Wednesday came, and John spent the day communicating with Captain Maldonado, preparing for Jessica's testimony the next day. Rudy would come by and set up the hologram device so Jessica could testify without actually stepping into the courtroom. The prosecutor would also meet with her, by virtual presence, to hear her statement and walk her through the process. They needed Jessica to be ready for a strong, possibly vicious defense.

When Rudy arrived he shook Jessica's hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Rudy."

"A pleasure."

"If it weren't for you the droids may never have been traced back to my boss."

Rudy blushed, and stumbled over his words.

"It was nothing. Well, not nothing. I mean, I did something. A lot of something. I just mean to say-"

"Rudy," John interrupted.

Rudy took a deep breath. "Yes?"

"The hologram device?"

"Right! Right. So... I just need an outlet or two."

John helped Rudy get the device set up, and they tried it out. John's image appeared in front of the Captain at the courthouse, and she nodded.

"Coming in nice and clear, John," she said.

"Good. What about sound?"

"It's good. How's everything on your end?"

"Perfect. I'll check in with you after Jessica meets with the lawyer."

"Sounds good."

The image disappeared and John helped Rudy pack.

"Just don't touch any of the plugs or wires."

"Yeah, Rudy. We got it. Thanks for the help."

Rudy left, and John and Jessica were alone.

"He's a nervous guy, huh," Jessica asked.

"Yeah... but he's good."

"I can see that."

Jessica sat sideways on the couch, with one foot on the floor. John sat down next to her and put a hand on her knee.

"How are you doing," he asked.

"I'm fine. Tired. Sore. But I'm alive... and I'm with you."

John smiled and leaned over to press a gentle kiss to her lips. Her hand covered his on her knee, and John brushed the back of his fingers over her cheek.

"Come here," he said.

He took her hand and pulled her into his lap so that she straddled his legs. She lay her head on his shoulder and he rubbed his hand over her lower back, avoiding her bruises.

"You do that and I'll go to sleep," she said.

"Then sleep. I'll wake you for the lawyer."

"I don't want to sleep. I just want to be here in your arms."

"Can't argue with that," he said with a smile.

John's hands roamed across her back, hips, and thighs. Jessica had her hands at John's sides, her thumbs hooked into the belt loops of his jeans. They stayed that way until it was time to meet with the prosecuting attorney. A meeting that made Jessica more nervous than she had been since the day her droids attacked her. She paced around the room and John sat on the sofa.

"Lawyers," John scoffed when the meeting was over.

"Will the defense really come after me that way?"

"They'll try. You know, we never really talked about this, but is there anything... anything at all that they could use against you? Maybe from your past? Something you think no one knows about?"

Jessica shook her head as John spoke.

"No. Nothing. I'm boring. My life is mundane. Always has been."

"Then you're fine."

"Then why would that lawyer tell me all that?"

John stood and walked to her.

"He just wants you prepared. He wants you on your toes if they bring something up."

An electronic female voice interrupted their conversation.

"Power at twenty percent."

"What's that," Jessica asked.

"My leg. I haven't been charging it like I should."

"Why not?"

"Because... I usually do it while I sleep, and I was worried that you might not be comfortable with it."

"With you charging your leg?"

"With me not having it on."

"John..." She paused to collect her thoughts, not wanting to say something that would hurt him. "I honestly don't know what my reaction would have been. I don't really think about your leg." She walked over to him and put a hand on his hip. "You could have just asked me."

"Yeah, I know. It's just... you would have been the first woman..."

"To see you without it?"

"Yeah."

"It's okay, John. It's part of you. It comes with the package... and I like the package," she said with a smile.

John shook his head.

"I'm sorry. Did you just tell me you like my package?"

"That is not what I said."

"So, you don't like my package?"

Jessica laughed. "No, I didn't say that either. I said I like 'the' package."

"Right, my package."

"No," she laughed. "The 'whole' package."

"You're just making this worse for yourself," he said with a laugh.

"I know! Oh my gosh! You're awful."

John laughed as she covered her face with both hands.

"Okay," Jessica said, "you need to take care of your leg, and I'm tired. Why don't we go-"

"Go to bed?"

"Yeah," she said with a smile. "I mean, I know it's early, but we don't have to sleep. We can talk or-"

"We're not having sex."

"Did I say anything about sex?"

"I'm serious, Jess. Not until you're feeling better."

"I know."

"Then what was the 'or?'"

"I don't know. Make out? Or even just cuddling like on the sofa earlier. That was nice. I just love being in your arms."

"All right. I guess you could use the rest."

"So could you."

"Are you kidding? All I've done is sit in my apartment."

"But you're stressed. I can see it."

John started to protest, but Jessica cut him off.

"Tell me I'm wrong."

"You're wrong."

"So, you haven't been on edge since I got shot? You haven't been worried the shooter will find us and try to finish the job?"

"Thinking about that is part of my job. It's not stressing me out."

"Well, something is."

John rolled his eyes. "You're imagining things."

He turned to leave the room, but Jessica's voice, soft and on the verge of cracking, stopped him before he made it very far.

"Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Don't blow me off. We've been through too much in too short a time for you to just walk away from me like that."

"I'm just going to take care of my leg," he said.

John walked out of the room and sat in a chair next to the charging station for his leg. He put his head in his hands as he leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and sighed. He felt like a jerk. Of course he was stressed, and he knew Jessica was stressed too. More than he was. With everything she had been through, he was amazed at how she had been able to hold herself together, but since she had been shot, he could see the cracks in her resolve. Each day he saw her fight just to get out of bed, and she was all too willing to climb back in after being up for a while. She wanted it all to be over, and part of him was afraid of that.

John disconnected his leg with a solid twist. It needed a good full charge for tomorrow. Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst. Who knew what would happen?

Jessica lay in bed on her stomach, facing away from John's side. He suspected that if she hadn't been injured, she would have been completely on her side with her back to him. John climbed under the covers and moved close to her, lying on his side. He nuzzled into her hair and put an arm over her waist.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

Jessica didn't say anything.

"I know you're awake. I've watched you sleep, and you are not asleep."

"I asked you not to blow me off," she said without moving. "I just wanted you to talk to me."

"You're right. Let's talk."

Jessica turned onto her right side and lay facing John.

"Talk," she said.

John hesitated and took a deep breath.

"You know my story. You know what happened to me with the explosion and everything."

"Right."

"What I didn't tell you... I haven't been able to prove it, but... I've had flashes of memory that have come back to me. My girlfriend at the time, Ana, was involved in the ambush."

"Involved how?"

"She used me to get intel. To find out what the cops knew and keep tabs on us."

Jessica felt her chest grow tight at the look of sadness on John's face.

"Maybe those flashes of memory are wrong," she said.

"No. I was seeing a specialist to regain the memories... and I've found things since then. I've been putting things together. Noticing things I didn't notice before."

"You loved her." It wasn't a question.

"I did. She was gone when I got out of my coma. No trace of her."

"I'm so sorry, John."

"And then I met you... and you just..."

John brushed his fingers over her cheek and she closed her eyes.

"I tried to close myself off," he said, "but I couldn't keep you out. You were in my dreams. You invaded my thoughts."

Jessica smiled, and John brushed her hair away from her face.

"I am nervous," he said, "but not about the trial or keeping you safe. That's my job. It's what I'm here for."

"Then what?"

"After."

"What about after?"

"Where do we go after this is all over?"

"We go forward," she said.

"I don't think it'll be that simple."

"It's as simple as we make it."

"We'll have to make some decisions," he said.

"Such as?"

"We've been living together since this started. We haven't been more than a room apart since we met."

"Something I've enjoyed," Jessica said with a smile.

"Me, too," John said. "So, what happens when you're free to move back home?"

Her smile faded.

"I honestly hadn't thought about it," she said.

"And I can understand that," he said. "You've got more important things to think about. Which is why I didn't want to bring it up."

"You could move in with me."

"It would put me outside of the city."

"What's wrong with the suburbs?"

"I like being close to the office for emergencies."

John ran his hand down her arm.

"You could move in here," he said.

Jessica hesitated. "That house has a lot of good memories for me."

"I know. I thought about that."

They were both quiet a moment. John could almost see the wheels turning in her head as her eyes focused on nothing in particular, lost in thought.

"We don't have to make any decision now," John said.

"It might be weird to live apart and date like a normal couple. It's kinda like taking a step back from where we are."

"We could make it work, if that's what we decide, but let's not think about it now. We'll talk about it after tomorrow."

Jessica slipped her hand under the covers and rubbed down John's thigh until she found nothing but air where his synthetic leg should be. John caught the briefest moment of surprise on her face before she put her hand on his hip and draped her leg over his. She pulled herself closer, wrapped her arm around him, and snuggled against his chest.

"I don't want to lose you," she said.

John took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"You won't."