John came upon Amber Sanderson's apartment complex which was rife with police cars, and other law enforcement vehicles in front of the dark brown building. John made sure he had his stolen U.S. Marshal's badge before climbing out of his car. He flashed the badge to the uniformed cop holding back all the onlookers. He hurried to the apartment complex, and entered. There were several cops going up, and down the stairs.

"Hey who are you?"

"Marshal Jennings I'm looking for Amber Sanderson."

"Bad news Marshal she's dead." the detective motioned for him to follow.

"Cause of death?"

"A stabbing, but we were called in on reports of a gunshot coming from her apartment." the overweight detective sighed as they entered Amber's apartment where several CSU members were taking photographs, and fingerprints upon the entrance. John saw splatters of blood on the living room carpet it appeared fresh, and the glass coffee table nearest the blood was shattered as if someone had fallen onto it. He continued to follow the short man into the back bedroom where he paused a moment when he inhaled the distinct scent of decaying flesh.

"How long has she been dead?"

"CSU gives a guesstimate of a few weeks. Now we need to figure out who was firing a weapon with a dead body in here, and whose blood is it in the living room."

"Thanks detective." John sighed as he headed out of their only lead's apartment. He clicked the small button on his earpiece as he made quick work of the stairs. "Finch."

"Yes Mr. Reese?"

"I arrived at Amber Sanderson's home she's dead. She's been dead a couple weeks or longer."

"So that means she's not the woman after the detective."

"No, but she probably is the woman that was killed to assume her identity to go after Joss."

"Why?"

"I don't know possibly to throw us off the trail of who she really is."

"It could be anyone than Mr. Reese we are back to square one."

"I don't think so Finch. I need to speak to Carter more about what happened on this previous case."

"I looked up Amber Sanderson she was a straight A student at a private college called Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. She was single, and she had a nice job at a local market while she was studying to become a pharmacist."

"A good kid with her life cut short."

"Yes Mr. Reese." John hopped into his car.

"The crime scene had fresh blood Finch, and there was a lone gunshot which brought the police to the apartment in the first place. I think whomever killed the real Amber Sanderson assumed her identity, and had been staying there."

"Do you think maybe the gunshot was a self inflicted wound?"

"No maybe there was a falling out between Root, and Amber?"

"Why would you say that Mr. Reese?" if he had to wager a guess John would say Root didn't take it lightly that Amber had run Harold off the road along with Joss this afternoon. Up to this point everyone that Amber had gone after were of Joss's friends, and family some of which Joss hadn't seen in a while. Which meant there was some underlining digital footprint somewhere pointing Joss in connection with Gabrielle Mandella, and Byron Kennedy that Root used to her advantage. But actively going after Joss with Harold in the car sending his car careening into a tree that might of killed him didn't sound like Root. Root wanted to kidnap Harold not kill him until she got her access to the machine. No the act of aggression this afternoon was born out of desperation, and impulse not of precision, and intelligence like Root.

"Well if this woman that's going after Joss was staying at Amber Sanderson's apartment with a dead body she wouldn't allow that many people inside. If she is working with Root like we believe her to be than most likely Root knows where she was staying."

"Maybe the not so real Amber Sanderson shot Root? If she is as unstable as she appears Mr. Reese its very possible Root was the victim."

"Whomever was shot was injured, but is still alive Finch because there wasn't any trace of either woman other than the blood splatter." John personally didn't care who was shot he wanted to find both women before either one could harm the people he cared most for. "But the bigger question remains why didn't anyone report that the real Amber Sanderson was missing?" John pulled away from the curb needing to head to Carter's apartment first, and then to his loft to seek some more answers from her about this case.

"Well I have an answer for that question the real Amber Sanderson was a loner, and she had just taken a two week vacation off from work so she wasn't due to be at work till today. She didn't really have a digital footprint Mr. Reese her Facebook page consisted of only a few friends all of whom lived far away from her."

"So basically no one even knew she was missing."

"Precisely. I am going to look at the blueprints of the apartment complex to see if they have any security cameras in front of it, or across the street that happen to be angled towards the building."

"While you do that I'm going to head to Carter's place, and than back to my loft to speak with Carter. I don't find it coincidental that Joss's stalker had assumed a young woman's identity that had a prior connection with a case of Carter's. I just hope that Joss can remember some other detail from the case that we don't already know."

She was bored stiff. John was out there in who knows what kind of danger while she was stuck at his loft. She climbed out of his gigantic bed in search of something to do with herself until he arrived back. Joss knew that she had to stay here for her safety, but it didn't mean she couldn't long to leave. Joss shivered a little thanks to being almost naked in his place, and with the wide open space the air cooled in here quickly. His dark gray t-shirt was soft to the touch, and engulfed her much smaller frame. But it didn't offer much in the way of keeping her warm since the hemline reached the tops of her thighs, and she didn't have any bottoms on other than her black lacy panties. She eyed the giant mahogany dresser perched nearest the king sized bed as she weighed the pros, and cons of raiding it in search for something to put on her lower body.

What was the matter with her? It was simply to put something on to warm herself up it wasn't like she was raiding it to get her jollies! But what if he thought that? What if when he got back he thought she raided his dresser to see if he was a boxer or a brief man? She scoffed as if she thought about that all the time! Okay sure she wondered which he preferred on occasion, but who could fault her? The man was gorgeous, and she was just like any normal hot blooded female she could admire a nice male form couldn't she?

"See Joss this is what this man has reduced you into a woman that is having a damned argument with herself over his underwear!" she huffed to the silent room. She lifted her chin forcing her feet to propel her forward towards his dresser. Her hands hovered above the bottom drawer, and she curved her hands into the handles yanking it open before she could talk herself out of it. She exhaled when she saw jeans. Wait John wore jeans? Her eyebrows rose high as a smile graced her lips trying to picture him in them. John in blue jeans now that would be a sight to behold. She bet they were tight too which were her favorite kind. She scowled at herself shoving the drawer shut moving up to the next. She pulled it open seeing several colored t-shirts similar to the one she was wearing, and some still were in the packages.

Okay there were only four drawers, and the bottom two held jeans that he never wore, and undershirts she never got to see. The man only wore white dress shirts and all these undershirts were colored. She yanked open the next drawer to find those white t-shirts he probably wore all the time under his crisp white dress shirts. Which meant the next one she would finally get an answer to her burning question that was now slowly wasting her brain away. Boxers or briefs? Joss didn't pause yanking open the top drawer, and her eyebrows rose high. Now wait a minute all that happened to be in here were socks! Her eyes widened as a thought occurred to her did it mean that John went….

"What are you doing?" she whirled around squeaking as she slammed shut the drawer as she faced the entrance of his loft leaning against the dresser awkwardly.

"HiyaJohn." she cringed as she scurried away from his dresser as he looked away to pull his key out of the lock, and pick up a black bag that was sitting near his feet in the doorway. God she sounded like she got caught with her hand in the cookie jar, but in this case it was in his sock drawer! Her eyes zeroed in on the bag of food in his one hand, and the other held the black one he had picked up from the floor that he must of dropped to unlock the door. The black bag looked awfully familiar, and then it dawned on her it was one of her small carry on suitcases from her place. He eyed her with an expression she couldn't read as he kicked the door shut.

"What were you doing Joss?" he repeated.

"N-nothing." she stumbled on her words as she rubbed a hand across her forehead, and nervously laughed. He nodded his head, and she saw the smirk that was forming on his face. He placed the food on his kitchen countertop before holding out her suitcase. "What's this?" she took the bag from him.

"Finch thought you would like some clothes."

"And you rather me naked?" her words were out before she could stop them, but she couldn't help it. He dare smirk at her for catching her going through his dresser, so why not tease him about how he worded his statement! She plopped the bag down near his bed before turning her eyes back on him.

"I-I meant…what I meant was-" but she waved at him to keep him from stuttering to explain himself. She loved when he got all flustered it was cute, but she kept that little detail to herself.

"I already know the answer to my question John, and now I don't feel so bad about going through your drawers since you went through mine." she grinned at the expression on his face.

"Lets eat." he said. Joss felt like she won round one against him, and she was determined to win the war that he didn't even know he was in.

"What did you get?" her nostrils filled with a sweet aroma, and her stomach growled. She was starving.

"Since I knew I didn't have any actual food here I stopped for some Chinese on my way back here."

"Yummy, what did you get?"

"I didn't know what you liked so I got almond chicken, and Beef Lo Mein"

"A little of both." she grinned opening the bag pulling the piping hot food out. John opened the fridge door turning to look back at her.

"What would you like I can offer beer, or tap water?" she rolled her eyes eyeing the completely barren wasteland of his fridge other than maybe four bottles of beer.

"A beer would be great. You need to take better care of yourself John you don't have any milk in there, or anything for that matter!"

"It always goes bad." he shrugged pulling out two bottles of beer shutting the door softly. He handed her one, and placed his own on the countertop. Her eyes followed him as he walked away to hang up his long jacket along with his suit jacket on the hook next to the door. Joss quietly sat on one of the dark wooded barstools on the opposite side of the large countertop, and shook her head the man didn't even have a table to sit at. He grabbed the barstool next to her sitting down close to her, and she felt the air in the room thicken almost as if it had a charge to it. He rolled up his white dress shirt sleeves to the elbows, and grabbed one of the other plastic forks they supplied them with.

"So John."

"So what Joss?" he kept his eyes on his food, but she saw a small little smile on his face. He paused to open his beer to take a healthy swig of it before eating once more. He looked at her as she continued to just watch him. "What?"

"Oh come on you know what!"

"Not now Joss." she nodded her head allowing him his little reprieve.

"Okay, how about where did you go?"

"I went to Amber Sanderson's apartment."

"And?"

"And she's dead." her eyes widened, and joy filled her heart. The nightmare was over she could get her kid, stop having to hide, and possibly get John to agree to starting something up.

"Great I'm safe that means I can get my kid. I miss him like crazy."

"I know you do Joss, but you can't get Taylor not yet."

"Why not?"

"Because the person stalking you wasn't Amber Sanderson. Amber Sanderson was dead before your friend Gabby, and your mentor were murdered."

"But you said she told you her name was Amber."

"Yes she did, but she could have assumed the young woman's identity to hide her real one."

"That's not good since that means we are going backwards. She was the best bet."

"I know, but I still think it might be connected with that old case because how else did this woman know about Amber Sanderson?"

"True."

"Joss I need to know if you can think of anything else you haven't already told me about that case?" she stared into his eyes. She shook her head softly.

"No nothing John I can't think of anything. We can go over the file together later after dinner thoroughly, but off the top of my head I can't think of anything." she sighed losing her appetite.

"We'll find her, and get you back with your son again." John rubbed her back, and she smiled softly at him.

"Thanks John." she took a healthy gulp of her beer, and they both resumed eating. They ate in comfortable silence for about fifteen minutes until the food disappeared, and she chuckled softly grabbing her tummy.

"I'm stuffed." he sighed standing up, and yawning a little. She nodded her head in agreement with him because she was too.

"I think I overate John." she stood up wincing as she stretched a little.

"You need aspirin?"

"No, no I'm fine just a little sore that's all." John nodded his head, and they just stood there staring at one another. They had been dancing around the elephant in the room, and she couldn't do it anymore. "John we need to talk about it."

"Lets get looking at that file." he promptly turned around, and she sighed. Of course he was going to delay the talk since not many men liked talking about feelings, and men like John it was like pulling teeth. She grabbed her bottle of beer, and followed him towards the other side of the room where his television, and couch sat.

"Fine." she agreed waiting until he sat down putting her beer on his dark wooded coffee table as she sat beside him. He eyed her, and then down to where his shirt rode high on her thighs barely covering her. He cleared his throat before his gaze flickered away.

"You know you could change." which was true because she was freezing her tush off in his place without something on her, but she wanted to see if he would look again. Joss waited for only a moment before she was rewarded for her patience when John's gaze landed back on her body warming her up with his hot gaze. Well that just answered her question of whether or not to go put on some warm pants, and it was a big fat no.

"Yep."

"Why don't you this can wait a couple minutes? You had a long day today, and wouldn't you be more comfortable in your own clothes?" oh he would like that wouldn't he? If she had to use what god gave her to get somewhere with him than so be it!

"I would be." he blinked his eyes at her as she agreed with him, but made no move to get up.

"Alright then lets look at this case file of yours." she hid a smile when he looked at the manila folder dropping the conversation. She resisted the urge to do a victory arm pump since she felt like she won round number two. He handed her half of the papers, and he took half. Joss leaned back into the couch cushions putting her feet on the coffee table in front of her. They sat in silence reading through their halves of the paperwork for a good half hour before something of interest finally popped up.

"Oh my god John this is interesting, and I completely forgot about this." she said as she patted him on the shoulder getting his attention. He looked up from his paperwork, and looked at her.

"What?"

"This." she leaned into him holding out the paper for him to see. He took it, and she pointed at the police report. "George Sanderson's wife Victoria Sanderson filed for divorce it was why we believe he murdered her."

"It says here that Victoria Sanderson filed a harassment charge against a Rhonda Sylar for stalking. Victoria Sanderson had a restraining order placed upon Rhonda six months before her husband killed her. She wasn't allowed to be closer than 500 yards of her." John looked up from the paper.

"When I interviewed Amber Sanderson after her father killed her mother she claimed that her father, and mother were having marital issues for a few years. Amber revealed to me during her interview that her father was having an affair with another woman, but she didn't know the name of the mistress. She told me that her father broke it off with the other woman to try to fix things with her mother with a marriage counselor, and that was about three months before he killed her."

"Could it be this Rhonda Sylar was his mistress, and is now stalking your loved ones? The woman had been adamant that you made her watch the man she loved die, and that didn't fit with Amber since she was the daughter. But a mistress who had been stalking the family for a while might be a better fit."

"It would make sense." Joss felt a glimmer of hope. John reached up, and touched his ear.

"Finch, I have a name for you to check into. Rhonda Sylar." he once again touched his ear before turning his head, and smiling at her. "Good job detective." she nodded her head. Now that they had a possible lead again she wanted that talk, and she wanted it now.

"John?"

"Hmmmm?"

"Can you take your little earpiece out?" he looked at her, and she reached around him pulling out his gun from the back of his pants making sure the safety was on, and then placed it onto the coffee table beside her forgotten beer.

"What are you doing?" he asked but did as she asked pulling the earpiece out of his ear placing it on the coffee table along with his cell phone next to his gun. "We have more of this case file to look through."

"Not until we talk about it."

"Lets concentrate on this." he grabbed the papers, but she snatched them out of his hands placing them beside her.

"No I want to talk about it now. I allowed us dinner, we worked, and now we talk."

"Joss I don't want to fight."

"Then stop arguing with me, and talk to me about it." he shot her a look.

"There is nothing to talk about."

"No?"

"No."

"Well I happen to disagree."

"You are free to do whatever you want Carter just like I am too."

"So he's right."

"Whose right?"

"Finch! He was right that you are going to cut ties with me!" John stood up, and she followed. He had nowhere to go this place was one gigantic room.

"Can we not talk about this now?"

"Oh so you can pretend you never said that you loved me?!"

"You weren't ever supposed to know."

"Why?" he didn't answer her instead he looked away. She rushed around him deciding if he was going to reject her he was going to have to do it face to face. "Answer me John. Why wasn't I ever supposed to know that you love me?"

"Because every time I allow myself to feel something its always taken away from me. I don't think I can handle it if I lost you too." Joss felt herself crumble as he continued to look at anywhere other than at her.

"You won't lose me John I promise." he closed his eyes shaking his head. Joss reached up wrapping her arms around his neck his shirt she was wearing raised up as she did so, but she ignored the shiver thanks to the cool air that met her newly exposed flesh. She had some soothing to do of a man that was wounded inside. He might have scars on his body, but the ones on his soul worried her the most. If she couldn't get through to him she was sure he would disappear from her life. She held onto his rigid body noting the tension in him as if he wasn't accustomed to being held. "I love you John." she whispered in his ear, and she heard a strangled noise in the back of his throat as his body sagged a little in her arms as if in surprise. How could he even think she didn't love him in return?

"Don't." his choked whisper nearly made her want to weep. How could she stop? How did he think she could even try to stop loving him? She shook her head adamantly as she reached up cupping his cheeks forcing him to look at her, but he had his eyes closed.

"There is nothing in this world that could make me stop loving you. " she let go of his face before stepping back grabbing his strong hands in hers. "John look at me." she commanded softly, and his eyes opened slowly. Joss felt like all the oxygen in the room seeped out as she never in her life seen so much desperation in one man's eyes before. "I'm not going anywhere." she reaffirmed needing him to believe it.

"Even if you should?"

"Why should I? What shouldn't I love?"

"Do you even need to ask?" Joss felt tears well up in her eyes feeling like she was losing him.

"Yeah I do because the man I love is kind, gentle, and caring that he would give up his life to protect a person he didn't even know if it was the right thing to do."

"You are making me out to be some kind of savior, and I'm not." a tear slipped out sliding down his cheek, and he pulled his hands away from hers to angrily swipe it away. "I'm not, but you want to know what I am?"

"Let me guess someone that I can't love right?"

"I'm a killer nothing more, and nothing less. Jocelyn Carter the beautiful NYPD homicide detective deserves to love a good man."

"And I do."

"No you don't."

"You know what I see John when I look at you?"

"What?"

"A man that has a tormented past whose trying to move forward, but feels like he has no worth."

"Joss-" she shook her head not wanting to hear it. She placed a finger to his mouth shushing him.

"I love you, and I know you love me. But I know something about you that you don't, and that is you John Reese are worth waiting for." she swallowed the lump in her throat as she forced herself to drop his hands. If she pushed too hard she would lose him completely, and she couldn't risk him shutting her out. She couldn't fix him all she could do was wait for him to realize what she already knew that he was worth loving, and be there when he was ready. Joss turned to walk away, but he grabbed her hand yanking her back to him. Joss couldn't help the surprised sound that escaped her when his mouth latched onto hers hungrily.

Oh god what was happening here? Her heart hammered in her chest as John's mouth fused to hers, and was kissing her like no other man had ever done so in her life. She never felt so much need for her before, and she couldn't say it didn't feel gratifying. He pulled her to him so tightly it was almost as if he was trying to force her through him. Joss wrapped her arms around his neck as he shifted his head deepening the kiss making her feel sensations as his soft mouth was suctioned to hers demanding more of her. Was this really happening or was she imagining it again? Oh who cared if this was a pleasant dream than she would wake up feeling lonelier than ever, but wowzas was this a hot kiss even for her dreams. John's hands were in her hair holding her as he continued to kiss her with such intensity that it was slowly stealing all cognitive thought away.

She moaned in the back of her throat when she felt the warm, wet, and velvety softness of his tongue at her lips seeking entrance in her mouth which she gladly allowed. Oh wow John's tongue was….her brain went on the fritz when John's tongue searched her mouth as if he was seeking some sort of hidden treasure. When she was sure she was going to pass out from lack of oxygen was when the kiss ended, and they stood staring at one another gasping in ragged breaths. She lifted her one hand up to her mouth touching her wet lips as she stared at him.

"Did that really happen?" she asked feeling as dazed as he looked. John was one hellava kisser, and she grinned wanting to repeat that again. But he seemed to recover quicker than she did turning away from her, and she shook her head not about to let him leave her after that kiss! "You don't get to kiss me like that, and walk away John like you didn't just turn me inside out." she snapped following him. She nearly plowed into his back when he abruptly stopped moving to look at her.

"Joss I wasn't thinking I-I just had to kiss you."

"I wish you wouldn't think more often." he chuckled softly which was a good sign in her book. John wasn't leaving, and he looked a lot better than when they started their argument.

"Its hard to fight my feelings for you Joss." she felt her heart soar at that small confession.

"I don't recall anyone telling you to do so John."

"Its for the best."

"I beg to differ John." he sighed a little.

"How about I make a promise to you Joss?"

"What?"

"When this is all over when your stalker, and Root are caught I promise we can talk about where we go from there?" she already knew where they went from there but she wasn't going to say it to start another fight since she was getting her way a little bit. She loved him, and was playing for keeps.

"Promise John?"

"You have my word." she smiled, and nodded her head content with that.

Author's note: I loved everyone's theories on what's going on since I killed off Amber but is she really dead, and how did she survive if she survived? That I will leave you with, and a little hint that something happens in the next chapter that might be a catalyst for the final showdown for everyone involved including the heroes, and our villains :)

Now this convo between Carter, and Reese was going to be WAY more angstier, and it wasn't going to end in a kiss but my muse took me in a whole another direction and personally I like it the way it is less angstier plus John gives Joss a killer kiss who couldn't love that lol. Now, to tease you with this will John or Joss be able to hold out till after the case or will something happen sooner? Will I or won't I tease us for that length of time? :)

Thank you thank you thank you so much for the kind words, and taking a moment to read my story! You guys are so sweet, and I appreciate it :) :)