A/N: In all my stories Michael is always played by Nathaniel Marston. And I'm taking a soap opera move and what should be a 7 hour flight from Seattle to Llanview doesn't take half that much time.
Natalie wiped her eyes again after getting off the phone with Jessica. She was on her way with a change of clothes-looking down to see her's stained dark red. Some good her wearing a vest did-she wasn't the one that had needed it.
Taking a deep breath she looked through her phone until she found the number she needed to call next. How was she going to tell him? How did she find the words again?
"Hey Nat," smiled Michael on the phone as he answered it. "I've been meaning to call you-Liam sent a message the other night to Gabe. Is my good-for-nothing brother really back in town?" When he didn't get a response he looked at the phone to make sure the call hadn't been disconnected. "Natalie?"
"Mike," she whimpered. She rarely called him that-normally it was John that used that nickname, but at the moment it made some odd sort of sense. "He's been shot."
"What? John?" he asked as he closed the file he'd been looking over and tossed it towards the nurse.
"I-I can't breathe," she sobbed and found her way to a chair.
"Hey-deep breaths, kid. Come on, that's it," he said as he did it along with her while going towards the doctor's lounge of his hospital. "Tell me slowly what happened."
"He-he came back for this case. I was helping him trap a killer-and he jumped in front of the damn bullet."
"That sounds like my brother," he said, trying to make a joke but falling short, as he threw his lab coat into his locker and slammed the door.
"He's in surgery right now. I-I think he saw your dad."
Michael leaned his head back against the locker, "I'm getting off the phone with you and checking flight times. Is someone with you? Where's Liam?"
"John's partner Aaron is here and Jess is on the way. Liam is on a camping trip with Ryder and Drew. John had Brody and Matthew take him out of town-so I could focus on helping him. Please don't let Gabe find out-I haven't told Liam yet. How do I tell him, Michael?"
"You aren't going to have to-I know my brother. He's gonna fight on that table with all his might until he comes back to you."
John walked into the bright white room and blinked-it was blinding him. Realizing where he was he began shouting, "No! No! This can't be right."
"I'm afraid it is, Johnny."
Turning around slowly he saw his dad standing there, "I can't Dad. Not yet. I've got too many things I still need to do."
"Sometimes we have things that just have to be left unfinished son. I'm sorry."
"No-I have my own son now. I told him I was going to take him camping. And Natalie-we never got it right-most of it's on me, but I want to get it right. I want her to be Mrs McBain."
Thomas nodded, he remembered standing in his son's shoes years ago, begging and pleading to return to his own family, "I'm sorry-you had your chance. It's time."
Bo walked into the waiting room of the hospital and looked around. He'd been expecting to see Natalie curled up in a chair, but instead saw her sister, "Jess," he said softly.
"Oh, Uncle Bo," she said as she jumped up and went to hug him.
"Where's Nat?" he asked. He'd been at the scene observing the techs as they did their job. They were making sure everything was by the book-leaving nothing to chance that the case could be thrown out. There'd been a lot of blood, and he wondered how John could survive.
"She went to change-I brought her some clothes," she said and looked past him to see Natalie walk in the room.
"Bo," she said as she ran in for a hug and let the tears begin all over again. "How are the tech's doing? Do I need to go supervise?"
Bo shook his head, she was still in forensic mode-trying to focus on anything else instead of the potential outcome of John's surgery, "No, they have a great boss who has trained them well."
Natalie tried to refresh her memory, "There was a cup on a table-it looked empty, but he asked me if I wanted a drink. I think we should test it."
"I'll send Miller a text and make sure they grab it. How are you doing?"
Natalie sighed as she took a seat, "I'm just-I can't lose him Bo. I know we've been apart all this time, but-."
"You won't," he said as he pulled something out of his pocket and held it in his palm "One of the technicians found this at the scene. I believe it belongs to you."
A smile touched her lips as she took it from him, the ribbon soaked the same deep red as her clothes and sticky to the touch. "It's John's actually. I didn't know he still had her."
"He carried it with him when we went into a situation like today," interupted Aaron as he walked up the two. "It was something he'd do that was as second nature as breathing-right before going in he'd take it out of his pocket, flip it a few times in his hands and slip it back in. I watched him do it today before we entered the house."
Natalie felt the tears pricking her eyes, "She's St Dwynwen, who asked God to look kindly on the hopes and dreams of true lovers. I gave it to him after the accident-to replace St Jude."
Bo put his arm around his niece, pulling her in so her head fell onto his shoulder, "He came back to you before, Natalie. He will this time too."
"John, I'm not the only one here to help you cross over," spoke Thomas McBain as he turned his son around and motioned for someone to come out.
John had to rub his eyes to make sure they weren't playing tricks on him, "Caitlin," he whispered as she smiled and walked up to him.
"Hello, John," she said as she touched his face and he felt a wave of emotion roll through him.
"I'm sorry," he said as he pulled her into a hug. "I was the reason you got shot. It was my fault you died."
"It doesn't matter now. Don't be sad-we're together again."
John pushed her back slowly-he remembered always treating her more delicately than he ever did Natalie. He wondered why it was-maybe because he knew Natalie was strong and didn't break-though he wondered if that would be the case if he couldn't get back to her this time, "It doesn't change anything."
"John."
"No, see-there's someone in my life. Natalie," he said, a smile appearing on his face as he said her name.
"I've peeked in on you a few times-I like her. You two work well together," smiled Caitlin.
"Yeah, we do," he grinned back. "After you died-I stopped living. Stopped letting anyone into my life for fear of hurting them. But Natalie-," he said with a chuckle. "She wouldn't take that as an excuse and broke down the walls. Not just those, but the ones I put up because of you too," he said turning to look at his dad. "I wouldn't be who I am today without her. She saved me and I have to get back to her."
"It's not that easy John."
"Please," he begged and began feeling the tears coming out. "I'll do whatever I need to do. But I need to get back to my family. We keep screwing it up and it's my fault. I love her-and I love our son. I know love isn't enough-but I want to grow old with her and watch Liam grow up too-get to do things with him I never got to with my dad because he was taken too soon.
"Do you remember the dreams we had, Cait? When we'd talk about our future-where we wanted to be in five, ten, fifteen years? That's what I have with Natalie now-dreams of a future. I've been holding onto them in my head for too long-let me go back so I can make them a reality. Please."
He watched as Caitlin's brown eyes filled with tears and she looked back at his dad for guidance. He'd put it all out there-said everything he felt he could say to sway their decision. Now he just had to wait.
Natalie sat in the chair just staring off-it'd been hours since this had all began. But if she closed her eyes she was back in that room-hearing that gunshot and seeing John fall. Seeing him start to fade as the paramedics came in and Aaron pulling her off so they could try and save him. And now she was sitting in the waiting room alone, lost in her thoughts.
Bo had gone back to the scene to make sure everything was good. Jessica had gone to do something for Bree. And Aaron-she thought he had gone to call Brett and check to make sure Craig was ok with getting James Parks, the man's real name, settled into an LPD holding cell and get the paperwork rolling for extradition.
Her mom had said she'd come sit with her until Michael showed up or there was news, but she'd told her it was ok. She didn't want anyone hovering over her, and she knew if her mom showed up her dad would come as well. Clint Buchanan was not someone she wanted to hear from right now. He'd give her sympathy, she knew that, but also that he would put a snide remark in there about John. And John didn't need negativity right now as he laid on the operating table.
If this was the end-if he didn't make it she wouldn't be able to stop herself from lashing out at her father. He didn't cause the beginning of the rift between her and John, but him creating that restraining order made it a much wider chasm for them to cross back then. A chasm that one of them didn't even know existed until it was too late and the other was elbow deep back into the FBI.
Hearing footsteps she watched as Aaron returned with fresh coffee, "Thought you might want this."
"Thanks," she said, though she really had no appetite. "What's your nickname? And Brett's?"
"Hmm?" he asked as he took a sip.
"I need a distraction. I know Craig is Mouth, and John is Irish. What are you two?"
Aaron smiled and slightly blushed, "I'm Romeo. And Brett is Rooster."
Taking Aaron in she could see why-the sandy blonde hair, hazel eyes, and a smile that lit up the room-he was definitely swoon worthy-if that was your type. "Explain Rooster."
"Morning person," he grinned. "And loud. Oh so loud. I don't know how his wife Becky puts up with him."
He was quiet a moment before speaking, "Want to know a secret?"
"Sure," she nodded, glad to continue this distraction.
"I was originally supposed to be the undercover agent for the Walker Flynn case. That was until they realized I can't play pool worth a crap."
Natalie laughed out loud-and thinking for a moment how different everything else would have turned out.
Hearing footsteps she looked at the door, expecting a nurse or doctor to come with news and instead saw Michael standing there. "Michael," she whispered as she ran towards him and was pulled into one of his huge bear hugs. They said nothing, just stood there quietly, holding each other up and letting the tears fall for a few minutes until they heard a cough behind them.
"Are you all here waiting on John McBain?" asked the doctor as he stood there quietly.
Michael turned himself around, his hands on Natalie's shoulders, ready to catch her if she began to fall at the news, "Yes, I'm Dr Michael McBain his brother-and this is Natalie Banks. How is he?" he asked as they both held their breath.
