Whelp, here we are at the end of another Wolf adventure! Once again I have to thank everyone for your support and the love you have shown this AU. Special shout out to Guest reviewers since I can't reply to you directly.

Once again I should say that I don't own any character from the show, I just take advantage of the Fair Use concept to play with them.

I also need to thank my beta carolinagirl919 once again for all her help in getting this fic ready to post. (Seriously people, you should see this stuff before she cleans it up for me!) You rule girl!

Chapter 10 - The Hospital

Joss's eyes fluttered open to reveal the all too familiar ceiling in the Wolf Clinic. "Crap," she groaned softly as the pain in her side from the gunshot wound throbbed.

"Are you in pain?" a soft and familiar voice asked with concern.

Joss turned her head to see John sitting next to her, his silver-blue eyes gentle with worry. She gave him a weak smile, grateful to be able to see him again. "I'll be fine. I can feel it healing already," she tried to reassure her mate, but it came out as more of a croak because her mouth was so dry.

John held a straw to her lips and she was able to drink a bit of water. "Thanks, that feels a lot better," she said as he put the glass down on the bedside table.

John crossed his arms and glared at her. "What were you thinking?"

Joss sighed. "I wasn't thinking actually. I just knew I couldn't let Mercer get away with those girls."

John's cold blue eyes glared at her. "Haven't you ever heard of the Coast Guard?"

Joss shot him a dirty look back. "You know as well as I do that there are plenty of places along the coast to hide a boat between here and Canada. There was no guarantee that the Coast Guard could find them once they left the harbor. You would have done the same thing."

John growled low in his throat, knowing she had him there. In response, he leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "You're right, but I'm still going to spank you when I get you home for scaring me like that."

"Promise?" Joss gave her mate a weak, but saucy smile.

Before John could answer, Dr. Mike Cho ambled into the room with his usual cheerful smile on his face. "Well look who finally decided to wake up," he teased Joss playfully. "Glad you could join us again, Alpha."

Joss sighed. "Do we get a volume discount? I swear between the two of us we spend as much time here as we do at home."

Dr. Cho snorted. "We're planning on renaming this room the Alphas Carter/Reese Suite. There's a betting pool at the nurses station predicting your family's next visit. I have John in two months with a knife wound. Pretty hot action if you want to get in on it. Better than March Madness."

The good doctor ignored the dirty look he got from John. He was saved by the timely arrival of Dr. Madeleine Enright. "How's our patient?"

Joss's eyes opened wide in surprise. "Hey Maddy, I didn't know I needed the help of the foremost cardio-thoracic surgeon in New York!"

Dr. Enright gave Joss a grin as she took the chart from Dr. Cho. "You didn't really. But that Worry Wolf," Dr. Enright jerked her thumb towards John, "you mated with insisted on calling me in."

Joss looked over at her mate and he shrugged. "You'd lost a lot blood," John replied unapologetically.

"Considering you engaged in a life and death battle after being shot, you're actually in pretty good shape. You were lucky, Joss." Dr. Enright shut the chart with a snap. "Not even a challenge for a surgeon of my talents," she ended with a theatrical sigh.

Cho laughed. "Did you get in on the betting pool?"

Maddy grinned. "Joss, six months, shoulder wound."

The next morning Joss was sitting up in bed watching TV when Fusco strolled in.

"Hey partner," she greeted him happily.

"Hey," he responded with a smile. "Glad to see you sitting up. Feel up to some visitors? I have a gaggle of teenaged She Wolves just outside the door who would love to thank you personally."

Joss's face broke into huge grin. "I would love to see them! Is everyone alright?"

Fusco sighed and shrugged. "As well as they could be considering most of them have been held as sex slaves for months. They all have a long road ahead of them, but it could have been a lot worse. They can start healing now, thanks to you."

Joss looked down at her hands as they twisted the blanket. "I couldn't let them go, Lionel. No one deserves that life. Least of all a bunch of innocent kids."

Fusco laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You did good Joss, real good. The Coast Guard was too far away, Mercer would have been long gone by the time they got there. You saved them all. Even though you scared the crap out of all of us."

Joss gave him a watery smile. Fusco smiled back and patted her shoulder before he walked outside. When he returned, he was gently herding five teenagers.

"Joss, I don't think you have been formally introduced. Meet LaKeisha Johnson, 16, from San Francisco, Mercedes Quintana, 14, from Phoenix, Shayna George, 16, from Jackson Hole, Regina Flynn, 15, from Charlotte and Devon Bourne, also 15, from Freeport."

Joss smiled brightly at the teens as they gathered around her bed. They all looked too thin and some of them had visible bruises, but they were all smiling. Despite the ache in her side, Joss knew for certain she had done the right thing. They were no longer facing a short, horrible life of slavery. She had given them a second chance.

Joss talked with the girls and Fusco for some time and she soon learned the details of Mercer's operation that Fusco had unraveled while she was unconscious. Mercer targeted Wolf teens who, like Lacey McNair, were having trouble at home or at school and did not have a strong pack structure to fall back on. He would pose as a concerned Alpha to lure them from their homes, promising to take care of them and give them the pack that they all craved. Once they agreed to join his non-existent pack, he would arrange to meet them and take them to their new home.

At that point, the nightmare would begin. Not only was there no pack, they were forced into a life of prostitution. They were kept in appalling conditions, sleeping in dog kennels when they were not "on-duty" without adequate sanitation and barely enough food to keep them alive. They were frequently hit, by both Mercer and the clients who paid a premium to fuck a Wolf. After several months in Mercer's "kennels", he would sell the Wolves to the highest off-shore bidder. The BTK gang acted as brokers for the sales of the girls to off-shore buyers.

Lacey McNair had died in a desperate escape attempt as the girls were being moved to the boat to await the transfer to the overseas buyer. She had jumped from the truck when it was going too fast and had died instantly when she hit her head. Mercer had stopped the truck and made the other girls get out to view the bloodied body as a deterrent for future escape attempts. Then he had her left by the side of road in the gutter like a piece of trash.

Joss looked at Fusco. "Did you find where Mercer held the girls before he took them to the boat?" she asked softly.

Fusco nodded solemnly. "Yeah. There were few girls there who weren't for sale yet. They're in foster care right now until they can be returned to their families.

"The Coast Guard also caught the ship that Mercer was going to meet. The captain and crew are in custody now. And Mercer's body washed up a couple of hours ago."

Joss lay back against the pillows with a huge grin on her face. Rarely could she feel this good about a case, but right now she wanted scream and kick her feet like Cali did when she was happy.

With perfect timing, John strolled in carrying Cali. He handed the baby off to her Uncle Fusco and reached down to claim Joss's lips in searing kiss without really paying attention to the other people in the room. The girls gasped and then a collective "Awwwwwww" rose from them.

"That's so romantic!" exclaimed one of the teens.

"Please tell me he has a younger brother," squealed another.

John looked up, his eyes wide with surprise as Joss laughed. The girls were all staring at them with big calf eyes and a couple of the girls had their hands clasped over their chests. John actually blushed.

Fusco chuckled. "Ok ladies, I think the Alphas need some alone time." He handed Cali off to Joss and herded them out among some grumbling from the girls who wanted to spend some more time in the room with the handsome Alpha.

Once they were gone, John looked at his mate. "What was that all about?"

"Apparently it is every teenaged Wolf girl's dream to be swept off her feet by a handsome Alpha," Joss giggled.

"Well," John sat on the bed, "It's the dream of every Alpha to have a gorgeous mate who is also a wonderful mother and all around bad ass," he said before he kissed her again.

Later, after John and Cali had left, Joss was dozing when she heard a soft, "Joss?"

She opened her eyes to see Paul standing at the foot of her bed. He was holding a vase of flowers and looked uncomfortable. Joss smiled at him to try to put him at ease. "Paul! How sweet of you to come!"

Paul shuffled his feet and looked down. Joss waited patiently for him to speak. After a couple of awkward minutes he finally did. "I brought you some flowers."

Joss smiled again. "Thank you, that very sweet of you."

Paul looked over at the solid wall of flowers lining the bedside table and the window sill. "Looks like I'm not the only one."

"I'm lucky I have such nice friends," Joss commented. John, of course, had brought a huge bouquet of roses. Finch had brought an elaborate arrangement and a pile of books. Fusco had brought a vase of carnations and the Wolf girls had brought daises. Laskey had coaxed the guys at the precinct to contribute to an arrangement as well. Several other friends had also sent flowers, all of which resulted in a hospital room that looked more like a florist shop than place of illness and recovery. It seemed like everyone she knew had sent flowers.

Except Shaw. Shaw smuggled in a pizza instead. After a couple of days of eating hospital food, Joss had almost cried she was so grateful.

Paul busied himself shifting the vases on the window still around and finally made enough room for his arrangement. Joss watched him quietly, not wanting to say or do anything that would scare him away. She sensed he needed to say something important and she was willing to wait until he was ready to say it.

Finally, he turned to Joss. "Um, the papers said that you used your Wolf powers to save those girls."

Joss raised her eyebrows, surprised by the turn the conversation was taking. "You make me sound like one of the X-Men," she joked. "But yeah, I did. The boat was pulling away from the dock and I had to go Wolf in order to jump on board. I could never have made the jump in human form."

Paul nodded, but didn't make eye contact. Joss once again waited patiently for him to speak. He seemed to be struggling with something.

After a couple of minutes, he seemed to make up his mind. He met her eyes for the first time since he had entered her room. "Joss, I'm sorry, I was wrong. You aren't a freak and neither is John. You did something amazing the other day and you saved a bunch of kids. If Taylor wants to become a Wolf and follow in your footsteps, I won't object anymore."

Joss couldn't believe her ears. Not once in their entire marriage, could she recall Paul flat out admitting that he was wrong. He had apologized several times and hinted that he was in the wrong, but he had never come out and said it like he just did.

Joss laughed. "Taylor will be happy to hear that Paul. He really did want your approval."

Paul gave her the dazzling smile that had first captured her attention all those years ago, and for a brief minute Joss was reminded of the handsome, happy man she had married. "He would have done it any way." Paul shrugged. "He's like his mama that way. If he thinks it's the right thing to do, he'll do it."

"Yeah, but he wanted you on board with his decision." Joss paused and looked pensively at her ex. "He does want a relationship with you, Paul," she said quietly.

Paul nodded soberly. "I know Joss. I'm just trying to stumble my way through all this."

Joss reached over and took his hand in hers. "We all are Paul, but we will get through this together."

A few days later, Joss huffed as she stood in the bathroom of her room and looked in the mirror at her unruly hair, silently vowing to run to the salon as soon as she could. A week in the hospital had not been kind to her normally tidy tresses. With a defeated sigh, she pulled it back into a ponytail and focused on her make up. If she could make her face look good, maybe no one would notice her frizzing hair.

"Joss?" she heard the voice of Dr. Cho from outside the bathroom door.

"In here Mike!" she called out.

"Are you decent?"

"No, but I am clothed!"

Dr. Cho poked his head into the bathroom where Joss was fussing with her appearance with his usual grin on his face. "Lookin' good there my Alpha. John is out front with the car, and I don't want to keep the baddest Alpha in New York waiting."

Joss laughed. "And just how do you know he is the baddest Alpha in New York?"

"Because he has been in my emergency room more often than all the other Alphas combined," Dr. Cho shot back.

Joss walked out of the bathroom and stopped when she saw the wheelchair. "Do I have to?" she whined.

Dr. Cho rolled his eyes. "Joss as often as you have done this, I would think you knew the rules by now. Stop arguing, your mate is waiting."

Joss shot her doctor a dirty look, but settled in the chair without further protest. Dr. Cho handed her her bag and pushed the wheelchair out the door of the room and down the hallway. Progress was on the slow side as they had to stop several times before they reached the sliding doors of the clinic so that various hospital personnel stopped to say goodbye to the popular Alpha.

As the wheelchair exited out the front doors of the Wolf Clinic, Joss felt the familiar flutter in her chest when she saw her mate lounging casually against the familiar Lincoln. He leaned back against the car with his arms folded, his legs crossed at the ankles, and a smirk on his face. Joss thought he was sex on a stick.

As soon as he saw them, John grinned from ear to ear and strode to Joss. He took her bag in one hand and helped her out of the wheelchair with the other. As she stood up, he slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her to his body. He kissed her gently at first and then the kiss became hotter as Joss wound her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

They finally broke apart when they heard a discreet cough. John glared over Joss's head towards Dr. Cho who shifted his weight from foot to foot under the intense scrutiny of his Alpha. "Um… looks like you have things under control here. I'll just go back inside…" The doctor hurriedly shuffled back into the clinic.

Joss laughed while John winked and tossed her bag into the back seat of the car. He opened the door for her and made sure she was settled before he slid into the driver's seat. Joss leaned back into the plush seat and sighed. "I am so glad to be going home."

John gave her another smirk. "We do have one stop to make before we can go home."

Joss frowned. "Where?" She really just wanted to go home.

John pulled smoothly away from the curb and out into traffic. "You'll like it, don't worry."

Joss made a rude noise and fidgeted impatiently while she tried to guess where John was taking her. The big car crossed the bridge and turned towards Queens before Joss finally understood where they were headed.

Joss was recognized the graveyard as the one where Tibor was buried as John parked outside the gates. She was curious as to what could be here that John felt was so important.

They got out of the car and John took her hand, smiling down at her. He saw the question in her eyes and softly said, "You'll see."

They walked the familiar path to the Tibor's grave and she was even more perplexed to see Harold, Lionel, and Sam standing at the grave waiting for them. Each of their friends had smiles on their faces as they watched John and Joss's slow progress across the lawn. As the Alpha couple reached the small group, they moved aside and Joss could read the grave marker.

TIBOR SZABO

Joss's eyes grew wide and she gasped. She dropped to her knees and ran her fingers over the freshly carved last name. She looked up at Finch with tears in her eyes. "You found his family."

Finch gave her a gentle smile. "I was beginning to think to we would never find them. The person I had hired finally found them in a small town in the mountains on the border between Romania and Hungary. None of them are alive, Tibor was the only survivor of the Wolf Hunter's attack, but my man did find an old priest who remembered them."

"Thank you Harold," Joss said as a tear trickled down her cheek. She could have sworn she felt a gentle touch on her shoulder and for a second she thought she saw Tibor standing next to her. She felt the weight of guilt over his death suddenly lift from her shoulders. Tibor had a family now, and she had no doubt that he was with them.

"It was my pleasure, Detective. Everyone deserves a name. The correct name," Finch said softly.

Joss nodded. "This is as close as we can get to giving him his family back."

The group stood silently at the grave, paying their respects to the Little Lost Wolf and then turned and made their way quietly back to the cars.

One month later, on Pack Night for the Carter/Reese pack, the entire Wolf pack joyfully gathered to induct a new member into their midst.

At the appointed time, Joss approached a shirtless Taylor with John in his salt and pepper Wolf form by her side. The pack gathered around them, the air thick with anticipation. Taylor had been quite vocal since Joss had been turned that he too wanted to join the Wolf people, and the pack been anticipating this night for a very long time.

"Taylor Carter, you have asked to join the Pack." Joss voice was firm and clear betraying none of the emotions she was feeling.

Taylor responded, "I have."

"Have you have been informed of your responsibilities as a Pack member?"

"I have. I am to protect and help other members of the pack. I am to care for sick and wounded Pack members to the best of my ability and I am to obey the Alpha.""

"Do you accept those responsibilities as a Pack member?"

"I do."

"Does the Pack accept Taylor Carter as a member?"

A chorus of "Yes!" and cheers went up.

"Taylor, the pack accepts you. Alpha, are you ready?" Joss looked at her mate standing quietly next to her. The huge Alpha gave a Wolfly grin and wagged his tail in response.

"Then proceed."

Taylor knelt down and extended his arm to John. John approached and then without warning clamped down hard on his upper arm. Taylor's eyes teared up at the pain, but he didn't cry out or flinch. He held steady while John held on for nearly a full minute. Finally, John released him and stepped back to sit down next to his mate.

Dr. Cho hurried forward to check Taylor while Joss smiled at her son. "Welcome to the pack." Another cheer went up and the pack pressed forward to congratulate their new member while Dr. Cho bandaged his arm. Taylor, grinning from ear to ear, happily accepted everyone's good wishes.

"How are you feeling baby?" Joss quietly asked Taylor after the Pack had a chance to welcome their new member.

"Kinda shaky, mom. You weren't kidding about the change starting immediately." Taylor looked a little wide eyed as he pulled on a shirt and Joss saw his hands were shaking.

"That's what saved my life. Now it's time for you head off with the non-Wolves for the last time while we take our run."

Taylor grinned and followed the rest of the non-Wolf members of the pack to the nearby diner.

Joss watched her son go until he was out of sight. With a smile, she turned and stepped into the thicket where she and John changed for Pack Nights. John was waiting for her in his human form, leaning against a tree.

"How's our new pack member?" John asked with a smile.

"He's feeling the change already," Joss said as she pulled off her clothes.

"He'll be a great Wolf," John said confidently as he slipped his arms around his mate. "Just like his mother." His lips lowered to hers and lovingly kissed her.

"Come on Alpha, we have a run to lead," Joss said, nuzzling him before she morphed.

John morphed and led his mate out to meet the rest of their pack.

And that's a wrap! The Wolves will return soon in another crossover with Sleepy Hollow.