Chapter 6:

Zoe stared into the bathroom mirror for several minutes as she leaned forward with her palms on the sink. Her face was pale and her eyes were droopy. It was late. She had been at the precinct for hours, giving statements, signing papers, talking. She had come home to an empty apartment, John, she assumed was working. Tired and exhausted, she should have been ready for sleep. But for some reason or another, she couldn't.

She turned the shower on to let the water warm and quickly shed her clothes. As she stepped into the shower, Zoe turned the water as hot as she could stand, letting it beat on her face and soothe her aching muscles. The water had a surprisingly calming effect on her that she didn't notice when a shadow appeared on the other side of the completely hazed over glass.

"Zoe," he said smiling. She could hear the smile in his voice.

"John," she responded with a smile of her own, but he couldn't see it through the fogged up glass.

"Think that water is hot enough?"

"I wouldn't mind it a bit hotter," she replied as she turned up the hot water just a bit more.

Fully involved in the process of lathering up her body, she was surprised by a blast of cold air and the feel of a body pressed against her back. Though she tensed for a miniscule minute, she allowed herself to release the tension. Leaning her head back against his shoulder, her temple came into contact with his jaw. She smiled as he purposefully rubbed his day old stubble on her.

"Are you okay?" He asked as his hands rested on her stomach. His chest was pressed against her back and she could feel his heartbeat.

"I am now," she replied as her eyes closed and she rested her hands on his. Her hands began a rhythmic circling motion on his managing to get soap all over them. His slick hands moved to her waist, her hips and up towards her breasts.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked as he washed each breast slowly, touching and caressing them. Zoe gasped as he moved lower and shifted to allow him access.

Her head was still resting on his shoulder, eyes closed. "Hmm, nothing much right now," she replied as her hands made progress of their own. Gently reaching behind her, her hands soapy, she traced his thighs, his rear and his waist in that rhythmic circular motion.

Turning to face him, she reversed their positions so that his back was to the shower head. "Give me your hand John," she asked with a playful quirk to her lip. Arching a brow, John held his hand out to her. She turned his hand palm up and squeezes a dollop of body wash on. "I think it's your turn to get lathered up," she teased.

John turned and stepped under the showerhead as he began his chore. As he rinsed his hair, she touched him, running her fingers lightly over the firm skin of his back, the ever present circular pattern moving lower and lower until she reached his perfectly shaped derriere. His breath came in short bursts as she tickled the soft skin there. He reached forward to steady himself against the wall.

Zoe reached around him. "Are you happy to see me John," she asked with a coy smile.

He gasped and quivered at the touch of her hand, the slow, steady strokes.

"No . . . doubt . . ." he whispered, his voice trembling as he felt her body pressing up against his.

Laying her cheek against his shoulder blades, she asked, "Turn around, John."

"I..." he murmured.

"Please," she cajoled gently.

John met her gaze as he slowly turned to face her; her eyes astonishingly large and vivid given her recent ordeal. Taking him in her hand again, she resumed her gentle motions.

"We should . . ." he tried one more time to suggest moving towards the bedroom but she shook her head deliberately, effectively shushing him. She worked her way down his body with licks, and nibbles, and kisses, tracing his muscled abdomen with her tongue. As she finally sank to her knees, Zoe's eyes locked on his.

"Zoe? I...we... ZOE!"

She opened her eyes to darkness, the only light coming from the bathroom. Her head was nestled into the hollow of his shoulder. She took a deep breath and sighed again. She craned her neck slightly and looked up at his face. His eyelashes were impossibly thick and long as they rested against his high cheekbones. Unable to resist, she cupped his stubbled jaw as she often did. Often just to make sure he was really there, with her.

His lashes fluttered as his eyes opened. The bathroom light reflected like silver fire in his eyes as a corner of his mouth lifted up, "Hey," he whispered.

"Hi, yourself," she responded.

"How'd we get this way?" He asked.

"Do I need to draw you a map?" She asked as she quirked a brow.

"No I mean this." He raised the still laced fingers of their hands, gazing at her with a startled look in his eyes. How, amid the constant chaos of lives threatened, ex-lovers coming back from the dead, being set up for murder; did two people who didn't stand a snowball's chance in hell, together build something amazing?

She sat up to face him,pulling him to a sitting position. "You're wondering how we managed to find some small semblance of a normal life," she asked, as if reading his mind.

At his nod, she shrugged her shoulders and quoted Tennyson. "Ours is not to reason why. . ." Neither one of them planned to chisel and wedge their way into each other's lives. They were there for each other to talk, to help, to comfort in a way no one else could. The small semblance of serenity wasn't anything like either one of them expected. It was more than either of them ever dreamed of.

Putting her hand over his heart, she took a deep breath. "I think inside, you and I know what this is," she said putting every ounce of conviction into her words, keeping her eyes steady on his for what appeared to be forever.

John pulled her hand away from his heart, and kissed her palm. "You make me believe it's possible," he whispered against her skin, his voice skeptical and hopeful at the same time.

"No," she said gently cupping his cheek. "You're the one who makes it possible."

AN: Oh alright. Someone mentioned the ending was too sappy? What do you guys think? Less of the sap next time?