AN: Sorry guys, Comcast trying to fix a problem chewed up 4 days (and hours of stress headaches with their customer service from hell) and my dog was sick for 2 meant I had little time to post and this is the earliest I got a chance to. Thanks for being patient.

John exited Joss's bedroom later in the morning, showered and dressed. Too bad he didn't have his razor here so he could get rid of his two day old stubble; his face was beginning to itch. He took the stairs slowly unsure if Taylor was home or already left for school. "Already staying over huh?" John shifted his gaze instantly to where he heard Taylor's voice: the kitchen. He was leaning against the wall and eyeing the stairs, munching on a sandwich. "It's PB and J, would you like one?—my mom says I make mean ones," Taylor offered.

He felt a smile twitch on his lips, was there any way to mess it up? But he didn't comment on that but rather said; "I haven't had one of those since I was about your age."

Taylor's eyes nearly bugged out of his face. "Seriously?"

John slowly entered the kitchen as he followed the teen who promptly pulled out two slices of bread. "Do you like crunchy or creamy peanut butter?" Taylor asked distractedly as he moved to the pantry.

"Creamy…"

Taylor looked over his shoulder with a smirk. "My mom does too. I'm the crunchy lover," he admitted before pulling out the creamy peanut butter. He was trying to make John comfortable, who looked ready to bolt out the door. His mom had told him about John yesterday, about finding him after the failed attempt at dinner and that they decided to try a relationship. He was happy because John was a good guy and his mom deserved nothing but the best.

He finished making John's sandwich and waited with bated breath as the man took a bite. He saw the look on John's face and smiled. John liked his sandwich. "Your mother is right Taylor, you do make mean peanut butter and jelly sandwiches," he admitted.

"Thanks…"

They both ate quietly. This was new territory for them both; his mom never had a guy stay over before. He met Cal once and that was it. But John was different. He wasn't just some guy she was seeing; John was the guy who probably didn't know he was the guy.

"How's school?" John inquired and smiled a little when he was met with a groan only a teenager sick of school could make.

"Same, I can't wait to graduate, though I think mom can," Taylor muttered with an exaggerated sigh. "I think sometimes my mom regrets not being around much when I was growing up because she had to work so hard," he admitted thoughtfully as he munched on his own sandwich. But he turned out okay. Sure he didn't have the conventional upbringing but he wouldn't trade it for the world. His mom was his hero.

John nodded. "Being a single mother is hard. But at least you have your dad now, better late than never."

"I take it you were raised by a single mom too," Taylor said gently.

"Yea, my father died when I was eleven."

Taylor smiled around his food at the fact that Mr. Badass actually answered. He didn't expect it. John didn't like talking much about his past. They played one-on-one basketball at least once a month or more often when they could, and John would always kick his ass too. It stung his ego to have a guy in his early forties just run circles around him and hit threes from anywhere on the court while he couldn't hit the broadside of a barn, but it was a fun escape. Sometimes they would collect a crowd of girls ranging from old to young, but sometimes it was quiet and just them. During those times they usually talked about school, what he wanted to do as for a career, sports, and other things. But not once did John ever talk about his past and anytime Taylor got too close John switched the subject.

John didn't add anything further as he quietly ate the sandwich. "Do you need a ride to school?" he asked gently after polishing off the sandwich in record time, moving to the refrigerator to get something to drink. He'd forgotten how good a peanut butter and jelly tasted that was made on fresh soft bread, crust and all.

"If you wouldn't mind it sure beat out having to take the subway there," Taylor murmured as he finished his own sandwich. They walked together with bottled waters before Taylor paused to collect his backpack as John tugged his coat on. "For what it's worth, John, I think you and my mom belong together."

John stopped short as the boy locked up the house and turned to face Taylor directly, who just smiled as he said; "You guys weren't smooth around each other, John. My mom would watch you when you weren't looking, and you…you were the worst one for that. I swear a bomb could go off and it still wouldn't make you stop watching her."

"Teenagers are the worst know-it-alls," John grumbled as he turned to head down the front stoop with the teen at his side. Taylor laughed but John sighed as he saw Shaw leaning up against his car with her hands in her pockets in her long wool coat, her hair pulled back, and smirk residing on her otherwise emotionless face. He should have known that Shaw was going to pull such a stunt.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" she asked trying to imitate innocence but failed miserably.

"Who are you?" Taylor asked. Judging from John's look of annoyance it was someone he knew and didn't want here.

"Taylor this is Shaw, she's a…a friend of mine and your mother's. Shaw this is Taylor, Carter's son."

Shaw eyed the hand the young kid held out before taking it. Carter's kid sure was a looker. Her dark gaze slid onto Reese as she grinned at the annoyed look on his face. "So you and Carter, eh?—when were you planning on sharing with the class?"

"I figured you would sleep in this morning, Shaw." he said instead of answering her. He sure wished he could wipe the smug look off the tiny assassin's face.

She shrugged as she made no attempt at moving from against his car door after letting go of the teen's hand. "A mystery needed to be solved first, now that I know you're doing Carter I can get back to my life of not caring," she answered dryly.

"Ugh, T-M-I, Shaw, T-M-I," Taylor complained mildly before stepping back.

Shaw eyed Taylor sharply. "What does that mean?"

"Too much information," he retorted ruefully before turning his gaze onto John. "I'm just going to take the subway, but thanks, John."

He watched as the kid turned and headed off leaving him with Shaw alone. John looked at Shaw. "Why do you care about Carter and me?" he asked with a heavy sigh.

She snorted. "I don't. Not about you and Carter anyway; but there is a steak dinner up in the air and I figured if Carter is being happily banged by you then I'll get that steak dinner that you almost cost me."

He called for all his patience he ever learned through his numerous years in the Army. "Shaw, I'll buy you ten steak dinners if you promise to keep your nose out of my business with Carter from now on," he bartered. If there was anything he had learned about Sameen Shaw in the few months of knowing her it was that food seemed to be her first and last thought of the day.

Shaw shook her head. "As tempting as that offer is, I'll pass. I never promise anything unless I know I can keep it and, besides, it's your fault anyway," she murmured as she shifted away from the car.

"My fault?—how is your inability to keep out of my and Carter's business my fault?" he demanded.

Shaw shrugged. "You're the one that told me you put trackers on your friends so you don't lose them. So thanks for the idea," she stated with a dark chuckle.

John glared at her back as she moved to her own car. "Shaw," he called out, not about to let her have the last word. She turned to look back at him. "It's good to know you think of me as a friend. I'm touched," he deadpanned. He watched the small woman's face scrunch up into a scowl as he climbed into his car to drive away.

They fell into a comfortable rhythm. It wasn't all work and no play for her and John because in between working her cases and helping him with his numbers; they found time to spend together romantically. They would have dinner at her place as she had yet been given an invitation to his. Joss finally got a dinner date at a nice Italian place and alone, without their friends, and it was fun to get all dolled up for John. It was like before when they were just friends but better. Not just because of getting to kiss him whenever and wherever she pleased, or the out-of-this-world sex even though those both were amazing bonuses but because John was slowly opening himself up to her. It was slow but gradual and she was honored to be bestowed with such a wonderful gift of knowing the real John, not the one that everyone else saw.

Also John was so damn touchy when they were alone. He was always touching her now and she loved his inability to stop. If he wasn't rubbing or holding her hand it would be a soft touch to her hip, if not the hip then he was resting a hand on her thigh or her butt. At night he would hold her all night and not let go, not that she wanted him too. And since the change of their status from friends to more he had spent every night at her place regardless if her son was there or not. So with that in mind Joss had made a drawer in her dresser empty and made space in her closet so he could keep some clothes here. And he did. He had a few pairs of boxer-briefs, dress pants, jeans, undershirts, and his crisp white dress shirts in her room. But it didn't end with just her bedroom because her bathroom was full of his cologne, aftershave, razor, shaving gel, comb, and everything else in there that mixed with her things creating a mess on the countertop but she loved the chaos. She loved having to sift through his things to find hers. It felt so natural and meant to be.

Their friends learned the truth rather quickly and after pleading with Shaw to not say or do anything that would jeopardize the budding relationship between her and John; things were quiet thankfully. Root had been smug on the machine's behalf which was the only time she had mentioned it which left both her and John grateful. Joss didn't need Finch to say a word to know that he was ecstatic about the shift in their relationship.

Christmas was going to be interesting. It was blatantly clear that John hadn't celebrated the holiday—or any holiday—in a very long time and was a little rusty. John had tried to pull a Houdini when she told him that she and Taylor were going to decorate their place for Christmas or at least he tried until she ordered him to stay to help. Usually it was only her and Taylor, so it was nice to have an extra pair of hands to put lights up on her front stoop. Once that was complete she put the men to work by having them put up the artificial tree and decorate it while she got to work on baking her Christmas cookies. Joss rarely did any kind of baking except for this time of the year. She would always make her signature Santa sugar cookies and even go all out and use colored icing to make them really come alive. It took a while but the smile on her son's face was enough to make it worthwhile. And this year it included a smiling face of John too, who eyed the cookies with that beautiful genuine smile that she was getting to see more and more often.

But gifting John was going to be damn well near impossible. Her son was easy: clothes, video games, and a new Apple iPad. But John…what did you get a man who didn't want a single damn thing? John wasn't exactly huge on material possessions. Taylor and she had spent an entire Saturday afternoon shopping for him and nearly came empty handed. Her boy resignedly got John some cologne and a couple of giftcards to restaurants while she got John a new leather bomber and a few shirts that weren't dress shirts. But the clothes was just a prelude to something better….but just what? Joss sat long and hard trying to think up an idea of what to get John and finally came up with one when she noticed something John did in her home a lot. Now that she had an idea there was only one person who could help her.

Finch.

She entered the small diner that her peculiar friend agreed to meet her at. Joss smiled as she saw him seated, looking out of place in such a casual diner in his three piece suit that probably cost more than a year's worth of her salary, in the back booth eating what appeared to be eggs Benedict. "Good morning, Finch," she greeted as she slid into the seat across from him.

A waitress appeared at her side. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"Coffee," she ordered with a smile. The waitress nodded and was gone in a flash. Joss focused her gaze on her friend. "So how did you manage to evade John's questions about where you were going without him being suspicious?" she wondered out loud.

Harold smiled. "I told him I was having brunch with a colleague and if I wanted to keep up pretenses that Harold Wren was a real living breathing person I had to be there, so he and Ms. Shaw must handle their new number on their own for the time being," he explained logically.

The waitress appeared with her coffee but left instantly once she realized she wasn't ordering any food. Joss got right to business. "I asked you here for a favor Harold,"

"I figured as much and I suspect it has to do with John or you wouldn't have cared if he knew we were meeting for brunch or not," Harold agreed. In fact he was sure that she would want John there. Since the two began dating they had been pretty much inseparable.

"It's nothing bad. It's for John's Christmas gift actually. I've struggled to think up anything that he could possibly want. John's not exactly a material possession kind of guy," she muttered wryly.

Harold smiled a little. "No, John most certainly isn't one to hold much value to material possessions," he agreed equally amused.

"But I think I finally managed to come up with something but I'll need your help."

"Anything Jocelyn," he assured quickly. Jocelyn rarely asked for help and he was grateful that she trusted him enough to help her with whatever she needed.

Joss worried her lip as she remained quiet for a few moments. "Before you agree, Harold, you should know up front that what I need you to do isn't legal. I need your expertise…with computers. I need you to hack government files," she said lowly to keep the conversation between them.

Finch didn't even bother to hide his surprise as his eggs comically fell off the fork as he held it halfway to his mouth. "I beg your pardon," he said in disbelief. The detective…was asking him to commit a crime?

Joss leaned over her coffee cup. "I need you to hack the CIA to find out where they shipped John's belongings when he was 'officially' deceased due to their hand. There's no guarantee that they still have his things but there is a chance, so I got to try and I need your help," she replied simply. She knew that this was a lot to ask of anyone but if there was anyone that she trusted to get what she needed quickly and without drawing attention to himself it was Finch. John had told her all about being burned by the CIA and what happened with Kara. It still hurt to think that had he not realized what was going on after Kara shot him that he might have been inside the building that exploded…

"May I ask what is it that you're looking for, Jocelyn?" Harold asked. While hacking the CIA wasn't new for him, being asked to by Jocelyn was.

"Pictures, I know about what happened to his family back from when I ran his name after investigating the Arndt case with Donnelly." she remarked. She didn't include the fact that after Jean got her John's name she had run him through the database and found out who he was before he became John Reese, CIA agent. "I watch him eye my pictures of me and Taylor on my mantle and it got me to thinking that perhaps he might have some old family photos of his parents and of himself that are lost to him right now. If I could somehow find them then I could make a scrapbook with them for Christmas and it would be a special gift that is better than anything I could ever find at a store."

It was no wonder John had fallen in love with the detective; she was truly a very beautiful soul. She wanted to get John something better than anything money could buy. "I can help you, Detective." Harold reassured. "But let me finish my brunch first before we head to Times Square."

"Why there?"

His lips twitched up into a smile. "Well, when you're hacking a government agency you want as many people around as possible so you can have some anonymity," he replied seriously.

"Oh…"

With that they fell into silence as she sipped her coffee and he finished his meal.

AN: If you guys are waiting for a mushy sweetness than the next chapter is for you! Thanks for reading!