Thanks for the reviews. More or less thanking those to whom I cannot reply to through a private message. I tried to hurry and I hope this date night is satisfying. I appreciate hearing from you. Thanks to Lady Sundiver for putting into words what I was trying to do with the date, about John and Joss needing the downtime to talk.

John tugged again at his bow tie. For some odd reason it felt tighter than usual. He was doing his best not to appear nervous before Taylor, but he hadn't see Joss in six hours. It was the longest time he had been away from her since they had reunited. Not only was he eager to see her, just to assure himself that she was okay, but he was eager to see what she looked like all dressed up for him. Taylor had already approved his appearance and given him the guarantee that his mom was going to look flawless by the time he next saw her.

The three of them, Finch, Taylor, and himself waited impatiently in the living room for Joss to come down. Finally, at the top of the stairs they heard something. John was the first to look up. What came into view were glittering high heeled shoes that covered those rich brown feet that John would recognize anywhere. Then the hem of her dress filled his vision. After that all John could do was stand still his eyes glued to her. She was radiant and she even beamed shyly as she came into the room with all their eyes on her.

The dress she wore was tailored perfectly to her. It was pale gray. The color of the sky when there's an overcast hovering over the ocean. A large lighter gray silk sash made up the waist and was tied in the front falling gracefully to the side. Resting gently over Joss's hip. The top half of the dress twisted and wrapped over her shoulders. A beautiful silver necklace lay on the exposed skin below her neck. Her hair was pulled up with a few strains left to frame her face, and falling down her back while glittering earrings dangled from her lobes. She was perfection.

"Hi John."

He swallowed actually losing his voice. "You clean up nice Carter."

Her smile deepened at his flirtation. For a minute she was transported back to one year ago when they flirted like this all the time with such ease. "You didn't do so bad yourself." That was an understatement. "Are you ready?"

He nodded.

Taylor stepped back and led them to the door after John slipped a white fur shrug onto her shoulders. "You kids have a good time. And John, keep her out late."

Joss rolled her eyes while John winked at her son.

…..

The hotel was immaculate. Glittering chandeliers cast the perfect haze over the room creating an almost winter wonderland appearance. John and Joss sat at a table of four. Covered in two thick table cloths their plates were polished so until Joss could see her reflection in them. Joss watched all the hundreds of people in the room. She hadn't seen so many expensive evening wear in one room in her entire life. The hotel was filled with the rich and fabulous, with people who had vacation homes in different countries. This was definitely the last place a cop and vigilant would make an appearance.

Joss chuckled to herself. Here she was with John hiding out in the open before all these people and no one had yet to look at them strange or make any comment along the lines that they didn't belong. In fact when they arrived many people eyed them with admiration. They both received many compliments during that night. The most popular one being, they made a lovely couple. Joss's eyes went to John. She was surprised he at last was no longer looking her way. Throughout the night he had had a very hard time keeping his eyes off her. She smiled. He wasn't the only one struggling. If only he knew just how good he looked in that tux.

John had made small talk with the other couple that sat at their table, but was relieved when they got up to mingle with other guests. He moved his chair closer to Joss his eyes once again sweeping over her. "Are you having a good time?"

"Are you?"

"I asked first."

She rolled her eyes. "Yes. I don't know what to do to thank my son or Finch. Cuz I know he played a part in this."

"Yeah. Your son really wants you happy."

"I'm not the only one he wants to see happy." She plugged him with a knowing look.

"The last couple of weeks I've been happier than I've been in a long time."

She smiled softly. "That makes two of us." Joss played with the cup in her hands considering her next words. "It won't always be like this John. The past couple of weeks we've been in a dream. We've just taken a break from the lives we live. When return to them, because we will return to them, we're going to have the dangers and all the fears facing us again." She hated to be the downer, but she was a realist more than a romantic. A failed marriage had taught her that. "What if when everything settles down you realize this isn't what you want?"

John's jaw tightened. "How could ask me that?" his voice was low and she knew her few words had enraged and hurt him.

"John I know you care about me. I know you'd do anything for me. But what if it's not the way you think. What if you decide you were just blinded by grief and in the end I'm still just a friend to you?"

His eyes found hers annoyed, but empathetic and vulnerable. "You're not just a friend. I have shared with you more than I have shared with anyone. What I told you in the morgue wasn't just words. I started to live again after I met you." He let her devour the words before he leaned in placing a hand on her wrist his thumb drawing circles over her soft skin. He was hopelessly lost to her even when she angered him. "Why did you ask that?"

She shrugged.
"You asked for a reason. I want to know why. So I can stop the doubts you're having."

"Zoe," she ground out.

"Zoe? What does she have to do with this?"

"John I don't know exactly what kind of relationship you had with her, but I do know that something was going on between you two. You two had some kind of understanding. I knew it from the way she came into that room and flaunted the gift you had given her. Not to mention she had you wait outside like an idiot then walk her home. John it wasn't longer after that that HR happened. You told me how you felt, but was there anything going on between you and Zoe when you said what you did?"

Now John was beginning to understand. "Joss it's not what you think."

"It isn't?" the question was asked in hope and doubt. "Then what was going on between you? Because what you told me that night left me to believe you had had feelings for me for a while. How come you were with Zoe then? As far as I knew you two were still involved when we were in that morgue."

John felt guilt and embarrassment for the first time over what he was about to admit to Joss. He wished he could keep it from her, but she wanted to know, and he wanted to remove every doubt from her mind. "She was an available distraction. That's all. A distraction to keep my mind off what I thought I could and never would have with you. I didn't have to make a commitment to her. I didn't want to and she didn't require me to. I didn't come close to having with her what I have with you. Every moment I was with her it was in hope that I would finally see you as just a friend. But I'll admit I haven't seen her since I lost you that night."

Joss was speechless as she stared at the man before her. He didn't even look up at her, his eyes cast downward guilt written all over his face. "Oh, John," she whispered reaching out to grab his face and lift his gaze. She couldn't believe he had kept how he really felt hidden for so long. "I'm sorry. I have a tendency to push too hard. I'm sure you know that."

He smirked and kissed her hands. He wanted to be alone with her away from this crowd where anyone nosy could watch them. Wanted to show her just how much they were more than friends. Scanning the room he turned back to her. "Come with me."

His voice was soft with a rasp of emotion. The invitation sounded as if he'd invited her to sneak off to some foreign country with him. Either way Joss was going with him. Holding to her hand he pulled her from her seat and drew her to his side keeping her close as he weaved them through the crowd and out an exit near the back of the ballroom. Soon they had gone through a darkened hall before he led her to another door. Stepping by he placed one hand to the small of her back so that she could go in first. Once inside Joss realized that he had brought her to the hotel's green room. Large plants and trees towered over them. The room was dark save for the bright lights that came through the foggy windows from the well lit city.

Taking several steps into the room she turned to face him surprised at how close he was. Assessing her silently his hands moved swiftly and gently cupped her cheeks while he kissed her. "I want no one else, but you." He assured staring into her brown eyes. He still couldn't believe she was alive. That he could touch her. "I missed you," he breathed against her mouth.

She wrapped her arms around his waist. "I missed you too."

"Don't ever leave me again."

"I won't," she whispered. "I'd have to truly die for us to be separated."

"Don't even talk like that." He kissed her again to wipe away her words and assure himself she was there. Even when he pulled away he kept her close bringing their foreheads together. "Thank you."

Joss scoffed. "For what? Hurting you? Deceiving you?"

He ignored her bitterness. "For showing me how you felt the moment you saw me again. I still remember that kiss you gave me." His thumb ran over her lips while Joss let out an embarrassed laugh. "You were the one to make the first move last time. You got yourself into this."

"Yes I did. I just didn't want there to be anymore barriers between us. And I still don't. John wherever we go from here, I want us to be open with each other. No more pushing each other away and keeping secrets. Even if you have to come to me one day and tell me that the CIA is after you and you have to go on the run and don't know when you'll be back. I want you to tell me. Okay?" Her hand ran down the back of his neck comfortingly.

John took in her words with a nod before he pulled further back. "I have to tell you something."
She smirked. "I should've known you would take me up on that as soon as you could."

With an even more direct gaze his eyes bore into hers. His large hand rested on her neck so that his thumb was right beneath her jaw adjacent to her pulse where he had full access to feel its vibrant beating. "I love you." He didn't imagine her gasp. "You wanted me to be open so I am. I need you to know how deep I'm already in."

Her eyes closed for a moment and she leaned against his chest soaking in his nearness. She took a breath. It was her turn. "Okay. But I need you to know that, I want this relationship to go somewhere." She bit her lip. Although she knew John loved her maybe he had different expectations of where their relationship would and should end up. "I'm too old to be sitting around playin' house. I want something deep and binding."

He held her close. "Trust me Joss. I would present a ring to you tonight and marry you first thing tomorrow." He replied reading in between the lines and setting her fears to rest. "But I don't think it's fair to steal you from Taylor when he just got his mother back. But I will ask you Joss. And it will be soon."

Her arms tightened around him. "I promise you John my answer will be yes. Oh and have I mentioned," she asked while pulling his head down, "I love you too."

To see Joss's dress . iofferphoto evening-dress-bridal-wedding=dress=formal=gown=deb=

Input link in google images. Sorry couldn't find the name of the dress so I had do the round about way. It'll be the gray dress that pops up. Tried to give visual.