AN: Okay so here is the companion to marriage from Careese Themes. I know you guys have been waiting for it, so before you read this I sincerely apologize for it, because I feel like I let you guys down :'( but I'll make it up to you guys somehow I promise I am still hard at work at writing chapter 2 to the photograph companion with the smut fest.

"You don't understand how much you mean to me; I've been attracted to you since the moment I met you." Joss stomped harder on the gas pedal as she thought about John's confession. He had been attracted to her since he met her, leaving her stunned and excited at the same time. Of course he never told her about it, why should he, she thought angrily. It only had to deal with her, a possible future together; but nope, the big fool kept silent she thought bitterly. But even though she was angry at John for keeping his mouth shut, she couldn't say she entirely blamed him because she didn't exactly tell him how she felt about him. Instead she had gone off listing all the reasons to him and to herself why they just couldn't make 'this' work. He was a criminal in the eyes of the law, while she was a cop that was supposed to lock them up, and she never could lock John away. Not when Snow tried to murder him, not even when the FBI had him, she just couldn't allow Donnelly to keep him.

The fact that they were on polar opposite sides of the law wasn't their only obstacle, they had quite a handful of others things in their way. He was reckless with his life, she'd be constantly worried she'd lose him, they'd argue all the time over his methods. She knew she wouldn't be exactly easy either, she knew she had her quirks, her fears, and her own issues he would have to deal with too. It was impossible. She and John were great as friends, best friends, but be in a relationship with everything standing in their way? Even though she thought about all the roadblocks between them, they didn't sound insurmountable. He was reckless, she would just constantly remind him that he had to think things through. John never tried to change her, he just gently tried to remind her she wasn't alone. She smiled softly. His methods would cause fights but that was what hot makeup sex was for, right? She grinned.

Joss was broken out of her musings by the ringing of her cell phone. She grabbed it immediately, flicking a glance from the road to see who was calling, and was disappointed to see it was only Finch. She forced a smile as she answered. "Find him, Finch?"

"Yes, Detective, I found him."

"Where is he?"

"He's at the 3rd precinct,"

"WHAT! Thank you for the help, Finch," she replied, upset before hanging up on him, moving into the next lane to make a left at the light. He didn't do something stupid that got him arrested, what if someone ran his prints, or something? She sped up, determined to get to him before he got booked and save his ass-again.

Joss arrived at the 3rd precinct running up the steps. She flashed her badge and was allowed entrance. She didn't see John getting his picture taken for his mug shot which had her internally sighing with relief. But if he wasn't arrested, then what was he doing here? She paused mid-step, realizing this was where she had been temporarily working at when she first met John. She had been helping the 3rd precinct out with a case when he had been brought in and she had offered to help, knowing all about Anton.

And suddenly it made sense.

She moved quickly hurrying to the small interrogation rooms, seeing him through the window, and her gaze softened. He was just standing in there, she breathed in deeply before she grabbed the knob and let herself in. She allowed the door to close quietly, he didn't bother turning around.

"You know you could give a girl a heart attack showing up at a precinct like this," she teased a little. His eyes lifted from the table to slowly find her. He had a ghost of a smile on his lips. "What are you doing here, this is a good way to get caught," she scolded.

"Not if you have one of these," he showed her the badge he stole from Detective Stills. "You just have to flash this and you get admittance, the clerk doesn't even take the time to look at it."

"John, this is dangerous, just because Donnelly is gone and to the FBI, the 'man in the suit' is dead, doesn't mean someone won't figure it out."

"I know, I just had to come here."

"Why, more importantly why did you run off after you told me how you felt?" she demanded, more than a little upset at him for bolting rather than talking to her about it, allowing her a chance to tell him how she felt.

"This is where we first met Joss, this is where I first felt that- connection to you." He sighed as he looked around the room, avoiding her eyes for a brief moment before his soft blue ones met hers. "I don't know what it is about you."

"Why didn't you ever tell me how you felt?"

"Would it have made a difference if I had told you sooner or not?" he said without really answering her, but she wasn't in the mood for his dodging, she wanted a real answer.

"Don't turn this around on me no you owe me an answer, especially when you were the one that pulled that disappearing act! I didn't run away from this, you did, so you owe me an explanation. Why didn't you ever tell me how you felt?"

"I never believed you'd feel anything for me in return, so I kept it to myself."

"You think you know everything, don't you!" she was angry at him but at the same time she felt extremely satisfied. Knowing John had romantic feelings for her was making her heart melt, while his need to bolt from her and his feelings for her aggravated her to no end. When he made no attempt at explaining, she took a shot in the dark. "Let me guess, you thought of what was 'best' for me?" she sneered the word as she took a few steps closer to him. She didn't need anyone to be her savior or to think they knew what was best for her, she knew what was best for her and that was all that counted.

"I couldn't handle telling you how I felt and then lose you when you didn't feel the same way."

"No you couldn't handle it if I had your same feelings and wanted to be with you; which by the way I do, had you bothered to ever ask." She stalked closer to him, seeing a flicker of relief fill his face before he masked it. "So you kept silent, kept your feelings for me to yourself?"

"I didn't see you telling me how you felt any earlier." His lousy attempt at deflecting was so bad she almost laughed. He was grasping and she loved it. Taking pity on him, she laid a hand on his shoulder, her eyes resting on his.

"You know John, we have both been running from our feelings for one another for so long we almost did trick ourselves into believing we are just friends. I think it's high time we stopped, because we both deserve some happiness," She suggested as she pushed him back a little, out of the line of view of the window for any prying eyes. His back hit the wall softly, her hands resting on his shoulders gently, and his remained at his sides.

"I'll be possessive, I don't like to share," he warned. She pressed herself up against him, smiling when he couldn't hide his body's reaction to her. He had no idea how his warning to get her to reconsider this was doing to her. John being possessive of her sounded hot.

"I can handle it as long as I get to stake some claim myself, as you are my fake husband and all," she teased again.

"I'll make you angry."

"Then you can kiss and make it up to me," she agreed. "But be forewarned I'll make you angry too; I've been told I can be exasperating," she added, bringing a beautiful grin to his face. God, could she just lose herself in this man. All their denial and pretending was over, it felt like a weight was lifted from her shoulders. Who knew pretending to not feel so much for a man, to pretend they were 'just' friends, was so hard!

"I'm reckless."

"And I'll constantly badger you to take more precautions. Everything you have to say doesn't make me want to be with you any less, John, so you may as well stop listing your faults. I want all of you, faults and all."

"God, you make me crazy," he muttered before his mouth crashed down on hers. HA, he had the nerve to talk about her driving him crazy, he made her want to tug her hair out. But right at this moment he made her want to tug him to her place where they could finish their discussion in private. She pulled back while keeping their lips close.

"Come back to my place and I'll truly drive you crazy," she purred, his sexy smirk slid across his handsome face. "I do recall you telling Banes that you needed to pleasure me…" she let her sentence trail off so a sly smile could light up her face.

His smirk slid from his face replaced by concern. "Are you sure about this Joss, I can't lose you."

"And you won't," she promised, pushing from him, grabbing his hands to tug him towards the door. "We have forever to find our way together, John." His blue eyes darkened.

"One last chance to change your mind, Joss, and we keep our relationship strictly platonic."

"Don't want it, hubby" she said with conviction, hoping she settled this once and for all. His mouth took hers in a decidedly passionate kiss, like he was claiming her. She felt scorched by just his greedy lips that were so soft and warm against hers. He pushed out of the kiss, his eyes squeezed shut, and he looked in terrible pain. "You okay, John?"

"I need to make love to you." He whispered and she felt her body respond accordingly to his confession. "But I'm trying to wait until you're ready." His eyes opened to pierce her with those expressive blue depths of his.

"Who says I'm not?" she said with a soft smile, tugging him towards the door unhurriedly. She felt his free hand snap around her elbow yanking her against him, making her gasp a soft 'ooh' as their bodies were flush against one another.

"Well, we better get to your place then before you end up naked on this table," he whispered hotly in her ear. She moaned softly at the thought while he let her arm go, she immediately swung the door open, and he followed her out. They made their way out of the precinct without people even looking at them or questioning why they were there. This precinct was where they met and at this precinct is where John admitted to wanting to be with her, and her with him. She gave the precinct one last look before she looked back at John as they climbed into her car.

"Can you promise me one thing about our future, John?"

"If I can," he tentatively agreed.

"When you are ready to take the next step in our relationship, can we do it someplace that you can't possibly be arrested at, and is a little more private? Like at my place or yours, or something?" she asked and he smiled.

"This precinct is where we first met, now where we decided to try this thing between us, it has a special connection to our relationship."

"Yeah except for the fact that we first met because you beat up 4 thugs in a subway not letting them lay a hand on you which you were going to be charged with assault, and the other was where you impersonated a police officer, which are BOTH crimes! So what? Our next step in our relationship you'll break and enter, then get arrested!" she said, testing to see how deep his feelings for her were.

"Well that does sound extremely romantic." Romantic? They clearly had two different definitions of the word.

"How so?" she demanded, feeling silly but happy as she drove them to her place.

"I could break and enter a floral shop to steal you a giant bouquet of roses, then declare my undying love for you in a confession statement," he teased.

"Move over Romeo, you have some competition now…" she forced herself to sound irritable, but inside she was nearly squealing like a girl that just saw her crush. John didn't seem to be as closed off as she had been fearing. She pulled up to a stoplight, and her car came to a stop. "Never mind, John, don't tell me what you'll do, I'd rather not know," she said, having gotten the answer she was searching for, that John was open to love. She felt a subtle and gentle touch to her thigh, she looked up at him, and saw a look shining in his eyes.

"Joss, you have my word," he said quietly and her heart raced knowing he was promising more than what she was teasing him for.

"Good, because eventually I want to change the fact that you're my fake husband to something a bit more permanent. Do you think you can handle that?" Joss decided to show her cards and let the chips fall where they may. She was too old for beating around the bush anyway.

"Only if you allow me to ask you to be my wife," he agreed slowly. She smiled softly, knowing he was asking for her to let him set the pace, let him get reacquainted with living in the real world with her by his side, and she nodded her head before looking back at the road when the light turned green.

"Good things come to those who wait and you, John, are well worth it."

"As were you, wife."

AN: well there is the companion piece to marriage that was long time coming, but I hated the original like so much so that I rewrote the entire thing. I had maybe one paragraph or two that is from the original but the rest was switched. I'm still unhappy with how it is... I don't know maybe it's me or something. But anyways thanks for being patient for this I hope you got to enjoy it a little bit and if not I'm sorry.

Thanks for reading!