A/N: Thanks to all the guest reviews and to SWWoman for being the beta for my stories. Things are definitely heating up.

Breaking Point 10

"Finch, we've got a big problem." John said as he turned onto the long driveway that led to the warehouse. "We've got about a dozen bogies headed your direction. I'm on my way back now, I'm on the driveway. I should be there in a few minutes." He said controlling his breathing while he jogged and talked at the same time.

"Alright John, I'll have the side door open for you. Get here as fast as you can. And John….thank you." Finch said sincerely before he disconnected.

John put his phone back in his pocket and sped up to a full run. He needed to get there fast; he could hear Donnelly's goons starting their engines in the distance.

Harold disconnected with John then turned to the others who were waiting anxiously to hear what John had to say, especially Joss.

"It would seem that we are going to have company. John has just informed me that there are about twelve men on their way here, I would assume to capture Ms. Carter. So we must prepare for their arrival." Harold stated as a mater-of-fact.

"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute. How did they find us?" Shaw asked flabbergasted.

"I have no idea Ms. Shaw, John didn't go into it and I didn't ask. Ms. Groves would you be so kind as to unlock the side door for Mr. Reese I imagine he is almost….ah, yes there he is now." Finch pointed to a monitor that showed John approaching the side door and opening it to walk inside. As soon as the door closed behind him Root re-locked the door and added a few more security measures. The door, in fact, sealed itself from being pried open or pulled. It was practically immovable.

"It will take him a moment to get here so we need to begin preparations." Finch said to everyone gathered and they all started on whatever task they were assigned for such an emergency. Finch glanced over at Joss where she had her eyes glued to the door obviously waiting for John. Finch touched her arm gently and she jumped.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to startle you." He apologized.

Joss smiled wearily. "No, that's alright. I shouldn't be so jumpy. It's just…." She trailed off not sure how to finish.

"You're not sure how John will react to seeing you again, is that it?" he said compassionately.

"It's silly, right? I mean it's only been a couple of hours…" Just then the door opened and John stepped into the enclosure. Her eyes went directly to John of their own accord. John's sought her out just the same. His eyes sparked with fire for an instant then went deathly cold and he moved over to talk to Finch. Joss simply turned and left the room, returning to the office since it was the only place she knew to get away from the cold. Her heart was breaking and she didn't know how to fix this.

John watched Joss leave with his heart in his eyes. He knew he was hurting her but he didn't know what else to do. Shutting himself down, he pushed all feelings to the side. He had a job to do. He would do it and deal with his relationship with Joss later.

Walking up to Finch he said, "It looks like one of the guys we nabbed had a tracker on him somewhere. How safe are we in this enclosure Finch?" John asked. He needed to know what he was dealing with.

Finch looked up at John as if he wanted to say something then changed his mind. "The enclosure is as secure as Fort Knox, Mr. Reese, but that doesn't mean we can sit back and watch the show. You, Ms. Shaw, Ms. Groves and Detective Fusco will have to guard certain areas that might be vulnerable to an attack. I've made copies of a map of the interior of the enclosure for everyone highlighting the areas of concern." Finch turned stiffly and picked up a piece of paper with a map of the enclosure printed on it. There were more areas to cover than they had people he noticed. John and Finch went over the map briefly and worked out several different scenarios of defense then John got his gear ready. As John was making plans in his head, his thoughts were interrupted when he heard Joss.

"I hope you made one of those maps for me" Joss said as she entered the common space, her voice steady, and her face unreadable. She had her gun holstered to her right side and she wasn't wearing her arm sling.

"No." John said with finality.

Joss turned and looked at him with a sarcastic eyebrow raised. "No?" She responded with amused disbelief. Walking slowly toward him she stopped just in front of him. Everyone had stopped what they were doing and were watching with quiet fascination. Looking him in the eye she showed no emotion. "I don't think you have the right to tell me what I can and cannot do, John," she said with steal in her voice.

Joss had decided while she was back in the office that she had had enough. She had explained herself to John and apologized for her mistake. Yes, she was wrong to hold back, but she had told him from the beginning that she had trust issues. If this was how he wanted to play it then fine with her. She was done hiding in the back while others fought her battles.

Without looking away from John, "Finch, do you have one of those maps for me?" she asked flatly.

Finch looked from one to the other. Joss had calm resolve in her face while John's was thunderstruck. John couldn't tell her what to do and he knew it. She was a grown woman who could make choices of her own. But deep in his eyes you could see his love and concern for Joss no matter how hard he tried to hide it. Finch had no choice, really, but to give Joss a copy of one of the maps. She thanked him and turned away to see what she could do to help the others. John watched her leave with a look of resignation on his face.

He and Finch looked over the map again, and decided on a plan of action, then John called everyone over to give them their assignments. It was a little unnerving how easily they looked to him as leader when they had just met, but John didn't dwell on it. He just put on the mantle of command as easily as putting on a jacket.

As everyone gathered their gear to go to their assigned station, John caught Joss by the arm and she looked up at him in surprise and, he thought….fear. She was afraid of him? Shaking that question aside for another time he said, "If you run into something you can't handle, don't hesitate to call on me, okay?"

She stared at him for a moment then jerked her arm out of his grasp. "I was taking care of myself long before you came along John Reese. You know what? I can still take care of myself." She said with disdain and walked away from him to her assigned station.

John stood in place and watched her leave. He had pushed her away and now he didn't know if he would ever be able to get her back. He didn't know what he had expected, that she would just wait for him to work out his issues? Closing his eyes with a loud sigh he put thoughts of Joss and him to the side. He had work to do and it would take all his concentration to do it. Opening his eyes he made his way to his assigned place.

Finch had watched this exchange with deepening sadness. These two needed to be together; needed each other. He had to find a way to bring them back together. The Machine had shown an interest in their well-being but he was still not sure what plans The Machine had for them. His own interest was more humane. He wanted them to live, be happy and prosper in their endeavors.

There really wasn't much he could do to help with the protection of the enclosure other than watch the monitors and alarms, so he decided to delve deeper into Agent Nicholas Donnelly. From here he could hack into the FBI database with better anonymity than at the library so he would take this opportunity to see what he could find.

Meanwhile Joss sat at one of the lower windows that could pose a risk for a breech, even though it had above standard security locks. She was remembering what she said to John. She semi-regretted being so harsh with him; he was only offering to help if she needed it. She was still hurt from him leaving her and that made her lash out at him. Leaning her head against the wall beside the window, she recalled the last time they were together. He had been so tender and attentive. She could remember the way his hands and his mouth felt on her body. The way he kissed her so deeply and moved inside her so powerfully. She could feel wetness pool between her legs even now. Sitting up, she shook those thoughts out of her mind. She couldn't think about those things or it would erode her resolve to keep him at arm's length. She needed to remain focused on her job. As that thought crossed her mind she heard a loud explosion at the other end of the warehouse. Here they come.

John was standing guard at a secured back entrance his thoughts wandering back to Joss and how she had looked when she walked away from him. He had pushed her too far this time. Asked too much of her. She had such a capacity for forgiveness yet he had been unable to show her the same. When this was over he was going to beg her to forgive him for walking out. He never should have left in the first place. He remembered their last time together. How soft her skin was and how sweet she tasted as he kissed her from head to toe. He remembered her heat and how wet, tight and soft she was around him. How she cried out his name in ecstasy as he plunged into her hard and deep, driving them both to heaven itself. John shook himself. He had to concentrate. Besides thinking about Joss was making him rock hard and he couldn't fight the enemy with an erection. Clearing his mind he focused on his job. Just then he heard an explosion at the other end of the warehouse. Here they come.

Tapping his earbud he called for a com check. "Everybody check in…"

"Shaw, ready…"

"Root, ready…"

"Fusco, ready…"

John waited for Joss to check in but after a few minutes and hearing nothing, "Joss, com check…'

No answer. Now he was getting worried. He started to move toward her station. "Joss, com check, now…." He repeated desperately.

"John, there's been a breech at Joss's station. You need to get there now." Finch called frantically over the coms.

"Everybody, Joss's station; NOW!" John barked as he picked up his speed to get to Joss's station.

When he reached it Fusco was already there. He was standing in the middle of what were clearly the signs of a struggle when he looked up at John with a mixture of apprehension and anger. He pointed toward the open window where they had obviously come and gone through. As John stood there, transfixed by what he saw, Shaw and Root came running up behind him. They moved around him looking at the chaos left behind of Joss's abduction. She had fought hard.

"Why didn't she shoot?" Shaw asked out loud, her voice flat and to the point.

"Why indeed?" Root concurred. "The window isn't broken. In fact, it looks like it's been opened from the inside. But why…." Before Root could finish her thought John spun around and sped off.

"John, wait, where are you going?" Shaw called out after him as she ran to catch up. Root and Fusco followed.

John ran through the enclosure, past Harold in the main office space and out the door.

"What's happening? Where's everyone going" Harold asked perplexed at the full exodus of his people.

"Don't know," huffed Fusco as he passed. "Mr. Tall, Dark and Stormy just started sprinting this way when he saw that Carter was missing."

"Missing?!" Declared Finch. And he rose from his chair to follow.

John had reached the door to the gym by the time Harold exited the enclosure and saw John open the door easily and run in. Harold's stomach plummeted. How could they have gotten past this security? Walking slowly toward the enclosure, Harold arrived at the door to see John standing beside the two empty chairs that the two gunmen hand been handcuffed to. The handcuffs were there, but the men were not. He saw John bend down and pick something up from the seat of the chair the blonde had been in. John looked at it, turned it over, swallowed once then handed it to Shaw who looked at it and passed it down the line. By the time Finch joined the group Fusco had the object, which Finch now saw was a picture, and handed it to him. It was a picture of Joss, terrified but defiant, with the blonde placing a kiss on her cheek. On the back it read, "See you soon". Finch felt sick. He looked up at John and for the first time was frightened of him.

"He's a dead man." Reese said in a low, gravelly, menacing voice that sent shivers down everyone's spine. These people had made a dangerous mistake. The beast that Joss had been able to tame over the last few months was unleashed. Every one of them would be dead before sundown tomorrow. If Joss was hurt, their death would not be quick; they would suffer the torments of hell itself.

Walking past all of them, John headed for the door and his destiny.

A/N: Donnelly has no idea what sleeping giant he has awakened. John will move heaven and earth to ensure Joss is safe. And that blonde guy will probably pay a high price for putting his lips on John's lady. But there's someone else in this equation we need to remember...Kara. See you soon...