Happy New Year, everyone! What better way to start off the year than with Careese? Thanks to everyone who continues to read this story. This chapter is the build to the calm before the storm. Hope you enjoy.

I wish everyone God's blessings this year. Hope you are all healthy and prosperous.

Chapter 11

"You're taller." John eyed the younger man who held the key to his happiness just by virtue of his presence at John's home. John would play dirty to get Joss and if that meant bringing Taylor to him in order to bring Joss to him, he'd do it. Still, he was glad to see Taylor himself. He looked good; healthy, happy. The kid had grown a couple of inches since the last time he'd seen him.

"You're stalling. Spill. Why is my mom mad at you?" Taylor smiled. Before him stood John Warren or John Reagan as he now called himself, the original badass, who at a 6'2" tall was a towering pillar of muscle that was scared of a petite, black woman who stood all of 5'5." The truth was Taylor was too, so he got it.

John shook his head in amazement. Taylor Carter had inherited his mother's tactful bluntness. "She doesn't like that I took a job with out telling her." John continued to eye Taylor. "When did you cut your hair?"

"About a month ago." Taylor wondered how bad this job could be. Was whatever John was doing sketchier than what he had done in New York with Mr. Finch? Had John signed up to be a bank robber? "Mom's mad at you about a job?"

"A second job, actually."

"You doing something dangerous?"

"Nothing more dangerous than she's used to." John walked to the refrigerator, pulled out some lunchmeat, lettuce, tomato, etc. He began to make them sandwiches. Taylor remained silent the entire time. The silence was the same trick Joss used to make him talk. As he put the first sandwich on a plate and cut it, he said, "I'm working for the CIA… as an instructor."

"Which means you have to say goodbye to your old life and your friends in New York."

"How do you know that?"

"Mr. Finch is smart, but he definitely flies under the radar, which says he's doing something that could be illegal…nothing too bad because Mom still talks to him. But probably something you don't want the CIA to know about. Taylor frowned.

Gosh this kid was smart. John looked at him in amazement.

Taylor continued, "That also means mom has to give up her old life in New York, too. You did that without talking to her first?"

John set the newly completed sandwich in front of the kid and began working on another one. "I knew she would try to talk me out of it. I think she still has this dream of returning to New York when the trial is over. But it's never going to be safe for her there. There will always be some cop who thinks of her a snitch or a traitor. She needs to be away from there."

"Mom really doesn't like it when people make decisions for her."

John frowned. "I know. She hasn't spoken to me in nearly a week."

"Crap. She's really ticked."

"That's an understatement." John took a bite of his sandwich. "But," he paused as he eyed the teen, "I need to really explain why I've made the choices I've made. And I can't do that until you come clean with your mom."

Taylor shifted as John's eyes bored holes into him. John was using the Carter family trick on him. He could wait him out. He knew what John wanted him to do but he was going to do it. Yet, after a full minute of silence, Taylor finally spoke, "You want me to tell her about school?"

"Don't you think you should?"

Taylor pushed his plate of food away from him. He'd suddenly lost his appetite. "No, she's just going to tell me it's too dangerous."

John moved to the other side of the kitchen island and took a seat beside the kid. "Taylor, school starts in three weeks. When are you going to tell your mom that you are attending the University of Chicago?" John smirked. "I'd really hate to be you if she unexpectedly bumps into you while you're walking the streets of Chicago."

Taylor moved from the barstool. " I'll tell her when it's too late for her to make me drop out."

Joss looked at her burner phone. There were three missed messages from John and two text messages. She certainly had to give it to him: He was persistent. Still his persistence was about to drive her insane. She needed to process his return to the CIA, his decision to stop saving lives and his seeming decision that their life would remain in Chicago. She dialed a familiar number.

"What can he possibly thinking, Harold? He knows what those people are capable of. We all do." Joss practically yelled into the phone. She paced her apartment while she talked on the small burner phone, not that Harold could see her. She'd surprised herself by phoning the recluse days after John dropped his bombshell about rejoining the CIA. Though she and Harold were friendly, she only called him rarely, like when she wanted to check on Taylor, by way of Harold's surveillance.

"I'm not certain which of John's decisions has currently raised your ire, but I am certain I can be of more assistance if you provide me with a little more information."

"John rejoined the CIA."

"Oh…"

"You knew about that?" Joss felt herself becoming even angrier. John said he hadn't talked to Harold and yet, somehow he'd gotten word to him about the CIA.

Harold cleared his throat. "Just because John is no longer in my employ doesn't mean I'm not concerned with his wellbeing. I keep track of his whereabouts much as he used to keep track of mine. When he kept arriving at the CIA building, I did a little research and learned that he'd decided to rejoin his former employer."

"And you didn't tell me? Harold, I've talked to you at least three times since he rejoined. "

"Joss, it wasn't my secret to tell."

She plopped down on her luxurious couch, which reminded her to be a little less angry with Harold. "Since you know John, maybe better than anyone, do you have any idea what he was thinking?"

Harold Finch knew exactly what John was thinking. He was choosing to have a life with the woman he loved. It was something Harold had been unable to permit himself to have with Grace. "Detective, I believe John was thinking that he wanted to have a life with you. That's something he couldn't do if he continued his association with me and my work with the numbers."

Joss shook her head "no," even though she knew Harold couldn't see her through the phone. "His work with you gave him purpose. What if he gives all of that up to be with me and wakes up one morning to find that it's not enough…that I'm not enough?"

"Joss, based on what he told you in the morgue, I think we both know that won't happen."

Joss felt herself blush. She'd suspected that Harold had been listening, but he'd never outright mentioned it before. She took a deep breath. "I think he'll do everything in his power to try not to have it happen. But people change."

Harold paused as he remembered how immediately taken John had been with the detective from the moment he'd seen her, the number of times he declared that he wouldn't or couldn't lose her and his willingness to forgive her anything. "You really don't understand how much you mean to him do you, Joss?"

Harold's question left Joss feeling slightly embarrassed. "I know John loves me," she stated quietly.

"Given the numbers he's saved and all that he's lost, don't you think he deserves some happiness?"

Finch had a point. "When you're right, you're right."

"And with Taylor accepting admission to the University of Chicago, you will have an opportunity to have your family again."

"Taylor did WHAT?"

"He hadn't told you?" Harold did his best to sound innocent. Typically, he believed that it was inappropriate to meddle but Joss was Taylor's mother. She had the right to be included in one of the biggest decisions of her son's life. So, Harold decided to help Taylor share the information his mom needed to know. "I assumed John took the job at the university when he learned of Taylor's interest in attending."

"So John has known for five months where my son actually wants to go to college? That's funny because no one, including Taylor thought to clue me in on the fact that he wanted to move here. It may not be safe." She worried her lip between her teeth.

"Joss, your enemies that remain are in New York, not Chicago. And Taylor wishes to attend the university where John teaches. Can you think of a better place for him to be?"

"Not really. But why hasn't he talked to me about it?" Joss couldn't believe her son would rather talk to her boyfriend instead of her.

"Have you let him?"

Joss's mind flashed to the conversations she'd had with Taylor over the burner phone. He'd asked about coming for a visit. And he'd talked about how much he missed her, but she'd quickly changed the subject. It was too painful to talk about the things their hearts wanted but couldn't have. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes.

"Harold, I guess I haven't." She released a deep breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "So, John was willing to change his whole life in order to give me mine back."

Harold smiled. "Actually, I think John changed his life so he could share a life with you."

Joss closed her eyes as she processed Harold's words. She soon found herself overwhelmed by what John was willing to give and feeling bad about how she'd reacted to it. And then there was Taylor. Was it really that bad that he just wanted to be close to his mother? "Harold, I've got to go. Thanks for listening."

"Anytime Joss." He paused momentarily as he considered where the former Detective might be running off to. With a smile in his voice, he added, "Please, give John my regards."

Taylor followed John as he gave him the tour of the house. He was impressed by the spaciousness of the place. And Taylor was touched when John showed him the room that he had designated as Taylor's to use whenever he chose to be there. He paid special attention to the room with the tree mural. When he and John arrived back at the kitchen, Taylor eyed John suspiciously.

After a minute or so, John picked up on the way Taylor was looking at him. "Something on your mind, Taylor?"

"You don't need me to tell mom about school. She's not really mad about you changing jobs. I get it now."

"Get what?" John grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and handed it to Taylor.

"Why mom's not talking to you. My dad said she was like that all the time when she had me."

"Had you do what?" The kid was practically talking in code.

"Mom's pregnant!" Taylor said like he knew what he was talking about.

"What?" John's eyes grew bigger as they focused in on Taylor.

"Unless I was imagining things, one of those rooms looks like a baby's room." He took a deep breath. "You put a baby in a baby's room. I get that you guys aren't telling people, but I'm her son."

Before John could respond, his doorbell rang. He looked at Taylor. "Hold that thought."

John moved swiftly to the door. He thought it might be Kennedy and Anthony who were supposed be stopping by after school. When he opened the door, he could barely believe his eyes. "Joss?"