Authors Note: This one was a request made by McGonagall's Bola sometime back, hope it was something like this you did have in mind.

Friends until the end

Mac was walking toward his office, not being able to get Jo out of his mind. Not that that it was something new that Jo Danville crossed his mind in the first place, it was just that this time it had felt different. It was like she had been teasing him for something sexually.

He shook it off; he had to have been wrong. I wasn't that he didn't find her attractive as Mac had always had a good eye for his partner. And of course they were good both friends and coworkers, but to imply anything more…

Mac was suddenly feeling very confused, did she want more than a friendship. Again her shook it of feeling he would have to be wrong. Clearly she had only been joking about that comment, or had she? 'Stop this Mac, she is just your friend,' he told himself as he was trying to focus on the task in hand.

Jo was walking towards Mac's office. Her mind was racing like two trains going towards each other about to collide. She felt foolish for making that comment. Hoping he wouldn't have had the wrong idea. The brunette knocked on her boss's office door before she entered.

Mac looked up at her with wondering eyes as Jo said, "Listen Mac, I'm sorry about earlier, that comment was a little out of line."

"Don' worry about it, no harm done," he said and smiled vaguely at her.

"Good," she said and smiled back. What was it about that smile that made her feel so warm and fuzzy on the inside?

He thought for a second, before he said, "Work isn't going away for some time, maybe we should go and have a coffee and talk."

Josephine agreed and soon they were at the regular place with two cups of steaming hot coffee. She looked at him over the table, she always thought there was something handsome about him, but she would never care to admit it. She always found that his calm, steel grey eyes showed great wisdom, she smiled at him, before saying, "You know seeing Camille and Sheldon earlier, left me with some thoughts."

He looked at her nodding as if he had thought of something also. Blushing, she took a deep breath before she asked, "Do you miss it?"

Again he nodded saying, "Sometimes I do, not always."

"How so?" she wondered.

"The lives we live, we work around the clock, we seldom have time to be home. It is no fair for a partner," he said, looking deep within those hazel depths. He would never care to admit how much he in fact loved her eyes.

"You would have a partner that understood it all, I do believe you once had that in Claire," she said, nodding at him.

"I did, as did you with Russ," he commented.

"We were never really right for each other, I thought so at first of course, but…" she stopped looking down in the table. She had as she had before been proven long when it came to their love. He was a great guy, she would always think that, just not for her.

"I take it you are no with anyone now?" he wondered. He hadn't heard her mention anyone, but then again she most likely wouldn't discuss that with him.

"No, just me and Ellie, what about you?" she asked, their eyes met once more and he could see something inside them.

"You should know by now I live at the job," he said with a chuckle.

"I do know that as I live there with you," said Jo and smiled at him.

"That you do, something I am very grateful for," he said, meaning every word.

An awkward pause was presenting itself as she said, "I know I'm not as beautiful as Camille. In fact I'm a lot older and a single mother…

He looked at her as her words trailed off, never before had she looked as beautiful to him as she did just then. He let his hand lay itself on top of hers, squeezing it for comfort as he said, "Your age does not betray you, Jo, you are still very beautiful. You are in addition, smart, kind witty and an amazing mother, even if you can be a bit messy at times."

He took her hands in his and gave her a meaningful look. She blushed shyly as she said, "I'm… I'm too old to get it on and ruin a friendship like we have, and wake up to awkwardness the next day. I don't want to ruin anything just because I need to get some."

He nodded, knowing exactly what she meant; even if he too wished to try it out, he knew it could risk ruining something perfect. It wouldn't be worth it he knew. As he picked up the tab and she got her caught both of them couldn't help wondering what if…

Once outside she leaned in for a hug, and as he wrapped his arms around her, she said, "Well, I still managed to drag you out for a cup of coffee and be sentimental with you."

As he hugged her a bit closer he leaned in to whisper, "Yes, you got me."

Breaking free from each other, she just smiled, because that was something she already knew.

Thank you for reading, feedback is always most welcome :o)