"John, I promise, I'll be just fine! Please go get some real food," I practically begged, but John just shook his head.

"I'm not going anywhere," he said, not even looking up from his magazine.

I sighed. "Babe, you haven't left this room in 48 hours. You must be going insane."

"I'm fine," he said. Just then the door opened and Ellie walked in.

"How are you doing?" she asked, picking up my chart.

I thought for a few moments. "Pain is at a three or so," I reported.

John finally looked up from his magazine. "Why didn't you say something?" he asked.

"Because it doesn't hurt that bad," I said with a shrug. "I've had worse pain from a migraine. It just feels like I have really, really bad cramps."

"Well, I have some good news for you," Ellie said with a smile. "Everything looks really good, so you get to go home today!"

"You sure that's a good idea?" John asked, and I rolled my eyes.

"John, Ellie is a doctor. I'm sure she knows what she's doing. They'll probably give me a prescription for some pain meds, along with instructions to take it easy."

Ellie nodded. "Although I would feel better if you had someone stay with you until you're able to fully move around on your own," she said worriedly.

I waved a hand at her. "I'm sure I'll be able to manage…"

"I'll stay with her," John announced, putting down his magazine.

"No, you don't have to…" I started, but he cut me off again.

"I want to." Without giving me a chance to reply, he turned to Ellie. "Tell me what she needs, and I'll get it for her."

I knew that I wasn't going to be able to talk John out of his plan, so I stayed quiet while he and Ellie discussed the various details. Once they were done talking, I signed a few forms, and then John was free to drive me home.

It took the two of us forever to get from the parking lot to my front door. Not only because I still couldn't walk very fast, but because everyone wanted to hear what had happened. Thankfully, the cover story that John and I had come up with was fairly simple to remember. The official story was that we had been mugged while coming out of a movie. The mugger had grabbed me to try to threaten John into giving him his wallet, but I had attacked the mugger by using some of the self-defense moves that John had taught me. Unfortunately, I had gotten stabbed in the process. The mugger had escaped while John was busy calling an ambulance.

The truth had a slightly happier ending. After I had passed out in the warehouse, a strike team had moved in and taken everybody there into custody. According to John, I had been a big part in taking out an entire underground group. He wouldn't tell me any more than that, and that was fine with me.

When we finally got inside my apartment, I headed straight for the couch. I was exhausted, and my side was starting to throb. John appeared with my pain meds and a glass of water.

"Thanks, babe," I said. "Once I get up enough energy, I'll move to my room. I'm probably just going to go to bed for the night. Do you still have my spare key so you can lock the door behind you?"

John gave me a look. "I promised Ellie that I would stay with you until you're fully recovered. Don't turn me into a liar. You know how much that would break her heart."

I sighed. "Okay, you win," I said, closing my eyes. "I am way too tired to fight you on this. You going to be okay sleeping on the couch?"

"I'll be fine," John promised. He was silent for a few moments. "We need to talk."

"About what?" I asked, not opening my eyes.

"About what I told you in the warehouse."

"You told me a lot of things in the warehouse, John," I pointed out. "You told me to listen when you said duck or run, you told me that I didn't need to be scared, and you told me to be careful. What do we need to talk about?"

"That I told you I am a secret agent of the NSA," John said bluntly.

I opened my eyes and looked at John in confusion. "You never told me that."

John gave me the don't-be-a-moron look that he usually reserved for Morgan. "Yes, I did."

I shook my head and closed my eyes again. "No, you didn't. I would have remembered that."

"It was right after I freed you from the chair," John tried to remind me.

I smiled and opened my eyes. "John, did you dip into my morphine supply while I wasn't looking? You are not a secret agent. You work at the Buy More." I held out a hand to John. "Could you help me walk to my room, please?"

Instead of helping me to my feet, John scooped me up into his arms. Being careful to not jostle me around too much, he carried me down the hall to my room.

"Allie, we really need to talk about this," he said as he laid me on the bed.

I sighed. "Look, I remember quite clearly what you told me, John. I also know just how important it is that I never breathe a word to anyone, including you, about what was said. I understand that if I talk, people could die. I do not want anyone's blood on my hands, thank you very much." By this point, the meds had fully kicked in, and I was starting to feel drowsy. "Now, if you don't mind, I would love to go to sleep."

John placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. "Get some rest, darlin'. If you need anything, I'll be in the living room."

"Okay," I said, and slid into sleep, knowing that the conversation still wasn't over.

"Am I out of danger?" I asked over breakfast the next morning.

John sighed and put down his fork. "No," he confessed. "I have a pretty dangerous job. There is always the risk of someone finding out who I am. If they can figure that out, then it would be a snap to find how you're connected to me. I'll understand if that's a risk you don't feel comfortable taking."

I wanted to reassure him instantly, but I owed it to him to truly think about it. Was I willing to go through what I had again for the man I loved? Had it been worth it? Could I trust myself to keep John's secret, even from my two best friends? I felt a smile bloom across my face as I realized the answer to all my questions was a definite yes. I reached over and took John's hand.

"I'm willing to take the risk, John, for as long as you want me."

"I will always want you," he said, putting his free hand on top of mine.

My heart started pounding and tears filled my eyes. It was through sheer force of will that I kept my voice steady. "Then I'm yours."

John smiled, took my face in his hands, and kissed me. As I leaned in to the kiss, I felt that all was right with the world, and I couldn't wait to see what the future held in store for us.

A/N: And that's the end! I want to thank each and every person who has stuck with this story the whole way through! I hope you've enjoyed reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!