John kept his eyes on the road, but his mind was on the woman beside him desperately fighting back tears. The ragged breaths she exhaled were of any indication she wasn't having much success. She was on a roller coaster of emotions right now, and he was going to kill Amber for putting her through so much.
"Finch any word yet of how bad Fusco was shot?"
"None. He had called to let me know what was found at the crime scene I heard his partner shout to get down. The next thing I heard was gunshots Fusco's partner shouting they needed an ambulance, and our connection was lost." John flicked a sidelong glance at Joss who was staring out the window, but her stiff posture spoke of her pain. She was blaming herself for Lionel getting shot. "How's our detective Carter?"
"Holding her own, but we need to find them quick Finch." she can't take much more his mind added but kept it to himself. "Joss you know Lionel he'll be alright."
"You don't know that John."
"Actually I do he's like a fungus you just can't get rid of him." John tried for a small joke. Her head snapped her dark brown eyes blazed with anger, and John much rather her pissed off then drowning in guilt.
"Don't speak about him like that!"
"I wouldn't if you would stop blaming yourself for him getting shot."
"How can I not John?"
"He chose not to go into a safe house as did you no one told him not to go in. Joss I know you are worried about him as I am, but try not to assume the worst." he spoke pulling to the side of the curb as they arrived at Byron Kennedy's apartment complex. There was about ten cop cars, a fire engine, and an ambulance all sitting there. He barely stopped the car before Joss was already out of it running over to the ambulance. John climbed out deciding to get close, but stay in the shadows to know if Lionel was alright. John smiled lightly when several cops, and the paramedics moved out of his line of sight so he could see Lionel sitting up on the gurney looking disgruntled.
"Finch, Lionel is alright."
"Detective Fusco is alive?! Oh thank god."
"Yes he appears to have taken my precaution to heart, and wore his bulletproof vest." Reese looked around the area trying to find where a shooter might have been waiting for him. "Finch there are numerous high rise buildings surrounding Kennedy's apartment complex any of them could have hidden a shooter."
"Its safe to assume they have bounties on their heads Mr. Reese. The machine got their numbers all at the same time, and now detective Fusco was shot at by all appearances of a professional."
"Luckily he was wearing his bulletproof vest at the time, but the hitman must realize Lionel is still alive. Which means Lionel is still in a lot of danger, and this next time the hitman tries again it will be a headshot. We need to advise Lionel to go into hiding for the time being until we can get Root, and Amber."
"I will set up another safe location its too risky to place detective Fusco with the already hidden Taylor Carter, and Mrs. McNamera."
"I'll let Lionel in on the good news." John called Fusco, and he watched the man pick up the phone slowly as in some pain. "Hello Lionel how's the chest?"
"Didn't know you cared, but why did you bring Carter?" John watched as Joss turned away from Fusco to look around till she found him as he stood in the back in the shadows. He waved a little at them.
"She was with me when I got the call Lionel that you were shot she wouldn't get out of my car. I can't protect her, and you at the same time. I am not asking this time I am telling you to go into hiding Finch is already acquiring a safe home for you."
"Alright I'll go wherever the walking dictionary tells me to as long as you protect Carter." John smiled as Carter made her way back over to him. Lionel was protective of her which eased his worry when she was investigating cases without him. She had someone looking out for her back when he couldn't be there for her.
"Will do now Lionel go to the hospital I will advise Finch to pick you up there."
"How am I going to explain my absence from work?"
"We'll think of something Lionel." John hung up the phone as Carter stopped in front of him.
"He's going to be alright."
"I know." John smiled sensing her nerves were still frayed.
"Thank you John for taking me with you so I could see him. I don't know what I would do if he-" John placed his hand on her arm when her voice cracked, and she couldn't finish the sentence.
"Its going to be alright Joss."
"It will be since I had a change of heart John." he didn't know what she meant so he waited for her to continue. "You need to concentrate on finding this woman, and Root which you can't do because you are looking over my shoulder all the time. I was selfish in wanting to catch this woman, and it cost a good man his life. Its all my fault had I just listened to you maybe you could have been there in time to save him. I'm so sorry John." tears fell down her cheeks, and he couldn't stand it. She had nothing to apologize for she wasn't at fault. John reached out brushing his fingers against her cheeks.
"You have nothing to apologize for, but I am glad that you're changing your mind about going into a safe home. I know its hard for you to be doing this since its in your nature to go after instead of stepping back, but I will always have your back Carter." she smiled as she nodded curtly her tears ceased. John realized he was just touching her face for no reason, so he dropped his hand away from her soft skin. "I'll get Finch to get you, and Lionel a place together. I can't put you with your son since he's already hidden, but you'll be safe until this is all over." he assured her. She stared up into his eyes, and John felt the air between them change. John's eyes fell to her lips silently wishing she hadn't just licked them making her full lips even more enticing. He leaned his head down unable to fight the feelings she aroused in him any longer when his phone rang. They both jumped back in surprise, and he pulled his cell out of his suit jacket. It was the same blocked number Amber had given him in the bar. His back stiffened as he answered it.
"Hi Johnny." her breathy voice filled his ear. If he didn't know how unbalanced she was he would have said that she sounded nice.
"You shot Lionel. I don't like when people shoot people I consider a friend." he turned away from Carter.
"Is that her? I want to talk to that bitch!" Carter tried to grab the phone, but he shot her a look which made Joss drop her arms to her sides though her eyes remained angry.
"Yeah well I don't like when people are about to kiss a woman that destroyed my life, but I forgive you." John's hand tightened on his phone.
"Mr. Reese it sounds like she knows where you are!" Finch's worried voice filtered through his other ear as he flicked his gaze around the surrounding area. She was near, but he just didn't know where?! John took a step in front of Joss making sure no one could get a clear shot of her.
"But you hurt my feelings Johnny that you would even believe I would shoot Lionel."
"So you're saying that you didn't?" John already kind of figured that out but he was aiming for answers, and maybe a way for Harold to trace the call.
"Nope I wouldn't shoot him I would stab him in the heart repeatedly for being a friend to Jossy." she chuckled. "Ooh lets play a game Johnny lets call it Guess the Shooter! I should market it I think it would kill in sales." she burst out into laughter at her own pun. "Get it Johnny kill in sales oh I crack myself up sometimes." John looked down at Joss's tense body as she looked around her hand at her gun as if readying herself for a gunfight.
"How about Root?"
"Who?"
"You know the woman you are working with."
"Well her name's not Root silly, and good guess but WRONG! Try again." John's grip tightened on the phone getting fed up with her.
"Why don't you come out in the open Amber, and stop these games?"
"You stopped playing my game why?"
"I didn't find it enjoyable."
"You hurt my feelings again Johnny." he heard the tightening of her voice knowing he was pissing her off. Maybe if he could piss her off she would focus her attention on him, and forget about going after Joss.
"Joss is a million times more of a woman than you could ever be Amber. She's got everything you don't she has intelligence, looks, and friends. What do you have? Oh that's right you have nothing except for an empty vendetta against a woman you probably look up too, and is the reason why you despise her now! You aren't even that beautiful when you hit on me the other night I was trying to be nice to not hurt your feelings, but I wouldn't touch you if you were the last woman alive!" Joss's eyes were big as saucers as she eyed him.
"Mr. Reese are you sure antagonizing her is the best possible plan of action?" Finch demanded.
"John what the hell are you doing she'll come after you?!" John ignored both Finch, and Joss he needed Amber to be knocked off her game. She had too much power in this equation he needed to take some of it away. He thought he heard crying, or laughter he wasn't quite sure which one since she hadn't said anything since he started verbally attacking her.
"Johnny you were supposed to be different." her words were shallow, and sounded like she was crying.
"I think about Joss all the time."
"Shut up!" she sobbed, and John knew he had her.
"What's wrong Amber you don't want to hear the truth? You don't want to hear me tell you that I lust after Joss! I think about bedding her all the time, and no woman compares to her especially you!" he listened to the gasping sobs in his ear from Amber ignoring Joss's sharp intake of breath beside him. He didn't really want her to know how he felt about her, but if it was a way to get Amber to stop terrorizing innocent people instead to come after him then he would bare all. He purposely kept his eyes from Joss's as he smirked deciding to go for broke. "I love her." the hysterical sobs in his ear coming from the phone were deafening they were strangled, and angry. John felt Joss grab his free hand, and he looked into her eyes seeing her stunned expression. If it was any other time he would have found it quite humorous that he stunned Joss Carter speechless, but right now it wasn't any laughing matter. He hadn't wanted to admit to his feelings to himself let alone have to bare it out to the world to hear especially Joss's ears.
"Johnny why are you saying these things?!"
"Because it's the truth so leave Joss alone, and come after me."
"No John!" John shot an icy look at Joss who was struggling to grab the phone away from him. He stepped away from her.
"You'll regret being so mean to me John." her voice was cold before John heard the dial tone in his ear, and he quietly hung up the phone.
"Finch-"
"I tried tracing the call, but she's using an untraceable prepaid phone. I am on my way to go pick up detective Fusco now where do you want me to pick up detective Carter?"
"I'm going to take her back to the station you can pick her up there." John grabbed her arm, and propelled her forward towards his car again.
"John did you mean what you said?" she demanded as she had to practically run to keep up with his long strides. Amber was close around here somewhere, and once he had Joss out of harms way he was going to search the city till he found her got her to tell him where Root was, and then deal with her. "JOHN?!" she grabbed his arm pulling him out of his intense focus. He didn't look at her just opened the passenger door for her.
"Get in Carter." he walked around to the driver's side, and Joss finally listened to him climbing inside, and he drove off.
Joss stared at his profile as he continued to drive them to the station in silence. Joss never in her life heard him that way he had been intentionally cruel to Amber to hurt her, and try to piss her off into coming after him. Her mind was stuck on his confessions replaying them over, and over again reveling in the fact that John Reese shared her feelings. But even though she felt elation that it wasn't one sided as she once thought she was petrified of what it meant for their relationship. Where did they go from here? John said he loved her, but did that mean he wanted to see where a more then friendly relationship could go or not? Was she even sure she wanted to try? John had lots of baggage that came with him he was struggling to even believe he deserved to walk the earth. Could she be enough for him to make him want to move forward in his own life?
"Joss stop staring at me." he sighed his eyes still on the road, and she blinked her eyes a little realizing she had been staring at him the entire drive lost in thoughts.
"Did you mean it?"
"Mean what?"
"Don't play dumb John its unbecoming of you! Did you mean it when you said you loved me, or was it just a way to piss her off to get her to go after you instead of me?"
"I meant every word I said." he pulled up to the side of the road near the police station. "You need to go get all the case files of your former investigations Joss, and take them with you when you go into the safe location. Call Finch, or myself if you find something of interest that will help us figure out who Amber really is." when she just continued to sit in his car he looked at her. "Go Joss."
"I can already feel you pulling away from me which I know why, but its not fair to me John."
"Joss just get out of the car."
"Tell me I'm imagining it, and I will. Tell me that by the end of this whole ordeal you will still be there by my side."
"I told you Joss that you're not alone." he looked away staring ahead out the windshield as people walked to get to and from places. Joss searched his face noting the tightening of his lips, the hard edges to his face, and the set of his jaw.
"John I feel like if I let you leave right now I will never see you again, and I can't bare that."
"My feelings for you won't change our relationship Joss."
"That's not it John! You pissed her off what if she tries to kill you?!"
"I can handle myself Joss." the rational side to her knew that it really did he was in the damn CIA, but the irrational side the side that thought with her heart didn't want him to take that risk. He meant too much to her!
"John I need to tell you something." but he shook his head.
"Go now Joss I need to concentrate on finding Amber, and Root before its too late."
"But John-"
"Just go please."
"I will but look at me for a second John." she commanded when he did she grabbed his cheeks in her hands, and pulled him towards her for a kiss. Their lips melded together, and good lord did he feel amazing. Joss hadn't kissed a guy in a very long time, and almost forgot how wonderful the art was. His lips were soft, and gentle for a man that was all hard, and demanding. John's hands lifted into her hair cradling her head sweetly as they kissed. Joss had meant the kiss to last no longer then a few seconds, but she hadn't quite realized just how powerful the pull he had on her would be. But it was John who pushed out of the kiss first before the kiss could deepen. Joss lifted her chin silently loving the dazed look in those sexy blue eyes of his as she opened the car door climbing out of his car. She paused a moment leaning down eyeing him. "Oh, and John one other thing there isn't any guy I've been seeing. I only want you." and with that she slammed the car door shut walking towards the station needing to get those case files before Finch arrived, and try to put what was happening with John aside until they could really talk about their feelings after this was all over.
Author's note: See Fusco is safe and sound :) But uh-oh John just pissed off the psycho, and if you thought things were bad before you haven't seen the next chapter *cue evil laughter BAWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA* here's a tiny little hint for you...something bad happens to two characters :)
YAY our peeps kissed I couldn't resist giving you guys a little taste of Creese since we are all starved for a bit of Creese action(if you minds went straight to the gutter I welcome you to the darkside ;P) and there is no new episode of POI till April 4th(eeep its a birthday present to me since my birthday is April 6th YAY). What are we going to do without POI? *sobs* I need POI!
I got some bad news for you guys or maybe good depending on how much you either like or hate my stories, because after today I won't be able to post till next week sometime I am going out of town from Thursday-Tuesday and with that I am going to be a bit behind schedule on everything, and I will try my hardest to get a post on like next Wednesday or so for you! But as always I thank you to everyone who takes the time to read, and review its awesome that you do it, and I appreciate it a lot!