Joss waited for John in the parking garage of the apartment complex. She had immediately gotten a taxi back once John asked her to be there before he got back from Brighton Beach. John had sounded a little out of breath and a veiled tightness to his voice like he was trying to hide something from her. That alone riled up her suspicions as to why: did he kill Paul, was he injured, or did he lose Paul? Though the last she doubted, the first she hoped not, and the only other option made her heart nearly stop. The mere thought of John getting hurt because he was trying to help her was upsetting.

She looked up in relief as she watched Harold's car pull into the parking space designated for them. Joss hurried to the driver's seat and opened the door before he could even cut the engine. Inside the passenger seat was Paul Carter, out cold, and buckled in. She was surprised he wasn't in the trunk.

Joss shifted focus onto John who appeared fine and looked up at her. "With the way you despise Paul I was certain he'd be in the trunk," she admitted only half joking.

John smiled that crooked and endearing smile. "He was. But then I pulled over in a back alleyway just before here because I can't explain to the doorman that he's a friend if I'm unloading him from the trunk," he explained as he climbed out. And the little grimace of pain was all she needed to see to alert her to the fact that something was wrong with John.

"What are you hiding from me?" she snapped.

He looked at her startled then sighed. "Can't pull one by you, eh?"

"No. I pretty much see and hear everything," she agreed as she anxiously stood near him. "So may as well tell me or I'll just harass you until you do," she guaranteed and John knew she was right.

"It's nothing, just a little knife wound," he said as he fluffed it off.

Joss gaped at him before reaching for his jacket and unzipped it. Blood was oozing from a wound to his abdomen. "Oh my god," she whispered.

John immediately zipped his jacket with a glare. "We need to pretend nothing is different Joss. Paul is just a friend who is on a three day bender. Harold called the doorman in advance." he murmured as they rounded the car to get Paul. Joss swallowed her concern which had to wait until they were alone without any on-lookers. She steeled herself against reacting negatively the moment she saw Paul because she didn't know if anyone was watching. Joss internally grimaced as she saw Paul's face. John tugged him out and Joss stared at his leg. It looked broken. She looked at John instantly. "I'll tell you later," he muttered as he slung Paul's arm around his shoulders and wrapped his arms around Paul's torso and basically carried him with very little help from her.

Joss pasted on, what she hoped was, a cheery smile as they came to the doorman. "Hello," she greeted warmly as he opened the door for them.

"Yes, Harold, told us about your mutual friend that was in need of some assistance. Hopefully he gets over his wife soon," Eddie, the doorman, said. "Looks like he got into a brawl, poor guy, the lady must have been amazing."

Joss nodded because it was all she could think of doing. She led John as they entered the apartment complex and the concierge hit the elevator for them. Once in the elevator John dropped the act and let Paul fall to the ground so he could grab his abdomen. Joss ignored her husband as she moved to his side. "Are you sure it's no big deal?" she hissed.

"Flesh wound, didn't hit anything vital but hurts like a bitch, and won't stop bleeding." he admitted through gritted teeth. "Thankfully, Harold has a full stock of first-aid supplies. Harold's paranoia knows no bounds."

When the elevator doors opened John was all business again and she took the keys from him to unlock the door as she reluctantly left him to drag Paul along with them. Joss held the door open for him and waited until he was tucked inside to enter herself and lock up tight. John dragged Paul to the office and propped him up in the chair before tugging out zip-ties, tying him to the chair at the arm-rests, and the feet of the chair before tying a gag around his mouth. After he was tied up John closed the door as she hovered nearby.

She wrapped an arm around his elbow and tugged. "You are going to sit your ass down and get looked at," she stated, in a tone that dared him to defy her. He didn't. He let her simply pull him to the kitchen, let her remove his jacket, and shirt. Joss was left with her heart in her throat at the angry looking wound that was seeping blood.

"I'm fine," he said gently.

"Sit down, shut up, and let me patch you up." she growled, as she tugged out a chair with a menacing look, before storming away for the bathroom. Joss found everything she needed and then some before heading back out and was relieved to find that John had sat down as she requested. Joss pulled up a chair to work on cleaning the wound first to see if he needed some stitches. "So tell me what happened with Paul?"

John let her cleanse the wound. She sat working on him. "I found him and he didn't make it easy to come with me. He was a better fighter than I anticipated though I hadn't realized he had a knife on him."

Joss felt guilt race up her spine. "I did. Damn it, I should have warned you beforehand that he carries a blade. It's my fault why you got stabbed," she whispered. She felt a gentle touch to her hand and she looked up.

He was staring at her. "It was not your fault," he whispered gently.

"I should have told you that Paul used to always carry a blade; you might not have a stab wound right now had I," she argued.

"It worked out," he reassured her and Joss bit her tongue. No use in arguing about it; he already had the stab wound, and he wouldn't listen to it being her fault. So she went back on working on his wound and he further explained what happened. "Paul charged at me and I used his momentum to my advantage by swinging him around and let him fly out the second story window. He fell and broke his leg in two spots."

"Figured it was broken since it looks weird." she muttered. She peered close at his wound. "You're right, it doesn't look major. But you do need stitches."

He shook his head. "Just put super glue on it and I'll be fine."

"Super glue…in your wound."

"Yea, it works in a pinch and I don't have time to be sutured." he murmured as he sat up and reached into the first aid kit and picked up a small tube that was a variant of the super glue. "You'll need to squeeze the ends together for me." he instructed. Joss watched as he poured a liberal amount onto his wound and left her to squeeze the wound together. He winced and stiffened which were his only signs of distress. "You can let go now." Joss did so quickly hating that she had to hurt him. She glanced down at her hands that held his blood. He noticed. "I don't have a disease that you need to worry about."

Joss looked up crossly. "I wasn't even thinking that," she grumbled sourly. "I was thinking that I hate that I have your blood on my hands." and with that she stood and moved without another word to the sink and proceeded to wash her hands.

John quietly watched her from his seat before standing and moving towards the sink as well. "Joss, I'll be handing him over to the Elias tonight. It's better to get it over with quickly and at night,' he explained.

She looked at him and nodded. She wanted this over with too. But she couldn't help but worry about what came after they finally didn't have to worry anymore. Did he go back to being a homeless man with no future? How was she supposed to move on with her life without him in it? She had gotten used to him being there all the time. They forged a friendship, had an attraction that was like a wildfire, and the thought of never seeing him again left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Joss dried her hands. "I want to talk to Paul alone," she said.

John's look darkened. "I don't think that's a good idea, Joss. He'll just upset you and you need to think about the baby."

"I know what I'm doing. I won't let him upset me," she reasoned. "And you won't stop me," she added. John glared at her and she glared right back. Although now that she wasn't worried he was going to bleed to death she could now appreciate his solid, sexy male form. Muscles, manly hair, and hot male skin were making her knees feel weak. "Put a shirt on for the love of god," she grumbled before whirling around and moving for the room John put Paul in.

John merely watched her go without saying another word. Stubborn didn't begin to cover Joss Carter.

She entered the office where Paul was tied up and pulled up the only other chair in the room. Joss stared at him before putting her fingers into her mouth and blew hard, making a loud whistle happen. Paul jerked a little and then moaned in pain. She had half a mind to give his broken leg a good ole' punch for everything he said and done.

"Rise and shine," she stated as she snapped her fingers.

Paul's eyes opened and pain radiated in them before recognition exploded in them. Joss reached out and removed the gag from his mouth. "Oh, thank god it's you, Joss. There is this fucking crazy man! He threw me from a second story window and I broke my leg. You have got to me out of here. He claims he's doing this for you but you didn't hire no bounty hunter to find me, I know that. You hired him to bring me to you to save me. That's so you," he murmured, turning on what little charm he had. But she remained seated. "Joss, baby, you got to help me escape or Elias will kill me!"

She stared at him not moving. Her stomach rolled at being called 'baby' from him. "You mean the man I've been hiding out from."

"Yea, that's why I contacted you to protect you. I would have done more but I couldn't because it was better off if you weren't anywhere near me," he explained. She wondered how he could lie to her while looking her in the eye.

Joss tried to smile but failed. "Is that really the reason you didn't do more, Paul?" she asked.

"Of course," he snapped. "You're pregnant with my child, Joss. That means everything to me."

Joss stared at him knowing it wasn't true but wanted him to actually admit it, to cut the crap for once and for all. "Does it?"

"Joss, if you don't want to believe me that's on you but untie me or that crazy bastard is going to take me to Elias! Don't get me killed, baby, because of your stubborn pride!" he declared as he wiggled on the chair grimacing with pain as he struggled to not move his broken leg. Joss stared at him. Had she not known what he said to Frank on the phone she probably would have believed him, not because he was all that convincing but because she wouldn't want to believe the man she used to love was a pile of human trash! "For Christ's sake Joss, untie me! I need to get the hell out of New York and get some hospitalization…the crazy fucker broke my leg."

Her anger bubbled up at the fact that he was still not taking responsibility. "I'm the one that's going to get you killed? You were the one that double crossed Elias and got his friend murdered. Take responsibility for your actions Paul, better later than never," she stated stonily.

"Do you really want our kid to grow up without a father?" he snapped.

Joss lifted her chin. "Giving you to Elias or not won't change the fact that my son will be growing up without a father."

"You mean, our son," he threw up in her face.

"No, I meant my son. You have no rights to him. Didn't you say that I have more balls than most men do and that it truly didn't matter to you that I was pregnant and on the run from Elias, a man who is only after me because of you?"

She watched as Paul's face changed. "You were there listening in on my conversation with Frank. You were there when he called the first time!"

Joss nodded. "I was there both times he called you. How the hell do you think John found you?" she wondered. She watched unimpressed as he thrashed in the chair, angry as hell, and then paled in pain from his leg. "You were right; I have every intention of sending your sorry ass to Elias. You sealed it for me when you didn't give a damn about my son."

"When I get out of this, I'll kill you myself!" he snarled.

Joss stared at him. "What happened to you, Paul?" she asked quietly. Never in her life did she believe her husband would ever hurt her, but this man that was sitting in front of her would.

"Fuck, Joss, I got with the times. Being a good person gets you nowhere. I found something that I'm good at and went with it. I made a mistake that got one of Elias's men killed and now he's after me, and you're just going to hand me over to him. How are we different?—you're signing my death warrant."

Joss moved fast and slapped him across the face. He sat stunned before looking up at her. "I am nothing like you," Joss stated with a cool calm. "I am not signing your death warrant. You did that yourself when you double crossed Elias and got a friend of his killed. It wasn't a mistake. You knew what you were doing and you ran like the sissy coward you are. I'm cleaning up the mess you made with John's help."

"So that's it…you're just going to hand me over to Elias?—you could save me, Joss. You could send me to prison for the crimes I've committed. I'll confess to them all, I swear it. Just don't give me to Elias."

"And what about me?" she demanded.

"What about you?" he snapped.

Joss laughed humorlessly. "Open your damn eyes, Paul. The only reason the bounty was lifted off my head was if John brought you to Elias. What happens when we renege on the deal?" she asked. "Do you really think I'm going to choose your life over my son's?"

"You're a heartless bitch."

Joss smiled without warmth. "And you're a dickless coward. Time to pay the piper, Paul, you've killed many people…did you ever stop to wonder if they were scared to die? Probably not, not when you were about to get paid, so you could go find that fancy hooker to spread her legs for you so you could have your minute of ecstasy," Joss snarled, knowing she was hitting his male ego and rubbing salt into the wounds. The rage built on his face. She pulled the gag up. "Goodnight Paul," she turned on him as he let out loud screams into the gag and she closed the door on him and her past.

AN: We all know that Joss won't just hand him over but Joss deserved to make Paul quake in fear, and she needed to get some of her anger out.

Thank you for reading!