AN: Happy Halloween! I meant to post this sooner but things kind of got hectic for me. Bring Me to Life will get an update this week too, I promise :)

John and Joss sat together on the couch, alone after Maddie finally couldn't stay awake any longer. She fought tooth and nail but finally her tiny body gave in to the need for slumber. John carried her up to her bedroom and they put her to bed together—the first of many times to come—kissed her forehead before heading back downstairs to talk. And now that they were alone, about to talk about everything that needed to be said, the tears began.

John immediately noticed. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked quietly turning to face her more directly.

"John it was bad. She missed you so much this week," she whispered.

John rubbed her shoulders. "I know. I missed you both too. Skyping and Facetiming each other wasn't enough; it doesn't replace being with you and Maddie," he agreed, trying to console her.

"John, we need to figure this out now because she can't do this much longer," Joss said softly before grabbing his hand. "I can't take it much longer either."

"I know, Joss."

She nodded. "Good, her happiness means everything to me and I know it means everything to you. And we're good together. I know we still have lots to learn about each other but we got the basics. So I'm thinking that if you have to work in D.C. I'll quit my job so Maddie and I can move there," she blurted out her idea.

John paused. "I really hope you don't do that," he murmured.

Joss stiffened. "What?—why not?" she asked, confused and a little hurt.

"Because it would make things problematic since I already got a transfer to New York," he said and Joss froze.

"What did you say?"

"I already got a transfer here. It's effective immediately and my first day to the new field office here is next Monday, so I can finalize my move to New York. I didn't want to tell you that I planned on asking for a transfer because Control…well, Control enjoys controlling everything and I wasn't sure if she would grant me the transfer. And if she didn't then we would need to talk about the fact that I would be unemployed." he said and he knew he was rambling. "I talked to Harold and he has already helped find me and Shaw a place to live and…"

Joss cried in joy as she lunged at him and kissed him so hard. Finally, finally all this waiting was over. He sighed as he kissed her back. The rest of what he was going to say was effectively put on hold as they kissed and embraced. They kissed for several moments until their lungs screamed that they still needed oxygen to work.

She pulled back on a sigh as she rested her forehead against his, truly content for the first time since they were separated in Fort Lauderdale. Then the rest of what he said caught up with her. Joss pulled back and eyed him questioning, "Shaw?" she asked.

"Yea, Shaw was transferred right along with me. Ma'am didn't want to deal with her and seemingly no one wants to be her partner. Go figure!"

"Yea, I wonder why," Joss deadpanned. "Well this will make Maddie happy."

"Oh?"

"Maddie missed Sam too. She enjoyed her and has no clue that Shaw doesn't know how to act or talk to her. All she knows is that Sam is a funny lady," Joss explained with a watery smile. And to be fair she had gotten sort of used to Shaw herself. She might have bad manners and a short temper but she truly loved John like a brother and was fun to be around.

"That will make Shaw happy to know. She was missing Maddie herself but wouldn't admit to it. I had to bribe her with a steak to stay away until tomorrow so I could come see you and Maddie myself," he confessed with a grin.

"I'm glad," Joss agreed. She didn't mind seeing Shaw tomorrow but she wanted to catch up with John privately. "Can I ask something, John?"

"Of course," he assured her as he ran a hand through her hair, twirling some around his fingers.

"You said you asked Harold to help you and Shaw to find a place to live….what's wrong with you—not Shaw—living with me?" she asked. This was one of the things they needed to talk about too. It was good to know that John was moving to New York but Maddie wasn't going to be pleased with daddy not living with mommy and her.

John shifted uncomfortably, "Well I didn't want to assume anything since we might love each other and share a daughter but there is a lot left that we don't know about one another," he conceded. "You have to admit, Joss, we shared that incredible night together that resulted in our beautiful daughter, we shared stories and our bodies, but there is a lot left we don't know."

"I know that. I also know that what we shared in conversations during that one night and during the cruise isn't enough to really know one another but isn't it enough that we love each other and want to spend our lives together?" she wondered genuinely.

"Is it enough to live together?" he questioned. "I never lived with a woman before, Joss. Jessica and I never got to that stage in our relationship together. I ended it before it had a chance to go anywhere."

"I want you to live with me, John." she said softly, putting out all the cards. "I want to wake up in the morning with your arms around me. I want to go to bed much the same. I want the ability to make love to you whenever I want. I want to spend my life with you; we'll get to know each other as we go; all that matters is that we love each other."

"I want that too, Joss. I love you and Maddie."

She smiled as she pressed a kiss to his lips. "Then live with me," she murmured against his lips before kissing them again. "Please, John."

"Yes," he sighed and Joss moaned in happiness as she kissed him passionately. He pulled her close as he kissed her back with equal intensity.

The kiss didn't end as he pulled her even closer to his body as his tongue swept past her lips and slid along hers. Before Joss knew it; she was on her back with John on top of her on the couch as they kissed and hands roamed freely over their bodies. Joss dragged his simple t-shirt up and dragged her nails across his warm skin, tracing his spine while John's hands palmed her breasts through her knit top.

John ended the kiss as he pulled back a little to lick his lips. "We should move this to your bedroom so no little eyes can see," he whispered before kissing her chin.

She shook her head before correcting him, "Our bedroom."

John grinned down at her and she felt like he slugged her with the potent effect his smile had on her. "Our bedroom," he rectified before standing up and held out a hand to her which she took a little miffed that he stopped his all-consuming kiss. John's kisses made her toes curl, her sex ache, and her stomach flutter.

He led her up the stairs and they took a small detour to Maddie's bedroom to check in on sleeping beauty to find she was out like a light. They closed her door and Joss pulled John towards their bedroom. She was going to drag John to Bed Bath and Beyond so they could get little things to make it more their own rather than hers.

John closed the door behind them and they stared at each other as they slowly undressed. Their eyes were watchful of what the other did but there was no urgency this time to their lovemaking. They took their time and she stood in her bra and panties while John stood in simple charcoal gray boxer-briefs.

"You should be their model," she moaned as she took a slow and long gander at John. The underwear sat on him like perfection. His growing erection pressed the front of the underwear up; John looked downright sinful in them.

"I could say the same thing about you Joss," he murmured quietly as he eyed the pink bra and matching panties she wore.

"I guess the sexy lingerie I purchased will have to wait until tomorrow," she sighed as she stepped forward wrapping her arms around his neck.

He cocked a brow up in question. "Lingerie?" he asked shortly as he teased his hands up and down her sides refusing to touch her breasts or butt.

She nodded as she smiled. "Yea; Maddie wanted some primping for daddy's homecoming but so did mommy," she purred.

He slid his hands from her hips to wrap around her to undo her bra and it fell uselessly to the floor. Her nipples were drawn and hard. They were waiting patiently for his touch, for his mouth. But it didn't come; he ignored them as he let his hands resume their soft butterfly touch to her ribcage and then came to a rest hotly on her hips. He let one hand slip down from her hip tracing the elastic before sliding down and pressing a hand against her mound through the dainty panties. "Are they crotchless?" he asked feeling his cock stiffen further as he tormented not only her with this line of questioning but himself.

"Maybe," she replied huskily as her hips jerked forward and she started to massage his shoulder blades.

"Are they red?" he inquired. Joss moaned as he rubbed her devilishly as he fingered her through her panties and answering his questions took a backseat for a moment. "Answer the question, Joss," he said as his hand ceased its frustrating yet amazing touch.

"No." she bit out and was rewarded when his hand resumed its wicked movement that made her panties feel uncomfortably wet.

"White then?"

"Do you want white?" she answered his question with her own as she bit her lip to keep from cursing because his touch through her panties wasn't enough.

John chuckled, "Oh nice try: Detective Carter, answering my question with a question, but I'm in charge of this interrogation," he purred as he scooped her up and plopped her onto the bed. He loomed over her and smiled down at her. "Answer the question, Joss."

"Or what?" she asked, her feisty side speaking up.

"There will be consequences," he said as his fingers toyed with the elastic of her panties.

"What consequences?—as I see it I have you right where I want you." she said with eyes on his underwear and saw the bulge had grown at least a size bigger since they got in here. She smugly looked him in the eye.

John grinned as he slowly drew her underwear down before removing them completely and flung them off the bed. "Where would be the fun in telling you?" he murmured wickedly. "So Joss, what color is the lingerie?" he asked as he leaned over her and nibbled along her jawline. She clawed his shoulders trying to draw him down for a kiss.

"Not telling." she responded as she managed to catch his mouth with hers. He sighed into the kiss and she let her hands skim down his back and attempt to push his underwear down but he reached down and stopped her wandering hands and then pinned them to the bed.

He broke the kiss to press a warm open-mouthed kiss to her chin, then sternum, bypassing her breasts to press another soft kiss to her belly letting her hands go and then to the patch of hair between her legs but not where she needed him most.

"Is it blue?" he asked with breath heavy between her legs.

Joss clenched her teeth to keep from begging because she squirmed as his breath washed over her; so close yet not close enough. She clutched the bed-sheet in her hands.

Joss moaned as he licked her teasingly. "John," she groaned, desperate for more. She quivered as he stayed there and didn't do anything besides that one teasing lick. "Oh god, this isn't consequences…this is torture," she moaned.

He chuckled. "What color, my love?"

"Don't you want to be surprised?" she gasped as his tongue playfully took another swipe at her. She crossed her legs over his back and lifted her hips a little.

"I just want to know the color. I know you'll be breathtaking in it no matter what," he purred gripping her hip to steady her with one hand, and the other wandered up and pinched her nipple. "Please, Joss, I really want to suck you but I can't until I get my answer."

"It is black sheer," she moaned, giving in, and then cried out as he rewarded her answer with his mouth latching onto her quickly and sucking softly.

He moaned as he sucked on her, letting his hand slide from her breast to slip between her legs and he slid a finger into her to see just how ready she was. Playing with her only worked long enough to keep from hurting her. He needed to be inside her as he was fully erect. John's throbbing cock was a little jealous of his fingers that were buried deep inside her after adding a second finger. He felt the way she clasped on his fingers and he groaned against her again imagining it around his dick. Joss was amazing.

Joss's back arched as she grabbed a fistful of his hair and her hips moved to the rhythm he set with his mouth. But the rhythm switched just as she matched it and she groaned in frustration. "John," she said unfulfilled as her sex ached with need. Her orgasm was there but not in reach.

John slid from between her legs and smiled as he removed his hand from deep inside her. "I would love to make you come again and again just like this but I've missed you and want you to climax around me. Squeeze me and drag me over the edge with you." he said unevenly as he grabbed the elastic of his underwear and pushed them down far enough to spring free. He positioned himself and pushed into her easily and they moaned in unison.

Joss wrapped her legs around his hips that restricted his movements but it didn't matter. She didn't need pounding strokes of where he pulled nearly out to only push back in deeply. She could come just like this where he was buried deep inside her and moved only minimally. He filled her so fully, stretched her wide because of his girth. She rocked her hips up and he hissed in pleasure as he leaned his head down and caught a nipple into his mouth. She wrapped her arms around his neck as his mouth sucked at her breast and his hips pushed her down hard into the mattress, as they rocked together.

John stopped the rocking rhythm and began slowly swiveling his hips in slow circles, making sure his cock rubbed every sensitive part inside Joss. The movements were slow and slight but consistent. "Oh god, John," she cried lowly and he could feel her getting closer to her climax as she clenched around his harder. He sped up rotating his hips in time with her cries of ecstasy and then she burst because she moaned his name out loud as she came, clamping down on him hard.

John shuddered as he felt her spasms ripple over his cock as her orgasm rocked her. He pushed free of her arms and legs, grabbed her hips lifting her and knelt between her legs and fucked her. He thrust into her powerfully, deep, and fast. She gasped as he proceeded to pound into her, right into her spasms of the orgasm that was still rippling through her. He held her hips steady as he moved, making sure his strokes were felt throughout her entire body.

He was close, so damn close to his own orgasm that it wouldn't take long. Joss's walls clamped down on him and he moaned as he managed a couple more hard strokes inside her before he came with a moan of her name, filling her with his warmth as she gripped him tight, lapping it up.

John withdrew from inside her and collapsed on the bed beside her, tugging her to him; both completely and thoroughly spent.

"I'm going to get used to this," she whispered after a long while as she played with his hand that wasn't wrapped around her, holding her close.

"What the sex?—eventually we'll move on from the honeymoon phase," he said regretfully.

She smiled against his chest. "We shall see about that, but I meant: being in your arms. I expect to wake up like this tomorrow morning," she replied.

He laughed. "And what are the consequences if you don't?" he asked playfully.

Joss looked up and smiled at him. "Where is the fun in telling you?" she responded and he grinned up at her before he leaned up to kiss her gently.

"I love you, Joss."

"I love you too, John," she responded before she laid her head back down onto his chest and they gently stroked each other's skin before they fell asleep together, just where they belonged.

AN: No way could this story not end with one last little sexy moment between John and Joss :D

Thank you Elaine for all your help with the cruise stuff since I never went on one, your suggestions were amazing so I could write this thing with some realism! And thank you for your support and friendship it means the world to me XOXO

And thanks to everyone that read this and to all that reviewed this from logged in and guest: a big thank you for taking the time to do so XOXOXOXOX.

Maybe you'll be seeing John, Joss, and Maddie (and Aunt Shaw and Mrs. Pickles too) again!