John Reese pulled into his garage, and rushed into his house. When he left at five, he was certain he'd be home for dinner at six. He grunted as he checked his watch again. Ten after ten. Officially unofficially retired after fifteen years, he only worked numbers when Shaw saw no chance of using one of her numerous semi-automatic weapons, which meant maybe two or three numbers a month would consider him busy. He'd phoned Joss earlier, explaining it would be a while, and promised to make it up to her when he got home.

He never believed his heart could expand anymore than it had when he had fallen in love with Joss and she gave birth to their little Cali Alexis, but with every day he loved them even more. And thanks to Taylor and his wife, Leah, he had become grandpa two months before. He and Joss grandparents. It still blew his mind. That and the knowledge he was sleeping with the hottest granny in the world. They were an incredibly happy family.

After checking on his sleeping daughter and giving her cheek a kiss good night, an evening of tender love with his sexy Joss was the only thing on his mind. Expecting to find his wife sprawled nearly naked or totally nude in wait for him in their bed; John entered their large master suite to find Joss in her pink pajamas, sprawled widthwise on the bed, engrossed in one of their many family albums. Oh well, she was still gorgeous. He dropped his suit coat to the chair on his way to the bed. "Sorry, I'm so late, sweetheart," John said, brushing a kiss to her lips as he unbuttoned and removed his shirt. "I can't believe how much trouble Leon can find a way to get into. Or why Finch stills bothers to help him." He motioned to the album and sat on the bed so he could look, too. "Feeling nostalgic?"

Joss sighed. "A little," she said, brushing her fingertip against a baby picture of Cali and moving to sit next to John. "She's growing up so fast."

He smiled down at the picture of his little girl. She was so beautiful. Gorgeous dark curly hair, her mother's cute nose and chin, and his blue eyes. Cali was the perfect mix of Joss and himself, from her coloring to her looks. Nobody could say she wasn't theirs.

"Before too long, she'll be on her way to college, and it will be just you and me," Joss said, sighing.

John turned to Joss with a tilt of his head, wondering why she sounded so resigned. They would have a great time alone, as always, especially now since she was Captain at the precinct, but his Cali leaving for college wouldn't happen for a very long time. "Honey, are you kidding? My princess is still a little girl. She's going nowhere. Besides, it was like only yesterday she took her first steps."

"Your princess isn't a little girl anymore," Joss said, flipping through the album and stopping at a recent picture of Cali. "She's a developing young woman."

John scoffed. "What do you mean 'developing'?" he said, the word practically sticking in his throat.

"You know very well what, John Reese. And you can't be that blind."

He glanced at the photo of his smiling daughter. Oh, God. John shook his head, hoping to wipe away the picture he didn't want focused in his head. "Joss, she's just…"

"Almost thirteen years old and already taller than me." Joss expelled a long breath. "And, uh, she experienced another big step today."

"Another big…" John groaned. "What are you saying?" he asked, not really wanting to know.

"When I was twelve, Mama simply said to me, 'Jossy, you're not a little girl anymore.'" Joss combed her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. "John, our daughter isn't a little girl anymore."

"You mean…" John murmured, feeling tears burn his eyes.

"Yes." Joss nodded. "We've had the talk, I know Mama has talked to her, she wasn't afraid. She just wanted me to know. She told me at dinner."

"At dinner?" Damn that Leon.

"It was girl talk. I guess it was a good thing you were late."

John's eyes met hers. "She didn't want me to know?" he said.

"It's not that, it's just…" Joss scrunched her face, obviously searching for the right words. "It's not something you announce to your father at the dinner table." She closed the album and curled her arm around his, kissing his cheek. "You okay?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly.

As if on fast forward, visions of his little princess aging from a newborn to a pre-teen flashed in his head. John's heart stopped at the memories. She grew up so fast. Too fast. Then just as suddenly he got another flash. His warming heart raced. An image of boys, jocks, smiling at his baby, his little baby, and whispering in her ear came to mind. Heat fanned his face. His hands tightened into fists. A growl rumbled in his throat.

"John?" Joss tugged on his arm. "What is going on with you?"

"She's still a baby, Joss."

Joss chuckled. "Yeah, maybe to us fifty-somethings." She continued laughing. "Lots of people are babies to us."

John didn't crack a smile as he watched his wife brush humorous tears from her eyes. "This isn't funny."

"Will you get a grip, please?" she said, mussing his hair. "She's the same person she was when you left earlier."

He scoffed. "Not quite."

"I think I know what you're feeling." Moving behind John, Joss wrapped her arms around his chest and plopped her chin on his shoulder.

"You do?"

Joss nodded. "This is emotional. I saw Taylor's height shooting to the stars, and his voice starting to sound like a bass drum, but with Cali Alexis it's different. Girls know, when they reach this point, they are women."

A chill raced down John's spine. All he could see was his little newborn, his little baby, with a purse and high heels running away from him, while a trail of boysfollowed her. "Oh, Joss," he grumbled. "Do you have to say that?"

"In the rules of nature it's the truth. She's still young, but I kind of felt like I was losing her."

John brushed his finger against her nose. "You do understand."

"Yes." Joss kissed his neck. "But that's the mother in me. Having gone through this myself, all those years ago," she said in her best old lady voice that evoked a laugh in John, "I know it's still going to be a while before she stops acting like your spoiled baby girl." She lightly tugged on his ear. "Just remember the days of holding her in the palm of your hands are long gone."

"I'll try to remember that." He cupped her check and brought her lips to his, so grateful for this beautiful woman and her words that served to alter the horrible image in his head. "Thank you."

Joss licked her lips. "You're welcome." Her fingers gently stroked his nipples and her lips trailed along his neck. John groaned softly, loving her touch on his body and the way it made him feel. "I remember you saying something about making it up to me for being late."

He flashed her a wolfish grin. "I said that, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did." Joss unbuttoned her pajama top and motioned him over with her finger. John's eyes devoured her breasts as they played peek-a-boo with the flaps of her satin top. "Come show me how much you love me."

John moved to the bed and favored her with a kiss that left her asking for me. "That's just a taste of the appetizer," he whispered against her lips before moving to the walk-in closet.

Joss sat up on the bed. "Where are you going? The entrée is here, too."

"I'll be right back." John opened the secret compartment in the floor at the back of the closet where he and Joss kept their arsenal. He removed the 9 millimeter uzi and returned to the edge of the bed, cleaning it.

He felt Joss leave the bed, and moments later she came to stand before him. "Um, why are you doing that now?"

John glanced up at her. Her shirt was buttoned. That wasn't good. The look of stunned disgust on her face made things worse. He would have to work some serious magic later, and he felt certain he could do that, but first things first. The high heels and purse were gone from the image, but those boys remained. John shook his head, erasing the picture. That will not do. He'll make any boy think twice before approaching his baby. "Joss, I'm doing this now because the future is coming, and I have to be prepared."