A/N: Credit to Jill Scott and Sy Smith's The ooh to my aah for inspiring #Sexytime and all of you for reading 'cause it's so much fun. Fictional grits on me.

As always, enjoy x

Chapter 19: Maniac

Saturday 10th September 2016, 11.13am, Joss' apartment, New York

John tried to make as small a disturbance as possible when he left while she was sleeping, but he didn't mind making a big impression on his way in. He was half-way through stripping off when he caught her side of the conversation. "…No Ma, he's not coming to church this Sunday, or the next…let's try October." Joss winked, the closest he was getting to a church was its adjoining cemetery. "…No I don't mind, Paul has every right to make plans with his son and we have to respect that…yes we do have to, Ma…Thanksgiving I guess…yes, John knows you're a Libra…no I haven't asked him yet…I'm sure he won't let you down…a light-pink one? Okay…" She rolled her eyes until she got a glimpse of John in just his socks. "Ma I gotta go…yes now…now-now Ma…Why? So I can do that thing you told me not to do 'til I was married." The dial-tone from the other end was the most satisfying sound since the discount beep at the shoe store counter. "I'm not even gonna ask where you've been."

He smiled because he couldn't explain the chickens. "I went to see a man about a dog and then, I stopped by a couple of apartments."

"Apartments?"

He could tell she wasn't happy. "I thought you'd want a place of our own."

She forced a smile. "I…it's just a…surprise, that's all." She didn't know what was wrong; here she had the non-bronze, non-Greek, Celtic figure lying in her bed, offering her a new place to live, and all she could think off was the rug being pulled out from under her feet. "John, I know you want to take care of me."

"But, you're attached to this place?" He asked.

She tried to explain. "It's been my constant; you know? It keeps me connected to my son, it's the first place I laid down roots for us. It's my house." She realised how bad it sounded just to tell the truth. "But that means it's not our house, I see that now."

"Joss, I can wait 'til we find the right place but I want us to have a home that's ours. And Taylor will understand your relationship keeps you connected, not this place."

"You think so?"

"Don't underestimate him, he's full of surprises."

Joss could sense something was bubbling under the surface but she couldn't put her finger on it. "You know something I don't know about my son?"

"It wouldn't be a secret if I told you." And speaking of secrets, John planned to take that particular secret to the grave for both their sakes. "What I'm saying is; he's not a kid anymore. And didn't you plan to give him this place one day?"

She was surprised he remembered. "Yeah, one day not Tuesday."

He shrugged his shoulders and reached over her body to the nightstand on her side of the bed, unplugging the phone. "It's nothing we can't figure out at the gun range." He spoke into her ear, inhaling that mystic, captivating scent in her hair he still couldn't place.

She shifted, letting his weight fall evenly across her hips, stroking the tufts of hair at the back of his head between her fingers. "You've got all the answers today, John. Any ideas on the donut shop guy? Shaw's getting restless."

"Nope. I've got limits."

That look said otherwise. "Limits? The John I know sees green lights instead of stop signs. Unless you're reformed?"

"As reformed as I'll ever be. And for the record, all I see are green lights ahead."

"Oh really?" Those blue eyes filled up with smoke; revealing a grey tint to them that spelt trouble for her. She'd never met a man more dominant than him, and if she had; she'd never let a man get that far. Usually the alpha shtick would've resulted in unanswered phone calls and unheard voicemail messages but somehow he made her relax and open up more than just her mouth as his tongue ran up and down hers. It was amazing what he could do with just one finger that most men couldn't after years of practice in bed, maybe he was a thigh-slapping banjo player in a past life. "Mmmmmmmmmm…right there…mmmmmmmmmm…" John liked to tease, just to see the lines on her face, just to hear her ask – never beg – for more. It was no question he had used his power against women in his life; exploiting their weaknesses to break them down, using them for information or just for temporary fun. Games. But this was different; he moved inside her with purpose and precision; building her up to a climax only to withdraw and start all over again. And when he was done teasing her, he flipped her flaccid body onto her stomach and pulled her back at the knees; slamming her into submission until her mouth could form words, just incoherent, syllabic utterings. It really wasn't fair, that she was powered on a full night's sleep but still started off at a disadvantage. It was John's game, and that meant she could never keep up, or match his score, even if she wanted to finish him off with her mouth; the near-drowsiness from being tapped out made her less coordinated. He watched her roll over to her side and mumble, "Five minutes," which mean she was going to be out for at least 20 and say she just closed her eyes for a second.

After scrolling through some more apartments Finch had earmarked and loading a few of his shotguns, Joss came back to life and back to reality. She took one look at the man in the birthday and decided that after breakfast for dinner and dessert for breakfast she wanted to get on her Jill Scott and cook him some griiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiits.

11.54am, Finch's Townhouse, Carnegie Hill, New York

Finch was surprised to find Zoe working at a spare desk in protest; he understood her success came from the fact she never took no for an answer. "Good morning, Zoe. Would you like some brunch?"

"No thanks. I went to McClarken's for some salmon on rye. Thanks for the west-facing guest room; the sheets are just fabulous." She responded to Senator Campbell's email confirming he approved of the changes to his speech, taking the credit of course.

"I'm glad you were comfortable. Uhh Zoe, I have work to do so if you don't mind using the library-"

She closed her laptop. "Of course not." She sashayed upstairs, leaving behind a vanilla musk scent and he wondered how long she would stay for.

2.00pm, 8th Precinct

It felt good to finally be back with his partner; Shaw was a great partner-in-crime but Fusco couldn't write reports on the things they got up to. They had the bullpen to themselves and he noticed her ring finger was naked again. "Where's the hardware?"

Joss pulled out the folders on the Canuto case. "Somewhere safe. How's Hazel?"

He looked away, he hadn't had much time for her lately and she was growing suspicious of his nocturnal activities. "Normal."

She nodded. He's bored. "And the Pillsbury donut boy?"

He produced a file of his own. "Three and a half months ago Lucas was locking up the donut shop when a teenage girl was kidnapped and forced into a car. Detective Goode from the SVU at the 41st Precinct thinks the guys who did it were regulars at the donut shop. They beat her, sexually assaulted her, and Lucas is the only one who can positively identify them. Since the crime, only one of them, Jeffery Hapley- kept coming to the shop."

"To keep his mouth shut." Joss concluded, understanding why he was a number in the first place. "You gotta make him talk."

He sighed. "I knew you were gonna say that. Lucas worked double shifts every night since then; that's how he made Employee of the month."

"Mmm-hmm, to avoid thinking about it. And that's how you're gonna get him to testify. You can relate."

"I knew you gonna say that too."

"'Cause you know how this works; in two weeks, Detective Goode'll be working on something new. And that girl will never get justice." Joss stated simply. "You got it."

3.59pm, Finch's Townhouse, Carnegie Hill, New York

Shaw was bored. And when she was bored, bad things happened; like random fires. But fresh from his workout, John face Zoe where she was working so he could do right by his wife and prove she wasn't made to carry every load by herself. Shaw brought snacks, popcorn for herself and a new tough cut of meat for Bear, and put on her headphones and propped up her feet as Finch fired up the audio feed from the library.

"I'm glad you came over." Zoe greeted, standing up in her blue and white houndstooth skirt and loose white blouse. She thought the silver grey suit was good for him, distinguished.

"It's not often that a woman camps out for me."

Zoe was used to being rewarded for her persistence. "You look well."

"Zoe, I know what you want-"

"Let me explain, first. Please." He waited. "John, it was my birthday on May 10th." She didn't say which. He didn't congratulate her. "I'm looking at my life and I'm thinking; I have all this stuff and something's missing. You know what that feels like?" He was silent, because the only training he ever remembered was when not to engage the enemy. "Of course you know what that feels like; that black hole inside of you. Until you realise…you are the black hole." She put her hand on her heart. "It's empty in here. Am I so wrong, to fill it?"

…

"She's working him." Shaw took a long slurp of her chocolate milkshake. "That's the long con."

Finch had faith, and Sencha tea, on his side. "I think Mr Reese's resolve is stronger than that."

"We'll see. Can't we just-?"

"No, we can't do bodily harm to Ms Morgan."

"What about-?"

"No, we can't do damage to her car either."

She sighed. "What a waste. Of all the days he could've been an asshole and saved us a lot of time."

"I'm quite proud of Mr Reese."

"Are you paying attention? This is worse."

"I don't follow."

"It's better for the bully to kick your ass than to let you keep your lunch money 'cause you cried and wet your pants."

Finch didn't spend much time in the playground at recess as a child, he was more of the wait it out reading in a bathroom stall or the janitor's closet-type. But his superior logic could always break down an analogy. The worst thing John could do was feel sorry for her, and it looked like that's what he was doing.

…

John realised Zoe's angle; she was trying to wear him down through talking. "When my dad left us, my mom said 'we were on our own'. And the day I finished college? She told me, 'Congratulations; now you're on your own'. My first heartbreak; 'Zoe, men always leave; you have to make it on your own.' So I did just that. And here we are today; I'm asking you to do one thing for me so I can do this. On. My. Own."

He tried to be succinct. "I could never say yes to you."

"Because of Joss?

"Because I don't want children. And if I did; she's the only woman I trust to raise them on her own."

She was taken aback. Not because he said no but because of the insinuation. "You think I'd be a bad mother? Where'd you get off saying that to me?"

"Me? You didn't cross the line of decency when you asked my wife to accept this?"

…

"Look at Stretch Armstrong coming back from a pathetic first round on the ropes." Shaw played commentator with great satisfaction. "Almost got his balls back."

Finch lost his appetite for Battenburg cake, but he did find the situation thrilling as the Machine changed the risk level by the second.

…

Zoe fired back because she was hurt. "You've probably got a kid or two out there anyway, John. They call it 'unreported offspring'. And I'll have you know, the leader at my parenting class says I'd be a fine mother so so much for you and your uneducated opinion."

John realised this was the doe all over again; there was no way of winning. The sooner he accepted that, the soon Uncle Sterling could miss his shot and make up some victorious story. So he did it; he gave her what she needed. "You don't want me, Zoe. You never did; you just liked the idea of doing something no other woman could; locking me down. But you couldn't, 'cause I'd always be looking for the next exit; like that window or the roof or the fire escape. I never thought of you that way, when I came to you I saw an open door to poker and company." It was a dagger in her heart because the unspoken thing was he never thought of her at all. "I'm-"

"Don't say you're sorry. It's…it's pathetic, don't say it."

…

Even Bear could sense something was wrong because he sat at attention. "Oh dear." Finch exclaimed. "I suppose Ms Morgan will be making a quick-" She rushed past them and headed downstairs without a word. "Exit." The only noise she made was a slammed door.

Shaw shrugged her shoulders. "At least she's gone. Talk about a few yolks short of a dozen eggs."

Finch inhaled. "That was rather crass, considering."

"What? Too soon? I thought we wanted her gone. And she left her stuff; talk about overstaying your welcome."

He was surprised and disconcerted that she remembered anything he ever told her about etiquette because she still ate like someone raised in the woods. "Gone? Yes. Scarred? No."

John appeared. "So you heard?"

"Yep." Shaw chewed some gum and looked him up and down, wondering why Zoe was so hung up on him. Any mannequin can wear a suit. "Finally, potential."

He looked at Finch for confirmation. "I didn't blow it, this time. Come on, Finch."

Finch uttered words he never thought he'd say sober. "I'm inclined to agree with Ms Shaw."

John felt that ego boost right in his chest. "So, I'm still head honcho around these parts?"

"No." They said in unison.

Shaw forced something from her mouth like a resistant toddler spitting out a chewed up lego. "All you had to do was shoot but nooooooooooo, you had to stab her 15 times like a textbook maniac. Maybe you are a plastic superhero."