Chapter 9
At the sound of Zoe's gasp, Elise and John both came awake instantly. Elise's hand reached for the gun lying at the foot of the bed. Even in the safety of the library, Elise was not going to leave John or herself undefended.
Zoe threw her hands up and stepped back. Looking at two pairs of unblinking blue eyes was unnerving to say the least. The cold, deadly expressions on their faces were almost identical. This was definitely not a pair you'd want to meet in an alley or anywhere else if you were up to no good.
Realizing it was Zoe, Elise laid down the gun and turned her head to face John. Feeling the tug on her hair as she turned her head, she was surprised to find that it was John's hand, tangled in her hair that she felt. The surprise on her face was mirrored by the surprise on John's face when he realized the same thing at the same moment. Suddenly there was no one in the room at that moment but the two of them. Looking at each other, openly and honestly for the first time was a revelation to both of them. No subterfuge, no anger, no frustration or animosity, just completely open to each other for the first time. No shadow of painful memory, only the here and now.
Each of them knew something in their relationship had changed. Neither was quite sure how or why, just that something was different and it felt good, it felt….right.
John was the first to break the moment and smiled slightly at Elise as he gently disentangled his fingers from her hair. Just before letting go completely, he wrapped one errant lock around his finger and smoothed it behind her ear. The light touch on her ear sent shivers through Elise's entire body. The blue of her eyes darkened with feeling as she reached up and held that same hand for a moment. Feeling her small hand holding onto his much larger one, John was completely taken aback by the surge of emotion that coursed through him. Her small answering smile was enough for him to know that his touch was welcome.
Zoe felt like she was an intruder on a very private moment. She knew they were no longer aware of her in the room. Watching them react to each other but saying nothing, was a true revelation. The emotional aura that surrounded them was something she could almost reach out and touch. Now she knew why Elise fought so hard to stay away from John; she was fighting the attraction she was obviously feeling. Smiling to herself, Zoe realized that any chance she had with John was gone, if it had ever existed to begin with. Surprisingly enough, after her experience in the warehouse, she realized she didn't mind.
Zoe cleared her throat and spoke to them both. "I THINK I might have found another lead in our search for Harold." Both sets of eyes gave her an even more intense look. "A contact of mine alerted me that a body washed up on Staten Island. The man was dressed 'like a SWAT cop' as my contact called it. He had one gunshot to the head and hadn't been in the water for long. I know it's a long shot but…"
"….it's the best we've got right now." Elise finished. "Ok, so we need to think about this. Was he dropped off a bridge or…"
"Do you know anything else about the condition of the body?" John asked, wincing as he tried to sit up.
Elise automatically placed a hand on him, pushing down gently. "Please don't pull the stitches, John. I'll raise the head of the bed for you ok?"
John smiled up at her and Elise felt butterflies in her stomach as she noted how much more handsome he was when he turned that devastating smile on her. Dragging herself back to the present, she handed him the remote for the bed.
"What do you mean John?" Zoe asked.
"Did he have a lot of broken bones? If he didn't then he couldn't have been dropped off a bridge. He must have been dumped in the water from a boat."
"No, there were no broken bones." Zoe confirmed at the same time that Elise exclaimed, "THAT'S why we haven't been able to find them! Root has taken him off the grid! There are no cameras or anything out there to pick him up!"
"We need to look at a navigational map NOW!" Reese almost shouted, trying to rise from the bed.
"John!" Both women yelled at him as he struggled to rise.
"Lay down John, we'll bring the map to you." Zoe said. She and Elise went over to a rack that held a bunch rolled up papers. They spread them out and looked until they found one showing the waters and currents around Staten Island. They brought the map back to where John was anxiously watching them from his bed. Together, they mapped out likely places where the body could have gone into the water based on the current, the tide and the amount of time the body could have been in the water. They were able to narrow it down to a twenty-five mile radius.
"That's a lot of open water to cover." Elise said. "I'd better get to it then, if I'm going to have any chance of finding Harold today." Elise turned to go but John's hand reached out and grabbed hers in a surprisingly strong grip for someone who had an injured shoulder. The contact sent shivers up and down her spine. 'Was this how things were going to be now that she finally admitted to herself that she was attracted to the man?'
"You need to take back up, Elise. This woman is dangerous. She's killed multiple people." John looked her straight in the eye, almost willing her to agree with him for once.
"She's not the ONLY one who's dangerous." Elise growled at the thought of what she might have done to Harold. Noticing the look in John's eyes though, she sighed and continued. "OK. I'll call Detective Carter and Fusco."
John smiled and leaned back against the pillows. "Now, was that so hard?"
"What?" Elise asked puzzled.
"Agreeing with me, of course."
Elise's resulting smile caused him to suck in his breath as he noticed how beautiful she was with her hair down and a smile just for him. "Don't get used to it." She smirked and turned to go into another room.
Elise called Detective Carter from John's phone as she had not had time to program them into her own.
"John?" Carter answered the phone. "Are you alright?"
"Sorry Detective, it's Elise Tate again. John is resting. I wouldn't exactly say comfortably, but he's resting."
Carter chuckled at the exasperation she could hear in Elise's voice. "So to what do I owe the pleasure of this call then?" She asked.
"Well Detective, it appears I'm going to need you and your partner's help one more time."
"Somehow I figured last night wouldn't be the last time." Carter sighed. "Ok, what do you need?"
"I understand you haven't heard from Mr. Finch in quite some time. Did you ever wonder why that was?"
"Yeah, actually Fusco and I were commenting on that earlier. What's up with Finch? Fusco figured he took a vacation….but I take it you're going to tell me now?"
"Mr. Finch was kidnapped several weeks ago by someone who wants knowledge that he has."
"WHAT?" Carter just about yelled into the phone. "Why am I just hearing about this now?"
"Detective, you've worked with John far longer than I have. I'm sure you can figure out why. Anyway, John, Ms. Morgan and I have been searching for Finch ever since. That warehouse fiasco was the most recent lead we'd had. It turns out it was a trap. However, our most promising lead just came in this morning and I need some back-up while I'm checking it out."
"Alright. Tell me where we should meet you. Fusco and I can't get away at the moment without having the FBI and probably the CIA following us. We can be there in two hours, I think."
After hanging up the phone, Elise looked over at John and Zoe, still pouring over the map. John was looking a little pale and fatigue showed around his eyes. Looking up from the map when she approached, she was warmed by the way he lit up when she locked eyes with him. His smile was for her only, something she had not experienced in a very long time...if ever. This connection she felt with John was newer, deeper and more profound than anything she'd felt before. For her, the strength of this connection was almost palatable. It caused her heart rate to increase and her breath to catch in her throat. Her whole body hummed to a new song she had never heard before, it was almost frightening in its intensity.
Seeing Elise coming back to the bedside where he and Zoe were still studying the map, John felt his entire body react to her approach. Unbidden, a smile appeared on his face. Since it was such an unusual occurrence, Zoe looked up to see just what could make John appear so...happy...and saw Elise approaching. Once again she felt like she was not even in the same room with them and that she was intruding on a private moment.
"Well, since you seem to be on the mend John, I'm going to go get us something to eat. Harold thought of everything here in the library except food." Folding up the map and grabbing her purse, Zoe asked if they wanted anything particular to eat. But neither of them heard her. She didn't bother to ask again. Smiling to herself, Zoe laid down the map and walked out.
Recovering from her momentary loss of control, Elise looked up just in time to see Zoe walking away. Looking in askance at Reese, he just continued to smile at her. At least until he shrugged his shoulder and the pain from the latest gunshot wound reminded him of what they were all doing here.
"Damn, I hate getting shot. Makes it harder to do my job." He groused. Leaning back in the bed he took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. Moving quickly to his side, Elise reached out and touched his cheek with her open palm, feeling the roughness of a day's worth of beard.
"John! John!" She almost shouted, afraid he had passed out.
"What?" Breathed John in his whispery voice not opening his eyes. The impact of those eyes still took her breath away.
"Are you hurting? Do you need something? " Elise asked with a worried frown on her face.
As he opened his eyes, he felt like he was seeing an angel: long, flowing black hair, cascading around a face he had come to...to care for deeply? Blue eyes that he felt himself falling into, pulling him deeper and deeper and he realized he didn't want to stop falling. Ever.
Elise was the first one to pull herself together. Checking the bandage on the scalp wound, it looked fine. The stitches were holding up. Then pulling the sheet away from his chest, she checked the shoulder wound. No bleeding could be seen through the bandage and his skin was cool to the touch, so no infection.
John reached up with his left hand and held onto her other hand resting on his chest, preventing her from pulling away. Realizing that he was not going to let her go, Elise's eyes locked onto his. So much was being said without words. Neither of them was ready to explain what they were feeling since neither of them completely understood just what that was. For two individuals who faced extreme fear on an almost daily basis with without qualm, both were suddenly terrified by what they were feeling.
Finally letting her hand go, John smiled back at her and tilted his head, waiting for her to speak first. Realizing that the ball was in her court, Elise took advantage of the moment. "I think we need to see about getting you cleaned up. I did the best I could when you were unconscious but I think you'll feel much better if you can take a shower. We have a couple of hours before I'm supposed to meet the detectives. Do you feel up to it?"
"I think you're right. I'd really like a shower." He agreed as he tried to sit up. Gritting his teeth, he sat up on his own but still couldn't quite muffle the groan that escaped. Trying to swing his long legs over the side of the bed was almost too much. Elise offered a steady shoulder to hold on to until he could find his legs on his own. His blood loss had been enough to make him light-headed as he sat up straight.
"Stay here for a moment while I run the shower." Elise told him as she removed his arm from her shoulder. "Please don't try to get up by yourself. You WILL fall on your face and you are too damn big for me to pick up by myself." She said with a smile.
Down the hall she went to the bathroom and made it ready for John. The shower itself was big and roomy but she knew John couldn't stand up for long under his own power. Looking around, she was happy to find a shower seat in one corner. Picking it up, she put it in the shower stall. Turning on the water she positioned it directly under the water stream. The best part was that the shower head was removable. It could be adjusted to different levels or even hand held. Moving it down to be just above where she thought John's head would be, she started adjusting the temperature. Backing out and closing the shower door she looked around for more towels. Stacking them near the shower with a washrag, she went back to get John.
Seeing him sitting on the side of the bed, she was provided a nice view of John from the back. Broad shoulders were the first thing she noticed. Even with her bandages snaking over and under his arm, it was an impressive sight. That bewitching hair line at the base of his neck drew her eyes next. She loved the way it grew to a perfect point but she almost giggled because he had a serious case of bed-hair. Usually every hair was in place no matter what, but after a night and a day in bed, it was sticking up in every direction all over his head.
Walking around the bed she smiled and said "Come on, let's get you cleaned up and smelling better."
A frown appeared on his face, "Smell? I don't smell do I?"
"Well, let me put it this way, you've smelt better! Hopefully Harold has some manly scented soap you can use."
Carefully holding John steady, Elise led him down the hall to the bathroom. John looked around, surprised at the plushness of the bathroom. Never having had a need to go past 'command central' as he liked to think of it, he was surprised at how complete it was. Apparently Harold spent more time here than he'd realized. That thought caused a pang of remorse over Harold's absence from his...no, their lives.
"You can sit on that stool in the shower so you don't have to stand. I need you to take off your pants. Wrap a towel around your waist and go sit on the seat." Refusing to look him in the eye, she helped him sit down on a bench by the shower and went to get him the towel. Turning her back on him, she hoped he would do as she asked without giving her a hard time.
Hearing him grunt and groan she knew he was removing his pants. She glanced up in the mirror and was presented with a view of John Reese that she'd not seen before. He was completely naked! Apparently he went commando because there were no underwear to be seen. She tried to pull her eyes away from the view but she was not physically able to do so, the view was just too nice. She watched him drape the towel across his lap and lean back against the wall. Watching him without his knowing made her feel like she was being bad but she didn't care. She was intrigued...
"Ready to get into the shower?" She asked innocently, dropping her eyes from the mirror.
"Yeah, let's get this over with." Growled John. As Elise came back to him, he tried to stand up but was wobbly on his feet. Using his good arm he reached for the wall behind him which made the towel drop away. "Damn! Sorry!" Gasped John as his head began to swim. Elise quickly leaned down and picked up the towel. Standing back up she quickly wrapped him back up in the towel. With her cheeks bright red she was glad he still had his eyes closed and couldn't see the expression on her face.
Holding onto him she opened the shower door and helped him inside. The steam from the running water billowed out, covering them both in a fine mist. She settled him down on the seat and helped him unwrap the towel so it was once again just draped over his lap. The height of the shower nozzle was perfect, hitting just at the base of his neck and running down his front and back. The water proof bandages seemed to be holding. She handed him a washrag and the bottle of body bath soap she'd found and stepped back out of the shower. "I'll be right here if you need me." She told him.
Throwing his head back so that the water rained down it, John let out a sign of pleasure. It felt so good. He wasn't used to being dirty for so long. Those days had been long gone since he was discharged from the military. Even when he worked for The Company he was seldom this dirty for this length of time. He reveled in the feel of the hot water easing the tension and the dirt away. Trying to reach around for the shower nozzle he realized he couldn't quite manage it and called out to Elise, "Elise, are you still there?"
Instantly the door opened and Elise was there. "Is something wrong?" she asked in a worried tone.
"No, I just need the shower nozzle so I can aim it myself."
Sighing with relief, Elise reached in and removed it from the wall and handed it to him and shut the door but not all the way this time. Sitting back down on the bench by shower, Elise once again enjoyed the view in the mirror of a naked, towel draped John Reese. His long legs were stretched out in front of him, his chest muscles contracted and relaxed as he moved the shower head around himself. Once he was completely wet he seemed at a loss of what to do next. He couldn't use left his right arm too well because of the shoulder wound but he needed one hand for the shower nozzle, one hand to hold the soap and one hand to hold the rag...and he was coming up one hand short.
Frustration set in as he tried to grab the bottle of soap with his right hand. The loud sound of the bottle hitting the floor broke through Elise's daydreaming. Seeing his predicament she knew she was going to have to help him and she was very disconcerted by just how she was going to do that. Once again she opened the door and asked if he was ok.
This time she got an angry "No, I am NOT ok! I can't do anything with one arm out of commission! I really HATE feeling like this. Needing help ...I don't like it...I don't like having to rely on anybody for anything...'cause they always let you down." Slinging down the shower nozzle he looked just like a mad little boy who'd had his toys taken away from him.
Leaning into the shower stall, and picking up the nozzle and the bottle of soap Elise said "Asking for help when you need it, John, is not a sign of weakness. It's a sign of knowing what your limitations are and knowing who you can trust to help you. You know you can trust me, don't you?"
Turning his head to face her, his frown slowly disappeared. The openness of her eyes brought him back to the here and now. There was nothing hidden from him anymore in those eyes. He felt as if he was looking into the deepest recesses of her soul. He knew then that he'd met his match….his perfect match. Any parts that were missing in him were filled up by her.
He once again smiled at her and whispered, "I need your help Elise."
Hearing those words, the last wall around her heart crumbled to dust. Her heart was there for the taking, scars and all. No more hiding, no more burying emotions. She knew what it took for him to say those words, just as she knew how badly she needed to hear them.
Taking a deep breath she asked softly, "Can I trust you to let me help you? Will you do as I tell...um...ask you to do without arguing with me every step of the way? Will you behave? Because to help you right now, I'm going to have to get into that shower with you."
Smiling that smile that was meant only for her, he nodded once. Elise backed out of the door and shook her head. 'What have I gotten myself into?' She asked herself. This all seemed to be going too fast for her. All teasing aside, she was not sure she was ready for the next step.
'He needs my help, he ASKED for my help. He promised he would behave. I guess I'm going to just have to trust him to keep his word.'
Looking down she realized she couldn't get in the shower with her jeans on. It was the only clean pair she had. The other pair were wadded up in a plastic bag, covered in John's blood. 'Damn! I've got other t-shirts but no pants! DAMN!' She glanced back up at John through the hot steam of the shower. He was sitting there with his eyes closed and the nozzle pouring hot water down his back. Damn, damn, damn...he better behave! She knew she cared for John, cared for him immensely, but these feelings were so new, she just wasn't sure if she was ready for the physical part of their relationship to complicate things.
She sighed and began unbuttoning her jeans, tugging the zipper down she slid her jeans down her hips to her legs and finally to her feet. Stepping out of the jeans she stood there for a moment in skimpy bikini underwear and her t-shirt and bra. Taking a deep breath she pulled open the door and stepped in.
Feeling a cool draft as the door opened, John opened his eyes and turned towards the door. Seeing Elise in nothing but a t-shirt and panties was a surprise but not an unwelcome one. A slow smile appeared on his face and he closed his eyes again, waiting for her to make the first move.
Reaching around John, Elise grasped the shower nozzle and began letting the water flow again over his head and down his neck. Standing behind him she was able to keep her t-shirt pretty dry. 'This may work out yet.' Thought Elise. The shampoo she herself had used earlier was still on the shelf and she poured some into her hand. Lathering it up, she gently worked the shampoo into his hair, carefully avoiding the scalp wound. Elise began massaging John's head, enjoying the feel of his short hair in her fingers. Feeling Elise's gentle hands on his head and neck totally relaxed John and he leaned his head back onto her chest.
'Damn, now I've got shampoo all over me!' But at least she was able to take some pleasure in knowing that John liked her touch. Sighing with resignation she began to rinse his hair. Using her left hand to keep the soap out of his eyes, she gently rubbed the remnants of dried blood from his face. 'He really did need a shave', she thought, 'feeling the rough texture of his cheeks and chin'. Carefully staying away from his mouth, she rinsed all the shampoo off. 'So far so good', she smiled to herself.
Replacing the shampoo bottle back on the shelf, she grabbed the body wash, poured some in a washcloth and paused to decide what to do next. Since she was standing behind him she decided that his back should be the next target. Again she was impressed with the width of his shoulders. He was not an overly muscular man but the muscles were there, giving definition in all the right places. As she rubbed his back she was again dismayed to see even more scars from previous wounds. He was like a patchwork quilt that told a story of an embattled life. Stretching over him, she grasped his right arm and washed it from wrist to shoulder and repeated the same action on the left arm. Carefully washing around the water-proof bandage on his right shoulder, she reached around and began to wash his chest. Again John leaned back against her, until this time she was almost supporting his whole upper body. She reached around and continued to wash any exposed skin, smoothing the suds away with her bare hand. Suddenly she realized she was pushing the towel down, the one draped over his lower body. She'd been pushing it lower and lower with every pass of the washcloth without even realizing it.
The towel itself was soaked through and through and left nothing to the imagination. Elise's eyes were drawn to that towel of their own volition. It barely covered him and left his long legs, stretched out in front of him and fully exposed. She knew she could not go any further without embarrassing herself. If he needed THAT part washed more than the cascading water had done, he'd darn well have to do it himself.
"Ok John, I'm done. You'll have to finish the rest. I've put soap on the washrag for you. You can handle your legs and ...uh...other parts yourself." She spoke in a rush.
She pushed him off her chest and back into a sitting position and used the shower nozzle to rinse the shampoo off her shirt. 'Oh my God! You can see right through my shirt! I've….I've got to get out of here before…' She couldn't even finish the thought.
Roughly handing the shower nozzle back to John she turned to open the shower door but she was stopped in her tracks by the iron grip on her wrist. Trying to pull her arm away from John, she turned bewildered eyes to him. "You promised! You promised you'd behave!" Elise whispered.
The look John gave her told her many, many things. Mainly things she was not ready to see or confront.
"Elise." He said, his voice taking on that breathless huskiness that sent shivers through her body. "Elise." Was all he said but it was the way he said it that stopped any further resistance. She took the nozzle and hooked it back onto the wall. The water poured freely over John now. Pulling her around in front of him, he positioned her so that she was standing between his legs. His eyes looked up at her with unspoken longing. Reaching up, he smoothed her hair back behind her right ear… and set her nerves on fire.
Pulling her closer to him, he buried his face in her t-shirt, right below her breasts. He tucked his chin in and hugged her tightly. Elise reached down and lightly touched his wet hair. Running her fingers through his hair she traced that hair line down to the point at the base of his neck that always intrigued her. Holding him close with both hands she leaned over and kissed the top of his head. The moment she did so, he pulled away and looked up at her once again. The emotions that she saw swirling in his eyes matched the ones swirling in her heart.
His left hand snaked its way up her back until it was wrapped around the back of her neck. Pulling her head down, he lightly kissed her lips. Both of them were unprepared for the feeling that that one touch did to each of them. This time Elise initiated the kiss. Taking both hands and holding both sides of his face, she leaned down and kissed him. There was no tentativeness to this kiss. This was a kiss of acceptance, of permission to go to the next step. John's hands pulled her close again. The sweetness of that kiss almost undid him. He was about to give himself to someone as he had not done for many years. By letting Elise into that part of his mind and his heart, he was finally letting go of his past and saying goodbye to his ghosts.
Allowing herself to be pulled closer into his embrace, Elise removed the towel from John's lap, exposing his shaft that had already been tenting the material. She slid her panties down, stepped out of them and kicked them to the side. She picked up one leg up and then the other and sat on his thighs, straddling him on the stool. John hugged her tightly and buried his face in the hollow of her neck. He then kissed a path up her jaw to her mouth and began kissing her in earnest. His hands reached around and began stroking her breasts, and her nipples popped up into his questing fingers. Throwing her head back and moaning a little, Elise let the warm water of the shower slide down between them. John nuzzled her neck, as his hands continued their work on her breasts, sending shock waves through both of them.
They pulled away from each other slightly for a second but both held on tightly. The question in his eyes was answered in hers and she reached between them and grasped him and slowly lowered herself onto him. Both gasped at the intensity of the feeling as he entered her. Once more, Elise took her hands and held his face close to hers. Using her thumbs she traced his eyebrows one at a time, taking in the desire she saw in his eyes, knowing it was reflected in her own. Touching his forehead with her own, she slowly began to move her hips. John's arms tightened around her. Both closed their eyes and were completely in the moment.
In a rhythm as old as life itself, they were lost in each other. Elise clasped her hands behind John's neck as they rocked to and fro under the influence of feelings that were swamping them both. She kissed him and thought, 'THIS was the man she had been waiting for. THIS feeling was what she had been searching for. THIS MAN...
"Oh!" gasped Elise as a flood of pleasure shook her to her very core.
Feeling Elise climax in his arms, John hugged her tightly to him, absolutely certain he would never, ever let this woman go. This gift of giving herself completely to him, brought him to the edge and over it. His breath came in gasps. He opened his eyes to see Elise gazing at him with so much love. There were no missing parts anymore, no more dead spots in his heart. As long has he had Elise he was complete. Once again he buried his face into the hollow of her neck and breathed deeply.
As the water began to turn cool, Elise and John reluctantly moved apart. Turning the shower off and smiling a contented smile, Elise slowly stood up in front of John once again. The wet t-shirt and bra she had on left nothing to the imagination. She might as well be standing there naked. With that thought, she reached down and pulled her t-shirt over her head, dropping it behind her on the shower floor and she unhooked her bra, letting that fall as well. Standing there in all her feminine glory, she tilted her head and gave John a smile that was meant only for him. He reached out one more time and brought her close to him. Licking the water droplets from her breast he nuzzled each one until they both peaked with rosy color. Almost purring, Elise laughed and then backed away and opened the door of the shower.
Reaching for the towels on the bench, she stepped back in and handed John one towel. As she started to dry herself off, he wordlessly took it from her and began drying her off himself. From her neck to the bottom of her feet, he was very meticulous, He wanted to get to know the different parts of her body and he couldn't wait to explore what gave her the most pleasure. Elise was soft in all the right places but there was muscle there too. She was a fighter and had her share of scars also, though not as many as he had. He planned on finding out the story of each and every scar, sometime in the future. That brought him up short...he'd never thought about a future. He'd lived in the here and now for so long, he'd gotten use to thinking he had no future. But looking at Elise, he knew he wanted a future. A future with her.
After having herself dried quite thoroughly by John, Elise returned the favor. She helped him stand up so he was able to use the handles in the walls of the shower to steady himself while she was as meticulous as he had been. Wrapping a towel around John and then herself, she helped him back down the hall. She let him lean against the wall for a moment while she changed the sheets. Lying down on clean sheets, with a clean body felt like pure bliss to John. Reaching out with his left arm, he pulled Elise onto the bed and held her close. With her head on his good shoulder, she snuggled up and sighed contentedly. All the tension left John's body. He closed his eyes, hugged Elise tighter and slipped into a dreamless sleep.
Raising up on one elbow to watch him sleep, Elise realized she had fallen in love with this wonderful, irritating man. Fallen in love with him whole-heartedly. She smoothed his hair back from his forehead but a cowlick she had never noticed before, refused to lay down. It made her smile to know there was something normal about this amazing, beautiful man who had come into her life. Sliding out of bed she got herself dressed again and started cleaning up the bathroom before Zoe got back.