A/N: Hi everyone! Life has been busy, and this fic is long. Much like Back to Me, I wrote this scenario out long ago on paper and lost it in a move and it's been on my bucket list to re-write, and lookie here, I did it! It is very long, and I am still very bad at chapters. This takes place in 2008ish while John, Talia, and Antonio are scheming to get Bo back as Commissioner and to add to it, John and Natalie are together while all that happens. I keep saying this is long and it is, but also this whole fic takes place over the course of about 9 months if I'm counting correctly, so I hope the length is not a deterrent to you. I really enjoyed writing this one, so I hope you enjoy reading it. Please read and review!
Disclaimer: I own nothing, John, Natalie, and all these other people belong to ABC/D. Don't sue me. (But I hope one day they do something with them)
Bo had somehow gotten him his job back, and he should be grateful. He couldn't believe he was working under Ramsey again. Bo slipped in his office door and shut it behind him.
"How did this happen, Bo?"
"I had the paperwork in motion, I had Talia slip it in a stack of things he had to sign"
"I meant, why did the mayor fire you? Why did he replace you with that pathetic excuse for a human?"
"The mayor wanted me out. He didn't want me to go to the mat for Lindsey, he wanted me to send her to jail – "
"And you would never shirk your responsibilities, believe me I get that" he said, "but he almost killed people. Recently. Not to mention –"
"I know" he said, "So you- you gotta stick with it til you can prove him guilty"
"Where do I start?" John retorted.
"Whatever sticks"
"I don't like this Bo"
"I know. I don't like it either" he said, "and listen, I know you like to work alone, but have Antonio watch your back, you're going to be skating on thin ice, it'll just take one-"
"I know" John said, "but Bo, he might not even need one thing to fire me, he's had it out for me since I was in the FBI"
"I know all this John, and I know it's a big favor to ask you. But I have to believe he will get what's coming to him. And when that happens, I need you on the force"
"And what if he won't have me?"
"It would look real bad if his first move is to fire someone with as many accolades as you"
"One journalist looks into our personal history-"
"Who's going to do that? Manning wants Ramsey gone as much as we do"
"I guess for once Manning and I have something in common"
"Don't let me down, John"
"It's a big favor, Bo"
"I know you can do it"
"You got a lot of faith in me"
"You are the best cop I know"
"He will hate me forever because Caitlyn left him for me and because I held that press conference and got her shot" he said.
"John-"
"He's going to have it out for me, and that's fine" he said, "But Bo, if he goes after Natalie to get to me-"
"I know, John" Bo said, "And if it comes to that, you should do whatever you have to do"
"Okay, I'll talk to Antonio when we're off the clock, figure something out"
"In the meantime, I'm at BE. You know where those offices are, don't you?"
"I think I've been there a time or two"
"Good luck. Let me know if you need anything"
John nodded and Bo slipped back out the door.
"Call me crazy, but is this guy clean?" Talia asked.
"No" John said, "Far from it"
"But what proof of that do we have?" Antonio asked.
"I don't know, he's got someone scrubbing his stuff and it goes all the way up" John said, "No one in DC would talk to me"
"So, what can we do?" Antonio asked.
"I guess we just wait for him to show his true colors" Talia said.
"Huh?" John asked.
"He's already made some – comments to Talia" Antonio explained to his friend.
"Comments?"
"About my eyes and my hair and Arab women in general"
"Asshole" John muttered.
"I'll say" Talia said.
"At least he doesn't know about you and I" Antonio said, "Bo made sure all that was wiped off the record when you were reinstated"
"Last thing we need is Antonio also on his bad side" John said.
"For all I know, I am" Antonio said, "If he's got a thing against Arab women, who's to say he's going to be okay with a Latin man?"
"He is an asshole" John said, "I don't know what to do" he said, but he looked at his watch, "but it's getting late, I don't want to interrupt your night too much"
"You're not interrupting" Talia said.
"That's very nice of you" he said, "But Natalie and I did the sneaking around thing for a while, I know how you two must feel right now. We can work on this more tomorrow"
"You must be glad she's off the force right now"
"don't ever repeat this, but, yeah, I don't want Ramsey knowing anything about her" he said, pulling his jacket on.
"I mean, I understand the sentiment, but don't you think that's a little unreasonable? She's a Buchanan"
"Yeah, I know" he said, pulling his jacket on, "you two have a good night"
It was only a short walk across Angel's Square to get to his apartment, but tonight it felt like a million miles for all the thoughts running across his mind. He hated the way Natalie had been forced to leave the department, he hated that it had inevitably led to their breakup. Even after they'd reconciled after her grandfather's passing and their family trip to Texas and they'd both realized life was too short to be apart, she'd said she was happy to stay at BE, that it would bring her closer to her dad and it was what her grandfather had wanted- he regretted everything he'd done that led to her losing her job. Until now. Ramsey hated him and he would use everything he could against him. He knew that and he was ready for it. But if Natalie were under his control, too – he was afraid of what would happen. He opened his door to find Natalie reading on the couch.
"Hey" he said, "You look pretty"
"Hey" she said, "you look beat. Nothing yet?"
John shook his head and sat down next to her, "Nothing yet. Antonio and Talia grabbed a bunch of files he was trying to destroy, but it's nothing. someone scrubbed his FBI files" he ran a hand down his face.
"You'll get him" she said, "I know you will"
"It's hard to believe that right now" he said, resting a hand on her thigh.
"I'm sure all this is hard on you. Bringing up stuff from the FBI, Caitlyn" she said.
He didn't say anything, but just stared at his hand on her thigh.
"I'm not trying to make you feel worse, you know. I want you to know I get it, I'm not trying to –"she paused, "I just hope you'll ask me for help if you need it"
"Natalie" he said, and he tried to muster all the conviction he could, "I don't want you anywhere near him"
"because of what happened with Caitlyn?" she looked down.
"He hates me because of that" he said, "and I'm not trying to tell you what to do, I know better than that, I just- if he goes after you – because of me –"
"He's got nothing to gain going after me" she said, "and if he did, it wouldn't be your fault"
"I just don't want to lose you again"
"You won't" she said, and she pushed his hair back, "cuz I don't want to lose you, either"
She leaned in and kissed him.
"Where do you think you're going?"
John was startled when Ramsey stopped him on his way out the door.
"lunch" he said slowly.
"Not anymore, my office, now"
He tried not to react as he followed him into his office.
"This isn't the old regime anymore John, you don't get to just waltz out of here whenever you feel like it"
"I'm the highest rank, your second in command"
"Believe me, not by my choice" Ramsey said, "Now what has become of your little investigation of me"
John shut the door, "Well, see you had all your federal files scrubbed, so I'm pretty sure you know there's nothing to find"
"You got questions just ask me"
"Cuz you're such an open book"
"You never know until you ask"
"Why'd you leave the FBI?"
"Tired" he said, "You get it, living out of a suitcase, never settling down. You left, too"
"Why here?"
"Change of pace"
"Really?"
"You know, John, I saw the writing on the wall, Buchanan was going to slip sooner or later, so made some friends in some places-"
"I'd like names"
"I don't think so"
John nodded, "So much for transparency" he said.
"I would assume you aren't a fan of transparency" he said, "I mean, I can only imagine what you got away with while Buchanan was in charge"
"Bo's a fair guy, I got every punishment I deserved. He suspended me, you undid that if I recall"
"You have quite a history with that family, don't you"
"I don't –"
"How is Miss Natalie Buchanan these days anyway?"
He swore his heart stopped; he tried not to react.
"Seems I struck a nerve"
"Ramsey, you and I are not friends"
"Certainly"
"So, you don't get to talk about her"
"I guess I just didn't think she was your type, I mean she doesn't look anything like Caitlyn. Though if the stories are to be believed you did steal her from another man. And I guess she does come from money, just like Caitlyn-"
"Stop yourself right now" he said, "you got me, alright I gotta do what you say, I am fully aware of that. You leave her out of his. She's got nothing to do with any of this"
"She's related to the former boss you're sticking up for"
"She's not the reason I'm sticking up for him"
"Just an added bonus?" he mused.
"Ramsey, you can hate me and you can make me do whatever grunge work you don't want to do and you can take my privileges away and you can make me look bad all you want. You don't get Natalie involved in this"
"Or what?"
"You'll regret it"
"Sounds like a threat"
"it's a promise. And if you do cross that line, this job will be my last concern"
John stormed out of the office and into his. He paced back and forth trying to get himself to calm down. He hadn't actually threatened her. He just wanted him to know about the two of them. Antonio had been right, she was a Buchanan, he couldn't hide her if he wanted to. In this situation, God did he want to.