Hearing a car door shut Natalie looked over at John, "Ready?" she asked.
"Yeah," he said and walked over, initiating the first kiss they'd had in four months. When the doorbell rang he pulled away and brushed her lips with his thumb. "We can still run to Seattle-or wherever you want."
"One step at a time, McBain," she said softly and walked over to open the door. "Mom-hi," she said as she hugged her tightly. She released the hug and ignored her dad's outstretched arms, instead turning her way back to the living room where John was standing.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
"I'm here spending the holiday with my family. You have a problem with that?" he replied, his hands stuffed in his pockets to keep himself in check.
"Like hell you are," growled the older man as he began to walk towards John and was stopped by Viki grabbing his arm.
"What Clint is trying to say here is that we're just surprised you are back is all."
John scoffed, "I'm sure he is. But there's something he hasn't told you yet, Vki. Clint here has been putting a wedge between me and Natalie. He created and forged her signature on a restraining order keeping me from my family."
"Clint-you didn't," she said as she released her hold and looked at him. "John-I'm so sorry."
"You don't deserve them-not after leaving her for months and then hooking up with some hussy."
Natalie looked at John with tears in her eyes, begging him to be silent so she could speak. They'd both been hurt so bad, and she'd been hoping John was wrong and this was a huge misunderstanding-but apparently it wasn't. "Dad, you knew what I've been going through all these months. Knew the stress that John being away was causing me. But for the last four months you were purposely keeping him from me. From Liam. From the baby," she screamed as she went flying towards him.
"I lost her! I lost her because of it all and it's your fault!" she continued to yell as John walked up and pulled her into him. "No, let me finish this," she said as she pushed herself out of his arms. "Then you changed the letter. You made him think that instead of my lying in that hospital bed losing her that I had fallen in love with someone new. So that he truly had no reason to come back here-restraining order or not. Are you proud of yourself? Proud that you caused your grandchild to never have a chance at life? Proud of the heartache you caused me?"
"I did it for your own good sweetheart."
Natalie laughed as she wiped her eyes and walked towards the fireplace, having John now standing between her and her dad, "My own good? Losing my child was for my own good?"
"No, not that. But John has hurt you enough."
"Not as much as you hurt me," she said as John looked at her and saw an icy blue stare coming from her eyes. He was always amazed at her strength-now was definitely no exception.
"I think you can leave now, Clint," he said coolly. "Viki-you are more than welcome to stay, we'll get you back home later."
"Thank you, John. Natalie-why don't we go into the kitchen and make some tea. I know I could use something to settle my nerves," she said as she gave Clint one last disapproving look before leaving the two men in the room.
John glanced back one more time before walking towards Clint, "You almost won-you know? I almost gave up my happiness and my family because all I've wanted is for her to be happy. Ever since Las Vegas. But you've lost it all now. I'm sure Natalie will forgive you at some point because that's who she is. She forgives and moves on. But I can promise you I never will-not after your antics made her lose our child."
"After what you did you don't deserve her or Liam."
John nodded, "You're right-I don't. But if they are willing to forgive me then that's all that matters. You can see yourself out," he said as he turned and walked towards the kitchen, hearing the front door slam shut a few seconds later.
"Yeah, our flight gets in tomorrow around lunch. No, no reason to pick us up-we'll get a rental. Right now it's looking like two weeks, but Bo said to take as much time as we need," said John to his brother over the phone as he walked up the steps and made it to the master bedroom to see Natalie standing over an empty suitcase. "Talk to you later, Mike," he finished and walked up behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders.
"Hey, you ok?" he asked as she fell back into him and he wrapped his arms around her, but she never spoke. "Talk to me, Natalie."
"Are we doing the right thing, John? I mean neither of us are normally the type to run from a situation. So why now?"
"I can think of a few times we've both ran," he said as he thought about him planning on leaving the day of her wedding to Brody, and her running after getting the picture of him kissing Sam.
"But this time we need to leave Llanview long enough to heal. Because this past year," he said as he let out a breath. "There's been a lot of hurt here-and being away for a few weeks, maybe it will help some."
"But this is home, right?"
John turned her around and gazed down at her face, his thumb running along the edge of her jaw before taking her mouth into his. When they pulled out he gave her a slight smile, "Home is wherever the two of you are."