Disclaimer: Anything familiar does not belong to me.

A/N: Hiya guys :) So this story sort of came to be in about a day as I have managed to catch a pesky cold yesterday. This is also a chance to say that I'm sorry for being bad with the uploads as I have plenty of stories that I want to share and have been kept safely on my computer. So hopefully you'll enjoy this quickie and my sincerest apologies for any obvious mistake. Oh and much kisses and hugs to each and every one of you lovely readers that have been following my stuff and leaving reviews, especially the guest reviewers who I unfortunately cannot respond back to directly. Without further ado, enjoy this newest Careese story from me and I hope you enjoy ;)

Chapter 1 - Joss

Joss was just downright miserable as she twisted and turned her bed. The bright colors of the outside world offered nothing but pain for her eyes and the sounds of passing cars might as well have been semi trucks running next to her head. "Ugh" she moaned as she did her best to beat this common cold that surprised her out of nowhere. Captain Moreno forbade her from coming in for fear of making the situation worse, so Joss was forced to leave the mountains of paperwork for another day.

The only time she got up was to use the bathroom but now her stomach demanded nourishment. Thankfully, Taylor was taken care of this morning. He gave her a sweet kiss on her warm forehead before offering to bring her up something before heading to school, which Joss refused because her stomach had been doing somersaults.

The covers were thrown back and Joss slowly rose from the soft piece of furniture, stretching out the kinks in her neck before grabbing a tissue from a box on her nightstand to blow her nose. "Damn cold" she said to herself before using the nightstand as leverage and eased herself up. Her body ached and she really wanted to eat something. The bedside clock told her that it was one in the afternoon and she groaned because she was not one to sleep late thanks to being a workaholic.

Joss's small feet were slipped into some white, furry slippers as she adjusted the boy shorts and tank top. Even though her body was shivering, it felt like she was on fire on the inside. It was a terrible battle, one Joss hope would pass, much like the rest.

Her steps were slow and tentative as she made her way to the kitchen, trying vaguely to figure out what she was going to make. Even through the fog and stuffy nose, something caught Joss's attention as she sniffed the air. Whatever it was, her stomach growled in appreciation. Her hands began rubbing it, hoping that she'd be able to keep something down as her earlier attempts found themselves at the bottom of her puke bucket.

Stepping into the kitchen, Joss recognized the broad back that was hovering over her stove. Even sick, she rolled her eyes before crossing her arms over her chest. "Really John? Should I just give you a key to the front door?"

She couldn't see it but he was smiling. "Now what fun would there be in that Detective." John turned around to face her and his features softened at the tired look in Joss's eyes. It was something that he wasn't use to seeing. Normally Joss was a hard worker and strong. It was hard to believe that this timid woman standing in front of him was the same person. He was glad Taylor called him earlier to let him know what was going on. "Here, let me help you."

Joss wanted to fight him, she really did, but she felt too tired to even argue. John gently took her arm and led her to one of the stools at her island table, taking extra care to feel her temperature. When he first reached up to touch her forehead, Joss pulled away in surprised before he explained what he was doing. Joss found it comforting to have him here. On any normal day, she would be working on a case's detail at this very table. Now, he was taking care of her while she fought off her illness. Joss's eyes took appreciative glances at John's relaxed attire. Although he was wearing his man in the suit uniform, the sleeves were rolled up and the first few button of his shirt undone. Once again, her nose caught wind of what he was cooking and sniffed greedily. "Mmm, that smells good."

Satisfied with his once over, John went back to the stove. "I'm making some chicken soup for you. Hope you don't mind."

"If it tastes as good as it smells, I'll forgive you for the last few times you broke in here." Joss bargained, giving John a warm smile because he went through the trouble. Even though he broke in here, Joss enjoyed his presence. She made it a point to sit down with Taylor and ask how he'd feel if she gave John a key so that he would feel more welcomed to come here. Her son thought very highly of John which was more than she could say for her ex-husband Paul. Although John was a vigilante, he was also a great role model for Taylor.

John reached up into the cabinet for one of the large bowls kept there. After scooping a generous amount of the hardy soup, he served it to her and bit back a smile as her eyes widened. "You didn't have a lot in the fridge so this was the best I could do.

"Seriously?" Joss took a spoon and slowly stirred the bowls contents, finding an assortment of vegetables, noodles, and large pieces of chicken. "This looks amazing" she compliment as she dipped her spoon in enough to get some of the broth. Letting it slide between her lips, Joss's cheeks grew rosey as the delicious taste along with the satisfaction of a good meal ahead hit her hard.

John smiled as he watched Joss enjoy his food. The look of content on her face was enough to make his heart happy because he'd always wanted to make some kind of meal for her. Out of kindness, he had done the same for Zoe and Maxine, but it didn't mean the same to him as this did. He liked watching Joss enjoy his food and he liked being the one to put the smile on her face. The fact that this woman let someone like him into her life was unbelievable. She was too good of a person.

All John did was sit across from her watch as Joss slowly but surely ate the soup, making small talk by asking what he had been up to with the numbers. The conversation carried through as the soup was finally gone, much to Joss's happiness as not needing to evacuate it like she feared when she woke up this morning. "I can't believe it's staying down" she commented after wiping her face with a napkin. She was feeling drowsy now because she had gone from being so hungry to being wonderfully full. Now she just wanted to cozy up back into her bed but fought through it, wanting to talk with John more. It helped her forget about the scratchy throat or running nose when he made her laugh about a particularly dumb suspect. Joss's expression grew serious quickly.

"Thank you John, not just for the food but for staying here. I know that you'd rather be out there catching bad guys but I really appreciate it.

John brushed off the comment and got up to clean up after her. He knew that Joss was a strongly independent person so he was glad that she was giving him so much leeway. "Are you going to head back to bed?"

She shook her head. "I think I'll relax on the couch for a little while since I've been stuck in bed. Do you think you can stay a little longer?"

"Sure." John was grateful for the lack of numbers, something that didn't happen often. Whenever he didn't have a life to save, he'd feel restless.

The two of them made the short trip to her living room and got comfortable on her couch. Joss pulled her legs under her and angle herself to face him while rest her head on the back. She just wanted to watch him as they continued their conversation as time felt like it was slowly down to a crawl. Soon her eyes closed and the last thing she heard was John's soft voice before succumbing to sleep.

"Joss?" John reached out gently, noting her slow breathing. He smiled as he realized she had fallen asleep. John decided to let her sleep. Getting up, John took great care in moving Joss until she was lying flat across the cushions before going into a linen closet to get a pillow and blanket. After making her comfortable, Joss snuggled further into the warmth of the blanket and sighed. John knelled next to her, lightly brushing away some of dark locks of hair to get a better look at her face. He was satisfied that Joss was going to be okay. He reminded himself again that she could take care of herself. That didn't stop him from growing a bond for her that was more than something associates or even friends shared. John felt a tugging at his core at the sight of a slumbering Joss, images of taking care of her as a lover and husband appearing briefly before pushing them away. Things were already too complicated to even fantasize such a thing.

"Sweet dreams Joss." With a soft kiss to the top of her head, John collected his coat and left her to sleep. Once outside the apartment, he reached for his phone and dialed a number.

"Hey John, how is she?" Taylor's voice answered, heavy with concern.

"She looks to be getting better, ate the food I made her. Now she's sleeping on the couch so you'll probably find her there when you get home."

There was a sigh of relief from the young man. "Thanks for going man. I know you're busy but you're the only other person my mom and me trust."

John smiled at the comment. "No problem Taylor. I gave you my number so that you can reach me for anything."

"Still, it's more than other guys that she's dated have done for her. Oh…" Taylor faltered, realizing that he had said too much. "Don't tell my mom I said that."

"I didn't hear a thing" John reassured. "I should get going Taylor. When you get home, let me know how she's holding up okay?"

"No problem John. I got to head to my next class. Thanks again for the update and I'll give you one later. Bye."

With that, the line went dead and John hung up the phone. With one last look to the building, he smiled towards the special occupant inside before pulling the collar of his coat up and making his way home.