Chemically Bonded

Chap 4 "Getting To Know Natalie"

Sam's POV
The next day I got up and dressed to go and see Natalie at the Santa Monica pier. I let Adam sleep in. I went to go meet her. "Natalie," I replied as I walked up to her. She turned around. "Hey."
"Hi," Natalie smiled as she looked at me. "You ready?"
"Yeah," I smiled. We started walking around the pier. "Uhm, Adam tried to call Alexis yesterday night before bed."
"Yeah, she didn't get home until five this morning," Natalie sighed.
"What about you?" I asked. "What do you do for a living?"
"I live here with my best friend and I'm the top vet in all of LA," Natalie smiled. "So my clinic is always busy but I have the best staff to work with."
"When do you get paid?" I asked.
"Well, it's not like Alexis, every two weeks for sure," Natalie looked at the ground and then back at me. "I get paid annually."
"For being the top vet?" I asked. "That's a bit of a stretch, isn't it?"
"That's why we were able to get the Coachella tickets this year," Natalie nodded. "I'm the clinic manager. I own the place. My employees get paid before I do. It sucks but at least I can save it."
"The house you live in now?"
"Alexis' job had us stationed at a safe house before we got that house. After three months of her working, we bought the house we live in now. Alexis doesn't mind because she knows we're going to be here for a long time. We split the costs of the utilities at home." We sat down at a table. "I take care of water, gas, and Netflix. She takes care of electric, food, and Wi-Fi."
"Doesn't that cost a lot? The Wi-Fi?"
"Not when it's only one person at home. I'm at home most of the time. Alexis is usually at work so I never know when she's coming home." Her phone rang and she looked at it. "It's her." She picked up. "Alexis, finally awake? I thought I told you to sleep in." She looked at me. "Right now?" I smiled. "Yeah, sure." She hung up. "Would you mind going to a baby shower with me?"
"No," I lied. I just wanted to hang out with her until she had to see Katy tonight. "Let's go." I followed Natalie into a baby store. "What are we doing her?"
"Alexis is here with Adam," Natalie sighed. We found them and walked over to them. "I thought I told you to sleep in before going to see Derek."
"Yeah, well, five hours is enough sleep for me," Alexis nodded as she looked at the blankets. "Which one of these should I get for the baby? The stegosaurus or the duck?"
"Go with the duck," Natalie replied.
Alexis bought the blanket, teething tablets, a package of diapers, a gift bag, and tissue paper. She gifted everything and sighed. "Let's go see the little tyke," Alexis nodded. We went to a house. "Before we go in, just be careful in what you say. Derek Morgan is a former agent." She rang the doorbell and a really built muscular guy opened the door. "Morgan."
"Baby girl," the guy smiled and hugged her.
"Hey Derek," Natalie smiled.
"Nat!" Derek nodded and hugged Natalie. "I'm so glad you guys are here. With friends." I nodded. "The more the merrier. Come in." We walked inside and closed the door. "Welcome to Hank Spencer Morgan's shower, even though you are the first to arrive."
"Alexis," a girl said as she hugged Alexis. "It's been a long time."
"Yeah, it has, Savannah," Alexis nodded. "Here." She handed her the gift bag. "I got that all for Hank."
Savannah got out the pill bottle. "Teething tablets?" Savannah asked.
"Just to be ready," Alexis smiled. "By the way this is Natalie, Sam, and Adam. Met them at Coachella yesterday."
"Oh, sorry to pull your best friend from you yesterday," Derek nodded. "We had a train wreck and Hotch needed her."
"No worries," Natalie nodded. "At least I wasn't the last one this time." We looked at her. "Last time I came home at three in the morning, I was looking down the barrel of a gun."
"I thought you were an intruder," Alexis shrugged.
"You sleep with a gun?" I asked. Alexis nodded. "Oh geez, Alexis."
"Sam and I gotta run," Natalie smiled. "We need to get lunch."
"We're having a BBQ out back," Derek nodded. "Go and help yourselves."
"I'm going to stay here and play with Hank," Alexis smiled.
Natalie and I got a burger and sat at the table near the pool. "This guy's got a nice house," I sighed.
"Derek is a former agent," Natalie nodded. "He's able to afford it."
"All this and a family. Do you ever think about having a family?"
Natalie nodded. "When the time's right. I'm just enjoying life right now. I'm only twenty."
"That's how old I am." Natalie looked at me and I smiled. "Sorry. But, yeah. Adam and I are only here for a couple months."
"Where are you from?"
"A little town called Jonkoping in Sweden."
"You're from Sweden?" Natalie took a sip of her water. "I didn't even realize you guys were that far from here. I knew you guys had an accent and I didn't know. Wow, you're a long way from home."
"Yeah. But who would've known I'd meet a wonderful person on my trip here," I smiled as I looked at her. "Come on. You can't tell me you've heard that one before."
"I have," Natalie sighed as she looked at me. "Sam, you're not the first celebrity I've had contact with."
"I know, Coachella."
"No, not because of Coachella. Alexis and I were team leaders for a band that disbanded yesterday."
"I'm sorry to hear that," I looked at Natalie. "Why don't we go somewhere to get your mind off things before tonight?"