Disclaimer: None of this is mine unfortunately. Credit goes to everyone that works on the show.

Protecting Her Too

As she continued to pace the room, Carter became more frustrated and angry. After the incident at the Russian Mob house, she had been brought straight into an interrogation room, but not before the agents asked for her badge and gun. She was going over and over in her head whether or not she made the right decision. She began to question what she actually saw.

It seemed a bit suspicious that after only a week after Fusco had his issues with the IAB, the roles seemed to be reversed. The agent grilled her for what seemed like hours. After a bit of time had passed, she began to put the pieces together. The timing was all too perfect.

First Szymanski and Beecher are murdered; then Lionel gets investigated, then Terney telling her that he had a lead for her. It was a plan to shut them up alright. Joss remained calm as she tried to figure out her next move. She knew that without evidence, she would only have the word of Terney, who was right there with her at the scene.

Getting tired of pacing, she sat back down in the steel chair. She then looked at her wrist for what seemed like the millionth time. It had been a few hours since she was brought in, but fortunately she had been allowed to call Taylor and tell him to stay with her mother.

Before she could even get a chance to worry about her son, the door opened and the agent stepped back inside.

"I'm getting really tired of having to tell you guys the same story. Wasn't there anything sort of surveillance cameras there or something to collaborate my story?" She asked agitated.

The man searched through the folder that he had been holding. "Actually Detective, that is why I came with this. It appears that Terney managed to find some footage and handed us some stills." He took each blown up photo out and placed it in front of her one by one. In the black and white pictures, each showed a different timeline from when the guy ran out of the house to when she shot him dead.

In the final blown out photo, she could clearly see the 9mm that was aimed at her. "We also managed to confirm with your partner that he had seen the weapon before you fired."

She then slammed her hands on the metal table, the loud bang echoing off the walls. "If that's true then why did he wait to say something?"

"That's something that you'll have to take up with him. All I can do is apologize for wasting your time and say good work." He returned her badge and department issued pistol. "Your lawyer also wanted me to inform you that he would like to have a word with you if you had wanted to take any sort of legal action."

Her eyebrows rose in confusion. "My what?"

"He had called a few minutes ago. I'm afraid that I have to go. I have another investigation to look into. Once again, I apologize for the inconvenience." He collected everything and exited the way he came. Joss on the other hand was still baffled as to what just happened. The vibrating of her phone drew her out of her thoughts as she looked down at the text message that was displayed on the screen.

Leave the precinct and meet me in the alley around the corner. Make sure that Terney doesn't see you Carter.

She didn't even bother questioning the origin as she grabbed her things. Leaving the room and looking around, she saw no sign of Terney. She headed towards her desk and grabbed the rest of her things before making a hasty exit. She tried to act as casual as possible but on the inside, her heart was beating quickly.

Descending the steps, she followed the directions in the text while making sure she was not followed. She walked the short distance to find the alleyway. When she entered, she saw a familiar sight.

"John? What the hell is going on?"

Reaching for him, he made a move to head back into the street. "Just follow me Carter" but she would stand her ground.

"Not until I get some answers first. Why did you tell me to be on the lookout for Terney?" When he faced her, his hard blue eyes told her everything. "He was going to kill me, wasn't he?"

John firmly took her hand in his, a gesture that he had never done with such force before. It took all her willpower to not shiver at the electric feeling his touch gave. "We have to get to my place. We don't know what else HR might have planned for you." She felt him squeeze her hand. She found it strange that he was being so caring all of a sudden. This was not how he normally acted, especially around her. Regardless, she allowed him to pull her away, allowing passersby to think that they were just a normal couple out for a stroll.

Just before they reached the car, he touched his earpiece. She had only heard the last part of the conversation. "Okay thanks. Just bring him back as soon as you can."

"What's that about?" Her curiosity getting the better of her.

"I had someone help me in a situation with Finch."

She grew worried, remembering his kidnapping from earlier in the year. "Is he alright?"

John never looked back at her. "He's fine. I'm having a friend look after him while I came back to protect you."

"John…"

"Let's get you out of here" he emphasized again, her following obediently.

The drive was quiet and before long, John was opening the door to his loft and letting Joss inside. She gave out an impressed whistle as she got a look around. "And to think that you actually earned all this by being a reckless vigilante" she joked, watching the smirk emerge on his face. She then heard the pitter patter of footsteps. When she turned around and looked down, she smiled.

"Nice to see you again too Bear" she greeted. She crouched down and gave him a bit of a scratch behind the ears, amused by his happy demeanor.

John continued to watch after he had locked the door and took off his jacket. He needed a moment to see her, not think about how much worse things are getting. He hated that he had added on to her already heaping plate of problems by forcing her to help Fusco because he was too busy. She shouldn't have had to taint her hands with the dirt of someone else's crime.

Maybe that was why he came back as fast as he did. After rescuing Harold from Root's clutches once again, The Machine seemed to be back to normal. Almost immediately a nearby pay phone rang. Finch mentioned that it tried to contact him before but Root had not allowed him to answer it. Worried, John picked up the receiver, understanding that time was going to be critical now for whoever needed help.

He had never forgotten Joss's number, afraid that in her line of work she would attract more unwanted attention and be placed in danger again. His worst fears were realized when he was given her social. Leaving Finch with Shaw, he rushed back to New York. He didn't want to make the same mistake he did with Fusco.

He didn't want to abandon her.

He understood that she was being held in custody for gunning down the suspect. John had seen the video footage himself and saw the evidence being tampered with. Knowing that she would be under heavy interrogation angered him. She was a good cop and he would make sure that her reputation wouldn't be tarnished.

From an alleyway close by, he watched Terney through his binoculars. The dirty cop frequented a bar a few blocks down from his house. To see him laughing it up with a fellow officer while Carter was trapped in an interrogation room had John's hand twitching for his pistol. He wouldn't kill him. He promised himself and Carter that he wouldn't be that man anymore. No, he would make sure that Terney gave IAB the evidence they needed to clear Carter's name, by force if he had to.

Sticking to the shadows, the detective appeared to be finished for the night. John saw him throwing down some money and gathering his things together. Preparing to move, John made his way across the street before Terney exited the bar and walked in the opposite direction. The darkness was John's ally as he followed and waited for his opportunity to strike.

The area was silent except for the sound of Terney's expensive suede shoes making contact with the concrete at each step. John saw an alley getting closer and knew that was where he would have a chat with him. Their long strides had them approaching it in no time. When Terney passed the entrance, John chose that time to strike.

He rushed over and grabbed Terney roughly by the arm, throwing him off balance, and shoving him into the alley. Terney made a loud groan as he hit the ground, caught completely off guard. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded as John began to stalk up to him. "Do you know who you are messing with asshole? When I get my friends together…" He didn't even have the chance to finish his threat. John's patience was nonexistent as he smashed his fist square into Terney's face. He ignored the pain in his hand, his mind still on Carter's situation.

Terney's yell fell on unsympathetic ears as he grabbed his bloodied nose. "You son of a bitch!"

"Shut up Terney." John's blue eyes were practically on fire as his anger took over. He knew that he wasn't going to kill him, but that didn't mean that he wasn't going to take his time with him. He leaned down to get on Terney's eye level. "Listen to me because I'm only going to say this once. I know what you did to Detective Carter, framing her and having her put under IAB investigation."

He could see Terney trying to figure out his next move, thinking that he could deny his way out of this. "And who the fuck do you think you are threatening a Detective like that? It's not my fault that Carter gets a bit trigger happy and kills an unarmed man." His words dripped in lies and John was getting tired of listening. "I hope that she gets what she deserves. The only reason why she's the top Detective there anyways is because she's a woman and an ugly looking one at that. She wouldn't be able to solve a homicide even if the answer was plain as day. Why should you even care anyway? Are you a friend or something cause I will be sure that you…"

Terney let out another yell as John's foot made contact with his groin hard. As he fell over, John smirked a bit at how pathetic he looked. John pulled out a folder from his coat, he removed a photo and showed it to Terney who was beginning to cry like a child. "I have the proof right here that you were the one to mess with the scene." Terney looked at himself in the enlarged picture just as he grabbed the gun before he threw it in the woods behind the house. "I even found the gun that you tried to get rid of." John then grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him off the ground.

"You are going to go to the police station and tell IAB the 'real' story about what happened to the gun. If you don't, I will hand deliver the gun along with the photos to the IAB offices myself and you can have fun in the hot seat for a change. What do you say?" The only answer he got was a cough which earned Terney a hit to the stomach. "I want her out of there Terney. I will do anything to make sure nothing happens to her." He then pulled his face closer to him. "Anything" he said slowly and menacingly. John could feel the man shaking in fear and knew he had him.

"Fine…" Terney said as he groaned in pain before being dragged out of the alley.

"You are insane, you know that?" Joss commented as John was retelling how he managed to get Terney to back her up. He made sure the comments he made about doing anything to be sure nothing happened to her were left out. John didn't want to give away how he felt about her just yet. They were sitting across from each other as John got each of them a beer.

"Well I have a way with words Carter" he said. He was watching her body language the whole time, to see if she would disapprove of his methods. Surprisingly, she seemed happy that he had done all of that for her. Maybe she was just happy he didn't kill Terney.

Carter sighed. "I'm just glad that I'm out of there but how in the world am I suppose to take all of these guys down. Terney was someone that I trusted for years. I can't believe that he's just as crooked as the rest of them."

"They just want to take the easy way in life Carter. If someone threatens that way of life, they will do what they can to make sure that doesn't happen."

Joss took another swig before waving her hand in the air. "I'm just a glutton for punishment I guess because HR is not going to be comfy as long as I'm on the case. How's Finch holding up?"

John offered a reassuring smile. "He's fine. He had some personal stuff to deal with and got in a bit over his head."

"You told your friend to bring him back just so you could help me. Why do you suddenly want to help me, John? I asked for your help before but you were always too busy for me." She was still bitter about the last couple of weeks. It seemed like their relationship was deteriorating. She understood that he needed time after Rikers but he had just become cold to her and pushed her away for so long.

John ignored the rest of his beer and looked her in the eyes. Joss was surprised at the softened expression that she hated to admit but she missed. She noticed that he seemed a bit distracted in the last couple of days. He looked to be a bit more relaxed now since the last time she saw him. "The situation that I told you about has been resolved now. Our source gave me your number and it turns out it had tried to tell Harold about it you hours ago. I came back as soon as I could because I was worried that I would be too late for you too" he admitted, bitterly thinking of the doctor from a few weeks ago.

Joss was happy that the problem John couldn't really tell her about was resolved. He looked so unhappy before and she didn't care to see him like that. "Is that really why you haven't been yourself?" John nodded his head. "I guess I would go a bit loony too if I couldn't work for more than a few hours. I'm still angry with you." It was hard to remain angry when he slowly drew out that smirk of his. "Don't you dare do that John Reese. At least let me be angry at you for a few more minutes" she joked.

"You can always just hit me Detective. That always helps get rid of some pent up aggression."

"I would settle for an explanation before I'll consider other methods" she said. Joss left the table and walked a short distance away as she continued to say what was on her mind. "A while ago, you told me that I wasn't alone and I believed you." Her hard expression softened as he continued to listen to her. "Then when I lose two people close to me and need your help with Fusco, you are nowhere to be found." She sighed to collect herself as she remembered the hardships of the last couple of weeks. "Look, I know that you had plenty of things on your shoulders too, but I don't want us to become strangers. I think of you as a good friend."

John nodded his head, now understanding how his actions impacted not only himself but Carter too. He knew that she was still talking with Finch after Rikers so she hadn't abandoned their cause, but she had to deal with HR attacking her and trying to ruin her career. It was something that she cherished and it was that devotion that drew him to her all those months ago. John couldn't stop thinking about her, no matter how hard he tried. On nights when he was alone in the apartment he would wonder how she was doing and if she was alright. Maybe she was thinking about him too.

After learning what she had done for him while he was at Rikers, he wanted to keep as far away from her life as possible. It was his fault that she almost lost everything when they were caught by Donnelly. He wondered if she had some sense of obligation towards him because of their occupation with the numbers. She was there for him through everything that he went through. He was a fool to think that he could just end things and not have repercussions.

"You're right Carter. I just didn't want to draw attention to you after everything that happened between us after Rikers. I thought that maybe it was for the best. Then I realized that you never stopped helping us and I knew that I was wrong to assume what was best for you." He stood up and gave her a stern look. "I give you my word that I will help you with whatever you need to bring down HR for good."

Joss allowed herself to smile when she remembered the last time he made a promise. "Well since you have a good track record of keeping your promises, I'll let this go for now. I'll say this though, that the next time you do something like this, you will be in for quite a beating from me, John Reese."

He held his hands up in defense. "I will be sure to remember that Detective." He then looked over at the clock hanging above the stove. "I think that it is safe for you to go back home."

Joss had to hide the disappointment at having to leave, but she felt better knowing that they had finally settled whatever was going on between them and she would be seeing him again soon. "Yeah, I'm sure that if someone was going to be waiting for me at my house, they would have left by now." She justified before grabbing her stuff and followed John who did the same. "Thanks for the help. I really appreciate it and it's good to have you back to make my life a living hell again."

John was glad to be back and helping her however he could. "I just wanted to make up for abandoning you like that," he said as he was closing his door.

"You already have John," she reassured before following him downstairs to his car.

They didn't say a word during the drive back but that didn't bother either of them. There didn't need to be an exchange of words right now. It was just the feeling of contentment that was in the air, knowing that they cleared up a few concerns between them.

When he pulled up to her brownstone apartment, John took a second to look up and down the street in case Joss's earlier assumption was wrong. He wouldn't have put it past HR to try anything since they loved to show off their resources. Seeing that was way was clear, he nodded his head to her.

Joss began to reach for the handle before turning to him, knowing that he was going to stay behind to make sure she got in alright. "I'll see you at our usual spot tomorrow then?" she asked.

"I'll be there bright and early. You take care of yourself Carter." He watched as she opened the door and got out. After receiving a smile from her, John watched as she crossed the street and safely made it inside. Seeing the lights turn through the window, he started the engine and made his way back home to get rested up for another day's work tomorrow.

A/N: So yeah, I've been sitting on this one for a while now so I wanted to get it up. I was so mad at John for just brushing Joss off like that during those last two episodes. Anyways, please let me know how it is and thanks SWWoman for betaing for like the millionth time.