A/N: Shaw vs. John for Carter?
As always, enjoy x
Saturday 18th April 2014, 5.58pm, Bridgehampton, New York
As they drove with the sounds of The Doors and Shaw's loud crunching of crinkle-cut potato chips, the appealing thought of screwing Joss senseless was on his mind. It shouldn't have been because Finch had sent them the CCTV footage of a Roma gang that ran a successful illegal horse racing ring upstate.
"You're slipping already." Shaw told him. "You missed the junction."
"I'll take the next one. What's your problem, Shaw? You know you never had a shot."
"You don't know that." She said with conviction.
He cleared his throat. "Actually I do."
"She's a sorority girl, the possibilities are endless." She stated casually, surprised he didn't have a retort. "You didn't know?" He didn't have to look at her to know she was smirking with the satisfaction of knowing something he didn't. "What do you know about her?"
"She has a birthmark on her back." He fired back, hoping to shut her up.
She slurped her drink so hard he could hear the ice at the bottom. "I'm serious. And what does she know about you? Are you gonna lie awake and talk about all those missions you were on? All the orders you took? There's a reason why you stay alone when you've done what we've done; it's not for us, it's for them."
"Coming from a woman who's most functional relationship is with a dog."
"They looked from dog to man, and from man to dog and couldn't tell which was which."
She punctuated her butchering of the end of Animal Farm with another long, obnoxious slurp and he turned up the volume in protest.
6.40pm, Joss' apartment
As the only stylist she let touch her hair since she joined the NYPD, Janelle was more than a hairdresser; she was an image consultant, a confidant, and her mother's informant. By asking what state her hair was in when she sat in her chair, and what Janelle did to it, Evelyn knew what was going on and if there was a man in her life. So when she heard Joss' press showed signs of humidity and sweat, she eagerly called her on Saturday evening around the time she would've been getting dressed for a date, that's if she had a man around to take her on one.
"Jocelyn," She greeted, melodically.
"How's it going, Ma? How was the Botanical Gardens?" She switched windows on her tablet and flicked through the shoe website she'd heard about at the hair shop.
"You know they've got a Healing Plants exhibition on? All these plants from the Amazon rainforest. I told Gregory, if they want healing plants they should go to South Carolina not South America."
"I hear you." She replied, zooming in on some strappy shoes she knew would make her feet hurt but she was going to buy anyway.
"I heard someone got their hair pressed yesterday."
"I always get my hair pressed on Saturday." She replied, matter-of-factly. Evelyn often initiated this game of gleaning information and the best defence was to give away as little as possible.
"Hmmm. You sound relaxed."
"I am; Mike called about the car, I signed for it today."
"Good, the sooner he's driving the better for all of us. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." As soon as she said, she didn't know if it was true or not.
"I was thinking it's a shame about Calvin. But you did all you could and you should find peace in that, Jocelyn."
She sighed. "Thanks Ma."
"So we'll see you tomorrow? Gregory's playing a special arrangement of Abide with me."
"Of course, fifth row from the front."
"Good...any plans for this evening?"
Taylor dragged his feet past her and headed for the kitchen like a lovesick puppy looking for a snack. So instead of lying, she resolved to make him feel better and take her mind off the man in the suit. "I'm taking Taylor to a boxing match."
"Oh...that's nice."
To an untrained ear, Evelyn seemed satisfied for the moment, Joss knew she would probably bring it up again after lunch when her defences were down. She didn't know why she was buying new shoes; It seemed so futile, John wasn't a pick-her-up-and-take-her-out kind of guy, he was a man whose whereabouts were mostly unknown. But she clicked the checkout button anyway.
9.08pm, C. Finn Convenience Store, Bridgehampton, New York
Shaw was handling John's indifference and her jealousy as well as could be expected. When a gang member showed up at the convenience store to convince "Herbert" to sell tickets for an upcoming race Shaw didn't hesitate to slam his body against the car.
"The next time-" Slam. "Herbie here-" Slam. "Tells you-" Slam. "He's a hardworking man-" Slam. "Who doesn't want any trouble-" Slam. "Believe him."She pulled him up so she was nose to bloody nose with his face. "You'll believe him, won't you?" The man mumbled something incoherent, blood was running down his face. She looked dead at John. "See there? Communication." He wondered if that was how he looked. "Now tell whoever sent you, that Herbie's store is clean and it's gonna stay clean 'cause if it doesn't they'll end up looking like you; the guy with the broken arm."
"Whaa?" The man asked as she pulled him to the ground in a Kimura arm lock.
John understood what Finch meant about her use of excessive force and grew disturbed by the man's cries coupled with the glee on her face. He pulled her off him and dragged her to her side of the car. "I get that you're mad – madder – tonight and in some weird way this made you feel better, but I can't let you do this." He opened the door. "Are you gonna get in voluntarily?" She didn't budge, her adrenaline was pumping and she really wanted to get back on the floor and put the man in a submission move of her choosing. "Just get in voluntarily Shaw." He sighed and spoke through gritted teeth. "Please, get in the car Shaw." She got in the car begrudgingly, and slammed the door behind her.
11.41pm, Maximum Sports Bar & Restaurant, Midtown, New York
The waiter dressed like a referee brought another serving of onion rings and buffalo wings, a root beer and a margarita.
"I didn't order that." Joss corrected him. "I asked for a lemonade."
"It's from the guy at the bar, ma'am."
Taylor looked over her shoulder and spotted a man who was tall, dark and hopeful. "Tay, stop staring, he'll think I'm interested. Take it back please, I just want a lemonade."
"Sure." The waiter took the drink away and Taylor smirked as the man's face turned from hope to disappointment.
"Take note, that is not how you show a woman you're interested." She advised. "If you like a girl, talk to her and ask her out. And if she says no, just take it on the chin."
He smiled, she was back to giving unsolicited advice. "And what if she's already out?"
"I don't get it." She noticed he was looking over her shoulder again. "Stop that, he's gonna come over here and then I'll have to turn him down and it'll be really awkward..."
"Then spare my feelings and let me down easy." She looked up at his resting mischievous face and shook her head. "Don't just stand there John, pull up a seat."
Taylor pushed the basket of onion rings in his direction and got up. "Where are you going?" Joss asked, feeling set-up and tag-teamed.
"Pinball machine. Hey John."
"Taylor." He nodded, finding Joss' annoyance amusing.
"Is this what I get for asking you to call first?" She asked, when her lemonade arrived.
"Joss, there are no rules we have to follow. So from now on, no rules, safe words maybe, but no rules. Okay?"
She rolled her eyes. "You know no rules is technically a rule right? And if I recall correctly you've been breaking every rule I've set since the day we met, starting with the law, then that thing about personal boundaries."
"Are you gonna eat those?" He asked, referring to the buffalo wings.
"No, bon appetit."
He rubbed his hands together. "Good. Did you enjoy last night?"
She looked around, the noise was enough to drown out any conversation but she couldn't fathom why he'd chosen a public place to have a private discussion. "You know I did." She said, hurriedly.
"You think a lot. I noticed."
"You did?"
"You think about what others think of you."
"I think a lot of what I think of me, John. Anyway, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be out somewhere raising hell with Shaw?"
He stared at her. "Isn't it obvious?"