~Evangeline~

Eva lay in her bed. It had been several days since John had found Natalie. They were living together. Eva had to pick up the pieces of her life alone. She had sent her mom back home and Layla was staying with Adrianna.

The bed smelled like John. Her entire apartment smelled of his cologne and leather, she missed him all over again. She missed his arms around her holding her and making everything better just by being there. Tears streamed down her face as she looked at the photo of them at Nora's wedding. They were so happy. Everything was so new and simple. They did not have the red head whore between them. She had tried to ruin every romantic date by continuously “dropping by” his apartment in Angel’s Square or calling about “police business”.

Her mother always said “God don’t like ugly” and Eva had acted ugly that night. Things quickly changed for her and John after Oily faked her first kidnapping. Even with the truth laid out in front of him John could not assuage his guilt over lying about Christian. Oily took advantage. She called at all hours of the night and day begging him to help her. She was so afraid. Eva finally had enough of the red heads whining and John’s remorse. He was going to get over it or get out. It took three months but she finally found the courage and ended the relationship.

Then the night of the Woman of the Year banquet came. She had been wondering if he missed her or if he was happy being the pale ones hero. It did not matter. She was so empty now. She could not sleep without thinking about that chloroform clothe over her face and the man who dragged her out of the hotel. She felt his hands on her as he lifted her into the car. She cringed when she remembered his touch. She could still see the cold blue eyes behind the black ski mask.

"Stop it, Evangeline." She sat up in bed and paced back and forth. "Lock the doors and windows."

She went around her small condo rechecking the doors and latching the windows.

"O.K., o.k." She sighed as she curled up on the couch hugging her knees to her chest. "You're o.k. You’re safe."

~Later~

Evangeline woke with a start when she heard the pounding on her door. She must have dozed off. She rushed to the door and looked out the peep hole. John.

"Evangeline!" He called through the door. "Are you alright? Open the door."

Eva opened the purple door and was startled to see the building supervisor, Mr. Lake, behind John.

"What...what's wrong?" She asked pulling her robe around her body. She looked from one to the other in confusion. "Why are you here?"

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Williamson but with all of the ruckus and after what happened I was concerned." Evangeline looked at the balding elderly man. "The banging and the screaming?"

Evangeline turned and looked in the condo and was surprised to several lamps had been knocked over. She gave him a calming smile.

"I'm sorry, I've been having night terrors. My doctor said they would subside soon. Thank you for checking in on me, Mr. Lake."

"Oh, it's alright young lady. I know it must be hard on you. I will check on you in the morning." He gave her a little wave and thanked John before shuffling down the cream colored hall.

"You can leave now." Her voice hardened and her eyes narrowed when she turned to John. He still looked amazing dressed in his dark jeans and white cotton shirt. His dark hair teased the collar of his black leather jacket.

"Look, I just wanted to know that you were alright." He reached up to move a strand of hair from her face. She slapped his hand away and pushed at his firm chest.

"Who do you think you are, John McBain?" Her voice became hard and shrill. "You made your choice. Go back home to your red headed whore." She slammed the door and locked it. Her heart was pounding. Her body was shook. She slid to the floor as the tears fell from her eyes. "It's o.k...You'll be o.k." She whispered to herself.

~John~

He looked at the door stunned. She went from being sweet and loving to the old man to vicious to him in a matter of seconds. She had been short tempered with him since they broke up, but he guessed that was to be expected.

He placed his hand on the door. He didn't know what he was hoping for, maybe to feel her essence through the door. This is ridiculous, he thought. The heartbroken Detective ran his hand through his hair as he walked to the elevators.

~Morning~

Her body ached. She looked around at her trashed condo. She could not stay here anymore. There were too many memories of the kidnapping and him. Her lease was almost finished; she would find a new place; somewhere safe for her to start over.

Eva pulled herself off of the floor and forced her body into the bathroom. She turned the shower on and let it run until it was scolding hot. Despite the heated water, she shook. She could never get warm. She sat under the water and broke down. She cried until the water turned cold. She slowly dragged herself out of the shower onto the cold stone floor. Eva crawled naked to the bedroom and collapsed on the floor. She was exhausted. She just wanted to sleep forever. Sleep and forget the past few weeks.

~A month later~

John sat at his desk looking over his latest case file. Natalie was still at his place "recuperating". She still refused to return to work. She claimed she was still afraid. He wished he had the nerve to kick her out. He was tired of her thin dyed hair all over the place. She shed worse than a dog, but he could not shake his guilt.

He knew Eva was right he should get therapy, but that would be admitting defeat and John McBain was not a quitter.

John put the file back in the drawer and allowed himself think about Evangeline. It had been more than a month since he had found her tied to that post. She was so helpless. Her giant brown eyes pleaded with him to save her, but Natalie was unconscious he thought she was dead. He made the worst mistake of his life. He saved the wrong woman. He wished every day that he could take it back. It should not matter. Eva was an incredibly strong woman. She should be getting better instead; she was deteriorating. She had stopped seeing her clients and was passing her cases along to other attorney's. She barely kept in contact with Nora, Layla or her mom. She moved without telling anyone. Her new place was like a fortress. He could not get in to see her without a warrant or so the security team had told him. Hell, even Nora could not enter the gated community. Todd, who had given Evangeline a large sum of money for saving his life, could not even bribe his way into the Condo complex. It was hopeless.

Bo wanted the K.C.K. case wrapped up today. John could not do that without Evangeline's statement. Nora had to issue a subpoena for her testimony. Eva had not fought it and was due at the police station within the hour. Nora arrived a few minutes earlier and was in Bo's office.

"Hey John," Natalie wrapped her arms around his waist. "I knocked but you didn't answer."

"So you just came in Nat?" He pulled away from her and walked around his desk. For all her new found money, she smelled like cheap cologne. "Why are you here?"

"I know Evangeline is coming in today and I thought you needed some support."

"Support for what Natalie?" They turned, surprised to see Evangeline standing in John's office door. "Support for breaking my heart or was it the kicking me while I was down?"

John froze shocked by her appearance. Her hair was in a pony tail but it was dull and lifeless. She was gaunt and looked as if she had not eaten in weeks. The red designer jogging suit hung from her frame. Her eyes were wild and she was wringing her hands almost compulsively.

"Wow, you look like crap." Natalie said smugly.

Evangeline turned to her with narrow eyes. "Are you still breathing?"

"Nat, go tell Nora and Bo that Evangeline is here." John gave her a slight push towards the side office door. He wanted as much distance between the two of them as possible.

"Vange, how are you?" He asked as he slowly inched towards her. She was pacing the office like a caged animal. He was careful not to startle her. "I tried to come and see you but they wouldn't let me through the gate."

She stopped moving for a moment and laughed. It sounded cold and hallow to him.

"Then I guess it was worth the money I paid for it." She rested her head against the door frame. John noticed most of the action outside his office had stopped and she was now the center of attention. He walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She swung around and pushed against his chest, furious that he would touch her.

"Don't you touch me!" She screamed at him. "You don't get to be my hero." She walked around him like a lion stalking its prey. "The apology was great. I'm glad you could remember all the "good times" we had. Oh, wait they weren't so good for me."

"Vange we had some great times. It didn't end the way I thought it would and I'm sorry for that." He pulled his hand through his hair.

"Sorry?" She laughed. "Wow, you're sorry? Well, were you sorry when you were fucking me but thinking about your whore? Were you sorry when you repeatedly put my life in danger? Ya, you're sorry. You're a sorry piece of shit that took everything from me."

John felt sick to his stomach. She was losing it and the whole station was watching. He reached around her and tried to close the door but Evangeline panicked thinking he was trying to hold her. She pushed against John's embrace.

"You think what we had was so great? Since we have been together, you have repeatedly left alone while you went to save Natalie, kidnapped… twice, and drugged. I watched my friend die for a crime he didn't commit. Then be resuscitated by the man who framed him. Christian is alive and you covered it up." She paced back and forth through the crowed office rubbing her hands together as if she could not get warm. "All the while you are fucking the woman who kept putting herself between us. Do you know what she did? After I risked everything to protect her. Do you know what you’re precious, cowardly, Natalie did?"

John held his breathe unable to move or look away from her.

"She sat in that basement and watched while they raped me!" She screamed the accusation so loud it brought Nora and Bo running out of his office. Natalie pushed her way into John's office. Grabbing his hand she pleaded with him.

"It's not like she said John. There were two of them. What was I going to do? What if they raped me?" She pulled his face so he looked at her. "Would you still want me if they had hurt me? Evangeline is strong you keep saying so. She can handle anything."

John was in shock and Evangeline was furious. She grabbed Natalie by the hair and forced her around the desk.

"You? You? Everything is about you. You needed John. You needed me to protect you. You sat in that corner while they raped me repeatedly. You ignored my screams and my begging you to help me." Tears tumbled from Eva’s eyes.

"It's not my fault." Natalie whimpered. "I didn't do it. I couldn't help you."

"No, but you could help yourself to John. You could help yourself to my life. What's next Natalie are you going to help yourself to my baby?" She heard the gasp from the door and realized what she had done. She turned around and saw Nora looking at her in shock. Her hands covered her mouth and tears streamed down her face.

Her face, Evangeline saw the pity etched in it. She was not going to be pitied. No one was going to feel sorry for her. Evangeline grabbed her purse and pushed out of the station house to her car. She was gasping for air by the time she got to her condo. What had she done? Dear God, what had she done? She laid her head against the steering wheel and cried.

~John~

"Please, John, listen to me." Nat pulled on his arm frantically trying to get his attention. "I couldn't do anything. They wanted her. I knew you would hate yourself if I let them hurt me."

"What did you do?" He looked at the stranger that stood before him. His heart pounded in his chest. He did not want to hear what she had to say, but to help Eva he had to.

"They asked who he loved more. Evangeline said her and they said you were going to regret interfering in their plans." Nora stepped in the office and slapped Natalie across the face.

"You selfish bitch! Did you think to tell anyone what had happened to Evangeline?" She grabbed Natalie by the arm. "Did you consider how much she has been suffering, trying to deal with this by herself? My God, what is wrong with you?"

"She told me not to tell." Natalie cried holding her cheek and scooting behind John. "She didn't want anyone to know. What was I supposed to do?"

"You tell someone Natalie." Bo shouted from the door way. "You think about someone else for a change. Garcia, cuff her."

"What? Why?" Natalie stood in shock as the officer came around the desk and put the hand cuffs on her.

"Interference with a police investigation." Natalie wailed for John as they led away. "Now, what are we going to do about Evangeline?"