John & Natalie #17 February 8, 2007 - April 22, 2008: 8 hour original edit

Dvd #17A 2/8 John and Nat take pleasure in the previous night and early morning spent together. Nat wonders if it's enough now for them to spend the rest of their life together. She points out the special evening that John had planned before his accident. He believes that things will have to get better with them first; they must have no secrets or lies between each other. There's hope though, he says, or he wouldn't have allowed them to get back together.

He emphasizes why he was at the hospital the night of the murder and also answers Nat's question about protecting someone. He would never cover up. She would do anything to protect someone she loves, she stresses. They're different in that way.

Several of Llanview's citizens receive a phone call at the same time from a dead Spencer. They are each told to go alone to the Palace Hotel and a room number is given. They are curious and nervous, and tell their loved ones to wait behind. As they arrive and congregate in the hotel room, they wonder what could be going on. They learn that Spencer has paid for the room well in advance. When there's a knock at the door, John answers with his gun drawn. It's an attorney, Jim Mulligan, who enters with a DVD, for all to see. He inserts the dvd and Spencer begins to speak to them.

Nat is all for honesty. She took evidence from the death scene. "What have I done?" she laments.

2/9 Everyone watched Spencer on TV with varying amounts of interest. He promised them he'd be having the last laugh. Spencer left his eternal hate and contempt to the Buchanans. Spencer confirmed that he had fooled Marty and thanked her for keeping him out of jail. He gave her a copy of her framed diploma. He left Evangeline the statue of justice. He gave Dorian a mirror, "so you can stare at the only person who actually loves you."

Spencer taunted Todd with the news that he knows where Todd Jr. is, and left him the blanket he wrapped Todd's son in. He added that a present was being delivered to Todd Jr. Michael looked pained. Michael said he was going to the hospital (he was really heading home) as Paige entered the suite. Spencer accused Blair of using his love as a weapon against him. He returned his engagement ring to her, which Blair begrudgingly took. He had nothing to say to Paige, but reminded her that she had been drunk while operating on Thomas McBain, and left her a bottle of cheap champagne.

Spencer urged Michael and John to work together to find Spencer's killer. He added that he'd watched their father bleed to death. He left John "a challenge. To find my killer and make the bastard pay." Spencer announced that he had left all his money to "pure unadulterated goodness." On another video we saw the horribly disfigured face of Miles. The people in the hotel suite didn't know what to make of this reveal.

2/12 Natalie confides in Vincent about her argument and not quite make up session with John. Vincent wonders why Natalie believes that John killed Spencer. Natalie tells him that she doesn't anymore now that she and John have talked about it but it doesn't change what she did to protect him. Vincent calls John a fool if he gets angry at something Natalie did to protect the man she loves. John walks up and Vincent covers with a story about Valentine's day. John doesn't believe him and tells Natalie that it's time for them to go home where they can discuss the day's events.

2/13 Antonio was pleased to see John back on the force and helped him decorate his office. John looked at Spencer's autopsy report and noted that Miles is yet another suspect. Natalie tried to tell John how she'd doctored the crime scene, but kept getting interrupted. Rex then arrived and told John to drop the Truman case, but John was determined to solve the murder.

In a montage set to Bebo Norman's "Nothing Without You," we saw Jamie and the gang celebrating, Dorian looking in at the party and Adriana gesturing that she enter with her, Evangeline comforting a distraught Todd, John looking over forensic photos. "Someone tampered with the evidence," John said out loud as the screen faded to black.

2/14 It's bedtime in Llanview and Natalie is reading a story before going to bed. In Natalie's story, she is an archaeologist on an expedition with Rex and Roxy. Rex reads the hieroglyphics on the wall of the room and determines that the treasure must not be disturbed. Roxy doesn't care and tries on some of the crowns and jewelry.

Rex continues to translate the hieroglyphics, which say that the most powerful king in history is buried in that room. His wife, who was murdered by a man that looks a lot like Vincent, is buried in the other sarcophagus. The king's heart was broken when his wife was murdered, so when he died, he had his heart cut out and put in his wife's tomb. If his heart is returned to him, the king will come back to life and reunite with his wife. Natalie and Rex decide to open the wife's sarcophagus. Once they open it, the mummy of the wife pops up suddenly.

Natalie finds the pharaoh's heart and put it in the hole in the king's sarcophagus. At first, Roxy thinks that the whole thing is a sham, but then the sarcophagus opens and the king, John, appears. John is angry to be woken, but when he sees Natalie, he's awestruck. Natalie is a dead ringer for his wife. John gets confused, but wants to love Natalie. She loves him back and they kiss. Rex thinks that this is the epitome of a "meet cute."

While Natalie and John are together, Rex and Roxy start to take some of the treasure. John then says that only one thing can separate him and Natalie. He says that no piece of treasure can be removed from the room, otherwise everyone there is doomed. John and Natalie leave while Rex and Roxy unload the treasure. Rex gives Roxy a piggyback ride out of the room, while she unknowingly wears a pair of earrings from the room outside. Natalie thinks that the story she read could be prophetic and that her relationship with John could be doomed. Jessica looks out the window sadly after reading her story, feeling how it connects to her own life.

2/15 Nat realizes that something is bugging John on the case; at the same time he's beginning to believe that someone has taken some evidence. He requests that a couple of the crime scene photos be blown up. Vincent appears at the station to see Natalie and notes how nervous she appears to be when she knocks over some hot chocolate he's brought her. She did something terrible and will lose John if he finds out, she admits. Vincent immediately thinks that she was cheating on John which irritates Natalie as being so typical of a man's thoughts. John was acting crazy and she was only watching out for him, trying to help him to get better, she continues.

John observes the two talking and figures it's about the arson case. He meets Lt. Johnson, head of CSU, who hands him the new pictures. It's the end for me, Natalie tells Vincent. She would be her boss in forensics and she already thinks that Nat is pulling strings due to Bo. John takes Johnson into his office and tells her he has one question. He wants to know all personnel who were in the room with the murder victim. John learns that Nat showed up in the hospital room (Johnson assuming it was a tip from Bo), mentioned she felt sick at the blood and bent over the body. No one told her to get close to the body; she was just there.

After Johnson leaves, John mutters that he knows for a fact that Natalie doesn't get sick at such sights. Miles shows up and demands to know the progress in the case. John wonders where the man himself was. In the hospital, he replies. He wasn't released until the next day. Nat takes Vincent's advice to talk to John. He immediately accuses her of tampering with evidence and wonders if he should have her locked up.

2/16 John confronted Natalie about doctoring the crime scene. She explained that she was doing it to protect him. He reminded her that what she did was criminal and was hurt that she'd suspected he was Spencer's killer. He was also furious that she compromised the case. Still, he didn't intend to arrest her and planned to let Bo decide what to do with her. McBain wasn't sure what this meant for their relationship.

2/20 John and Natalie brainstorm about who would have left fibers behind from John's scarf at the crime scene. John asks Natalie if she murdered Spencer? An appalled Natalie tells him that she didn't do it even though she wishes she could have. John believes her but as they continue trying to figure out who would set John up, John has a memory of Michael borrowing his scarf before Spencer was murdered. He leaves Natalie behind and goes to visit Michael who begs him to stop looking into Spencer's murder before he finds out something that he wished he hadn't.

2/21 John asks Michael if he knows who killed Spencer. Michael tells him that he'll be sorry when he finds out who is the murderer. John wants to know what that means. Michael refuses to answer any more questions, but John wants Michael to come clean. Michael says that whoever killed Spencer did the world a favor. John agrees, but he still wants to find the person before anyone else does. Mike knows John is only doing this to honor their father's memory, but he says that their father is wrong and John should just let the case go. John wants to know why Michael is so determined not to answer any questions? Mike spills that he knows who killed Spencer.

John demands to know who the murderer is? Mike hedges a bit, asking John if he really wants to know that badly. He tries to convince John that he should just leave it alone because the killer is most likely someone they know. John asks again who the killer is, and Michael says that he doesn't know specifically. John is getting frustrated by Mike's lack of answers and all the generic theories that he's come up with so far. Mike tells John that if he really loves him, John will let the case go.

John tells Michael that the evidence is pointing towards Mike and asks him point blank if he killed Spencer. Michael is shocked that John could think he's capable of murder, and again asks John to let go of the case because pursuing it could ruin the lives of people they care about. John asks one more time what Michael is hiding, but Mike refuses to say anymore. John warns him that he should be safe and that he can't let the case go. John heads to Capricorn to get a beer and tries not to think about the fact that Michael may have killed Spencer.

2/22 Michael meets with Natalie and tries to encourage her to get John to drop the murder investigation. He confuses Nat when he says that Spencer will ruin a whole new generation. She asks if he's referring to Tommy. No, he quickly covers up. It's just that his family has suffered enough. Nat is pretty sure that she can't stop John, even when Michael blurts out that he won't like the ending.

John is right, Natalie just enjoys controlling, he says angrily. She is pretty angry in return and notes that she and John are not doing very well and she'll lose him if she pushes on this. He apologizes but is pretty sure that John will be destroyed when he learns the identity of the killer. John already has a suspect in mind, she informs him. He wonders who. She finally consents to speak with John.

A visit to Dr. Crosby is called for but John learns that the doc is on a leave of absence. Marty is taking his place and urges him to talk to her in confidence. He grudgingly admits that he thinks he knows Spencer's murderer and it's his own brother. He doesn't really believe it but the little evidence that he has points to Michael. He thinks he did it for him. He feels that after a smart Michael left home on a scholarship, he felt as though he were abandoning John and is making it up to him.

Marty notes that John has an exaggerated feeling of responsibility for both his brother and the law. What will he do? Cole pays his mom a visit and refuses her offer to see a movie together; he suggests that she hang out with adults for a change and go to this thing called a club. She reluctantly agrees to go to the concert at Capricorn, provided he behave. Once she leaves, he makes a quick call to Starr, who is babysitting.

2/23 Natalie told John she knows he thinks that Michael killed Spencer. John didn't want to discuss it. Natalie and John argued, and she stormed out. John called Bo. He wanted to talk to him about Truman's murder.

2/26 John confides in Bo his fear that the person who killed Truman is someone who is very close to John. Bo reminds John that he should use the same protocols with this person as he would to someone who he wasn't close to. Bo tells John that if he betrays the badge then things will never be the same. John struggles with his decision to bring in his suspect for questioning especially since the suspect is his brother. Ultimately he makes the decision to bring Michael in and shows up at his brother's door as he and Marcie are getting Tommy ready for bed.

2/27 Vincent found Natalie on the rooftop and immediately told her she looked beautiful. "I look like hell," responded Nat. "Not to me," he said, and tried to explain that she has the wrong idea about him, that he's "just a regular guy." Nat admitted that she told John what she'd been keeping from him and that it could cost her John and her job; Vincent said he wouldn't lose any sleep if she and John called it quits. Tiring of his smooth talking, she tried to walk away, but he grabbed her arm and asked what it would take to prove that he genuinely cares about her well-being.

Layla showed up on the rooftop and interrupted John and Nat's convo to tell them about Michael. After Natalie left, Layla snarked that it was a nice night for stealing another man's girlfriend.

At the station, John demanded to hear the truth about Truman's murder. Michael argued that the situation isn't simple and that it's not just about Truman, it's about protecting his family. John failed to get answers out of his bro and accused him of lying. A fiery Michael pleaded with John to close the case, especially if he cares about his nephew, Tommy. John threatened that Mike's "talking in riddles" is just going to put him behind bars.

John wasn't pleased to see Rex, Adriana and Marcie at the police station, but he told Marcie he doesn't want to believe that Michael would kill anyone. John flashed back to previous cryptic conversations with Rex and Michael at the P.D. and decided to put them a room together and watch the sparks fly. Instead, they frustrated him by speaking "pig Latin." Rex accused him of being paranoid and maintained that he doesn't know anything about Spencer's murder.

2/28 John continues to question Michael and Rex and gets nowhere, as Marcie and Adriana wait. Rex asks, hypothetically, what would happen to a person who knew something? That person would want guarantees, he continues. John thinks they're in it together and he and Michael argue; Michael figures that John is just angry that he wasn't the one to kill Spencer. John loses his temper and decides to have Michael locked up. He questions Rex on his willingness to cover for Michael and tells him that all deals are off the table.

John's had enough and he decides to lock Rex up as well. They try to tell him that he needs to look the other way on a couple of things but he just wants them to work with him. Michael has nothing to say. John tells Nat that the ball is in their court. Maybe she was right to cover up when she thought that he was the murderer. Marcie gives John a piece of her mind and wonders if he really thinks that Michael committed this act. Spencer took John's father and now he'll take his brother. He will lose his family and he's got to make it right.

Nat comforts him. Michael tells Rex that the most important thing is that they need to protect Tommy and that he's safe with Marcie. Maybe they're better off without me, he mutters; if I'm out of the picture. What are you saying? Rex asks. Maybe it's time I confess, Michael says.

3/1 Bo is a little upset when he arrives at the police department because he heard nothing about the fire at Capricorn and that John is holding Rex and Mike for questioning before he came into the office. Bo wants John to come to him before doing anything and he wants some answers. Otherwise John will get reassigned to a different case. John somewhat reluctantly tells Bo about the evidence that points to Mike being the murderer and that Rex may be covering for Mike.

John thinks that Mike and Rex are hiding something and is very suspicious, but he has his doubts that Mike could be capable of killing someone. Bo can't figure out why Rex would protect Mike. John speculates that Tommy may be a connection. Bo doesn't want to send Mike to prison if Mike actually killed Spencer. He tells John that they could easily think up a story that Mike was protecting Blair so Nora would give Mike a good plea bargain. John is relieved to hear this, but is still hopeful that he'll be able to find some evidence to clear Mike and Rex. Bo tells John to do what he has to do, but to keep Bo informed on his progress.

John enters his office to find Marty leaving a note for him. She tells him that Miles was there to talk about the Truman murder case. Marty offers to lend an ear to John, even though he doesn't want to talk about it. She tries to needle some information out of him, but he doesn't give her many answers. He tells Marty that he locked up Mike because Mike didn't give good answers to the questions he asked. He assures her that he'll get what he needs, though.

She wonders if it will be worth it if he has to arrest the only family he has left. John says that it's his duty to find whoever killed Spencer because no one has the right to play judge and jury. Marty asks John if he's willing to punish his brother for something that he was ready to do himself. Before she leaves, Marty gives John one more piece of advice. She tells him that he should follow his instincts to find out what Mike is hiding. After she leaves, John takes out the crime scene photos to study them some more.

3/2 Natalie was having lunch with Viki. Natalie admitted to her mother that she's not having the best of days because John accused her of committing murder and threw her brother in jail. Natalie confided her troubles with John to her mother, who suggested that John may not be capable of change. Suddenly, the waiter brought over a white-chocolate cheesecake from Vincent. Natalie asked why Viki assumed Clint sent over the dessert.

John pointed out to Donna that there's someone in the hallway in the crime-scene shots and that it looks like he or she is trying to hide. John requested the hospital surveillance tapes so he could see who entered and left the hospital the night of Spencer's murder. In the meantime, he and Donna looked at enlarged prints of the photos and noticed that the person was wearing hospital scrubs. "I have a good idea who it is," John said.

Back in his office, John made a call to Agent Bill Roberts and said he needed a favor. Finally, the surveillance tapes came in and John sat down to watch them. Dramatic music conveyed that he saw something. John received a call from Bill and wrote down some info. When he hung up, he sighed, "I'm glad it wasn't you Mike," then pointed at the TV screen and said, "I got you."

3/5 Natalie talks to Miles about her sordid past with Mitch Laurence while he waits for information on Spencer's murder from John. Miles tells her that he is happy that she was able to get away safely. Natalie reminds Miles that she almost died because of Mitch and that she did not get away totally unscathed. Miles confides in Natalie that he was an outcast in the Laurence family since he was as ugly on the outside as they were on the inside.

John takes Dorian to jail and then takes a picture of her on his cell phone. When Dorian pleads with John that she did not kill Spencer, John ominously states that he did not say that she did. John finds Natalie and calls her into his office. He tells her that he is going out of town for a little while on business. He doesn't tell her what the business is but says that it has nothing to do with their personal relationship. Natalie asks him to think about their relationship and if he wants to see it continue the way it has been because she knows she doesn't want it to.

3/6 A furious Natalie throws money at Marty while she accuses her of being the reason Natalie and John have been so distant. Marty asks her questions to get at the root of her accusations but the answers Natalie gives leads Marty to believe that Natalie is just being paranoid. Natalie wonders how Marty manages to make any money with her whack diagnosis of patients. Marty accuses both Natalie and John of being unable to communicate.

After a few more minutes of Natalie's tirade, Marty tells Natalie that if she wants to work on her relationship with John then she needs to talk to John. Natalie storms out and Marty heads out to relax and have a glass of wine but discovers that the only money she has is the $5 that Natalie threw at her. Miles buys her a drink while they commiserate over their rough day.

Natalie heads back to the station and runs into Vincent who wonders how she is doing. As they are talking her phone rings but Natalie refuses to answer John's call telling Vincent that if it is important then John will leave a message which he does. Vincent tries to convince Natalie that she is the most important person in her life and that she should think about what makes her happy for a chance since she deserves it.

John thinks about his relationship with Natalie while en route to his mysterious destination. He thinks about the good times and the bad times that they have had recently and listens to Natalie's message telling him that everything is going to be okay. John leaves Natalie a message telling her not to do anything crazy while he is gone and that they will talk when he gets home. After arriving in sunny California, he finds a very toned and tanned David Vickers and tells him that he has proof that he murdered his brother.

3/7 On the tropical island, John accuses David of killing Spencer. David is surprised by this, and John is surprised that David isn't surprised by all the goings on in Llanview. He then asks David what he's been up to? David details how he got to this particular piece of paradise via bus to Miami and stowing away on a discount cruise. He also had a relationship with a Cantonese runway model with a titanium hip, but she accused him of being a gold digger. He was upset by this and took the rest of her money and booked a first class ticket to this island. He's been very comfortable there, saying that the locals have accepted him and given him the nickname "Blanco Stupido."

After this long story, John tells David that he has proof that David killed Spencer. John takes out the picture of the hospital lobby, which shows David entering the hospital wearing scrubs. John also checked with immigration and found out that David arrived in Llanview before the murder occurred and left Llanview two hours after the murder. David then admits he killed Spencer.

John is surprised that David would confess, but David explains that there are no extradition laws for that island. David also tells John that he should be thankful that David killed Spencer so John wouldn't have to. David scoffs when John wants to take him back to Llanview. John then shows David a picture of Dorian in jail and tells David that Dorian is the prime suspect. David agrees to go back to Llanview with John once he finishes his Piña Colada.

Natalie goes to Bo's office to make a confession, which surprises Bo, because he doesn't know what she'd have to confess about. She tells him that she took evidence from the Truman murder crime scene. He angrily asks her why she'd do that. She tells him that she found evidence that would have incriminated John in the murder. Bo wants to know what evidence she took. Nat tells him that she took a couple fibers that looked like they belonged to John's scarf. She explains that she instinctively protected John because she doesn't want to lose him again.

He then tells her that the fibers could still be relevant, but she says that she got rid of them. Bo is very disappointed in Natalie and even more disappointed that John helped her cover it up. Nat asks him if he's going to arrest her. He tells her he won't, but that she's no longer in the forensics program. He says she can also keep her desk job, but if the murder goes unsolved, he'll have no choice but to arrest both Nat and John and they'll both face criminal charges.

3/8 Nat dreams of her and John having a great reunion but is awakened suddenly when there's a knock at the door. It's Vincent, who wants to make sure she's okay, since she wasn't at work. She admits that she made a confession, has lost her position in the forensics class and may lose her job and more. Vincent thinks she's gotten a raw deal and knows for sure that she's more than just a desk job; that if she did something wrong it was for all the right reasons. Nat talks about her stilted relationship with John but feels uncomfortable. It's also possible that John may lose his job on account of her and though they were getting back on track, he will be angry when he learns what she did, confessing to Bo.

Vincent admits that he would like to start over himself because he has a lot to prove. He also confesses that Nat isn't the spoiled brat he thought she'd be, while she admits to his not being as creepy as she thought. She's thankful for the pep talk. He reassures her that she'll be fine and as she gives him a hug, John returns. Vincent makes a hasty retreat as John tells him he has a gun. "I do too," Vincent says. "What'd I miss?" John wonders.

3/9 John reminded Natalie that she's a big girl, so he wasn't going to comment on her spending time with Vincent. Then he said he thought David killed Spencer. After John and Natalie made love, Natalie told John that Bo knows about her tampering with the murder site and he's aware that John knew about it. John blew up at her. "I can't believe you did this again!" he yelled. They had a very nasty argument. Natalie suspected that Bo will fire her eventually. She added that Vincent also knows about this (sort of). "That scum," John exploded.

3/12 Michael and John patched things up, and John asked Michael not to tell Mom about locking his little brother up. John said he knew Michael wasn't guilty of murder but that he was guilty of something else. Michael refused to tell him but said if it got out, Spencer Truman would get the last laugh.

John went to see Bo, who asked why he hadn't been made aware of the fact that Natalie had tampered with the evidence in Spencer's murder and why he shouldn't hire a new chief of detectives. John explained his attempt to solve Spencer's murder his own way and said he could prove to Bo that he could be trusted if he just reopened the case. John questioned how the fibers from his scarf had gotten on Spencer, claiming it was a definite possibility that David was not the murderer even though there was evidence against him.

3/13 At the police station, John accused Marty of going soft on criminals, saying Spencer wouldn't have even been a free man or gotten killed if she hadn't testified that he was insane. Marty asked John what he'd do, since his father's killer had been caught. He reminded her that they were in his office, not hers, so they started throwing darts.

When Marty mentioned Natalie and how she had gotten in Marty's face at Marty's own office, John reminded her again that it wasn't a therapy session. "Just don't let another killer go free," he instructed. She said she hoped they could put the past behind them. Only if she stopped using the word "snarky," he said, and he agreed to her peace offering of breakfast.

At Rodi's, Miles continued to share depressing stories of growing up in a hospital. He and Natalie discussed all the firsts he still had to experience, and he admitted to getting drunk and kissing Marty. Natalie strongly encouraged him to ask Marty to the winter festival, just as Marty and John walked in. An awkward breakfast ensued. Miles asked John if he could speak with David, and Jessica piped in to remind Miles that he had something to ask Marty. A call from the D.A.'s office pulled John away, and Natalie followed.

3/20 At the LPD, Bo generously offered to let Natalie keep her desk job, but she missed CSI and John. Nora then burst in asking Bo for a gun so she could murder her insurance agent. She was having trouble proving arson had felled her house. In the squad room, John and Nat ruefully admitted they were avoiding each other, and John asked her out to dinner. Nora vented her frustrations to Bo as Talia came in with a break on Capricorn's fire that pointed to...Vincent. Bo told Talia to bring Vince in. Then, the call came in about the hold-up at Foxy Roxy's and John and Natalie rushed out.

Later, Vincent strolled in and told Talia someone had stolen his shoes out of his gym locker but he couldn't prove it. Instead of helping him with his shoe-napping problem, she said he was now her prime suspect. Natalie eavesdropped on the Q&A and then jumped to Vince's defense. Still at Foxy Roxy's, the brothers McBain were hashing things out and Michael wondered if John was dumping Nat at dinner. He called his brother a "royal pain in the ass" and told him, "Natalie deserves the best possible, John." John was appalled by the Dr. Phil routine, but took it to heart when Michael said, "Let her go before you really hurt the poor girl."

3/21 Michael and John are talking at Foxy Roxy's. Mike tells John that he has to make up his mind about Natalie. John admits that he doesn't know what he wants. He says that he's crazy about Natalie, but he doesn't know if they can be together. Michael tells John not to get Natalie's hopes up about their relationship unless he's really committed to it, and Mike can see that he's not.

They continue talking, and John admits that he comes with a lot of baggage. On the night of the accident, though, he knew he loved Nat, and he felt happy for the first time since Caitlin. However, the night of the accident changed both John and Natalie. Natalie's now so afraid to lose John that she doesn't live her life. Mike wonders if John's version of happiness means that John has to be alone.

Mike wants to know why John can't make a decision regarding Natalie. John explains that he doesn't want someone to protect and hover over him. Mike says that Natalie just thought she was helping out, and that she loves John a lot. John loves her, too, but he doesn't know if they can live together. Mike tells John that he can't just throw it all away. John agrees, but he needs to make a decision. Mike wants to know what it is, but John says that when he makes the decision Natalie is going to be the first to know.

At the police department, Natalie defends Vincent, while Talia tells Natalie to back off. Nat refuses to abandon Vincent. Talia asks Natalie what authority she has in the arson case. Natalie counters, asking if Talia is going to charge Vincent for any crimes. Talia says she isn't at the moment, and Nat declares the discussion over. Talia tells Vincent not to leave town, and leaves the police department.

Vincent is impressed by Natalie's passion in defending him. Nat asks Vincent what he's going to do about the potential charges. Vincent isn't worried, especially with Natalie vouching for him. Nat wonders if she's taking over Vincent's life, but he tells her not to worry. He thinks it's sweet that Natalie defended him because he has very few people in his corner. He takes her hand, just as John walks in.

DVD #17B 3/21/07 John wants to know what's going on. Natalie explains that Talia was giving Vincent some trouble and she put a stop to it. John asks Nat to dinner at the Palace. She tells Vincent that she's leaving, and Vincent thanks her again for being on his side. Mike and Marcie leave Roxy to look at the mugshots. John and Natalie leave soon after. Before Vincent leaves, he offers his condolences to Roxy. Later on, Roxy identifies the people that robbed her store.

Natalie and John run into Viki when they get to the Palace. Nat asks Viki if she's okay with seeing Clint and Dorian together. Viki assures Natalie that she's fine. Natalie tells Viki that they'll talk later. Nat and John go to find a table. Natalie then asks John if he has something to say to her?

3/22 Nat expects to hear bad news from John. He admits that he can't avoid the relationship talk but they have to figure out what's next. He'll even ignore any calls from the PD. She asks if he's breaking up with her? He doesn't want to lose her, he confides. He does receive a call that Roxy has identified her robbers and he authorizes a warrant.

Unfortunately at the same time, those same robbers shatter a table, drawing all the patrons attention. They announce that they want everyone's cash and jewelry, and if anyone tries to be a hero that person will be a dead hero, while holding them at gunpoint.

John is forced to empty his pockets and sets the engagement ring on the table. He's not carrying his gun. Miles purposely drops his watch as he goes to put it in the man's bag. Bending down, he jumps the man instead and creates some chaos. John enters the fray and manages to jump the second man. As they wrestle with the gun it goes off. Blair has just entered the restaurant and is shot!

3/23 Blair fainted in Dorian's arms. Blair regained consciousness and Dorian explained what had happened. Viki put pressure on the wound while Dorian asked Marty for some help. Blair screamed, "No. Over my dead body." Dorian and Blair went to the hospital. John walked around and got everyone's statement. Marty thanked John for saving the day. Natalie told John he was the hero, "once again."

The police found the ring that John had in his pocket, the engagement ring. Natalie smiled from afar. John looked a tad uncomfortable. Michael called John with news that Blair was fine. Michael asked how the conversation with Natalie had gone, John said he hadn't gotten to it before the burglars hit. Natalie interrupted and accepted his marriage proposal. There was only one problem: John hadn't proposed yet.

3/26 John tried to get Natalie to listen to him, but he faltered and couldn't get a word in edgewise. She said she didn't want their engagement to be part of some holdup and that they could wait. Before he could stop her, she ran off to tell her mom the good news.

At Llanfair, Viki was thrilled. Natalie told her that while John planned to propose, she took a rain check because of the Palace robbery. Although Viki was happy for Natalie, she couldn't help but show her sadness over Clint, who suddenly showed up. He congratulated Natalie on her news, and she excused herself from the room.

John showed up at the hospital to tell his brother that Natalie thinks they're getting engaged. John explained that he was taking the ring to the office to lock it up in his safe, and that's why he had it with him at dinner. Michael advised John to rectify the situation stat or everyone in Llanview will think John and Natalie are planning a wedding.

3/28 Bo goes into John's office and offers him congratulations. John is confused about what he's being congratulated for. Bo clarifies that it's for John stopping the robbery at the Palace. He then wonders what John thought he was talking about. Bo realizes John is distracted, and tells John to work it out. Before Bo can leave, John tells Bo that Natalie thinks that John was going to propose to her, but says that he hadn't planned on that at all. John explains that he was going to put the ring in the safe at work, but forgot about it.

Unfortunately, Natalie saw the ring when the robbers were trying to loot the Palace. Bo asks John how he plans on fixing this. John tells Bo that he can't come up with a good solution. Bo wonders if there is any way that John and Natalie could make things work. John insists that despite Natalie's protests, they both aren't ready for marriage. Bo simply tells John to be straight with Natalie, and John thanks Bo for his advice.

Bo runs into Natalie outside of John's office and notices how happy she is. He gives her a hug and tells her that if she needs anything, he'll be in his office. Natalie enters John's office and gives him a big hug. Before John can tell her anything, she asks him how her fiancé to be is doing. They kiss. John stops her from doing anything else so he can tell her something. He tells Natalie that he loves her, but he wasn't going to propose to her.

3/29 Thinking that she heard incorrectly, Nat hears from John that she didn't. He had no intentions of proposing to her at the Palace that night. He is uncomfortable when she asks if he means just that night or at all? Flustered, he explains that he is just not seeing marriage in the cards with the way things have been between them. He does love her, he says. She can live without the paper then, she quickly states. He still looks ill at ease which prompts her to ask if he wants to spend the rest of his life with her. Still no answer from John. She asks, what about tomorrow?

When John still doesn't reply, Natalie realizes that he was going to break up with her. He had plenty of time to think in the hospital and wanted to explain who he is and who he'll always be. He wants to go somewhere else to talk. She tells him that she doesn’t need long speeches. She just wants him to answer her question, is he breaking up with her?

A frantic Marty, finding Cole's letter dashes into John's office, interrupting the conversation between him and Natalie. Natalie is not happy at all, but Marty quickly fills John in, telling him that they have to find the kids before Todd finds out. He asks Natalie if they can talk later. Marty feels that she made a mistake by wanting to send Cole to military school and she's embarrassed when she's unable to answer questions about Cole's daily habits and things that he likes to do.

John sends out an alert, for all patrols to keep their eyes open. He learns that Starr's jacket was found at the train station but that no young kids have bought any tickets. On a hunch, he sends a patrol to the bus station. The kids are spotted but the cops are busy with another problem. He decides to go himself, with Marty insisting on riding along. She apologizes for interrupting his obviously serious conversation with Nat. Natalie makes a phone call and tells someone she needs to meet. She then locates Todd and informs him on the actions of Starr and Cole. He has his own way to deal with it, he says, jumping up and leaving.

3/30 Vincent found Natalie crying on the pier. Natalie admitted to Vincent that she was beginning to trust him, despite his "gangsta-cool" façade. As he pried into what was bothering her, she held her gaze elsewhere until she finally cried out that it was over between her and John, recalling the disappointing moment when John admitted the truth to her about his intentions.

Vincent asked what kind of game John was playing and said he would never do something like that to a woman. She revealed that she dropped the bomb about Starr and Cole to Todd so that he'd go nuts and upset Marty, who had just taken John away from her in a crucial moment. She assured Vincent that she was fine so that he would leave her alone.

John and Marty drove off in search of Starr and Cole before Todd could get to them. A lot of screaming ensued as Marty caught Todd strangling her son and John pulled Todd off of Cole, who looked understandably shaken. A security guard showed up and John tried to quiet down the warring families. Todd admitted to planning a GPS tracking device in Starr's purse, to her great disbelief, and told Starr that she was grounded until her teeth fall out. John dragged the Manning/Thornhart gang back to the station.

Meanwhile, Natalie sobbed on the pier and came face to face with John.

4/2 John found a teary Natalie by the docks. John yelled at her for giving Todd the heads-up about Starr and Cole. "Getting married is not going to solve any of our problems," he yelled.

"Is this relationship dead in the water?" Natalie countered. John said he didn't like the fact that Natalie always seemed to know what was best for him and, worse, acted on it. Both John and Natalie agreed that though they loved each other, "that isn't enough," sobbed Natalie.

"Maybe we're too much alike," she added. John said they had been friends before. "My best friend," Natalie wept. Natalie went home, packed her bags, and started to leave, but John stopped her, and they began to have breakup sex.

4/3 Sex or no sex, John and Natalie broke up anyway. Roxy interrupted the bittersweet parting and immediately sucker-punched John when she realized they had broken up. John and Natalie explained the reasons for the split. Natalie went home and told Viki, "John and I are over," and broke down in her mother's arms.

4/4 John was punching a bag at the gym as a guy walked by, reminding him that there were others that wanted to use it. John turned to yell at the guy but found Michael standing behind him instead. He told Michael that he and Natalie had broken up, and Natalie had initiated it. Michael was curious if their breakup would result in them remaining friendly. John didn't think that would happen.

John asked Michael if Michael thought their parents would still be together if their dad hadn't died. Michael was sure they would but warned John not to compare their parents to his relationship with Natalie. Michael remembered their mom telling him that she and their dad would talk all the time, even if they'd only been apart for a short time.

Michael said that Cole reminded him of John and told John to not overextend himself, even if he thought he was keeping his cool. He then asked John if John was sure he had done the right thing with Natalie. John was convinced that he had done the right thing because he and Natalie had been fighting so much. John compared his situation with Cole and Starr's, and he thought Cole had done the wrong thing for the right reasons. Michael understood, and they headed off to the locker room.

At Llanfair, Viki comforted Natalie over her breakup with John after Natalie told Viki that she had initiated the breakup. Viki said it would take time for Natalie to get over their breakup. She told Natalie that she and Clint wouldn't be getting back together. They comforted each other. Natalie told Viki that she'd thought everything would be okay between her and John because John had told her he loved her.

She then explained how she'd jumped to the wrong conclusion about the ring John had been carrying. Natalie wondered aloud if she and John would be married already if he had never been in the accident. Viki said Natalie couldn't change the past and that she should just be concerned with taking care of herself. Viki said Natalie could stay at Llanfair as long as she needed, and they could keep each other occupied. Natalie asked that they not get too busy because she enjoyed the peace and quiet.

4/10 At the gym, Natalie ran into Marty, who was quick to apologize for interrupting her conversation with John the other day. Natalie said it didn't matter, they're broken up.

4/11 Viki and Natalie are preparing to go to the courthouse. Natalie is worried about Viki having a headache, and about Viki's reaction to seeing Clint at the courthouse. Viki assures Nat that she's handling things well, and that she's not going to change her life just to avoid Clint. She asks Natalie if she'd quit her job to avoid seeing John. Nat admits that she's considered it because she dreads the next time she has to see him. Viki comforts Natalie, and tells her that this may be for the best. Natalie can now focus on remembering who she is. Natalie then comforts Viki. She says that she thinks Clint is making a huge mistake and that he's an idiot.

4/12 John keeps looking around for Natalie, explaining that they always hung out at Rodi's and he's expecting to see her walk in. Marty spies the darts and challenges John to a friendly game. They head for the back door when they leave, just as Natalie arrives through the front, hoping to find Jess. She's just missed John, she hears from the bartender. He left with a lady and went out the back. She can probably catch him.

4/13 Natalie went to ask yet another Rodi's bartender, Billy, about who left with John.

4/16 John and Natalie had an awkward run-in at Rodi's. Natalie admitted being jealous of the time John was spending with Marty. John assured her it would take him a long time to get over Nat and start being with someone else. Asa interrupted and misunderstood the proximity of Natalie and John. Natalie said that no one was getting married and explained that the celebration Asa had been invited to was Jamie's adoption party. That, of course, was canceled, but no one remembered to let Asa know. John and Natalie continued their uneasy conversation and agreed it would be hard to see the other out on a date.

4/25 Natalie is getting stuff from her locker when John comes into the locker room from the shower. They have an awkward conversation. Natalie then says that there's only one way to deal with the tension. John asks what her plan is, and she responds that she's going to stop living in the past. Natalie takes the picture of her and John down from her locker, and they both reminisce a bit about their past. Natalie puts a stop to it and tells John that she'll see him around. After she exits the locker room, John takes out a picture of her from his wallet and stares at it longingly.

4/26 Nat breaks some news to Bo; she's quitting her job and promises she won't ask to have it back. Yes, part of it is John, she responds in answer to his question. But she just can't see herself shuffling papers for the rest of her life though she has no idea of what she might do instead. They will miss each other.

4/27 John pointed out that it was kind of a coincidence that Natalie quit right after their awkward moment in the locker room. She said it had more to do with her and her future, like getting involved in Buchanan Enterprises. John said he thought she was making a big mistake by putting herself Asa's thumb, but she said she was actually excited about working for her grandfather. "As long as you're happy," he told her. "That's all I've ever wanted for you."

5/11 Natalie sits on the swings in the park, talking to Antonio’s daughter about her own dreams of having a dark haired blue eyed baby. John is walking through the park when he notices Natalie. runs into Natalie in the park.

5/14 John runs into Nat and Bree in the park. After talking about Jess, Nat apologizes for being hard on him during his recovery. He understands; he was a jerk, John responds. She admits that she loved him and she still does. She doesn't want to. Surprisingly, John says he knows the feeling well. A part of her always will love him, she says. Him too, he admits. They play with the baby and John shares that everyone at the station misses her.

At Rodi's, Nat and Miles chat about different things. Miles insists that Marty is just a friend, until she walks in with John. It's obvious that he really still cares about her. John isn't feeling the love, as he tells Marty that he just doesn't trust the guy. He gets a call and goes off and Nat decides that she wants to spice things up. She pulls Miles into a kiss for Marty's sake, just as John returns.

5/15 John confronts Natalie about kissing Miles. He asks if she is trying to make him jealous? They are soon arguing before John rejoins Marty. Miles tells Natalie that he realizes that Marty didn't feel jealous when she saw Natalie kissing him.

6/28 At Rodi's, John warns Miles that his marriage is over and he knows everything. As he animatedly and loudly speaks, Nat comes over to tell him to lay off. He shouldn't be speaking to Miles like that in public. Plus, John has a crush on Marty, Nat tells Miles snidely. Miles actually defends John, and after Nat walks off, Miles is asked if he's blackmailing her too.

John acknowledges to Miles' surprise that yes, he knows of the blackmail and mentions the tape. Miles steadfastly sticks to his tale of love and how it was Marty's idea to get married. Miles wants to know if Marty will be arrested. Nat again comes by to find out what's going on but she's not successful.

7/17 John comes by later after having been to the hospital to give David back his ankle bracelet and tell him he'll still be bait to catch Spencer's murderer. He and Natalie talk about Marty and Miles and he tells her she doesn't know the whole story behind it and that she should stay away from Miles.

7/18 John and Natalie arrive at the LPD. She tells him about Jessica's wedding. John asks who else was there, and is annoyed when Natalie tells him Miles. She says Miles is not a bad person, to which John responds, "He's much, much worse." Natalie asks why Miles is so bad. John says it's because he was Truman's little buddy.

Natalie says that lots of people were friendly with Spencer. She can tell John is leaving something out and asks what it is? Then she changes her mind and says that trying to read his mind is an old, bad habit. But Natalie says, she treats friends pretty much the same as other relationships: she's going to have John's back no matter what, and she hopes one day he'll get that. He says he's starting to and he's glad they're not fighting any more.

Cole and Marty arrive at the station and see John, who says Marty can wait in his office. She tells him she's there to see Bo. Marty tells Bo she has a confession to make, as John & Natalie stand in the doorway behind her.

7/19 Marty wants to make a confession to Bo as Miles shows up. Quickly, she announces that she killed Spencer and that Miles has been holding Todd. Miles is adamant that this information is not true but Marty says he's lying, and he's blackmailed her all along. Bo asks how? She informs him that she killed Spencer Truman, as John stares at her concerned.

John takes Marty into another room; he just can't believe she spilled everything and she should have come to him. He's been trying to fill in the blanks for her and he's angry. She feels she no longer had a choice for herself and Cole and she wants closure and healing for them.

Bo questions Marty, verifying that John only just heard everything himself and suggesting John be careful wording his own questions, having just heard this confession for the first time. He asks why she's admitting the crime now and Marty stresses her need to protect her son from more lies and pretending. She won't tell them how she learned about Miles holding Todd. John states that he doesn't believe that Marty killed Spencer.

Nat doesn’t understand what is going on and really hopes that Miles didn’t really blackmail Marty, and hopes for Cole’s sake that Marty didn’t murder Spencer. She heads home from the police station and as she sits down to try to work, she can't help but daydream about John and her in happier times.

8/1 Nora and John arrive at the room where Miles is being held. John opens the door and is unhappy to find Natalie in the room with Miles. John tears into Louis the rookie police officer for letting Natalie in, then rips into Miles because Miles hasn't written his confession. John tells him they're due in court. Miles thanks Natalie for her support and she tells him she'll be in court, right by his side. John rolls his eyes and looks around in disbelief that Natalie would do this.’

8/2 Miles pleads not guilty, which causes Todd to shout out in anger. The judge demands quiet as Nora relates all of Miles' unlawful activities. His own lawyer denies he's a flight risk. Cole requests an opportunity to speak and he relates what happened with his mom being blackmailed and his finding Miles in the storage area with Todd. He too becomes angry and yells that he wants the man behind bars for the rest of his life. Bail is set at $500,000, a "piece of cake" for Miles, and his passport must be surrendered.

Nat reassures Miles and John wants to know why she's behaving as she is. They're all there because she ripped up Miles' confession, he charges. Miles has no one behind him and she can relate to that, she explains. He's not had any breaks. John thinks she's just trying to get back at him, though she retorts that not everything is about him. He wishes her luck in her "new crusade."

8/30 Michael & John are saying goodbye as John acknowledges that he knows John is a man who plays by the rules and he appreciates what he has done for him and Tommy (Tommy is actually Todd’s son). An anxious Natalie arrives in John’s office. She happily tells John that Miles has been trying to do the right thing. She doesn't know anything herself but Miles has told Blair that Todd's son is alive and in Llanview and she's probably on her way to tell Todd right now! John wants to know if Natalie knows who has the boy, and she says no but Miles does.

8/31 Natalie tells John that Miles has given Blair information that Todd's son is alive and well in Llanview. John questions Natalie about how much she knows and where Blair is. Natalie tells John that she has no knowledge of who the child is but she is sure Blair is giving Todd the information this very moment. Natalie notices that John is obviously upset by this and wants to know why. John tells her that he is concerned because this child will soon be taken from parents who love him; he is afraid that Todd will rip the child from the parent's arms.

Marty and Cole interrupt John and Natalie's conversation. Marty and Cole want to thank John for his help. John excuses himself and leaves to locate Blair.

9/14 As Natalie and Miles round a corner on the docks, they spot John and Marty sharing a kiss. Natalie and Miles solemnly watch. After realizing that they have been observed, Marty walks away as Natalie approaches John. Natalie wants to know how Michael and Marcie are doing; John is very cold and this angers Natalie.

A sadden Miles tells Marty that he wishes her the best and walks away. Natalie quips at Marty about being rude to Miles and then runs after him. Before leaving, Natalie takes a painful look back at John and Marty. Marty apologizes for placing John in a bad situation by impulsively kissing him. John tells her there is no need for her to apologize because she has done nothing wrong.

9/26-9/27 Natalie practices the pool shot she missed in the game with Jared, and John arrives to watch. They talk about Lindsay's arraignment, then the conversation turns to Michael, Marcie, and Tommy's custody case. Natalie asks John how long he's known about Tommy's paternity, and doesn't let him get away with it when he sidesteps the question. John says he owes Natalie an apology. Natalie is shocked. John admits he withheld information to protect his brother, same as she withheld information to protect John.

They talk about why they broke up. John says he gets it now. Natalie brings up John's kissing Marty. John admits he'd be upset if he saw Natalie kissing another guy. She asks if he's together with Marty and he declines to discuss it. John asks Natalie why she keeps practicing the same shot. She tells him that now she has to work with a jerk, and asks John to run a background check on the guy. Then she reconsiders (probably remembering that such a request would be illegal, ha), and John says that since his badge is in Bo's desk anyway, John can do what he wants. Natalie can't believe John got suspended again, then says maybe it's a good thing, like a forced vacation. John asks if Natalie wants to shoot some pool.

12/11 When John calls with the news that Miles is barely clinging to life, Natalie races to the hospital.

12/12 Natalie arrives and asks John who shot Miles. He tells her it was an accident. She asks him directly if he shot Miles. John tries to deny it. Miles' doctor shows up and tells them that Miles pulled through with a collapsed lung. John gets a call from Michael. Natalie asks John again why all of a sudden Miles is so important to John, but again, he says nothing. He tells her to take care of herself and heads to the police station.

12/13 The three lawmen arrive at the hospital. Nat apologizes for accusing John of the shooting but he surprises her by saying she was right all along. A shocked Starr overhears. Nat thinks John is lying and tells him so when the other men go into Miles' room. He's protecting someone, isn't he? she asks. What would his motive have been? She doesn't buy it for a minute, even if it's to vindicate all of the awful things that Miles did. He and Marty must have really been in love. A heavily sedated Miles awakens as Bo questions him, but he doesn’t answer as he and John stare at each other intently through the window.

12/14 As they stand outside of Miles' hospital room, an unconvinced Natalie questions John about his claim to have shot Miles. Roxy barges into the room and asks Miles who did this to him. Roxy refuses to leave the room; John enters and tells Bo he tried to stop Roxy. Ramsey suggests this was just an attempt for him to listen to Miles' statement. Ramsey tells John to leave the room but Miles wants to talk to John. Miles asks John how is Cole. John tells Miles he hasn't seen Cole in awhile and has no idea. Ramsey informs Miles that Cole shot him. John rebukes Ramsey and leaves the room.

As John approaches Roxy & Natalie, Roxy slaps John for hurting Miles and walks away in anger. Natalie apologizes to John but remains unconvinced that John is the one who shot Miles; she tells him the story does not make sense. John tells Natalie that he is to blame for Marty's death and he is trying to do what is right. Natalie asks him is he confessing because he is trying to make things right.

Miles tells Bo and Ramsey he doesn't remember who shot him. Ramsey tells John that all they have is John's confession so he insists that John is arrested. Bo and Ramsey approach John as Natalie listens on; Bo wants a statement from John. John tells Bo that he and Ramsey were on the docks discussing what happened in Ireland. John says Ramsey advised him to lie about the fact that he didn't follow procedure when he shot at the tires on the van, causing the accident that led to Marty's demise.

John tells Bo that he refused to go along with Ramsey's story and he (Ramsey) pulled out a gun. As John attempted to fight Ramsey over the gun, Miles approached as the gun went off and was accidentally shot. Ramsey denies John's charges and demands that Bo arrest John; Bo refuses and Ramsey storms off. John thanks Bo. Bo tells John not to thank him and says that his story does not add up.

The Buchanans gather as it is revealed that Jared is a Buchanan.

12/17 Outside of the Buchanan Mansion, Jared has pulled Natalie into an embrace and begun passionately kissing her. Angrily, Natalie pulls away from him and screams for him to stay away from her. After hearing the DNA results, Natalie believes he is some sort of freak for kissing her. As she continues to tell him to stay away from her, he refuses to leave her alone until she hears what he has to say.

Jared begins telling Natalie about the connection they shared. Natalie says the connection existed because they were related and tells him to get over it as she pulls away from him. As Jared grabs her arm, Nash appears and warns him to leave Natalie alone. Jared informs Nash that his conversation with Natalie is none of his business. With the encouragement of his wife, Nash is adamant that he has made it his business. Jess chimes in that she will beat the crap out of Jared herself!

Natalie sits alone and begins drinking her sorrows away as music montage plays. As Natalie continues to drink, John arrives at Capricorn. Both are unaware of the others presence. Natalie has had several shots and John has just begun. Natalie observes him sitting at the bar and joins him. As John pours Natalie a drink, she asks him if he is okay. He sadly replies no. Natalie states that neither is she. Both continue to drink and final scene is of their hands holding their shot glasses lined up together.

12/18 John wakes up to find a sleeping Natalie beside him. She wants to discuss it but of course John never wants to have those personal conversations. She suggests that they both got drunk and they agree it wasn't planned. They then both admit that they remember the entire evening, complete with flashbacks! They also admit that they really weren't that drunk at all. Nat recalls telling John the sequence of events that led up to her drinking, but he was unable to talk about Marty.

She has no regrets, they were each alone and in a funny place, but it won't happen again. She also believes that John is protecting someone and didn't shoot Miles. She admits to getting over John easily enough but Jared is part of the family and she will see him. The whole episode is rather disgusting and "illegal in almost every state," John teases. He wants her to call him if the situation becomes too uncomfortable but no one can help him, he admits. He needed her last night and was glad she was there. They share an embrace.

12/26 Natalie shows up at John's door with leftovers from the Buchanan’s Christmas dinner. It's a peace offering, she says, because she did something stupid and she wants him to forgive her. She says she should have come to him for help with Jared. They are interrupted by a knock at the door. It's Jared. He spots Natalie inside the door, and tells John he's got one hell of a nerve for working the situation. Jared comes right in and Natalie tells him this is none of his business. John reminds him that uncles that get too familiar with their nieces end up in jail, or worse. Jared threatens John, telling him not to take advantage of Natalie again, and John gets right back in his face. Natalie steps in and tries to make Jared back off.

John can't stay out of it for long. Jared mouths off about Marty dying and John jumping into bed with Natalie right away and John hauls off and slugs him. Natalie tells Jared to leave it alone, and Jared slams out in a huff. Natalie apologizes to John. He wants to know why she told Jared they slept together. He asks if she's trying to convince, Jared or herself. Natalie is almost offended and says the idea of Jared is just gross. Natalie and John wish each other Merry Christmas and she leaves.

2/28/08 Antonio and John asked to see Jess and Natalie, separately, at Buchanan Enterprises. Natalie asked why he wants to talk to her? He heard she had a personal relationship with her and asks an uneasy Natalie when she had last seen Allison.

2/29 John revealed to Natalie that he was aware of her part in Allison's escape from St. Ann's. When Natalie refused to admit guilt, John demanded the truth from her. Meanwhile, the sketches of the culprits came across the fax in the very next room. The sketches were of two women dressed in nun's attire. The composites were an exact likeness of both Jessica and Natalie.

John continued to confront Natalie about Allison's escape. When Natalie adamantly denied any wrongdoing, John became enraged. As John shouted at Natalie to stop her lies, Jared entered the room. Jared demanded that John end his interrogation of Natalie, and questioned how he could treat someone he claimed to have once loved, in such a manner. John showed no fear and told Jared to mind his business. When Jared threatened to throw John out of the office, Natalie calmed him down and explained that John would never hurt her. Natalie supplied him with the information Clint needed, and convinced an angry Jared to leave them alone.

While Nash watched, Jared used his computer skills to totally change the appearances of the two women in the sketches. When he finished, the caricatures, looked nothing like Jessica or Natalie. Jared convinced Nash to go along with his plan.

John offered to help Natalie, but she refused his help. John promised to run interference for Natalie, if she told him the truth. Antonio received a call advising him that the sketches were faxed. Antonio was upset that he wasn't notified sooner, and walked toward the fax machine. Jessica nervously followed. Antonio encountered an empty fax and wondered what happened to the sketches. Jessica offered to help, but Antonio stated he could recover the sketch in the machine's memory.

As John continued to plead with Natalie, Antonio and Jessica entered the room. As John and Antonio privately looked over the sketches, Jessica and Natalie were panic-stricken. Jessica stated this would never hold up in court. John surmised that he hopes it does as he hands the sketches to the ladies, the sketches look nothing like them. Jessica and Natalie were stunned and relieved. After the guys leave, they laugh about the nun’s eyesight. Natalie and Jessica declared that as long as Allison remained unconscious, they could never be implicated.

3/6 Later, at Capricorn, Natalie ran into Jared there but abandoned him when John showed up, looking like he had walked into a door. He told her it was someone's fist and she moved quickly to help him. A forlorn Jared left.

3/17 When he learned that Natalie had taped the entire conversation between Renee and Nigel, Jared was alarmed. After realizing that Natalie had inadvertently taped his "private" conversation with Nigel, Jared nearly panicked. Natalie told Jared she was compiling a report based on her findings in the taped recording; she was still in the process of listening to the entire tape.

In an attempt to prevent Natalie from hearing his conversation with Nigel on the tape, Jared told Natalie that a particular job required her immediate attention. While Natalie took care of the assignment, Jared planned to alter the tape somehow. Nigel expressed concern when Jared informed him that Natalie recorded the conversation.

Jared arrived at BAE and listened to the tape in Natalie’s office as she left for a meeting. Jared quickly began to erase parts of Gigi's report-the section containing his conversation with Nigel. As Jared attempted to delete the actual tape, Natalie entered the office and demanded to know what Jared was doing there. Jared gave Natalie an excuse, but Natalie insisted that he leave and allow her to finish the report alone.

A few moments later, Natalie placed a call to someone and stated, "How fast can you get down here? I just found something that could affect the whole family."

After rushing into Natalie's office, Jared was startled to find John there. As John looked on, Natalie informed Jared, "You should know up-front why John is here. I feel this is a matter for the police."

3/18 At Buchanan Enterprises, Jared was surprised to see John there with Natalie. Believing that his deception had been uncovered, Jared deflated and became resigned to his apparent fate. He said he was surprised she called John first before speaking to him. Natalie said that what had happened at BE was fraud and needed to be handled immediately. Jared said he understood, and urged her not to blame Nigel for his part in things. But Natalie and John were confused, and Natalie asked what Jared was talking about.

The somber tone shifted as Natalie urged Jared to lighten up, and said that she didn't blame him or Nigel. Beginning to realize that he had not been found out, Jared started tailoring his remarks to match Natalie's, bluffing his way through conversation. Natalie said that none of them could have known that Harris York, Asa's former associate, was skimming from BE. Jared played along, saying he wished he'd picked up on the connection himself. Natalie insisted that Jared not make the crisis his fault, and assured him that John was on the case, a remark that put Jared ill-at-ease. Jared thanked John for his help with the BE crisis and quickly left Natalie's office.

Once they were alone, a suspicious John told Natalie that Jared seemed anxious. Natalie said that Jared was just trying really hard to impress everyone at the office. John asked Natalie how she was doing with the Jared issue, and Natalie said that she had accepted things as they were, and was just glad it didn't go too far. John sensed something else was bothering Jared, but shrugged it off. "Just looking out for you, I guess," he said wistfully. "Old habits die hard." Natalie said she appreciated his friendship and his help. They agreed to meet for beer and pool sometime soon, and John left her office.

4/16 Natalie receives phone call from a friend at the PD. As Jared and Jess listened in, it became clear that Natalie was learning about Talia and John's rendezvous at the motel the night before and Antonio's untimely arrival. After Natalie ended the call with her friend at the police station, she started to share the details of the conversation with Jess. Jared wasn't interested in listening to Natalie gossip about her ex so he quickly changed the subject.

A few minutes later, Jess dashed off, wanting to be there to welcome Nash home. Once Jared was alone with Natalie, he didn't waste any time revisiting the subject of John. He was curious what Natalie intended to do next. Natalie realized that Jared was jealous.

John headed over to B.E. to see Natalie. Natalie's concern for John was evident from the moment he stepped into her office. As Natalie and John talked, their deep friendship and affection evident in every softly spoken word and touch, neither realized that Jared was standing just outside the door taking everything in and looking none too pleased about any of it.

4/17 Natalie was disbelieving when she learned that John was found in bed with Talia. He didn't want to discuss details with her, but instead, leaned in for a kiss. A very tense and spying Jared interrupted and attempted to hasten John out, citing business that he and Nat had to discuss.

"Uncle Jared is real protective," John voiced sarcastically. Nat insisted that she and John be left alone so that she could ask him about the almost kiss. John merely called it a mistake, though she quickly told him, "You suck at lying." He answered that it wasn't about her and that he would explain someday.

Jared wanted to know if Natalie wanted to get back together with John. She had some snide comments for him, wondering if he wanted her with him? She tells him that it was too late, what with him pretending to be a Buchanan to go after their money. He hastily denied being in it for the money. She angrily informed him that he knew nothing of her relationship with John. He thought that maybe there would be someone else in her future.

4/21 Natalie and Miles entered the club and witnessed John and Talia's display of affection. Concerned for Natalie's feelings, Miles suggested they go elsewhere. When Natalie told Miles she wanted to stay, Miles commented on how soon John got over Marty. Sensing Miles was troubled, Natalie began reminding him of the new life he had started in Llanview. Appearing to have a lot on his mind, Miles told Natalie that he might be happy somewhere else.

Rex and Adriana entered the club and joined them. Moments later, Jared and Gigi arrived. As Natalie glared at Jared and Adriana "shot daggers" in Gigi's direction, tension filled the air. Natalie approached Jared and Gigi. After telling Gigi she had no problem with her, Natalie asked to speak with Jared alone. When Natalie suggested that Jared brought Gigi to the club hoping to make Natalie jealous, Jared teased Natalie about what a great catch Miles was.

Meanwhile, Talia and John embraced and flirted with one another. As Jared teased Natalie about John's latest conquest, an angered Cris told Antonio he couldn't watch any longer and punched John. Talia screamed as John fell to the floor.

4/22 An all-out melee broke out at Capricorn between John and Cristian after Cristian swung the first punch. As the two men grappled with each other, Talia and Eddie pleaded with them to stop, while the rest of the evening's clubbers looked on, stunned. Antonio was strangely silent as Blair rushed over and begged him to break the fight up, but he stood by and did nothing.

Watching the scuffle, Jared turned to Natalie and cracked, "They used to fight over you like that?" Rex rushed over to try to intervene between the two gladiators. The fight in the club raged on, with patrons being pushed back and forth as John and Cristian tumbled over tables and chairs. Eddie scrambled over to a corner to call Commissioner Ramsey at the penthouse, explaining the out of control situation. Upon hearing that Cristian started it, Ramsey ordered Eddie to bring him in for assaulting an officer.

Eddie hung up, ready to comply, but as he advanced on Cristian and John, Cris was shoved backwards, and his lunge at John spun around to clock Eddie in the face, sending him crashing to the ground! As Eddie began to pick himself up, wiping at his bloodied mouth, he told Cristian that he was under arrest.

As Miles, Natalie, and Jared watched the fallout of the brawl, Jessica rushed in to stand beside them, shocked at the scene that was unfolding. She explained that she had been dropping by with more winery revisions for Cristian, and was stunned to hear he was headed to jail.

Miles and Natalie were still at Capricorn sitting at a lonely table. Miles could tell that, despite her denials, Natalie's feathers were ruffled by the conflict between John and Cristian. Natalie insisted that it wasn't so much that she was upset as confused. She explained to Miles that John did not like "public displays of affection." She'd barely been able to get him to hold hands with her in public when they were together, let alone dance or make out as he'd done with Talia that evening-especially in front of Antonio.

She said it was like this unfamiliar version of John who was some kind of "pod person," leading Miles to jokingly conclude that John had been "snatched and replaced." He asked if she still had a hard time seeing John with another woman? Natalie reminded Miles that their break-up was some time ago, and that John had been with Marty since, and was still recovering from her loss.

As John and Blair went back into the club, Talia returned from the LPD with an update on Cristian's status. Talia looked over John's bruises, but before they could get a moment alone, Natalie walked up, still wanting answers for what was causing John's strange behavior of late.

Talia angrily told Natalie that it wasn't John's fault and they had a right to go where they pleased. Natalie retreated to Miles's side, and again prevailed upon him not to leave Llanview, ”You're my only sane friend left!" With that, the two friends headed out for the night.