Disclaimer: I do not own Person of Interest or its characters.

Chapter 10

February 19, 2014

Finch rushed to the door when he heard the light rap. He checked the camera, relieved to see John and Shaw waiting outside of the safe house. Finch entered the code and swung the door open. "Is everyone alright?" Finch asked with concern in his voice.

John scanned the immediate area before answering. "Carter and Fusco took Jessup into custody."

"And Ms. O'Malley?" Finch questioned.

"She's on her way to St. Agnes. She was pretty beat up," John responded.

"I expect she had some internal bleeding," Shaw volunteered.

"Oh my," Finch sighed. Before he could ask another question, the other occupants of the house appeared in the foyer. Jessica had her arm slung around a still shaken Isabella O'Malley. Laney stood on the girl's other side.

"Did you find my mom?" Isabella asked in a whisper.

John stepped closer to the young girl, looking her in the eyes. "We did. She's on her way to the hospital, which is where you are going. Your grandfather and Detective Carter will be waiting for you there."

Isabella turned to Jessica. "Are you coming with me?" Jessica paused and her eyes met John's.

Shaw interrupted before Jessica could answer. "No, kid. Jenna and Laney have some things they need to wrap up here. I'll take you to the hospital. I know you remember me. Get your coat and let's get going." Isabella looked at Jessica uncertainly, and Jessica nodded her head trying to reassure the girl. Shaw opened the door and Isabella preceded her as they exited. "I'll drop her at the hospital and then double-check that all is well at the precinct."

"Thank you, Ms. Shaw," Finch replied. He turned to Laney. "I know this has been a difficult few days for you Ms. Burke, but I am confident that it is safe for you to return home if you like."

"Thank you, Harold." Laney glanced around warily, slightly afraid to go home alone. She absentmindedly leaned down and pet Bear, who sensing her unease, stood by guarding the young woman.

"Perhaps, Ms. Burke, Bear could stay with you tonight. I am going to be quite busy tying up some loose ends, and it would help me immensely." Laney smiled at the quirky man she simply knew as Harold.

"Thank you. I'd like that. Let's get your leash, Bear," Laney stated as she followed a tail-wagging Bear into the other room.

"Mr. Reese, you will ensure that Ms. Allen gets home safely?" Harold raised an eyebrow at John.

"Yes, Harold," John responded.

"Alright then. Take care, Ms. Allen. Ms. Burke, if you are ready."

Harold held the door for Laney. She paused briefly and hugged Jenna. "I'll talk to you soon." She then stopped in front of John. "Thank you for everything. Next coffee is on the house," she said smiling.

"Take care, Laney," John said softly as he watched Finch, Bear and Laney exit the safe house, leaving him alone with Jessica. Both Jessica and John stood awkwardly at the door uncertain of how to begin. Jessica stared at the floor, shifting uneasily from foot to foot. Finally she lifted her eyes to John.

"I had quite an enlightening conversation with your girlfriend earlier. She has a way of telling it like it is," she started. John opened his mouth to reply when Jessica cut him off. "Wait, John. Before you say anything, please let me get this out. I don't need to know the specifics of why you didn't come and where you were all of those years ago. I have my suspicions," she said with a soft smile. "But I realize that I was blaming you for things that weren't your fault. I am sorry, John."

"I'm sorry too, Jess. I wanted to come."

"I know because even though we've both changed, I fell in love with your heart. And I know that hasn't changed or you wouldn't be doing whatever this is," she said gesturing at her surroundings and then reaching for his hand.

"And here I always thought it was my devilish good looks," he said trying to lighten the mood. Jessica laughed, a genuine smile gracing her face and reminding him for a moment of their carefree time in Mexico.

"Good to see you haven't lost that trademark arrogance." She paused and then lightly kissed him on the cheek.

"I am happy for you John. I'm not going to pretend it doesn't hurt like hell knowing that you are in love and starting a family with another woman, but I know that we weren't meant to be. Maybe if things had been different, but we are where we are." She swiped at her eyes and turned to face the door. "Mind giving a girl a ride home?" He gave her a half-smile and opened the door, following her to the elevator.

Joss stood up from the plastic waiting room chair and stretched her tired, stiff limbs. She glanced to her right at Isabella O'Malley, seated in the next chair. Isabella had her knees tucked up to her chest, her head down. Joss thought about the trauma the poor child had endured in the last few months. She placed a motherly hand on Isabella, rubbing her back to comfort the young girl. She stopped as she saw Lionel Fusco stroll into St. Agnes. She quietly crossed to the other side of the waiting room, so that Isabella would not hear their conversation.

"How are you holding up, Partner?" Fusco asked with concern in his voice.

"Exhausted physically and emotionally. Did Jessup get through booking?" she asked.

"He's on his way to Rikers, little bastard. On suicide watch. Any word on Allison?"

"She's in surgery, internal bleeding."

"And the kid?" Fusco said gesturing towards Isabella.

"Hanging in there after all she's been through. Shaw dropped her off about an hour ago." She had to admit she had been disappointed when Sam Shaw entered the hospital with Isabella, and not John. "Were you able to reach George?"

"Yeah, he's on his way. Guy is distraught. I hope he doesn't have an accident on the way," Fusco stated. Joss looked behind Fusco and caught a glimpse of someone eavesdropping from the corridor.

"Lionel, give me a second. Stay with Isabella." Joss walked down the hallway and turned the corner to find Tony Marconi, leaning against the wall and rubbing his eyes tiredly. "How are you holding up?"

"Have there been any updates? I know she's in surgery," he asked quietly. Joss placed a hand on his arm.

"Not yet. Sabatini said he would let us know something as soon as he heard. She had some bleeding. They think as a result of the beating, her spleen ruptured." Without warning, Tony jerked away from Joss's grasp and slammed his fist into the opposite wall. Several other waiting room occupants turned to stare at the two. Joss held up her badge. "Everything is fine." She glanced around the corner and saw Lionel give her a questioning look. She nodded her head silently to reassure her partner.

"I should have been there," Tony whispered. "I should have stopped it."

"What is it with you men? You don't control everything. Sometimes bad things happen. All you can do is fight like hell to make it right." Before Joss could continue, she saw Sabatini rounding the corner. He stopped in front of them.

Wearily, the elderly doctor adjusted his glasses and ran his hand through his hair. Joss and Tony waited silently for him to speak. "She made it through surgery. They had to remove her spleen and transfuse some blood, but she should make a full recovery. She won't be awake for a few hours. I'm going to take Isabella to my house, so maybe she can get some rest and George will be here by then. Thank you both for what you did for my daughter and granddaughter." With a nod, Sabatini walked across the waiting room and knelt beside Isabella, picking up her coat and guiding the child out of the waiting area.

"I think some sleep would be good for all of us," Joss said quietly.

"You go. I'm going to stay here. Someone should be here," Tony responded adamantly.

"Ok, just stay out of sight. I wouldn't be surprised if the precinct sends over some unis to guard her room until we confirm that Jessup was working alone."

Tears pricked Joss Carter's eyes as she unlocked the door to her brownstone, just as the first morning light streaked the sky in pink and orange. She couldn't pinpoint why she was crying. The urgency of hunting Cameron Jessup had taken precedence over her warring emotions. She hadn't even had time to process the events of the last few days and what they meant for her personal life. Sighing, she dropped her keys on the table at the front door and draped her coat over the couch. She wished Taylor was home, but she had asked Paul to keep him for the duration of this case. She didn't feel like being alone in her empty house. Tiredly, she climbed the stairs to her bedroom, not registering that the TV was on. As she crossed the threshold, she stood stunned to find John lounging on her bed, flipping channels.

"Surprised to see me, Detective," he smirked at her. She laughed at the expression on his face as he turned off the infomercial on her TV.

"I figured you would be wrapping things up at the safe house," she responded as she changed into her pajamas he had laid out for her on the edge of the bed.

"Everyone is safely at home," he informed her.

Carter sighed and flopped onto the bed in exhaustion. She turned to face him, leaning her head on her arm. "John, where does all of this leave us?"

Taking her hand and bringing it to his lips, he then reached out and brushed her hair away from her face. "I thought we cleared that up last night."

"There was a lot going on last night, John. I won't hold you to anything said in the heat of the moment. I know you must have talked to Jessica when you went back. So is this letting me down easy?" she questioned, concern in her eyes.

Exasperated, John reached for her, pulling her into an embrace. "Joss, I've told you. Jessica is my past. I care about what happens to her, but there is only one woman I love. Do you understand me? Or should I be concerned that you want out of this relationship?" he asked staring into her brown eyes.

"You know that I want this," she said. "But even without the Jessica issue, things just got a lot more complicated," Joss stated, resting her hand on her stomach. John placed his hand on top of hers.

"We'll figure it out, Joss. After all, we have Harold on our side." She smiled and laughed. "But on that subject, we do need to talk about you placing yourself and our child in danger."

Pulling away from him, she sat cross-legged on the bed facing John. "You knew what you were getting when you got involved with a homicide detective." He opened his mouth but she lightly placed her finger over his lips. "John, you know me. No one is more important to me than Taylor and his safety and of course that is how I feel about this child. I am going to continue to do my job, but I will not take unnecessary risks. As much as I loathe desk duty, I won't be working the streets much longer. At least not until the pregnancy is over. That doesn't mean that I'm going to tether myself to my desk. You have to trust me."

"I know what kind of mother you are, Joss and I know that you would protect your children with your life. I just don't want it to come to that. After the last few months, when it comes to you, I'm on edge. I came too close to losing you. I know I can't lock you away from the world to keep you protected, but sometimes I wish I could."

Carter crawled across the bed until they were nose to nose. "How about I promise to be extra careful and wear my vest and you try to live for today? John, we don't know what may happen tomorrow, but we do have today and this moment together."

Without warning, he flipped her onto her back and leaned in giving her a deep, sensual kiss. When they finally broke apart, he responded "I think I can go for living in the moment." Before she could respond, he captured her lips again.

A few short hours later, Joss found herself strolling down the hall of the post-surgery ward of St. Agnes. She convinced her lieutenant to send her to take a preliminary statement from Allison. As Joss rounded the corner, she saw Tony pacing at the end of the hallway. She walked towards him placing herself in his path. "You look like hell. Did you get any sleep?" she asked.

"No. I've been waiting to hear if she's awake. There have been several nurses and doctors in and out in the last fifteen minutes," he responded. Before Carter could inquire further, both turned at the sound of someone running down the hall. Carter immediately recognized George O'Malley. He had clearly come straight to the hospital, his hair mussed and his suit jacket wrinkled. He didn't slow his pace as he bounded into Allison's room.

"He got here a few hours ago. I've managed to avoid drawing his attention all day," Tony stated in a monotone. Wordlessly, Carter and Tony approached the cracked door of Allison's room and peered through. Allison was awake and embracing a tearful George.

Carter turned to face Tony. "I can distract George if you want to talk to her. I'm sure she wants to see you."

Tony shook his head at Carter and began to walk away. "The past needs to stay in the past, Detective. Watch your back. Until next time." Before Carter could protest, he exited through the doors at the end of the corridor. Carter sighed and lightly knocked on Allison's door.

"Come in," George O'Malley called. Joss walked into the room and George smiled. "I was hoping I would see you, Detective. Thank you doesn't seem like enough for what you did for Allison and my daughter." he said as he held Allison's hand. Joss wanted to tell George that it wasn't just her, that there were other people who were instrumental in saving Allison but she knew she couldn't.

"Thanks are not necessary. I was just doing my job and speaking of my job . . . George, could I have a few minutes alone with Allison? I won't be long. There are just a few questions I need to ask. We'll take a formal statement later," Carter asked.

George faced Allison and she nodded her head in assent. "I'll be fine. I don't mind talking to Detective Carter." George seemed reluctant to leave her but quietly went to the door.

"I'll be right outside. Keep it short, Detective," George stated as he left the room.

"What do you need to know, Detective?" Allison asked.

"We have a pretty clear picture of what happened at the house. What do you remember about when you were in the gym?" Joss queried.

"Everything is kind of hazy. My dad says it's because of the concussion. I know this sounds crazy, but I thought a friend of mine from childhood was there. I haven't seen him in years. I don't even know if he is still in New York. I guess it was being back at Millbrook after all of this time—all of the memories Cameron dredged up."

Allison paused and had a faraway look in her eyes. Carter waited silently for her to continue. "Something like this makes you wonder about all the what ifs in your life. What if I had never gone out with Ben Jessup? Where would I be today? You know I didn't even want to date him back then but the guy I wanted thought of me as a little sister. What if I had told him back then?" Allison stopped again and gazed out of the window as snowflakes started falling in the waning light of sunset. "But you can never go back can you? And even if I could, I don't think I would. The Jessups caused me and a lot of others so much pain but after everything, I know I'm a very fortunate woman. Without all of this I may have never met George and had Isabella, the two loves of my life. I'm sorry. You don't need to listen to all of this. I know I'm rambling. I think it's the pain meds."

Joss gave her a reassuring smile. "It's ok. We can always do this later. Take care, Allison and get some rest. I'll send George back in." Allison reached out, grasping Carter's hand.

"Thank you for everything," she said. Carter patted Allison's hand and released it, exiting the room. She took a deep breath. Allison was right. You can't live in the past and she was exceedingly grateful that John had come to the same conclusion. Unconsciously, her hand skimmed her stomach as she buttoned up her coat against the chill in the winter air. She smiled, knowing who was waiting for her when she got home. Life was going to be complicated; it always was with them but she knew as long as they were a team, they could make it work.

Tony Marconi was three rounds in at the dive bar two blocks from St. Agnes when the brunette entered and sat next to him. Staring at his empty glass, he suddenly saw a shot being pushed in front of him, as if his alcohol supply was magically regenerating. Without turning to see his benefactor, he downed it. It was straight tequila, the good stuff. He signaled the bartender for another shot of whiskey, to join the three he already consumed.

"You look like you started early," the voice beside him stated. Tony swiveled to face the woman to his left. Sam Shaw took another shot as Tony Marconi remained silent. "So I'm guessing you're drowning your sorrows because you didn't get the fairytale. That's the problem with you guys—too many emotions. Have some drinks, have some fun and don't get bogged down in the crap. Too much drama."

Leaning in closer to the petite brunette, Marconi asked, "So that's your philosophy?"

"Damn straight," Shaw declared as she pushed away her empty shot glass. "Bartender, another round," she signaled and then angled in her chair towards Marconi. "Not wimping out now are you? What's it going to be: more drinks and fun or brooding and drama?" Quirking his eyebrows at her, Marconi smiled and took another shot.

A/N: I hope you're not too disappointed that Tony didn't get a happy ending with Allison. This is the last chapter except for the epilogue. Thank you all for reading. I've really enjoyed writing this story and reading all of your reviews. Thank you for making me feel so welcome in this fandom!