Jessica couldn't fall asleep. She listened to John's steady breathing, and tried to block out every thought other than the fact that she was wrapped in his strong arms, but it wasn't working. She got out of bed and John woke.

"Hey," he said with a raspy, sleepy voice, "what's wrong?"

"Can't sleep."

"Come here," he said as he reached out to her.

She climbed back in bed beside him. They lay on their sides facing each other, and John leaned up on his elbow. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and let his fingers linger a little as they grazed over her face.

"What's on your mind," he asked.

"Everything. I feel like it's all about to crash down on top of me. I've almost been killed four times. I might have to testify to a defense attorney who will likely aim to make me cry on the witness stand. And after all of that's over, our relationship will be in question."

"Nothing about our relationship will be in question."

"What about what to do when I'm free to go home?"

"We'll have to talk about that, yeah, but that's not our relationship being in question. Listen, I can't promise you anything about the trial, but I can promise you this... I'm not going anywhere. Whether we live together or apart, I'm in this.

Jessica closed her eyes and John placed a soft kiss to her lips. When he pulled away, he let his forehead rest against hers.

"I love you," she said.

"I love you."

They held each other a while, but Jessica still couldn't fall asleep.

"John?"

"Hmm?"

"I still can't sleep."

John sat up a little. "You wanna go hang out with Dorian for a while? That's enough to put anyone to sleep."

"I heard that, John," Dorian said from the other room.

Jessica laughed, and John smiled.

"Come on," John said.

He got out of bed and Jessica followed him into the other room. John sat at the opposite end of the sofa from Dorian, and he pulled Jessica down next to him. His arm wrapped around her waist, holding her close.

"I knew you'd get bored with him eventually," Dorian said, motioning to John. "Looking for better company?"

Jessica smiled, and John squeezed her side.

"Hey," he said, "don't encourage him."

"What? He makes me laugh."

"He's not as funny as he thinks he is."

"I think he is."

"I think I am, too," Dorian said with a wide grin.

John shook his head. The three of them chatted about nothing in particular for a couple of hours before Jessica fell asleep against John's shoulder.

"How's she doing," Dorian asked.

"To be honest, I think she's one bad day away from cracking. I'm really worried that she will have to testify, and she'll come apart on the stand."

"She's a strong woman, John."

"Yeah, but everyone has a breaking point, and I think she's close to it."

Dorian stared at them for a moment.

"You know, despite everything going on right now... you're calmer. More content. I think she's exactly what you need, John."

"Can't argue with you there."

"You love her?"

"Yeah."

"You've told her?"

"Yeah, I have."

"Good," Dorian said with a smile.

John squirmed a little.

"This conversation is getting a little too touchy-feely for me," John said. "I'm gonna take her back to bed." He stood with Jessica in his arms.

"Sure, John. Run away from your feelings."

"No, I'm running away from you."

John lay Jessica down and cuddled up behind her. She whimpered a little, and John whispered.

"It's okay. I got you."

She settled into his arms and John held her a while, just thinking. He wished he could make this all go away for her, but that was impossible. Things would just have to play out.

The alarm on John's watch went off at nine o'clock. They'd had a long night, and they were fortunate enough that Jessica wouldn't have to testify until the afternoon. If she still had to testify at all.

John ran his hand up and down her arm, slowly coaxing her awake. She buried her face in her pillow and groaned.

"I know, sweetheart," he said. "This is almost over. Then maybe our lives can get back to normal."

"What's normal," she asked. She backed into John more and pulled his arm tight around her. "I wish I could stay with you like this all the time. Can we make that normal?"

John nuzzled her hair and whispered, "You've got my vote."

John's heart rate increased as he breathed her in. His hand, which Jessica was holding to her chest, worked it's way down to the hem of her shirt and slid underneath. Jessica sucked in a quiet breath and smiled. John kissed her neck as his hand traveled up.

"Door's open, guys," Dorian called out from the other room. "Don't forget."

John groaned. "Well, that's definitely not normal."

"No, it's not."

"Friggin' chaperon. Unbelievable."

"Just trying to avoid awkwardness," Dorian called out.

"Yeah," John shouted. "Nothing awkward about this."

John sighed and rolled onto his back. He rubbed a hand over his forehead, then squeezed the bridge of his nose.

"We need to get up, anyway," he said. "Until we hear from the Captain, we act like you're testifying today."

Jessica nodded, and got up. While she went into the bathroom, John made his way to the living area. He glared at Dorian.

"What," Dorian said, "should I have let you two go, and just listen... and let the audio feed to the Captain?"

John looked away. Dorian was right, but he wasn't about to admit it.

"It's creepy."

"Creepier than having your partner listening?"

"Okay, that's enough. Any word from the Captain?"

"Nothing yet. They're probably still in negotiations."

"Yeah. If Alexander had turned it down flat we would have heard by now."

Dorian nodded. "So... you really want her to move in with you?"

John shook his head. "Unbelievable."

"Hey, man, I can't help it. You knew I could hear everything."

"Yeah, and you're still transmitting audio."

"Yes, I am."

"So, keep it business, okay?"

"Like you and Jessica were doing," Dorian asked with a grin.

"Man, I swear-"

"Okay, okay... I'll let it go."

"Thank you."

"For now."

John glared at Dorian, who just smiled. Jessica walked out of the bathroom and saw the look on John's face.

"Did I miss something?"

"Just him being a pain in the ass," John said.

Jessica smiled at Dorian. "No word yet?"

"No," John said.

"Is that a good sign?"

"Could be," John said. "Hopefully it means he's really thinking of taking the deal. Or, he took it and they're making it official before they let us know."

Jessica sat next to John.

"That would be wonderful," she said.

"I'll order something to eat from room service."

"Can we do that? Is it safe?"

"Yeah. The guards will check it."

"I'll check it," Dorian said.

"Yeah, he'll check it, too."

Jessica nodded.

"If we haven't heard from the Captain by the time we finish eating," John said, "we'll start getting ready."

The knock on the door came while they were eating. It was Captain Maldonado, and she was smiling.

"He took the deal," she said. "He gave us the names of two other cops who helped him with covering this up."

"Who?"

"Taggert and Blythe."

"Those were the cops who signed off on the malfunction reports," Dorian said.

"Along with Walker," Sandra said. "That's right."

"So, this is over," Jessica asked.

"Almost. You'll stay in protective custody until we've charged the now ex-cops, especially considering one of them tried to kill you, twice."

"How long?"

"Should just be a few more days. We're pushing this through as quickly as we can. You'll stay here another night, then, if it's okay with you, Kennex, you can go back to your apartment."

"That sounds good," John said.

"Still," Sandra said, "don't let your guard down just yet. The two uniforms will stay at the door, and Dorian will be inside."

"Do you still want the audio feed, Captain," Dorian asked.

"No, I think we can do without that now."

"Great," John said.

"I'll keep you guys up to date," Sandra said as she left.

Jessica turned to John and took his hand.

"This is almost over," she said.

"Almost. Then we'll have to make a few decisions."

"I know... but not tonight."

"Not tonight," John said with a smile.

"Just try to remember that you're not alone," Dorian said.

Jessica hid her face against John's shoulder and blushed.

"Unbelievable."

John and Jessica were back at John's place by the next afternoon. As soon as they were unpacked, John pulled Jessica into a kiss. He ran his hands up and down her back, testing the tenderness of her healing bruises. When she didn't flinch, he backed her toward the bed.

"I noticed you slept on your back a little last night," he said.

"Did I?"

"Yeah. No pain?"

"It didn't wake me up."

"How about when I do this?"

He pressed gently into the bruised areas.

"Dull ache. That's all."

"How's your shoulder?"

"Same."

John ran his hand over her shoulder and squeezed gently. A quick flinch caught his attention.

"Hurt?"

"Not too bad. You just hit the wound itself. Bullseye."

"Sorry."

He leaned over and kissed the top of her shoulder. Jessica wrapped her arms around him.

"Are you trying to gauge if I'm feeling good enough for-"

"Maybe," John said with a grin. "The EMT gave you a good report. Said you're healing just fine."

"Well, I feel pretty good."

She lifted her face to his and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. Her hands slid down his chest and gripped his shirt, and she pulled him toward the bed. John knelt on the mattress as he carefully lay her back. Little by little, he pressed his weight into her. She sensed his hesitation, and smiled.

"Ow!"

John pulled back. "Did I hurt you? Where?

Jessica tried to fight the giggle that came out. John's eyes narrowed.

"No. Why would you do that?"

"Because you're being so careful. I'm trying to prove a point. I'm fine."

"That's just wrong," John said.

He tried to roll off of her, but she held tight.

"I'm sorry," she said, still laughing.

"No, you're not."

John still tried to move off of her, so she wrapped a leg around his and slipped her hand into his back jean pocket, pulling his hips toward hers.

"I'm sorry, baby."

She kissed his chin and neck, and he started to falter.

"Don't do that again," he said.

"I won't. I promise," she said between kisses.

John's lips recaptured hers in a heated kiss. He pulled her to sit up and lifted her shirt off over her head. When she didn't hesitate or show any sign of pain, he knew she would be okay. He groaned as he lay her back down and kissed down her chest.

"I've been fighting the urge to make love to you," he said.

"Same here."

Her hands sank into his hair and held him against her chest. He kissed and ran his tongue along the edges of her bra.

"John..."

"Hmmm?"

"Take it off."

"Take what off?"

She whimpered. "Everything."

John groaned and sat up. He pulled his shirt off, then helped Jessica remove her bra. His mouth latched onto one of her breasts, and her hands were soon back in his hair.

"John," she whispered, "that feels so good."

He moaned in response, and flicked his tongue across her nipple before switching to the other breast. His hands slid down to her jeans and undid the button and zipper. He stood from the bed and pulled her jeans from her, then removed the rest of his own clothes. He knelt next to her on the bed, and slid the tips of his index fingers into the waistband of her panties. His lips grazed the exposed area as he pulled the band down just a bit.

"John," she groaned, "off! Please."

John smiled and crawled back up her body, and lightly kissed her lips.

"Are you begging for me," he asked.

"Yes," she sighed.

He kissed her lips again. "You want me?"

"So much."

He sat back and pulled her panties from her legs, then took his place between them. He kissed her softly, staring into her eyes.

"Not half as much as I want you," he said as he joined his body to hers.

Their bodies moved together until they both found release, then John rolled onto his back, pulling Jessica on top of him. His hands sank into her hair and their lips met in a hungry kiss. When they pulled apart to catch their breath, Jessica buried her face in John's neck.

"You know," she said, "I didn't want to argue in the middle of something that amazing, but I want you way more than you want me."

"Oh, I don't think so."

"It's true."

"Yeah?"

"Yep."

"Prove it."

"How?"

"Move in with me."

"John-"

"Just... think about. Promise me you'll really consider it. I would love to wake up every morning with you before we go to work, and come home to you every night."

"I'd love that... but it's a big step. I don't know. What I do know is that I love you, and I don't want what we have to go away."

"I love you, too."

Eight days later, Jessica was a free woman. John drove her to the police station to fill out some paperwork, and he was officially off of protective detail and back on regular duty.

"I can drive you home," he said.

They were standing off to the side of the main entrance.

"That's okay. I'll take a cab. I have to call my company and find out about me going back to work... and you're already at work, so..."

"Yeah."

She grabbed the lapel of his jacket.

"Why don't you come see me when you get off?"

John smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'll stop by."

"Good."

John gave her a soft kiss and they said goodbye. Jessica was excited to be out on her own again, not having to worry about someone trying to kill her. She sighed when she walked into her house. The familiarity was soothing. This was home.

Her job was hers if she still wanted it. She would meet with the vice-president of the company tomorrow. She relaxed the rest of the night. Her thoughts stayed on John, and him asking her to move into his apartment. Part of her wanted nothing more than to be with him. The other part wondered if they should live apart to test if their feelings were real. They had come together under such intense, abnormal circumstances, would their relationship work on a normal day-to-day basis? She was worried that she had latched onto him out of fear, or gratitude, or some sort of survival instinct. He had been her protector. Had she fallen for him for that fact alone?

No. She knew that wasn't it. They had shared their stories and connected on a deeper level than that.

She decided to sleep on it. No need to make a decision now.

John stopped by with take-out after his shift. The smile that appeared on her face when she saw him removed any doubt in her mind that her feelings for him were real. Her stomach was filled with butterflies, like they hadn't seen each other in weeks, and it had only been hours.

John shoveled noodles into his mouth like a pro, and Jessica laughed.

"I could never get the hang of chopsticks," she said.

"You probably weren't holding them the right way."

John opened another pack of chopsticks and fixed them in Jessica's hand. He showed her how to work them, and told her to give try.

"Well," she said, "it's a little better, but I think I'll stick with a fork and spoon."

"Quitter."

She smiled at him.

"How was your day," she asked.

"Are we dropping into that routine?"

"Well, this is the first day since I met you that I wasn't with you the whole day. I'm a little curious what a normal day for you is like."

"I had a ton of paperwork to fill out so we can close up your case. I'll being doing that tomorrow, too."

"Sorry," she said.

"It's not your fault. It's the nature of the job. Everyone wants reports. How about you? You going back to work?"

"I have a meeting with the VP tomorrow. He said I have a job if I want it. He actually thanked me for going to the police and saving the company name."

"Do I smell a promotion?"

"I won't hold my breath," she said with a chuckle.

"Why not? You saved the company name? That's a big compliment."

Jessica just shrugged.

"So," John said, "what do we do now?"

Jessica sighed. "I've decided to live here."

John nodded, but looked away.

"It's not that I don't want to live with you, John."

"It's okay."

"No, I want to tell you why. I know that I love you. I do. It's just that we got so close, so fast... I want to be sure we haven't created a false relationship."

"What do you mean?"

"What we're doing now, this is normal couple stuff. Can we do this everyday? Go to work, come home, and just... be? Or will we feel different soon because we aren't together all day, every day?"

"That's ridiculous."

"It's really not. We didn't start out like a normal couple."

"That doesn't mean our relationship isn't real."

"I know it doesn't. I just think we should take some time and readjust to regular life before we try to adjust to a life together."

"Haven't we been living a life together?"

"Not a normal one. We were shut off from everything."

"So, you're asking for time?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I want us to stay away from each other. I want to date... like a normal couple. I'm not saying we stop seeing each other completely. That would be torture."

John smiled.

"And who knows," Jessica said. "Maybe after a couple weeks of sleeping alone, I'll come running back."

She grinned, and John shook his head.

"I just want to be with you," he said. "Whatever that means. And, I guess, since you mentioned sleeping alone, that means I'll be going home soon."

Jessica nodded. "My life got turned upside down. I need normal for a while. I just really don't want you to think I'm trying to push you away. I'm not."

John took her hand. "I know you're not. Whatever you need."

The following Friday, John was on his way home from work. He had made plans with Jessica to go out to dinner, and he had to change. It turned out that the dating idea wasn't bad. In just that week, they had built on what they already knew about each other, taking in how they reacted to simple, ordinary things.

He walked up to his front door and found Jessica standing beside it, leaning against the wall.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey."

"I thought I was picking you up."

"Change of plans."

"Yeah?"

"Instead of you picking me up and us going out to dinner, I thought, maybe, we could order take out... after we get some of my stuff moved in."

John tilted his head. "I thought you needed time?"

"And I've had it. Enough to see that my normal life is still in tact, and I want you in it as much as possible... If you still want me to move in."

John didn't speak. He closed the distance between them, wrapped his arms around her waist, and kissed her. Her feet came off the ground as he held her tight. When he finally put her down and pulled away, he smiled at her.

"What about your house?"

"Well, it's mine. I don't have to sell it. We can go there for quiet weekends, or to just get away from the city for a while. Privacy."

"Privacy. Sounds like a plan."

THE END