A/N: Thanks again to SWWoman for the beta on my stories. I'd be lost without her. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who writes a Guest review on any of my stories. I'm sorry I can't respond personally, but I'd like you to know that your comments always encourage me to write more, and to try to write better. Now, on with the show...

Nothing...and Everything

John Reese and Jocelyn Carter found themselves in a very unique predicament, but interesting enough, they were laughing about it.

Jocelyn Carter was a NYPD Homicide detective who had been sent to Baltimore, MD pursuing a fugitive who had been suspected of killing his wife and covering it up. After an intense standoff lasting several hours in which her fugitive had taken hostages, it was finally resolved without incident. The fugitive had been put in the hands of local Baltimore PD until the U.S. Marshalls could arrive to transport the suspect back to New York City. She had just been getting ready to relax for the evening when John Reese literally walked through her hotel room door.

John Reese, as they soon found out, was the U.S. Marshall sent to transport Carter's suspect back to New York. He had been given the same room as she, and had walked in just in time to catch her in the middle of undressing. He had been so shocked by the fact someone was already occupying his room, half-naked, and by her stunning beauty, all he had done was stand in the doorway and stare. That is, he stood there staring until she had asked him in her faintly husky voice filled with derision to please shut the door so that she didn't "give the entire hotel a show," as she had put it.

Now that they knew Reese was the Marshall sent to transport Carter's suspect, they found it an interesting "comedy of errors," as the saying went. Nevertheless, it didn't solve their problem. They still had to figure out what to do about the double-booked room. As Carter looked up at Reese she noticed he looked as bone tired as she felt, but, she did have an idea.

"How about we go out, get something to eat, and talk? Maybe we can come up with a solution to our problem without you having to go to another hotel," Carter suggested softly.

Reese glanced down at the floor, nodded his head, and then let his rucksack slide back to the floor, but tossed it into a corner out of the way. "That sounds like a good idea," He began quietly, "I was going to call in a pizza, but given the circumstances, your suggestion is better," he looked up, and smiled a shy smile.

Carter ginned at him saying, "Give me just a few minutes, and I'll be ready. By the way, call me Joss," she said over her shoulder as she headed to the bathroom.

"You can call me John. What do you need to do? You look great to me," he said before thinking. He felt heat begin to creep up his neck as she turned to face him with a dazzling smile.

"Why, thank you, John. That's very nice of you to say, but I would still like to touch up before we leave," and Joss turned back toward the bathroom with a grin. She thought it was adorable that he still blushed, but she thought it was amazing that someone as handsome as he was thought she looked great...without her make-up. Joss knew she was at least attractive, but, to her, John was on the Gap Jeans model* level.

"Sure," John mumbled as he looked at the floor, and then watched her go into the bathroom with a little bounce in her step. He had to smile because she seemed happy at the compliment. Surely men told her stuff like that all the time, he thought. She's gorgeous and her body rocks!

John immediately had to put a stop to where his thoughts were about to take him. If there was a possibility that Joss would allow him to stay in the same room with her, and he didn't have to look for another hotel, he couldn't allow himself the luxury of daydreaming. No matter how much he wanted to imagine how soft her skin must feel or how firm her ass…no, he had to stop.

In the bathroom Joss was having some problems with her own wayward thoughts. She had to rein in thoughts of John's strong arms wrapped around her soft body pulling her close to his hard body, pressing his firm yet supple lips against hers…no, she had to stop. Her hand was shaking while she tried to put her mascara on her thick lashes. Taking a deep breath she put the mascara away, and fluffed her hair, she was ready.

"Okay, I'm ready," Joss announced as she came out of the bathroom.

John cleared his throat, and desperately tried to clear his mind of the naughty thoughts that were so persistent. He had to admit that the "touch up" had enhanced her natural beauty. "You look really nice," he said quietly as he looked at her. She had brushed her long, dark locks away from her lovely face, and left them loose, hanging down her back in soft curls. Her full lips glistened with a touch of lip gloss that made his mouth water. "Alright then, what would you like to eat? We could still try pizza if that's okay?" he suggested quickly his voice rather husky; anything to get his rebellious thoughts in line.

Joss looked at John frowning. "Are you okay, John? You look a little flushed. If you're too tired…"

"No," John said quickly. Then more deliberately, "No, I'm alright. It just got a little warm in here. You ready?"

"Okay, if you're sure, yeah I'm ready," Joss said as she looped her purse over her shoulder not seeing John's pleading look heavenward.

"So, how long have you been a U.S. Marshall, John?" Joss asked as she took a sip of her beer then set her bottle back down on the booth table.

The restaurant John and Joss had chosen wasn't far from the hotel. It was a quaint little establishment with quick, friendly service, and the atmosphere was unpretentious and relaxed. Muted lighting with soft music in the background added to the comfortable ambience. The menu had pasta and sandwiches as well as pizza, but they still chose to order the pizza, with pepperoni, mushrooms, onions and bell peppers.

John chewed and swallowed his bite of pizza, and then took a long pull from his own beer before answering. "Almost five years. I was a Sergeant First Class in the Army for twelve years before I became a Marshall," he said not quite meeting her eyes. That was not a time in his life he liked to think or talk about.

"I was Army, too, 95 Ivy, Warrant Officer. I did two tours; Iraq and Afghanistan." Joss replied noticing that he skated by his tours in the Army. She had a good look at him as she took another bite of her pizza. She knew enough about rank in the Army to know he hadn't remained a Sergeant First Class for twelve years without a promotion. If she had to guess she would say he was Special Forces, probably Delta Force, but she wouldn't press.

John's eyes narrowed, and there was a slight tilt to his lip as he said, "You were an interrogator, weren't you?"

Joss laughed outright at that. "Yes I was. Top Senior interrogator in my unit."

John laughed with her. "I bet you were damn good at it, too, and I bet it helps with you being a cop," John raised an eyebrow then tilted his head and his beer toward her in a mock salute.

"Yeah, it does help. A lot of things I learned in the Army help me now, but…" Joss let her sentence fade with her smile.

For some reason John wasn't surprised that Joss had been in the Army. She seemed to be a lot like him, she wanted to protect and serve. She cared for people. Sometimes she cared a bit too much, he would bet, but he wouldn't call her on it.

"Do you ever miss it, the Army?" Joss asked curiously. She was finding that John didn't talk much, but she was learning a lot by what he didn't say.

"No," John said bluntly as he looked her dead in the eye. "I don't"

"What about you, do you ever miss it?" John asked in return.

"No, I don't," Joss said, and looked at him smiling sadly. "Like you, it's a time I don't care to look back on."

John looked into her eyes and could see the pain there. The memories flickering through her mind caused a kaleidoscope of emotions to play across her face. She had scars; physically and emotionally. Just like he had.

At that moment, as John was staring into Joss's eyes, he knew forcefully that he was safe with her. That sounded strange for a man to say, especially given their present circumstances, but to say that he could trust her wasn't enough. In that instant they understood one another. There were things they didn't know about each other, of course, but that was okay. His eyes never leaving hers, he took another pull from his beer.

Joss felt it too…as forcefully as John did. She wasn't just safe physically; somehow, deep down, she had already known the moment he stepped into her room. Otherwise she would have screamed, or just shot him. To feel safe with someone went deeper than trust. You could be who you truly were meant to be, without any fake persona attached.

"Stay with me," Joss said softly as she reached across the table to take John's hand and link their fingers together. He lowered his bottle of beer slowly to the table, his eyes boring into hers, but he didn't pull his hand away.

"What are you asking of me, Joss?" John whispered, his throat tight as he was drowning in the dark depths of her eyes.

"Nothing," Joss said simply as she released his hand, and then brought her own bottle to her lips, "...and everything," she finished with a soft smile before she took a long pull. Her eyes never left John's….

A/N: Before you start throwing things at me, there will be a sequel to this also. Who knows? It may turn into a mini-series. We'll just have to see, but I know I have at least one more in me to write about this "Road Trip"...See you soon...