“Morning Finch” John said brusquely, walking into the library to see his boss seated, as per usual, in front of the many computer monitors in the center of the room. Finch barely looked up from the screen as Reese set the glass of tea on the desk and retreated to stand behind him; one hand resting lightly on the back of his boss’ chair.

Tearing his eyes away from the monitors for a moment; Finch turned stiffly, giving his operative a brief smile of thanks for the tea before returning his gaze back to the screens in front of him and saying “Don’t get too comfortable back there, Mr. Reese. We have a new number.”

“Who is it this time, Harold?” Reese asked in that lilting voice he used when he wanted to get under his boss’ skin; even as his body language automatically shifted from that of a casual observer to protector in a manner of seconds. “I would’ve thought that, with Elias in jail, we’d get at least a bit of a respite.”

Finch offered the taller man an upturned eyebrow in response as he got up to limp over to the board that housed pictures of the various “numbers” they received. Gesturing to the newest picture; he continued:

“You already know her, Mr. Reese. The number belongs to Miss Lena Burton; beloved daughter of our dear friend, Carl Elias.” Finch cast a meaningful look at John as he said this, trying to gauge the ex-agent’s reaction to this news. As expected, the older man saw John’s jaw tighten; no doubt due to his recent interaction with the mob boss’ daughter in the aftermath of Elias’ arrest. Harold knew that John had a protective streak a mile wide when it came to women; and it hadn’t been hard for the reclusive billionaire to predict that his employee would try to persuade Lena to use this opportunity of her father being in prison to walk away from the mobster lifestyle for good. That attempt had been unsuccessful, however; so it was no surprise that John was upset by Lena’s newfound predicament.

“Do we have any clue as to why her number is up, Finch? Is she a victim? Or has someone persuaded her to attempt breaking Elias out of prison?” John asked, turning away from the picture of the beautiful, yet misguided young woman to walk back to the desk and set his own drink down.

“No idea” Finch replied, watching John carefully as though afraid he may turn into a loose cannon at any second. It was only two weeks ago that Carter’s son had been kidnapped; but Finch remembered the way that his business partner had gone from zero to unhinged in a manner of seconds upon learning that the Detective’s son was in danger. The same look that had been on John’s face when he learned that Elias had kidnapped the young boy was back again; and Harold found himself wondering if it wouldn’t have been better to keep John in the dark on this one. He couldn’t understand what it was about Lena that had John in such a fit to protect her (after all, she knew full well what her father was capable of, and still she stayed with him). But this wasn’t the first time that John had protected a woman that fit the “damsel in distress” role to a T. Finch’s mind flashed back to Detective Carter, and how she had almost gotten John killed; but he forced himself to quickly divert his mind back to reality. Carter had proven to be quite the valuable asset recently; and he would just have to trust John’s judgment with regard to Lena as well.

“Well, I suppose I’ll just have to tail her until we find out, won’t I?” John responded in that familiar, teasing tone of his; jolting Harold out of his thoughts and back to the reality of the situation before them.

“Just how do you plan to do that, Mr. Reese? She is, however distantly, affiliated with the mob. She’ll know how to remain hidden.” Finch said, turning from the board to eye John with a curious gaze. He had faith in his associate’s skill at hunting people down, of course, but this wasn’t an ordinary civilian by any means.

John turned back for one split second, throwing a half smirk at his employer, before saying “I cloned her phone back when we first met.” Upon seeing Harold’s startled expression, the ex-agent clarified:

“I figured she’d find a way to get herself into a fair amount of trouble being related to a mobster; so I took the liberty of making sure I could track her from the beginning…just in case. I know where she’ll be.”

Harold could only gape after John as the taller man departed; hoping beyond hope that this was not going to turn into yet another case of protecting the wrong person. Unfortunately for the both of them, John tended to stray towards seeing the good in everyone; and though Finch knew that the man he hired was more than capable of dealing with anyone who tried to use that against him, that didn’t stop him from worrying that one day, they might not be so lucky. After all, how many close calls could one person have before their luck ran out?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
(around 9pm the same day:)
“Hey honey, how ya doin’ tonight? Feeling a bit better?” the bartender asked the young woman who had just taken a seat at the end of the bar and was now removing her coat.

“Yeah, I’m a bit better today, Tommy, thanks for asking” the woman replied, tossing her dark curls over her shoulder before continuing. “Just a whiskey sour tonight, please.”

“You sure that’ll be it sweetie? You know I’m happy to make you whatever you want on the house.”

The woman offered Tommy a brief smile before replying “Yeah that’s all. Not really in the mood for total drunkenness tonight.”

Tommy handed her the drink and gave her one last, encouraging smile before departing to greet two new customers at the other end of the bar; leaving the dark haired woman alone with her thoughts.

“Well, you’ve really done it now, haven’t you Lena?” the woman asked herself, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly; simultaneously swirling the contents of her glass before taking a deep sip. She had just been to visit her father in prison; and had come away with instructions to carry on his “business” for him while he was otherwise indisposed. And what had she done? Had she refused; citing the numerous reasons that she should not get involved in her father’s business with the mob? No. No, she had agreed in a heartbeat even though she knew that she could never in a million years order the execution or kidnapping of another human being; no matter how just the cause may seem.

But she loved her father. No matter what he had done, or was capable of doing in the future; he was her blood. He had raised her. And, for the most part, he had succeeded in keeping her shielded from most of the violence that had been directed at him as a result of his criminal activities. Very few people even knew that Carl Elias had a daughter; which was just the way he had wanted it in order to better protect her.

All of that was gone now. Her father was in jail; and he had given her direct permission to take over running his enterprise, thus effectively drawing her out of the shadows and throwing her into the light. It was a risky move on his part; making it known that there was now leverage that could be used against him. But Lena knew that he only put her at risk because she was the only one he thought he could really trust.

As she took another swig of her drink, she was distracted by an unwelcome guest sidling into the empty seat on her right. The man, known to most of her father’s circle as “Scarface”, leaned in towards her; buffeting her with the scent of his heavy cologne as he said:

“Hiya beautiful. Whatcha doin’ here all alone?”

Lena sidled as far as she could towards the edge of her seat before she replied “Just getting a quick drink before calling it a night. How’d they let you in here, anyway? I thought you were banned from most of the bars on this side of town.”

“Oh Lena; I have my ways” he said with a leer as he looped an arm out around her waist, dragging her back towards him. “What’s got you calling it a night so soon, sweet-cheeks? You used to be able to party the night away.”

“Oh, I don’t know; maybe it’s the fact that I don’t want to spend the night with a guy like you when I could be drinking wine in my own place and watching reruns of Days of Our Lives” she replied, smirking at him as she turned to accept the unbidden refill on her drink from the new woman standing behind the bar. Lena barely spent time on wondering where Tommy had disappeared to, before she downed yet another large gulp of the drink and started back in on “Scarface”; getting a little thrill over how he backed away from her and removed his hand from around her waist as she continued in a darker tone:

“Or maybe, it’s because my father is in prison, and you sit here with the audacity to ask me to party with you. I mean, really? Did you think that would work, or are you just as dumb as you look?”

Before “Scarface” could retort, Tommy reappeared; wearing an expression that was as stormy as Lena had ever seen it as he looked at the man harassing his favorite customer.

“Need me to take care of this for ya honey?” he asked her, cracking his knuckles in a very obvious way so as to leave no misgivings over what would happen if Lena were bothered in any way.

“No that won’t be necessary Tommy; he was just leaving” Lena replied, smiling at the bartender before leveling a serious, “no nonsense” gaze at Scarface as she continued “weren’t you, darling?”

Her father’s right hand man threw a glare Tommy’s way before getting up to leave.

“Just call me if you change your mind” he said, smirking over his shoulder as he left the bar.

Lena rolled her eyes at his retreating back before turning back to Tommy and saying “Thanks for that. He’s always been after me; but since dad’s been in jail it’s been noticeably…worse.”

“My pleasure” Tommy replied, giving her a bright smile before moving off yet again to greet new customers and leaving Lena, once again, alone with her thoughts.
Sighing, she downed the rest of her drink; noticing that she felt a bit dizzier than she usually did after only two drinks. She stood up to leave, wanting to get home before her unusual reaction to the drink rendered her incapable of navigating the roads safely; but was forced to sit back down as an overwhelming wave of dizziness set the room spinning around her. Shaking her head to clear the fog, she gripped the edge of the bar; forcing herself to stand and taking a deep breath to fight off the panic she felt at being so unsteady. It wasn’t like her to not hold her own after only a few drinks, and the sensation of being almost ready to drop over onto the floor was frightening to say the least. Pulling herself together and praying that the night air would clear off whatever this was; she began heading over to the door, taking care to keep her eyes firmly planted on the floor ahead of her feet.

Lena was so focused on maintaining her upright position and not colliding into anyone or anything else as she left the bar; that she didn’t notice the tall man in the suit who had stood up to follow her at a distance as she exited the building and stepped into the cool darkness of the night.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

John watched the dark haired woman stand up shakily and promptly sit back down again on her chair; and had to force himself to ignore the urge to close the distance between them and lead her outside to clear her head. The quick turn she had taken from being capable and in control to unsteady unnerved him a bit; and he decided to call Finch and let him know that he intended to follow Lena home to ensure her safety.

“Are you really sure that’s necessary, Mr. Reese?” Finch’s voice asked from the other line, a slight tinge of worry lacing his next words. “That would take you directly into mob territory; and I highly doubt that they will take too kindly to your presence what with their boss in jail partly by your own doing.”

“Don’t have a choice, Finch. I’m not letting her walk back alone in this condition. I’ll call you when I’m heading back.” John responded, smiling inwardly at his boss’ concern before disconnecting the call and getting up to follow a now very wobbly Lena out the door and into the night. Try though he might, the former agent couldn’t fight his unusual desire to protect this mysterious woman; despite the fact that he knew that she could take care of herself. Something about the way she was acting tonight worried him; and he was not about to knowingly let another woman that he cared for walk into a trap, no matter how illogical his feelings for her seemed.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Lena Burton turned down the alley on her left, taking her frequent short-cut towards home; and simultaneously suppressing a groan as she realized it was raining. Maybe it was a good thing, she thought; something to allow the fog now surrounding her brain to dissipate. She hated the feeling of not being completely in control, and it was with a great force of will that she held off her panic; focusing instead on getting home to her bed. As she continued walking through the deserted alley, skirting puddles to avoid ruining her new heels; her thoughts returned (albeit slowly) to her father.

How in hell could he expect her to keep control over his enterprise when most of his “crew” didn’t even know she existed? Only those in his tightest inner circle (Scarface, unfortunately, being one of those individuals) knew who she really was; while most others in her father’s gang thought she was just someone he kept around because she was easy on the eyes. With that kind of thinking, she had no way of commanding anyone’s respect.

But did she want their respect? She didn’t even want to be thought of as an associate of her father’s; much less the one who would carry out his will while he was gone. But she had agreed without a second thought when he had given her that desperate; almost pleading look from behind the glass. She knew then, that no matter how some of his actions upset her to no end; she would move heaven and earth if it made him happy. Having his trust and respect had become more important to her than assuaging her guilt over some of the things he was a part of; and this fact alone had been one of the leading reasons that she hadn’t taken the nearest exit from this life, despite how much she wanted to.

Sighing and bringing a hand up to swat a drenched curl away from her face; Lena was forced to come to a sudden stop when she saw the man who had suddenly appeared before her.

“Hi there beautiful” he said, his voice and his leer alone enough to send shivers down her spine. “You’re certainly dressed to impress tonight.”

She eyed him carefully, trying to sift through her mental fog to figure out what she should do about this unexpected turn of events. She began backing away from him slowly, still trying to latch onto her fleeting thoughts; when her heel caught on a crack in the pavement, forcing her to stumble back into the side wall of the alley as the man continued to walk towards her.

“C’mon, Lena, think” she pleaded with herself as she realized with a jolt of fear that she was now effectively caged in between her assailant and the wall. She knew she had to do something…what was it that her father taught her regarding how to deal with shady men? For the life of her, she couldn’t remember.

Shaking her head to bring herself back to reality, she found herself letting out a soft whimper that had been meant to be a scream as the man brought a hand up to caress her face while the other rested uncomfortably on her hip and pinned her lower half to the wall with surprising strength. She wanted to bring her knee up to connect with his groin; but she couldn’t seem to make her extremities cooperate with her brain’s directions. She couldn’t do anything while in this damned mental haze, except watch in horror as the man’s mouth moved closer to hers and she felt his hand slide up underneath her skirt…

Fighting the panic that was clawing its way to the surface, she closed her eyes and tried frantically to think of what to do next. After several moments of attempting to corral her unruly and elusive thoughts (while the man had migrated from roughly kissing her mouth to trailing sharp bites down her neck), Lena finally came to the conclusion that she should attempt to pry his face away from her neck. She sluggishly moved her hands up to do just that; but was spared the trouble of going any further when her attacker was suddenly yanked away from her and tossed into the wall opposite them.

Still maintaining her position with her back flat against the cold brick wall of the alley; Lena watched in confusion as the tall man made short work of her would-be attacker. She knew that there was something about him that should have triggered her recognition; but she couldn’t quite make it through the fog holding her brain in a vice-like grip to figure out what that was. Her curiosity piqued, she was just about to take a step away from the wall to get a closer look at her rescuer when the alley spun with such a force that she crumpled to the ground; slipping out of consciousness completely as she blacked out against the damp pavement.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
With one last punch to the jaw for good measure, John Reese dropped the unconscious body of the man who attempted to take advantage of Lena’s vulnerable state to the floor of the alley, turning with a slight smirk to tease her:

“You know, Lena, you really should…Lena?” His teasing demeanor turned instantly to fear as he took in her form that was now sprawled on the ground in front of him. Kicking the attacker’s feet out of the way, he quickly reached her side; looping one arm around her shoulders to pull her limp body towards him as his other hand went to her neck to feel for a pulse. Satisfied that her heart was still beating, he sat down on the damp pavement; pulling her into a sitting position against his chest as he used his other hand to dial Finch.

“Mr. Reese, if you’re calling to tell me that you need help escaping the mob; let me just say I told you so” Harold’s voice said; the testiness he was feeling radiating through the phone and making his opinion of his employee’s actions crystal clear.

“Nothing like that, Finch. There’s been a change in plans.” John replied, biting back his original retort in an effort to be expedient. He knew that Harold had his best interests at heart; but it still irked him how his employer seemed to expect that he remain aloof and unattached from every single person he encountered. Looping his arm more securely around Lena’s waist to keep her from sliding down his chest to lay flat on the pavement again; he continued:

“We’ve encountered a…complication. I’m taking her back to my place to keep her safe for the time being; and I’ll need you to go over the videos of her at the bar in the meantime. Someone had to have slipped something in her drink to get her to act this way; and it may have something to do with her number being up.”

“Are we sure that it isn’t just a classic case of someone not being able to hold their liquor, Mr. Reese?” Finch’s voice sounded over the line; even as the audible clacking of his fingers against the keyboard also came through.

“Call me when you get something, Finch?” John said, pointedly ignoring the older man’s snide remark as he disconnected the call. Returning his gaze back to Lena, he trailed his thumb lightly over the angle of her cheekbone before easing his other arm underneath her and lifting her easily into his arms so that he could make his way back out of the alley and towards his own apartment. His employer could snark all he wanted to; but Lena was a person who needed their protection just like everyone else. As long as he could remain as objective as possible; John didn’t see why there had to be any issue at all.

“Yeah, like hell” he muttered to himself as he carried Lena towards the safety of his apartment.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Once at his apartment, John set Lena temporarily on the chair near the bed; striding over to turn back the sheets before returning to her and noticing that her clothes, like his own, were dripping from the weather outside. Frowning for a moment, he walked over to his closet; opening the door and, after some consideration, pulling out a crisp white shirt. He returned to the young woman’s side; tossing the shirt on the bed as he knelt in front of her and debated how best to get her out of her sopping clothes in her current state.

After a few more moments of eyeing her, and trying to avoid noticing how heartbreakingly small and alone she looked; he began removing her shoes, setting them both on the floor beside the chair before moving on to her dress. That caused him some difficulty; in part because the zipper was in the back, requiring him to pull her close in order to get it undone; and in part because the small act of his thumb brushing against the skin of her back as he tugged at said zipper caused her to arch into him and let out a small moan that was nearly his undoing.

Cursing himself over how he wanted nothing more than to hear her make that sound again, he set her back against the chair; sliding the straps of the dress down over her shoulders and averting his eyes from the rest of her body as he slid the garment the rest of the way down her small frame until it slipped off over her feet, landing with a damp splash on the floor of his apartment.

He paused then, in an effort to corral his thoughts; seriously considering tossing her in the bed in her bra and underwear to avoid inciting any more of his thoughts that should be damn well left alone. Casting that option aside, however, he picked up the shirt from his bed; once again bringing her close to him as he slid it around her shoulders. The muscle in his jaw jumped as her soft breath gusted against his neck; and it was all he could do not to drop her unceremoniously back onto the chair and leap away from her as though he had been burned.

Finally succeeding in getting the shirt around her body and navigating her arms through the sleeves that were just a little too long for her; he busied himself with the slightly less rattling task of buttoning the front of the shirt so that she had at least some sense of privacy for when she woke up. Shaking his head at his own ridiculous thoughts; he picked her up again, gently placing her on the bed and covering her up before retreating to the shower in an effort to calm the unsettling torrent of emotion that had just been unleashed.

He knew that he shouldn’t allow himself to feel this way about her…hell; he shouldn’t allow himself to feel this way about any woman. Since Jessica, it had been so easy to shut himself down so as to avoid becoming attached to someone that just may wind up hurting him in the end. After what his former girlfriend’s death had almost turned him into; he had been sure that remaining aloof, just like Harold wanted him to, was for the best.

But there was something about Lena Burton…he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He recognized the fact that she was a beautiful woman; almost too beautiful. But that wasn’t the only reason that his usually calm demeanor was shattered in her presence. Since the first time they met, he had been overcome not only by her beauty, but by an unyielding desire to protect her; to keep her safe from the harm that would likely come her way because of who she was related to. And, in every encounter the two of them had from that moment; she had gotten under his skin in a way no other woman ever had before. From her playful banter with him at times, to the infuriating way that she kept insisting on remaining by her father’s side no matter what the consequences; John found himself irrevocably and involuntarily drawn to her. He supposed that she reminded him a little bit of himself from when he was with the Agency…sticking by “the cause” no matter how wrong it seemed; out of a fierce desire to remain loyal to those who had given her a purpose. And perhaps it was that fact that prompted him to protect her from herself; not wanting her to fall into the same ruin that had almost been his own downfall.

Whatever the reason was, he knew on some level that it would be best for all of them if her case was wrapped up swiftly. Then she could go back to her life; and he could return to his own, and no one would find themselves crossing that thin line into the territory of what should never, ever happen.

With this thought in mind, John dried himself off from his shower and donned a t-shirt and jeans before he dialed Finch’s number once again; hoping beyond hope that the billionaire had made some headway in figuring out how Lena had come to be in this predicament so that they could take care of the problem quickly and move on.

Lena stepped into the shower, relaxing bit by bit as the warm spray ran over her body; soothing away the stress and tension that had been her constant companions for the past few days. She closed her eyes, stepping further back into the shower and pushing away all thoughts of her father and her new predicament; instead solely focused on enjoying this one moment she had to be free from all the worries that had been assaulting her.

As she was bending down to grab the bottle of shampoo, she heard the door creak open as someone else joined her in the bathroom. Moving to the side slightly so as to obscure her body through the fog on the glass of the shower door; she raised her voice to be heard over the spray as she said:

“Didn’t anyone ever tell you to kno…”

Lena stopped mid-sentence as she heard what sounded like soft fabric dropping to the floor; followed swiftly by John Reese opening the door to her safe haven and stepping inside.

“John, what the hell!” She exclaimed, scrambling backwards and frantically attempting to cover as much of her body as she could with her arms; even as she took in the way his eyes raked over her from top to bottom, leaving a trail of fire in their wake.

“C’mon, Lena…don’t pretend that this isn’t what you’ve wanted” John said in a low voice as he continued to stalk towards her; trapping her between the wall of the shower and his lean frame. He smirked a little at her audible gulp before she replied:

“It doesn’t matter whether I want it or not, John; it’s…”

John cut off the rest of what Lena had been planning to say, closing the remaining distance between them and claiming her lips with his own; while his hands moved to cup either side of her face.

Freezing in shock, Lena brought her own hands up; initially in an attempt to push him away from her. Against her better judgment, however, she found them instead coming to rest on his shoulders as she unconsciously leaned into the kiss; giving off a small whimper as his tongue used this opportunity to slip inside her mouth and explore in earnest.

They remained like that for a moment, and Lena found herself pondering how she hadn’t burst into flames from the urgent onslaught of John’s mouth. This man was too dangerous for her; hell, he was too dangerous for any woman…and yet she couldn’t bring herself to stop him as his hands slid from her face to her neck as he broke the connection with her lips to begin trailing warm kisses down her face.

John’s lips continued their torturous path from her face to her neck, his hands shifting to grasp both of her hips as she arched into him yet again. She swore she could feel him smirk against her skin as a particularly sharp bite on her collar bone caused her body to jerk suddenly; bringing her chest flat against his own.

“Just tell me if you want me to stop, Lena” He said in that damned teasing tone of his that drove her to the edge of insanity; even as his lips settled around her left breast and his arm snaked around her back, bringing her even closer to his warm body.

“You stop, and I will kill you” Lena said, halfway between a moan and a whimper as his lips on her breast caused a fire to migrate through her bloodstream and settle between her legs.

“Promises, promises” He replied, smirking yet again as he straightened, bringing his lips to her mouth once again; and reaching a hand down to loop her leg around his waist as he pushed her back into the wall of the shower.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
Lena woke up with a start, bringing a hand to her throat as she tried to calm her heavy breathing. How in hell had she come up with a dream like that? Of course, she really shouldn’t be surprised that Reese had somehow planted himself in her mind; since he had already been making regular appearances in her life from the beginning of his association with her father.

Now that was an interesting relationship; Lena thought to herself as she shook her head slightly. She knew that her father would like nothing more than to gain Reese as an asset; and she couldn’t say that she blamed him. The man was practically a killing machine when necessary, and someone like that on their side would likely prove to be invaluable. But Reese firmly resisted the offers of a “position” within the mob, no matter how persuasive her father attempted to be; and that was something that Lena had to admire. Try though he might to deny it, the ex-agent did have a moral compass; even if it was a bit skewed at times.

Lena sat up in the bed, stretching out her muscles as she yawned. She froze in mid-stretch, however, as the realization that she had no clue where she was hit her like a ton of bricks.

This wasn’t her room. She wasn’t sitting in her bed. Where the hell was she?

Frantically scanning her surroundings, she tried to place her location by the décor in the room. Letting out a frustrated huff when that technique didn’t work, she threw back the covers to make her way over to the window; only to realize with a groan that she was clad in nothing but her underwear, bra, and a button-down shirt. Bringing a hand up to massage the bridge of her nose, she slumped back a bit on the bed as her mind went into overdrive.

So, she had been kidnapped. She frantically tried to remember back to the night prior; and her time at the bar. All she could remember was drinking a Whiskey Sour and dealing with Scarface. For a brief moment, her mind flitted over the possibility that this was his doing; but she quickly cast that thought aside. He wouldn’t dare. Whether her father was in jail or not, he knew better than to mess with her.

Moving to stand up again, she brought her hand up to cover her mouth as a wave of nausea swept over her from her sudden movement. As she stood in place and fought through the desire to vomit, her mind thudded to a stop with a new conclusion. The lack of a clear memory of last night, the slight headache, the nausea…she must have been drugged. It hadn’t been until after that second unsolicited drink that she had started feeling odd…something slipped inside her drink seemed like the only logical observation given that fact. And judging by her current attire, the perpetrator had been male.

Fighting back panic at this discovery, she tried in vain to keep her mind from jumping to the next step in the process of figuring out what had happened to her. Men usually only drugged women and took them back to grungy apartments if…

“God, no” Lena whispered, running a shaking hand through her curls, and slumping down to sit in a ball on the floor. This couldn’t have happened. Not to her. She was Carl Elias’ daughter, for God’s sake! From an early age, she had been taught how to handle herself; she had been taught all the perils that the world held for a woman. Like her father, she was not quick to trust just anyone; often taking it to the level of paranoia. So how could this have happened?

Lena took several deep breaths in an effort to calm her frayed nerves as she made another attempt at standing to look out the window as had been her earlier intent. Gripping the edge of the bed for support, she heaved herself up off the floor and slowly walked over to the window; pulling back the blinds to peer out into the glare of the early morning sunlight. Squinting her eyes at how the sun aggravated her headache; she sighed as she realized that she had no clue what part of town she was in. That left only one option; and she cringed as she realized what she had to do. He would likely never let her hear the end of it; but she knew that, of all the people she could call, Reese was the one who could find her even when she didn’t know where she was.

She moved to the other side of the bed where her shoes were strewn on the floor; searching the area for her dress, and her cell phone that was stored inside a pocket, but found nothing. No dress…no phone. She turned back the bed covers, looked under the bed; she even opened the closet to find them…all to no avail.

Fighting a new wave of nausea, she steeled herself for the mortifying task that was now before her. She had no way of contacting anyone to help her…which meant that she would have to walk outside, try and figure out where she was, and either walk to her home or find a cab…in nothing but a shirt. It was embarrassing, but it sure as hell beat waiting for God knows who to come back for her and have another go at her.

As she made her way to exit the tiny apartment, shoes in hand (no way was she walking in heels and the shirt…she’d just suffer going barefoot); she came to a stop as she heard the thud of footsteps coming down the hall to stop in front of the door. She heard whoever it was on the other side fumbling with a key in the lock; and she dropped the shoes, diving into the bathroom beside the door and hiding in the darkness as the apartment owner entered.

She waited for the well-dressed man to close the door behind himself; and seized the opportunity while his back was to her to run out and make an attempt at shoving him into the wall. The man was too quick, however; dodging out of the way a split second before she would have made contact with him. As she collided with the wall herself, he returned to her; pushing her back and pinning her smaller frame to the wall with his own.

Lena bit back a yelp of pain at the sensation of being squished between the man’s body and the cool wall of the apartment; and she made an attempt to swing a hand up to smack his arms away from their position on either side of her. She stopped in mid-movement, however, as she found herself looking up into the eyes of none other than John Reese.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
“Is this any way to treat the person who let you sleep it off in their apartment?” John asked, looking down at Lena as he caged her in with his body; a smirk gracing his features and causing his eyes to crinkle up at the corners.

Had Lena been able to think about anything other than trying not to vomit on the man pinning her to the wall, she would have been awed by the effect of that smile reaching John’s eyes. As it was, she made a partial attempt at saying something snarky in response; but was brought up short as a new wave of nausea overcame her. She brought her hand up to nudge him away from her, holding her other hand over her mouth as he moved aside to let her dart into the bathroom.

As she knelt on the bathroom floor over the toilet, she cursed herself once again for having been stupid enough to not be watching her drinks at the bar. Breathing deeply as the nausea temporarily dissipated, she felt John silently come up behind her; and tried to fight against the embarrassment that was clawing its way to the surface as he sat down behind her and gently pulled at her shoulders until she was resting with her back against his chest.

“You don’t have to do this, John; just give me a second and I’ll be fine” Lena said, moving to get up from the floor.

It seemed that John had other ideas, however; because he looped an arm underneath Lena’s own to drag her back to him.

“Oh no you don’t” He said as he pulled her back against him. “I don’t want you getting sick all over the apartment…new carpet you know.”

Lena snorted, simultaneously bringing a hand to her head as the action triggered a spasm of pain to rack through her skull.

“Figures, you’d be more worried about the carpet” She said, turning her head slightly to look up at him with a smile. “So how exactly did I wind up in your apartment anyway, John?”

The look that crossed his face at her statement was in drastic contrast to his smile from before; his jaw clenching a bit and his eyes turning dark as he said:

“You were drugged in the bar, Lena. I wanted to follow you home; to make sure you were safe, but the man in the alley had other ideas.”

“Man in the alley? What man in the alley?” Lena asked, trying to wrack her brain for any lingering detail from the previous night. Brief flashes of an alley, and a man shoving her against a brick wall flitted through her mind; and she slid away from John so that she could turn to face him.

“Oh” She said, her voice hollow with the realization of what had almost been her fate. “So you…you brought me here because…”

“You passed out in the alley shortly after the man attacked you. I thought it would be better if you were here, where I could keep an eye on you; rather than dropping you back with your father’s men” John responded, still maintaining a hold on Lena’s hand as he saw how the spotty recollection of the previous night’s events was affecting her.

She rallied more quickly than he had expected her to, turning a neutral expression towards him as she indicated her current attire, and said “So the shirt...Why am I wearing your shirt?”

“You don’t remember the rain?” John asked, his tone returning to the teasing lilt of before as he smiled at her once again. The flat stare he received from Lena told him that she did not; so he continued: “I took the liberty of having your dress washed at the laundromat…I needed to get my own washing done anyway. I was in the process of bringing it in to the room proper when someone attacked me.”

“You didn’t have to do that…” Lena trailed off, looking down at the floor as the sound of a phone ringing interrupted their conversation. John pulled two phones from his suit pocket; one being his own and the other, hers.

“It’s for you” He said, handing her the device as she recognized the familiar ringtone. She gave him a look of thanks before standing up and moving out into the main room to sit on the bed; John trailing behind her as she spoke.

“Hello?”

“Lena, it’s me” Scarface’s voice said from the other end of the line. “You need to come back to HQ, now…we’ve got a problem.”

Standing quickly, Lena walked over to the window, gazing at the scene below before replying:

“What sort of problem? I’d rather know what it is I’m walking into.”

“It would seem that someone has persuaded the other crime families to unite against ours. They’re screaming for a war, Lena.”

Lena felt a chill creep through her body as she told Scarface “I’ll be right there” before hanging up and tossing the phone on the bed. Turning to John, she took in the curious gaze he was leveling in her direction before asking:

“Any chance I can hitch a ride back home? Something’s come up.”

“Just what, exactly, is this “something” you’re referring to?” John asked, eyeing Lena with a “tell all” expression before walking back to the entry of the apartment to grab the bag containing the clothes he had just washed. He rummaged in the bag for her dress, tossing it back to her; all the while trying to fight his annoyance at her silence as he said “Well…go on.”

Lena looked down at her freshly laundered dress, mulling over what she should tell John in response. She didn’t really want to lie to him; but under the circumstances, she was also hesitant to tell him that not only had she agreed to lead her father’s organization, but she was also very likely going to be involved in an all-out crime war. She knew that it would only convince him further that she should be removed from her current life, by force if necessary; and she didn’t really have the time to deal with him going all “macho-man” on her.

“Look, John; it’s nothing. Just a small kink in the metaphorical hose” She finally replied, trying to fix him with her best look of indifference as she began reaching her hands up to unbutton the shirt he had given her so she could slip back into her dress. Realizing that he didn’t plan on leaving the room any time soon, she arched her eyebrows at him and fixed him with a look that indicated he should give her some privacy while she undressed.

“You’re not getting out of telling me that easily, Lena” John said in response to her look; his voice pitched low as he moved towards her, backing her into the wall by the window. He brought a hand up to fit over her own as it rested on the top button of the shirt; and moved his other hand up to rest on the wall by her head as he continued:

“I need to know everything you’re currently involved in so I can keep you safe.”

Lena mentally shook herself to avoid the temporary daze incited by John’s closeness; giving him an incredulous look before she replied “What do you mean, keep me safe? I’m perfectly safe; John. You’re being paranoid.” She left out the part where she would probably not be so safe anymore once everyone in the mob world knew exactly who she was…he didn’t need that information to further cement his point.

“You can’t be safe from everything, Lena; no matter who your father is” He said, his eyes drilling holes into her own as he maintained his position; caging her between his body and the wall. Years of training and guarding his emotions from the world hid it well; but John was struggling internally as he tried to fight his own reaction at being so close to this woman. He found himself using all the restraint he had to keep his gaze away from what he could see underneath her shirt from his height above her; instead keeping his eyes locked on hers while he warded off his ridiculous male pride at the fact that she was in his shirt, in his apartment, giving her undivided attention to him. The ex-agent blinked once and took a deep breath to steady himself (damn that woman for having the ability to floor him with just a single look from underneath her eyelashes); backing away from Lena so that he could remain focused as he continued to speak.

“Someone or something is a threat to you. I don’t know yet who or what it is; but I’m keeping you with me until we can resolve whatever this is."

“So, what? You’re nominating yourself to be my babysitter? Please, John…” Lena said, rolling her eyes at him even as she attempted to tamp down the sense of loss that swept over her as he separated himself from her. “Think of who my father is. Even he hasn’t been able to shield me from everything. I’ve been in danger before, and I’ve made it out unscathed every single time. I don’t really see what has you so worried.”

“This isn’t just the usual danger because of your father, Lena. This threat is serious” John told her, trying to convey his seriousness through his gaze.

“How can you possibly know that?” She countered, giving him a skeptical look as she resumed unbuttoning her shirt; deciding that she was tired of waiting for him to leave so she could change. “Are you a psychic or something?”

John bit down his original retort; trying his best to remain calm despite how this woman both irritated and enticed him all at the same time. He sat down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling in order to avoid watching her undress; knowing full well the temptation that would provide, as he responded.

“I just…I just know, Lena. I can’t disclose everything to you; but what I can tell you is that I received information regarding the current threat against you in the same way as I received your father’s.”

That revelation caused her to stop what she was doing for a minute; her hands releasing their hold on his shirt and allowing it to flop to the floor as she stood there, looking at him in surprise.

“So this is for real, then?” She asked, fighting back the horror that was welling up inside her at his disclosure. She knew all too well the kind of danger her father had been in when John had swooped in to save him; and she also was aware that John wouldn’t bring that moment of her life up if there was no reason for it. At his nod of assent, she grabbed her dress, pulling the garment up over her body in stunned silence; only speaking again to ask John to zip her up.

John did as she asked him, marveling at how trivial and domestic the act seemed….and how, given their current lifestyles; neither one of them was likely to ever be in a “domestic” situation in the near future. As she turned back around to face him, he was floored at how she actually looked as scared as she should be, for once. He brought up a hand to place gently on her shoulder, as he spoke.

“Lena, I know this is a bit much for you to take in. But I swear to you, I will keep you safe. Nothing can touch you as long as you stay where I can keep an eye on you.”

“That’s just it, John…I can’t always be with you. I have responsibilities to…” Lena trailed off, catching herself short before she spilled the beans on her current dilemma. He clearly thought she was scared solely about the threat to her life. And for his own protection, it was probably better that way. She knew John well enough to know that he would never allow her to take over the mob for her father; much less be involved in a war with the other families. Either that, or he would insist on being involved himself; and that thought was too much for her to bear. He would be in danger from not only the other families but her own as well; and she couldn’t allow that to happen. The best thing she could do for him…for the both of them; was to keep him in the dark.

She saw him looking at her, waiting for her to continue; so she back-tracked from her original statement, saying:

“I can’t just stay cooped up here, John. I have my own life too; a job... and I couldn’t expect you to drop what you’re doing for me either.” She moved around him as she spoke, picking up her phone from where she had tossed it on the bed and trying to avoid looking him in the eye as she redirected the conversation, saying:

“So, how about that ride home? A friend of mine wanted date advice that can’t wait…that’s the “something” from earlier.”

John eyed her skeptically, suspecting that he wasn’t getting the entire truth; a fact that was confirmed by her staunch effort at avoiding his gaze. Perhaps the only reason he let it go and decided to actually give in to her request was the knowledge that he had the means for following her wherever she went; and taking action if necessary. He caught her momentary look of surprise at his quick assent as he nodded and went for the keys in his pocket; and made a mental note to keep a close eye on her as much as possible no matter what other numbers the Machine gave him in the meantime. Something else was going on with her; and he was determined to get to the bottom of it.

Lena followed John out to his car in silence, a bit shocked at how quickly he had agreed to take her home. She felt terrible for lying to him, of course; but she couldn’t deny that she felt better knowing he wouldn’t be getting caught up in her problems. Whatever the cause of it, she had a mysterious desire to keep him safe from the part of her life that involved the mob; no matter what the cost. That desire was magnified ten-fold now that her father was in prison; as she doubted his mysterious leanings toward the man in the suit would be enough to prevent Scarface and the others from disposing of “the outsider” in whatever way they deemed fit. She refused to let that happen; even if it meant forcing him out of her life permanently.

As the two of them made their way toward John’s car, the ex-agent found himself unable to help feeling a bit bothered at Lena’s sudden turn into silence. He couldn’t tell if it stemmed from an attempt to be secretive, or the beginnings of shock; but he kept finding his eyes traveling from their constant perusal of the environment back to her face as they walked, to reassure himself that she was alright, at least for now. In one of his frequent scans of their surroundings, he briefly took notice of the woman standing on the corner of the street opposite them, watching them intently. He shifted his position a bit, casually covering Lena from view as his hand went reflexively to his gun. Seeing that the woman had disappeared by the time his gaze returned to her location, he relaxed a little; letting Lena into the car and stepping around to enter the driver’s seat and start the ignition.

Making a mental note to compare this woman’s appearance with that of the woman from the bar’s security cam the previous evening; he revved the car’s engine, earning a small smile from Lena before heading off in the direction of her home.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
“I still don’t see why you have to change your clothes to give your friend boy advice” John said in a slightly raised voice so that it would carry through the closed bathroom door to Lena. They had arrived at her home; or loft more like, about twenty minutes ago, and John had been forced to remain seated obediently in the living room while Lena fussed over what outfit she should wear.

“I wouldn’t expect you to, John. You aren’t a girl, after all; unless you’ve been really careful about hiding something” She replied, teasing him. He found himself laughing at that; something that he hadn’t done, at least not in earnest, in a very long time.

Lena finally exited the bathroom, clad in simple faded blue jeans that rested low on her hips; and a frilly white blouse that barely reached the upper hem of the jeans. The small area of exposed skin between shirt and jeans nearly made John forget why he was there; and he averted his eyes carefully so as to avoid letting his unusual reaction get the better of him and cause him to do something they would both regret.

As she moved into the room proper, Lena threw a curious look in John’s direction, unsure of how to interpret his sudden avoidance of her gaze; before moving to the large window by the television to investigate the sudden noise coming from outside. She cursed under her breath as she realized it was Scarface and another one of her father’s men; likely coming to pick her up and take her to HQ themselves, given her delay. She hadn’t meant to let it take so long; but she hadn’t been quite sure how to get rid of John without making him suspicious…

Turning back from the window to face him, she said “You’ve got to leave. Now.”

John looked up at her then; startled at the seriousness in her expression, and moved to the window to see what had caused her such irritation. The muscles in his jaw tightened as he saw Scarface and some other thug ascending the steps to her building; and he turned around, about to protest against leaving. She cut him off, however, saying:

“Seriously, John; go! They won’t be as lenient with you as my father was.” She moved over to stand beside him; placing a hand on his forearm and squeezing urgently as she spoke. “Just go. I promise; I’ll be fine.”

The look on his face as he stood there; torn between staying with her to protect her and leaving to prevent the unavoidable questions that would come up as a result of her father’s men discovering them together nearly broke Lena’s heart. She smiled at John as best she could; hoping beyond hope that he would be convinced she was going to be alright, as she began nudging him slowly towards the door. He turned back at the doorway, all the concern he had for her showing on his face before he said:

“You call if you need anything, understood?”

“Of course, John, just go!” She hissed, shoving him out of her loft and practically shooing him down the hallway. She could hear the footsteps of the two mobsters coming her way; and she wanted John completely out of sight before they arrived. He gave her one last look before disappearing down a hallway that connected with her own; and she retreated back into her own apartment to await the arrival of her new guests.

Attempting to arrange her face into a neutral mask, she turned around to face the doorway as Scarface and his companion entered.

“Geez, what took ya so long, Lena? You didn’t have to dress up just for my sake.”

She rolled her eyes at her father’s right hand man; giving him her best glare before moving past him into the hallway as she spoke.

“We don’t have time for your games, Scarface. Let’s just get this over with.”

Scarface stood there in shock for a moment; before rallying and following Lena outdoors and into his car, the other mobster close behind them. The three of them were all so wrapped up in their own internal thoughts about the situation at hand that no one noticed the dark black car pull out behind them and follow them towards their new destination.

John fiddled with his phone to make sure it could catch the conversations Lena would have once she got to wherever it was she was going; simultaneously backing off a bit from car in front of him, not wanting to raise the suspicion of the mobsters within. They soon turned into the parking lot of an all too familiar building: the one where Taylor Carter had been held not two weeks ago. Elias had chosen this place as the headquarters of his operations after the threat to his life had been eliminated; and apparently the mob was still using it in his stead.

John continued driving beyond the building, parking in a lot two doors down and walking back on foot; grabbing his binoculars from the backseat before he began heading back towards where Lena and the others were. He turned his ear-bud on as he walked, biting back the urge to knock Scarface into a brick wall as he stopped just behind the corner of the building next to Elias’ home base and noticed the mobster’s arm slung casually over Lena’s shoulder while the trio entered the building. It wouldn’t do him any good to act on jealous impulse; and he would get nowhere with discovering what Lena was up to if he couldn’t even control his emotions long enough to let them get into the building.

Not too long after they disappeared from his line of vision, he was jolted out of his thoughts as Lena’s voice sounded in his ear.

“So how did you find out they wanted a war?”

John nearly jumped out of his skin; his mind automatically shifting into overdrive as he attempted to stave off the panic that threatened to consume him. Was this the threat that the Machine had detected against Lena? A crime war would certainly put her life in danger; especially if anyone outside Elias’ inner circle learned who she really was, and he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the headstrong young woman would be all for involving herself in any threat to her father’s empire, no matter how dangerous it would be. Reeling in his thoughts to stow away for later consideration; he once again redirected his focus as Scarface’s voice came over the connection he had with Lena’s phone.

“They sent us a little gift this morning with a note attached; containing all of their signatures. It’s over there.”

John didn’t have too long to wait to find out what this “gift” was; hearing Lena’s sharp intake of breath as she said:

“Dear God. They really cut off his…”

“His head, yes. And the note makes their intentions quite clear” Scarface finished for her.

“Be ready...We will get what is ours.” Lena said, clearly reading this note that was sent along with the gift; and John could hear her deep breathing as a brief pause ensued before Scarface spoke again.

“I think we should extend the offer of a meeting; try and see what is causing all this, and go from there. Maybe there’s some way we can put a stop to this; especially since we haven’t even provoked anything. But it’s your call, Lena. You’re in charge.”

John closed his eyes then, the truth finally hitting him; hard. Elias must have named Lena his successor in overseeing the mob while he was locked up; and it was now her responsibility to either head off, or direct a war between the crime families. It made sense, now, why she had been so secretive with him earlier; but that didn’t stop him from being angry that she had kept something so important from him. How could he protect her if she didn’t share anything with him? During the many times that he had come to visit her, he thought he had gained her trust; so he couldn’t deny that in addition to feeling angry, he also felt hurt that she hadn’t seen fit to tell him about the newest development in her life.

A buzzing from his pocket brought him reluctantly back to reality; and he answered the call in a tone that was perhaps a bit testier than he would have liked as he said:

“What, Finch?”

“Did you forget your coffee this morning, Mr. Reese?” Harold questioned, clearly taken aback at his employee’s terseness. At John’s sullen silence, however, the billionaire continued:

“I have some new information regarding Miss Burton’s predicament. Just this morning, a woman met with the heads of the other mob families. I ran facial recognition software on her; and we have a match between her and the woman from the bar, but so far I’ve come up with nothing regarding who she is. It’s as if she never existed before yesterday.”

“So she’s the one behind this war.” John said, more to himself than to Harold as he attempted, without success, to tamp down his fear for Lena and follow the conversation going on in the building before him. “Do we have any idea whether she’s a new member of one the other mobs; Finch?”

“Not a clue as of right now, but I’m working on running a more detailed analysis that will hopefully give us some more insight into who she is and why she wants Lena to come to harm.”

“Let me know when you have something, Finch” John replied before disconnecting the call and returning to the task at hand. He had just heard Lena begin speaking again; and he was desperate to see what her response would be to the entire situation. The ex-agent bit back a groan of resignation as he heard her voice saying:

“No, I have to do this. My father wanted me to be in charge; and heading off a full out war is, unfortunately, a huge part of that position. Schedule the meet with the other families. I’ll be there.”

John leaned his head back against the wall of the building, taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm the panic and anger he felt at how Lena was handling the situation. She should have been running for the hills; using the opportunity of her father being in prison to step away from his lifestyle permanently. But what did she do instead? She dove into his former job headfirst, agreeing to meet with members of the city’s other crime families; and effectively removing herself from the safe zone her father had worked so hard to build up for her. It didn’t matter to him that Elias likely only threw Lena into this mess because he trusted her; the man should have known better than to force his own flesh and blood into something that could very well be the death of her.

The sound of the building door opening for Lena, Scarface, and the other man to exit was the only warning John had to duck back behind the structure next door until they drove out of sight. He resolved then and there that he was going to head back to Lena’s apartment and try to talk her out of this colossal mistake; no matter how long he had to wait for her to return.

Getting into the car, John ended his connection with Lena’s phone; deciding that he needed some space to think over how he was going to approach her without being further incited by any conversations she may have on the way back to her home. He didn’t want to scare her outright; but he needed to convince her that what she was doing…there was no way she could come out unharmed. He spent the rest of the car ride back to her place mulling over what he was going to say; silently cursing himself over how this woman had such a tight hold on him that he would move heaven and earth to ensure her safety.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Lena shut the door to her apartment; taking a shuddering breath and releasing it as the gravity of what she had gotten herself into sank in. Tomorrow, she would meet with the heads of the other crime families; effectively making it known who she was, and who her allegiance belonged to. She was meeting with them to alleviate any sort of conflict from happening; but she really had no idea what she was supposed to do to stop it. Running a hand through her hair as she kicked her shoes off in the foyer, she stepped into the living room; stopping short as she took in the dark figure ensconced on her couch.

“Hello Lena. Miss me?” John asked, his voice dangerously low as he rose from his seated position and flicked on the light by the couch as he moved towards her.

Lena stood her ground as he stalked towards her; even though all she wanted to do was back into a corner and curl into a ball. The look in his eyes held an unimaginable amount of…what was it exactly? Pain? Anger? Whatever it was, she was scared; if she were to be honest with herself. But she’d be damned if she let him see that.

“What in hell is that supposed to mean, John?” She asked him, tilting up her chin a bit so she could see him properly as he towered above her.

“Nothing, really. It just seemed like you were settling into your father’s life pretty comfortably; that’s all. And I can’t really see where I would fit in all of that.”

“Listen, what I do in my…wait. You followed me?” she said, her voice unintentionally going up an octave as the realization hit her that the occurrence at HQ had not been a private affair. She gave him a look filled with venom as she continued:

“What I have to do for my family is purely my own business; John. I’d have thought that you, of all people would understand that.”

“It stops being exclusively your business when you put your life in danger, Lena. Though it doesn’t seem to matter to you how others feel about you offering yourself up to the mob on a silver platter” He replied, his expression turning darker as he took a hold of her arm; effectively rooting her in place so she couldn’t slip away. He pulled her closer to him; never relinquishing his hold on her arm as he continued to speak.

“What makes you think that you can step in; virtually out of nowhere, and command the respect of crime lords?”

Lena tried, and failed, to shake her arm out of his grasp before saying:

“I don’t have a choice, John. I don’t really like it either, if you haven’t noticed; but my father gave me essentially all of his authority. I can’t just walk away and leave his life’s work to ruin.”

“So you’re just going to throw your own life away to prevent that from happening? You can’t stop this war; Lena. Things have been set in motion that not even your relationship to Elias can stop.”

“What would you have me do then; John?” She asked, a bit of the panic she was feeling seeping into her voice against her will. She wanted John to think she was capable; in control. And here she was, about to fall apart and show him just how weak she really was…all because of her ridiculous sense of duty to her father.

“Let me protect you; Lena. That’s what you can do” John said, almost pleading with her as he brought both hands up to hold her face and he stooped to rest his forehead against her own. They both remained that way for a minute, taking in the closeness and comfort provided by that simple action; until John pulled his face away from her, to whisper:

“God, Lena; do you have any idea what would happen to me if you were hurt…or worse?”

The look on his face was heartbreaking; and Lena found herself fighting back tears as she brought her hand up to rest against his cheek. She was just about to speak; reassuring him that she would be fine, when he closed the distance between them and kissed her.

Freezing in place, Lena attempted to take in this new turn of events. She couldn’t help but revisit her dream; and her gasp at how similar the two scenarios were gave John free reign to slip his tongue into her mouth. She sighed as their mouths melded together in earnest; giving herself over fully to emotion as she settled in to enjoy the ride.

John could sense Lena’s initial resistance to the kiss; so he began preparing to release her, albeit reluctantly, when she surprised him by relaxing into him and returning the kiss with all she had. He felt a strange sensation of something jumping within his chest; but he shoved all speculation over what it was aside as he began backing her into the nearest wall, simultaneously dropping his hands down to begin unbuttoning her shirt. He knew, on some level, that they shouldn’t be doing this; but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He had wanted this for a damned long time; and there was no way of stopping what had begun…not if he had anything to say about it.

Caging her body between his own and the wall as he continued removing the shirt; he let out a low growl as she arched into him, nearly snapping his control then and there. If they were doing this…and it seemed that they were; he didn’t want it to be something she’d regret. Repeating this thought to himself a half a dozen times, he tossed the shirt aside; forcing himself to return his attention to kissing her as his arms looped around her back and pulled her tightly to him.

Lena shoved aside all the apprehension she had about getting involved in this way with John Reese; instead giving everything she had into the kiss as she wound her arms around his neck and looped a leg around one of his to bring them even closer together. He dropped his arms to her sides, kneading her hips as she unconsciously rolled into him; eliciting yet another groan from the tall ex-op.

Lena broke the kiss, then; smirking up at him before saying:

“Did I do something you liked, John?”

John looked down at her for a moment before swinging her up in his arms and carrying her over to her bed to gently place her on top of it; crawling over the top of her and taking care not to squash her with his larger frame as he began feathering kisses down her neck. He reveled in the way each kiss elicited a gasp or a moan from her; and caused her to arch her body towards him, bringing the bare skin of her torso torturously close to him. He was just about to get rid of the unnecessary barrier her jeans presented when she caused him to come screeching to a halt with just one word…

“John…” She breathed, placing a hand on his face and drawing it up away from her skin to look at her.

He looked at her then, trying to read her expression as he asked “Do you want me to stop?”

She laughed at him, the sound sending a shiver down his spine even as he looked at her quizzically. Finally, after what seemed like ages; her giggling faded away as she spoke.

“No, not at all. I’m just wondering why I’m the only one being undressed here.”

John smirked at her, before responding “Well, if you wanted me to take my clothes off, all you had to do was ask.”

Reveling in her renewed laughter at his comment; he straightened up a bit from his position lying over her, bringing a hand up to start unbuttoning his own shirt. He was stopped cold, however, when Lena grabbed his hand as she sat up and shifted so she was on her knees; swatting the appendage away as she busied herself with removing the shirt herself. As she succeeded in undoing each of the tiny buttons; she peppered warm kisses on his chest, enjoying the moans he was making as she gradually moved down until she reached the waistband of his pants.

Breaking away from her careful attention to his skin, and causing him to let out what sounded like a whimper at the loss; she straightened up and shoved the shirt down his arms until it fell off completely and landed on top of the bed. Scooting back to admire what was before her; she was caught off guard when John seized the opportunity to loop an arm around her back and knock her flat on her back, regaining contact with her lips as he hovered over top of her.

John kissed her with all he had, absorbing the feel of her skin underneath his own; like so much silk surrounding nothing but lean muscle. He broke contact with her mouth once again, to begin trailing kisses down her body; and looped his fingers through the belt loops of her jeans when he finally made it down to the waistband of the offending garment. Giving her a mischievous grin, he hooked his mouth around the button of her pants, popping it loose with an easy movement; and fighting to remain in control as the act caused her to roll her hips up into his face.

He froze there for a moment, breathing in and out as he attempted to slow his raging emotions down to a more reasonable speed; biting back a few tears as Lena ran a hand through his hair and whispered:

“Don’t worry, John…it’s okay.”

That was all the permission he needed to let the fragile hold over what he felt for her break; and he gave her a genuine smile before returning to the task of removing her pants. She really did seem to want this as much as he did; and he was more than happy to oblige her. Despite all that had happened today, for right now, it was just the two of them. Just John...just Lena...

…and a ringing cell phone?

John broke away from Lena’s body; reaching over to his shirt that was just to the right of where they had been entangled to grab his phone.

The caller I.D. said “Finch.”

“Damn it.”

“What is it this time, Finch?” John said from between clenched teeth as Lena flopped back on the bed; heaving a sigh of exasperation.

“Am I interrupting something, Mr. Reese?” his boss replied in an irritatingly cool and detached tone; his fingers clacking away at the keyboard as usual.

Trying to think of what to say in response without biting the poor recluse’s head off, John bit back a groan as he realized Lena had moved to sit on her knees behind him; and was beginning to run her hands up and down his back in a light massage. He threw her a look that said quite clearly that he intended to pay her back for this little distraction; before returning back to the conversation with Finch, saying:

“Out with it, Finch. What have you got?”

“I managed to pick up some more detail on our mystery woman after pulling a couple tricks from my sleeve and giving them a whirl. Can you put me on speaker? Miss Burton needs to hear this too.”

John gave the phone a quizzical gaze before pressing the speaker button and turning to face Lena; who sat back on the bed, listening and eyeing him intently.

“Go ahead, Finch; she can hear you too.”

“Miss Burton, do you know of a Margaret Sellner?” Finch’s voice asked.

Lena looked puzzled for a moment, before she replied:

“No…never heard of her. Why?”

A brief pause followed, filled only with the continuous sounds of Finch’s typing; before the billionaire finally spoke again.

“How about a Lena Kirchner?”

Fixing John with a confused expression that was met with a look of equal uncertainty from the ex-op; Lena took a deep breath before responding:

“No. What is this all about?”

“Miss Burton, Margaret Sellner is the woman responsible for drugging you in the bar the other night. Security feeds from the bar confirm it. We also have footage showing her meeting with the other families regarding this war you’re wrapped up in. Apparently, she was just recently discharged from a mental institution upstate; where she was formerly known as Lena Kirchner.”

“And what does she have against me?” Lena asked, wondering how in hell this woman even knew who she was; and why she was holding such a grudge. Was it all a mistake? Or was this someone from her past that she had long forgotten? Her thoughts were broken by Finch’s voice filling the silence in the room; as he spoke.

“I spoke to some of the hospital staff where she was being treated; and they mentioned her repeatedly talking about “that kid being her downfall.” When asked about who this “kid” was, she mentioned your name. It seems that she believes you are the reason she was committed. She was hospitalized for exactly 32 years; the date of her admission coinciding perfectly with your date of birth.”

A look of horror swept over Lena’s face then, as a long forgotten snippet of a memory from her past came to mind.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
She was only 4 years old; and it was just after the birthday party her father had thrown her. She recalled walking up to him and asking:

“Daddy, why don’t I have a mommy like all the other girls?”

Her father had looked at her curiously for a moment, before he replied:

“Because sweetie. God made you so special that he decided to give you to me; to keep for myself.”

“But Daddy, Susie says that God made her special too; and she has a mommy.”

“Well, Lena; sometimes, mommies get sick. And when that happens; they have to be taken away. You see, they aren’t safe for their little girls when they’re sick. And you know that we need to keep you safe, don’t you sweetie?”
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
That had been enough of an explanation for Lena then; and she had learned from that moment on to avoid mentioning the “m” word around her father. She never stopped being curious, but after realizing that her dream of her mother coming back for her was just that…a dream; she did her best to forget about the woman altogether.

“Sometimes mommies get sick” She repeated to herself; unconsciously standing up and roaming over to the window to look out at the scene below with blank eyes.

John fought to control his concern for the young woman; only barely keeping himself from going over to wrap her in his arms as he began speaking once more to Finch.

“So this woman is her mother? And she wants Lena hurt or killed…for what purpose?”

“My guess is, Elias is the one who had her put away. She gets out years later; fully aware of the fact that she had a daughter; and is trying to either eliminate her to get Elias’ attention, or she truly blames Lena for her predicament, and wants revenge against her personally.”

“But she was just a child, Finch. She had no control over her mother’s mental state, or what happened to her because of it.” John said, astonishment at the unusual desire of a mother to harm her own child sweeping over him in waves. Most mothers would go to any length to protect their children; and this one was doing just the opposite. It just wasn’t…natural.

“Well, Mr. Reese, you and I both know that there are all sorts of irrational ideas out there that fuel people to do what they do. It is entirely possible that Miss Sellner truly does believe that Lena is responsible for what happened to her. And if she is really mentally ill; logic has nothing do to with it.”

“So what do we do, Finch? How can we stop this woman from actually harming Lena?” John asked, getting up from the bed to walk over to Lena; looping an arm around her waist and drawing her back against his chest.

“There’s nothing we can do, Mr. Reese. Nothing besides wait, and make sure we are there when she makes her next attempt.”

John disconnected the call then, tossing the phone back in his pants pocket and wound his other arm around Lena’s waist as he rested his chin on her shoulder.

“You’ll probably smack me for this, but…you okay?” He asked her.

After a brief pause, Lena turned around in his arms; resting her head against his shoulder as she said:

“Nothing like having a messed up family, right?”

John felt her smile slightly against him; and he used a hand to draw her chin up so he could look her in the eyes as he said:

“You know I’ll do anything I can to protect you from this? From your mother…from the war…from everything.”

“I know that, John” Lena replied, smiling up at him in earnest. Even from the beginnings of her encounters with this man; she had known that he was a force to be reckoned with. A safe haven for her throughout whatever life would throw her way. And standing here, now…in his arms; she had never felt safer, despite the fact that her world appeared to be crumbling to pieces around her. Reveling in the feel of his arms around her; she felt a renewed eagerness to get back to what they had started before Harold’s call interrupted. Right now, she wanted him; and only him. The rest of the world and its assorted troubles could wait until tomorrow.

The calm smile Lena wore turned to a smirk as she continued watching John from beneath her eyelashes; and said:

“But I wonder, John…who will protect Harold?”

The ex-agent eyed her curiously for a moment; obviously unsure what she was referring to. Laughing a bit at his obvious confusion, Lena continued speaking; even as she leaned her body closer to his.

“Who will keep him safe from you? If the look on your face was any indication; his phone call came very close to ending his life.”

John shook himself slightly as he adjusted to this new direction of the conversation. He was surprised at how quickly Lena had regained her composure; and at the way that she seemed every bit as willing as he was to pick up where they had left off. The ex-op spared a brief second considering that she may not be in the best frame of mind to make decisions like this now; but hell…he had practically written the book on compartmentalization; hadn’t he? So what if she was good at it, too?

Bending his head down to graze a light kiss at the junction of her neck and collarbone; he smirked, and lowered his voice, saying:

“I’m not quite sure that I remember what we were doing before that call, Lena. Perhaps you could remind me?”

Laughing, Lena happily obliged; pushing him backwards until the backs of his knees made contact with the edge of the bed. She shoved him lightly, watching with an almost cat-like smirk as he fell backwards. His eyes darkened as she crawled over top of him; and she shivered in pleasure as his hands grazed up either side of her thighs to come to rest on her hips.

“Do you… remember…now, John?” she asked in between the kisses she feathered on his forehead, down his face, over his nose, and to his chin.

“Mmmmm…nope” Was his reply; causing her to smirk even wider as she placed both hands on either side of his body to steady herself as she continued kissing a path down his neck, stopping briefly to nip playfully at his collarbone.

“How about now?” she questioned, reveling in his sharp intake of breath. She sat back a bit so she could see his face; settling her weight more securely over his waist and wiggling around a bit, just to tease him.

John’s eyes were closed, and he found himself involuntarily grinding his hips upward into her own as she moved around; knowing full well that she was every bit aware of what she was doing to him, and loving every minute of it. He slid both hands up her arms slowly; smiling to himself as the simple act caused her to pause in her efforts to torture him. Using this opportunity to his advantage, he tightened his grip on her arms; flipping her over so that he was on top, with his knee between her legs. He laughed at the squeal his sudden action had elicited from her, before saying:

“I think I remember now, Lena.”

Wasting no more time, John sealed her lips with his own; swallowing her moan with his mouth as he moved a hand down to finish undoing her pants. Breaking his contact with her only briefly, he slid the offending garment down her hips and off of her feet; before tossing the jeans aside and returning his attention to kissing her. He could feel his erection straining against his pants; but he was determined to prolong the moment where he fully lost control; wanting to be absolutely certain that this was what actually Lena wanted; and not just the shock and grief of her recent discovery fueling her desire.

Sliding her legs open, almost involuntarily; Lena savored the closeness she shared with this amazing, protective, mysterious man as they continued kissing. The weight of him over her felt different…right. Unlike anything she had ever known before. And the feel of his manhood pressing against the thin layer of her underwear served to further cement in her mind that she wanted this. She had been unsure before, but now…

Lena was broken out of her musings as John looped both arms around her back; rolling them both over so that she straddled him again. She barely had time to comprehend this sudden change, when his hands were at the clasp of her bra; undoing it with ease and tossing it aside before she could even protest.

“Hey now, mister; don’t go getting all…oooh” She said, cut off from her statement as his lips latched around her left breast and he rose to a seated position; his hands planted firmly on her back, holding her to him. The sensation his lips were generating caused her to arch forward into him; simultaneously rolling her hips into his groin. He was forced to break away from his attention to her breast then, closing his eyes as he absorbed the feel of her against him and tried to regain control over his not so intelligent brain downstairs.

His hands began moving in tiny circles, kneading the flesh of her back as he pressed his forehead against her chest; asking:

“What were you saying, Lena?”

Lena held his head to her; and attempted to tame her ragged breathing as she replied:

“Just that, it seems we’re back in the stage of me being…the…only one…getting…undressed.”

A small part of her hated how out of control he was making her; rendering her unable to speak coherently with just a back massage. And yet, the larger part of her decided that she would give anything in the world for him to never stop touching her. If she could just stay here forever; and never have to go back to the real world and all of its problems…well then, she would really be in heaven.

John leaned back onto the bed then, moving both arms out so that they rested by his sides as he said:

“Have it as you wish, my lady.”

Trying, and failing to hold back a giggle; Lena scooted backwards so that she was straddling his knees, busying herself with undoing his belt and swatting the buckle aside as she set to work on the button and zipper of the pants. Finally succeeding in undoing the barrier keeping him partially hidden from her; she purposefully ghosted her palm over the bulge in his boxers, smirking at his moan as she used both hands to pull down not only the suit pants, but the underwear as well.

She was just about to pull the clothes completely over his feet, when he surprised her; once again knocking her on her back as he simultaneously kicked off the pants and settled over her once more to begin licking and biting a trail down her neck.

“John” She moaned, placing both her hands on his scalp and running her fingers through his hair as he continued his trail downward. She found herself wanting nothing more than to feel him inside her; and as though he could read her mind, he removed her underwear, only to replace the garment with two fingers sliding into her heat.

There were no words to describe the feelings sizzling through her body at his invasion of her core…Lena could only let out a breathy moan as he began pumping his fingers in and out of her in earnest; and try her best to hold on for dear life. He made his way back up to her face, regaining hold of her lips even as he ravished her with his fingers; and she could do nothing but hold onto him and return his kisses, even as she tumbled over the edge into her climax.

Moving his lips down to her neck, John fought to remain in control as he felt her tighten around his fingers; savoring the feel of her breath gusting over his hair as she came down from her high. As he continued kissing her neck; he withdrew his fingers from her, sliding a knee back between her legs as he hovered over her.

“John…please” Lena breathed, running her fingers over his scalp and eliciting a moan from him as he broke away from her neck to look her in the eye.

“Lena…if we do this…you have to understand that there’s no turning back. I want you to want this as much as I do.”

“I do, John. Who wouldn’t want this, with you?”

“I’m being serious, Lena” John replied, trying his best to hide the smirk that wanted to come out despite the seriousness of the matter before them. Of all the women he had known, Lena was the only one who could make him laugh at just about anything…and though he wanted to deny it; he loved that about her.

She removed a hand from his hair to cup his cheek, looking him in the eyes and smiling up at him before she said:

“So was I, John. I want this…I want you. So please…please…just…”

Taking that as the answer he needed, John wasted no time entering her; letting out a moan of satisfaction to match her own, as he allowed her to adjust to the size of him before setting a slow and steady pace. He returned his focus to kissing her after ensuring that he was not hurting her; alternating back and forth between her lips and her neck as the pleasure of what they were doing engulfed them both.

Lena began rolling her hips up to match the tempo of his thrusts; letting out a whimper or a moan every now and then as she savored how perfectly they came together. She wrapped her arms around his back, holding him tightly to her as she urged him to quicken the pace; yearning for the release that was building up within her.

All it took was a sharp bite on the side of her neck, and one more well timed thrust from John; and she went tumbling over the edge a second time, taking him with her as his own climax hit. They rode it out together, sharing a few gentle kisses as their breathing slowed; only separating long enough for John to withdraw from her heat and roll onto his back to pull her so that she was cradled against his chest.

Lena eagerly cuddled into his embrace, astonished at the warmth and contentment she felt with this man; despite all that had happened recently. She smiled softly as he kissed the tip of her nose; squeezing her even tighter against him before they both fell asleep.

Waking up to the sunlight streaming across her bed from the window; Lena squinted against the bright light as she stretched out slowly. She paused in her efforts to get out of the bed as she discovered that she was being held back…by an arm? Peering down at her waist, she shook herself mentally; gasping as she began to recall the events of the previous night.

Despite the way her mind was screaming at her, saying this was still part of a dream; she couldn’t deny the warmth of the man sleeping next to her, with his arm curled around her waist and a leg looped over her lower body. Shifting so that she could get a better look at John; she found herself stopped short as the sight beside her literally took her breath away.

He looked so…peaceful. She had never seen him looking this relaxed; not while awake. And if the man was sexy when awake, that was nothing compared to how he looked now. Bringing up her hand, she trailed her palm across his face from temple to cheekbone; pausing there to scoot forward and plant a light kiss at the crease of his eye. She smiled as he groaned sleepily; using the opportunity presented by his arm moving out from around her waist as he woke up to slip out of the bed and sneak into the bathroom.

As she shut the door behind her, she took a deep breath; exhaling slowly as she moved to turn on the faucet and get ready for a shower. There were a lot of things she couldn’t explain about last night…why she had jumped into bed with John Reese, of all people, almost without a second thought being at the top of that list.

Furthermore…why had he jumped in bed with her? He knew who her father was…what he was capable of. He abhorred some of the things that had been done by the hands of the mob; and she couldn’t exactly say she blamed him, despite her sense of loyalty to the man who had given her life.
And yet, here he was, in her bed; hell bent on protecting her, and apparently on making her out of her mind with feelings she had sworn to lock away after…

Shaking her head to ward off the ghosts of the past; she stepped into the shower, shutting the door and moving back into the warm spray of water. As the water ran over her body, she tried in vain to reassure herself that this was just…just a one night stand. Reese’s line of work was not permissive to anything more; much the same as how her lifestyle made any kind of extraneous relationship…dangerous. Especially now that she was about to be thrown head first into a war with the other crime families. No, she couldn’t possibly afford to be…

Lena found her thoughts coming to a screeching halt as she heard John enter the shower; the act of looping his arms around her waist from behind caused her to jump slightly.

“What are you doing, Lena?” He asked, his voice pitched low and sending a shiver of electricity down Lena’s spine.

“I’m showering, John. I have a…uh…the meeting…” She replied, trying hard to remain coherent as he dipped his head to begin kissing the back of her neck. His actions were doing nothing to help her place some distance between them; both emotionally and physically. Yet, she couldn’t find it within herself to stop him as he continued biting and sucking a trail from her neck to her shoulder; while his hand began a slow trail down her stomach.

She grabbed his wrist just as he was about to make her lose all sense of rational thought; bringing it up to her face and feathering a kiss against his palm before turning to face him, saying:

“John…we can’t.”

The look he gave her then almost knocked her flat on her bottom. She could see he was torn somewhere between pain and understanding at her statement; and she fought back against the tears now clouding her vision as she stepped away from his embrace and continued speaking.

“We can’t do this. Acting like we actually have a shot at…at…whatever this is? With what you do…with who I am it just…it can’t work, John. It can’t.”

“Lena, I know you’re scared…” John began, moving forward to grab her hand; but he was cut off as she looked up at him, her eyes shining as she brought up a hand to wipe away a tear.

“Scared doesn’t…it doesn’t even begin to cover it, John. I can’t even understand why you would be willing to put yourself through this after…after what happened to you.”

John moved forward again, wrapping an arm around her waist as he drew her in towards him. Bringing his other hand up to move her face so that she was looking directly at him; he held her eyes with his own as he spoke.

“I get it, Lena. I know you don’t want to get hurt. After what you went through…what we’ve both gone through…it makes sense that you don’t want to get involved with someone again. But you can’t refuse to live just because of what may happen.”

“John, the last time I…lived…as you call it; I received reinforcement for all the reasons why I can’t afford any involvement…with anyone. The one person who may have mattered to me the most…more than all of this; maybe even more than my obligation to my father…he’s dead now. He’s dead because he tried to get me out of this life. He tried to save me John; and he died because of it…I can’t…I can’t have that happen to you; I…”

Lena was forced to stop speaking then; unconsciously moving forward to let her head fall onto John’s bare chest as she finally let the tears fall. She hadn’t wanted to break down like this; least of all in front of him. Not when he was always so…calm. Even now, when they were both revealing more than either of them were used to; he was composed. Closing her eyes as she absorbed the feel of his hands moving up and down her back; she took several deep breaths to calm herself before stepping away a bit to look back up at him.

“John, I’m sorry; I just…I didn’t mean to fall apart on you like that…”

“Hey…hey, look at me. It’s okay” John said, cupping her face with both hands as he feathered the pads of his thumbs along her cheekbones. Leaning down so that they were face to face; he ghosted a kiss against her lips, before he pulled back again, trying to gauge her reaction. Seeing that she had closed her eyes, and had begun leaning towards him; he decided he could continue speaking.

“I understand if you don’t want to do this. But I’m telling you; I won’t try and get you out of this life if you don’t want you to. You may play hell getting me to let you do whatever it is you do without being involved myself…but I’m not going to pressure you to walk away. I’m not going to try to make you tear yourself apart between whatever this is, and your father. I would never make you do that. I’m just asking you to let me help you live…”

John was cut off as Lena brought a hand up; placing two fingers over his mouth as she offered him a shaky smile.

“I never said I didn’t want this John. Because I do. I just don’t know how we can have something like this with…with everything…”

“We can have whatever we want; Lena. We can have whatever we want, as long as we’re willing to fight for it” John paused then to place his forehead against her own; breathing in the scent of her damp hair before he continued speaking.

“And I will fight for you.”

Touched beyond words at what he was telling her, Lena rose up on her tiptoes and placed a gentle kiss against his lips; letting loose a small laugh as John took advantage of her closeness to deepen the kiss, wrapping his arms around her back once again and drawing her so close to his body that he could have absorbed her skin with his own. Backing her into the wall of the shower; he broke away from the kiss only briefly as he said:

“Tell me to stop and I will; Lena. But you’re approaching the point of no return here…”

Taking his face in her hands, Lena placed a kiss on the tip of his nose and each cheekbone; before drawing back and saying:

“Don’t ever stop; John.”

John gave her the most predatory smile she had ever seen before returning his lips to her own; even as his hands reached down to hoist her up so that she was positioned with her legs around his waist and her back resting against the wall of the shower. Letting out a moan as he grazed a finger over her core; Lena threw her head back and absorbed the feel of his lips on her skin as they forged a trail of fire down the side of her face and neck, before latching onto her collarbone.

Lena let out a breathy sigh as he bit down on her skin and continued tracing his finger around her entrance; and she found herself grabbing onto his shoulders in an effort to drag him closer to her as she unconsciously bucked her hips into him. She could feel the vibration of his laughter at her action through his hold on her collarbone; and had to fight to suppress a whimper as he broke that heavenly mouth away from her skin to speak.

“Waiting for something, Lena?” He asked her; still teasing her with his finger as he took in the way she was closing her eyes and losing herself in the moment, with him. That was all he ever wanted; for her to give up all the stress her father was putting her through and just…breathe. And by the little gasps she was making; the “breathing” was coming along quite nicely.

“John…don’t…I just…” Lena said; cursing herself internally at how damned impossible it was for her to think clearly with John smirking at her and…touching her. Touching her in a way that made her feel like she was on fire; and yet, also giving her the feeling of safety…of being cherished…

Sensing that her need was just as potent as his own; John withdrew his finger and entered her with a swift thrust, capturing her moan and swallowing it as he returned to kissing her and began making love to her in earnest. This wasn’t just sex, for him; not with this amazing, beautiful, and selfless woman. A woman who was considering getting herself involved in a crime war; just to keep what her father had worked for safe. He hadn’t encountered anyone quite like her in his lifetime; and he swore then and there that he wouldn’t let anyone, or anything touch her…not if he had anything to say about it.

It didn’t take long for the two of them to tumble over the edge together; and they used the remainder of the hot water from the shower to clean each other off before stepping out and getting dressed. John watched her while he buttoned his dress shirt; smiling slightly as he observed how serene she appeared despite what she was about to do. Stepping over to her to snake an arm around her waist as she finished adjusting her hair; he took a deep breath before speaking.

“I will be going to that meeting with you; Lena. There is still a threat to your life; and until we figure out where it’s coming from I won’t be leaving you alone. Not when I can help it.”

“Is that how you get your people to let you tail them all day long, John? You seduce them in a shower?” Lena asked, smiling as she leaned back into him; loving the feel of his broad chest against her back. She felt the rumble of his laughter through their connection; before he moved her around so she was facing him as he said:

“I can’t go giving away all of my trade secrets, Lena…where would be the fun in that?”

Lena laughed, bringing his mouth down to her own to kiss him; pondering at her sense of pure elation, even with the responsibility her father had given her looming before her. John had a way of calming her down; even when no one else could. And despite the brief flicker of fear over his determination to accompany her to the meeting with the other families; she knew there was no one else she’d rather have there by her side.

They barely had time to get into the kiss before John’s phone rang insistently from inside his pocket. Letting out a low groan of frustration, the ex-op answered the phone; moving away from Lena as he said:

“Yes, Finch?”

A brief pause ensued, during which Lena busied herself with straightening her room; before John hung up the call and turned back to her with an unreadable expression on his face.

“I…something’s come up. I’ve got to go help Finch with something; but I’ll meet you when I’m done? Just…just stay here, Lena. Stay here, and wait for me to come back.”

Lena shook herself as she attempted to comprehend what he was saying; unsure of where this sudden change was coming from.

“Is everything alright?” She asked; concern evident in her voice as she walked over to John and grabbed his hand with her own. “Is it Harold? Is he hurt?”

John looked at her for a moment; clearly torn over what to say, before he squeezed her hand gently and walked towards the door of her apartment, saying:

“I don’t know; Lena. I don’t know. Promise me you’ll wait to go to this meeting until I come back?”

Lena could only nod as she watched him walk away; closing the door behind him and leaning back against the door as she let out the breath she didn’t know she was holding. As quickly as John had relaxed her; her feelings of anxiety over not only this meeting, but whatever was going on with John’s employer, were ramping up again.

Flipping on the television as she sat down on the couch; she resolved to make at least a somewhat decent attempt at distracting herself until this afternoon’s meeting. After all, she had to come up with some way to explain John’s presence to Scarface and the others…
………………………………………………………………………………………………………