TOO SOON?

Disclaimer: I do not own original SVU characters.

"Walker," Cragen called from his office. He made a 'come hither' motion with his finger. Bella sighed and glanced across her desk at John, whom shrugged. She stood up and slowly trudged towards his office like a child reporting to the principal's office.

"I'm assuming this has something to do with what happened yesterday with Stockett?" she said as she stepped into the office and closed the door behind her. Cragen motioned to the seat in front of him and held out the twizzler canister in offering. Bella took two pieces of licorice and settled back into her seat.

"You assume right. She's launched a complaint with 1PP over your outburst yesterday," he said.

"What?" Bella exclaimed as she bit the end off of her candy a bit violently.

"I can't say that I blame her. Your attitude yesterday was highly unprofessional."

"But, Captain-"

"No buts. If I ever hear you talk to anyone in this building like that again, you're done. Got it?" Cragen said seriously. Bella shifted in her seat and pouted.

"Got it," she mumbled. Don smirked when she crossed her arms and nibbled on her candy like a child that just got scolded. "So what do I do about the complaint?"

"I talked to the commissioner. He and Trina are willing to let it slide if you write Trina a formal apology," he sighed when Bella immediately began shaking her head.

"There's no way in hell I'm writing her apology. She let a rapist and murderer off easy when John and I could have easily gotten the same information," she said with a sneer.

"It was a stupid thing for her to do, and she's answering to the DA board about it. If you don't write this apology you're going to be on desk duty for the next month," he said. Bella again shook her head.

"No way. I rather take desk duty," she said seriously.

"You acted out of line and need to take responsibility for it. Swallow your damn pride and write the paper," Don snapped. Bella pouted once more, but nodded her head.

"Yes sir," she said in defeat.

"Good. I want it on my desk tomorrow morning, okay?" Bella nodded and stood up. She stretched her arms over her head and yawned.

"Got it. Can I go now?" she asked with a nod to the door. Don waved his hand in dismissal. Bella quickly walked back to her desk and sat down rather roughly. John closed the file he was working on and pinned her with a questioning gaze.

"Well?" he coaxed. Bella looked up at him with a scowl.

"Stockett made a formal complaint against me," she hissed. John's eyebrows rose.

"How long are you on desk duty for?" he asked with a sigh.

"A month," she paused and sneered, "Unless I write Stockett a formal apology letter." She glared at him and threw a paper clip at his face when he began to chuckle. "It's not funny, you ass hole!"

"What are you going to do?" he asked once his laughter had died down. Bella scowled and puffed out her cheeks. After a moment, her frown turned into a slow forming smile. John narrowed his eyes when she stood up and came around to sit on the edge of his desk. She crossed her legs and grinned at him innocently.

"What?" he asked cautiously.

"Would you write it for me?" she asked with a voice like honey. John scoffed and began to lay out the folders he needed to take home with him.

"I'm pretty sure they can tell the difference between my handwriting and yours."

"You can type it!"

"No," John said with a shake of his head. Bella pouted and looked around the near empty squad room to make sure no one was paying particular attention to them. She grabbed his hand, making him immediately stop what he was doing. He quirked an eyebrow when she leaned closer to him.

"Oh, come on. You do me a favor, and I'll do you one," she bit her lip and raised her eyebrow suggestively. John swallowed rather thickly and looked around the room nervously for anyone who could possibly over hear their conversation.

"Are you trying to bribe me?" he asked with a grin. Bella laughed quietly.

"Is it working?" she asked. John took his hand back so not to draw unwanted attention and went back to packing up his files.

"That depends. How do you plan on paying me back?" he asked coyly. Bella laughed and started packing her own files up.

"What do you want?" she asked quietly as they shrugged on their coats. John hummed in thought. He was quiet until they got into the elevator and the doors closed behind them. He wrapped his free arm around her waist and brought her forwards to kiss her forehead.

"Just a kiss," he said seriously. Bella looked up at him with a shocked expression.

"A kiss?" she asked in disbelief.

"Is there a problem with that?" he asked. He smiled at her confused look.

"Well, no," she said slowly, "I just had something else in mind is all," she said with a small giggle. John looked down at her over his glasses and brushed his knuckles against her jaw.

"What did you have in mind?" he asked with a large grin. Bella looked away and hid her shy smile behind her hand. John chuckled and took a step away when the elevator doors chimed open.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"I think I'm done," John said from his seat on the couch. Bella lifted her head from his shoulder and tore her eyes away from the TV to look at what he had typed. He watched as her eyes skimmed over the lines and her mouth formed the words silently. A frown fell on her lips when she had finished and looked up at him.

"I sound like a kiss ass," she said in mild disgust. John scoffed.

"Bella, you're supposed to sound like a kiss ass in an apology letter," he said sarcastically. Bella pouted and huffed.

"I know. I just," she paused and scowled, "I just really hate that evil woman," she hissed. John chuckled.

"Why do you hate her so bad?" he questioned.

"She's a bitch," she said immediately.

"So are plenty of other people we work with, but you don't hate them," he reasoned.

"She's also a crappy ADA!"

"Now you're making things up. With the exception of yesterday, she's a damned good lawyer and you know it," he said with an amused snort. Bella sat up straight and folded her arms.

"She's good at her job as far as the legal aspects go, but she sucks when it comes to handling the victims. She doesn't take the time to bond with them, or reassure them. Plus she's always up my ass. She hates me just because I'm your partner. Did you know she smiles at me over her shoulder whenever she's all over you?" she said with a growl. John smirked.

"Is that why you can't stand her? You're jealous?" he teased. He immediately wished he had never opened his mouth when her lips twisted into an angry pucker. A red flush started to creep up her chest and neck onto her face, as it always did when she was angry.

"I wouldn't have anything to be jealous about if you'd tell her to lay the fuck off," she hissed. John sighed and tried to grab her arm. She scooted backwards, angry pucker still in place.

"Bella-"

"What, you didn't think I noticed when she followed you over to the coffee station yesterday morning? She was practically mauling you, and you didn't say one word," she said through gritted teeth. John took his glasses off and rubbed his burning eyes. They'd barely been dating a little over a week and he had already managed to screw something up.

"What am I supposed to tell her? If I tell her I'm seeing someone she'll dig into it until she figures out that it's you," he questioned.

"So what? You said that we'd tell Cragen once we figured out what we're doing," she stood up and glowered down at him, "Stop jerking me around and tell me what you want from me," she said before she started to stomp her way to the kitchen. John felt his anger snap as he wrapped his hand around her wrist and yanked her down onto his lap roughly. Bella slapped his chest and struggled against him.

"Let go!" she yelled. John tightened his arms around her and dodged her attempts to slap him. He grabbed her face in his hand.

"Are you going to calm the hell down and talk to me like an adult, or are you just going to scream at me and not let me get a word in edgewise?" he asked in a low voice. Bella stopped struggling and looked down at her lap. She tangled her fingers together in embarrassment.

"Sorry," she said quietly. John loosed his grip around her waist and caressed her sides in a silent acceptation of her apology. He kissed her ear when she leaned forward, buried her face in his neck, and laid her hands on his chest.

"I'm not jerking you around. I told you what I want. What do I have to do for you to trust me?" he asked. He felt her shake her head and take in a deep breath.

"I do trust you. I just don't like watching someone throw their self at you. How would you like it if I let that guy from civil court hit on me in front of you?" she asked. John frowned and bit the inside of his cheek. He hated that punk lawyer. He hit on her anytime there were around the courthouse.

"You're right. I'm sorry," he said softly. Bella lifted her head and hesitantly looked him in the eyes.

"Me too," she said just as softly. She leaned forward and kissed him gently. John cupped her face in his hand and ran his thumb over her lower lip when they parted.

"You're awfully cute when you're mad," he said with a grin. Bella laughed briefly and kissed his thumb. "Still want to go out for dinner?"

"Sure. Where do you want to go?" she replied with a smile.

"How about that steakhouse that just opened up uptown?" he asked. Bella raised her eyebrows.

"John, that place is really pricey," she said hesitantly.

"It doesn't matter. Besides, that means I get to see you in another dress," he said with a wiggle of his eyebrows. Bella giggled and kissed his cheek.

"You're not just doing this because I was mad at you, are you? Because I'd be just as happy to wear a dress and cook you dinner here for free," she said shyly. John laid his forehead against hers and intertwined his fingers with one of the hands that were on his chest.

"So, you don't want to go?" he asked.

"We can if you want. Or, I can cook for you. I'll even let you pick out my dress," she said with a crooked smile. John smirked and brushed his lips against hers.

"Is that what you want?" he asked. Bella thought it over for a moment and nodded. John shrugged.

"Alright, if that's what you really want."

"It is. What do you want? I can cook steak if you're still in the mood for it," she said before she craned her neck down and kissed his neck.

"That sounds good," he paused and titled her head up to kiss her lips, "Now comes the fun part: picking out your dress," he said with a large grin. Bella giggled as he shifted her off his lap and made his way to her closet. She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his slim waist as he threw open her closet's door.

"Dresses are to the right," she said against his shoulder. He smiled when she stood on her tiptoes and placed a kiss to the back of his neck. He took his time inspecting each dress that he came to. He paused when his hand landed on a black dress. It tied around her neck and was completely backless. It was long, possibly floor length. He fingered the soft material before grunting a sound of approval. He took it off the hanger and handed to her.

"This one," he said with a smile. Bella took it from him and nodded.

"You realize if I have to get all dressed up, you do too. Right?" she said with a smile. John groaned in feigned annoyance. She laughed and kissed his jaw.

"I guess I can handle going and changing into a pair of dress pants and a fancier shirt," he sighed. Bella rose to her tiptoes and kissed him.

"Give me about fifteen minutes, okay?"

"Does it really take you fifteen minutes to put on a dress?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Bella rolled her eyes.

"Yes, now get out and let me get ready," she said. John huffed and popped her on the butt, making her squeal and laugh. She pushed him out of her bedroom and locked the door so he couldn't get back in.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Exactly fifteen minutes later, John reentered his partner's apartment, clad in an actual suit and black dress shirt. He paused when he heard the bathroom door open. He smiled when Bella stepped out, still fussing with her hair. The dress he had picked out accentuated her figure and clung to her hips and legs until it pooled at her feet. She swept a long curl over her shoulder and bit her lip against a shy smile.

"You clean up well," she teased once she was standing in front of him. John smirked and wrapped his arms around her waist. His hands splayed over her bare lower back and his fingers tangled in the ends of her hair.

"So do you. You look beautiful," he smiled when she grinned and looked away with a blush creeping across her nose and cheeks.

"Thank you," she said quietly. She pressed a soft kiss to his lips and wiggled out of his arms. "What do you want with your steak?"

"Food," he said with a large grin. He laughed when Bella shot him a glare over her shoulder.

"What kind of food, smart ass?" she said with a huff. She opened the freezer and pulled out two decent sized steaks.

"The edible kind," he teased. He laughed and caught her hand before she could smack his chest.

"You're ridiculous," she said with fake annoyance. He watched as her lips twitched in an effort not to smile.

"Baked potatoes would be fine," he said, finally answering her question. Bella rolled her eyes and snatched her hand away. He tilted his head to the side when she bent over the bin that held the potatoes. The clingy material of her dress stretched over her ass and thighs, giving him a rather tantalizing view. His gaze traveled up her back and over the elaborate lines of her tattoo.

"Are you going to stare at me, or help me?" she asked with a giggle. She stood up and looked at his reflection in the window. John smirked and crossed his arms.

"I think I'd rather stare at you," he answered with a boyish grin. Bella laughed and motioned for him to come help her. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He moved her hair aside and placed a kiss to her neck, making her smirk.

"See? This is much better than staring at me," she said with a soft laugh. John grunted in agreement and laid his chin on her shoulder. He watched as she started rubbing a dry rub mixture on the already tenderized steaks. After she had finished and put both the steaks and potatoes in the oven, she opened the liquor cabinet and motioned to the top shelf, which John had come to dub: The Wine Shelf. She ran her finger along the impressive collection and stopped at an old bottle with a dark red liquid inside. She raised her eyebrows, and at John's nod, she pulled it out and motioned for him to get two glasses.

She poured them both a small amount and sat the bottle on the counter. They toasted glasses and both took a tiny sip. John moaned and raised his eyebrows. "What is this?" he asked as he took another sip.

"Sagrantino di Montefalco. I'm not sure what year it is, but it's pretty old," she said almost proudly. John hummed and took another tiny sip.

"I've never heard of it. Where did you get it?" he inquired. He quirked an eyebrow when she suddenly started to twirl a curl around her finger and shift nervously.

"Uh, I stole it," she said quietly.

"Come again?" he asked in shock. Bella giggled and shook her head. John sat his glass down and grabbed her arms to keep her from walking away. "Oh no, you can't just end with that! What do you mean you stole it?" he asked in amusement. Bella grinned and sat her glass down too.

"When I was seventeen, my friends and I broke into an old warehouse that made some kind of machinery equipment. I found it in a janitor's closet, so I took it," she said with a shrug. John's mouth opened in surprise.

"Gee, you weren't kidding. You really used to a bad ass," he teased. Bella smirked and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I still am!" she said with a smile. John laughed and ran his hands down her hips and onto her thighs. He buried his face into her neck and kissed the skin above her pulse. His hand slid back up to grope her ass. Bella giggled and pulled his hand back up onto her back when he started to squeeze. "You can't have dessert until after you have dinner!" she teased. John smirked and slid his hand back down to its original position.

"Not even a little taste?" he coaxed. He licked the curve of her ear and smiled triumphantly when she gasped and tilted her head to give him easier access. He trailed his lips down the side of her throat and gently tugged on her hair until she rolled her head back into the palm of his waiting hand. He placed a tiny kiss to the very center of her neck. The vibration from her quiet hum in her throat tickled his lips as he kissed his way down her throat to her shoulder. His free hand slid up her back and fingered the tie around her neck. Bella once again giggled and reached around to grab his hand.

"Nuh-uh," she mumbled against his temple. He felt her smile against his skin when he huffed in annoyance.

"Tease," he accused. He lifted his head back up and nipped at her bottom lip.

"No I'm not," she said in between kisses.

"Prove it," he challenged. Bella laughed and laid her forehead on his.

"I already have! This is just our second date, and you've already seen me over halfway naked," she said with raised eyebrows. John chuckled and kissed her nose.

"Does that mean I'll get to actually see you naked this time?" he asked playfully. She giggled when he wiggled his bushy eyebrows.

"Maybe if you're lucky," she bit her lip and looked up at him through her lashes. John sighed and kissed the freckle high on her cheek.

"Damn, that's a no then. I'm Jewish; my people aren't known for being lucky," he said sadly. He smiled when Bella started laughing hard enough to make her grab her stomach. She kissed him one more time then pulled away to check the food in the oven. John grabbed the wine bottle and poured them each a bit more. He held out her glass and smiled when she accepted it with a gentle brush of her fingers against his.

"You never know, you might actually get lucky for once," she said quietly. He licked his lips as she took a drink and winked at him.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Would you please stop that?" Bella squealed through laughter as John put a dollop of soap suds from the dishwater on her nose for the third time that night. John laughed when she leaned over and rubbed it off on his shoulder. He finished washing the last wine glass and pulled the plug out of the sink. He dried off his hands and walked behind her while she started rinsing off the glasses. He reached around and toweled off her nose. His eyes drifted down the graceful arc of her neck to the top of her breasts. The towel soon followed his line of vision. Bella giggled and turned off the water.

"What're you doing?" she asked in amusement.

"Drying you off," John replied with a grin. Bella turned around in his arms and took the towel from him to dry her hands.

"I'm pretty sure my chest was dry," she said with a raised eyebrow. John immediately shook his head.

"No, there were a few drops of water. You just didn't see them," he said with a straight face. Bella laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Whatever you say," she conceded. He smiled and watched her hips sway as she walked into the living room. He glanced at the record player sitting on the entertainment center and smiled wider when he was struck with an idea. Bella turned around when she heard him rummaging around. "What are you doing?" she asked. He didn't reply, but held up a finger in a "hold on" motion. Finally finding the Eric Clapton record he has been searching for, he lifted the needle and placed it on the turn table. Wonderful Tonight starting playing softly as he turned around and held out his hand.

"Come 'mere," he said with a soft smile. Bella laughed shyly and took his hand. He wrapped his arm around her waist and she laid her hand on his chest. They started to sway slowly along with the music. "You're short," he commented. He laid his chin on the top of her head. She looked up and kissed the bottom of his chin.

"No I'm not. You're just really tall," she teased. John snorted and looked down at her.

"I may be tall, but you're still short. You can't even reach the top shelf in the supply closet at work," he grinned when she scrunched up her nose in annoyance.

"Shut up," she huffed. John laughed and kissed her nose. Her pout turned into a smile as she rose onto her toes and kissed him. When she continued dancing on her toes, John looked down at her feet in mild awe.

"Doesn't that start to hurt after a while?" he asked. Bella shook her head no.

"Nope, I've danced for so many years it's just as normal as walking. That's why I don't really notice I'm walking around on my toes until you say something," she replied somewhat shyly. John nodded and took a step back. He twirled her around by the hand and watched in amazement as she turned on her toes without so much as a wobble. Her sense of balance was extraordinary. He pulled her back into his arms and shook his head.

"I'd break my ankles if I tried that."

Bella chuckled and said, "I still think you should let me teach you how to dance."

"Why? You're the only one of us that looks good in tights," he said with a look over his glasses. Bella laughed and rolled her eyes.

"How would I know that? You won't wear a pair for me," she said with a little pout. John snorted.

"Never going to happen," he said with a shake of his head. Bella sighed, making the older detective laugh.

"Would you at least try on a leotard?" she asked. The barely held back laughter was ruining her attempt to sound serious. John rolled his eyes.

"Let me make this clear to you," he started, "I would do anything for you, except, wear anything that involves Ballet." Bella laughed against his lips when he kissed her. He then kissed her forehead and pulled back enough to look down into her mismatched eyes. That almost overwhelming fluttering sensation reappeared in his gut, making him suck in a deep breath.

Bella sucked on her bottom lip. The brown eyes locked on hers made her shift anxiously on her feet. She had never been looked at with such intensity before. She felt his hand leave her back and rub up and down her arm. She looked down and was surprised to see chill bumps going up and down her arms. "Cold?" he asked quietly. Bella looked away shyly and smiled softly.

"No, you just do that to me sometimes," she said in almost a whisper. John smiled and traced his lips along her temple to the tip of her ear.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing to me in that dress?" he asked lowly into her ear. He felt the hand on his chest grip his shirt. He exhaled somewhat heavily when she gently pressed herself against him. She looked up at him through her lashes and with parted lips when she felt him pressed up against her lower stomach. She cleared her throat and closed her eyes briefly.

"Stay the night," she said softly. John swallowed hard when it suddenly felt like his heart was trying to escape up his throat and out his mouth. He brushed his lips against hers before resting his forehead against hers. He released her hand and ran his thumb over her lips.

"Are you sure? I have no problem with waiting if you aren't ready," he reassured. Bella shook her head and slipped her hand up to wrap around the back of his neck.

"I want you," she said right before she pressed her lips against his. John groaned into her mouth when her words shot a wave of pleasure throughout his body. She pulled away from him with a tiny sigh and took the needle off of the record player. A tiny smirk formed on his face when she walked back to the kitchen to turn the ringer on her home phone all the way down. After turning the light off, she walked back into the living room and made a show of turning both of their cellphones off. She then turned off the living room light. The moonlight spilling in from the window made her ivory skin glow. She gave him a shy smile that wreaked havoc on the butterflies in his stomach when she took his hand and started to slowly lead him to her bedroom. She released his hand with a gentle squeeze to turn on the lamp on her night stand.

"Nervous?" he asked when he saw her fumbling with her hair and nibbling on her lip.

"A little," she admitted, "I haven't done this in a while." John smiled and pulled her forwards.

"Neither have I," he said softly. He kissed her reassuringly and ran his hands up her back until he reached the tie of her dress around her neck. He untied the knot in one swift motion and watched as her dress slipped down her body and landed at her feet. He bit his cheek to keep from moaning when she was left in nothing but a white thong that tied on the sides with sapphire colored ribbons. Trying to hide the fact that his legs were starting to feel weak, he sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled her onto his lap.

He watched as she unbuttoned his shirt and slipped it off of him. She tossed it behind her carelessly to the floor and kissed him as she started to work on his belt. "Wait," John said as he pulled away from her lips. She tossed his belt backwards like she had his shirt and looked up at him expectantly.

"What?" she asked. She paused with her fingers wrapped around the button of his pants.

"I don't have anything with me," he said with a raised eyebrow. Bella smirked and gently took off his glasses.

"That's okay," she folded them up and placed them carefully on the nightstand, "I'm on birth control." John grinned and kissed her cheek.

"Well, in that case," he said right before he wrapped his arms around her tightly, "Never mind." He swiftly turned them around and laid her down gently. His grin widened at her giggle. Her hands resumed unzipping his pants while she sucked on his bottom lip. She pushed his pants down his legs and then kicked them off with her feet. He chuckled at her aggravated huff when her foot got tangled up in the pants leg. When she finally got her foot free, she gently took his face in her hands and dusted kisses from his forehead all the way down to his chin. He caught her lips with his own before he kissed his way down her neck to her breasts. He took his time on each of the rosy red peaks until she was writhing underneath him with his name on her lips.

He moved down lower to kiss her stomach. He took time out to kiss each of her ribs on either side of her body, loving the way her body twitched as she tried not fidget at the tickling sensation. He paused and kissed the skin above the waist band of her underwear. He watched in silent awe as she trembled underneath him. He had never had a women be so unbridled with him before. It was exiting to know he could draw that kind of reaction out of her. He turned his attention to the tiny birthmark curled around her hip bone. He traced it with his tongue and smiled when she sighed sweetly.

He scooted down in the bed and looked up. Searching her face for hesitation, and finding none, he gently pried her legs apart. He continued to watch her face as he lightly dragged his finger up the center of her underwear. Her eyes fluttered closed and her head drifted back onto the pillow with a quiet moan. Her hands fisted in the sheet to either side of her when he hesitantly wrapped his fingers around the waistband of her underwear. Her hips immediately lifted when she felt him start to tug. He slid the material down her long legs and tossed it to the floor. He took a deep breath and bit his lip as he once again parted her legs. He moaned at the perfectly trimmed, narrow line of tight curls that led down to her slickened folds. He unconsciously licked his lips and leaned forwards.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"I have to pee," Bella's quiet mumble stirred John out of his somewhat dazed state. He looked down at his partner and smirked at the satisfied look on her face. Her eyes were closed, and a content, lazy smile played on her swollen lips.

"Then go pee," he answered. Bella hummed sleepily and kissed his shoulder.

"I can't. My legs feel like jello," she said with a tiny giggle. John snorted and grinned at the nice stroke to his ego. Without so much as looking at him, she knowingly reached up and placed her hand over his mouth. "Stop looking so smug," she said with a small laugh. John chuckled and kissed her hand.

"I guess you're just going to have to hold it until morning then," he said after he had gently pried her hand from his mouth.

"I don't think I can. You're going to have to carry me to the bathroom," she slurred sleepily. She finally opened her droopy eyes and looked up at him.

"That's not going to happen," John said with a quiet laugh.

"Then I guess we're going to be sleeping in a wet bed," she shrugged. John shook his head and ran a hand over his face. The things that came out of his partner's mouth when she was sleep deprived never ceased to amaze him.

"I don't think so," John said as he wrapped his arms around her thin frame and rolled her around to the other side of the bed. He threw the covers off of her and pushed until she was flailing and trying to catch herself before she fell backwards off the bed. John grabbed her before she actually had the chance to fall. She giggled and slapped at his chest, sufficiently wider awake than she had been seconds ago.

"You're such an asshole," she said with a laugh as she stood up. She stretched her arms over her head and winced when muscles she forgot she had started to ache. She turned and started in the direction of the bathroom.

"I'm not the one that threatened to wet the bed," he called after her. His eyes drifted down her bare backside appreciatively to the tiny dimples on her ass. She paused at the doorway and looked over her shoulder.

"It's my house. I'm allowed to mark my territory wherever I want!" she said with a wiggle of her eyebrows. John laughed and laid his hand over his eyes. She was utterly ridiculous. He shook his head in amusement and rolled over. The scent of her floral shampoo on the pillow caught his attention, making him inhale deeply. He sighed and pictured the way her hair had splayed out around her head like a halo while she cried out his name. He had never had a lover so responsive to him before, or so willing to give.

He raised his eyebrows and looked down in shock when he felt an interested twitch at where his thoughts were leading. The last time he had recovered that fast, he was still in his thirties! He scooted over in the bed to make room when he heard the bathroom door open. A smile formed on his face when she waltzed back into the room and quickly slid underneath the covers into his arms. She froze immediately when she felt his arousal against her thigh. She raised her eyebrows and looked up at him with a tiny smile.

"And what exactly were you thinking about in the short time it took me to go the bathroom?" she asked with a flirtatious grin. John smirked and rolled over top of her. He nuzzled her cheek for a split second and then kissed the tip of her ear.

"I rather show you instead of tell you," John smirked when her giggle quickly turned into a moan as his hand drifted down between her thighs.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The first thing John Munch was aware of the following morning was his very beautiful, and very naked, partner was curled around his body like a boa constrictor. The second was that his back was shot nine ways to hell. It had been a while since he spent all night doing that sort of strenuous activity, and his back was taking the brute force of it. He scowled when the world old popped into his head.

His scowl turned into a soft smile when he heard Bella make a small sigh. She moved impossibly closer and buried her nose in his neck. He glanced up at the digital green numbers of her alarm clock and sighed. They only had a few more minutes before it would be time to get up and ready for work.

He frowned when a small seed of anxiousness started to form in his stomach. Was he ready for this? He was a negative, masochistic asshole that had a horrible streak when it came to women. He wasn't entirely sure he could live up to her expectations. Did he really want to get married again? After Billie Lou, he had decided he was through the idea, but now? His frown deepened when he realized he wasn't sure. Then again, it was too early to even be thinking about marriage-right?

He jumped in surprise and was roused out of his brooding thoughts when Bella lowly growled, "Stop it." He raised his eyebrows and looked down at her, trying to get his eyes adjusted to the dark to see her face in the dim light illuminating from the clock.

"Stop what?" he asked quietly.

"Thinking about whatever you're thinking about. It feels like you're about to bolt out the door on me. You're not having second thoughts are you?" she said in almost a whisper. Her arms tightened around his sides as if he was actually about to get up and leave. John immediately shook his head and kissed her forehead.

"Of course not," he said in what he hoped was a reassuring voice. She nodded slowly and kissed his shoulder.

"Okay," she said quietly, as if she was still somewhat unconvinced. She stretched across him, turned off the alarm on the clock, and turned on the bed side light. They both took a moment to squint at the harsh light and let their eyes adjust. John blinked a few more times before her smiling face came into focus. He returned her smile as she rolled over top of him and kissed him gently. Her quiet hum vibrated from her chest to his as his hands ran down the arch of her back.

"I should probably get out of here and go get ready," John reluctantly said. The feeling of her bare body on top of his was taking a little too much out of his restraint reserves. Bella raised her eyebrow and shook her head.

"Actually, I was thinking you should stay and shower with me. Do you know how hard it is to wash hair as long as mine?" she said with a crooked smile. John raised both eyebrows and swallowed thickly. A quick image of Bella covered in soap suds with wet hair sticking to her body popped in his head. Knowing she had him right where she wanted, she smirked and rolled off of him and onto her feet. She walked to the bathroom, knowing he would follow.

"We'll be late for work," he said as he bent his head to the side to get a better view of her ass when she bent over to turn the water on. Bella scoffed and looked over her shoulder.

"John, we're late for work at least once a week, pretty sure it'll be okay. Unless you would just rather go shower by yourself?" she asked as she lifted one leg over the side of the tub. John immediately shook his head and motioned for her to keep going. He quickly hopped in after her and closed the shower curtain around them.

"No, no. That would be irresponsible. We need to save water, ya know, for the sake of the environment."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Lean up," Bella ordered as she tucked a pillow behind John's back. They were upstairs in the lounge at the precinct, working on court statements. John did as he was told and leaned forward slowly, wincing when sharp twinges shot up his spine. He was just mildly embarrassed that a night of mind blowing sex and a romp in the shower had left him almost immobile. However, the fact that Bella winced every time she sat down, or moved her legs too wide helped to ease the blow.

"Wipe that grin off your face," he growled as Bella sat down (carefully) beside him.

"Maybe I should take an easy on you from now on," she said with a patronizing tone. John huffed and rolled his eyes.

"Don't flatter yourself. The only thing you need to take an easy on is ripping my back to shreds with those claws of yours," he said as he pointed with his pen to her nails. Bella smirked, and quickly glancing to see if anyone was coming up the steps, leaned forward to kiss his lips. She moved back and smiled at him, their noses still touching.

"You liked it," she said with a tiny giggle. John fought the smile twitching on his lips, but lost. "Besides, I plan on making it up to you," she said nonchalantly. John raised his eyebrows when she bit her lip and looked up through her eyelashes with a small, seductive smile.

"Oh really? Do tell," he said. Bella giggled quietly and sat back up straight.

"Huh-uh. It's a surprise!" she said in a sing-song voice. John groaned when he realized she was probably going to spend all day teasing him about whatever it was she had planned. Sex was a weapon, and one that his partner knew how to use very well.

"Can I have a hint?" he asked in a pleading voice.

"Well, I suppose I can give you just one. It involves-"

"Detective Munch," Cragen's voice cut Bella off before she had a chance to finish her sentence.

"Yes, Captain?" John said. He said a prayer to whatever higher being that would listen that Don hadn't over heard his and Bella's previous conversation.

"There's a woman here to see you," he motioned to a familiar blonde standing behind him. Bella immediately felt her stomach hit the floor.

It was Gwen.

"Gwen?" John asked in surprise.

"Hiya, John," she said shyly.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. He shot a hesitant glance at Bella, whom was inspecting her feet like they were the most interesting things on the planet.

"I need to talk to you," Gwen replied quietly. John ran a hand down his face and turned his attention to the Captain.

"You can use my office," Don said quietly. John gave him a gracious nod. "Right this way," the Captain said politely as he motioned for Gwen to follow. John hung back for a moment until they were descending down the stairs.

"Bella," he started as he turned around. He paused when he saw her smiling at him softly.

"It's okay. I understand. Go talk to her," she said quietly. She rose to her tiptoes to kiss him gently. A surge of relief swept over him when he realized she wasn't mad. "I trust you," she said before she kissed him once more. John sighed into her mouth and wrapped his arms tightly around her. He kissed her forehead before reluctantly releasing her and made his way downstairs to Cragen's office. The feeling of forbidding dread sat heavily in his stomach, as it always did when Gwen was around.

He gave the Captain a nod before slowly entering the office and closing the door quietly behind him. He crossed his arms and fixed Gwen with an expectant look. The busty blonde immediately looked down and knotted her fingers together nervously. "What is it you need to talk about?" John asked when she remained silent. She chanced a glance up at him from under her long lashes and smiled hesitantly.

"John, I know you don't believe me, but I really am on my medicine now," she paused and dug around in her purse. She pulled out a bubble pack of pills and held it up. "See," she said with a small smile. There were several pills missing from the pack. "I know it hasn't been that long since your birthday, but the pills are already in my system," she paused to put the pills back in her purse. "I'm sorry about acting like that on your birthday," she said as she looked down in embarrassment and bit her lip. John frowned and took a couple of steps towards her.

"It's alright. I'm glad you're taking your medicine now," he said softly. Gwen smiled up at him hesitantly before quickly looking away.

"You said the other night that you were seeing someone?" she asked quietly. John shoved his hands in his pockets and nodded.

"Yeah, I am," he said simply.

"So, you're happy then?" she looked up at him with an expression he couldn't quite read. John immediately nodded. Gwen swallowed audibly and nodded.

"Then, I'm happy for you," she paused and stepped towards him. She gently took his hand in hers and looked up at him with the same caring grey-blue eyes he had fallen in love with when they were kids. "But, just know, if things don't work out, I still love you John," she all but whispered. "I know things haven't worked in the past, and most of it was my fault, but this medicine really is working. Yes, I know I've said that a million times in the past, but it really is this time. I'm even going back to school to get my bachelors in art," she said with a small smile. John returned it and squeezed her hand.

"That's great, Gwen," he said sincerely. She nodded and tucked a stray strand of golden hair behind her ear.

"So, there's really no chance of you giving this another try?" she asked. She sucked on her bottom lip and ran her thumb over his wrist, knowing he used to like it when she did that. John breathed in and sighed.

"I'm sorry, Gwen. I'm happy with the way things are right now, and I really want to see where it goes," he said quietly. He reached up and tucked the strand back behind her ear when it once again escaped. Gwen nodded in defeat and leaned into the touch. She held his hand to her face and turned to kiss his palm.

"Is she going to be lucky Mrs. Munch number five?" she asked with a grin. John snorted and shrugged.

"I don't know. It seems everything goes wrong as soon as I say 'I do'," he said with a look over his glasses. Gwen giggled and nodded.

"If she puts up with you in your grumpy old age, she's a keeper. You deserve to be happy, John," she said. John smiled softly and lifted her hand to kiss her knuckles.

"So do you," he replied. They paused and stared at one another momentarily. "Friends?" he asked quietly. Gwen smiled up at him and nodded.

"Friends," she agreed. She kissed his cheek and held on to the crook of his arm as he opened the door and slowly led her back to the double doors leading to the elevators. "This is really it then?" she asked with raised eyebrows and a heavy breath. John nodded and mirrored her actions.

"Yeah, it is," he said seriously. Gwen nodded and leaned forward to kiss him gently on the lips. She pulled back and cupped his chin. "For the love of God, if you marry this one, learn not to be such an ass hole," she said with a smirk. John laughed against her lips as she once again kissed him sound on the mouth. She stepped back and winked at him before turning on her heels and heading to the elevators. John smiled after her, feeling as if a large weight had been lifted off his shoulders. For the first time in twenty-five years, he felt like things between he and Gwen were finally settled and put to rest. However, his smile quickly settled into a frown when he noticed Krissabella standing up on the second floor landing, her arms crossed, and the expression of cold fury burning on her face.

"Shit," he said under his breath as he watched her turn and stalk away, her hair flying behind her with the strength of her steps. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling an upcoming headache forming. He blew a long breath out and began the short trek up the stairs to get his ass chewing. He rounded the corner and stopped dead at the look on her face. He had seen her mad a handful of times, but never this mad. Her face and neck were completely red, and the veins in her neck and one in her forehead throbbed visibly under her skin, as if she was about to physically implode at any minute.

"Just hold on a minute and let me explain," no sooner were the words out of his mouth, she had snarled and lunged at him. John grunted when her fist connected perfectly with his jaw. He staggered backwards into the wall with a groan. Damn, that woman had one hell of an arm! He cupped his aching jaw in his hand and stared at his partner with wide eyes. She clenched her hands to her sides and glared at him, her body visibly trembling with rage.

John swallowed thickly at the sight. Her eyes glowed with emotion, and her chest rose and fell as she tried to catch her breath. He had never seen that kind of unmasked passion before. It was with a start he realized he was in love with the irritating, ill-tempered, moody, little woman in front of him. The realization knocked the breath out of him momentarily as he finally tuned into the slew of curses she was bestowing upon him.

"You lying, two-timing, no good, fucking son of a bitch! I'm going to fucking rip your- Mmmmphh!" her vicious growl was cut short when John all but tackled her backwards over the arm of worn out sofa onto the cushions. He grabbed her punching hands and held them over her head as he roughly pressed his lips to hers. "Get off of me, you lying piece of shit!" she hissed. She growled and tried to roll him of her when he possessively bit down on her lip.

"You're sexy when you're in a jealous, pissed off rage," he said with a smirk. He barely had time to dodge her attempt to bite him on the nose. He winced at the harsh sound her teeth made when they clacked together. If she had actually managed to bite him, there was a good chance he would be noseless right now.

"Get. The. Fuck. Off!" she snarled. She squirmed underneath him and tossed her head from side to side as she tried to get out of his grasp. She growled and tried to bite him again when she couldn't throw him off.

"It isn't what you think!" John said with a grunt when she managed to turn one of her hands enough to dig her nails into his wrist.

"That's what you said last time, but you still ended up kissing her again! So, what? I'm just supposed to look the other way every time your ex-wife randomly shows up while you two kiss and make-up?" she hissed quietly.

"It was just a kiss goodbye, Bella!" John reasoned. He kissed the spot on her neck he knew she liked and smirked when she unconsciously tilted her head to give him better excess. She might be furious with him right now, but he knew she was enjoying what he was doing just as much as he was.

"That's what you said about the last time too! How many more kisses are you going to need before it's actually goodbye?" she said with a pout. She tugged her hands and tried again in vain to free her arms.

"I'm pretty sure she's going to leave me alone now. She knows I don't have those kinds of feelings for her anymore," he said gently, trying to get her to calm down. She paused in her flailing and scowled at him.

"Could have fooled me," she said with a challenging raise of her brow. John sighed and kissed her lips, gently this time. When she continued to hold still, he released her hands and cupped her face.

"Thought you trusted me?" he challenged right back.

"That's before you kissed her, again. Twice. Trust only goes so far. Get off of me," she jerked her chin out of his grasp and looked away. Her anger was slowly draining away to discomforting betrayal. When he didn't move she sighed and frowned blankly at the wall. "You said you wanted something serious, but you still let any woman with working parts hit on you. You said you were done with Gwen, but you're still kissing her. Why should I believe anything that comes out of your mouth?" she asked as she finally turned her head back to look at him. John held his breath at the fragile look in her eyes. He was finally starting to realize the damage he had actually done.

"Because I love you," the words had left his mouth before his mind had even had time to process them. If the situation hadn't been so serious, he would have laughed at the way her bicolored eyes widened and the way her mouth formed into a perfect little 'O'.

"You're just saying that because I'm pissed at you," she said when she found her voice again. John immediately shook his head.

"No, I'm not, you stubborn little wench. I'm in love with you," he said with a tiny, unsure smile. Bella scowled at him for a moment before it lessened into a serious look.

"Don't say that, unless you really mean it," she whispered. John brushed his nose against hers and once again cupped her face.

"I do mean it," he whispered back. He watched as her eyes closed and she inhaled deeply through her nose. When she opened her eyes back up, all the anger from earlier had completely disappeared and was replaced with warmth.

"We've only been dating for a little over a week, don't you think it's a little early for I love you's?" she asked in a quiet, shy voice. John chuckled and looked over his glasses.

"Well if it helps, I think the real moment I fell in love with you is the first time I tasted your chicken casserole," he said with a wiggle of his bushy eyebrows. Bella giggled and rolled her eyes before kissing his cheek.

"You just like me for my cooking skills," she said with a fake pout. John traced his finger down her cheek to her neck and smirked.

"And you're pretty good in the sack, but I just count that as a bonus," he said with a wide grin. Bella laughed and blushed at the backhanded compliment. After a moment she bit her lip and looked up at him with a calculating look.

"I fell in love with you the night when you carried me to bed after my surgery," she said with an affirmative nod. John smiled and kissed her, a huge weight being lifted off his shoulders.

After a moment of silence he chewed on the inside of his cheek and asked, "Still mad at me?" Bella fought hard not to smile at the boyish look of nervousness on his face.

"A little bit. Just promise that the only girl you kiss from now on is me, and I'll forgive you," she said softly. John nodded immediately and held up his fingers to his forehead.

"Scout's honor," he said seriously.

Bella giggled against his lips as he kissed her and said, "You weren't a scout!"

"Shhh," he mumbled into her mouth. Bella continued to giggle as she slipped her arms around his neck. He pulled back with a hiss when her arm brushed against his rapidly bruising jaw. Bella gasped and her eyes widened in horror when she realized she was the cause of the large, dark spot.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" she said sincerely. John smiled when she gently pulled his face down and started peppering his jaw with tender kisses in an apology.

"It's alright. Just remind me in the future to watch out for your right hook when I piss you off," he said with a small chuckle.

"I'm sorry," she repeated with a guilty frown.

"It's okay, you can make it up to me later," he said with a wiggle of his eyebrows. She giggled and kissed him, but quickly parted when they heard a throat clear. Olivia and Elliot were standing in front of the couch, their eyebrows raised and matching smirks on their faces.

"Uh," Bella said dumbly. The two intruders continued to smirk as Bella pushed John off of her and scrambled to sit up. "We fell?" she said lamely. Elliot scoffed and Liv rolled her eyes.

"I told you they were sleeping together," Liv said smugly. Bella sighed and glanced at John, knowing the jig was up.

"Are you going to tell Cragen?" Bella asked. Liv and Elliot looked at each other briefly and shrugged.

"I don't guess so. It's not any of our business," Elliot said. Bella and John sighed in relief. "However, we're not going to lie for you, either. If he asks, we'll tell him what we know. So, the less we know the better." Bella and John nodded in understanding.

"Thank you," John said, finally sitting all the way up and raising his face. The detectives collectively gasped at the angry bruise that covered the whole side of his right jaw. Elliot began to laugh and turned to Bella.

"So, I take it, you saw him kiss his ex-wife a few minutes ago?" he asked. He smirked when she turned to John and fixed him with an angry glare. That would be a yes. John shot Elliot a dark look for bringing what he had hoped to be a 'closed' subject back up.

"Yes, I did," she hissed. John sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. She wasn't likely to let this go any time soon, which meant he had a lot of ass kissing to do. Though, as his eyes darted down to watch her chest rise and fall faster with her newfound anger, maybe that wasn't such a bad thing.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

1. Sorry for the long wait, guys. I haven't been feeling well. Had a minor surgery and I think I'm finally starting to get back on track!

2. THIS IS GOING TO BE AWKWARD: I wasn't at all sure what you guys wanted in terms of John and Bella finally sleeping together..So I sort of left the rest of it up to your imaginations? Let me know if you'd like me to take it further, or if where I left off would be fine for future instances. Yep, that's an awkward question to ask, but hey, I'm here to please my readers!

3. Do I think that it's too soon for Bella and John to be sleeping together? NOPE. They've lusted after one another for months, and are completely comfortable together. In fact, I applaud them for lasting a week.

4. Too soon for I love you's? I don't really think so, considering they fell in love long before they even started dating. Love's crazy like that.

5. Next chapter is going to have some sadness and angst, so be ready, as I'm finally introducing Bella and Connor's mother into the story!

6. As always, thank you so much for your reviews. They really do drive me to write, and they honestly make me unbelievably happy! You're support means the world to me, so let me know what you think!