Well, I didn't think I'd ever finish this story, but I guess with the completion of "I'd Come For You", my brain – and the characters – wanted to tie up some loose ends before tackling the next story on way to #200. Of course, CaReese gets their Valentine's Day, but I did leave the door open for the possibility of Lionel getting a partner in the game of love. Who and how? You'll have to wait. Until then, enjoy this long waited for conclusion of our favourite star-crossed lovers. And thank you for your unwavering support to help see this through.

Cupid

"Hello, Joss," Reese greeted breathlessly as he looked up from his place on the floor. "Funny meeting you here."

Joss lowered her weapon and holstered it. "Yeah, funny. What are you doing here, John?"

Reese rolled over on to all fours, then pushed himself to his feet. "I could ask you the same thing."

"You first."

Reese brushed his hand over his long overcoat. "Got word that a wife was getting ready to secure the divorce that her husband was denying her."

"A husband was going to kill his wife in this room on Valentine's Day," she thought out loud.

"And here we are in a hotel room with soft music and a table set for two," he pointed out.

Joss cocked her head in thought as the pieces began to fall into place. "Fusco! He set us up! That lying, conniving..." Joss shook her head in disbelief. "I wish I could put him on traffic duty."

"Finch is the one who sent me here, so I don't think there is much I can do to get back at him." Reese lifted the black and silver bottle of champagne from the bucket. "Dom Perignon White Gold," he read the label aloud. "Good choice, Harold." He tore off the wrapper and pulled out the cork. The bubbly fizz erupted from the bottle, and Reese hurriedly grabbed one of the fluted glasses to catch the liquid.

"Here. Drink." He thrust the glass toward Joss. As she took it, he grabbed the other flute and filled it.

Joss took a swallow and let the bubbles roll over her tongue. "This is exquisite," she complimented and took another sip.

"It should be, since it cost fifteen grand a bottle," Reese quipped and raised the glass to his lips. His eyes danced with amusement at her reaction.

Joss nearly choked on the revelation. "Fifteen thousand DOLLARS?!" she gasped.

He gave an indifferent shrug. "Give or take a thousand." He finished the drink and poured himself another.

"Oh!" Joss set the glass on the table and stepped back. "That still doesn't explain them lying to us."

Reese looked at Joss over the rim of his glass. "Are you saying that you don't want to be here? With me?"

Joss shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another. "Do you want to be with me?"

"You did lie to me, Joss."

"I didn't mean to."

Reese finished the drink and placed the glass on the table next to Joss'. In the background the song finished and another began. It's haunting tale of lovers wandering alone and wanting another chance filled the room.

"It wasn't intentional. Once I found out it was you, I wanted to stop. But then I realized I could finally find out who you really are," she explained passionately.

"And...?" he prompted her to continue.

"I liked what I found out. You're a great guy. Misunderstood...maybe even a little hard on yourself. But overall, any woman would be lucky to have you," she said.

"I see," Reese said simply.

"I know that Fusco and Finch did their best to try to get us together," she said, finally breaking her silence. "And I know that you are angry with what I did. I understand. You were fooled again, and your night was interrupted." Her smile was tight and forced, and she blinked back the tears of self-pity. "I will...um...let you have the rest of the night to yourself."

Turning on her heel, she blindly make her way toward the open doorway. Maybe, if she was lucky, she might be able to make it home in time to order that pizza and watch the sappy movie she'd recorded. She stopped when Reese's hand took her wrist.

"Joss...don't go."

She turned to look at Reese. "What?" she whispered.

"Stay." His blue eyes bore, unblinking, into her brown ones. "Please."

"John..." she protested, but a thrill of electricity ran up her arm.

"I thought I wanted Maggie with her understanding and compassion, but then I found myself wanting you and your tenacity and soft vulnerability. I wondered how I was going to choose, then I found out the women I want are one and the same – with all the things I love and want wrapped up in one beautiful package."

"You-you love me?" Joss asked as her brain tried to make sense of the statement.

Reese brushed back a lock of Joss' hair with one hand as his other hand caressed the soft skin of her cheek. "You sound surprised, Joss," he replied but there was no teasing in his tone.

"I...it's not...you mean it?" she stumbled to explain what she wanted to say.

Reese took Joss' hand and placed it on his heart. "Can you feel it? You're the reason my heart beats. Every one of those beats has your name on it," he said and took a step forward.

Joss closed her eyes and bowed her head. "John..."

Reese crooked his finger and placed it under her chin to lift her eyes to meet his. "Look at me, Joss. I love you. I have since day one. Do you remember that morning when the transit cop brought me in? You tried to help me, but all I could think about was your perfume and your big brown eyes. I wanted to make love to you right there," he confessed and took another step. Their bodies were so close, yet they didn't touch.

Joss was startled by the revelation. "You...you wanted to make love to me?"

"I never stopped. That wanting has haunted me day and night. Do you know how difficult it's been to keep my hands to myself?"

"No."

"At first I was trying to find a reason to continue after you kicked me out of your life. But the more I talked to Maggie, the more I found myself wanting to be with you. That hollow in my heart and soul was something only you could fill."

"John..." His name came out as a breathless sigh.

"I made the date with Maggie, but all I wanted was you. I figured if I couldn't have you, I would have Maggie. But I realized I didn't want her. I was going to break it off when Fusco revealed the truth. Although you already made the slip."

"I-I did?" She couldn't recall what she could have said that would have blown her cover, but then again, she was having difficulty recalling much of anything at the moment.

"You called me 'John' during our last conversation. I didn't catch it at first, but when I did, I reacted horribly." He took one more step so they stood so close he could feel the heat from her body. "I swore I never wanted to see you again. But I realized that I am in love with you. You could set me on fire, Joss, and I would run out and get another log."

"What are you saying?"

Groaning low in his throat, Reese dipped his head and kissed her. His lips moved softly over hers as he tasted her sweetness. He felt his body come alive as she slowly responded back. His tongue outlined the seam of her lips to request entry. With a moan, she let him in.

Fisting his hand in her hair, he deepened the kiss. Hands stroking and caressing flesh, their tongues mated wildly in a dance only lovers could understand. Coming up for air, they tried to get their bearings.

"Oh, my god," Joss panted and tried to catch her breath.

"Is that all you can say, Joss?" Reese dipped his head to nibble on her ear. The sweet scent of jasmine filled his nostrils.

Joss closed her eyes and leaned toward him. "Wow! Where did you learn to kiss like that?"

"Secret CIA technique," he murmured, trailing kisses down the side of her neck. His hands pushed the heavy winter coat over Joss' shoulders. It landed on the floor with a light thud. "I could tell you, but..."

"You'd have to kill me?" Joss finished.

"You're the one killing me, Joss." Reese kissed his way to the V opening of her blouse. With nimble fingers he slipped the buttons out and let the material part. "Ohhh..." he breathed as he drank in her beauty. "You're beautiful. So beautiful."

"I don't think..."

"Don't think, Joss. Just feel." He unfastened the front clasp on her bra to let the twin mounds fall into his hands. "Feel the way I'm making love to you." He brushed his cheek against one of her nipples until it hardened.

"John..." Joss cried out when he took the taut peak in his mouth and loved it. She arched forward to give him more. Her hands curled in his hair. Time stood still as he made love to her. There was nothing else in the world but the feel of his lips on her skin and the sensation of his fingers stroking her.

Reese moved his mouth to love her other breast, while his hand unfastened the button on her slacks. Blindly he pulled the zipper down to let the material pool at her feet. Joss shivered as the cool air hit her skin.

"Shhh," Reese comforted. "I'll warm you up." He took his sweet time kissing his way down her taut belly. He dipped his tongue in her belly button and took pleasure as her gasp of surprise. Kneeling down, he finished the journey at the edge of her black lace panties. He looked up at her. Desire smoldered in his eyes.

"Is this what you wear to all domestic calls?" he teased and ran his finger just under the edge of the elastic.

"Yes. No. I was planning on having a quiet night alone with a pizza and movie," she explained. "I had no idea I was going to be called in."

"What kind of a movie?" Reese wondered. His finger dipped down to tease the V of curls.

"What kind of-?" Joss asked, but her brain was short-circuiting. "A sappy romance."

"Boy meets girl and they fall in love and make love, but break up, only to come back together?" He pulled the panties down to let them land on the slacks.

"Something like." She couldn't remember the plot, but she didn't care. All she cared about was what he was doing to her. "It was a silly Valentine's Day movie."

Reese pressed a kiss to the curls and breathed in her delicate scent. "I'll make it up to you, Joss." He stood up. "Every kiss you missed. Every tear you cried over me. Every sleepless night." He pushed her bra and blouse off, then he lifted her in his arms. "If it takes me the rest of my life, I'm going to make it up to you."

Joss cupped Reese's cheek. "Sounds like a plan."

Reese laid her on the king-sized bed. He quickly stripped his clothing to let it fall haphazardly on the floor before joining the love of his life on the mattress. Hovering over her, he tried to find the right words.

Joss took his face in her hands. Her eyes met his. What she saw nearly took her breath away. "What is it?"

"Remember when you said any woman would be lucky to have me?"

"Hmmm hmmm."

"I think think were you're wrong, Joss; I'm the lucky one." His heart burst with more love than he thought possible. "I have you." Nudging her knees apart, he settled between her thighs.

"You know, I thought this was going to be the worst Valentine's Day ever," Joss said, not trying to hide the tears that ran from her eyes. "But it's turned out to be the best one of my life. Happy Valentine's Day, John."

Reese lovingly stroked her cheek. If he lived to be a hundred, he would never take for granted that she belonged to him.

"Only the first of many for the rest of your life, Joss. I promise." Then he kissed her and made them one.
******

Settled in at a corner table of a local cafe, Lionel lifted his mug of hot chocolate in victory.

"Well, that was a piece of cake," he stated proudly and puffed out his chest.

Finch raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. "Considering how you almost got us both shot, I'm not sure I can agree with your assessment, Detective."

"Oh, come on, Glasses. So we got off to a rough start. It wasn't that bad," he argued. At Finch's glare, he shifted in his chair. "Okay...maybe it got a little bad," he amended. "But you have to admit that it worked out in the end. At least no one got shot."

"Small consolation," Finch grudgingly gave credit. "What would you have done if they hadn't gotten together?" he threw back.

"Pfft! Like that would happen. They were meant to be together," Lionel reasoned matter of factly. He took one of the bear claws off the plate and took a bite. "You know, I think I might have a career as a 'Cupid'. Maybe I should work on getting you someone, Finch. There is a nice woman in 'Evidence Lock-Up' that I think would be great for you."

Finch cleared his throat, and Bear growled low.

"Or maybe not," Lionel backtracked quickly. He took another bite.

"Stick with the detective work, Detective," Finch replied evenly.

"Okay." Lionel raised his shoulder, then dropped it. "You should really try one of these." He wiped his fingers on the serviette before grabbing another pastry.

But little did he know that Finch's brain was spinning with possibilities after receiving the information The Machine had sent.

Bringing the oversized mug to his lips, the bespectacled man assessed the portly detective with whom he had become an unwitting partner. It was a long shot that his plan would work, but he at least had a year to put it into play.

To hide the sly smile that threatened to give it all away, he took a sip of the frothy, delicious drink.

Besides, he found he liked playing Cupid.

A lot.

The End.