A/N: Did Joss hit Paul with the Pisces cut-off? Is that 8-foot-wide bed ever coming?

As always, enjoy x

Chapter 49: Motormouth

Thursday 1st December 2016, 6.41am, Galah Apartments, Washington Street, West Village, Manhattan

After a night shift as a G.P., with Shaw giving medical advice in his left ear and insults in his left, John was happy to take off his white coat and stop committing medical fraud for long enough to hear about Joss' second shift and what happened prior. On any other day, the news she had cut off Paul like a septic limb would've been music to his ears but John wasn't happy it took Taylor's suffering to make it happen even though he understood why the grasshopper wouldn't confide in him. Joss was clearly tired from work and years of propping up a grown man and because he was her doctor, he understood the best way to support Taylor from afar was to take care of his mom. "Everything's gonna be alright." John's words were a comfort and she believed them. "Trust me, I'm a Doctor."

"Get outta here." She tutted and folded his white coat over a lounge chair that matched the sofa where they slept. "John, why do you love me?" She asked, unbuttoning his shirt.

"Why are you asking?" The redness in her eyes suggested why. "I meant, you already know."

"That's not an answer."

The Joss he knew wouldn't have asked unless she needed to hear it. He took off his shirt. "I love you because of who we are together, to each other. I love you because you always try to do right and 'cause I'd be stupid not to. And for some reason, you love me." She seemed satisfied with his answer, playfully slapping him on the chest. Her eyes said she was too tired for sex and needed rest. "Why are you asking?" He repeated because he thought she was sure. Maybe not sure enough.

"I love you 'cause no-one's got my back like you, Joss…"

"I love you 'cause you're always there for me…"

"I love you 'cause I know you'd never..."

"I love you 'cause you always…"

"I love you 'cause you're my girl…"

It was only in hindsight that Joss could see the decades of a selfish love and its residual effects, and the part she played in it. Unsure of whether she should be mad at herself or saddened by it, she accepted that it just was. There was no way of going back to demand the love she deserved, Cal was gone before she could accept the love he had to offer; but this was her chance enjoy a reciprocal love with a man who would bear the weight so she didn't have to. "I shouldn't have." She yawned, proving that his first instinct was right and once again they made their bed on the sofa, together.

3.04pm, Holey Donuts, New York

Against her husband's advice, Evelyn stole a few minutes of Joss' time at the donut shop near the Precinct. Having found herself on the outside looking in because her daughter and grandson wouldn't tell her what was going on and all Naomi had to reveal was Joss wasn't very talkative when she came in for a quick co-wash and blow dry. Everyone knew Jeremy was somewhere in Virginia, grunting and stewing if she remembered correctly, but it wasn't fair for them to conspire together in silence as though they had the right to. Joss ordered a black coffee with cream and some cinnamon donut holes and milky tea for her mother but was just as short on words as Janelle said.

"I have an interview at 4." She told her, which meant she was interviewing a witness.

"I see." Evelyn sat back in her seat so she'd have a full view of her daughter's body language. It was guarded; from her interlocked fingers to her crossed ankles. What's she got to hide? "How've you all been?"

"Fine. You? Mr Greg?"

Evelyn smiled. "Blessed. You can tell me anything…" She said in that same tone she used to make her daughter snitch on herself. "Like what Jeremy did to upset my baby."

It wasn't the day for prying not with Joss already on edge from her upcoming interview with a 9-year-old child who may or may not have witnessed her aunt's murder. Noguerra may have been messing with her less, but that didn't make the task at hand any easier. "He went home and I don't want to talk about it."

Evelyn wasn't used to the pushback so she pushed harder, and it wasn't the day for that either. "What concerns Taylor concerns me and you, Jocelyn. We're on the same side here. I just want to know so I'm informed and I can help."

Joss inhaled and exhaled through her nose just enough times to curb her tongue somewhat. "You know I wish for once you'd respect when I ask you to stay out of it. I don't need any more help."

Evelyn heard; "Back up! Back up! Miiiiiiind ya bizness, that's all, just miiiiiiiiiind ya bizness." Or maybe it was all those Fresh Prince reruns she loved, either way the Queen Mother was taken aback and almost speechless. She swallowed and waited for an apology that wasn't forthcoming. The tense silence was having an unexpected effect; Evelyn started to feel that she might have possibly overstepped just a little bit, which wasn't her fault. But the silence continued doing its work on her and after five minutes she felt a teensy-weensy bit responsible.

Joss still wasn't in the talking mood but she managed to say something before paying and heading back to work, "I know you care, but John's got it under control." And like the day a billionaire usurped her wedding powers the moment his helicopter touched down in Summerville, Evelyn felt deposed by the man she had worked so hard to make a part of their family. The donut holes didn't taste as sweet, so she had six of them to compensate.

7.40pm, The R.E.M. Group, Glendale, Queens

Susan knew the moment Paul walked in her office having missed a session due to the holiday that something had shifted in his life. Instead of the nervous movements of his hands and feet, all of his tension was in his jaw, neck and shoulders; his jaw was clenched, his shoulders were raised and his neck was hidden underneath a turtleneck sweater. He usually hid his cross against his skin but that day he was wearing it around his neck. She didn't miss that symbol either. "How were the holidays, Paul?"

"My dad busted in on Evelyn's dinner and tried to make my son sign over his half of the house." She wrote some quick notes and looked at his face unable to read it because it was void of emotion. "Only, Taylor thought I set him up, got mad at me and left. And when Jeremy heard he wasn't signed he destroyed our kitchen." She nodded, relieved that the large band-aid on his hand could have come from something other than self-harming. "So, he left and now Joss wants nothing to do with me…and my son's still mad."

"How do you feel about what your father did?"

"It's just like him." He said dismissively. "And that's what I was trying to keep Taylor away from all these years."

She noticed a discrepancy in his reasoning. "Who did Taylor's half of the house belong to prior?"

Paul cleared his throat. "Me. My mom left it to me."

She nodded and changed subject. "How do you feel about your father leaving?"

"Great." He said with no guilt because it was the truth, without the part about the gun.

"And your son?"

He sighed. "I wanna get back to how it was. Don't know how, but that's what I want."

"And how do you feel about Joss' response?"

Like there's no coming back from that.

Like I miss her.

Like I just lost my best friend.

Like a part of me just died.

"Crap." He replied. "I don't wanna talk about her."

"You mentioned her." Susan pointed out. "It may be worth exploring why you mentioned it."

"I already know why." Susan sensed another out-counsellor-the-counsellor moment coming. "You're gonna say it's about love; that Jeremy can't love anyone without hurting them 'cause he was never loved, that I love Taylor more than anyone and that's why it's getting to me and the reason why I'm stuck on Joss is 'cause I love her. That's obvious. I still love her, never stopped, now can you help me fix things with my son or not? 'Cause that looks like the only one I still have a chance at."