A/N: Well, this is the last chapter. The end of their story...for now. I hope you've enjoyed reading their journey as much as I enjoyed writing it. Again, thanks so very, very much for the reviews! I tried to respond to all of them, but may have missed a couple and unfortunately, couldn't respond to the guest reviews. They were all appreciated like crazy! :) ~wolf~

"Wow."

Trying to catch his breath, Reese lay on his back with Joss sprawled over him.

She giggled and leaned up to kiss his throat, humming out her agreement over his

Adam's apple. "Mmm Hmm. My thoughts exactly."

He wrapped his arms around her and rolled to his side so he could look at her. "Joss?"

Snuggling closer to him, she let out a yawn and pressed her face against him. "Yeah..."

He looked down at the woman in his arms and realized he was looking at his future. Something he never thought he'd ever have, not after all the things he'd done. A part of him settled into the feeling. It was that part that he used to knock down the devil whispering in his ear. Nothing was going to destroy this for him - not even himself.

He kissed the top of her head and pulled her a little tighter against him. "Nothing. Sleep...just sleep." The conversation they were destined to have could wait. He wanted a few more hours with her just like this.

"Mmm...already there." She brushed a lazy kiss over his chest, but never opened her eyes. "Love you..."

His heart tightened at her words. He was sure he'd never get used to hearing them, but he would damn sure do everything in his power to be worthy of them.

Looking up into the dark, he smiled. "I love you too."

The morning found Reese up and dressed early. He moved around the kitchen area quietly, trying not to wake Joss before it was necessary. He'd spent most of the night just watching her sleep, thinking about things, and keeping his mind from wandering into dangerous, self-destructive, territory.

He'd dozed a little, but kept waking up with the thunder and lightning that had rolled in overnight. It had slowed about three, but that just meant the roads to the main roads were still going to be muddy, something he wasn't looking forward to subjecting Joss to on the motorcycle. If it came down to it, he'd just have Finch send a car. It was still early enough.

It was still mostly dark outside, but he could see through the window that the sun was starting to come up. It would be time to get on the road soon either way if he was going to get her home in time for work.

But first...it was time to wake her up.

He plated the warm muffins, fruit, and coffee. When he turned, he spotted them - the roses he'd brought up with him. The flower of love. How could he have forgotten? They were a little worse for wear from their ride in his saddlebags, but they were still the vibrant red that he'd been looking for when he'd bought them.

He held them to his nose...they still smelled sweet too. If that wasn't a sign...nothing was. He rolled his eyes and grinned. Now he was believing in signs, a sure sign he was...what did Taylor call it? Sprung? Yeah, that was it...he was sprung.

He shook his head, still with the grin on his face, and headed to the bed.

Barely covered by the comforter, she was on her stomach, one arm under her, the other stretched out where he would have been. Just looking at her, at that expanse of smooth skin teasing him, made his fingers itch to touch her. He grinned at the realization that he didn't have to hold himself back from doing just that any more.

Kneeling down, he put the plate on the table next to the bed and picked up one of the roses. He took a sniff of it again before trailing it down her back. Stopping when her shoulder twitched, he moved to her cheek, brushing it over her lips and back up to her ear.

"Mmm...Idris, you better go...my man has a jealous streak; if he finds you here..." She popped one eye open and licked her lips, trying not to smile. "Oh, good morning, John..."

"Idris, huh? I'm not sure I can compete with him." He took one of the coffee mugs and blew across it, directing it at her. "Maybe I should just take this...and your favorite muffins...and go." He stood and turned.

"Oh, you are so wrong for that...so wrong. OK, OK, you win. Idris and I are officially over. I'm all yours. Gimme that coffee."

Still with his back to her, he took a deep breath. "Are you sure? Because I wouldn't want to come between the two of you..."

"I'm sure...you're all the man I need." When he turned back around, she could tell he was fighting a grin. She pointed a finger at him and narrowed her eyes. "But step outta line..."

John grabbed her finger and took a nip out of it, brushing it between his lips to sooth the bite. He kneeled down by the side of the bed. "Oh, don't worry, I'm sure you'll keep me on the straight and narrow."

"I already have a full-time job; I don't need another one, thanks." Taking the coffee from him, she took a sip and nearly moaned at how good it was.

"That's funny. Are you always this funny first thing in the morning?" He took her mug and chuckled when she actually let out a mewl of protest and reached for it as he set it back on the table. "Uh uh. First things first." He took her face in his hands and kissed her long and deep.

When he pulled away and leaned in again, she put a hand to his chest. "First...to answer your question, I guess you're just gonna have to wake up with me every morning to find out how funny I am. Second, you don't get another kiss until I brush my teeth."

Reese nodded in understanding, his eyes twinkling. "I really like the sound of that first part and yes, I do remember your obsession with dental hygiene. Anything else?"

"Yes. Gimme the coffee and no one gets hurt." She reached for the mug on the tray and spotted the roses. "John..." She took a deep breath and looked up at him with wide eyes. "Where did those come from?"

"Just something I brought with me...something to round out the others, I guess." He picked them off the tray and handed both to her.

She took a long sniff of them and closed her eyes at the scent. When she opened her eyes, they were glistening. "I know what this one means."

John nodded.

"Did you know you were going to tell me when you brought me here, when you picked these up?"

He got up and sat next to her on the bed. "No. I had no idea what would happen when I brought you here. I just wanted..." He suddenly became very interested in his hands.

Joss stopped his fidgeting by taking his hands in hers. "What did you want, John?"

"I wanted to spend some time with you, just the two of us. I wanted you to see this place and understand what it means to me. I wanted to share a part of myself with you."

She wrapped her arms around him. "Why do I get the feeling that was a tough decision for you to make?"

He shrugged. "I haven't let anyone in here..." he tapped his chest over his heart "...in a long time, Joss. But no, it wasn't a hard decision. It was the only decision I could make. It was a chance I knew I had to take."

Rubbing her hand up and down his back slowly, she leaned in to look him in the eyes. "Did you honestly think I'd turn you away? After everything?"

"I didn't want to assume anything about us. I wanted to believe that we'd make it here eventually, but..."

"Oh, John..." She wrapped her entire body around him, the comforter slipping from her. "Look at me."

His mouth went dry just before he smirked at her and trailed his fingertips over her shoulder, down her arm. "Like I have a choice right now? I couldn't tear my eyes from all this if my life depended on it. You're so damn beautiful. And you're mine."

She pushed him down on his back and crawled over him, a greedy, seductive look in her eyes.

"And guess what, John...I love you...and you're stuck with me."

He enveloped her in his arms and rolled them over, kissing her quickly, as he laughed. "No where I'd rather be stuck." He deepened the kiss. "And I'm sorry, but I think you're going to be late for work."

"Oh. Damn. Guess it's a good thing I have a change of clothes in my locker."

Five hours later

She eventually did make it work.

Fusco stood on the steps of the precinct talking with a few other cops when a loud black and chrome motorcycle pulled up.

He was only a little surprised to see Reese when he pulled off his helmet with a smile.

He was floored when the motorcycle's passenger took off her helmet and it turned out to be his partner.

But what happened next could have knocked him over with a feather.

When Joss got off the bike, with a little help from Wonderboy, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. Hard. With some tongue. He was pretty sure he caught an "I love you" thrown in there too. From both of them.

Reese watched her saunter up the steps with a bit more of a sway in her hips than usual and give her partner a quick wave and a saucy smile.

When he glanced over at him, Fusco's mouth was hanging open and he shook his head like he had just fallen into another dimension.

Reese tried, but he couldn't help himself...just before he put his helmet back on, he looked directly at Lionel and wagged his eyebrows.

Ah yeah, Reese thought with a snicker, life just got even better.

THE END...for now.