AN: This is 4x01 time, and there is a lot of line-bars since I had to keep up with the episode, and plop our cute little detective into this episode with the case :)

Joss was biding her time. She hadn't seen John since that day she went to his precinct and 'picked' up that file for Fusco which had been two weeks ago. She had been cleared for active duty a couple days after her meeting with John. So when the new captain approached her, she was immediately hoping whatever case she had was something that maybe the Narcs were needed in. "Dead body looks like a drug bust gone bad. Pretty clear cut and dry, but it's a homicide, so it's either your case or Kane's." Joss smiled gleefully, today was her lucky day.

"We'll take it!" Joss said so giddy that Captain Moreno eyed her strangely before she handed her the manila folder. Joss snatched it out of her hand, seeing the glare that she was given from Fusco. When the captain walked away, she immediately stood up and holstered her piece while Fusco pulled on his blazer grumpily.

"Why this case, Carter? Sounds pretty dull and we're going to end up searching for every scum on the earth that might have reason to kill this loser junkie."

Joss slid close to Fusco, as they walked towards the exit. "John's cover works in Narcotics, there's a good chance he might show up."

"Missing wonder-boy that much to put up with this dull of a homicide case, eh?" he teased.

"I miss him more than you know," she conceded. "The last time I saw John he told me that we can't be together. Well here's a chance for Detective Riley and Detective Carter to work a case together, get to know one another better in the eyes of the world, and this is my chance to ask out Detective Riley when it's all said and done."

"That's assuming he gets the case," Fusco pointed out.

"I checked with the 103rd precinct, John is one of their best Narcotics detective, he'll get the case," she assured him, praying silently to herself that she was right. "Now come on, lets go, I don't want to miss him." She tugged on his arm, desperate to see her man, the man that thinking about kept her awake and feeling unfulfilled at night.

John stared as he walked towards the crime scene with officers and a pair of detectives already examining the crime scene. His captain had given him a new case, one in the Bronx, a deceased junkie was found and that he had to help some homicide detectives. John hadn't fully anticipated it would be Joss and Lionel, he had figured they were the best homicide detectives and wouldn't get tasked with the case. He was glad she was back on active duty, he knew how hard it must have been on her to wait and do those 5 mandatory sessions with the office shrink.

Joss seemed to have been waiting for him, as if she figured he would get the case. He could easily see the way Joss's eyes lit up as she saw him, a smile graced her mouth before she schooled her reaction. He gulped a little, wondering how he was going to keep himself in check. "What brings you up to the Bronx, detectives?" he asked as he sauntered over.

Fusco eyed Carter for a moment before he spoke up. "Last time I checked Carter and I were in homicide and this here looks like a body. What's Narcotics doing here, detective?" Fusco rolled his eyes at the heart eyes these two were shooting one another. Great, he felt like a very uncomfortable third wheel.

"Felix here was affiliated with a street gang taking over the heroin trade," John murmured, looking at the crime scene, basically anywhere from Joss who was looking beautiful in her all black and form fitting pantsuit. Her hair was long and down, flowing in the wind. He wanted to grab her.

"Well now he's unaffiliated. If he was dealing we didn't find junk on him," Fusco griped. John ignored him as he squatted down on his haunches to lift up crimpers with a dirty rag. Joss immediately moved beside him and squatted down beside him. He inhaled her scent, it was so tempting.

"Wire strippers, what's this kid doing up here with a pair of crimpers?" He eyed Joss who had yet to say anything, her eyes were on his lips, and he licked them. Did she moan softly?

"Maybe he was jacking cable, another favorite pastime of this hood," Fusco cracked, making the two that were staring intensely at each other, about to devour one another, well aware he was still there, as well as about ten other officers.

"He didn't even live in the building, Fusco," John pointed out, with a quick clearing of his throat. John slowly stood up and she followed.

"Well since you know so much about the victim, maybe we could help one another, 'John' was it?" Joss said slyly. He nodded his head. "It's a homicide case but I'm sure we can work together, I wouldn't mind in the least." Joss grinned as John's eyes narrowed on her.

"It's just a shame we got here too late." John sighed as he took a step away from Joss. He watched as Fusco moved close.

"You and your old pals used to be pretty good at getting out ahead of this type of stuff. What are you doing fooling around in Narcotics? Are either one of you going to tell me what's going on?" Fusco demanded as he gave two quick glances between him and Joss. John's phone buzzed.

"Is that the wife?" Joss asked, as he eyed his text, and he blinked a little confused as to why she would ask that. Then he remembered, of course, she technically didn't know much about Detective Riley.

"Not married, Carter."

"Ah, girlfriend then." She continued.

"No..."

"Single then," he eyed her and scowled a bit, getting the gist of where she was going with the line of questioning.

"I'm married to my work. I have to go. If you need any information I'll be more than happy to help," he murmured before he turned around and moved away.

Joss eyed John as he left, she ogled him the entire time before she was touched on the shoulder. "What the hell was that?" Fusco demanded.

"What? I find Detective Riley attractive." She shrugged. Fusco leaned in. "I'm divorced and single, I'm looking for love, and maybe I can find it with that detective," Joss said, with a smile. Fusco was irritable about it all. "Look, Fusco, all I know is that John has to be this man, and that means we are quite literally back to square one. John Riley just met Joss Carter not long ago," she said quietly. "John's got reservations about picking up where we left off because he's worried about me. I'm going to show him he doesn't have to worry. Now let's get to work on this case."

"You know I'm beginning to start to hate being your third wheel," Fusco griped as he sat in the backseat of Reese's state issued car. Joss had immediately sat beside John in the passenger seat, as they sat on their stakeout at Times Square. Reese had called them about a lead for their dead junkie and Carter nearly ran off without him. He needed to make sure these two didn't do something that got either one of them killed, or him for that matter! From everything he knew so far, whatever had Reese pretending to be someone he's not wasn't something they should mess with. But he knew Carter wasn't playing from the same playbook as he was.

"No one asked you here," Joss said sweetly. "I'm sure John and I could have been fine on our own," she murmured as she touched John's hand. He withdrew it while he watched a guy.

"So what does this Egyptian guy have to do with our DOA?" Joss asked. It seemed John had a new number and that worried her. How was he going to work a number while keeping off of Samaritan's radar?

"Felix was in a gang called the Brotherhood. As near as I can tell they are forcing Ali to build some kind of private phone network that the cops can't tap."

"So they're meeting in Times Square for the privacy?" Fusco griped.

"For the people. It's too many signals, the NYPD can't pinpoint who's calling who," John explained quietly. "Ali's smart, but these guys are too." And that worried him.

John, Joss, and Fusco watched as a young African American approached Ali, and they spoke about the phones. After a few minutes of talking, they parted. Joss furrowed her brows as Ali pulled out his phone. "What's he doing?" she asked quietly.

John lifted his phone that he had force-paired with Ali. "Ali's tracking Link's phone; keep an eye on him." He slid from the car and shut the door before Joss could argue that she was going with him. She watched the man she loved moving away from the car, following Link. She forced her gaze onto Ali. He started texting.

"Hey he looks like he's sending a text," Fusco said via the earwigs.

"That's not a text, that's a detonation code," John said as he sped up. "Ali's not the victim, he's the perpetrator." He ran to catch up to Link who had already entered his car.

"John!" she called out but got no answer. She immediately slid from the car with Fusco in tow as they rushed to go apprehend Ali. He looked up at her after sending the text. She heard an explosion off in the distance. "John!" she called out again. He better answer her this time!

"I'm here, Carter." He answered finally. She breathed a sigh of relief as she and Fusco approached Ali.

"Mr. Hasan?"

"Yes," he turned to look at her as she flashed her badge.

"You're under arrest."

"For what?"

"Conspiracy to commit murder," Fusco said, yanking his hands behind his back before reading him his rights. Joss rushed to where John had run off to and found him in the middle of the street near a car fire. Joss hurried over as sirens filled the air.

"Are you sure you're alright, John?" she questioned as she sidled up beside him as she took a hold of his hand lightly.

"I'm fine," he assured as he slipped his hand free just as police cars and fire engines arrived. They both flashed their badges.

"Car fire because of a rigged explosion, we have the suspect in custody already. We are taking him to the precinct to find out what's going on," Joss explained. The officers nodded their heads before she and John turned and walked back the way they came.

At the precinct in the interrogation room, Mr. Hasan was staring straight ahead. John sat on his one side, Carter on the other, and Fusco stood near the door. "You are just full of surprises, Mr. Hasan, turning your cell phone into a remote detonation explosive device. Where did you learn that?" Fusco questioned.

"I'm guessing Egyptian military," John began and Joss hopped in.

"Unit 777," Joss finished and John flicked a look her way, smiled softly, before it faded and he unhooked the cuffs on Hasan's wrists.

"The Brotherhood is threatening you. We can help you Mr. Hasan, but you have to talk to us," John said as he sat back. Joss eyed John. He was good at being a cop, must be why the good super computer put him in this role.

Mr. Hasan sat for a moment before he spoke. "I came to the police once, I gave you the serial numbers of the phones they purchased from my store and you did nothing. They know you listened in on them, they know where your cameras are, and they are smarter than you."

"This Dominic, he wanted you to build some kind of private phone network?" She asked, eyeing him carefully.

"Doesn't matter anymore; you can't protect me so I protected myself, my store, my family," Ali said without an ounce of remorse. "That's why I had to act. They threatened my son." John's eyes widened and she grimaced. Guilt etched on John's face so quickly.

"Wait, where's your son right now?" Fusco demanded.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Link isn't dead," John said.

"What?"

"He escaped," John said quietly. Joss eyed him sadly, she could hear his guilt.

"How?" Ali asked, before he grabbed for his cell phone. John and she grabbed his hands ceasing his attempts.

"We'll call your son on the way," she offered. "Let's go," she ordered. Fusco took a hold of Ali, while she hurried to keep up with John as they exited the interrogation room. "It wasn't your fault, John, you didn't know," she whispered sympathetically.

"Doesn't excuse it," he whispered back as they rushed out of the precinct. She just hoped like hell they could get to Ali's boy before the Brotherhood did.

They arrived at Ali's store to find it ransacked. John entered first, Carter next, then Fusco with Ali who was desperately calling for his son. She and John moved together guns drawn searching for the boy, or anyone. "Keep him back, Lionel," John demanded, before he stepped forward ahead of her as he eyed the back room. "All clear, he's not here."

"They took my son," Ali said, looking distraught. Joss eyed him before sliding a look on John when Ali's phone rang. He eyed it before they both moved to stand by Ali and he answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Hello, old man, you know who this is?"

"Yes."

"Yeah, you took your shot, but you missed, and now I have your boy. And you have until midnight to get the network up or he won't be coming home. Don't waste time going to the cops, you know we see them coming," Link threatened before he hung up on him.

"What have I done?" Ali whispered to himself.

"We're going to help you, Mr. Hasan," Fusco reassured.

"How?"

"By getting your son back." John said and Joss eyed him quickly.

"Haven't you done enough?"

"Not yet I haven't," John shook his head before handing Fusco his badge and moving towards the door. Fusco eyed him and Joss shook her head, following John out of Ali's store. She grabbed his elbow.

"Where are you going?" she demanded.

"As I said, to get Ali's son back. It's my fault he's been kidnapped, Joss."

"You didn't know that Ali's son was being threatened; you stopped Ali from killing. It's not your fault he didn't come to police," she countered.

"He doesn't trust us, Carter, and I can't say that I blame him."

"John, you're not at fault." She grabbed his wrist when he went to leave.

"Let go, Joss, I have to go find his son."

"Don't get yourself killed. I have plans on seducing you, John Riley," she whispered. He turned to look at her. She reluctantly let him go, knowing there wasn't anything she could say that would change his mind, but she just prayed he would be alright. She watched John as he rushed away before she reentered the store, looking at the shell-shocked Ali and a worried Fusco.

Joss kept rereading the text she got from Shaw. It was cryptic, but from what she could figure out, she stopped John from getting himself killed. She thanked god for Shaw. Fusco left for the precinct, Ali was pacing, while she stood in the back, eyeing the text. She heard John's voice, and she immediately looked up.

"You said you would get my son back," Ali turned and immediately hurried to the back of the store to where all his computers were, where he was building the network.

"And I will," he assured Ali.

"When John gives his word, he keeps his word, Mr. Hasan," Joss chimed in. John eyed her and smiled at the backup. He didn't fully deserve her faith in him, especially since he thoroughly fucked this one up but good.

"If you can't find my son, I must have this network up before midnight. I've gone over everything I can think of but it still won't connect," Ali admitted.

"Perhaps I could be of some assistance," both Joss and John turned around quickly when Harold's voice filtered in. She smiled happily, having not seen him since they all went their separate ways. "Detective Fusco said I might find you here."

"Hey," she greeted warmly. His lips tugged upward a little, and she noticed a look pass between John and Harold, making her wonder if something was going on that she didn't know about.

"Who are you?" Ali questioned.

"He's a friend," John assured.

"Do you know anything about wireless networks or protection?" Ali asked skeptical.

"A bit," Harold admitted and Joss held a snort in check. "I think you'll find I'm a quick study."

"I'll leave you to it, I'm going to track down Link," John said and Joss was going with him. There was no way in hell she was sitting with these two making their cell phones when she could go help John.

"Detective," Harold spoke, making John pause and she gave another quick look between the two friends. There was something definitely happening. Were they fighting? "Whatever your plans, I urge you to be discreet, our current circumstances require us to play by the rules."

"So then I'll find someone who doesn't," John answered before walking around Harold and Joss hurried to keep up with him.

"I'm coming with you, John."

"No Joss, you should head to the precinct with Fusco."

"Not on your life. I'm going with you, it isn't up for discussion, John," she stated as they exited the store. John paused and glared at her.

"That's not happening." he countered just as stubborn. "Go to the precinct, please." She clenched her teeth together. She understood John wanted to fix his mistake but if she could help, she wanted to go with him and get Ali's son back.

They stood glaring at one another, neither one backing down, or willing to bend. She exhaled roughly realizing she wasn't going to get her way. But maybe she could use this to her advantage. "If I can prove to you that I can handle 'this' then will you agree to go out with me, Detective John Riley?" she let it be vague so if Samaritan was listening in on the conversation it would sound innocent. It would sound like two detectives about to start a new relationship.

"Alright, if 'this' can be handled and you're fine then yes, I'll go out with you. But I need you to listen to me, Detective, I need you to head to the precinct with Fusco," he answered before turning around and she grinned. John just fell into her trap.

"Alright, I'll play it your way this time, 'Detective'," she assured him since she already got what she wanted. A promise he'd go out with her. She didn't want to let him go it alone since she had a vague idea that he was about to go to someone she knew very well. But if she had to sit back this time, play it by his rules to get that date she wanted, she would. Once she got that first date, she knew she'd have him hook, line, and sinker. Then she'd tell him in no uncertain terms that she was a big girl and could handle what was thrown her way. Joss watched as John hurried away to his car, before she hailed a taxi to head to the precinct.

The next day, Joss quietly sat at her desk at the precinct waiting for word from John. She had heard about Ali's son being safe and John Riley's big drug bust, and her and Fusco's case was cleared up since his murder was tied in to the Brotherhood. The captain was supremely happy that they already solved the case. Joss tried to concentrate on her work but was failing miserably. When would John show up or call her or anything?

Joss looked up and saw John entering the bullpen. He was wearing a black polo shirt that was short sleeved and appeared to be pulled tight across his wide chest. She licked her lips. John in black was her hell. He was still scruffy and she wanted to push him down, and fuck him senseless. He smiled softly at her before motioning her over. Joss slid from her seat, straightened, and tried to not act giddy, like a teenager, as she sauntered over.

"Case is closed, Detective Riley," Joss spoke as she came up to him, and he smiled as they stood in full view of the cameras. "I hear you made one of the biggest drug busts of your career."

"Yeah, I'm been promoted out of Narcotics."

"That's good."

"I'm actually being transferred from the 103rd to here, effective tomorrow," he informed her, taking her breath away. John was going to be working here?

"Oh yeah, doing what?"

"I'm the head of a new task force that your new Captain Moreno created," he explained.

"Well as long as you're not my partner there is nothing against interoffice romance," Joss said with a smile. "And I like being in Homicide, thank you very much, but I'm intrigued what task force are you head of?"

"Special Victims," he admitted glumly.

"Those are right up your alley, John; better than Narcotics." If anyone could solve those unsolved crimes that were dubbed by the Captain as Special Victims it was this man, as he had spent the better part of two decades coloring the lines outside of the law.

"Yeah, well, it was a pleasure working a little bit with you, Carter, especially since I read up on you. One of the best homicide detectives at the 8th and very well respected."

"Thanks, so, John, since our case is wrapped up I was hoping I could interest you in going out to dinner tonight?"

"Carter…"

"Call me Joss, remember." she purred as she took a step forward. "Besides John you can't deny there is...chemistry between us and something I want to explore further."

"I can't deny there is chemistry, Joss, but are you sure it's a good idea?" he flickered a look at the camera, trying to keep Samaritan from knowing that they knew one another better than what they claimed, but tried to convey his concern.

She took a moment to figure out the best way to answer in a way that had a double meaning, innocent to Samaritan but answer John's very real concern he was having for her safety. "It's a little hard for two detectives to date, but I'm game if you are," Joss finally answered. She waited patiently and was rewarded as a slow smile tugged John's lips up.

"I don't know..." he said sounding undecided but there was a sparkle of mischief in his eyes.

"I listened, I'm fine, so it worked you owe me a date." she reminded him of his promise.

"Well, the captain and I are about to head into a meeting right now. I'm not sure how long it will be, I don't want a beautiful woman like yourself waiting around for me." he admitted, still with a smile on his lips. She smiled back, getting him now.

"Ah, well I'm willing to go out any time tonight, John. I'm not letting my chance with you pass me by."

"Alright, Joss, I'd love to have dinner with you tonight."

AN: The final chapter...eh, well goes up in rating so for those who don't particularly care to read smut ignore the final chapter. And it's a 2 for 1 day because I'm not sure what I'm doing tomorrow and I want this story all done being updated before I begin Entangled III on Friday.

Thanks for reading XOXOXOXOXOX