"Did you check into Mr. Peter Paterelli to see if he is the threat to Ms. Veronica Donhaue?"

"Yes I checked into him after I made sure Carter was alright and he dislikes Ms Donahue immensely, though I can't say I blame him." John couldn't agree more with Paterelli's assessment of the young woman. She was a self-absorbed bitch, but she didn't seem the killer type. The man's threats against her were empty and probably done out of spite to unnerve the young narcissist.

"I gathered as such from the limited amount of his conversation I listened in on, but he had seemed so promising as he was our only real lead."

"Speaking of that, why did you tune off Harold?" John asked, eyeing his friend who was sitting at his seat in front of his computer not looking up. They listened in on each other's conversations all the time-and then some. So why did he tune out in the middle of trying to help a number and then not call him back after he called repeatedly?

"I had some business to attend to Mr. Reese."

"Business?"

"Yes with a previous number."

"Who?"

"Mr. Henry Leiken."

"What did he want?"

"He asked to meet with me at his office, needing to speak about you or rather, your cover Mr. John Wiley."

"What did he want?" He repeated when Finch didn't answer him. Finch finally looked up from the computer to open his mouth to speak, but paused.

"Mr. Reese what's on your neck?" he peered a little closer, squinting, and John smacked a hand over the hickey to hide it from his view.

"Nothing."

"It's not nothing, Mr. Reese, as I could clearly see it from here." Harold pulled his glasses off and tried to clean the lens. "It appeared to be a bruise or a marking of some kind. Did you get into a physical altercation with Mr. Paterelli?"

"No." John sighed, grudgingly lowering his arm to his side when Finch put his glasses back on. He couldn't hide it forever and hickeys took forever to fade, he may as well get this over with. Finch peered at him again and his eyes lifted a little in slight surprise.

"No, clearly it's not a bruise from a fight, but rather a hickey. I know you mentioned the detective was a bit out of it thanks to the drugs in her system, so am I to assume she was the one to give you it?"

"It wasn't her fault she was drugged and was a little bit more touchy."

"You're quite right; she wasn't in her right mind. But you were Mr. Reese, so how did the detective who isn't very physically opposing to you manage to give you a hickey?" Finch was having fun at his expense. He saw the amusement in the man's blue eyes and the small smile.

"Finch what did Mr. Leiken want?" John repeated not about to dignify the question with a response. Finch nodded his head, but the amusement didn't fade entirely from his eyes.

"Mr. Leiken wanted to seek out my advice since I have worked with Mr. Wiley as his assistant for a couple years now."

"You have?"

"I have."

"Finch how come all the covers that involve me being your boss we don't use a lot?"

"Funny, Mr. Reese. But actually it was I who sent your photo to Mr. Leiken to specifically place you into the charity bachelor auction."

"Remind me to fire my John Wiley assistant." John said irritably but Finch's smile remained solidly in place.

"Mr. Leiken was just asking basic questions about you, Mr. Reese."

"What kind of questions Finch?"

"Just simple and mundane questions like what it is you like to eat and what's your drink of choice, that sort of thing."

"Why?"

"Well, I can only venture a guess, but I would say its due to the date that you are going on tonight with the detective. But I answered his questions honestly as possible without revealing too much about who you really are. He's a very nice man. We talked for a couple hours about John Wiley and a few other things." A couple hours talking about him? Surely Finch was exaggerating!

"Was 'Mr. Leiken' the meeting you had to go to this morning?"

"No, that was with Ms. Morgan."

"You spoke with Zoe as well."

"You spoke with Ms. Morgan?"

"Yeah, I saw her while driving from Carter's place."

"Oh it must have been after my own brunch with Ms. Morgan which just ended before Mr. Leiken called me up to seek advice about you," Finch explained.

"Yes, I asked her why she did what she did last night. What did you talk to her about Finch?"

"Something very similar, I wanted to make sure her reasons weren't malicious in intent and that she was still trustworthy."

"And?" Reese asked impatiently.

"And she is trustworthy."

"What did she tell you?" getting Finch to speak about anything was like pulling teeth. The man was more secretive and mistrusting than he was.

"Nothing that you don't already know, Mr. Reese." John nodded, knowing full well what he meant. Zoe had talked to Finch about his feelings for Carter, but thankfully Finch was more mindful of keeping out of his affairs.

"Is Veronica Donahue still in jail?" Reese decided to change the subject a little.

"Detective Fusco said he could slow down the paperwork for another hour or so before she is free."

"I had a thought; maybe we need to check into her parents. Maybe the threat that's coming at her isn't because of her attitude, but because of who her parents are."

"Yes, the Donahues are worth almost a half billion dollars combined and quite possibly more. She could be a target for ransom, kidnapping a heiress would surely garner the perpetrators at least a few million."

"Check into the parents, and I guess I'll go make sure she's alright after she gets released from jail." But Reese was going to remain in the shadows because he was afraid he would harm her himself for drugging Carter!

Joss felt much better since taking a shower, and lying down again for a little bit. She looked at her watch seeing it was closing in on three in the afternoon, thankful the drugs wore off a little under an hour ago. Okay now that she felt better, her mind was racing on tonight and what to wear for her date with John. She was a little worried about how excited she was getting for this fake date they were going on in a few hours. It's just two friends and colleagues going out with one another on a forced date she assured herself while her heart scoffed. It might be forced on John's end but it was no trouble at all for her to go out with him.

Maybe to take her mind off the fact that she longed for this to be a real date she'd focus on what to wear tonight. She walked to her closet, and threw the door open eyeing the clothing with disdain. She began going through things and the more she went through the worse she felt. Nothing looked good for a first date with John. What could she wear to a fake date that was supposed to look like a real date, but without giving John a clue she wanted it to be real? Her head hurt when she heard a knock on her door. Thank god, something to take her mind off of John and this damn date. She walked out of her room, and towards the door mentally chiding herself. Joss looked through the peephole and blinked in surprise. She threw the door open and glared at the woman standing there. Could her day get much worse?

"Hello detective."

"How the hell did you figure out where I live Zoe?"

"I have my ways, detective." Joss moved back to allow the woman to enter her apartment. She swung the door shut and turned to eye the sleek woman. She was wearing a blood red pea coat, and had spiked red heels to match. Joss felt like a wallflower.

"Why are you here?"

"Drastic action."

"What does that mean?"

"It means John is unfortunately being a typical man which is being dumb when it comes to these things. He won't make the first move; so quite frankly, the ball's in your court to make him make the first move."

"Look I-" she started, but Zoe shook her head silencing her.

"No detective. I have been nice to you since it's not in my nature to be doing this in the first place and neither one of you are very cooperative. So I am going to try a more…let's say assertive approach."

"Oh yeah, you setting us up on a date that John is stuck in wasn't being assertive?"

"No it was, but it was the more subtle approach. This attempt now isn't subtle, it's to get John to do something about his feelings for you."

"Did John ever admit to having feelings for me?"

"Yes."

"He's told you he has feelings for me?" she cocked a brow crossing her arms trying desperately to hold down her hopes that Zoe was just seeing things that weren't there.

"You look hopeful detective." Joss had thought she had her best poker face on, but obviously with this woman it wasn't enough. "We had an interesting conversation together this afternoon about you."

"You spoke with John today? About me?"

"Yes, and I have to admit you gave the man a very nice hickey."

"He told you?" Joss stammered while thinking about a hole to crawl into.

"No detective, I have eyes."

"I meant he told you I gave it to him?"

"No, but that was easy to figure out too. I mean, who else would he even allow that close to him to give him one? He's close to Finch but I don't see Finch and John being THAT close. Which leaves just you, detective."

"You forgot one…Bear."

"His dog detective?" Joss flopped her arms to her sides knowing it was an inane comment herself, but it didn't mean it made her feel any better to know everyone would know she gave John a hickey. It was incredibly embarrassing!

"I was drugged." Joss sighed looking for excuses.

"Sure you were. But I'm not here to talk about John's hickey. I'm here for only one reason and it's to pick you up."

"Pick me up to go where exactly?" Joss eyed Zoe suspiciously.

"Easy, to get you a new dress."

"I have clothes." Okay, so she wasn't happy with any of her dresses for tonight, but that didn't mean she wanted this woman buying her a damn dress.

"Yes you do, but you don't have a dress that will make John putty in your hands. Let's try something either a classic black or a deep red. We need something that will show off your curves and dips low in the front to make John crazy enough to let go, to do something about his feelings."

"How do you know I don't have anything like that already?" Joss demanded. How dare this woman presume to know anything about her? Just because she was a damned homicide detective didn't mean she didn't know fashion. She is a woman after all and has gone out on occasion in her life, though she grudgingly admitted it wasn't very often.

"Okay where is it?" Zoe demanded.

"I don't have to show you it."

"Which means you don't have anything like that."

"Listen, I don't need to take fashion advice from you. I can choose and buy my own clothes, thank you very much." She knew she sounded like a petulant child.

"You like John, detective, and John likes you. I'm not saying you need to confess your undying love to the man, but dressing a little sexier might help John realize his feelings aren't one sided. Sometimes men, especially men like John, need extra little signs that his advances are wanted."

"Fine."

"Fine what detective?"

"I'll go see what you have in mind for a dress, but I'm not guaranteeing I'm going to buy it."

"That's alright detective because I know you'll end up loving the dress I have in mind for you. It's perfectly feminine and very sexy."

"If you are messing with me about John saying he has feelings for me I will make your life a living hell."

"Why would I be messing with you detective?"

"I don't know, but I'm just giving you a fair warning in advance, I won't tolerate you messing with my head or hurting John." Joss watched with her keen eyes from years of detective work and a general good judge of character, as Zoe smiled appearing genuine.

"You know detective, you and I are nothing alike, but there is one thing that we share in common."

"What's that?"

"We both care for John." Joss stared at the woman, seeing how much she did care for John. Joss couldn't even feel jealous of her anymore. The woman had admitted to making advances on John, and that they hadn't worked. Zoe claimed John had only eyes for her, and she had thought John was eyeing her with desire before. But she had foolishly ignored it because she had thought it was wishful thinking on her part.

"Can I ask, Zoe, why are you helping me with John? I can see how much you care for him and wish he'd look at you the way you claim he looks at me. So why help me and why not continue trying to get somewhere with him?"

"Because detective it will never work trying to get somewhere with him. John has eyes only for you, unfortunately for the rest of the women on this earth, but good news for you. John's a one man woman, once he falls in love he's yours forever." Oh that much Joss knew because of the little bit she learned about John's dead ex-girlfriend, Jessica. "So will you let me help you choose a dress to get the man to stop talking himself out of doing something about his feelings for you?"

"Yes."

"Good! Come along detective, I know the perfect place to choose your perfect dress for tonight."

"Nothing too expensive, Zoe, I'm on a cop's salary."

"I hear you loud and clear." Joss nodded grabbing her purse and jacket before heading out of her apartment with the woman.

Surely there had to be a way out of this, but none he could figure out. He felt nervous over a fake date, and it was ridiculous really. So, what if Carter and he were going out to dinner? They'd spent time together alone before. But it wasn't in a romantic setting, his mind reminded him. True, but if he didn't treat it as a date it wouldn't feel like a date- right? He cursed himself, having an argument in his own mind over Carter and this date. John climbed out of his car after being allowed in through the gate of Mr. Henry Leiken's mansion. John noticed Carter's car already parked there and eyed his wristwatch seeing it was a little before seven. He dragged his feet towards the front entrance of the mansion when the giant mahogany door opened and a young woman appeared before he even had a chance to knock.

"Come inside, Mr. Wiley. They are waiting for you." He nodded as he entered. He tried to hide his surprise when he saw Zoe standing there.

"Zoe?"

"John." she grinned as she walked over to him and kissed his cheek. "You're in for a surprise tonight darling."

"She doesn't want this Zoe," he pulled away forcing a smile on his face.

"Yes she does," Zoe grinned and John watched as Mr. Leiken appeared.

"Hello Mr. Wiley, it's such a pleasure to be doing this for you since you saved my life last night. I can't thank you enough and tonight hopefully, in some small way, will show you how much I appreciate what you did last night."

"It was nothing."

"Nonsense, and your lovely date is putting last minutes things together right now-you know how women are don't you? She'll be out here in a few moments. Mr. Wiley, you have the most beautiful woman to have purchased you, and Ms. Morgan clued me in on the fact that you have a major crush on the lovely Ms. Jocelyn Bennett."

"Ms. Morgan told you I have a crush on Jocelyn?" he kept a smile on his face as he turned his eyes icily onto Zoe.

"Not that I blame you of course, she is a very beautiful woman and Jocelyn filled me in on the fact that you two are friends. I must say you two would make a beautiful couple not just on paper either. You, as a hedge fund manager, she a self-made millionaire, would work nicely together, but clearly there is an underlining passion between the two of you. I saw it while you two were dancing and gazed at one another. I hope this dinner date sparks something for you both; and selfishly I can use your happiness to advance the charity auctions in the future, making them bigger for the cancer research." The man smiled at him. John shot his looks between Mr. Leiken and Zoe, unsure of what to do or say. No one would listen to him anyways even if he tried to plead his case that there wasn't anything going on between Carter and himself.

"I'm sorry I got kind of lost in this mansion!" John looked away from Zoe and Mr Leiken when he heard Joss's voice and heard the soft tap of heels hitting the tiled floor. John's brain shut down and his blood pooled way south in him when she appeared in the doorway, and he could do was stare at her. He was in deep trouble!

Author's note: I want to make an apology of sorts I didn't realize Zoe was spelled this way I should have done better research in spelling her name I always assumed it was with a Y for some reason(thanks Elaine for pointing it out to me). So I want to apologize for the previous chapters where I spelled it with a Y. Now onto this chapter YAY the date is almost here, and I loved having Zoe tell Mr. Leiken John has a crush on Joss hahahahahahahahahaha.

Next chapter: full blown date on YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! But there are minor bumps along the way that might make you laugh(I snickered writing it but it could be just my twisted humor that made me laugh ;P), or at least hopefully make you guys smile. I think we all need some fluff with the angst fest on the show. I'm going insane with the wait I need to see what happens!

Thank you for reading, and for reviewing as always you guys rock!