Curlyqgrl's John & Natalie #13

John & Natalie #13 Feb 24 - May 5, 2006: 8 hour original edit

Dvd #13A Natalie takes comfort in Cristian's arms, finally breaking down completely over her lot in life. She says that she tried to warn John not to get on the plane, but that he wouldn't listen, and that's why she is now trying to prevent Cris from getting hurt with his boxing. When Cristian accuses her of being mad at John and not him, Natalie admits that she's still mad at both of them. She talks about how confusing her life has been and tells Cristian that she won't make it if she has to say good-bye to one more person she loves.

Later, Evangeline and Natalie share a close moment in the abandoned police station, realizing that they have been in this position of waiting for news once too often. The former enemies share a toast with their coffee cups. Todd and John get up from the ground in order to move around and try to fight hypothermia. A desperate Todd knocks John unconscious, frees himself from the chain, and begins securing McBain so that he can't get away. As Todd works on entrapping McBain, John envisions his father telling him that he's disappointed that John never put his killer away. Todd and John's father begin to blur together in John's mind.

2/27 Hearing the search party approaching, Todd scrambles to free himself from the shackles. Bo finds John inside the wreckage of the plane and sends the other rescue workers out to search for Todd. Natalie is surprised to discover that Hugh is carrying a gun. Hugh tells Natalie why he's determined to bring Todd to justice. Natalie and Evangeline rush to the hospital after Bo phones to say that a Medivac chopper is bringing John back to Llanview.

2/28 At the hospital, Natalie and Evangeline both urge John not to blame himself for his prisoner's escape. Revealing how he had a vision of their late father following the plane crash, John tells Michael he's starting to think Todd may actually be innocent.

3/1 John presses a jittery Paige to disclose what she knows about Spencer setting Todd up to take a murder rap. Michael asks Natalie to make sure that his brother gets home in one piece. Michael sedates a protesting John before sending him home with Natalie.

3/2 While Natalie nurses John back to health, they beat around the bush when it comes to talking about their relationship. When John falls asleep, he remembers the beginning of his relationship with her in his dreams and calls her name. Natalie comes to watch over him, and ends up falling asleep in the bed. Later, they groggily wake up at the same time and John kisses her.

3/3 Natalie and John share a passionate kiss. He pulls away, full of guilt, but Natalie instigates another kiss. She tells him that they are both at fault here. When they get themselves under control, John opens up about the dream he had about his father after the plane crashed. He tells Natalie that he still has guilt because his dad's murder remains a cold case. Tess and Viki have another confrontation.

This time, Tess relinquishes Niki Smith from any blame and accuses Viki of being completely responsible for what happened to her as a child. When Viki tries to say that she didn't do anything, Tess explodes, accusing her of being cowardly and not caring about anything but Jessica. Viki denies this and claims to care about Tess, but Tess isn't having any of it. Natalie walks in on the argument and demands that Tess leave her mother alone. Viki convinces Natalie that things are all right and that she needs to talk with Tess in this manner. Clint arrives and Viki tells him that Tess blames her for everything.

3/6 Natalie advises Nash to leave town before her sister's life is ruined for good. Nash icily reminds Natalie that he only has Tess' best interests at heart and would never hurt her or Jessica. Cristian asks Natalie if there's any chance she will forgive him.

3/7 Bo shows John the piece of fabric he found on his terrace. John admits to Bo he's no longer sure that Manning is guilty. Natalie confides to Cris how much it would hurt her to lose him again if anything happened to him in the boxing ring. Tess tells a surprised Natalie how they actually met before Cris went to prison. Evangeline gingerly feels John out on the subject of Todd's recapture, then decides not to clue him in after all.

3/8 Michael catches John working in their apartment lobby, with police records on Todd's case. He chastises him to no avail for being obsessive and also learns that John wants to work on their father's case, now considered a cold case. John admits that he needs to solve the case so that he can finally have some peace. Marcie shows up to try to make wedding plans with Michael but they seem to initially disagree on every detail. Michael is sad that his father won't be there.

Natalie arrives at the gym to take boxing lessons from Cris, though she assures him it won't change her feelings about it. He wants to know about their kiss but she's quick to admit that he wasn't the only one she was kissing (even though the kiss with John was kind of an accident). She learns that boxing is not very easy. John arrives to de-stress and sees the lesson in progress. Nat sees him afterwards and confides that she always feels badly for the guy that she's not with. He doesn't want to hear her excuses for taking the lessons; he doesn't really care. She learns that he is now believing that Todd is innocent and offers to help him. He declines her offer.

3/10 John runs into Layla at Roxy's hotel. She tells him she's looking to get a room, since Evangeline is seeing John again and wants her privacy. John corrects Layla, and she immediately regrets opening her big mouth. She tells him that Van must be seeing someone else, and John appears slightly upset. However, he is mostly intrigued, and the intrigue grows when a homeless man shows up begging for change. The man is wearing the Marshall's outfit that Todd Manning was last spotted in.

John heads to the station, where Bo is having a conversation with Starr. Starr wants information about her father, and Bo promises to try to keep Todd safe from harm when the police catch up with him. He asks Starr to do the right thing and inform him if she hears from her dad. Starr says she'll consider it. John and Bo share information and put the pieces together. They realize that Evangeline is hiding Todd. Evangeline heads down to the station, where she bumps into John. She asks him if he has any information about Todd's whereabouts, and John says that he should be asking her that question, since she knows just where Manning is. Evangeline realizes that she's been caught!

3/13 As Cristian readies for his boxing match, he's surprised to see Natalie show up, along with many other Llanview residents to cheer him on. At first she can only worry as she watches but after he takes a brutal punch, their eyes make contact, and she's very much into the fight like the rest of the crowd, urging him on. Cris wins the match easily.

At the police station, John accuses Evangeline of hiding Todd and though she denies it, she can't look John in the eye and deny that she doesn't know his whereabouts. Hugh happens to overhear part of their conversation and demands to know what they were talking about. John quickly comes to Evangeline's defense when the district attorney accuses her of holding out on them. Hugh threatens John with not getting his badge back. Shortly after, R.J. and Lindsay get there and offer to disclose Todd's location if the smuggling charges against R.J. are dropped. John declines but Hugh snaps the offer up and calls for backup to follow him. John immediately leaves a message to warn Evangeline.

3/14 John leaves an urgent message for Evangeline. Crosby advises John to get serious about his therapy before he loses his badge for good. John is outraged when Hugh parades a handcuffed Evangeline through the precinct house.

3/15 R.J. gleefully goads both John and Cristian following Evangeline's arrest.

3/16 Evangeline receives visits from both John and Cristian as she sits in her jail cell. John reads Todd's note about Evangeline aloud to Crosby, who later covers in front of Hugh.

3/17 Dr. Crosby informs John that he might get his badge back sooner than he thinks. The only thing standing in his way is the opinion of the police psychiatrist. John agrees to talk to Crosby and opens up a little. He reveals that he feels guilty about his father's death and that he is sorry for never having done anything about it.

Natalie and Roxy meet for lunch at the Palace. Nat tries to persuade Roxy to hang on to some of the money she won from the boxing bet, but Roxy is in a spending mood. She goes on at length about how sexy Cristian looked in the boxing rink, trying to gauge whether Natalie is still interested in her ex-husband. Nat admits that the two of them have agreed to disagree, but Roxy continues to press her. She asks about things between Natalie and John. Natalie admits that she's keeping both men at a distance so that she won't have to choose between them. Roxy suggests that instead of making three people miserable, Natalie should make a decision that allows two people to be happy.

3/20 Natalie tells Bo she'd like the chance to train as a forensic technician for the police department. Bo cautions Natalie to remember that she'll be working closely with John if she gets the forensics job. John explains to Crosby why he blames himself for never solving his father's murder. Crosby advises John to let himself off the hook because he's blameless where his dad is concerned.

3/23 Natalie wants to help John "get closure" by working on his father's unsolved murder case with him. John wants her to stay out of things. They argue. As Natalie leaves, she is congratulated by Dr. Crosby, and John finds out she is going to be a forensic technician. Natalie hopes this will make John take her more seriously, but he is unimpressed. Natalie then asks John to supervise her for her field experience requirement.

Later, Natalie sneaks into Bo's office to use his computer, out of sight from John. Rex sees her close the blinds and barges in. Natalie tells him about her plans to help John with his father's case, and Rex gets angry, saying she's acting just the way she did before she got into trouble the last time. He wants her to stay away from John. When Natalie brings up Rex's recent mishap with heroin, Rex tells her he was set up. Natalie realizes her brother was set up by none other than Adriana's mother, Dorian Lord. She tries to convince him to tell Adriana what Dorian is up to. Dr. Crosby presents John with his badge-but John will only be reinstated if he stays off the Manning case.

3/24 Hugh hassles Cris by referring to his ex-con status when Natalie barges in and rushes to Cris's defense. She reminds Hugh that all charges against Cristian have been cleared and suggests that he ask Cristian for information in a nicer fashion. Hugh does so, but Cris maintains that he hasn't seen Evangeline since the police station that morning. Hugh says that he had better be telling the truth and storms out. Natalie wonders why Cris is so eager to help protect Vange, and Cris reminds her that Vange is the reason he is a free man.

The two of them proceed to enjoy a nice conversation, and Cristian is genuinely proud to learn that Natalie is going to be taking classes to become a forensics technician. Nat fills Cris in on Tess and reveals that Tess thinks she is still in love with him. This brings a large smile to Cristian's face, but he recognizes that as of now, he and Natalie are just friends. He leaves to go get some rest before his big match, but Nat stays so that she can talk to Roxy about John's father.

3/27 John and Michael engage in another discussion regarding John's desire to find their father's killer. Michael remembers a time as a child when he walked in on John apologizing to his father for what happened to him. Michael reminds John that he is not to blame for their father’s death and wonders if John is reopening the investigation for absolution or is he reopening the case so that he can fix himself and win Natalie back. John tells Michael that the investigation into their father's death has nothing to do with Natalie and that he doesn't want to talk about it anymore.

Natalie, who can't take keep out of this for an answer, asks Roxy if some of Roxy's former acquaintances in Atlantic City might have information regarding Thomas McBain's death. Roxy says that she hung around a tough group of biker men who may either know something or may have pulled the trigger. Roxy wants to know what Natalie gets out the deal especially since John does not want her help and if she is trying to help John because she has made her choice about which man she wants to be with. Natalie insists that she is only helping John because despite everything he has always been a good friend to her and she feels that she owes him for all the times he helped her.

Enough about John's problems, Michael has his own problems regarding his upcoming wedding to Marcie. Michael fills John on in on how he and Marcie don't see eye to eye on the timing of children after they get married. Marcie wants to have children right away while Michael, who still feels like a child himself, would like to enjoy time with Marcie alone before adding children into the mix. John who is not one to give advice assures Michael that he and Marcie will work this out and agrees to be his best man when the time comes.

After he finishes his discussion with Michael, John heads to Atlantic City where his dad's former partner tells him that a nervous teenager was asking about John's father while he was in surgery. He knows that the kid had information on the shooting but before he could find him, he lost his sight during a domestic dispute incident that he got called on. John thanks him for the information and turns around to leave when Natalie walks up behind him. John asks her what she's doing there and Natalie tells him that she now knows how to help him.

3/29 Nat continues to bug John about being involved on his cold case but he wants her out of his office with no further thoughts of aiding him. After listening to Roxy, Cris makes a beeline for John's office to express his own views. He's not happy that John may allow Nat to help out. He knows that Nat wants to fix things for John but is assured that the cop is not allowing her to be involved.

When Nat arrives on the tail end of the conversation, the men suddenly stop talking but she's wise to what they've been saying. She gets into a bit of an argument with Cris who feels she's a hypocrite by voicing her opinions against his boxing but not allowing him to do the same here. John asks the quibbling couple to take it outside. Later, the men each wish each other luck in their new pursuits.

As Roxy performs a ritual of getting rid of "bad vibes" at Cris' place, Natalie shows up to collect some art work that maybe she can sell in order to get Cris to quit boxing. Roxy admits to betting $500 on Cris to win his fight and asks that Natalie attend in her place. Nat receives a phone call though and has to leave for a meeting with a contact in Atlantic City. She warns Roxy that John is not to know about it.

3/30 Hugh overhears John checking up on Evangeline's whereabouts, and accuses him of working on the one case internal affairs told him to stay away from. John accuses Hugh of being obsessed with the Manning case. Hugh denies having any personal agenda.

Natalie meets a contact from Atlantic City at Roark's Gym, where Cristian is about to participate in another match. He worries that she is putting herself in harm's way because of her desire to help John. Roark, irritated that Cris is so distracted by Natalie, calls John and tells him she is down there. John realizes what Natalie is up to, and angrily heads to the gym. When he gets there, Natalie is flirting with the man in effort to obtain information. John cuts in and the two men argue. Natalie causes enough of a disturbance to make Cristian take his eyes off his opponent, and gets punched. Natalie turns around just in time to see her ex-husband being hit repeatedly.

3/31 Cristian is taken off guard when he sees Natalie with Rocco, and he finds himself punched to the floor of the mat. Somehow, he musters his strength and continues to fight, as John pulls Rocco off of Natalie and warns him to stay the hell away from her. Natalie is upset that her lead has been interrupted, and she covers by telling John that Rocco is simply someone she used to play pool with in Atlantic City. Suddenly, Cris wins the boxing match, and John watches as Natalie screams in excitement. After the match, Cris refuses to go to the E.R. to treat his swollen wrist. However, he does cover for Natalie in front of John, pretending that Rocco was indeed an old pool buddy. John heads back to Llanview, where he pulls up Rocco's record and is not surprised to find that he has a wrap sheet.

Meanwhile, Cris and Natalie share a tender moment in the locker room. While Cris goes to change, Nat discovers that Rocco left his wallet behind. When Rocco shows up, he makes a nasty remark to Natalie, but she concocts a story about John being her parole officer! Rocco is suddenly smitten with Natalie, and wants to take her out for a drink. She flirts with him but reminds him that John is now watching her like a hawk. Rocco is upset that they can't go out, but he is grateful to Nat for finding his wallet, so he gives her the name she is seeking in the McBain homicide case. After Rocco leaves, Natalie says to herself "I'm in this now John," vowing not to turn back until she helps him find out who killed his father.

4/3 Natalie co-signs on Michael's advice to Cristian. She excuses herself from the room for a moment to make a phone call. John apologizes for what happened to Cristian saying he knows Cristian was distracted by what was going on between John and Natalie's informant. He tells Cristian that he and Natalie have talked about the dangers of her involvement in John's investigation and Natalie has agreed to back off.

Cristian wants to know if John really believes that Natalie will let this go since once she decides to do something she can't be talked down. John tells him that he doesn't believe her but that just means that he has to step up his investigation to prevent Natalie from getting in too deep. Too late for that since Natalie is in the hallway making calls, trying to find a new informant. When John confronts her she gets snippy and asks if he thinks that everything is about him. She walks away leaving him confused by her statement. John asks for Michael's help with the investigation and Michael agrees to assist him. They arrive at a bar where Dr. Snyder, the doctor who they believe operated on their father while intoxicated, frequents on a regular basis. John prepares to confront the good doctor about his role in their father’s death.

Dvd #13B 4/4 Natalie is visiting with Roxy who is doing a happy dance since she won $2500 betting on Cristian's match. Natalie doesn't share Roxy's enthusiasm and wishes instead that Cristian was still painting. Roxy tells her that when Cristian lost Natalie, he also lost his schmooze. Natalie corrects her by telling her the word is muse. Natalie and Roxy begin a discussion about how no one wants Natalie's help. Natalie fills Roxy in on her encounter with Rocco Lasardo Jr. and how John stopped her from being able to find out who shot his father. Natalie says that John won't let her help him because he is a stubborn a**.Roxy believes that Natalie's real problem is that she doesn't know which man she wants to be with and so she just keeps going back and forth between the two men in her life. Natalie counters with she just wants to be taken seriously and that she wants John to want her the way she needs to be wanted.

John and Michael are waiting in the bar for Dr. Snyder. John needs Michael there to keep him calm while Michael starts to have second thoughts about confronting Snyder. John tells him that all he has to do is follow his lead. They approach Snyder and address him as Dr. Snyder. He tells them that it has been a long time since he was called a doctor. John asks him if the last time was the night he operated on Thomas McBain while intoxicated. When Snyder wants to know who he is, John introduces himself as Thomas McBain's son.

Snyder tries to make a beeline for the door but his exit is blocked by John and Michael. John explains that his brother Michael is a doctor and they want to know how he managed, while intoxicated, to do the hardest part which was to stop the bleeding but then botch the easy part which ultimately caused their father's death. Snyder alludes to the fact that maybe he hadn't been drinking but doesn't confirm nor deny what happened that night. He does throw them a bone by telling them he regrets the decision he made that night and that there were six of them in the OR. John senses that Snyder is hiding something.

4/5 Michael and John talk about what seems like an obvious OR cover-up occurring the night their dad died after being shot. They realize that there is still something strange going on and though Michael should be involved with his wedding plans, he won't settle for John working on the cold case himself. They each decide to pursue one of the two leads; Michael will follow up on Dr. Snyder who lost it all but is still hiding something while Michael will try to find out about the teenager seen lurking around and then disappearing after their father's death was made known. Big brother John, who hardly seems capable, gives Michael advice. He thinks it wise that he help his bride-to-be and not just show up on the wedding day. They do feel it would be a big help to solve the case and make it seem like their dad was there with them. John can't believe that the couple hasn't set a date yet.

According to Rex, Natalie is a mess because of John, despite her speed to deny it. She doesn't want to hear Rex preach because he's so happy. When she mentions that she has a lead in John's case, Rex immediately recognizes the man's name and states that Vincent Jones is involved in the mob. In light of the fact that Natalie doesn't know how to pursue her lead, Rex willingly volunteers to take over. John arrives and seemingly overhears the conversation, even though brother and sister hurriedly change the subject. Rex takes off and Natalie tells John that she's just stressed between her classes and Cris' hand. He knows she can handle it, he replies, as he heads to his office.

4/7 Natalie switches her shift at the station so that she can take off for Atlantic City to help John behind his back. Rex comes through with information on the contact Vincent Jones, but the siblings squabble about Nat's hatred of Evangeline and her annoyance that Rex is endangering himself to help Todd. Eventually, Natalie calls Vincent Jones and speaks to one of his "employees," then takes off for Atlantic City.

John opens up a bit more to Dr. Crosby, telling him about his father's final moments on the stretcher as he was wheeled in to surgery. Dr. Crosby firmly tells John that he is not to blame for his father's death. He also realizes that John is scared that Natalie will get hurt trying to help him solve the case of his father's death. Dr. Crosby wants to know what it would do to John to lose Natalie.

4/10 Todd is surrounded by sharpshooters and holding a gun to his chest when John arrives at Lion's Heart per Todd's request. John wants to know why Todd requested his presence. Todd feels that John is the only one there who believes that he is innocent with the exception of Rex who Todd outs as the one who he believes turned him in. John tells Todd that he was found guilty by a court of his peers and that giving himself up is the best option. He promises Todd that he will call Evangeline so that she can meet them at the police station.

Still holding the gun on himself, Todd pleads with John to let him go so that he can prove his innocence since the justice system has failed him. He tries to play the guilt card by saying that since John won't let him go, he is condemning an innocent man to death which makes him no better than the man who killed his father. Though John is affected by Todd's words, he still tells Todd to turn himself in. Todd also blames Bo for not looking after his kids and keeping them away from Spencer as promised. After a few more rounds with John, Bo, and Hugh, Todd hands the gun to John and is immediately arrested. Rex tries to explain his involvement in concealing Todd's whereabouts but Bo, who is incensed that Rex was aiding Todd, has him arrested despite Rex's protests.

4/11 John walks by and advises Starr that she shouldn't be there alone. Starr wants to know what Todd meant when he said that Spencer framed him. John remains neutral and tells Starr that only Todd knows what he meant. She asks John if he believes that her dad is innocent but John gives an elusive answer. He tries to convince Starr to go home where. John pays Dr. Crosby a visit after his chat with Starr in the park. He talks to Crosby about the situation with Todd and how he is starting to have doubts about Todd's conviction. Crosby tells him that he needs to ask himself if he can live with knowing that an innocent man may die.

Natalie is in Atlantic City impatiently waiting to meet Vinnie the "Viper" when she runs into Roxy who is gambling her Cristian earnings away. Roxy warns Natalie about trying to get information from shady men especially for John, a man that she doesn't even want back but Natalie is determined to find out what she can about Tom McBain's death. When Natalie's informant calls to tell her that Vinnie is running late, she tells him to tell Vinnie that her time is valuable and hangs up on him.

Roxy gives her words of warning "if you're going to be swimming with the sharks, you're going to end up sleeping with the fishies." Natalie begs Roxy to leave for fear that she will ruin the meeting between Natalie and Vince but Roxy refuses to leave Natalie there alone. Vinnie finally arrives taking Natalie and Roxy by surprise. Vinnie wonders why Natalie is so interested in McBain's death. Natalie clams up but Vinnie begins to wonder is it family related, friend related, or lover related.

4/12 When Vincent demands something in return for giving Natalie information, she offers herself. He figures out that it's John she's in love with but learns he's a cop, so he is not interested in helping out. She informs him of her family wealth and they go over the known clues. He claims to know nothing more, not about the shooting nor the hospital scenario afterwards. Nat orders him to check it out but he warns her in return; he'd better not find a cop knocking at his door. At home, John lines up the known facts and posts them all.

Spencer overhears part of the conversation between Michael and John regarding Todd's possible innocence. John tells his brother there is no "we" in their dad's case. It's been covered up for 25 years and he doesn't want Michael or Natalie involved in something where the people seem too determined to hide the facts. Spencer tells Michael what a great job he's doing at the hospital. Michael asks for time off for his wedding and in the same breath wonders why he got the fellowship when there are so many more qualified individuals around. Spencer pays him some compliments regarding his talent. He says something about how there's a plan out there for all, down to the smallest detail.

Roxy is glad to see Natalie safe and sound back at the hotel. Nat volunteers that she's going to be honest with John, even if it enrages him, which is what Roxy thinks will happen. She is let into his place with clean linens and she is there when John returns home. She spots his posted notes and admits that she lied about staying out of the investigation. She asked around but didn't learn anything. She's done.

4/13 Cristian then calls Natalie and says he needs to see her. Kevin goes to Llanfair and finds Natalie studying. The two talk about feeling guilty about what happened to Jessica. Natalie arrives at Cristian's apartment and he tells her that he's made a decision.

4/14 Cristian told Natalie things are over between them. He said that even though he always thought they could pick up where they left off, that he now has to move on. "I love you, but I need to feel that back," he told her. "I loved you once," she answered. "I can't wait around for you to love me again," Cris replied. Natalie was clearly hurt as Cristian politely excused himself and went for a walk. Once she was alone, Natalie started sniffling as she worked her way through her cell phone contacts looking for someone to talk to. She considered calling John, but then decided against it.

John told Michael he had some leads on people who knew about what happened during their father's surgery the night he was shot. Later, a man walked up to John and introduced himself as Ray Bateman, Sr. "You killed my son," he said. Michael quickly defended John's actions, saying he saved his life. Bateman said that John made an orphan of a 12-year-old boy. "Ray had problems, but he deserved a chance, and my grandson deserved a chance to know his father," the guy said. "You ruined three generations of a family with one shot." After the man left, John told Michael that he left a young boy without a father just like someone did to him when he was a boy. John went up on the roof and started tossing beer bottles at the wall when Natalie came up and asked, "What the hell is going on here?"

4/17 Natalie is on the roof with John who has just thrown a beer bottle at the door moments before she walked in. She wants John to talk to her but he is not ready to open up to her or anyone else including Dr. Crosby. Once he calms down, Natalie tells John that she cares about him to which John responds maybe in a different time and different place they might have been able to stay together. He thanks Natalie for butting out of the investigation into his father’s death just as she gets a call from Vince asking her to meet him at Rodi's tomorrow. John picks up the glass from the broken beer bottle and winds up cutting his hand. Natalie grabs his hand and wraps it with a rag despite his protests that he's fine. While she is tending to his hand John brushes the hair out of her eyes with his free hand.

4/19 John tries to get information over the phone regarding the names of the surgical team present during his father's death. He yells at the woman on the phone and Natalie who just happens by, is concerned over John's behavior. She wonders what will happen if he doesn't get the information that he's after. She plays devil's advocate, creating different scenarios concerning the locating of different information but John snaps at her and says that he just wants to bring those responsible to justice. She manages to tend to his injured hand as Dr. Crosby shows up, on the pretext that he just stopped by to say hello. John is annoyed.

Nat stops the doctor in the hallway and tells him how worried she is about John; that he's going to a dangerous place and may not return. She's worried about what will happen if he doesn't get the answers that he's looking for. When Michael arrives, John points out that six people were present in the OR the night of their father's death. Michael lists the people who should have conceivably been there and it's a long list, with 6 the very minimum. Looking at the list, they realize that the name of the assisting physician has been erased. John makes another phone call but gets hung up on when he begins to yell again. Nat comes by again when she hears him knocking items off of his desk. She's afraid now of what will happen when he does find the killer.

4/20 Natalie warns John he's going to lose it all if he doesn't get his act together. Evangeline walks in on a bitter quarrel between John and Natalie. John presses Snyder for the truth about what went on in the OR the night his father died. Natalie privately vows to help John solve a mystery despite his continuing objections. John is stunned when Snyder reveals the name of the drunken intern who assisted him on that fateful night years ago.

4/21 Cristian warns Natalie not to meet with Vincent Jones, as he is a notorious gangster who is feared even by other criminals. Nat tells Cristian she doesn't need his protection, and she also insists that she's not trying to help John in order to get back together with him. Vincent comes upon the two in time to hear Cristian insult him, and he asks Vega whether he has the guts to say the words to his face. Cristian holds his own and tells Natalie that he's not leaving her alone. He lurks on the sidelines as Vincent and Natalie discuss Thomas McBain's murder.

Vincent tells Nat that he's impressed with her, and that he respects the fact that she is an heiress who had to fight to get what is hers. She tells him that his smooth talking is not working on her and that she wants to speak to the person who witnessed McBain's murder. Vincent tells her that she's going to have to hand over something significant if she wants to speak to the witness, but he doesn't say just what.

John himself has discovered that a drunken Paige was responsible for his dad's death. He breaks into her office and smashes the frame on a photograph of she and Bo. Bo comes in to the office, and John reveals that Paige is the killer. Bo refuses to believe him and insists that Snyder may have made the whole thing up. John explodes, telling Bo that Spencer has covered up Paige's crime for years and that he's going to get the truth out of Paige once and for all.

Bo comes to his girlfriend's defense and tells John that he's not going to speak to Paige while he's in this unstable frame of mind. John reminds Bo that Paige lied about Todd, and he also asks how Bo would feel if someone had murdered Asa and Bo discovered who it was. Bo agrees to go with John to talk to Spencer and Paige, but insists that they do things by the book in order to prevent Truman from getting off the hook after all this time. John and Bo barge into the office, and John reveals that they know what Paige did, and that Spencer helped her cover things up. He demands that they start talking.

4/24 Natalie meets with Vincent at Rodi's to discuss the information that he has discovered about the death of Thomas McBain. After baiting Natalie on for a bit, Vince reveals that he has an eye witness to the shooting and he would be happy to take her to him. Natalie tells Vince that it would be better if the informant spoke directly to John. Vince senses that Natalie wants to help John but she doesn't want John to know about her involvement. He tells Natalie that the informant will not speak to a cop and if she wants to find out anything then she will have to meet him herself. Natalie decides against meeting Vince's informant (for now).

Cris, who has been sitting at the bar watching Natalie and Vince, approaches her after Vince leaves to see if she found out any new information. She tells him that she didn't find out anything. They begin to argue over Natalie getting herself into a dangerous situation to save John. Natalie says that she cannot save John but Cris compares her to Evangeline since they are both willing to put their lives on the line for John and Todd respectively. Natalie is offended by Cris comparing her to Evangeline. She reminds him that she would gladly put her life on the line for anyone she cared about including Cris. Cris tells her to cross him off her list because he would never want her to go out on that much of a limb for him.

John and Bo confront Paige about her involvement in Tom's death. Paige clams up at first causing an argument between John and Bo about whether or not she is protecting Spencer. John believes that Spencer paid off Snyder to take the fall so that Spencer wouldn't be shamed by his boozy wife's actions. Paige finally blurts out that it was all her. She takes full responsibility saying she didn't even know what had happened until she sobered up. She goes on to admit that she didn't even know the man's name.

John is enraged. He tells her how Tom was a husband, a father, someone who punched a clock day in and day out, someone who fought to stay alive after taking a bullet just to have it botched by a drunken Paige. Bo tries to calm John down when he gets in Paige's face with an ominous threat. Both men demand to know from Spencer what he knew about the event. Spencer plays dumb and tells them that he didn't know anything about Paige's error. Neither John nor Bo buy that saying that Spencer was married to Paige so he had to know something. Realizing that he is not going to get the whole truth from either Paige or Spencer, John storms out of Spencer's office. John walks back into Spencer's office locking the door behind him. He gets into Spencer's face preparing for a confrontation.

4/25 John confronts Spencer with his suspicion that Spencer knows more about his father's death than he is saying but Spencer denies knowing anything more than what was revealed by Paige earlier that evening. Spencer tells John that he is obsessed with his father's death and if someone killed his father, he would be happy. John vows to find out everything he can about the identity of the shooter and Spencer's involvement. Spencer informs John that he won't find out anything and compares him to a puppy chasing its' tail (more like a dog with bone if you ask me).

A depressed Natalie shares with Roxy how she had a chance to get information about Tom McBain's shooter but she didn't do anything about it because the price was too high. Roxy encourages her to not give up and then sends for re-endorsements in the form of Rex. Natalie gets mad when she finds out that Roxy called Rex and told him what happened but her tune quickly changes when she gets the call from Clint that Tess is in labor.

Natalie bumps into John at the hospital and is shocked when John tells her that Paige is the drunken surgeon who killed his father. Natalie can't believe that Paige could have sat on this for years but John tells her how Paige didn't even know the man's name. Although he now knows what happened after his father was shot, John feels he is still no closer to learning the identity of the shooter. John leaves to go find Michael and Natalie calls Vincent to make a deal with the devil.

4/26 Nat shows up at Rodi's with Vincent and his bodyguard, ready to make a new deal to learn the identity of the shooter. He was surprised to hear from her after their last meeting, but she tells him the stakes are too high. She's too concerned about what will happen if John doesn't find out who killed his father. Not wanting to give up her body for the info after realizing what Vincent's intentions are, she tries to break the deal yet again. He knows how the search for justice goes, he whispers into her ear. John is lucky to have her and his own life may have turned out differently if someone had been there for him. He figures they were meant to meet. She follows him out to meet the informant alone.

John informs Michael on Paige's involvement in their father's death but he refuses to believe it even though John heard her confession. They're confused over Snyder taking the fall. Michael challenges John on his next move and wonders if he's going to shoot someone else now. He accuses his brother of becoming undone even as he himself is confused over his boss and mentor being a killer. The brothers argue. John suggests Michael come find him when he's ready for a reckoning.

Evangeline is confronted by Cris who is concerned about her recent threatening of a killer. She's annoyed that he's followed her and interfered. John catches the end of the conversation and tells her to stay out of the whole situation too. She's perturbed though as all roads lead back to Todd and Spencer's presumed involvement in that. Cris is worried that both women he cares about are going to take a fall for John. Evangeline retorts that she's not Natalie and never will be.

John learns that Nat met with someone at Rodi's. John calls Rodi's and heads over there to look for Natalie. He's too late as she's just left with Vincent.

4/27 John tracks Natalie, who willingly left Rodi's with Vincent Jones and his bodyguard. Vincent blindfolds her and claims they are going to meet a "friend" who knows who shot Thomas McBain. Natalie is left alone with Vincent's informant, but he is not as forthcoming as she hoped. John bursts in with his gun just after the man removed Natalie's jacket and suggested that she take off the rest of her clothing, as he is not in the habit of giving something for nothing.

Instead of being grateful, Natalie appears agitated with John for interrupting when she believed she was going to get information. John makes the man talk, and finds out that his father was shot by a 15 or 16-year-old boy, who walked in on one of his "meetings." The boy said he was there to collect money for his father, and the man assumed that the cop saw him with a gun and followed him, then got caught in the crossfire. John wants to take the man to a sketch artist to describe the teenager, but the man refuses. Natalie says she has an idea of who can do the sketch, and he isn't a cop.

4/28 Natalie asks Cris for a favor when the witness to the McBain murder agrees to let a sketch artist depict the boy he saw on that fateful night years ago.

5/1 Vincent visits Natalie at Llanfair who reminds her that she owes him for helping her gather information for John. Natalie goes to the hospital after Tess has given birth.

John finds Michael at the church and shows him the sketch of the teenager who shot their father. Michael, who is rehearsing with Marcie for their big day, wants to know what John is planning on doing when he finds the man responsible. Their discussion of John and his revenge plans is interrupted when the priest wants to do a walk through of the ceremony.

While Marcie is walking down the aisle, John is lost in his thoughts about his father and his reluctance to tell him who the kid is who shot him. The only advice that Tom will give John is to follow the evidence and to not lose the wedding rings. John is brought back to reality by Michael who begs his brother not to screw up his wedding. John and Evangeline end up sitting a few feet away from each other with John looking at the sketch of the teen shooter and Evangeline looking at the picture of Spencer's wedding featuring a teenaged David.

5/2 Michael is unable to locate John. John gives Natalie hell but she's angry at him as well for riding to her rescue as usual. He doesn't want her involved in the pursuit of his father's killer and is incensed over the type of people that she went off with. He's tired of hearing people say he's obsessed. She retorts that she's sick of saying it and is wondering if he indeed finds the killer if he can find the John she fell in love with too, because he's missing.

They argue over the kind of justice that he's looking for. They try to get through to each other. He finally yells that it's dangerous, not a game and he doesn't want to lose her. He pulls away though as usual. She reprimands him for missing Michael's bachelor party and the fact that he could get killed for seeking revenge. He is on the verge of tears but finally stalks out and she breaks down.

Outside of Ultraviolet, Spencer drops some coins into a homeless man's cup and asks that David be taken care of in Thailand. John happens to arrive when this occurs and makes mention of his surprise at Spencer giving his support. John finally puts in an appearance at his brother's party. Both Michael and Marcie make toasts. Their words of love, of brothers and of having been idiots affect John, Rex and Spencer. A storm begins to brew.

5/3 John and Evangeline discuss how Natalie won't stay out of his business regarding his father. Evangeline reminds him that Natalie has always been stubborn especially where his is concerned. She asks him if he still cares for Natalie and he tells her that he does care for her as a friend but even that's hard when she won't respect his space. Evangeline suggests that maybe the problem between them is really about them being able to define their relationship as more than just friendship. Evangeline leaves.

John goes to meet up with Michael at the church. Michael is frustrated because he hasn't been able to write his vows yet and the wedding is only a few hours away. John suggests that he use the old standby but Michael says that he agreed with Marcie that they would write their own. Before leaving to write his vows, Michael wishes John the happiness and peace that he feels the McBain men deserve.

Evangeline witnesses a kiss between Natalie and Cristian and assumes that they have gotten back together just like he wanted. Cris tells her that she has it all wrong but Evangeline tells Cris that she has enough on her plate without having to worry about his love life.

Rex goes to the station and asks Natalie if she still is frustrated with John and Cristian would she accompany him to Michael and Marcie's wedding. She agrees stating that she could sense that things were still not right between him and Adriana.

5/4 The McBain brothers had some nice bonding moments as they shared the flask of some alcoholic beverage. Spencer brought Michael a wedding present. It was somewhat awkward, though, as Michael brought up the whole Paige-being-responsible-for-his-father's-death thing. Spencer played it cool and calm. Spencer explained himself and gave Michael a hug, and at that exact moment John entered the room. John escorted Spencer out and when Spencer explained he and Michael were close and that Michael thought of him as a father figure/John made it clear that Michael already had a father. Spencer went back to the church. John gave Michael a pep talk. "Just be yourself. Michael McBain is a hell of a man and a hell of a brother." Guests began gathering at the church.

Rex, Natalie, Cristian and Adriana all got there early to exchange awkward moments with each other. Natalie cornered John in the lobby and let him know she wants him in her life. "The ball is in your court, John. So what's it going to be?" John admitted he wanted her in his life. John gave Natalie the sketch of the shooter so, as Natalie so sweetly put it, "it wouldn't be burning a hole in your pocket during Michael's wedding." Montage as Evangeline sings at the wedding. Natalie compared the photo of young David McVicar that Rex had to the drawing she had of the shooter. It was a match.

5/5 As friends and family watch Michael and Marcie's wedding ceremony, Natalie realizes that Cristian's sketch portrays none other than David Vickers. Shocked, she stands up at the most inopportune moment: just as the reverend asks if anyone has a reason why Michael and Marcie should not be married! Natalie covers for herself, but then walks over to Evangeline and drags her out of the ceremony. Evangeline is annoyed with Natalie's selfishness, but Nat lets her know that this is big business: she knows who shot John's father! Van is shocked, and she and Natalie debate whether to tell John right away. Cristian has followed them out of the ceremony and demands to know what they are discussing.

**The End**