Disclaimer: None of this belongs to me. Don't want any trouble.

Chapter 17 - Finale

The day before was a blur to Joss. After John had left, Fusco was the first one to arrive on the scene. She laughed to herself as he commented about the chaos that they left behind them. She was of course questioned and asked to head back to the station where she gladly handed over all the evidence she collected.

Finch was kind enough to deliver the audio files that he had saved at her request directly to her computer which she retrieved happily. She had needed some assistance because she had collected so much evidence that she couldn't carry it all. Each time she brought a new box in, the Captain's eyes widened.

She smiled to herself at how impressed he was as he began the process of having someone else look over all the evidence in question. Thankfully he told her that she could have the rest of the day off and to head on home. She did just that, in a sense.

Just as he promised, John had waited up for her when she had arrived at the loft. He invited her inside and they drank a celebratory beer together. There had been nothing physical between them that night and neither of them minded because this relationship had meant more to them then just sex.

Noticing her exhaustion after only one beer, Joss got cleaned up and cuddled with him on the bed, the weight of the outside world lifting. She managed to close her eyes and get some real sleep for the first time in days.

She left early the next morning, but not before he treated her to another breakfast which she ate without any complaints.

She had the day off so she decided to pay someone a visit. During the cab ride, she decided to stop at a small flower shop a few blocks down the street. Browsing through the selection of roses, violets, and dandelions, she decided to get a bundle of twelve marigolds.

"If you don't mind me asking, whose day are you trying to brighten today?" the cashier asked kindly.

"It's just for a good friend of mine who's been having a rough couple of days. She lost her husband last week and I'm on my way to see her."

"Oh I'm so sorry, my condolences to your friend. I do hope that our flowers will be able to cheer her up." She wrapped them in plastic and paper and finished it off with a yellow bow. "Will there be anything else?"

"No thank you very much." She paid for them and got back into the cab. Along the way, she heard the driver change the radio before stopping at a radio station. As she listened, Joss could hear the media having a field day with what they called the case of the century. They were describing bits and pieces of the case.

She heard the driver whistle as they stopped for traffic. "They sure got themselves a whopper of a catch. You heard about this Miss?" he asked.

"Sure have," she said proudly.

"Man to think that the Mayor's advisor was the leader of this huge organization. I wouldn't want to mess with this Detective Carter. She's definitely got more balls than most policemen I've seen."

"She's only that way if you make her angry."

"You know her?" he asked, looking in the rearview mirror.

"Maybe I do" she said as the cab began to get back on the road. After engaging in a bit more conversation, she arrived at her destination. She paid the man, bid him goodbye, then exited the cab.

Entering the slightly chilled air, she was greeted with the sight of John waiting just in front of the building.

"I should have known. You know John I should arrest you for stalking." She said as she took care to cradle the flowers in her arms as she walked up to him.

"I thought you could use some company. Besides, I wanted to meet this friend of yours that you moved buildings for just to prove that her husband was not who they said he was."

She began up the stairs with him following behind slightly. As she entered and approached the door, she was caught off guard with the appearance of Lauren at the doorway.

"Oh hey Lauren, I was just coming around to see you. I guess you heard the news." She noticed her look towards John's direction. "This is John, he helped me quite a bit with this case."

Lauren's face was glowing brighter than the sun. "Oh please come inside, both of you." She escorted them in and directed them to the living room. She offered to get them coffee which they both accepted. They made small talk while waiting for her to come back.

"Nice place she has here."

"Yeah," Joss said as she noticed the atmosphere was more uplifting than before. She noticed that the photos that were hidden away in shame were displayed on the dressers and tables again. Lauren came back with a tray with their drinks accompany with a few fruit snacks.

Joss took the moment to give her the gift. "Lauren I got these for you, I know that they are your favorite."

Lauren's smile grew wider. "Marigolds, Joss you shouldn't have, thank you. Let me put these in a vase." She did just that, removing them from their package and arranging them lovingly in a green vase before bringing them back and putting them on the table as a centerpiece.

"So I guess you heard," Joss started.

"Heard? Joss, those guys that you busted were all over the news. My friends and neighbors have been coming around apologizing for how they've been treating me. I can't thank you enough for everything you've done. I don't know how I'll ever repay you."

"What are friends for?" she said as she took a sip of coffee.

"And you" Lauren pointed at John. "You've been taking care of her?"

"Yes of course. She's a really good friend of mine and she was way over her head during this," he joked, causing Lauren to laugh while receiving a dirty look from Joss that added to his amusement.

"Thank you so much. I was so worried when Joss told me that she would look into what happened to Bill. I'm so glad that you are alright."

They each looked at each other, deciding silently to leave out the attempt on her life in the park.

"So what have people been saying to you Lauren?"

She began drinking her coffee as well. "Well I got knocks on the door this morning. It was my next door neighbor telling me to turn on the TV. I didn't know what was going on with you since you last visited so I was surprised with what I heard. You are crazy, you know that?"

Joss shrugged her shoulders "It tends to come with the territory."

"You are just too modest for all the stuff you've done." Lauren stood up and grabbed a picture of her and Bill on their wedding day. "You've managed to do all of this for Bill. I'm sure he would have been amazed with you," she said with a sad expression on her face.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't save him Lauren," she said sympathetically.

"No more feeling sorry for yourself Joss. Let's just chat. I have quite a few more questions, especially about your friend," she said with a sly look on her face. Joss laughed and decided to indulge her for the next half an hour.

"I have to say that your friend is a very curious person," John commented as he allowed her inside the loft. After the visit, he drove her back to her home only to pick her up again at around six when she was done doing her chores for the day.

"You should be happy that we managed to get her out of asking about our sex life once she figured out there was more to us then we let on," she laughed as she placed her jacket on the hanger and sat at the island counter. She then stretched all the kinks out of her back from work.

"So what's the plan now?" He asked apprehensively. In the back of his mind, he knew that now that things were wrapped up, she would go back to her normal life. Taylor would be back home, she was safe, and she would leave him alone in the loft again. His released a sigh didn't go unnoticed.

"What's wrong? Worried about my answer?" She tilted her head slightly to judge his expressions, to see if he would show her what he was thinking. She saw something there, a familiar feeling she knew all too well on those lonely nights when she first began her life without her husband. It was so hard to not have someone right there for you. She understood completely.

"John…" she stood up from her seat and walked over to him. She then pressed her head and hands to his chest, pushing him back until his hips reached the other counter. "Nothing's going to change between us."

"What do you mean?" He asked as he watched her tilt her head up to meet his eyes.

"I mean that I don't intend to let you out of my sight."

"Oh really, so you'll still come around once in a while?" She nodded her head, which made him quite elated.

"Remember what I said to Cal when he had the gun to my head?" she questioned, seeing the flash of the killer coming out before he shifted back to normal.

"Of course, I wasn't sure whether you were serious Joss." He was silenced by her hand over his lips.

"I meant every word," she said softly. "I don't care what society thinks about this, I just want you to know that." She removed her hand to hear his answer.

"Ever since that day in the hall, I've been trying to understand what these feelings I had for you were," he admitted. His heart was beating quickly as Joss watched him with intent. "I made myself stay away from you because I knew that if I stayed, I would get you hurt. When you were in danger though, all I could think to do was to save you. You are always with me, even if I try to forget," he said with all the honesty in his body.

He bent down to brush his lips past hers before continuing. "I do love you too, Joss." He kissed her again, pressing a little bit harder. As he was doing this, he thought he felt a cold sensation around his wrist. Attributing it as the effects of the kiss, he ignored it. He wouldn't have thought twice until he heard the familiar click.

Pulling away abruptly, John tried to pull his hand in front of him with no success, hearing the banging of metal on the railing of the counter.

"I'm so glad that you said that" she said mischievously.

"May I ask what is all this?" He couldn't help but feel himself harden at the action of her handcuffing him. He was at her mercy and she was standing there, looking sexier than he could ever imagine.

She licked her lips in a slow, torturing manner. "You seemed so jealous the other day, especially when you told me how you liked it when I arrested people. I thought that maybe tonight, I would finally take you in." She batted her eyes at him, watching him squirm a bit and struggle against the restraints.

She would have some fun with him tonight.

"Well Detective, you can't just take me in without reading my rights."

She slinked her way over to him and began to feel his body underneath her hands. She started at his hips, allowing her fingertips to feel his movements beneath the shirt. They traveled all the way up until reaching the first button. She slowly and deliberately began to unbutton them one by one.

"With all the things you've done, it might take a while to get through them all." When she reached lower, she was impeded by the last few buttons which were tucked beneath his expensive dress pants. Her fingers tentatively hovered over the steel buckle before slipping them through the looped leather.

With a small tug, she undid the belt and separated the belt from the leather, exposing the single button. She noticed that he was making quite a bit of noise as she could hear the clinking of the cuffs frequently. She went back to her task as she then undid the button and only pulled the zipper down enough to release his confined shirt.

She got at the last two buttons, finally opening the infernal thing to reveal his signature undershirt. Sighing that she expected it, she inched her way slowly up the open shirt. She allowed her hands to inch the shirt up, showing his beautiful body to her. As more of his bronze skin was exposed, she placed a kiss and licked around scared areas. She would feel his stomach clench and the noises of the cuffs increased in frequency.

She couldn't help but think to herself that he had such a beautiful body. Even his imperfections caused a strange arousal to her. It was such a vulnerable thing to see that he was just as human as anyone else, even though others may not believe it.

Continuing further up, once his nipples were exposed, she passed her tongue over each causing a groan to erupt from his throat. Since he was restrained, the best she could do was push his dress shirt down his arms, being sure to take her time to feel ever vein and bulging bicep. She wrapped her arms around his neck and planted a soft kiss on his lips. Always one to be defiant, she could feel him pressing his tongue, seeking entry.

After fighting him for a moment, she allowed him in and began to duel for dominance. She continued to crush herself against him, feeling his hard erection brush against her stomach. Her face felt more flushed as she continued her fight.

As they continued, she felt a slight pressure against her hips. She didn't think anything of it until she felt a cool feeling brush against her. She pulled away quickly and inspected him. Sheepishly, he raised his free hands in the air with one part of the cuffs still around his right wrist. "Sorry, I couldn't resist."

She shook her head in disbelief. "Oh really, so you decided to not listen to my instructions huh?" She questioned with a mock anger plastered on her face.

"Granted, Detective, it's quite difficult to comprehend my task when such a beautiful woman is teasing me so much." He brought her back to him and began ravaging her neck, kissing and nipping the skin there.

Her breath hitched in her throat as she looked to get the rest of his clothes off. She pulled on the shirt and managed to get it around his cuffed wrist before throwing it off to the side. He wasted no time taking off the undershirt, wanting her touch again.

Pulling her back to him, she raked her fingernails over his chest, hearing the hiss as he grasped her hair. His other hand managed to slip under the waistband of her pants, passing the metal to her skin, raising goosebumps there. He then gripped her shirt at the hem and pulled it over her head, reclaiming her lips and pulling her back to him.

She could feel the strength emanating from him. It was this strength that she loved about him. He could have so much yet be so gentle as well. Her right hand went down and began to pull the metal zipper all the way down. He let the noise barely register as he work on her as well.

"You know John" she started after she pulled her lips from him. "I think this would be considered assault on a police officer."

He quickly unbuttoned her jeans. "It's hard to keep my hands to myself when it's you Joss." He let her pants slide down and she quickly took off her shoes before discarding the pants. She pressed her covered breasts against him as he grabbed her ass. He just couldn't help but be infatuated with this luscious part of her body.

"John, you aren't being fair," she whispered as she tackled his pants. It only took mere moments to mimic what she had done and then they were both left in nothing but their underwear once again. She saw a suspicious looking grin appear suddenly and she couldn't help but question him. "What's going through your head now?"

His face shifted to being neutral before passing a finger over her lips. "Don't worry about it yet." He then shifted his weight to gain leverage, forcing her to back up. Before her hips hit the other counter, he wrapped his arm to protect her as he nuzzled her neck.

She sighed in content as she began to pass her fingers through his hair, feeling every individual hair under her nails. He managed to sneak the clasp of her bra open and slowly pulled the material off her shoulders. Joss shuddered at the kisses he left on her bare, caramel skin.

"You are absolutely insatiable," he whispered in a hoarse voice.

When he would say such things, it would drive her absolutely mad. She hadn't felt something for another man in what seemed like a lifetime and now she wanted nothing more than to have John buried inside her.

The bra was discarded like the rest and he quickly began to manipulate her breasts, much to her pleasure. While she always thought of him as a smart ass, that didn't necessarily mean that the man didn't know how to use his mouth. Leaving a trail of moisture, he indulged in both soft mounds simultaneously as he began to mold them in his large hands.

"And people tell m…e that I'm a te...ase," she said shakily. Her hands clasped harder around his neck to keep him in position.

Her mentioning this cause him to stop suddenly and she thought that she said something wrong. "I was just joking John," she said nervously. He rose back to a standing position and looked at her with gentle eyes.

"No you weren't" he said. When she turned her head to avoid his gaze, he knew that he was right. "Cal wasn't a real man if all he cared about was trying to bed you Joss."

"I don't know what happened. I just couldn't bring myself to sleep with him," she said honestly.

"You don't need a reason. Joss, what are we doing right now?"

She smiled goofily. "Well it looks to me like we are about to have sex again" she said looking down at their state of dress.

"Right and what did we do after you made the first arrest?"

She then shifted to a dreamy look. "I feel asleep in your arms that night."

"That's right. Nothing happened between us that night. You should know that you are just as responsible for your actions and you don't need to have reasons for doing things you don't want to do," he reassured.

"That's right, you are willing to wait for me and be with me regardless of whether we get physical or not and never get angry."

"No I wouldn't," he said before continuing on with his previous activities. The gasp in her throat was her only response as he lovingly pleased her like he always had. She had no need to doubt herself. This wasn't against her will. She desired him more than any other man she had ever met. He treated her the way he did because he knew her the best. He didn't try to control her or force her. That's why her love for him was real.

He began to play with her nipples as he tried to make her forget her previous thoughts. To think that any man could be angry with her for wanting to wait disgusted him to no end.

Tweaking the peaks between his fingers, he dipped his tongue into her belly button. He felt her stomach clench as he heard a small giggle from her lips. Nothing touched him more than hearing her laugh because of something he did. To him, it was the most beautiful sound in the world.

When he took his hands away from her breasts, he spent an antagonizing amount of time traveling down her stomach before he hooked his fingers through the thin waistband of her panties. As he inched them down, he planted kisses all over her longs legs before they were discarded as well.

Before she could remove the last barrier between them, he wrapped his hand around her again. She then heard the familiar click and felt the cold steel of the cuffs against her bare back. She looked at him confused, only to have him smile gently. "Just wanted to make sure you didn't go anywhere."

He allowed her to ease his boxer briefs off. He didn't even bother to wait anymore. As soon as he was released, he positions his shackled hands underneath her legs and lifts her up, the chain provided a sort of support for her. He let her down gently, easing her unto him and enjoying the welcome that he was receiving as he entered her.

Joss's moans were soft and hoarse as she grasped her hands behind his neck. Her body couldn't get enough of his hard cock. She couldn't help but admire how well endowed he was especially because he had hidden it under those suits. He continued to travel through her, becoming encased inside of her warmth. It took only a moment for him to finally become fully sheathed inside of her.

He then began to thrust slowly, pulling her up and bring her back down with a bit of force each time. As she continued to move with him, she couldn't help but wonder how he could still be keeping his balance. He lifted her body as if it weighed nothing and brought it back down to him. Each time he did this, she felt every inch of him inside her.

The desirable friction caused a yelp to escape her lips. She was caught off guard at how quickly her body became so sensitized to him. He just continued to pull her up and down and she did her best to keep her weight off of the chain. In the back of her mind, she was worried about hurting him, especially because she decided to play with him.

The only verbal interaction between them were the moans and gasp each time they met each other to maximize the power of their moments. John could feel the sweat flowing from their pores and he continued to move.

It was then that the feeling began to grow between them once again. Unlike the other times, they each fought for control to try to maximize this experience. Joss closed her ankle around his waist as she crushed herself against him again while trying to control her breathing. John was doing the same as he tried to hold her up under her knees. He felt the pain in his wrist from holding her but he didn't care. With this woman, he would gladly take any pain to bring her pleasure.

The thrusts grew faster accompanied by their moans. Despite their best efforts, their bodies couldn't hold back anymore. Joss felt her release first as the feeling of weightlessness traveled through her body then something burning hot. Her breathing grew quite ragged and tried to catch her breath as he continued thrusting.

Inside her felt like warm honey to him, he felt himself travel her hot confines with each time bringing him closer to the point of release. He had thought he mastered some semblance of control. Somehow he was able to let go for just her. She was the only person he would be vulnerable with.

Just as he felt his world go dark, he managed to get her sat on the counter at the fear of dropping her from the sudden weakness he would experience. His release came moments later and to him it just felt like he gave his heart and soul to her once again.

The breathing came soon after as she laid her head on his chest, soaking in his masculinity. He undid his shackles and put his hands on either side of her to balance himself. As Joss checked, her eyes grew with worry as the purple marks began to appear.

"John…" she pulled his right wrist into view. "You hurt yourself."

He shook his head dismissively before giving her a kiss. Before long, they were back at it before his cell phone rang. Pulling away from her, he grabbed it and put the caller on speaker.

"What's going on Finch?" he asked as he looked over at a silent Joss.

"Mr. Reese I just wanted to inform you that we've received another number and I would like for you to begin surveillance tomorrow after I brief you further."

"No problem, I'll be over once I get some sleep."

"So will we be working with Detective Carter on this one?"

He looked at her as she covered her mouth to keep her laugh silent. "We'll just have to wait and see."

"That's fine, I will see you first thing in the morning" he said before hanging up. Putting his phone on silent, he heard the laugh erupt from her.

"What's so funny?"

"You act like my kid when he's trying to hide the fact that he's got a girlfriend."

"I'm sorry, I just don't know how I could tell anyone about what this is."

She shook her head. "It's okay, you don't have to figure anything out just yet. Let's just go to bed so you can get some sleep."

He obliged and with renewed strength, he carried her effortlessly over to the mattress. After getting comfortable, he removed the other part of the cuffs and placed them on the bedside table before snuggling against her back.

Tomorrow things would finally be normal in a sense for both of them and they would get some much needed sleep.

The End

A/N: And that, all of my lovely reader, is that. I hoped that you all enjoyed the ride that I put you through and I thank everyone that stuck with it to the end. I also want to once again thank SWWoman for all of her help with a second pair of eyes.