"How did it go?" Joss asked when John entered.

John hung up his coat and put the guns away as he inhaled the sweet aroma of something cooking from the kitchen making his stomach rumble. "I got the bounty removed off your head but I think for your and your son's safety you should stay with me until it's all over. Elias claimed you were on his 'do not kill' list but I don't trust him especially since you seem to want to try to capture not only him but Paul too," he told her.

Joss gaped at him. Elias had a 'do not kill' and a 'kill' list, seriously? "Do I even want to know how you managed to get him to remove the bounty?" she muttered.

"Not really. But now we need to find Paul. I only managed to get him off your heels with the promise of bringing Paul to him. Tomorrow we'll split up; you head to Spencer's and get him to call Paul with fake information of Elias showing up. We'll get Finch to do another trace once I'm nearby and then I'll nab the bastard."

"Once you do, I'll call Fusco and we can set up a sting operation to not only bring in Paul but Elias too," Joss added to his plan.

"Are you sure you want to do that? Is Paul really someone worth saving at the risk of having Elias retaliate against you or your son? I can't be certain that Elias won't change his mind and have every low class criminal after you if you put him in jail."

"I have to try. I can't just let Elias walk out of that meeting with Paul and no way of stopping the bastard. Besides, you can identify Elias so you are going to have a target on your back. It's for the best if we contact the police and try to get Elias as well as Paul. Both would be off the streets; both in Rikers where they belong," she rationalized.

He sniffed the air again. "What are you cooking that smells so good?" he asked changing the subject.

She grinned. "My very own specialty: tamales. But I needed some ingredients which were another reason why I wanted to head out to get stuff yesterday. It took me a few hours but it kept my mind off where you were," she explained.

"You know how to make homemade tamales?"

"Yep, and they're good too!" she assured. He smiled a little at how sure she was of that fact. Even if they weren't he would lie. John let her lead him to the kitchen where the dinner was already set. The food was in the center waiting to be eaten.

John pulled out her chair for her, which made her smile, making him wonder what kind of manners did Paul have, if any, and once she was settled he sat himself. "Bon appétit," she murmured as she watched him like a hawk as he picked up his fork and cut into the tamale. It smelled divine. He placed the hot food into his mouth, grateful it had sat out so he didn't burn his tongue, and moaned.

"Is that an 'oh my god this is good' moan or more of an 'oh my god what the hell did I put into my mouth' one?" she asked anxiously. Joss didn't just cook her tamales for anyone. Even Paul hadn't had them very often. He didn't really like them and it was an old family recipe.

"It's the first variety," John said as he took a sip of the Deep red and peppery Merlot from Harold and Grace's wine collection. They had some of the finest wines. He noted that Joss was drinking water.

She smiled before taking a bit of it herself. She sighed as she ate it. "Man, if I get sick it will be worth it," she muttered. Joss forgot how much she truly enjoyed this.

"Do you get sick often from the pregnancy?"

Joss shrugged. "Sometimes, the pregnancy hasn't been too bad. I know some women have it far worse than what I've dealt with. I've had back pain, some bouts with morning sickness, and other things but overall not too bad," she answered downplaying some of it. Complaining about the woes of pregnancy wouldn't change them. She'd just grin and bear through it because the end result would be worth it…her son in her arms.

John nodded as he ate. "I've never really been around a pregnant woman," he admitted.

She looked up. "Really?—so you're not the oldest who was around watching momma bear more siblings and help protect them from the big bad world?"

"I didn't have siblings," he answered vaguely.

Joss immediately wanted more. "You were the only child?" she asked trying to not seem too eager for fear he'd clam up and stop talking. This was the first remotely personal thing he mentioned since he told her about what happened to him.

"Yes," he responded, still vaguely. She huffed and he looked up a little crooked smile that was so endearing appeared on his face. "Not the answer you were interrogating for?"

"I wouldn't have to interrogate you if you'd just answer something without making it like pulling teeth," she replied, irritably, but secretly enjoying the bantering.

"Joss, that part of my life is dead."

"Just like the rest of you?" she challenged.

"Maybe," he answered rising to her bait.

"Well, when you kissed me you seemed pretty alive to me." That sort of kiss could short circuit a brain, turn a heart into dust, and make a body quiver with lust. And his kiss did all three to her, not that she would admit to anyone other than herself.

John scowled. "I thought we agreed to forget about that mistake?"

She shrugged. "I'm just saying. You feel like a living, breathing, and passionate man to me," she explained simply.

He looked away and focused on eating. She picked a more neutral topic to talk about that was an interest to them both: guns. Before long she got him talking about good 80s action flicks and noticed the tension lining his shoulders flee as he became more open to talking when it wasn't centered on him. They retired to the living room still in a heated debate over who was the better action hero: Sylvester Stallone or Arnold Schwarzenegger.

"No way is Sylvester Stallone the better action hero over Arnie!" Joss exclaimed with exasperation. "Conan the Barbarian, The Terminator…I mean he has the most iconic line ever with 'I'll be back'! What does your boy have?" she contested.

He smirked at how animated and invested she had gotten into their debate. "Easy, I have two names for you Joss: Rambo, and Rocky Balboa." John announced, using his index finger and middle finger to count them off for her.

She scoffed. "Okay since we can't decide on who is the better of the two; can we both agree, at least, that Bruce Willis is the dark horse 80s action hero because of Die Hard?" she asked.

He leaned his head back and laughed. "I'll agree to that. But you're forgetting another dark horse who doesn't get nearly enough credit for his action flicks in the 80s…"

"Who?"

"Chuck Norris."

"Don't you mean: Walker Texas Ranger?"

John groaned. "Damn that show…" he grumbled.

She giggled and then she felt a distinct kick in her stomach from her little man. Joss, without thinking, grabbed John's hand and put it to her stomach wanting to share it with him. "Taylor's having a kick out of conversation, literally,"she stated and held his hand over her stomach waiting for Taylor to kick again. He didn't disappoint. Joss looked to John and saw the wonder in his eyes as he felt her son kick against her.

"Does it hurt?" he asked as he reached his other hand up to rest it on her stomach.

She shook her head. "No. It just feels a little weird at first. But once you feel it you almost want to feel it all the time. It humbles you to know you're growing a tiny person inside you." she said softly. When Taylor walloped her again John looked up with a grin that stole her breath, and they both froze. Since putting John's hand on her stomach she didn't anticipate how close he'd be, now that he had both hands on her stomach was actively looking for the kick his face was awfully close to hers.

She fought the crazy urge to let her gaze slip to his mouth, which she knew was parted since she felt his breathing on her lips, or they both were doomed. Damn but fighting against this crazy attraction between them was getting harder and harder to do because she was having trouble remembering why they should in the first place. You're pregnant Joss, he's not really attracted to you! Joss reminded herself. It was the situation, not them.

Joss didn't know who leaned in first, or was it a combination of both of them, but their lips were touching almost hesitantly. She let out a loud sigh as she pressed her lips more firmly to his and felt the tension vibrating within him. Ah, fuck it, who was she kidding it wasn't the situation, it was them. Then as if a floodgate was opened and they were kissing hard and urgently. Her hand still captured his to her stomach as their mouths got reacquainted. She moaned as she slid her tongue alongside his and tasted him. And he tasted just like the rest of him: wonderfully male.

But, this time, she was the one to end the kiss first. "John," she whispered breathlessly. What she truly wanted to say she wasn't entirely sure but it didn't matter because John was climbing off the couch looking angry.

"What the hell is this?" he snarled but she realized his anger wasn't at her but himself.

Joss looked up at him feeling about as confused as he was. But she answered as if the question was directed to her; "I have no clue, John. I tried to convince myself that you can't possibly be attracted to me because I'm pregnant. But I no longer believe that."

He anxiously ran a hand through his hair. "Pregnant or not Joss, you're quite possibly the most beautiful woman I ever laid eyes on. But I don't want this."

She stared up at him. "You think I do?—I have this little guy coming and I thought I was through with men for the next eighteen years because after Paul…sex isn't worth the heartache," she murmured. Shaw had thought she had brain damage for saying she didn't want sex.

John stared at her. "I think we need to hurry up and get this over with so you can go back to your life and I can get back to mine."

Joss couldn't stop from asking; "What life did you have, John?"

He glared at her darkly, clearly unhappy with the question.

"You should know that the only way I could get my pride to accept your help was that I convinced myself that I'd save you from yourself as a way to repay you," she added softly.

John looked away. "You already did, he rasped roughly and with that he stalked to his room and closed the door on more than just their conversation, leaving Joss alone with only her thoughts to keep her company.

"You already did."

Joss couldn't erase it from her mind. Did she really save John from himself? Or was he just saying that she had to get her to back off? She wouldn't put it past him at lying but she was pretty good at telling lies and he sounded sincere. Judging by how upset he was by it, it was probably the truth. But did that mean she wouldn't have to worry that the moment she was safe from Elias that he wouldn't get himself killed? And what would happen once they resolved Elias from following her to get Paul? Was she really supposed to go back to her life and forget about him? She couldn't. Joss knew that in her heart. They had something special. It was unique, tangible, and powerful.

She frowned as she needed to talk to someone and that someone was Shaw. The woman was bawdy, crass, and altogether the worst person to be good friends with and yet she was her best friend aside from Lionel. Perhaps it was Shaw's brutal honesty that drew her to the small Persian brunette with the bad attitude, but she wouldn't trade Shaw's friendship for anyone else's, because it was real and genuine. Shaw didn't sugarcoat things and said what she meant, and that Joss could appreciate.

Shaw answered on the third ring, with a sharp but clipped 'What do you want?'

"Hey Shaw, it's Carter," she greeted.

The voice on the other end softened…a tiny bit, which was Shaw's soft voice. "Where the fuck have you been? I got some lame ass call from Fatco about you taking some personal leave."

"Shaw…it's Fus-co!"

"Whatever, and now you're calling me on something that isn't your regular number…is it Paul? Are you finally going to let me cut off his dick and make him eat it?" Shaw demanded bluntly.

"No," Joss sighed.

"No to which, Carter, because I got the perfect butter knife to snip that baby carrot off."

Joss smiled despite herself. "No to cutting his dick off and making him eat it, Shaw," she murmured. Joss could have sworn she heard a wistful sigh. "But I took personal leave off from work and am in trouble because of Paul," she admitted. Shaw always gave her honesty which she always reciprocated in return.

"Oh, now it doesn't matter if you give me your blessing! That asshole is mine!"

"Shaw, simmer down and listen to me: Paul is a maniac, stay clear of him," Joss ordered stiffly. "My predicament is Paul's fault in a roundabout way," she began her explanation.

"How so?"

"Paul got tangled up with Elias but ended up double crossing him which got someone that Elias's cares about dead."

"And Elias is coming after you because the coward slithered off for some hole in the ground and left his pregnant wife hanging with the mess," Shaw finished for her, sounding more and more angry with each word she spoke.

"Yes…."

"Yep, that's it…I'm going to kill him! Where the hell are you? I'll come get you. No one really knows we're friends, or at least no one believes that I have a friend. And if Elias or his goons want to get you they'll have to go through me,"Shaw vowed.

Joss smiled. She could almost see all of Shaw's five foot three inches puffing up as she brought herself to full height. The woman weighed barely hundred and ten pounds, and ate like she weighed three hundred, but don't tell Shaw she is tiny or you'd feel the wrath. Besides, her personality disorder that caused her sour disposition added like another foot or two onto her. She never backed down from a fight and Joss was more than a little surprised that the woman never decided to further her military career. But then her job she worked suited her well.

"I'm someplace safe, Shaw. In fact this burner phone that I'm calling you is untraceable and given to me from a friend of a friend," she assured wanting Shaw to be relieved.

"Who is this friend?" Shaw asked. "From what Fusco said he hasn't seen you and as far as I know me and him are your only two friends."

"That reminds me that I need to get out more once I have my little man and meet some new people," Joss murmured trying to keep the conversation off of John.

"Carter…" came a rough growl.

Joss had a half of mind just ignoring her friend's wishes and just change the subject but couldn't. Shaw was always on the up and up with her; if she didn't reciprocate that meant that Shaw wouldn't have to in the future either.

"I met him a few days ago on the subway when I was trying to escape Elias who sent men to my home to abduct me. His name is John and he was a homeless man who was about to commit suicide." she explained quietly. Joss waited and on the other end it was dead silence. "Shaw?"

"You're with a hobo with a death wish as your backup?—and this to you is your idea of being safe?" Shaw demanded incredulously. If it wasn't such a serious conversation she would have laughed at Shaw's high pitched voice. It was sweet of her to worry but she was fine.

"Yes. John isn't the average homeless man."

Shaw snorted derisively. "Seriously Carter, where are you so I can get you?"

Joss proceeded to tell her everything so that Shaw could understand that John wasn't a threat to her. She told her everything from the moment they met up until dinner but left off the couple of kisses they shared seeing it was her business and not Shaw's.

"So…is he hot?" Shaw asked finally after digesting everything her friend said. Shaw honed in on everything that Carter said, and she was very careful not to tell her what this frog prince looked like.

"Excuse me?"

"It's a simple question Carter; is he hot?" she demanded. Silence followed. Carter wasn't willing to share which was an answer all the same. "So he is."

"I didn't say he was or wasn't," Joss pointed out.

"Your lack of answer is answer enough, Carter. If he was an ogre you would have just said so. So what does John look like?"

"Like a man," Joss answered annoyed.

Shaw snickered. "Mega hot, eh?"

"You're aggravating,"

"And making those hormones run even more wild than due to your pregnancy. You look and feel like a blimp but not with him. And he makes you want to take a dark and fast ride on his engorged…"

"Okay, yes, fine, he is sexy!" Joss stated angrily. "I'm hanging up now. I wanted to call you so you didn't worry and this is the treatment I get for that."

"Please, you just want to dream about your frog prince. But have the unrated version that's not like those lame Disney movies with their G bullshit," Shaw instructed.

Joss smiled. Shaw was always a good call as the woman could almost always put her in a better mood though without trying. "Goodnight, Shaw,"

"Goodnight, Carter, have sweet dreams."

AN: I had to include Shaw.

Thank you for reading!