When John arrived at the station there were no leads on Natalie, a feeling of desperation washed over him. He did love her as he would love a sister, but he was not in love with her.

Sure he was attracted to Natalie in the beginning, but that was because he had been so lonely and they shared something in common, loss. When it came down to actually intimacy, he couldn’t commit. Natalie wanted more, but John wasn’t ready for a relationship. Natalie being newly widowed, she made it clear she wanted more than the physical.

When he met Evangeline they were on the same page. She was on her toes and she challenged him and she agreed to no strings. That was perfect for him at the time.

John remembered that first kiss at the Palace bar. He asked her to share the spontaneous thing she had done, and he teased her. "You’ve never done a spontaneous thing in your life." Well, she won that argument. That kiss left him curious about what else she did well, although he had not intentions of finding out. Then the Mary Barne’s basement happened, they both agreed it was a one-time thing that would never happen again. They fought their attraction for weeks, and then it did happened again.

They had confessed the second time they had sex that they didn’t see it coming. Didn’t see this thing between them, feelings neither was ready to admit to. They knew it was more than casual, but each had to play it cool. Now they are married with twins on the way. John could not believe how his life had changed and he did not feel he deserved any of it, but he knew he couldn’t live without it. Not now, not ever.

Evangeline dreamed about the fire, that John did not get to her in time and she started feeling the fire burn as Natalie stood their laughing at her saying, I told you John loved me.

Evangeline woke up with blood curdling screams, Michael was ready to check on her before his shift ended. As he approached her room he heard the scream. He ran into her room and saw her sitting up screaming. She didn’t see or hear him.

All Evangeline saw was Natalie and John watching her burn.

Michael called her but she didn’t hear him, she stopped screaming just as suddenly as she had started and laid back down eyes closed.

Mike picked up the hospital phone and called John.

"McBain"

"John you need to get over here now!" and slammed the phone down.

John ran out his office, he would call Bo from the car.

When he arrived he found Evangeline sleeping peacefully. Mike was waiting outside Evangeline’s room.

"Mike why did you call me, I told you to call when she woke up."

"Man, she woke up screaming blood curdling screams. I called her and she couldn’t hear me, she didn’t even see me."

John looked confused. "What?"

"I didn’t know what to think. I think you need to stay with her tonight."

Then it happened again while standing outside her room talking. Evangeline sat up in bed screaming, this time she said NO! No! no! John and Mike ran into the room and she didn’t see them or hear them. Then she fell back against the pillows asleep again.

John turned to Michael, "What the hell was that?"

"I don’t know man, she is definitely dreaming, it must be about the fire."

Then they heard Evangeline sobbing. She was crying in her sleep. "John loves me, he had to rescue you first you would have died. No, he doesn’t love you. He loves me. He loves our babies.

Stop it Natalie, stop laughing at me, John help me. I’m burning" Then Evangeline started thrashing around in the bed and sat up again screaming, John help me, help me, then she was quiet again.

John looked at Mike with tears rolling down his face. Mike took him outside Evangeline’s room.

"Oh God, Mike. What have I done to her? Why do I keep hurting her?"

John this is not your fault. Please fight the urge to go into guilt mode.

John wiped the tears from his eyes and went to Evangeline, and laid down in the bed next to her. John held her in his arms. She started sobbing again; this time John whispered comforting words of love in her ear. I’m here. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere. The words comforted her and she snuggled closer to John and slept peaceful until the next morning.

Evangeline woke up and felt John’s arms around her and smiled. She opened her eyes and John was still asleep. She slid up a little tilting her head back to see his lips. She found them and kissed John. Before she could move away he responded by kissing her back, savoring each and every second.

John broke off the kiss and asked her, "Evangeline what did you dream about last night?"

"John I slept soundly, I feel refreshed."

"Do you remember what happened to you a day ago?"’

"We got married, I received my Woman of the Year Award", but why am I in the hospital, are the twins all right? John is something wrong with them?"

"Evangeline, what do you remember exactly?"

"I told you. What am I supposed to remember? Why am I in the hospital, John? Are the babies all right? Evangeline said, now starting to get upset. Her breathing changed, she started to panic, when John did not answer her right away.

John heard the change in the breathing and knew she was starting to panic. "Evangeline the babies are fine. Calm down. Let me find Michael and he will tell you everything is fine. O.K.?"

"O.K. John", she said calmer.

John had to find an excuse to tell Michael everything that just happened. How could Evangeline not remember what happened to her? John found a nurse and asked her to find Dr. McBain.