Disclaimer: Not mine. We know if it belonged to any of us, we'd make some quick changes.
Pre A/N: Okay, so I want to apologize for the comments in my last stories A/N. Obviously I'm not a fan of hearing Jim didn't talk at the cast interview because of a certain somebody. Okay, this is the last time I'll do that. Soooo anyway, yeah I cracked the whip on SWWoman for the beta so I owe her maybe some sweets or scented candles. I wonder if any of you can guess John's costume;) Happy Halloween:D
Party
Joss smiled as she enjoyed the festivities of her precinct's annual Halloween party. Once the day was over, everyone shifted from work to play as an area was cordoned off in the middle of the detective's desks to make room for a dance floor. Joss had helped with preparations, from setting up decorations to buying supplies and food with funds provided by her fellow officers. It would be her first Halloween as Captain, earning the rank a few weeks after Quinn was finally convicted and sentenced as the head of HR. The patrol officers and Fusco were so impressed that they didn't hesitate to nominate her for the job when the Captain stepped down to retire.
Some of them had changed into costumes to fit the holiday theme, Fusco chose a clown costume that got quite the laugh from Joss who thought that it suited his personality. She was off to the side alone drinking some juice as she watched him dance with a female officer she knew as Sarah to the catchy music playing over the loud speakers. Joss decided to not to get dressed up, figuring that she had seen enough masks and charades from co-workers she thought she could trust to last a lifetime.
The atmosphere was so uplifting compared to last year when she thought that her quest would take her life. Subconsciously, Joss touched her chest where the fading scar from where Simmon's bullet struck her remained. Someone up there thought it wasn't her time to go as she had escaped death by mere centimeters. She shook her head, not wanting to remember that night because the bastard ambushed them like a coward to attack John who was still injured from his distraction plan.
Just as her attention was drawn back to the dance floor, she was taken aback when she found herself looking at a single long stem rose presented by a tall man in a suit. For a moment, Joss couldn't help but think of her vigilante but thought he wouldn't be that crazy to show up here. The outfits were similar except the obvious differences of a tie, the white mask with silver trimming that covered his eyes, the top hat, and the flamboyant cape that was also black with red lining.
He hadn't said anything, just continued to wait for her response. When Joss reached out to grab the rose, she noticed the smirk and saw the blue eyes dance with mischief. Her own eyes widened as she realized that it was indeed John and he was standing in the middle of the precinct. Joss grabbed him by the hand to pull him closer. "What are you doing here John?" she questioned as her eyes darted around the room. "Are you looking to get yourself locked up?"
Tipping the hat and pointing the mask, John said "Well Carter, I doubt that anyone would recognize me since I am in disguise. As to your first question, since Finch gave me the night off, I thought I would have some fun."
Joss raised an eyebrow. "I doubt that you and I have the same definition of fun." She knew that they were nothing alike, but at the same time had so much in common that she felt like she had found such a good friend and partner in John who watched her back and protected her without a second thought.
"Well during these holidays, I have to say I am fond of the idea of keeping your identity a secret. I thought about maybe asking you to dance with me."
Finally grabbing the rose, Joss inhaled its fresh scent before turning her attention back to John. "I don't know about you John but I doubt that people aren't going to ask questions as to who you are."
"I think the reward is well worth the risks."
Great, just what she needed. John could be so stubborn sometimes. This wasn't the place to have one of their arguments though. Instead she asked "Did someone spike your drink or something on a case John?"
"Why do you ask Detective?" He still held hope that she would accept his invitation.
"First off John, you know I'm Captain now. I swear you just love calling me Detective no matter what is going on, just like when I got bumped down to patrol. Anyways, what I mean is doing all of this just to get a dance out of me." She then held up the rose. "Then there's the flower along with the fact that you've got the whole masked stranger fantasy down pact. All of this seems so…not you." What she wanted to say was romantic but she didn't want to verbalize on the fact that she had felt an unprofessional attraction to John from almost the first day that she began working with him.
"Well it is the one night that allows us to be pretend to be someone else. Are you not in the spirit?" He asked, noting the lack of any costume. When he came in, he easily spotted her standing off to the side and approached after Lionel left for the dance floor. He turned around and looked at the man who was all smiles. "I'm not surprised that Lionel finds something entertaining about tonight."
"You see that too, huh?" At least they could agree on one thing. Joss then folded her hands over her chest. "He deserves to have some fun. Lionel had it rough last year thanks to me. Still hard to believe that he grew on the two of us the way he did." She let out a chuckle when Fusco continued flirting with the Sarah while wearing the bright red nose. "You did too John. The two of you are good guys that just made bad career choices."
John smiled as he looked away from Lionel to Joss, noting that she had been the constant in both of their lives that gave them the hope that they could be better men. Lionel had been on a road to nowhere by working with Detective Stills; and John forcing him to be her partner helped him to be a better man and father to his kid. It was surprising how their small circle kept each other on the right path. Not only did Joss help change Lionel, but Harold had helped him by giving him a purpose that he didn't have. Saving the numbers was something that he wouldn't have changed, especially because it put him directly into Joss's line of fire, setting up their cat and mouse game. "You aren't exactly someone that holds back when we do something stupid Carter. Maybe you should be a motivational speaker."
She shook her head. "I already have my hands full with the two of you and Shaw. It seems like Harold is the only one that already has his head on straight, as much as a computer hacker can anyway." The two of them chuckled before Lionel looked in their direction.
He clearly was curious as to who Joss had been talking to and excusing himself, walked back over to her. "Hey Carter, whose your friend? I don't remember anyone here saying they were going to try and flirt with our new Captain." When Lionel got a better look, he mouth gaped and his eyes widened in surprise. "Wonderboy!? Are you asking to get your ass thrown in jail?"
"That's what I asked him" Joss pointed out.
Lionel tried to keep from throwing his hands in the air as to not draw attention. "I'll never understand it. Just don't ask me to bail you out when you get caught." There was no talking sense into John once he set his mind on something. Lionel learned that a long time ago. "At least you have someone to keep you company, Carter. I was getting worried that you were just going to be a wallflower. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back out there and show my new friend my dance moves." With a smile, he turned to make his way back, readjusting his red nose.
Joss rolled her eyes before looking at John who was undoubtedly still waiting for his dance. He then held out his hand which was inside a white glove. "Oh for crying out…" she then paused before grabbing it. "Okay, one dance and then you have to get out of here John. Deal?"
"Deal." His hand closed around hers then he led her to the dance floor. Just then, the music slowed down, allowing the opportunity for couples to huddle close in the small space. Joss scoffed at the timing, wondering if John somehow knew what the playlist was. Under the watchful eye of some male officers that were near a far wall, Joss and John got in place. His right hand that still held hers was lifted up and pulled to bring her body close enough to put his other hand on her hip. Fighting back a shiver, Joss put her right hand, which still held the rose, on his shoulder. "Getting a bit too comfortable are we John?"
Under the mask, his eyes softened before he started slowly swaying for her to follow. "It comes naturally with you Joss."
Again she had to fight the small shiver at the way he said her name in such a low voice. She couldn't remember her name sound so sensual before. "Very funny John" she teased him to hide her nerves. He slowly started moving them in a small circle, being sure to not bump into Lionel, who was also slow dancing with Sarah, whom he couldn't seem to separate himself from.
Joss shot Fusco a quick smile, happy that he was still trying to move forward with his life. Lionel was on friendly terms with his ex-wife and also had joint custody of his son Lee but they both understood where their feelings were. Joss's thoughts flashed to last year when Lee almost died and quickly looked away which was not lost on John.
"What's wrong?" He looked in the same direction and knew exactly where her thoughts went. He then squeezed his right hand to get her attention. "You need to stop thinking about the what ifs."
Joss shook her head before bowing her head as they continued to dance. "HR attacked and tortured him then almost killed Lee. I'm scared to think what might have happened if Shaw hadn't got there in time." She felt the back of her eyes stinging but she fought back the tears, not wanting an emotional breakdown in the middle of her precinct. The guilt from that night was not completely gone because as soon as she involved John and Fusco, they got hurt. That was the very thing she wanted to prevent, which was why she kept her mission a secret. "How can he look at me without being angry?"
Without hesitating, John raised their joined hands until he placed hers around his neck, bringing her body closer before putting his now free hand on her other hip. He took a moment to enjoy the lingering scent of her jasmine perfume and the warmth from her body before leaning down to make sure she was listening. "He can't be angry because it didn't happen Joss. You have to let go and move on like I did."
One night during a conversation at her place last year, John had confessed to Joss that he had finally forgiven himself for what happened with Jessica. It had felt like new beginning for him and he was happy that their relationship had already been on the mend when he told her.
Joss shook her head before pressing her forehead lightly against his chest. "John, that's different. You were taking responsibility for something that wasn't your fault."
"Guess we still have a difference of opinion Joss." His hands slowly moved higher. "Maybe you should just tell him." Without warning, he spun her out, being sure to avoid anyone, before bringing her close again. Joss had been so distracted by her guilt that she had forgotten how long it had been since he had asked her to dance. When she looked up at his pretty blue eyes, she could see the love he had for her and wondered if her eyes showed the same to him. Joss felt the guilt wash away and when he smiled, she swore her heart stopped.
John didn't want to stop there though. For months, he replayed their kiss in his mind. He just couldn't believe that Joss allowed him to get so close, that she had feelings too. After everything was said and done, John stepped back to give Joss a chance to get back to the normal life she had before HR tried to take that away from her, even if that meant he would have to stay away. Thankfully that wasn't the case and she continued working with him and Finch to save the numbers. She was an amazing person and he wanted to show her how much he cared for her.
However, their dance was rudely interrupted when someone pushed past Lionel, causing a scene. "Hey buddy, are you causing the captain some trouble?"
Joss recognized the man as Barney Hobbs who joined the precinct last month. In that short time, she had heard rumors that he had become fond of her because of her takedown of HR and wanted to ask her out but couldn't build up the nerve. It was sounding like he was not fond of John moving in on something that Hobbs wanted.
Two male officers approached and did their best to restrain him by holding on to his arms. "Now Barney, that's no way to act at a party. Just relax and have a drink." Lionel tried to calm the man.
When they turned around, John decided this was as good a time as any to make himself scarce. He quickly took Joss's face and guided her lips to his for a quick kiss before silently making his way out the door, leaving her with a stunned expression.
Barney turned around then and Joss, finally coming to her senses, had to fight back the laugh at his wide eyes when the man he was about to confront seemed to vanish out of thin air. "Where is the guy?"
Joss returned to her senses, needing to resolve the current situation. To keep things calm, Joss told a little white lie. "Don't worry Barney, he took off because he didn't want to mess with you." With a nod of understanding to her fellow officers and Lionel, Barney seemed satisfied with the answer and went back to his place near the back wall. Seeing an opportunity, she grabbed Lionel's arm to get his attention. "Hey, can we talk really quick, in private?"
Seeing she was serious, Lionel nodded before telling Sarah he would be right back. They didn't go far. The partition separating the desks from the bullpen would provide enough privacy. "So what's up?"
Joss took a deep breath before starting. "I wanted to talk to you about something."
He quickly stopped her. "C'mon Carter, the girl that sold me this costume told me green was sliming." He took off the red nose so she could see his cheeky smile.
Joss couldn't help but laugh. That was something that she really appreciated about Fusco was his ability to make her feel better. She then held her hands up in defense. "Hey, it's definitely you but that wasn't what I wanted to talk to you about. It's about what happened with your son last year."
Lionel's expression quickly grew somber. "Carter..."
"No, let me just say this okay. I don't know how I can even start saying I'm sorry for getting you involved. If I hadn't, Lee wouldn't have been caught in the crossfire." She fought to keep her composure. Normally she was confident, but this had been such a close call and it had been a fearful time in her life. She had taken precautions and sent Taylor to live with his dad. How fair was it for her son to be safe but not Lee? HR would stoop low to get what they want and she felt foolish for even telling him what she did.
"Carter listen." He put a supportive hand on her shoulder. "You can't keep beating yourself over that. Nothing happened. Yeah I got a few bumps and bruises, but I did get my hits too. Lee is doing good too, still doing great in school." His plan for another smile worked. "You managed to do something that I couldn't. Thanks to you, Simmons isn't breathing down my neck or constantly holding my misdeeds over my head. John helped me get out of the situation with Stills, even if I was reluctant at the time. Now I can be the kind of cop that Lee can look up to. Do you know how much it means to me to see him so happy to hear I took another bad guy off the street? I don't know what you're thinking but all is forgiven." He then pulled her into a bear hug. "You hear me Carter?"
On the brink of tears from his affection, Joss hugged him back. She was so glad to have finally gotten it off her chest. After a few minutes, Joss chuckled. "As much as I enjoy your hug Lionel, I kind of need to breathe."
Chuckling, they separated and nodded their heads in understanding before returning to the party.
Joss was tired when she finally got home a little after 1 am. The party had ended and Lionel along with a few others offered to help with the clean up and let her go home as thanks for the fun night. Thankfully she didn't have to worry about Taylor, who was spending the weekend with Paul.
After closing and locking the door behind her, Joss put her things on the nearby table. When she turned around, she was taken aback by the beautiful arrangement of roses in a crystal vase sitting in the middle of her living room table.
Taking a step forward, she felt the presence of someone else, knowing exactly who it was. "So I guess you're here to tell me 'I told you so' huh?
From the kitchen, John revealed himself, still in costume minus the hat and mask. Joss couldn't help but admire how handsome he was as she stepped closer to the flowers. "Not really. I just knew that you were worrying about nothing."
She nodded her head as she leaned down to smell the roses before adding the one he gave her earlier to the group. "And what is this for?"
"I wanted to thank you for the dance in advance."
"Cocky much?" Joss raised an eyebrow, sighing but growing accustomed to how John enjoyed breaking into her house on occasion.
"Well I really enjoyed myself, especially with someone as beautiful as you." He was absolutely serious as he waited for her reaction.
Joss couldn't help the slight shock before slowly approaching him. "So if this was for the dance, what was the kiss for?"
John met her in the middle and drew her close. "I just missed kissing you." He didn't wait to repeat his actions from the party, letting the kiss linger now that they were in the privacy of her home. He felt his whole being come alive as he remembered those moments from a year ago. The two of them shouldn't have been so good together. Both he and Joss came from opposite sides of the law. The fact is that he should have been behind bars many times over but she never let that happen. John thought that he wouldn't have been able to fall in love again, that Jessica had taken those feelings with her when she died. But that night when he met Joss the first time, he knew that wasn't true. She had offered to help and even though he had refused, John didn't forget her caring personality. It was because of her giving a damn about a dirty bum that he had put his suicide plans on hold.
Joss felt so overwhelmed by the fact that John could make her feel so alive as she grabbed at the lapels of his jacket. She never would have thought that she would be attracted to man like John. He was different from men she normally dated. The obvious difference was his skin tone but Joss also knew that his body held many scars from his past. It was something that she saw first-hand back when he showed her the knife wound that nearly took his life. It was something that the two of them had in common and Joss felt comfortable around John because he knew hardships that other men wouldn't be able to understand. Paul had been too proud to seek help whereas John was taking so much responsibility for his actions even though he had been lied to by his government. John had her back well before she even knew who he really was and protected not just her, but her son, who was her life. They just worked together when all logic said they should never be together.
After separating, Joss gave him a kind smile as his hands lingered on her back. "I missed kissing you too. Maybe we should make sure it happens more often in the future."
"I agree." He then kissed her again as she led him to the couch so they could relax. They would just take things slow. That was working for them so far. Why ruin a good thing now that they were finally ready to take the next step?
Post A/N: So yes everyone, we are approaching the 2 year mark. Be sure to support the #JossCarterIsEternal #JossCarterDeservedBetter movements that are out there. Much love to all the people that continue to demand she be brought back, especially for Episode 100 which someone said they are filming now. In all honesty, I don't trust that they will do anything. The EPs should have never gotten rid of her to begin with. There are shows out there that changed their minds about characters deaths. A few months after Carter died, I learned that Cam from Bones was suppose to have been killed off in S2. They have been on for years now and she's still around. Another example was a character in Breaking Bad who also had his fate changed because he was a fan favorite. The EPs never intended for Joss to be in the AI storyline. They figured they give her an ending and that's all. Dumb move and they have been paying for it since. So yeah, my costume for John here was the dashing Tuxedo Mask from the anime Sailor Moon. Yeah I know it's cheesy but screw it. Much love everyone and thanks to SWWoman for the quick beta. Wish I could return the favor:)