OK, so here's the final chapter. Big thank you to everyone who followed this story. I hope to be back with more of these two. I have several ideas but like most of you writers, it's all about finding time to write.
Joss awoke from peaceful sleep her gaze sweeping over her surroundings. John lay deep in sleep next to her, her head resting on his solid shoulder which tonight was doubling as her pillow. She blinked while she watched him sleep. Her hand lay comfortably over his chest. John hadn't exaggerated when he said he would ask soon. On Christmas Eve he proposed and as promised Joss said yes. Not wanting to keep the man she had made wait for year continually waiting she planned a quick wedding and on New Year's Eve Jocelyn Carter married John Reese. Ex CIA agent and vigilant.
All during the little ceremony while everyone in the city prepared for the ball to drop and began the countdown she couldn't help thinking of a silly little song from that old black and white film Holiday Inn. A song about starting the New Year right. Oddly enough it was her theme for her and John's wedding. Starting the New Year right by being together.
They stole away for the weekend to his penthouse to be alone. She had forgotten what it meant to share such simple intimate moments with someone she loved.
They both were steadily adjusting, continuously learning about each other and how to live together. Each day was an experiment and a test, but Joss without doubt awoke each day and went to sleep each night thanking God that John was with her. There was a lot about him that she had to adjust to. Things he did that she didn't fully understand, but figured were habits he had developed due to his troubled past or the year in which they were torn a part. For one he seemed to have an obsession with making sure she wasn't cold. Something so simple that he made a big deal out of. Whenever she shivered or wrapped her arms around herself because the temperature had dropped, he would either take off his coat and lay it over her shoulders, or he would hug her close rubbing her arms until his body heat had been transferred successfully to her.
The man was a mystery to her. She loved being needed by him and she loved needing him. She had forgotten what it was like to be loved and to have someone love her back. Someone to hold her when she needed to cry or to make her smile in the morning. From the depths of her heart she thanked God that he took her back when she returned. She didn't know what she would have done if he had rejected her.
Suddenly tears filled her eyes and she blinked them back. She couldn't give into tears. Not this close to John. He hated to see her cry. Gently she eased off his shoulder. Thankfully he didn't wake, which meant he was in a deeper sleep than usual. So far she was good. Shifting beneath the covers, she inched her body across the bed.
Finally she reached the end and was about to throw her legs over the edge. Her action was cut short when familiar arms encircled her waist drawing her deeper back underneath the covers. "Going somewhere?" John whispered into her ear burying his face against her neck.
Joss swallowed trying to keep her emotion in check. Grateful her back was to him. "No where now. But I was going to go look out the windows."
"You have a perfect view from here."
Joss struggled not to sniff. "Maybe I wanted a closer view."
"And leave me here by myself?" Tenderly he pressed a kiss to the back of her neck. Unable to take his show of affection the tears escaped. John sat up so he could peer over her shoulder down to her face. "Joss? Baby what's wrong?" He released a breath in realization. "This is why you were going to get up. You didn't want me to see. What's wrong?"
Joss could feel him tensing and hear the growing anger in his voice. She gulped in air. "Yes. I was trying to hide this cuz you can't handle this!" Sighing she rolled onto her back. John shifted so he could lean on his elbow placing his arm over the side of her pillow. She curved into him and with his free hand he wiped away the few tears that had strayed. "Every time you see me cry you grab your gun and are ready to shoot anyone who looked at me funny in the past fort-eight hours."
He gave a small chuckle beginning to relax. "I just don't like when something's wrong and I can't fix it."
"You know John a person can cry because they're happy."
He laid back down. "Are you happy?"
"Of course. Sometimes late at night like this I just lose my breath thinking about how blessed I am. I can't believe I married you." She laughed. "Can't believe I made it back and you hadn't been killed or taken by one of your enemies."
There was a brief silence between them. "Do you regret marrying me?"
"No. Marrying you John is one of the few things in my life I don't regret. Period. Even if it was a decision made with snap judgment. I still have no regrets."
He watched her, carefully assessing her features. "What?"
Shaking his head his hand reached up. "Nothing. You're just beautiful." With one finger he trailed down her forehead across her nose over her lips and chin, then down her neck. "I know what you mean though. About thinking late at night. About being shocked that we finally made it to this point. Barely a month ago, I'd come back here, held a picture of you, and thought of how much I missed you. All I wanted to do was hear your voice, see you move. Hold you the way I hadn't. And now you here. Lying next to me in my bed."
Although his words sparked more tears Joss fought them back. She had done enough crying for now. Pushing herself up she rolled over and rested the top half of her body over John's chest smiling flirtatiously at him. Immediately he smirked.
"Your bed? We're married. It's our bed."
He ran a hand up her back. She could feel the heat of his hand through the tank top she wore. "It was my bed first."
"I'll remember that when return to my house."
A chuckle rumbled through his chest. They locked gazes. "I love you Joss."
"I love you John." Tugging her down he brought her mouth to his giving her a kiss she would not soon forget. For tonight they had time and both John and Joss decided they were going to spend it lost in each other. This year had been started off right and would be spend counting each day and moment they had together.
FYI Start the New Year right song is probably on youtube if you're interested. Bing Crosby sings it. Also John's obsession with Joss being cold is reverence to the first part of this story. Thanks for reading!
