Chapter 5
John left the nightclub and headed over to the hospital. He needed to see if Dani was awake and talk to Tea to find out what information he could about the overdose and who she got the drugs from. Entering the emergency room, he made his way to the front desk.
"Hey Gail," he greeted the night nurse. An older woman who reminded John of his grandmother, not that she was quite that old but, it was her demeanor and caring nature.
"Hi commissioner, your brother isn't on tonight," she said kindly.
John leaned down and spoke quietly to her, "I know. I'm here about an overdose that was brought in not too long ago. Danielle Manning."
"Oh," Gail said, "that poor girl. Family's in the waiting room fighting, your mother-in-law is in there by the way."
John turned around to face the waiting room. He couldn't see inside but, the thought of going in there wasn't pleasant until Gail continued….
"They were throwing punches in there earlier. Had to get security to break it up," she said, John turned around to look at her.
"Who was throwing punches?" He asked surprised by this news.
"Her father and his brother, trouble…both of them," she mumbled.
"Todd Manning? And his brother?" John asked. As far as he knew Todd Manning was still in Port Charles and Victor Lord was supposedly dead. He's learned over the last few years, that meant nothing in Llanview. If Victor was here maybe he could get some answers about Security Systems and Kaitlin from him.
"Yup, your mother-in-law was beside herself," she said as she walked away. John rubbed his hand over his face and walked over to look into the waiting room. He saw, Todd and Blair standing together on one side. Destiny and Matthew, Jack and some young man he didn't know, as well as Natalie's parents in the middle and sure enough on the other side stood Tea and Victor Lord all waiting for the doctor to speak. He stood in the doorway and listened. He saw the relief on their faces when the doctor told them Dani would recover.
John waited outside of the room for the doctor, he wanted to find out what it was she was on. After speaking to the doctor, John thought he should speak to Natalie's parents. There was no love lost between her father, Clint and himself. The men hated each other but, were civil for Natalie and Viki's sake. He thought he would speak to them then go in search of Victor Lord, he isn't going to be far from Dani's side.
He walked back to the waiting room and stepped in, not seeing Viki or Clint he was relieved. John turned to leave and was startled to see Victor standing behind him.
"You know….it's illegal to fake your own death," John told him, placing his hands on his hips.
"Yeah, I've heard that," Victor smirked back.
"Is there a reason I shouldn't take you in?" John asked him, as he casually leaned against the wall.
"I haven't done anything wrong. It wouldn't be worth it, I'd be out before morning," Victor said with an absent minded shrug, "besides, I'm not leaving my daughter."
John took a deep breath, and sighed. He knew what Victor said was true but, he realized he might be able to get Victor to help him, "believe it or not Lord, I don't want to arrest you today." John gave Victor a smirk of his own.
"Well, what the hell do you want, I don't have time for you," Victor said snidely as he crossed the hall and into the waiting room.
"Maybe just some information," John shrugged following him.
"Like what?" Victor said turning around, looking at John like he was crazy.
"Can't talk about it here," John said, standing in front of him.
"Where then?" Victor said.
"My office, one hour," John said and he turned to leave.
"Why not now?" Victor said aggravated.
John stopped and turned at the door, "I have to make a stop. It will give you time to check on…..your daughter?" John said questioning the use of the term Victor used. Victor didn't raise Danielle but, he had been lead to believe that she was Todd's daughter….only Victor wasn't Todd anymore. John rolled his eyes. It was almost unbelievable.
John turned without further discussion and left the hospital.
When Natalie returned home she paid Jody, the sitter and went upstairs to change her clothes. She took off her dress, put her silky, satin robe back on and went down stairs to wait for John. She knew he would be a while but, she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep anyway. She settled onto the couch with an old afghan to watch the news. Next thing she knew, John was shaking her awake.
"Hey," she smiled sleepily up at him.
"Hey, why are you down here?" he asked her shortly.
Taken back by his tone, she answered, "I couldn't sleep." He stood up, grabbed the remote off the couch and turned off the television.
"How's Dani? Did you find out anything?" she asked sitting up.
"Nothing about who she got the drugs from but, apparently this wasn't her first time. Did you know that you didn't set the alarm or lock the door?" He asked her angrily.
"No, I didn't realize. Why are you so angry?" she demanded.
"We put all this money into this state of the art security system, not to mention there is a damn deadbolt on the door, if you couldn't think enough to set the alarm the least you could do is throw the lock. Jesus, Natalie!" He threw his keys down on the table near the entry way as he yelled at her.
She stood up slowly, "I'm...sorry? I don't understand why you're yelling at me," she looked at him in confusion. She knew she should have at least thrown the dead bolt but, she didn't think she deserved to be berated like a child.
"We see shit like this every day. Doors left wide open, people getting hurt because of it. I would have thought you would try a little harder to keep our children safe," he didn't know why he was taking this out on her. She didn't deserve it but, he couldn't stop the bull shit that was coming out of his mouth. She should hate him. He didn't deserve her. He never did.
He saw Victor Lord Jr. tonight at the hospital. That bastard was supposed to be dead but, instead that son of a bitch was walking around Llanview. John knew that that asshole was working for the same damn agency his mother used to run. The same one that Kenneth Fitzgerald runs now, with his two 'dead' daughters. With Kaitlin. He was prepared tonight to tell Natalie everything he had found out these last few weeks but, now he wasn't sure it was safe for her to know. Not until he talked to Victor.
He didn't like keeping this secret from her and it was driving a wedge between them, he could feel it. He didn't know what to do about it. He saw her take a deep breath and compose herself. She'd been doing that a lot lately. He picks a fight and she defuses it. She gives into him instead of fighting back. For any other guy, that would be what they would want to happen but, this was Natalie and Natalie fights back.
"You're right, I'm sorry. I should have made sure the door was locked," she said not meeting his eyes.
He rolled his eyes at her and huffed, "I have to go to the office," he said moving around the couch.
"What time is it?" she asked confused again, following him. He just got home.
"Around two," he answered rubbing his chin and turning to look for the keys he threw.
"Wait a minute, why do you have to go back? Just...come to bed. Finish in the morning, it will keep," she followed him to the entry way of their home.
"I can't sleep now-" he started.
"Well, I can't either," she slid her arms around his waist under his open jacket. Her thumbs rubbing his sides, "stay here with me," she whispered.
"Natalie...not now," he said not knowing if he could resist her. He tried to remove her arms but she only held on tighter.
She said, "why not now? It's been so long and earlier you said-"
"I know what I said but-"
"No," she said sternly, "no 'buts'. I want you John, and I know you want me to." She looked into his eyes as she brought her hands out from under his coat and slowly untied the belt of her robe reveling the black lace panties and bra she was barely wearing. She slid the robe off her shoulders and let it slide to the floor, then she stepped closer to him. Never breaking eye contact with him she ran her hands up his chest under his jacket again but this time over his shoulders, pealing the jacket off of him.
As it slid down his arms she brought herself up onto her toes and slowly put her lips to his. It was slow an sensual for only a few seconds. She quickly turned the kiss hard and passionate. Snaking one hand into his hair and the other grasping the collar of his shirt. As soon as his arms were free of that jacket, he planted a hand at the small of her back and one into her hair, fisting it to hold her mouth hard against his. She freed her hand from his hair and threw it around his neck holding on desperately. She could feel her lips bruising and she didn't care. She knew she was going to have to breathe soon.
John tightened his arm around her waist and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he moved them to the couch. Her back hit the leather couch as his mouth left hers and found the place behind her ear that made her squirm, then moved down her neck. Her hands found the buttons of this shirt, and when she couldn't get them to work, she ripped the shirt opened sending buttons flying. He leaned up to rip the shirt from his body as she started on his belt buckle. Once he got his ruined dress shirt and t-shirt off, his hands joined hers in unbuttoning, unzipping and finally opening his pants. She pulled them down until they hit his knees. Since he was still kneeling on the couch over her, they stayed bunched there.
He pushed her roughly back down and slid his hand under her back to undo her bra. As he leaned down to attack her breasts, it was her turn to fist her hand in his hair. And she pulled hard, pulling his face up to hers so she could look into his eyes.
"I love you," she said willing him to see it in her eyes as well as hearing it in her words. "it's just you and me right?" she asked, using the words they'd used in their vows, feeling the tears prickling in her eyes.
He brought a hand up and caressed her cheek, running his thumb over her lips and down her chin.
"Just me and you. I love you too, sweetheart, so much," he whispered.
What started rough and fast turned slow and gentle as he made love to her. She felt closer to him than she had in weeks. As they slowly ran their hands over each other she couldn't imagine things going back to the way they had before. They had finally reconnected and she felt like things were different now. Back the way they were before. She could feel his heart. And at this moment, that was all that mattered. Not realizing her heart would be breaking sooner than she thought.
John was reclining in the corner of the couch, his slacks sorted back out and fastened. Natalie, clothed only in John's ruined shirt, was draped a crossed his chest as he ran his hand up and down her back. She was almost asleep when she noticed him look at his watch, then rub a hand over his face.
"I've gotta go," he said and he started to sit up.
"Go? Go where?" she said looking up at him not moving.
"I told you, I had to get back to the office," he said cautiously but, firmly.
"John, it's the middle of the night. W-we just made love, you have to leave? Now?" She asked feeling like she'd been slapped in the face.
"Natalie, I'm a cop. You knew that when you married me. I don't work eight to five," he said sternly as he physically removed her from him and stood up.
"John, you're 'Commissioner of Police', you're the boss. And as a station employee, I happen to know there are no pressing, open cases at this time. Don't give me this bull shit that you have to go to the office to work," she stood up and faced him toe to toe.
"Don't pretend to know anything about what I do Natalie," he growled at her. He then seemed to realize even if he could get the shirt off of her, he couldn't wear it. He turned away from her without explanation and walked away. Through the dining room and kitchen to the laundry room on the other side. Grabbing a shirt off of a hanger and taking a deep breath, he made his way back to the living room.
She was sitting on the couch with her face in her hands. She wasn't making any noise but, he knew she was crying. He paused, he wanted to go to her, take her in his arms and make love to her again but, knowing he needed to leave. He was suppose to meet Lord almost an hour ago. He needed to find out what happened to Victor Lord, what he knows and what he's been doing all this time. So instead of following his gut and comforting his wife, he grabbed his jacket off the floor, he grabbed his keys off the table and set the alarm as he left.