A/N I've been sitting on this story for about four months. Finally decided to post. Hope you enjoy.

~~Disclaimer I don't own Person of Interest or any of its characters.

Reese held the handle of the small saucepan while he slowly poured milk into it. A smile crossed his lips and he shook his head. He was making hot chocolate for Joss. It was her nightly ritual now. Once the sun was set, it was one of the things that seemed to soothe her and made her feel comfortable. And her comfort – especially at this sensitive time – was his priority.

The house was quiet, though it wouldn't be for much longer. Jourdan was with her grandmother, and soon their home would be filled with the laughter and chatter of friends and family. He never thought he'd have a family of his own, but Joss' mother and sister and everyone else had slowly welcomed him into the fold. Three years after finding out about Jourdan's existence, here he was, and he couldn't be happier, even if he felt sometimes that he had no right to be.

He reduced the heat on the stove and stirred the milk. It was almost warm enough, and he turned his head in the direction of the kitchen door, listening out for Joss' footsteps. They were sure to be coming his way any minute. As he cut off the burner and poured the milk into Joss's favourite mug he noticed the house was too quiet and Joss had yet to materialize through the doorway. He added cocoa powder to the milk and the aroma filled the air, mingling with the scent of the other food that'd been prepared just a few hours earlier.

"Joss?" he called out, but got no answer.

Mug in hand he made his way down the hallway and headed for their bedroom. He expected her to be getting dressed for dinner tonight, but their bedroom was empty. Her underwear and the dress that she'd picked out lay across their bed.

"Joss?" he called out again.

He put the mug on the bureau and closed the distance between the bed and the master bath. Standing at the opened door, his eyes rested on her fast asleep in a tub full of bubbles. She looked so peaceful he almost didn't want to wake her. Kneeling on the ground near the tub he looked at her golden skin, full mouth and closed eyes. Underneath the sheer film of bubbles in the tub her nipples peeked out at him. Her breasts, along with her belly, had swollen considerably in the last few months, much to her chagrin. Each month her stomach grew he counted himself blessed, and couldn't believe that fate had allowed him a second opportunity to be a father.

She hadn't been sure how to tell him. She'd kept it secret for nearly three weeks after finding out trying to decide whether or not she'd keep it. Circumstances had forced the truth to come out, and when he finally knew, when she'd finally blurted out the news, not keeping it was no longer an option. He wanted her to with all his heart, much more than he could describe. There was her partnership at her law firm to consider, both their ages, his work. They were all valid points, he thought, but as far as he was concerned, nothing and no one else mattered to him as soon as she'd given him the news. From that moment on, the Man in A Suit retired. He was done. The numbers would have to survive without him. Joss and Jourdan, and now this new baby, were his life now.

He slipped his hand beneath the water and she stirred, turning her head. His hand moved between her legs and briefly rested there. It moved over her thighs and upwards till it rested on her belly. He pressed his lips softly to hers and it was then that she woke up.

"John," she said, as his hand moved softly over her tummy. "You know it's against the law to molest a pregnant woman."

"Is that what I was doing?" He grinned, rubbing his nose against her cheek. "You fell asleep. I was just waking you up."

She placed a wet palm against his cheek. "You waking me up is what got me in this predicament. How long was I out for?"

"Probably no more than ten minutes."

"Then why'd you wake me? It was just getting sweet."

"Well for one, we've got guests coming over."

"Oh yeah, that," she replied.

"Yes, that. And two, your hot chocolate is ready."

"Alright, I could get up for some hot chocolate. You have to help me up though."

He stood to his feet and held onto her arms as she got up. "Careful, now Joss. Not so fast."

She cast him a tender look and smiled. He wrapped her towel around her and helped her out of the tub and into the bedroom. Their due date was still a month away, but her stomach was huge. He hadn't been around for her first pregnancy, so experiencing the changes her body went through was an eye opener. He'd been there for the morning sickness, the swollen feet, the lethargy, and the odd food cravings. He rubbed her back when it hurt and lay with her when she was too tired to move.

The bigger she got the more help she needed. Putting on her clothes was a struggle sometimes, as was putting shoes on her feet. She sat on the bed sipping her hot chocolate while he rubbed Shea butter on her back and legs.

"Mmm…" she murmured, and looked down at him while he crouched at her feet.

"You like being pampered don't you?"

"Of course I do. And you pamper me so well. Makes me wish you were around for the first one. Not that my mother and sister didn't do a good job, but-"

She stopped abruptly and kissed her teeth, realizing what she said. "I'm sorry, John. I didn't mean to…"

"It's alright, Joss. I know what you meant. I wish I could've been there too…experience all this with you, be there for you. But now that I'm here, you're stuck with me forever."

He knelt between her legs and put his arms around her waist before bending his head to kiss the top of her belly. "All of you are; you, Jourdan, and this little one here."

He sighed contentedly as she ran her hand over the top of his head. He'd never been more at peace than when he was with her. She bent her head to kiss him, and warmth spread through him. Her lips tasted his tenderly and he felt as if he'd never tire of the satisfaction he felt when she was in his embrace.

"Have I told you lately that you are an amazing husband?" she asked softly against his mouth.

"Not in the last few hours, no, but I could stand to hear you say it again." He captured her lips again, and slid his tongue into her mouth to lightly brush it against hers.

"Well you are…" she said in between his kisses. "…you are an amazing husband, John. And I love you."

"I love you, Joss," he said as his hands started to move over her bare back.

He took the mug from her and put it on the ground. He wanted both her hands on him. He wanted to be in her arms. He got up and shifted her further up to the middle of the bed. She giggled when he turned her on her side and put a pillow under her back.

"John, are you forgetting something?"

"No," he said, as his lips found her collarbone.

"Um, yes you are. We have guests coming over. They'll be here pretty soo-"

He silenced her protests with his mouth, and took pleasure in the moan that rumbled in her throat. She tasted of chocolate, warm milk, and a unique sweetness that was all her. It was intoxicating, he thought, as he repeatedly lapped at her tongue. Damn it, if he didn't want her right now. Her hands moved over him, his legs, his butt, and he knew, despite her mild objection, she wanted him too.

"Joss," he whispered against her neck.

Her hands moved under his shirt, but the sound of the doorbell brought an abrupt stop to their intended lovemaking.

"Damn it," he swore, and she giggled. "Someone's early."

"You better go see who it is," she said, kissing him quickly.

"Or, we could pretend nobody's home," he suggested, not eager to let go of her.

"Nice try, hon, but this whole dinner thing was your idea. Now you got to follow through."

"Putting your leg around me isn't making it any easier to get out of this bed, though."

The doorbell rang again, this time accompanied by a knock. He had no choice but to answer and got up, helping her out of bed as well. It was her mother at the door with Jourdan in tow. Evelyn came with dishes of her own, and he helped her carry them in the kitchen. Jourdan headed straight for the bedroom after embracing him and kissing him on the cheek.

"Where's Jocelyn?" she asked.

"Still getting ready," he answered.

"What about you? Are you ready for all this tonight?"

"Come on, Evie," he said, putting his arm around her shoulders. "Stop trying to scare me. It's just a small dinner party. What could go wrong?"

His nervous laughter died in his throat at her expression, but as it turned out, the gathering was quite a successful one. In the next half hour more people arrived. There was Joss' uncle Daniel and his wife Trish, Joss' friend Amelia, two of her cousins, Mary and Stephen, and Evelyn rounded out the number along with Jourdan and he and Joss.

They were celebrating the purchase of their new home. They'd been in said home for six months now, but moving and integrating everyone's stuff along with baby preparation had taken some time. Finally, he'd suggested something small since they wouldn't be able to do anything after the baby arrived. She thought it was sweet, and was perfectly happy to let him plan everything down to the last detail.

He stared at her across the table where she sat chatting with her mother and Amelia. She looked so beautiful. Despite the discomfort she sometimes felt during her pregnancy, she simply glowed, and there was something very ethereal about her lately. After everything they'd been through, she was his, and he didn't know what he could have done to deserve her. Almost as if she could feel his gaze on her, she turned and met his eyes.

"I love you," he mouthed to her, and she blushed.

"I love you," she mouthed back, and he smiled.

Stephen laughed, having witnessed their little exchange. "Joss has got you whipped, man."

"Don't listen to him," Mary said, shaking her head. "I think it's cute the way he dotes on her. And she loves it too. Look at her. I've never seen her happier."

"Thanks," Reese said. He'd never been happier himself.

"You should take notes, Stephen. Maybe if you did half the things he did, your relationships would last longer."

"Nah, I'm good," he answered.

"You sure about that, Stephen?" Reese asked. "Didn't Joss tell me about you getting kicked out of your girlfriend's apartment with only your underwear on? What happened there?"

Stephen mumbled an excuse while Mary laughed.

"He got caught creepin', that's what happened." They all turned their heads towards Joss as she spoke from the other end of the table. "Don't knock John cause he takes care of me. He gives me everything I need. And I love him for it."

She winked at him and smiled, and the room was filled with awws. He wanted to hold her, take her down the hallway and into their bedroom right at that very moment, but they had guests, he reminded himself. He had to be patient.

Jourdan found her way onto his lap, and he threw his arms around her. "Daddy, I missed you," she said.

She had grown so much in the last few years. She was almost thirteen years old, in an awkward adolescent stage and he knew he had to cherish these last moments where she still felt like she was his little girl. Pretty soon she'd be abandoning him in favour of the hot guys at school and trying to break curfew. He hadn't been in the CIA for nothing, he thought. He still had a few tricks up his sleeve, and he'd lock her in her bedroom if she did any of the rebellious things he'd had nightmares about.

"I missed you too, honey."

He wrapped his arms around her, hearing chatter about him being a good father, his relationship with Jourdan. Moments like this were surreal, a far cry from who he used to be in the CIA. Moments like these made him content.

"I missed you too, honey," he repeated.

It was late, the dinner party was over and Joss sat with her feet elevated on an ottoman and her head on her mother's shoulder. They were in the den, lounging on the couch and everyone had already left. John was in the kitchen putting away the leftovers, and Jourdan was in her room on the phone. She idly rubbed her belly, feeling the baby move around a little and groaned at the discomfort.

"You alright?" asked Evelyn.

She glanced at her mother and nodded her head. "Yeah. He's just a little restless tonight, I guess. Maybe it was the sound of so many strange voices."

Evelyn laughed, nodding too. "It was good to see Amelia. Stephen and Mary are heading back to Boston tomorrow."

"I wish Donna could've been here."

"Well you know she'll be here at the end of the month for the birth. Wild horses couldn't keep her away from this one if they tried."

"I miss Donna," Joss said with a smile. Her older sister had been there for Jourdan's birth and had stayed with her for the first year to help her take care of her. John hadn't been there, but she hadn't lacked the support of friends and family, most of all her sister and mother. They'd made sure she had anything she needed. They'd seen Jourdan's first steps, first tooth, heard her first words. She was looking forward to the two of them sharing the experience of her second child.

"She misses you too. And John."

"My man," Joss said.

"He's a good man, Jocelyn. Not just tonight, but he's been a good man and a good father."

She felt tears sting her eyes as she thought about how far they'd come; being reunited, him finding out about Jourdan, and then her kidnapping and near death. It was a miracle they'd survived it all. She ran away from him once, thinking his life was too much for her. Now she couldn't imagine her life without him in it.

"Yes, he is a good man."

"Someone's talking about me. I know because my ears are burning."

The both turned in the direction of his voice and saw John standing in the doorway. He filled up the frame, leaning on the jamb.

"Were you eavesdropping?" she asked, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Not in the least. But good listening skills came in handy in my former profession."

He walked over to her and bent down kissing her. "Evie, tell me what you said," he teased.

He sat on top of the ottoman in front of Joss and put her feet in his lap, rubbing them.

"We were just talking about Donna, and how we can't wait to see her."

"Keep going," he said, and a slow smile crossed her mother's lips. Since the day they met until now, they'd cultivated a good relationship, and Joss was glad that she'd come to love him as much as she did. "Someone was saying how good of a man I seem to be."

"Well, compared to some of the guys she used to date during law school…"

"Mom!"

"I swear Jocelyn, I'm glad you got out of that phase."

"Which phase was that?" Reese asked.

"Please don't get her started, John," Joss pleaded, and rolled her eyes as Evelyn went down a list of all the guys who she felt had never been good enough for her 'baby'. She warned him that soon, he'd go through the same thing with Jourdan.

"I hope not," John said with a grim look. "I've got enough gray hair as it is."

"Hands to the heavens and all fingers and toes crossed that Jourdan never goes through any phases." She glanced back and forth between him and her mom. "Right, John?"

"Right," Reese said, casting an eye toward the hallway.

After her mother had gone, Joss sat at the foot of the bed, kicking her shoes off, and pulling her blouse over her head. John was in Jourdan's room, and had been for the last ten minutes. She got up to pull her slacks off and hung up her clothes in the closet. She went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her make-up off, staring at her reflection when she was done.

"My face is so fat," she said with a frown.

"No it isn't," said John. She jumped a little at his voice, not hearing when he entered the bathroom.

"One day you're going to have to explain to me how you do that. Slip in and out of places without me knowing."

"Trade secret."

"Ah…it's not your trade anymore though."

His hands slipped around her waist and he rubbed his hands over her belly.

"Hmm…you always know what I like," she said. "Where's Jourdan?"

"Gone to bed. Had a talk with her about this boy. Timothy. Do you know him?" In the mirror she saw a scowl on his face, and laughed.

"Timothy is a boy at school. They have a mutual crush, nothing serious."

"It better not be," he said, pressing a kiss to her cheek. His hands moved upwards, cupping her breasts, and she felt a strong wave of pleasure slash over her.

"John," she breathed. "What are you doing?"

"Finishing what we started before dinner."

His hands over her nipples were creating ripples of ecstasy all through her. Since this was her last trimester, her sexual response had heightened, intensified so much that once she'd reached orgasm from him simply sucking on her nipples.

She turned round pulling his lips onto hers, and his hand slipped in between them, caressing her folds softly. She could feel the blood rushing between her thighs, her nipples were erect, and when he bent to lick them, she moaned loudly against his shoulder. She wanted him. Now.

There was a rush to undress him, and she clawed at the buttons of his shirt, the belt at his waist. He barely got his pants off when she pushed him out of the bathroom and onto the bed. He helped to position her atop him and she lowered herself onto his length.

"Joss." His voice was ragged, echoing the pleasure that both of them were wrapped up in.

The sensations were acutely intense, so deep, filling and delicious. His hands moved over her breast squeezing them, and he sought to move further and further within her. It wasn't long before she felt the vibrations of her orgasm, and she sunk her nails into his chest. She felt like she couldn't see straight, squeezing her eyes shut as low moans left her mouth. He grunted and tensed below her as he also reached his peak. He was out of breath beneath her, and she slowly began to move off of him.

Once on her back, he trailed his hand over her thigh, but she was still so sensitive that she pushed it away.

"I'm sorry, John. I can't. I can't take it. I just need a minute."

He ignored her protests, turning to his stomach, and came even closer. He nibbled on her ear first, then her neck and she squirmed.

"John, stop."

"I can't. How can you ask me to do that?" he whispered, pulling her into his embrace.

They'd come a long way. She remembered not long ago her finally finding him, him finding out about Jourdan, and how they almost ended up losing each other again. It'd been a battle, and it had almost destroyed her. It had almost brought her world crashing down, but they'd survived it, and found their way back to each other.

Now they were pregnant. Something she hadn't been totally on board with at first. In fact when he'd first mentioned it, she'd balked at the idea. She was through with dirty diapers, and midnight feedings, but he wouldn't let up. She'd kept up her birth control despite his requests for her to stop. A bout with the flu and some antibiotics, and the next thing she knew she was pregnant. She'd kept it to herself for a while, not sure what to do. Seeing him with and IV in his arm and hooked up to hospital monitors made her finally blurt it out. She'd been so scared to lose him. The thought of that ever happening again made her misty eyed and she started to cry.

John's hands on her face caught the moisture on her cheeks and he grew concerned. "Hey, Joss…what's wrong? What's the matter? Is it the baby?" he asked, sitting up.

There was already panic in his voice and she shook her head. "No. It's just…my damn hormones," she said, laughing. "I was just thinking about New York…and…you finding out about the baby…and me thinking you might die."

He cupped her face and kissed her. His lips melted all of her fears away. "That's never going to happen again, you understand? It's never going to happen again."

"I know," she whispered. "I know."