John woke to the sun streaming in the windows. He was confused at first; he was normally up at dawn, but then Joss stirred against him and the memories of the previous night came flooding back. He smiled happily. For the first time in a long time he had slept soundly.
He looked down at the reason for his new found contentment. He still could not believe that Joss was here and she seemed to want him every bit as much as he wanted her. He knew he wasn't exactly prime relationship material and knew she was smart enough to know that as well. He had no idea why this had happened, but he had no regrets, and he swore to himself that he was going to do everything in his power to be sure she wasn't going to have any regrets either.
He kissed her on her ear and her eyes opened slowly. She smiled happily, almost shyly at John.
"Good morning, beautiful," he said. She smiled and took him in her arms, just the way she had many, many times in his dreams. He began kissing her….
….And there was a knock on the door. Joss couldn't help it, she giggled.
John growled low in his throat, "Finch."
"If we ignore him, will he go away?" Joss asked hopefully.
"Doubt it, he has a key," John snapped.
Joss planted one last kiss on her new lover and scurried off to the bathroom to take a shower. John pulled on his pants and answered the door.
Finch, apparently oblivious to what he had interrupted, limped in carrying a box from a local bakery and a drink carrier with three cups while Bear danced around him, hoping for a dropped treat. Finch took one look at Reese, shirtless and disheveled, and raised an eyebrow. "Late night Mr. Reese?" he enquired politely.
"You could say that Finch," John replied cheerfully. Nothing was going to ruin his good mood.
"Where is Detective Carter?"
"She's taking a shower."
"I'll wait for her. I think she will want to hear my news, too."
Fortunately, Joss did not take long showers and she soon joined them.
"I have good news for you. I was able to get a picture of the shooter's car from one of the security cameras in the area that had a good view of the driver's face. I was able to use facial recognition software to compare that picture to the NYPD and FBI mugshot files. It took a while, but I was able to identify the driver as a member of the Cordova Cartel, a man by the name of Pedro Hinojosa."
"So Carlos Vasquez is the one who put the hit on Joss." John's eyes grew hard and cold as he slipped back into operative mode. Joss got a bit of a chill looking at him, glad that demeanor was not directed at her.
"It would appear so," Finch nodded.
"So, what now?" Joss asked, looking at John.
"You are going to stay here while I go hunt down and deal with Vasquez."
"That may be problematic, Mr. Reese. I hacked the security system at his home, he has not been there for days."
"John, I can help, I know a guy on the drug task force. They might know where to find Vasquez," Joss protested.
"Mr. Reese, I think we should utilize every lead we have to bring this case to a quick conclusion," Finch said.
John remained unconvinced, "There is a price on Joss's head and I don't want her wandering around the city. Besides, she's supposed to be on medical leave."
Joss rolled her eyes, "All I have to do is put my arm in a sling and put a bigger bandage on my wound and it will look much worse than it is. Easy. If it will make you feel better, John, you can come with me."
John pressed his lips into a thin line. "You can count on that. Call your friend on the drug task force."
Joss smiled and picked up her phone. Finch handed John a printout of various addresses, "According to the NYPD files, these are known hangouts, safe houses and, um, places of business for Vasquez."
John looked over Joss, she was finishing up her call, "OK then, I'll see you at Burger Barn at 1."
"So we have a date with your friend?"
"Yep, hope you like big greasy burgers, Burger Barn is his favorite place."
John checked the clock on the wall, "I'm going to get dressed and check on some of Vasquez's known hangouts before we meet your Narc pal."
Finch finished off his tea and threw the cup in the trash. "I'll be at HQ, then," and he left with Bear.
Joss sulked a bit while John got dressed. He knew she was going crazy cooped up all day, but it was better than wandering the streets and getting killed.
She was leaning against the door jamb in the bathroom talking with him while he shaved and combed his hair. When he reached for the hair gel he used to tame the cowlick that had annoyed him for his entire life, Joss reached out and stopped him.
"What?' He looked over at her puzzled.
"Leave it, I like the cowlick," she responded.
John looked at her, shocked, "Really? You like my cowlick?"
"Yeah, I do, it's adorable."
John rolled his eyes, "Joss, honey, the bad guys are not going to be intimidated by an adorable cowlick!"
Joss snorted, "John, when you get all angry, you look plenty scary. Trust me, no one is going to be looking at your cowlick except me, and I like it." She smiled and ran her fingers through his hair, causing his cowlick to stand up even more. John scowled and smoothed it back down as best he could.
"OK fine, I'll leave the cowlick alone, if you promise to stay inside until I come back to get you."
Joss stood on her toes and gave him a long, lingering kiss that almost made him forget Carlos Vasquez. "I promise," she whispered to him.
Later that day, John followed Joss into the dingy little burger joint. He made her pause by the door so that he could give the place a good look. Satisfied there no threats, he allowed her to lead him to a back table where a scruffy looking man was wolfing down the biggest burger John had seen in a long time. John was actually kind of impressed by the guy's appetite.
The guy took one look at John's short, neat haircut and suit and said, "Fed?"
Joss simply said "Good guess." She didn't say it was a wrong guess.
John and Joss settled into seats at the table. "John Richards, Les Mulroney," Joss introduced them.
Mulroney polished off the last bite of his monster burger and wiped his mouth. He gave Joss a surprisingly boyish grin, "You should try the Bad Boy Burger, Joss. It's the best in NYC!"
"Thanks, but I try to not eat anything bigger than my head," Joss shot back. Mulroney laughed.
"So, I'm guessing that you aren't here looking for restaurant reviews," Mulroney said jovially.
"I need some intel on Carlos Vasquez of the Cordova Cartel," Joss said.
"I hear you popped him for murder."
"Yeah, and he's kinda mad at me for it."
John nodded, "We think he has put a hit on Joss. We identified some cartel members as the ones who put the bullet hole in her arm." John jerked his head in the direction of the sling Joss was wearing that tied her heavily bandaged left arm firmly to her body.
Mulroney looked sober, "I heard about that. Are you sure it was the cartel?"
"We have positively identified Pedro Hinojosa as the driver of the car," John assured him.
Mulroney looked thoughtful, "That's not their M.O. at all, Cordova are normally smarter than that. They have Robert Malcolm on speed dial."
"The attorney?" John was surprised. Malcolm seemed to be too upscale for drug runners.
"Correction, the expensive attorney, but yeah, him. I wouldn't think they would be shooting at Joss, they usually just let that snake Malcolm handle legal issues. They like to try to present a front of being a legitimate shipping company." Mulroney put air quotes around the last three words.
"Les, we do have a positive ID on Hinojosa maybe someone jumped the gun," Joss pointed out
Mulroney looked doubtful, but said, "I suppose being popped for murder one would scare someone stupid. Still feels off to me though."
"Do you know where we can find Vasquez?" Joss asked. "He appears to have dropped out of sight since he was let out on bail. He's not at any of his usual hangouts, businesses or homes."
"Yeah, I heard he dropped off the Earth. There was a rumor that Cordova has a new warehouse at the docks. I haven't had a chance to check it out, so I don't know if it's legit or not, but I would start there. I'll squeeze my usual informants and see if they come up with anything else." Mulroney scribbled down an address and handed it over to Joss.
"Thanks Les. I appreciate it," Joss said.
"Just stay alive, girl," Mulroney said seriously.
"I fully intend to keep her alive," John assured the Narc, grimly.
John dropped Joss at his loft. Before she got out of the car, she turned to him, "Do you think you can make it home for dinner? I have a long afternoon ahead of me, I might as well cook again."
John could not help the big goofy grin he got his face, and he pulled her over for a kiss, "Of course. If my woman is cooking, I'll be home."
Joss laughed at John calling her his woman, but it actually sounded pretty good to her. She belonged to him, no doubt about it. She hopped out of the car.
John watched her enter the building, and then drove off. He had someone else he needed to talk to.
He parked a few blocks from Taylor's school and texted the teen to meet him when school was out. Fifteen minutes later Taylor got into the car.
"Is something wrong with Mom?" the teen asked.
"No your mom is fine, but I do need talk to you about something." It was obvious from the way he was drumming his fingers on the steering wheel and not meeting Taylor's eyes that John was nervous. Taylor raised his eyebrows; he was curious about what could make a man like John nervous, especially if that issue was to be discussed with a high school student.
John dropped his bombshell, "I was wondering if it would be OK with you if I started seeing your mom."
Taylor's mouth flopped open. He couldn't believe his ears, "John, are you asking my permission to date my MOTHER?"
"I guess I am. I know that the two of you are a family and anything having to do with your mother affects you, too. I want to be sure you are OK with having me around."
"John, seriously?" Taylor said. John bowed his head, bracing himself for Taylor telling him to stay the hell away from his mother.
"That would be so cool if you started dating Mom!"
John looked up, startled. "Really?" He had expected Taylor to be resentful of his intrusion into the cozy little family Joss and Taylor had established.
"Yeah. Do you have any idea how much I worry about her? She tries to hide how dangerous her job is, but I know she deals with some really bad dudes. With you around, I don't have to worry so much. I know you'll have her back."
John smiled, "I will protect her no matter what." Then he grew very serious, "You do know that this would not be a normal relationship, right? There are things you won't be able to tell your grandmother or your friends. There are things your mother and I won't be able to tell you."
Taylor thought for a minute; he'd had a feeling since he'd met the Man in a Suit, as he'd heard his mom refer to him, that John's situation was complicated. Under questioning, Joss had hinted to him of some dark things in John's past and even she didn't have the whole story. Taylor was a smart kid; he knew that anyone with John's Bad Ass skills probably got them by doing things outside the law. But he also knew his mother well enough to know that she would not consent to a relationship with John unless she thought he was a good man and trusted him completely.
"Do you love her?" Taylor asked.
John looked Taylor directly in the eye. "Yes, I do," he admitted.
"Then I'm good."
"Thanks."
John gave Taylor a lift to his grandmothers and then drove to the warehouse that Mulroney had told them about at lunch.
The warehouse was definitely in use, but no one was around except one very bored looking guard. John would have to return later that night.
Since he'd done all he could for now, it was time to head for home. And Joss.
As soon as John walked in the door, Joss flung herself into his arms, kissing him passionately. John laughed and returned her affections. It all felt so GOOD, so right that John was a bit overwhelmed. He was looking forward to another evening at home with his Joss.