it?" Natalie snapped, impatiently.
Jason stared at the girl of the hour and crossed his arms over his chest. "Maybe you should be telling us that, Natalie?" She was playing the innocent to the hilt again. "Where's the money?"