AN: I apologize for the horrendous spelling and grammar issues in the last chapter, which have now been revised thanks to Carolinagirl919, and thank you for the beta work on this chapter! Thank you for reviewing and encouraging me to continue.

Also as a disclosure, I know this premise has been done before. I'm just applying it to Carter/Reese in the Person of Interest world. As the Sleepy Hollow writers responded to the accusations of stolen ideas─ I'm not ripping you off. I'm ripping everybody off!

SO FUCK YOU NOLAN YOU CHICKEN SHIT! Yes I said it. Just because Carter is gone doesn't mean it's the last of her here within our hearts and minds. In memory of Carter I promise I will finish every single story I ever started with her. And continue for as long as I can think of stuff to write.

"Dry your smoke-stung eyes
So you can see the light
You're staring at the sky
Watching stars collide
Watching stars collide"

"Shallow" by Daughter

Chapter 2

John watched Carter as he sat on the upholstered chair across from the bed with his feet up on the ottoman in front of him. She was nervous, but he did nothing to help her. He just sat there, sweeping his eyes over every bit of her that he could. The scent of jasmine engulfed his senses as she sat at the vanity and applied her hand cream. When she finally turned to him, he gave her a small smirk. She pulled herself together long enough to talk to him. He had no doubt about her strengths as an undercover agent, but he also knew she valued boundaries, and this particular case was going against it hard. Maybe he felt that way because she was pretending to be his wife. He didn't take offense that she seemed unnerved to share a bed with him. On the contrary, he was comforted by her nervousness. It told him she hadn't shared her bed with anyone else for a long time. She wasn't used to sharing this much space with anyone but Taylor.

"Not tired, John?"

She never saw him like this, never this relaxed. They had met for drinks from time to time, took walks, and even shared a meal somewhere, but they had never been in this kind of intimate setting. There was a damn bed and she was dressed in sleepwear for crying out loud. His lips curved deeper into a smile. He was enjoying watching her squirm like this was her first sleep over. She knew there was something; she always knew deep down somewhere that he affected her. Acknowledgement of her feelings for John through her actions and in her dreams is one thing. But admitting those feelings outright, even to herself? She didn't know if she could, let alone to him. Their lives were just a little too messy, and both of them just a little too broken for it to ever work. It wasn't practical, she told herself. He was unavailable. He picked Zoe, not her. That became her mantra to keep her feelings at bay and her sanity in place.

"Not yet," he finally answered. Their eyes spoke the words that their mouths couldn't. Hers saying, "I'm nervous" and his saying, "I know, me too."

"Would you like some tea?" he asked.

The surprise on her face told him she didn't know that he knew of her ritual when she needed to calm her nerves. While most of the time she had a beer or two to wind down, she liked having tea when she was jittery. She was also surprised by how calm he was about all of this. About having to share a bed. About being in character all the time. She then wondered if Zoe would've been a better choice for this mission, seeing as the two of them already had something real happening. It was still safe for now to talk about things, but if Harold was right─ and most of the time the man's research was on point─ then once they went into that adoption agency, they would really have to step up their game.

She followed him towards the kitchen, watching his back as he walked with purpose. He stepped up to the sink and filled the black Le Creuset kettle with water and fished out two cups, the cupboards filled with things she assumed they preferred. "Green tea, right?" he asked, not looking at her as he prepared the tea.

"Yeah, that sounds good," she answered, sitting at the island watching him work.

He looked up at her finally. "Joss, are you going to be okay?"

She closed her eyes for a moment and then sighed looking down at the island top. "I'm fine, John. Just getting used to the situation, the idea of what we're about to do." The idea of having John look at her with nothing but affection in his eyes, having him smile at her like that, touching her, and simply being him set her on fire. She was turning into a hot mess.

He watched her carefully and wondered if the reason for her trepidation was him or the case. He knew her to be compassionate about saving lives, but this was a case with children which usually brought out the worst in them both. Then there was her mission against HR. They probably had eyes on her and now her sudden vacation time had to look suspicious. But Carter gave her superiors a story of how she intended to spend some time with Taylor and her mother; that some time away was what she really needed after her demotion. Maybe HR would fall for the bait. She also had her new partner and rookie, Laskey, a phone call away to keep her updated. While she hardly said anything to John as of late, he knew enough. But he was getting tired of the "I'm fine" answer she had for everything.

"I'm here, Joss. If we're going to do this, we have to talk."

She smiled at him. "I know John, and we will when I have something to say."

After a few beats of silence, he said, "I wasn't there and I'm sorry."

She looked up at him once again, "I know you had things to take care of."

"No, I should've been there. I promised you I'd have your back and I didn't." He had wondered when they'd have this conversation, when would be a good time. He wanted to tell her that he'd have her back now, to trust him again like she used to. While she had told him he'd be her first call, he wondered if she'd wait until it was too late. He feared that she would put herself in harm's way before that call came, if ever.

"John..." She didn't bother finishing her sentence when the kettle started to whistle. He poured the water into the cups and set one in front of her. This time she wasn't surprised when he didn't ask her if she wanted any honey as he put a spoonful into his own cup and grabbed a saucer for them to discard the tea bags on to later.

"So tell me, what does John Warren do when he can't sleep?" she asked changing the subject. She wasn't ready for that conversation yet. She couldn't tell him how she was lying to him, how she was keeping things from him. She wasn't that kind of a person, but for now it seemed necessary. She had learned from the best and yet knowing that, she trusted him.

"He has tea with his wife, occasionally a beer, or a really good scotch," he said taking a seat next to her. She took a moment to look at his bare feet, something she's never seen before, something that she didn't think she'd see ever. But then again, she didn't think she'd ever sit in front of him with a robe that barely brushed her thighs. She concluded that John had very nice feet.

She chuckled. "Does his wife know he was in jail, thought be a vigilante in a suit?"

John smirked. "That's where they met."

She couldn't help the giggle bubbling out of her at that point. It was what he said next that really made her smile. "But hearing his wife's laughter is what really soothes him. Let's him know they can be okay."

Reaching out to take her hand, he watched her reaction. She didn't flinch this time, she wasn't surprised. He squeezed it. It was such a small gesture but it meant so much more than just two people sitting there holding hands. The minutes ticked on, they sat in a comfortable silence. Carter decided that the trust they had built would withstand this. She closed her eyes and took a breath, and John thought she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

They had been through a lot. There were a hundred and one things that they needed to talk about, but he truly felt a peace settle in when she had a smile on her lips and it was because of him. Maybe this is why he almost wanted to tear Ian apart, because he heard her laughter and saw her smile and watched her kiss someone who wasn't him. John hadn't realized how much it would bother him until he actually saw it. When he gave her the blessing with Cal Beecher he thought that she was getting the better man. It had turned out that no man was good enough.

He continued to hold her hand as he told her to calm down and talk it out. But he didn't know if he could lay still with her beside him so close. He didn't trust himself when it came to what would be an act and what wouldn't be. Having Carter play his wife gave him some liberties, but he couldn't help but wonder what this would do to his mental state when he wanted to kiss her senseless and couldn't. For all his bravado in teasing her about her nervousness, he was no better. He was surprised his palms weren't sweating like he felt the inside of him was. It had been a long time since he played house, and he's never played it where he was happily married to the woman of his life.

Zoe wasn't his wife long enough for him to actually care enough to wonder if they were a happy couple or a couple that merely existed. They didn't even sleep in the same bed, not that Zoe didn't try. When he was on missions with Kara they were the couple everyone envied, but for the wrong reasons. The role-playing between them never lasted very long either as Kara would run off to seduce some diplomat or other. When he looked at the woman before him he was breathless. She made him want to know what it really felt like to have a family, to belong to one, to be loved unconditionally and give it back. Even if all of this was their pumpkin turned into a magnificent carriage, he was determined to make it a happy one. He would be the best fake husband he could be, for her.

"Come on let's get you to bed," he said, taking the almost empty cup out of her hands. "Can't have you losing your beauty sleep."

"Why? You gonna upgrade if I get ugly?" she asked as she stood with their hands still connected.

"You know it. I have a reputation to uphold. John Warren only surrounds himself with the best and most beautiful," he said with mock haughtiness.

She laughed, shaking her head. "You'd be a damn fool to let me go."

"Don't I know it," he said looking down at her. "John Warren also works late hours, so you can sleep soundly."

She shook her head, a serious glint in her eyes. "Mr. Warren needs his sleep too, and if we're happily married, I expect my husband to be in bed with me." Then with a curve of her lips she said, "I don't need to worry about him out frolicking around looking for a younger model." She stopped for a thought then added, "Mrs. Warren works late sometimes, too."

He laughed as he pulled her close. She bumped into his chest gently. Her hands landed on his chest as she looked up at him. This time she wasn't scared and running from a man she thought might try to kill her. This time she got to appreciate what it felt like to bump into John Reese. This time he wasn't worried as he looked down at her, a playful glint in his eyes. "We're naturals at this."

"What?" she asked softly.

"Playing house," he said gently. "I think this could be a lot of fun."

"Hmm, you think so?" she asked, a smirk forming on her lips.

He took her wrist and pulled her hand to his mouth, gently kissing the knuckles. "Imagine all the shit we can get into, all the ways we could mess with people."

All the ways he could mess with her was more like it, as her heart raced and her breath caught in the back of throat. She let loose a small chuckle and pushed him away gently. "Goodnight, John. Don't stay up too late. Mrs. Warren doesn't like sleeping alone," she said as she walked away. If there was an extra bit of sway in her walk she didn't notice. She knew she was playing with fire, but it was just too much fun not to.

John noticed the extra sway in her hips as she walked away and he was mesmerized by it. He swallowed and realized that this was going to be torture for him, and not the kind he was trained to withstand. He walked over to the large glass walls overlooking the city and tucked his hands into his pockets. In the darkened reflection he saw himself with a smile on his face. She always had a way of doing that to him.

II

She didn't hear him come in or slip into the bed with her. She didn't notice much once she was finally able to fall asleep. She was finally able to fall asleep once she stopped thinking about how thin the sheets felt, how crazy all of this was, how she didn't know if this was the best idea, her battle with HR, and finally Taylor. But she did feel the warmth of another body next to her. She appreciated his restraints even in sleep to keep a respectful distance between them.

She gave herself a minute to appreciate a sleeping John. This John, for the most part, was unguarded and beautiful. This wasn't something she saw often, but she could say she had seen the man smile truly a few times and it warmed her heart in ways she didn't think was normal. She glanced at him once more before quietly getting out of bed to shower. She thanked the stars that she was up before him. Crusty eyes and morning breath wasn't something she wanted to think about her first morning after.

II

John Reese didn't sleep in, well not normally. There were off days when he might let himself rest a little longer than usual, but never past eight in the morning. So when he looked at his phone resting on the nightstand and saw that it was almost nine, he jumped out of bed. Looking around his surroundings he noticed that Carter was missing, but the distinct smell of French roast coffee floated in the air, and so did the smell of eggs.

When he arrived at the kitchen, the scene before him was something he never thought he'd see. Carter was in a loose royal blue crepe dress and her hair was done in a ponytail. Her look was minimal, but still sophisticated. Her back was to him and he could see the strings of the apron she was wearing.

"Good morning," he said as he took a seat in his previous spot from the night before.

She turned towards him with a smile. "Morning!"

This was a different side of Joss Carter, he realized. This was the woman who woke up early and made breakfast for her son. This was the Joss that compartmentalized her worries for Taylor. This wasn't a show… yet it was. Carter usually wore minimal makeup, her natural skin a wonder in its own right, but this morning she looked different. Still minimal but more potent, he decided. She looked like a Millionaire's lawyer wife. She looked stunning.

"I'm making some scrambled eggs and toast if you're interested," she said as she pushed the eggs around the pan. They were a perfect sunshine yellow with splatters of green, which he assumed to be chives.

He came around the island and stood behind her, reaching for a cup for the coffee. After pouring a cup and assuring himself that he was awake and this wasn't another dream, he leaned over her shoulder and nodded. "I'm interested. Smells good."

She chuckled softly as he moved back to his original spot. Her eyes didn't miss him in his undershirt pulled tight around his toned chest. They didn't miss the almost sun kissed glow his skin seem to have all year around. The way the sun flooding in through the huge windows made him glow like he was some god like creature. Or the way his piercing blues eyes followed her every movement. Suddenly her mouth was dry; she reached for her cup of coffee and took a long gulp.

II

Anna Bradford was a beautiful, slender blonde. She looked to be a meticulous woman. Everything had to have its place. Carter knew from just looking at her that she was a control freak. Not a hair on her head was out of place. She also noticed the way she looked John up and down and smiled at him. Anna Bradford was attracted to John. But then again what woman with eyes wasn't?

"Mr. Warren, it's nice to finally meet you face to face," she said as she shook his hand.

John nodded, shook her hand, and turned to Carter as he gently placed a hand on her lower back pulling her closer to his side. "This is my wife, Jocelyn."

Carter smiled and extended her hand. "Nice to meet you, Miss Bradford."

Anna's smile faltered just a little, but she pulled herself together before taking her hand. "Of course, Mrs. Warren, a pleasure."

Carter noticed the tense posture and the more than firm grip. Anna even did a once over, her eyes critiquing about fifty different things about her. When she released her hand she gestured towards the sofa. "Please have a seat."

John ushered her the short distance, his hand lingering at the small of her back. Anna went around the tasteful coffee table and sat on the opposite side; it was professional yet comfortable familiarity. She offered them something to drink. Both John and Carter requested water and smiled at each other afterwards. Carter took note of Anna mentally noting even that small act away. Once she poured the water and sat down, she was all business.

"I'm going to ask you a few questions based on your application; if you could elaborate and clarify some things. This is just a routine meet and greet for us," she started, looking at them both with a folder in her hands.

"Of course," John answered and squeezed Carter's hand in reassurance like a husband should. Carter squeezed back.

"So the two of you are interested in adopting a child," Anna stated. "Why?"

Carter liked that she was straight to the point, no bullshit kind of woman. But she also felt pressured to give the right answer, to watch for her reaction. She felt John take her hand in his and suddenly she found herself relax. "Well, we are of a certain age and while we've tried to have our own, it seems as if adopting a child who needs love and a home is the right fit for us."

Anna's eyes lingered on her for a few seconds before she nodded and she looked down at the blue folder again. "Jocelyn, I understand you already had a son before you and John met."

"Yes. Taylor," Carter answered with a smile, her mind instantly going to the happy place that is everything Taylor.

"Taylor is almost 18, I see. Is he applying for colleges?" Anna asked, making small talk, while her eyes lingered on John as if the question was for him.

John proudly nodded. "Yes he is─ interested in medicine. He's actually doing a month-long internship in Hopkins for the summer. Smart kid, like his mother."

Carter didn't let her surprise show at the fact that John knew these things. She wasn't really all that shocked, but the smile that came from his answer was a real one. "I'm sure he's learned a trick or two from you too," she replied.

Anna gave them a small smile. Carter could tell there was something that was bothering her, but she didn't quite know what. "How did the two of you meet?"

They looked at each other and couldn't help the smiles. John answered, "At a police station."

"Interesting." Anna's brows quirked. "Tell me more about it."

John sat back and looked over at Carter, his eyes sparkling as he began. "Well I was taking the subway home one night when a bunch of thugs decided I was easy pickings. I decided that I wouldn't go down without a fight. Next thing I know I'm sitting in an interrogation room and in walks the most beautiful woman I've seen."

Carter chuckled softly. "And you had done some damage to those thugs."

John's eyes never left her face as he continued, "Joss was my savior that night."

"Mr. Warren, you ride the subway?" Anna asked, not missing a beat.

John shrugged. "I wasn't always this fortunate and I like the subway. It's a good place to people watch and during rush hour it's a lot faster than driving."

"That's true. Mrs. Warren, you used to be a police officer?" Anna looked sharply at Carter, her eyes boring into her for any sign of weakness.

"Yes. Before I passed the bar, there was a time when being a detective seemed like a good idea, but then with Taylor I felt like I needed to change. It's been almost eight years since I left the force." Carter answered, eyes locked with the woman across from her. Finch had crafted their story from truth. He had altered the evidence of their lives to match everything they were saying today. It was amazing how easy it was, now that most places were updating their filing system into the digital era.

"Is it usual for you to keep in touch with all of your detainees?"

"I wouldn't leave her alone. Really it's my fault," John answered with a small laugh as he wrapped his arms around Carter's lower back. "I just needed to get her attention."

Carter looked at him. "And he tried very hard. Finally, one day I gave in from curiosity."

"You've been married for almost six years and have been dating for eight. Have you tried to have a child on your own?"

This time Carter took John's hand into hers and pulled it into her lap. "At first we put it off because we had other things we wanted to do first. When we realized that Taylor was almost an adult and that the only thing missing was another person in our lives, well, we started to try."

John squeezed her hand. They played the part of the grieving barren couple perfectly; Carter even saw Anna's eyes soften for a millisecond. "We've been trying for about three years now and finally we came to the decision of adopting. It's a chance to give a child who doesn't have anyone a whole lot of love."

Anna closed the folder and with a smile she nodded. "Well, that's all I need to know. I needed to know if you two could commit to this, and I think the two of you make an exceptional candidate for adoption."

"Thank you," Carter said in the most sincere voice she could muster.

Anna once again gave her a tight smile and looked at John. "Do you have any preferences on a child?"

"We just want a baby. No requests on gender or race. It doesn't matter to us because if we do have the opportunity to be parents that baby will be a Warren," John finished. Carter nodded her agreement.

Anna's nod concluded the meeting. "It was lovely to meet you both. I will call you within the next few days to discuss the matter further. I urge you to take this time to really think about this and be absolutely sure that this is what you want."

Carter smiled politely, but something about Anna still bothered her. There was something cold about the woman. She could imagine her stealing babies to give to rich couples who could afford it without a second thought to what she was doing to the parents that are left devastated and ruined for life. She knew she was supposed to follow evidence and be objective, yet there was something deep in her gut yelling warning.

As if John sensed her worry, his hand wrapped around hers. He gave her a nod and offered a smile. Carter nodded back, her eyes speaking her thanks. The exchange wasn't lost on Anna, who cleared her throat softly and broke them from their chat.

Carter stood, followed by John. She extended her hand to Anna. "Thank you for taking the time to meet us. I'm sure we did the right thing in choosing you to help us."

Anna took her hand, giving it a firm shake and then did the same with John. Only with him she added, "It was a pleasure."

Carter was used to women fawning over John. She imagined he got a lot of attention without wanting it. On the few occasions she'd been around to see women appreciate John's god given good looks she found it amusing, but for some odd reason the way Anna's eyes traveled across John's features didn't amuse her at all.

Anna showed them out of her office, but lingered by the reception area to watch them wait by the elevator. They had rehearsed what they would say, how they would act, and what married couples would do in this situation. So when John placed a hand to the side of her face she didn't think twice about it. It was when she felt the slight tremble in his hand that she wrapped her hand around his wrist and smiled at him. He smiled back and the next thing she knew, John had placed his lips on hers. It was a small, sweet, and chaste kiss, but it had her heart hammering in her chest. Her eyes fluttered open; she didn't even know when she had closed them.

TBC

Carter's outfits for visual purposes.

1. Tibi panel stretch-crepe dress in blue