A couple hours had passed since she arrived at the hospital. John was pulled out of emergency surgery and she was allowed into his ICU room. Finch had secured a private room for him. The doctor, Dr. Williamson, said John had lost a lot of blood and there had been massive internal bleeding but luckily neither bullet had hit any major organ. He had several transfusions already and needed a few more to get his blood count back to normal levels. His vitals were weak but stable which was why John had been placed on life support as he was still not out of the woods due to the trauma his body suffered. John had tests taken to find out if he had any brain damage due to lack of oxygen, when his heart stopped. Preliminary reports were positive, her husband had normal brain function. She nearly sobbed in relief at least it was a little good news.

Joss quietly sat on the chair beside John, her hands around his left hand. He was shirtless, the blanket pulled across his hips, he was all cleaned up now, and had only two big square bandages over his wounds. A tube was taped to his cheek inserted in his mouth as it kept John breathing while she watched the subtle rise and fall of his chest constantly wishing it wasn't a machine breathing for him. His eyes were shut, he looked so fragile, a word she would never have associated with him before now. Joss had cried off and on softly for the better part of an hour since being allowed in here, twice now the nurses tried to encourage her out but she wasn't budging. They were going to have to have security escort her out, because she wasn't leaving this damn spot.

She smiled at the stuffed turtle lying beside John. The stuffed turtle had been grabbed by Finch from John's car prior to moving the children into his car. Simon loved his stuffed turtle, very rarely ever left it alone, typically they forced him to when they didn't want to lug it around while shopping or out at the park. But this time Simon had voluntarily left his beloved stuffed turtle with John because he said daddy needed it to get better. Simon kept asking why daddy was asleep, she had to keep lying to him that he needed it to feel better, that daddy was hurt. Joss nearly sobbed like a baby when Simon asked John to wake up.

Joss leaned close to her husband's ear, her hand still holding his, the only sound was her ragged breathing besides all the machines keeping her husband alive that beeped, blipped, and hummed. His hand was limp in hers, she wished he would squeeze gently to let her know he was back with her, but it remained motionless.

She swallowed hard, as tears welled up in her eyes. "Since we met, John, I have been fighting," she whispered harshly, blinking as tears fell. "I fought for you to trust me, fought you to be let into your tightly guarded heart, I fought you tooth and nail for our son Simon. I fought with your demons and sometimes I don't always win the battle, but the war isn't over. I swear to you, I will fight them and beat them." She stopped when it felt like her throat was closing as a lump formed in her throat. "I never asked you to fight, John, but I'm asking now, I need you to fight. The doctor doesn't know if he saved your life or just prolonged it, he said that if you can just pull through the next forty-eight hours your prognosis will go up. So I am asking you to fight to come back to me, to Simon, and to Taylor," she begged as she closed her eyes, tears falling quickly.

She lifted her head when she heard a soft clearing of a throat. She attempted a smile as her mother came in. "Oh baby," she whispered.

"Momma, I need him," Joss whimpered as she stood up and was enveloped into a tight embrace. Her mother rubbed circles over her back, letting her cry into her shoulder as she had done a million times before.

Her mother held her. "I know you do, he needs you just the same," her mother cooed in her ear, pulling her back and rubbed at her face. Her mother reached into her purse handing her a tissue. "But he needs your strength, baby girl; you are the strongest woman I have ever known and he needs that strength now."

She nodded her head as she wiped at her nose. "Momma, I'm scared, the doctors aren't sure if he'll make it or not. Dr. Williamson said the next forty-eight hours is the most critical for him, I can't lose him, momma."

"I know you are scared, but while you are in this room with him, you aren't," her mother said as she pointed to John, Joss eyed him softly and nodded. Her mother was right, she was always right. She sat back down, grabbing John's hand gently. She peered into her husband's pale face. She had no doubt that John could hear her, but couldn't find his way back to her just yet.

Joss turned to look at her mother who pulled up a chair to sit beside her. "What happened, Jocelyn?"

Joss closed her eyes. "I was undercover, looking for a mad man, but he figured out the ruse and took my family. He took Simon, Taylor, and John to some remote place, John was gunned down protecting Simon and Taylor."

"Was this mad man caught?"

She shook her head. "Not yet, momma, but we're searching for him," she assured her without telling her mother that vigilantes, a mobster along with his men, as well as the police was searching for the man.

"Did you call Paul yet, he should know what happened to his son."

"No, but Taylor did, and told him what happened to his step-father. Paul said when John wakes up he wants to shake his hand for protecting his son with his life."

"Where are my grandchildren? I'll take them with me to stay at my place for a couple of days."

She shook her head, keeping a tight hand on John's, but eyed her mom. "No, I want you to stay with the boys at my place, please. Simon needs the stability, he's already crying and wondering what's wrong with John, and I don't want him to get any more upset."

"Alright baby girl, of course, my newest grandbaby is just healing after the harsh life he had before you and John adopted him." Joss nodded, glad her mother still never questioned what she told her about how they came upon Simon. She probably didn't care, she got another grandchild to dote on.

"But, uh, Taylor and Simon are with Finch getting some food. Actually they should be back any time now to be honest." And speak of the devils, the door to John's ICU room opened.

"Grandma," Taylor whispered.

"Nana," Simon called happily.

Joss forced a smile as she eyed Finch. "Boys, Grammy is going to take you guys back home and stay with you there for a few days." Simon bounced in Taylor's arms excited, before her mother grabbed a hold of Simon. Taylor hurried to her and kissed the on the top of the head.

"Call me, I want to know how John is." Taylor asked.

"Of course I will, now go with your grandmother," she said with a nod to the door. "I love you, Tay, and momma loves you Simon."

"Me luv momma too."

"Blow momma and daddy a kiss," she commanded. Simon did as asked and was giggling as her mother tickled his tummy, and Taylor exited the room right behind his grandmother. Joss allowed her false happiness to fade as she was alone with Finch.

"How is John, Jocelyn?" Finch asked. Joss saw the fear in his eyes, knew he didn't want to lose John, any more than she did.

"Not out of the woods, he hasn't opened his eyes or breathed on his own, and his vitals are weak but stable. The doctor said that the next forty-eight hours are the most critical for him." Finch eyed John who lay in the hospital bed unmoving, on life support. Joss was sitting beside him on the chair. Harold just wished he had told John the truth of their meeting. "You okay, Finch?" Joss asked, having noticed a change in him.

"He asked me many times about how we met, Jocelyn, and I never would tell him because I am a very private person. Maybe not so much as private, more like paranoid, I guess I got worried that he would dig into our pasts to find out what I said was the truth. But now seeing him as he is right now, I feel ashamed, Jocelyn," Harold paused as his breath hitched.

"Why do you feel ashamed, Harold?" Joss questioned softly. "You are a private person, John understands."

"I'm ashamed Jocelyn, because I never intended to tell him the truth nor let him figure it out on his own. Even though it wasn't that big of a secret, I just like my privacy," Finch admitted.

"Tell him now." He blinked, looking into Jocelyn's eyes. She looked exhausted, but strong. She wasn't giving up on John. "Tell John now, he can hear us, I know he can," she assured him, brushing her fingers through John's hair. Joss reluctantly released John's hand, before sliding out of the chair, to move beside Finch. Joss gently rubbed his shoulders in an affectionate, nearly maternal way, and he was almost twenty years older than this brave young woman. "Harold, tell us," she whispered with a soft smile.

Harold nodded, feeling her wipe away his tears, soothing him, and he limped to the chair she had vacated with her clutching his elbow in silent support and he slid down to sit beside his fallen friend. Harold slowly reached out to grab John's hand. He swallowed hard. God, he cared about this man immensely. He never told John how much he cared for him, tried to show it, but never could he work up the nerve to tell him how much he cared.

Joss rubbed his arm softly and it gave him confidence to speak the words. "I met John Davis when he had been just twenty-one years old. Or rather seen and listened in on John Davis, then met. I am well older than you are, John, I was already on my way to making my billions, and you were just a kid. It was a nice afternoon, a fall day just like any other similar to today; Nathan and I were having lunch and talking business. I can't even remember what Nathan ordered, maybe because it happened a little over twenty years ago, but he began choking, and you saved him. One minute my friend was choking, turning a disturbing purplish blue color, and the next he was gasping in breath with tears in his eyes from lack of oxygen and gratitude. I had rushed off to the hostess to call an ambulance, panicking, but you-you just swooped in, gave him the Heimlich after seeing him through the window grabbing at his throat from the outside."

"That sounds like John, a good man," Joss whispered, rubbing his tense shoulders. Harold nodded with a wavering smile, as John's vision blurred before him.

"Do you remember that now? I remained in the shadows watching and listening to the conversation between you and Nathan, as you know by now I am a very private person. Do you remember Nathan asking you for your name, wishing to write you a check, thinking money was what you would want instead of a simple thank you? Do you remember what you told him to do with that check in your name? You told Nathan to donate it to a charity, a charity for orphaned children. So you see, John, I first saw you as just you, John Davis, before you ever became John Reese, a man that saved my best friend's life. So I know without a shadow of a doubt that you are an exceptional man that was just led astray. A man that believed when he joined the CIA he was doing it for his country, to protect people, a man that was lied to and used."

Joss just stood quietly beside him not saying anything for a long while, happy to know the truth of their first meeting. The steady beep of John's heart monitor was the only sound in the otherwise silent room. They both just wished John was breathing on his own, rather than the machine.

The door opened and a nurse entered. "Joss, you have a phone call." She nodded, it was probably Taylor calling to check in on John. She had a sinking feeling that her son was going to blame himself for what happened to John just by the way he was hovering around John.

"I have to take this, Harold."

He nodded. "Of course, I'm not planning on leaving John's side for a long while," he assured her. Joss nodded before exiting the room leaving her husband in the capable hands of Harold and the nurse. Joss hurried down to the clerk at the nurses' station, motioning for the phone, and the woman handed it to her.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Carter! I sucked it up and asked Root where Reed was, she got me the exact location," Shaw said and Joss tightened her hold on the black phone, turning away from the woman behind the desk as she worked on the computer.

"You did, where is he?"

"About twenty minutes out from the place where Reese was gunned down, he's at some sort of old aviation training facility. It is owned and run by a man named Xavier Mendall. Fusco checked up on him, he fits the bill for a new victim, I'm guessing he has moved on from you." She felt her free hand curl into a fist.

"Give me the location; I'll be on my way."

"Stay with Reese," Shaw countered.

"Not on your life, Shaw, give me the location, I'm coming with you."

"Look, Finch already told me you talked to Elias and I already called him. I have enough backup, you stay with your husband."

"I said I'm coming, it is my husband that was gunned down. I'm coming, period."

"Fine! I don't want to waste time arguing, just be careful. You have your cell on you still?" Shaw questioned.

"Yeah."

"I'll text the address to you in a couple minutes."

"I'm on my way," she assured her as she hung up. She had to end this once and for all. She had to go to make sure. John was going to be in safe hands in the hospital and with Finch. Joss turned, feeling her phone buzz in her pocket with the text as she rushed back into John's ICU room. The nurse had left during her phone conversation with Shaw and Finch was quietly sitting with John. "I have to go, I need your keys, Finch."

"Where?" he questioned as he sat forward with a start before pulling out his car keys and handing them to her.

"Shaw found Reed, I guess she called Root for assistance. I don't care how she got his whereabouts but he's about twenty minutes out from where John was gunned down which is about a half hour from here. Shaw already called in Elias for backup, but I need to go there too."

"Jocelyn…."

"No, I need to be there; I have to go help and get that bastard. John risked his life to protect our children, I have to see to it that Reed will never hurt anyone ever again," she said before grabbing her jacket. She leaned over her husband very carefully. "Baby, I'll be back, I'm going to finish the fight you started with Reed, Finch will be with you. I love you, John." She bent over his limp hand, bringing it up a little to kiss it softly.

"Please be careful, Jocelyn, your children can't have both John and you in the hospital," Finch said, forcing her to pause at the door. She smiled before turning and heading out to go end this once and for all.

It was becoming late evening. Her sons were with her mother, John was with Finch, and she arrived at the address Shaw texted her. She prayed that Reed was still here. It had taken her about twenty-five minutes to arrive at the empty parking lot of the training facility of the former aviation center. She grabbed her gun before exiting Finch's car. She slid an earwig into her ear, before connecting with Shaw.

"You almost here?" she questioned quietly as she slowly hurried to the big building off to the side of the runway.

"Behind you." Joss turned and saw Shaw and Fusco exiting her car, Elias and several of his men were just arriving. "Carter, you and Fusco are going to enter the front entrance, while I take the back."

Elias nodded as he walked with Marconi and a few of his men, all armed. "We'll take the side entrances, surround the building so this man can't make it out unless we want him to."

"Remember he can't feel anything," Joss begun.

"This means headshots or shots to center mass, my favorite," Shaw muttered.

"Everyone be careful, he's armed and dangerous," Joss said and with a final nod everyone dispersed. She and Fusco hurried to the front entrance.

"You really think this is a good idea that you are here, Carter? Your husband was gunned down by this freak," Fusco whispered.

"And that is the exact reason why I'm here. To make sure he doesn't hurt anyone again," she agreed. "We go on my mark." They took their stance near the door, she just merely nodded her head, and Fusco kicked the door open and she entered. There were a bunch of crates, so many that the place looked tiny for what had to be a 5000 square foot building. But smack dab in the middle of the room, in a tiny clearing, was Brandon Reed standing behind a man that was forced to his knees, crying, and begging for his life. The guy was in a suit, evidently he was Mendall. Brandon Reed looked at her before she even had a chance to take aim for him.

He aimed his gun towards her and fired. Joss lunged to the side, hiding behind some big crates. Fusco kept back, waiting for a cease fire, and once he got it he charged in, gun drawn. Brandon Reed had hidden behind some of the crates. They heard a man screaming and footsteps, before Mendall ran out of the building.

"Put the gun down!" Joss shouted as she kept low to the ground, weaving through the throng of crates, and using them as cover.

"Do you have any idea who you just saved? Do you have any idea what are in these crates, Jocelyn?" Reed shouted in return. She tried to tell where he was in this place but hadn't a clue.

"Tell me!"

"He's smuggling drugs, weapons, explosives, anything that you can, he has smuggled it. Last week he smuggled women….underage, and they were sold to the highest bidder in the black market."

"So it's up to you to make him pay because he needs to be cleansed!" she snarled, trying to keep him talking so she could locate him. Fusco went a different way, keeping low, and using the crates as cover. "Why did you move on from me, I hadn't been cleansed yet?"

"Gabby told me too." Gabby?—who the hell was Gabby? "She told me that you will suffer the way we have, that you now know how it feels to lose the one that you love, the one that makes you feel whole," Brandon shouted. Joss paused, it sounded like it was coming to her right.

She turned to the right, keeping low as she stalked him. "John's not dead."

"He will be, I shot him at point blank range, and then you'll know what it feels like for me to live without my Gabby. That is your suffering, that is why she told me to move on." Joss blinked. Wait…Gabby, as in Gabrielle, the woman that gave birth to Simon, the one that had been killed by his step-mother and his father. He was taking orders from a dead woman, this guy was much further gone then she originally anticipated. "I should have known he was going to let those spawns of yours to run, he gave a valiant effort, I give him that."

"My husband is a stubborn SOB and he will be alright because he has his sons and a wife to live for. What do you have? Oh right, a woman you claim to love, that you raped, is dead, and she's telling you how to avenge her. You're pathetic!" she sneered. Shaw was covering the back exit, Elias and Marconi had to have the building surrounded while she and Fusco searched for this guy.

"Shut up you filthy bitch!"

Joss smiled. "What, can't handle the truth? The woman you loved was not of legal age, you pervert." Joss wanted to hurt him so badly, make him feel like she was currently. "You know that son of yours that you figured was dead?—the boy is alive, but you'll never see him again."

"Shit, Carter, stop fucking egging him on," Shaw snapped. But she didn't respond, because she was going to twist the knife that she just stabbed into this damn man's heart over and over again for what he did to her family. She might not be able to make up for the fact that her husband was fighting for his life, but getting some retribution on the bastard that did this to him and made her sons cry was fulfilling.

"He's alive?"

Joss laughed. "Yeah, he has a good life, something you'd never be able to give him."

"Where is my son?!"

"Gone," she wasn't about to tell him the truth, that her son was that boy. "He's with a nice family, well loved, and doesn't know what a disgusting freak of a biological father he had," she said, going for the jugular, loving the strangled scream she heard.

"You are going to tell me where my son is!" Joss heard him getting close as he was searching out her voice. "Where are you, you fucking bitch?!" he shouted, she heard his footsteps and she held her breath. When he passed her, she got to her feet, and pulled back the hammer.

"Don't make any sudden moves or I will kill you," she assured him as she trembled. "Drop your weapon," she commanded. Brandon Reed did as requested. "Raise your hands above your head slowly, then turn around."

Brandon Reed raised his arms above his head before turning to look at her. Joss felt tears swimming in her eyes as she came face to face with the man that shot her husband, that had been about to shoot her son, and had scared Simon. "I won't let you hurt anyone ever again."

"Where is my son?" he demanded, his eyes looked glazed, and he didn't even seem all there.

"Carter, we're coming," Shaw assured her over the earwig. But none of it mattered, she needed answers.

"Why did you do this? Why did you go on a killing spree, because of what happened to you as a boy?"

"Gabby, told me to do this, to make them pay, because we needed to purge the world of sinners like Declan and Clara Reed, people like you," he said with his arms still up.

"You don't know me, I'm not a bad person and I have lived with a moral code all my life," she answered. "But you threatened my children, you shot and nearly killed the man I love, so if you make one false move I will kill you regardless if you're unarmed or not, and not feel one shred of guilt over it."

"Where is my son?" he demanded.

"I will never tell you where that boy is," she promised. Brandon Reed's face contorted in rage, he lunged forward towards her when a gun was fired. Brandon Reed jerked as blood sprayed everywhere, as Brandon Reed fell lifelessly to the ground. "Because he's mine and John's now," Joss whispered as she stared down at the man that had a gaping wound in his head. He had been shot in the head at a close range, and she finally tore her gaze off the dead man to watch as Elias, Marconi, Shaw, and Fusco, all guns drawn, surrounded her and the lifeless Brandon Reed.

Shaw looked at her. "I told you I was gonna kill him," Shaw assured. She nodded her head, mutely, feeling arms wrap around hers and realized that it was Fusco and Shaw helping her away.

"Come on Carter, you look like you're going into shock," Fusco whispered. And she felt like it, she had been operating on pure adrenaline, and now that the nightmare was over and Brandon Reed was stopped she felt like she was going to collapse from exhaustion. But she couldn't, her husband needed her.

"I can't I have to…." She turned to look back at Reed, as Shaw and Fusco struggled to tug her along.

Elias waved her off. "Don't worry detective, we'll take care of this for you as you did call for our assistance, go, be with your husband," he said and she didn't even want to know how he was going to 'deal' with that.

Shaw and Fusco wordlessly led her away, toward Shaw's car, where they deposited her in the passenger seat. "I'll take Einstein's car back to the hospital," Fusco said before slamming the door shut and tapped the top of the car. Shaw quietly pulled the car away from the center.

"It's finally over, Simon is safe now," Shaw quietly spoke.

"Everyone is safe now," Joss agreed. "Now I just need my husband to be alright."

"Carter, John isn't going anywhere, he's got a lot to live for. He's got a hot wife to bone all the time, a son to watch grow up, and I'm not nearly done eating his fucking amazing food! So he has to be fine so he can cook me food," Shaw reasoned.

Joss half laughed, knowing Shaw was trying her damnedest at cheering her up. She didn't say another word, just watched the passing scenery as Shaw drove her back to the hospital, silently reflecting on the end of Brandon Reed.

AN: A special update on Monday for ReadtoRelax XD Tomorrow there will be one after I get my hair done! Whoop whoop, lookout I'll be blond again for spring/summer };D

Thanks for reading XOXOXOXOXOXOX