"Oh my god I feel terrible!" Joss whined to her empty apartment as she slowly awakened feeling a little depressed, and had a small headache. She was going to harm that snotty little girl, and possibly get John to shoot her in the kneecap for good measure. No wait forget John she wanted the pleasure of shooting the girl's kneecaps repeatedly for being an ungrateful spoiled brat. She was there to save her life because obviously she didn't have the brains to be some master mind criminal, and that was the thanks she got being drugged. So much for just saying no to drugs as she felt like she was ran over by a truck.

"You okay?" she bolted upright in bed, and sighed when it didn't make her feel any better.

"Where the hell did you come from?" she scowled more to herself for not having paid attention to her surroundings. Joss looked at John as he sat on the small chair at her vanity playing with her brushes for her makeup appearing bored. John made her vanity table, and chair look like a playset as his long legs were bent beneath the small chair while his lean body blocked her line of vision of the oval mirror. Joss rolled her eyes as he picked up her perfume, and smelled it before he stood up making his way over to her. He loomed over her peering down at her making her feel warm, and fuzzy inside. She noted that his suit jacket was off with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, one hand on his lean hips, the other holding a glass of water, and the top two buttons of his shirt were undone. He looked so damned good standing there she wondered how much better he would look in her bed instead of beside it?

"Is that any way to speak to the man that took you home as you were higher than a kite? I could have left you on your own, but I didn't." okay she had been wondering how she gotten home, and he cleared that bit up. But she wasn't in the mood for his teasing right now since she was still angry that she was drugged in the first place.

"I'm not in the mood John." she wasn't about to believe she had been that bad she didn't ingest much of the drink. Sure she never had drugs in her system before so naturally that played a role in her more drug induced state, but surely she wasn't higher than a damn kite!

"Obviously, but I've been here for quite some time now watching over you so you didn't choke on your own drool." she folded her arms across her chest, and leveled her best glare at him when he continued to make jokes. His smile grew wider, and she tried to stay mad at him she really did. But damn it the man had a beautiful smile that could make your heart melt. "How are you feeling Carter?"

"I'm fine John I just feel blah." she had no real words to describe how she felt other than a little unnerved since the last thing she truly remembered was speaking to the girl, and drank a little of the funny tasting drink figuring out it had been spiked with something. She should have known better than accept a drink from the girl who had done an about face from being so snotty to being sweet as pie. It was her fault for not knowing better, but who would have thought the girl would have drugged her?!

"You must of not ingested too much of whatever drug she gave you because you are already coming down from your high."

"Good I don't remember a damn thing." she hated the feeling like everything was a blur it was one of the reasons she never got drunk. She hated feeling out of control, and waking up with a limited memory of the night before. But this was worse she was missing a few hours completely.

"You don't?" she didn't like the sound of his voice, or that little smirk he was giving. Uh-oh what did she do, or say? No he was just messing with her mind still, and teasing her. Yeah that had to be it once you got to know John you got to see the more gentle side of him which she found just as amazing as the brooding side of him. John was multi-faceted that made you want to peel back all his layers to find the real vulnerable man beneath his tough façade. She wouldn't try of course as they were just friends even if she might have feelings for him.

"No not a thing." he handed her a glass of water which she took gratefully. Wait till she felt good enough to leave she was going to find Veronica Donahue, and skin her alive for pleasure.

"So you don't remember giving me this?" she lifted the much needed glass of water to her mouth taking greedy sips before looking up at where he was pointing. She barely turned her head from him before she spat the water out in his face. She immediately shook her head as she stared at him.

"I didn't." she put the glass of water down on the nightstand, and stared up at the mark pleadingly hoping it would just disappear.

"You did."

"Are you sure one of those women that were all over you last night didn't give you it?" oh please let it have been them and not her. She would die of embarrassment.

"I'm pretty sure that after my shower this morning I didn't have this." his slow smile didn't affect her nearly as much as the mental image imprinted in her mind of John in a shower. Oh good lord John all wet, and naked….

I gave you a hickey!" she wailed could this day get any worse? First she hadn't slept very good, then she had gotten a call from Finch to go see that spoiled brat again, followed by getting a bad attitude from her, then drugged, and now she found out she gave John a hickey. The world hated her or something because her mind was now stuck on picturing him naked, and wet every time she closed her eyes which was very arousing. Oh god she needed to find her vibrator, and relieve some of this sexual frustration she was under thanks to him before she did something truly embarrassing like beg him to have sex with her.

"You were very touchy Joss." she blinked her eyes a little before shooting her gaze up to him all thoughts of finding her vibrator gone.

"Touchy what do you mean touchy?" surely she only gave him a hickey which was bad enough, but now she was touchy too?

"You grabbed my ass Carter." her eyes widened.

"No!"

"I felt kind of violated more so than last night." she leaned over, and whacked at his arm for teasing her again. He just merely smiled down at her, and suddenly it got weird again between them. She looked down at her hand that was still on his bicep, and she tugged her hand away sitting back on her bed trying to put some space between them. Joss had felt like just pulling his head down, and kissing the stuffing out of the man to shut him up.

"I can't believe I grabbed your butt?!" she nervously laughed trying to shove those annoying musings out of her head eyeing his lips for a moment before looking anywhere else, but at him. Although grabbing John's butt wasn't nearly as embarrassing as giving John a hickey, but what bugged her was she couldn't remember it. She bet his ass felt great. "Oh my god I am so embarrassed." she leaned her head back staring up at the ceiling.

"Its not your fault Joss you were drugged." even though he was being nice about it, and teasing her she still felt incredibly awkward. Drugged Joss meant her inhibitions had been lowered, and she was thoroughly attracted to John which meant she was probably all over him. Oh god he probably now knew she wanted him which would jeopardize their friendship.

"I-uh-didn't do anything else did I?" she asked afraid to know, but needed too.

"No not really."

"Didn't say anything either right?" like she had thoughts about how soft his mouth looked, and how much she wanted to taste it repeatedly. She had wondered on many occasions what he looked like naked, and fantasized about tearing piece after piece of clothing off him just to assuage her curiosity? Or that she had wondered what it would be like if they climbed into bed together to alleviate the sexual need she felt for him all the time which was getting worse by the second? She would shrivel up in embarrassed agony if he said she said any of those things.

"You said no a lot." she nodded her head eyeing him wistfully. God John looked good standing there in her bedroom. She eyed his neck when he turned away, and she couldn't help but admire her handiwork. It was a nice hickey on his neck if she did say so herself, but he couldn't really hide it either which made her cringe for his sake.

"Thanks for taking care of me John."

"No thanks necessary Carter you're my friend, and you were in need of help."

"Right." she forced a smile. John only thought of her as a friend, and she should start doing the same. She used too but as slowly as he began trusting in her, and she with him her feelings for him evolved into something deeper much deeper than purely friendship. She noticed John slowly becoming happier, and he seemed more relaxed not the same man whom looked cold or dead inside. She wondered if maybe he was truly ready to move on, and allow himself open to feeling something for a woman. But the idea of John with any woman made her unhappy, and want to place claim where she had none. Zoey truly believed John had feelings for her which she longed for it to be true. She just was afraid to get her hopes up just to have them dashed. She had suffered many disappointments in her life, and that one would be a harsh blow she wasn't sure she could recover quickly from. But what if it was true, and he was hiding his feelings as much as she was for the same reason? What if he wanted this date tonight to be real just like she did? Damn it Joss you are allowing Zoey to get into your head! John doesn't have feelings for you other than platonic in nature he just said so minutes ago, and here you are wishing for him to want this date tonight!

For a few blissful moments she had forgotten all about their impending date that had been occupying her mind since last night that left her sleepless. But now it was back, and having John in her bedroom looking like a model straight out of GQ was not helping matters. Joss looked at him for a moment realizing he must of said something to her, and she wasn't paying attention. Well darn it he was too distracting it wasn't her fault! She would blame it on the drugs that were slowly making its way out of her system.

"Sorry John what did you say?"

"Nothing really I was just telling you what happened, and why Lionel arrested her."

"What Fusco arrested her? Why?"

"I ousted that you were a cop it gave us a chance to have her protected until we could figure out who might be after her. Finch got us a lead while you were resting."

"Who?"

"An ex-boyfriend has made repeated threats against her."

"He should get in line because I want the first crack at her!"

"I was tempted to shoot her in the kneecap for you."

"How about repeatedly for being a stuck up spoiled brat who thinks the world should drop at her feet. Please let it be this guy because I don't think I could handle not wanting to wring her skinny little neck, and do the deed myself."

"My kind of woman…violent." okay was he flirting with her? Joss tried to figure it out, but after the comment he didn't say anything else so she chalked it up to John still teasing her.

"Wait how did you find out about her anyways? Finch called Fusco, and I about it trying to keep you from having to deal with her especially after last night."

"While I appreciate the sentiment I wished he had involved me first so you wouldn't have been drugged at all."

"No instead she would have drugged you, and try to molest you or something." she snapped, and John burst out into laughter. She eyed him a little loving every time John laughed it was such an unaccustomed sound from him, and she loved getting to hear it.

"I think its best if you stay at home for the rest of the day."

"Me too I need some relaxation."

"I'll call Mr. Leiken to cancel our date tonight so you can rest fully."

"Why? I mean you can if you want, but he's just going to be persistent about it until we go out on that date or he thanks you publicly." god was she pathetic or what?! John was trapped so smoothly into going out with her that she should feel bad, and figure out a way for him to get out of it. But she didn't want to let John out of it because she wanted to go out with him just once even if it wasn't entirely real.

"Well I guess if you are feeling alright we can still go out on our fake date tonight."

"I'm feeling better though I need to eat something I'm a bit famished, and I need to drink more water."

"No lasting effects?"

"None that I feel anyways. I feel kind of lousy plus I have a headache, but I'm sure as the day goes on it should fade right?" John eyed his watch.

"It should since you were only drugged a little bit you are already came out of your high pretty early so the after effects should lessen as the day progresses." she nodded, and he looked at her. Joss stayed still as their weird eye contact where it seemed neither one could break it was happening again. She felt herself getting lost in those eyes of his that expressed every one of his emotions, and she saw a flicker of something in them. It looked like desire…for her. No he probably found her frumpy as the girl had said last night because she didn't like he broke the rules all the time. Joss broke the eye contact first, and he seemed to be out of his trance because he cleared his throat. "I should be going, and figure out who wants Veronica Donhaue dead besides you, and a few other hundred people or so." she smiled a little looking at him briefly.

"Yeah."

"I guess I'll see you tonight Carter."

"Yes tonight." she watched as he exited her bedroom she waited until she heard her front door open, and shut before she flopped back into her pillows letting out a loud exhale.

John slowly drove himself back towards the library feeling at odds with himself. Joss looked incredibly embarrassed about the hickey, and grabbing him which meant she didn't mean to do them. He sighed inwardly he had known it intellectually, but he had really wanted her to want him too. Why did they always feel stuck in stares where he couldn't seem to break away, and the need to kiss her almost became unbearable? His mind had to be playing tricks on him he had thought she shared the same feelings as he did, but as quickly as the emotion appeared on her face it was gone. So no it had to be wishful thinking on his part. John stomped hard on brakes when he saw Zoey walking down the street. He pulled over to the curb, and quickly exited his car needing some answers about last night from her.

"Zoey." she paused, and turned around with a smile on her face. "Would you care for a lift?" he smiled.

"It would be like old times John." she walked over towards him, and he chuckled as they walked side by side to his car. He opened the backseat door, but she shook her head opening the passenger door. He nodded sliding the other door shut, and waited till she climbed into his car before shutting the door for her. He walked around to the other side climbing in, but didn't start the engine. "Nice hickey."

"Care to explain last night?" he decided ignoring her comment would be better than trying to explain what happened.

"Whatever do you mean John?"

"You forced me into that date with Carter, and I want to know why?"

"I was just giving Mr. Leiken a helpful idea."

"No you are up to something like always, and I want to know what. Is Mr. Leiken a client of yours?"

"I assure you John that I was not up to anything last night I was there to help you remember."

"Yes but as I have heard from Carter, and Finch that you were supposed to buy me not Carter. So why the switch?" she smiled.

"John you are a very intelligent man so why did I switch?" John looked at her for a moment, and narrowed his eyes. "Yes I know about your feelings for the detective, and the feelings she shares for you."

"I don't have feelings for Carter." Zoey just stared at him. "Okay maybe I do, but she doesn't share them Zoey."

"You know John I had a similar conversation with the detective last night. Who knew that two people who are incredibly intelligent, and observant can't figure out they are into each other? But I think I get it now John since you are clearly in as much denial as she is its because its easier for you two."

"Easier?"

"Yes its easier for you two to pretend to be just friends than open yourselves up to one another in that sort of way. One of you needs to take the first step so I am giving you that gentle nudge in the right direction."

"By forcing her into a date she doesn't want?"

"You know John I have had a lot of difficult clients before, but you take the cake. Who knew it would be this difficult to get you laid? Do you both have to be so stubborn to ignore what's right in front of you under your noses?"

"I don't need your help to get laid."

"No doubt John you can have any woman you come in contact with, and they'd gladly shed their clothes for you me included. But we both know which woman you'd shed your clothes for now don't we John?" he looked away knowing it was the truth. "I wonder why that is John? Would you care to explain that, or would you like me too?"

"That's not necessary."

"I'll explain it since you won't its because you aren't looking for just sex, and your feelings run deep for the detective." he flashed her a look, and she just smiled at him smugly knowing she was right. "So I'm going to help you."

"I don't need your help Zoey I'm not one of your clients that needs something fixed for them."

"You're right you're not my client you're my friend, and which is why I am going to take drastic action for you." she grinned.

"Drastic action what does that mean?"

"You'll see John." she opened the passenger door before smiling at him. "I appreciate the offer for a ride, but I think I'll walk its always nice seeing you John." she grinned patting his cheek before climbing out. She paused, and leaned down to look at him. "Tell your detective that she does nice work-" she pointed to his hickey which he shot her an icy glare. "-and have fun on your date tonight." with that she slid the door shut, and began walking away. John watched her walk away, but his mind was on figuring out exactly what Zoey was up too.

Author's note: I love getting a chance to write fluff, and John teasing Joss was fun I know everyone is waiting for their date, and its coming soon along with some mishaps, and minor bumps in the road. Man, that's all I can hint or I'll give the next few chapters away!

Thank you for reading, and for the lovely reviews I'm happy you are guys are enjoying this story it makes me happy inside so I'm glad to share it with you :)