Taylor sat across from his mother as they enjoyed their breakfast he had prepared.

He had surprised her by getting up early and cooked it before she had to report to work. He needed to soften her up a bit, to feel her out. They needed to have a talk.

"So this is a surprise" Joss smirked at her son. "What do you want? Money? How much?"

"I don't need any money" Taylor said grinning at his mother.

"Well you must want something" Joss replied suspiciously biting into a piece of bacon. "You're up an hour early with breakfast all hot and waiting for me. Something's up."

"Well I just wanted to have breakfast and to talk to you" Taylor admitted. "I've had something on my mind and we need to talk."

"About what" Joss asked sipping her juice.

"Will you be honest with me and answer my question?" Taylor challenged. "I just want the truth."

"Of course I'll tell you the truth, Taylor" she replied. "What's on your mind?"

"What's up with you and Mr. Badass?"

"Who? Reese?" she asked surprised. "Why do you ask that? Nothing's up."

"You don't date" Taylor replied. "You don't go out…and you seem to light up when he's in the room. I've never seen you so...relaxed with any man before, Mom."

"Taylor, I work a lot. You know that" Joss replied. "I know John checks on you and plays basketball with you and got you into those self defense classes-"

"Mom! Do you like him?" Taylor asked interrupting her.

"Huh? Yeah. He's my friend. Nothing more than that, Taylor" she insisted finishing off her breakfast.

"He has the hots for you" Taylor insisted. "He wants more than friendship."

Joss laughed in disbelief. "No he doesn't. Like I said, he's a friend."

"To you he's a friend, but I don't think he feels that way" Taylor insisted.

Joss' brow knitted in confusion. " Why are you saying this? Did he say something?"

"Of course not" Taylor replied. "He'd deny it anyway, but I can tell. It's a guy thing."

"Oh really?" his mother chuckled. "A guy thing, huh?"

"Yeah. I see how he looks at you when you don't know he's looking…sorta predatory like."

"He's just looking out for me, Taylor" she explained patiently. "It's nothing more."

Taylor gave her a look of disbelief. "You're in denial, Mom"

"Look, it's time for you to go to school." She said standing, not wanting to hear anymore. "Thanks for breakfast, but I have to go."

Taylor reached across the table and grabbed her hand. She looked down at him holding her wrist and then looked back up at her son.

"Mom, I know what I'm talking about. He likes you…and I just want you to know that I'm OK if you like him too."

"Well thank you for your permission, Daddy" she smirked putting on her jacket. "Just give your schoolwork as much attention as you do to my love life, OK buster?"

"Sure, Mom" he said as she kissed his cheek.

Taylor thought about his conversation with his mother on and off for the rest of the day. She really was in denial about Reese. He missed having a father and at first he had been a bit suspicious about Reese. However, Taylor took to him and enjoyed the time they spent together. Reese was always around when he needed him. He liked the self defense classes he had convinced his mother to let him attend, and Taylor enjoyed the time Reese spent with him, though it was sporadic.

A protective urge had come over him when he had first caught Reese looking hungrily at his mother. He watched their interaction closely. His mother didn't appear to have a clue about Reese's true feelings and he had then decided to talk to her. Her conversation over breakfast had confirmed his suspicions.

He had a basketball game after school that he knew his mother most likely would not be able to attend. He hoped Reese would show up and then he'd talk to him.

Taylor was disappointed as he looked out into the crowd trying to spot Reese. He didn't see him and figured that he hadn't been able to make it. It was a close game, but his team won by two points. He quickly showered and changed and walked out planning to catch the bus home. He was surprised to see Reese leaning up against a black SUV.

"Good game" he smirked at Taylor. "However you did miss that free throw"

"Don't remind me" Taylor replied making a face.

"I think we need a bit more practice on the court" Reese suggested bouncing the ball he had in his hand.

"Not now. I'm tired" Taylor protested getting into the vehicle.

"Don't be a wimp." Reese chuckled. "It'll be a quick game."

Taylor groaned, but allowed Reese to lead him to a nearby court. They played for thirty minutes and Reese was easily beating him.

"I told you that I was tired" Taylor complained after Reese had dunked on him. hard.

Reese threw a towel at him and sat on the bench and watched as Taylor plopped down beside him.

Reese handed him a bottle of water and watched as Taylor quickly downed it.

"Mom is supposed to be home tonight" Taylor said casually. "She fixed a crockpot of stew. It probably has the whole house smelling good."

"That's nice" Reese said as they headed back to the SUV.

"You're welcome to join us" Taylor said grinning.

"I don't know…" Reese started.

"Oh, c'mon. You know she won't mind" Taylor insisted. "Besides, I'm inviting you."

"OK then" Reese said grinning.

Secretly Taylor was pleased. He felt that his mother worked much too much and she needed someone in her life. After all, he'd be going to college soon and then she'd be alone. He knew that he wouldn't have to worry about her with Reese around. They both were attracted to each other, he could tell. He just had to give each of them a little push in the right direction.

"Thanks for the ride" Taylor said climbing out of the truck. "Are you coming in or are you coming back later."

Reese studied him a moment. "Why? What's up."

"I wanted to talk to you before Mom gets home" he said honestly looking Reese in the eye.

"Sure" he said following him into the apartment. Reese watched as Taylor sat down his bag and followed him into the kitchen.

"Want something to drink" he asked Reese as he opened the fridge.

"No. What's on your mind Taylor" Reese asked getting to the point. He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms across his chest.

"What if you really liked this girl" Taylor began slowly "But she didn't have a clue. I mean…you didn't know if she was really interested in you like that and the two of you are friends so you don't want to mess it up."

"Well the only way to find out is to test the waters." Reese replied. "If you really like her, tell her your feelings and then reassure her that if she doesn't return those feelings that you will still be there for her as her friend."

"What if she has a kid" Taylor ventured. "Would you want to be with a woman with a kid?"

Reese sighed. "You're too young to be a father, Taylor."

"I know that!" he snapped. "It's not about that. I mean…the kid's father is dead, but his family does a lot for the kid and so does hers. She's not looking for a father for her son. I know that. I think that's why she really doesn't want a boyfriend anyway."

"Well maybe you ought to stick to being her friend" Reese replied. "If something is going to happen, Taylor, it'll happen. Believe me."

Taylor smirked at him. "Do you really believe that?"

"I do" Reese said nodding. "If the chemistry is there, neither of you will be able to deny it."

"OK" he said grinning from ear to ear. "Have you ever wanted kids, Reese?"

Reese was totally taken aback. Taylor was still looking at him and grinning as if there had been a joke told and he was left out of the loop.

"Yeah, at one time I did" he replied walking over to him. "However in my line of work, I don't see that in my future."

"You never know" Taylor said still grinning at him.

Just then Joss came in the front door. She walked into the kitchen, surprised to see Reese.

"Hi"

"Hi" Reese and Taylor replied in unison.

"I stirred the stew in the crock pot" Taylor replied. "Reese brought me home from the game. I invited him to dinner, I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not" Joss replied smiling at Reese. She looked at her son. "Did you do your homework?"

"I've done most of it" he replied. "I just have one little thing left to do."

"Well get it done" Joss said washing her hands. "I'll make some cornbread and by the time that's done, dinner will be ready. How was your game?"

"We won" Taylor replied proudly. He turned and headed out the kitchen. "I'll go and get the last of my work done. Call me when dinner's ready."

Joss eyes followed her son as he left the room and wondered if he was up to something. She looked at Reese who was watching her. She stripped off her gun and belt and quickly put on an apron hanging behind the door. John was surprised that she owned an apron. It was a side of her he'd never seen.

"I hope you don't mind the invite" he said smiling.

"Not at all" Joss replied taking the cornmeal out of the cabinet.

She felt a little nervous thinking about the conversation she and Taylor had that morning. Could Reese really be attracted to HER? Was her son imagining things? She gave Reese who was watching her, a sidelong glance.

"A penny for your thoughts" he said watching her make the cornbread.

She smiled at him. "No number from Finch today?"

"No…but most likely I'll have one tomorrow" he replied sitting down at the kitchen table. "Thanks again for having me for dinner."

"Oh, it was all Taylor's idea" Joss chuckled. "He seems to have some ridiculous notion about us."

Reese raised an eyebrow. "What kind of notion?"

Joss laughed nervously. "He thinks you have the hots for me or something…totally absurd!" She laughed again concentrating on pouring the batter into the pan, not looking at him.

John didn't say anything and she didn't want to look at him, but couldn't help herself.

His mouth was in a grim line. "That's really funny to you, huh?"

"I mean, really John" she said nervously adjusting the oven's temperature. "You and I are just friends. You're not attracted to a woman like me!"

John stared at her. He could tell that the conversation was making her uncomfortable, but he wasn't willing to let it drop.

"Don't you really mean that you'd never want a man like me?" he asked his voice tense.

"What?" she asked wondering why he appeared to be upset.

"I mean, what would a good cop like you want with a degenerate like me? What would you want with a killer, a man that has nothing to offer you, right?"

Joss was stunned at the bitterness she heard in his voice.

"That's not what I meant at all!" she said defensively. "I mean…I'm no beauty. I'm not thin by a long shot. You'd most likely want some thin blond with big boobs."

John walked over and invaded her personal space. He brought his face close to hers. "How would you know what I wanted if you hadn't asked?"

Joss felt as if her heart was beating out of her chest. He was so damn handsome and she'd never let her thoughts wander in that direction before. It had been years since she'd had a man, felt a man's weight on top of her as he made love to her, felt a man's intimate touch. She brought her thoughts back to the present. She wasn't going there. What was he trying to say?

"John…I…I…just thought…"

"You don't have to lie to me, Joss. You don't have to say that shit about yourself not being beautiful and that you're fat just because you're not attracted to me."

"I know I'm not fat" She said walking away from him. "I'm just saying that most white guys like skinny women. White men aren't attracted to black women. I've heard that all my life. If they want you…then it's just for a quick roll in the hay…nothing serious." She knew that she was hitting a nerve, but she couldn't allow the conversation to head it the direction it was headed. She was deliberately trying to piss him off and as she took in his expression, she could tell it was working.

"You seem to know an awful lot about what white men want" he replied mockingly. "Have you ever taken the time to ask one what he liked? So tell me, Jocelyn, what about all the fat white women out there? Is there no hope for them?"

Joss sighed. "I don't really see the point of this conversation. You're not attracted to me like that. If I spoke out of turn, I apologize. I'm just saying what I know."

"So white guys….they don't think black women…African American are attractive…is that what you're saying?" He continued. "Or could it be that black women are afraid that our penises aren't large enough to accommodate the large hole of the black woman?"

"Now you're being insulting" she snapped angrily.

"And you're not? You don't think I was insulted by the racist remark you just made."

"I am not a racist!" Joss protested.

"So it never occurred to you that maybe some man other than a black man would find you attractive?" he asked grabbing her by the shoulders.

"Well if they're light and look like Halle Berry which I'm neither" she replied.

"I'm not attracted to Halle Berry" he said dryly bringing his face close to hers. "And it's not the size of a woman's breasts that turn me on."

Joss stared into his eyes and then quickly looked away. What was he trying to say? Surely he couldn't be….wouldn't be attracted to her? She licked her lips and the quickly pulled away from him. She didn't want to deal with this right now. Why did she even bring the subject up in the first place?

"Look, I'm sorry if I said the wrong thing" she said. "Let's drop this. The cornbread will be ready in a few minutes.

He stared at her a moment. "I just remember that I have somewhere I have to be. Thanks for the offer for dinner."

He turned and headed for the front door with Joss on his heels.

"Now just wait a damn minute" she said grabbing his arm. "I said I was sorry, alright. Why are we fighting anyway?"

He turned and looked at her. "Maybe you need to open your eyes Detective. It's not 1950 anymore."

"John-"

"I've got to go" he insisted. He needed to get out of there.

"Not until you answer my question" she insisted. "Why are you upset?"

"I don't like being pegged and categorized. I am a man who has his own tastes and they don't fit any of your preconceived notions, Carter. Your son is wise beyond his years. It's his mother that is blind as a bat!"

With that he opened the door and walked out, slamming it behind him.

Joss didn't know what to think. She didn't hear from Reese for the next week and she knew that he was mad at her. Could what Taylor said be true? Could he really be attracted to her? It was bad enough that she had to lie to Taylor and tell him that John had been called away, and she wondered if he'd avoid her son like he was avoiding her.

She missed him though she didn't want to admit it. A relationship with John would be complicated. She didn't want Taylor getting more attached to him than he already was. Yes, he was a fine male specimen and she had to admit to herself that she was a little bit intimidated. It had been a long time since she'd had sex...not since her husband's death. She wasn't a young girl anymore and she had her own sexual hangups to deal with. There had only been her husband and while she'd enjoyed sex, she'd never had a mind blowing orgasm that she'd always heard about. Both of them had been young and inexperienced when they met. Then they were both in the military and were away from each other a lot. Joss knew that she had problems with intimacy and she didn't see John as a patient man in the bedroom. No, she was not going to get involved with him. Maybe him keeping is distance was for the best.

((***))

Taylor knew something was up when he had come downstairs that night and found Reese gone. His mother had told him that Reese was called away, but his gut told him that something had happened between the two of them.

He hadn't seen Reese since the day he invited him to dinner, but he had a game that day and he hoped that he would show up.

After the game Taylor walked out of the gym, but didn't see Reese waiting for him as he had hoped. He tried to hide his disappointment as he headed to the bus stop.

"Hey Carter!" Sean Norville yelled from the Lexus he was driving. "It must suck to be you, huh?"

Taylor didn't say anything, but continued to walk. Norville was the biggest asshole in the school. Both his parents were lawyers and he never stopped bragging about all the things he possessed. He enjoyed needling Taylor.

"Taylor Carter….what's up with a name like that? What mother would give her son two last names?" Sean yelled from the car. "You're a loser, Carter."

Taylor still didn't reply. He glanced at the car and noticed that Sean had Harmony Wills riding with him. No wonder he was showing off. Harmony was the most popular girl at school. She was tall like a model…in fact she most likely could be a model if she wanted to.

"Sean, that's enough" Harmony said grinning at Taylor. "Don't be such a jerk!"

"What the hell are you grinning at his ugly ass for?" Sean snapped. "I'm your man, remember?"

"I was just being polite" Harmon replied.

Taylor was glad when he reached the bus stop and looked at his watch. The bus was due to arrive any minute. Sean pulled up to the curb and got out.

"Carter, I don't appreciate you oogling my girl" Sean said trying to pick a fight.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Taylor snapped angrily. "Just get in your car and leave me alone."

"You're a broke cop's kid. Don't even think about looking at Harmony. She's not even on your level!"

"And you're an asshole" Taylore snapped back. "Get out of my face!"

Before Sean could reply, Reese stepped out of no where and stood between them.

"Is there a problem, boys?"

Sean looked at Reese. "What's it to you, old man? This is a private conversation!"

"Sean, come on. I need to get home" Harmony said from the car.

Reese looked at Harmony and then back at Sean. "I think you need to take the little lady's advice, Sean.. There's no need to bite off more than you can chew now is it?"

"Who are you, a cop?" Sean snapped. "My parents are lawyers-"

"I'm well aware of who your parents are" Reese said dryly. "Your dad's fucking his secretary and your mother is an alcoholic. You must be proud."

Sean gasped and turned red. "You don't know anything about me!"

"Oh I know all about you" Reese said quietly. "Give your mother a hello for me, will you?"

Sean sized up Reese and decided not to do anything foolish and got back in the car and quickly pulled off.

"Where'd you come from?" Taylor asked.

"I'm parked around the corner. Sorry I'm late" Reese said walking off towards the car.

Taylor followed him and got in. "What's up between you and my Mom?"

"Nothing is up" John replied.

"You two have a fight or something?"

"Or something" John replied. "What did you tell your mother…that I had the hots for her…I believe that's how she put it."

"Well…you do" Taylor said grinning.

"And you reached this conclusion because…"

"Because you do." Taylor insisted. "She likes you too…a lot. I can tell."

Reese laughed. "So…you are cupid, boy?"

"Maybe. She likes you and you like her so what's the problem?"

"Your mother doesn't like me like that" Reese replied coolly.

"Yes she does…she's just fighting it." Taylor insisted. "You're such a badass. You can convince her if you wanted to."

"Maybe she's right. Maybe I'm not interested in her that way and you're overstepping your bounds, Taylor." He said looking out of the window.

"You like her. I can tell."

"I like her" Reese agreed. "We're friends."

"I mean…you like her like a man likes a woman…not a woman friend…but a woman"

"And you don't have a problem with that" Reese asked keeping his eyes on the road.

"Nope. Mom works all the time. I don't think she's ever dated since Dad died. I'm going away to college soon and she'll be alone." Taylor insisted.

"Your mother is a big girl" Reese replied. "She can take care of herself."

"I know that" Taylor snapped. "But she needs companionship and I see how she looks at you."

"And how is that?" Reese said pulling up to the apartment.

"Like you look at her when you don't think she's looking" Taylor snickered.

Reese parked the car and Taylor got out. "I guess I can't convince you to come in, huh?"

"Nope"

Taylor sighed. "Both of you are just stubborn. Why don't you just go with the inevitable?"

"You're way out of line, young man" Reese said looking at the grinning teen.

"Am I?" Taylor asked. "Both of you are wimps and afraid."

"I'm not afraid" Reese insisted.

Taylor smirked. "Yeah right. Well we'll see, won't we?"

Reese was irritated at the boy's words. He wasn't afraid! She was the one that said that men like him didn't date women like her!

The truth was that it would be best if they didn't make any type of connection and remained friends. A relationship would be much too complicated. Taylor was just a kid. What did he know?

He quickly pulled off from the curb and drove down the street, Taylor's words still ringing in his ears.