"Who is he?"

John slowly came too from slumber, as he heard murmuring. He tensed a bit until he realized he recognized one of the voices. The other still sounded unrecognizable. John lifted one eyelid, realizing Taylor stood there, and a man who appeared to look like an older version of Taylor stood beside him.

"Hi Mr. Badass," Taylor greeted with a smile. Both of his eyes opened as he stared at Taylor, before looking down at Joss who was lying contently against his chest, awake. The door to the room opened and two nurses entered.

"Well the cutest couple, are both awake, now." the brunette nurse teased. "How are you feeling, Jocelyn?"

"Content," she answered warmly.

"I bet you are, getting to use this man as a nice teddy bear would make any woman content I suspect." The brunette flirted. "But we need to do an exam, so I'm sorry mister…."

"My name is John." He mumbled as he slowly withdrew from Joss's arms, not realizing when he promised to be there in the morning that he would have Carter's kid, her obvious ex-husband, and nurses to contend with. He slipped from the bed, slowly, as to not rip his stitches open. The elder of the two nurses raked a keen look over him.

"What's the matter with you, young man?"

"I'm fine," he assured, wondering how he was going to get his shoes on without this woman realizing he was lying through his teeth. Gratefully, Taylor hurried around to get his shoes for him. He handed them to him, John smiled in thanks. "Just a bad back." He assured the nurse.

"Uh-huh, you look pale." She said clearly not buying his crap.

"Been worried about Joss and her well-being,"

"Yeah so worried this is the first time I saw you," the nurse argued.

He turned to look back at her. "I'm glad you are alright, Joss." She smiled softly, he turned to exit the room.

"John, wait." He sighed as he turned and looked back at Joss. "When are you coming back?"

"Later," he assured.

"When is later?"

"Tonight,"

"Oh, coming for another slumber party huh." The brunette teased. But John didn't bother to answer her, instead he snatched his jacket, turned and fled as fast as his injuries would allow him. He sat down on the chair outside of Carter's room, and unfortunately the nurse that had noticed he was pale had followed him out.

"Just great," he muttered under his breath while he struggled with his shoes, but the nurse squatted down, and helped him get his shoes on.

"Why are men so pigheaded? I could see the way you were favoring the side, you have some sort of injury." She motioned. "I can see the bandages under the shirt." She murmured while tying his shoes.

"I'm okay."

The nurse didn't call him a liar, but arched a brow as she stood up after finishing helping him tie his shoes. He slowly stood up, she lifted his shirt. "I see a bit of crimson staining that bandage."

"It's fine." He repeated adamantly.

"Well, it better be because that girl seems to be doing much better now with you and her son around. We can't have anything happening to something that puts such a pretty smile on that beautiful face of hers. Jocelyn has been through a lot, you hear." The nurse looked like she wanted to force him into an exam room, but, was exercising restraint.

"Just take care of Joss," he reaffirmed as he casually as possible pulled his coat on. And with that he turned, leaving the elderly nurse to watch him leave. John rounded the hallway, grateful, as he slouched against the wall feeling faint.

"You didn't pop a stitch did you?" Shaw questioned as she appeared from nowhere. John didn't bother to look at her, didn't bother to acknowledge her. She pushed his shirt up, glaring at the crimson stain. "Damn it, Reese, Finch is going to have my head."

John let her help him down the hallway to the elevator, as she muttered something under her breath about Captain America wasn't as invincible as he wished. He didn't even bother to explain himself, because it was no point. She hit the button manually stopping the elevator, pushed his shirt up, and slowly began undoing the tape around the bandage.

"What are you doing?"

"Making sure if you did pop a stitch, John you can't keep popping stitches, and receiving blood transfusions because you nearly bleed out." Shaw seemed satisfied as she eyed his wound. "It appears just dried blood got imbedded on the bandage. We have to change the dressing when we get back to the safe-house." Shaw replaced the tape back to his skin.

"I'm going home."

"No you're not, Reese. You asked me to take you to Carter, I did because you were going to go with or without me, but it was on the contingency you'd go back to the safe-house." Shaw snapped not letting him back out of his word. She knew he probably didn't fully remember the contingency since he was coming off of his morphine shot, but, she didn't give a damn. She wasn't getting her ass chewed out by Finch for his sorry self. Shaw noted as she hit the elevator's red button that sent the elevator screeching in motion once more that he wasn't looking at her. She noticed as she led him to her car, he avoided looking at the cameras, and he was even more quiet than normal.

"What's the deal?" she demanded as the silence in the car was getting to her. Typically she didn't want conversation, which John seemed to like too. But this was different. This silence was deafening, uncomfortable.

"There's no deal, just drive Shaw." She shifted her eyes off the road for a brief moment, to eye him before looking back. No deal, what was he smoking? He was staring off into the distance, not appearing to be seeing anything as if he was lost in thoughts. From the etched lines on his face they weren't happy thoughts either. But she didn't call him a liar instead she allowed the uncomfortable silence drape over them, because to be honest this was the first time Shaw had no idea what to do.

The door to her hospital room opened, Joss immediately felt her spirits lift then sort of drop when it wasn't John. It was Finch instead. "Hey, Finch." She greeted trying to hide her disappointment. It wasn't that she didn't want to see her friend it was just she had been hoping it was John instead.

"Not who you were expecting?" he teased and she realized she hadn't hid her disappointment all that well.

"Well, John was vague on when he was coming back, and every time the door opens I think it might be him." She said as casual as she could. Joss squirmed to sit up, hating that it took all her energy and strength just to move the tiniest bit. Hating that she could barely stay awake more than two hours at a time, mostly she hated being dependent on everyone to do things for her. It annoyed her to no end. "So what pleasure do I owe to have a visit from you, Finch?" She said with a smile, giving up at sitting.

"I came by to see how you are feeling." He said.

"Feeling better for the most part, the tests they ran were to see how much damage the bullet did, but I won't know more for a few more days." She grumbled. It didn't matter what damage that bullet did, she was going to get full use and mobility back in her arm regardless of the time it took to get it back. She wasn't going to let Simmons and HR get the last laugh on her, no way in hell was she going to let that happen. "But I figured you knew that already, Taylor said you're footing the bill for my care, and arranged for the best doctors to be my doctors."

"Yes, well you are a valued friend, Jocelyn, and I want the best possible care for you. No matter the cost."

"Well I thank you for that." She said truly blessed to have someone worry this much about her.

"Actually that brings me to the real reason I came by here, Jocelyn." Finch murmured as he sat down beside her bed.

"I knew it, I just knew there was a different reason." She teased softly. "So Finch what's the real reason you're here?"

"I arranged for you to be transported tomorrow morning to Buffalo New York where you'll stay for a week before you are taken to Rome Italy on a private jet."

"Excuse me,"

"There is a state of the art facility in Buffalo that are all private rooms that are more like suites than hospital rooms, round the clock nurses and doctors for each patient there. Dr. Zynecki is the finest, he is going to take care of you at the facility before you are transported to Italy."

"Okay….why? Why in the hell am I going to Italy?"

"My excellent physical therapist Bernard lives there, I spoke with him on the phone just yesterday, and he has agreed to take you on as a patient. He has been booked up, not taking any new patients but as a favor to me he is more than willing to help you. He's marvelous, if anyone can help you get your mobility back in your arm, it's him."

"He's that good?" she didn't really want to travel so far, but if he was that good maybe it was worth it.

"He's the best." And coming from Finch that meant it was true.

"Alright, I guess, I mean I was hoping to stay in New York to be close to my son." And John, but she didn't say it out loud.

"Well if you wish for him to go with you I am more than willing to offer my villa as a place of refuge for your son to accompany you to Italy. I had arranged for other housing arrangements so you'd be closer to Bernard, but if your son is accompanying you, then the villa would be much homier for you both."

"Seriously? You'd trust me, and my seventeen year old in your villa?"

"Yes, of course, Jocelyn I have no qualms over letting you and him stay at the villa. But if you are worried about his academics, my pilot is able to fly him in and out of Italy every weekend."

"Honestly, Finch I don't know what to say." How did one say thank you, for everything he was doing to help her get better, and make things easier for her and her son? A simple thank you, didn't sound enough.

"You don't have to say anything, Jocelyn, I'm doing this because you are my dear friend and I'm just utterly grateful that you are alive."

"Thank you, Harold, I mean it truly." She whispered, as tears threatened. She never had someone worry about her so much, want to help her. She always had to do everything by herself until she met John and Finch.

"You're welcome, I suggest you speak to your son and find out what he wishes to do and what is best for him, while I'll get the villa ready."

"What do you mean ready?"

"Minor things, Jocelyn, nothing you need to worry about. But please, call me."

"Of course." She agreed. "But can I ask you, why am I being shipped off to Buffalo New York? Why not just stay here, Manhattan General has been taking great care of me."

"They have been," Finch agreed as he slowly stood up. "But it's a known fact that infection happens more often than naught at hospitals. The facility I am arranging for you Jocelyn, gives you private doctors, nurses, and a private suite so your son can stay with you in a separate bedroom if he so chooses. The facility has the lowest infection rate in the entire nation, less than two percent of patients get an infection which is nearly quadrupled if you remain here."

"It sounds like an apartment."

"You can view it that way if you want," he agreed with a smile.

"Sounds really expensive too." She huffed. But her friend just waved her off about the money. He touched her hand softly, before limping towards the door, and Joss watched her friend leave with a smile.

AN: This is the set up for 3x11 and 3x12. As I know some of you didn't see the show since Carter died, John left the team leaving for Colorado, while in my story John will still leave the team instead of Colorado he's going to try to follow Joss to Buffalo New York instead. Here's a little teaser:

"John you know you have to stay here in New York, and help Finch with the numbers. Our feelings for one another can't come between that, they need you."

"Our feelings won't come between that because I'm done, I quit." What, he was quitting working the numbers?

John and Joss have a heavy conversation :) Thanks for reading everyone!