AN: You guys are going to get a 2 for 1 special with this since I have realized I'm falling way far behind on posting. Poor Collide is waiting for an update too! I love Christmas but it's so busy around this time of the year. But I'll make sure Collide gets an update tomorrow. Thanks for being patient with me!

On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…

Four Nosy Friends

Joss smiled at John as they sat in their booth at Lyric Diner. He called to ask her here for breakfast which she happily accepted. She could use a real breakfast rather than her measly little apple and coffee. Since they were trapped in the sauna and John opened up she had figured John would retreat from her but thankfully he didn't.

"Thanks for breakfast," she said as the waitress arrived with their plateful of food.

"With everything you do to help it's the least I could do," he murmured as he dug his fork into the eggs before looking at Carter. "But I also want to warn you…Shaw's snooping."

She blinked in surprise. "Snooping for what?" she demanded as she poured some syrup on her pancakes.

John shifted uncomfortably. "Shaw asked if I was getting you a gift and I told her yes," he admitted as he looked away.

Joss stared at him. She reached out to touch his hand and earned his gaze. "You don't have to get me anything, John," she said softly, though moved that John was attempting to assimilate to the world once again, for her. It touched her deeply to know that she meant something to him that he wanted to show her it with a gift, especially since she knew that John never looked beyond today. He couldn't with the line of work he was employed in and not with what he confessed to her at the morgue. To be that close to ending it all because he lost meaning to life…looking too far ahead wasn't something she figured John was comfortable doing.

"I know. But I want to."

She smiled a little, tucking this away in a special place in her heart. "Now I won't feel so guilty when I give you your gift," she replied with a cheeky grin, keeping how affected she was to herself.

"I don't want anything," he countered.

Joss rolled her eyes. Again she knew that. John didn't want or need anything. "I know. But I want to, just like you," she repeated his response to him. She popped her pancake in her mouth smug at one-upping him.

He chuckled at how proud she looked. This woman made life interesting as she was slowly repairing what was fractured inside him. It scared him that he had allowed her to burrow in, without her even realizing it, and had no way of purging her from him. Her warmth, her light, was lighting and warming every deep dark corner of his soul.

John never told anyone about his father until Joss. He tried so hard to not form any attachment; it was why he kept a level of distance between him and everyone else. It was why he had meaningless sex with Zoe who understood the terms. But he broke his own habits for this woman, by getting close to her, he thought of the future for this woman, wanting to get her a Christmas present that was weeks from now, and he formed an attachment to this woman that if anything ever happened to her he wouldn't survive. Joss was his world and what that meant terrified him.

They ate and talked about mundane subjects tiptoeing past the fact that they were ever so slowly getting closer and closer. "You know John; I've never been to your place,"she murmured.

He watched her through hooded eyes. "Are you fishing for an invitation?" he inquired.

She shrugged. "I'm just pointing it out. But maybe, to exchange our gifts, instead of you breaking into my place how about I get a chance to see yours,"she suggested.

"It won't be decorated for the holiday," he argued.

"So put up a tree." she challenged. He snorted in response. "Oh come on; surely you could even find a Charlie Brown tree and put it up!"

He burst out laughing and she grinned as she earned herself another laugh. John seemed to be smiling and laughing more if you asked her and she was very pleased to know she was the reason for it.

"I see you two are finally giving up on pretending to be just friends." Shaw remarked, effectively breaking the moment, and they both looked up at the nosy little friend that was standing at their table looking superior and definitely uninvited.

John flicked a look at Carter, who frowned in confusion, before glaring at Shaw. "And I suppose you have followed me?" he replied darkly.

Shaw shrugged. "You were at a diner so I couldn't resist." she admitted as she slid into the booth seat with Carter. "So are you two dating? Or is it just a sex thing like Reese and Zoe?"

"Shaw…" John warned threateningly.

Joss felt herself stiffen at the mention of the beautiful exotic Zoe Morgan. She knew that John and Zoe had a thing going on but she didn't need to be reminded of it. "We're just friends," Joss answered with more bite than necessary. Suddenly her appetite was gone and she was left feeling jealous of a woman that had something she wanted and couldn't have.

"Ah, Reese hasn't made a move. Figures…"

"Shaw, would you shut up," he growled.

"Reese, it's almost Christmas, you know the saying 'tis the season of giving' so give it to Carter!" Shaw stated as she grabbed one of Reese's pieces of toast and slathered butter all over it and took a big bite out of it. "Where's the waitress?" she asked as bread crumbs popped out of her mouth.

Joss made a face. "You are worse than a child. Is there a reason you're here aside from the fact of butting in on our breakfast?"

"Why should it matter if you two are just friends?" Shaw wondered wickedly. Joss glared at her and suddenly the smug look faded and she squirmed in her seat. "Fuck, I hate that look. Stop it, Carter!" she grumbled. Joss didn't respond and Shaw crumbled miserably. "I came here to find out what to get you for Christmas."

"How about an early present Shaw?—you, leaving," Joss supplied.

John brightened. "Yea, sounds like the perfect gift of silence," he concurred.

Shaw harrumphed. "I see I'm not wanted. Fine, go back to pretending to be just friends. I'll find you the perfect gift, Carter!—one that will be the best ever! It will sure the hell be better than Reese's," Shaw assured as she stood, finally taking the cue to leave. Shaw would never admit it but she enjoyed pestering these two. They reminded her of her parents with the gooey lovesick looks they gave each other.

Joss sighed as she shook her head. "Maybe, but you wouldn't ever be able to get John a better gift than Harold would." Joss remarked digging at Shaw's ego.

John glared at Carter who smiled innocently as Shaw immediately looked at Reese. "Oh, I could get Reese a better gift than Finch. Finch hates guns! I know the perfect thing and perhaps I'll even offer instructions if Reese throws in a steak dinner as payment," Shaw snickered.

"No really, Shaw, I don't…" John tried but Shaw had already turned and stomped away, clearly pissed to think that someone was better than her at anything. He eyed Joss. "Why did you do that?"

"If I'm stuck with Shaw sniffing after me for the perfect gift to get me then you should share in the fun."

"Maybe I'll get you a lump of coal now," he grumbled in response.

Joss laughed as she went back to eating.

He hemmed and hawed over whether or not to broach what Shaw brought up but wanting to clear the air instead of letting it drop won out. "About what Shaw said…"

"Don't mention it, John. Shaw doesn't understand friendships or relationships. I don't think she ever has either," Joss said, waving him off. She didn't want to talk about Zoe and she certainly didn't want to talk about how their friends seemed to have realized that there was something going on between her and John. If and when he was ever ready to meet it head on then and only then would it matter; otherwise it was just speculation to Shaw and the others.

He nodded. But he couldn't let her think that he was still having sex with Zoe. "I'm not sleeping with Zoe," he blurted out and grimaced as the waitress had reappeared to refill their coffees. He tried to make a polite smile but it barely registered as heat crept up his neck.

Joss stared at John who appeared to be blushing. That couldn't be. No way did a man that looked like John blush! But he was and Joss wanted to kiss him so badly that she could taste it. Men like John just didn't exist nowadays.

She refocused on what he said instead. "You're not?"

"I was," he admitted uncomfortably. Why did he have to bring this up? Maybe because he didn't want Joss to think he was sleeping with another woman. But why it mattered was entirely up for debate. "But now I'm not."

"I see," she murmured, she just hoped she did 'see' because she wasn't entirely sure what that meant for her.

Quickly John switched the subjects and Joss thankfully let it drop without further conversation, neither realizing that the other was longing for the exact same thing.

AN: Of course Shaw had to appear. I mean she's the biggest nosy little gnat of a friend they have. And onto the next for your two for one special...