Second chapter!

Again, I own nothing, but Quinn.

After Quinn finally agreed to go with John the real challenge started. They had only gone three blocks when John noticed someone trailing them.

"Hang on tight," he told Quinn. He weaved in and out of traffic and he felt Quinn squeeze tighter around his waist. He could feel the fear radiating off of her. Suddenly, the people in the car following them started shooting at them.

"John!" Quinn screamed, "they're gaining on us!" John set his jaw and did an immediate U-turn and blazed past the shooters and into an alleyway. He stopped the motorcycle and jumped off. When the shooters followed, John pulled out his gun and shot into the car. It crashed into a wall as John approached it. He looked into the car and checked each guy. They were both dead. He checked their pockets, but of course they had no ID on them at all. He walked back to the motorcycle.

"Come on. Let's get going," John said. Quinn nodded as they set off towards the safe house.

Finch, being a billionaire, could afford multiple houses. This one just happened to be a middle class house just outside of downtown. John led Quinn inside the house and he locked the doors as soon as they were inside.

"I had that house stocked with a few days worth of clothes for all sizes of people. You should find some clothes for her in one of the wardrobes," Finch told John. John looked through the wardrobes and handed Quinn a new outfit.

"Here. You never know when you'll get another chance to change," he told her. She took the stack carefully and retreated to the room that she picked. Ten minutes later she emerged and she looked younger. Just a change of clean clothes made her look more innocent. John was sitting at the dinning room table.

"Sit," John commanded, "we need to talk." She shuffled over and sat across from him.

"What do you want to know?" she inquired, crossing her arms over her chest.

"As much as you can tell me," John said as he rested his head on his knuckles.

"Okay. Mi Mamá y Papá split when I was five. Then my mother married Derrick. At first he was nice, but then he started to hit me all the time. It was never when my mother was there, though. Only when she had to work. One day I had enough. I hit him back. Mamá found out and she took Derrick's side," Quinn let out a sob, but continued on, "I ran. I ran to the only thing I knew. Mi amiga has a brother in a gang. He's sixteen and he helped me get in. I learned to shoot and avoid la polícia. Josef said that I could do his drug runs because I am young and innocent. He was going to drop me off in Texas today. He gave me the drugs for safe keeping, but I was stopped on the street by a rival gang. One of the guys took me by the collar and shoved me against the side of a building in an alley as the other guy searched me. He found the drugs and took them. I went straight to Ian, the brother of mi amiga. He told me to run and never come back or Josef will kill me." Quinn broke down. John, although usually a precise and seemingly cold person, got up and kneeled down next to her.

"Thank you. That helps a lot. Now, I think you should get some sleep," he told her. Her eyes got big.

"But what if they come for me?" she asked, frightened.

"Then I'll be ready for them," John said. He got up and offered a hand for her to get up. She, feeling like a child more than ever, accepted and they walked to her room.

"Will you stay with me?" she asked in a small voice. John was startled. He hadn't even expected her to take his hand and there she was wanting him to stay in her room.

"Of course," he assured her. She climbed into bed and was asleep almost instantly. John wondered about when the last time she able to sleep. John was on high alert.

"How're are you doing Mr. Reese?" Finch asked through the bluetooth.

"Just fine, Finch. Looks like an all- nighter. Do you have anything new?" John asked.

"She told you most everything there is. But, one thing she probably didn't know is that Derrick, the stepfather, has a previous record. Assault and battery, larceny and armed robbery. He was released on a technicality. As for Josef, he's one of the bigger drug dealers in the state. If he's looking for her, he's got eyes everywhere," Finch informed him.

"Looks like we'll need to cut off the head of the snake," John mused.

"It's looking that way. Well, I see what I can do with this," Finch said.

"Just find out where Josef is and then get some sleep, Finch," John commanded. He hated to see Finch overworked. Whenever he did, John just wanted to hold Finch and shield him from the world. Where did that come from? John knew where it came from. He loved Finch. There it was. The hard truth. John was in love with Finch.

"John? Did you hear me?" Finch's voice suddenly brought John back to reality.

"No, sorry Finch. What was that?" John said apologetically.

"I said, goodnight, Mr. Reese," Finch said kindly.

"Goodnight, Finch," John replied. The line went silent and John was left with his thoughts once again. He looked over at Quinn. She was sleeping peacefully. As she should be. John thought. He thought about how wonderful it might be to have a child of his own. But that could never happen. He was off the map. And Finch was off limits.

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