10 – Best Seller

"You read books as a kid?" Jocelyn Carter gave John Reese a look of mock shock. "I thought you told me," putting down her coffee, Joss pretended she was chewing on a blade of grass, while she lowered her voice in an exaggerated twang, "'I spent my days with a .22 in one hand and a fishin' pole in the other when I was a youngin', Carter.'"

To Reese's surprise and delight, not only had Joss brought him the info he needed on the latest Number, an antique dealer, who depending on who you wanted to believe, had either stolen or taken back a rare first edition from his former partner, who he claimed had stolen it from him, she'd also brought two thermoses of coffee and settled down beside Reese, as he watched the man putter around endlessly in his dingy little store.

Reese's lips quirked. "The Pony Express did occasionally deliver books to that one room schoolhouse I walked barefoot to, uphill both ways, Detective. I wasn't chauffeured around," his eyes slid towards her, "like some people I know."

"Takin' a city bus to school is not being 'chauffeured around', John – you'd know that if you'd ever rode in one. And no," she held up a finger as he opened his mouth, "having me drive one while you shot out the tires on that kidnapper's bus last month doesn't count! I'm still fillin' out paperwork on that little stunt."

"You did great, Carter. Sandra Bullock has nothing on you."

She shrugged modestly. "Thanks. You did good, too." Picking up her coffee, Joss took a sip.

Reese stared at her.

"What?" Joss frowned at him. "I'm supposed to tell you that Keanu has nothin' on you?"

"They were a team, Carter," Reese smirked.

With an exaggerated sigh, Joss shook her head. "Okay…he…" Reese raised an eyebrow at her, "Keanu," she amended, "has nothing on you."

Reese shrugged modestly. "Thanks, Carter."

They shared a wry glance, then Joss smiled softly at him. "We did save a bunch of kids that day."

"Yeah," Reese smiled back, "we did."

"So…" Joss took another sip. "What did you read?" She turned slightly towards him. "What was John Reese's favorite book?"

They'd spent the last hour talking about everything and nothing, and Reese felt that curious blend of hyper awareness, yet total relaxation that he always felt when he was with Joss – the little tendril of hair that had escaped her tidy bun, the way her skin glowed, even in the darkness, how she could make him laugh with just one look.

Reese didn't want her to leave.

He wanted to reach over and smooth that tendril of hair back, then caress her cheek.

He wanted to lean close and inhale her jasmine scent.

He wanted to kiss her.

Reese smirked, trying to push away the thoughts and feelings that had come over him. "Oh…books you never heard of…"

Joss turned fully towards him. "Like what?"

He shrugged. "Where's the Bathroom? by Willy Makeit."

Joss chuckled. "Illustrated by Betty Wont."

"With an epilogue by Doris Laukt, don't forget that, Carter."

"That is a classic, John, but I would have thought you read stuff like "How to Blow Things Up by Dyna Might" or Cliff Diving by Igo Furst."

"I read technical stuff like that when I was older, Carter. How 'bout you – did you decide to become a cop when you read…" Reese paused, thinking, then he smirked, "Grave Mistakes by Paul Bearer?"

Joss grimaced. "Nah, the author was a real jerk – he never finished it."

Reese grinned. "Came to a dead end?"

It was a real let down, John. What did get me hooked on solving mysteries was a book about a Moscow detective - Russian Tragedy by Hugh Cutyourcockoff."

Reese shifted in his seat. "Ouch."

Joss smirked. "You should have read the reviews…slashed the author to ribbons."

"What else?"

She sang, "I Hate the Sun by Gladys Knight."

Reese raised an eyebrow. "No Pips?"

Joss shook her head. "It was during her solo career."

"What do you think Finch read?"

Joss thought for a moment. "Cy Borg, a biography…by Anne Droid."

"And Fusco," Reese smirked, "Outta Breath by Ima Puffing."

"Bear?"

They said it together. "Yellow Snow by I. P. Daily."

"He's probably 'inking' a new chapter right now on his walk with Harold," Reese smiled.

They went back and forth for a while, but then Joss put the cup back on the top of her thermos. "So…come on, John," she said softly, "what did you read as a kid?"

"Reading…" Reese sat there for a moment, gazing out the windshield, "wasn't easy for me for a long time. I loved being outside." He turned towards her. "I thought reading was boring."

Her brow crinkled. "But you read a lot now, like that book about Toussaint Louverture you gave Taylor – you guys talked about that for weeks."

"There was a lot to talk about - defeating Napoleon's army and the Haitian Revolution leading to the Louisiana Purchase."

Joss nodded. "Doubled the size of the US."

His lips quirked. "Listening to our conversations, Carter?"

She gave him that look. "You should talk."

They shared a brief smile, then tilting her head, Joss waited for Reese to continue.

He sat there for another moment, then Reese began to speak softly. "I was doing so badly in school, that they talked about me repeating a grade – my mom was at her wits end."

Slowly, Joss reached out and touched his sleeve. "What happened, John? What changed?"

"My dad." Reese paused, as memories, things he hadn't thought about for a long time, flooded his mind. "He was home for longer than usual this time – training at the base. One night he came home with a book called Sounder."

Reese watched her eyes light up, but Joss stayed silent, her hand curling around his sleeve.

"We read that book together, every night, and slowly, I began to love reading, because I loved that book so much. My grades got better and when they tested me again, I was above my grade level…I loved how they all loved each other, no matter what. And I loved how…" he paused again, "the boy went on…even after…"

Her hand slid down his arm, taking Reese's hand in hers.

"Even after his dad died…" tears filled his eyes. "And when my dad died…"

She squeezed his hand, hard. "You went on, John."

"Yeah." He blinked the tears away. "I went on, Joss."

They sat there for a long time, still holding hands, not saying a word. Finally, the owner shut the lights off in his shop and shuffled upstairs to his apartment that was over the store. Listening to the bugs that Reese had installed in his place, they heard the man settle down for the night, his wheezing snores telling them he was fast asleep.

"Thank you, Joss."

She shook her head. "I didn't do anything."

"No. You did everything."

Reese leaned forward, smoothed back that tendril of hair. He caressed her soft cheek as he inhaled her jasmine scent.

And finally, Reese did something he realized that he had wanted to do, from the moment he met Joss.

He kissed her.

Reese heard her sharp intake of breath, then Joss kissed him back.

After several glorious minutes, she pulled her head back with a gentle smile. "I guess you read Kiss Me by Puck R Up?"

Reese smiled back at her, then his smile faded. "Meant to Be by Des T. Knee."

Her smile faded as well. "I read that one, too."

"I…loved…that book, Joss. Did you…" he whispered, "like it?"

Now her eyes filled with tears. "I loved it, John."

He grinned at her. "I think… we should read that one again, Joss."

Joss laughed. "Slowly…page by page, John?"

He traced a long finger over her gorgeous mouth. "From cover…to cover, every night, for the rest of our lives," Reese murmured as they melted into each other's arms.

A/N: Kevin Hooks, who played the young boy, David Lee, in the 1972 film Sounder, directed the S4 ep Most Likely To. It was the only thing that I liked about that ep!

Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves starred in the 1994 film Speed.

I liked showing in this drabble how they, and their relationship progress: Joss reaches out to Reese - 1st figuratively, when she brings the thermoses instead of just cups of coffee, showing how she wants to spend time w/him, and then literally when she tentatively reaches out and touches him, and then firmly takes his hand. Reese tries to hide his desire for her w/joking about the book titles, but then he shares not just something about his past, but also his feelings about the past. He also lets Joss comfort him - for a man like Reese who feels that he deserves nothing, that's a big deal, and it lets him know that he can show Joss how he feels about her. It was also fun finding those book titles and writing John and Joss banter is always a blast!

The next drabble, Sarong, will be posted on March 13th.