A few days later...

"I can't believe you did that Finch!"

"Mr. Reese, it wasn't like I had the luxury of time or rather, you didn't."

"Come on. It's because you've changed your opinion. You're actually coming around..."

"You're one to talk. I'm not seeing overt openness on your part, Mr. Reese"

"Touche. But admit it... you brought Detective Carter to the library! I think you're loosening up, Finch."

"Okay, Mr. Reese. I trust the Detective, but I don't think that means I'm going to publish an autobiography of my life."

"I didn't say that."

Finch shifted the uncomfortable topic to one he knew would put his friend off-balance. "I guess now that you've established my feelings for the Detective... the next step would be to figure out yours."

That halted Reese's playful badgering. "Cat got you're tongue Mr. Reese?" Finch always enjoyed turning the tables on his, sometimes irritating partner, though admittedly, this was an issue he had wanted to bring up several times; the right moment just never seemed to presented itself. Until now.

A quiet moment stretched between the two when Reese stoically offered, "I admire, respect and value the Detective."

"You aren't the only one adept at spotting subterfuge Mr. Reese." Seeing right through his attempted detachment.

John swallowed back a large gulp of beer and leaned deeply into his chair. Maybe he was just the right mix of tired, relaxed and buzzed to actually have this conversation. "I guess I do have deeper feelings for Joss. I just don't think I should expose her to this life, more than she already is. Look what happened. Again..."

"Well, I can understand that. Leaving Grace was the single hardest thing I've ever had to do. There isn't a day goes by I don't question my decision, though. My assumption and fear that something might hurt her because of me, in essence, happened for that very reason." Reese craned around to look directly at Harold.

"I hurt her. I thought she would move on, forget me and find happiness. She still attends grief counseling and has yet to even talk to another man." Harold took a drink and closed his eyes. "Are we wrong to be the ones to decide? I mean, decide alone?" He looked at Reese in question. "At that moment it was so clear. Hide, slip away and stay dead to protect Grace. Now? I'm just not sure it was the only option or most fair one."

John listened with riveted interest and surprise to hear Finch so openly sharing his innermost feelings. "Do you think Grace would understand? Forgive you?"

Finch looked at Reese for the longest time. "I'm not sure. Or if she even should. Someone like her, so pure, so honest... she deserves more than someone who'd lie to her, hurt her and steal her happiness from her."

Harold's words cut to the heart of his own fears and worries. Yet to hear him say it, Reese feel like he wanted to tell Harold he was wrong. That he was being overly hard on himself, that he was a good man and only did what he did to protect someone he loved. But he couldn't say the words. "So maybe there's no such thing as happily ever after for guys like us?"

They both sat, for at least half a beer's worth of contemplative silence, before Finch spoke. "You know, if Grace knew as much as Carter... it might have been different. I might have given her the choice to decide the next step. She didn't yet, so my decision was predicated on that fact."

"So your saying since I've already put Carter at risk, why hold back now?" John leaned forward, arms on his legs.

"No, I'm saying since the Detective chose to be an equal partner in some respects of your life, you should allow her the same opportunity in others." Finch knew what Reese was thinking and added, "As I see it... Unless you pointed a gun to her head Mr. Reese, she willingly inserted herself into the fold."

Bracing his ribs, Reese got up and walked to their glass board, idly flicking the five photos of the last numbers. "I just don't know if I can handle something happening to her because of me."

"John, I'm not sure she would see it quite like that. Joss Carter is not the kind of woman you could expect to thrive, kept in a protective bubble. She chose the military and to become a cop well before you entered her life. Her nature is to seek out and end violence. I don't believe your presence or absence would change her nature or course of her life."

Finch got up and limped beside Reese, pulling the photos off their board. "None of us want to lose someone we hold dear. But whether you keep that person near or far, it will not diminish the fact that it will hurt if we were to lost them. How near is of course up to you, but if I know the Detective at all, I'd say trying to keep her at a distance, insulated or safeguarded, would be far more dangerous to you both."

John looked at Harold. "What the hell did she do to you?" He laughed in amazement at Finch's insightful openness.

"I saw her defining drive. For better or worse, she won't be changed." Reese could only stand there and blink.

The echoing of heels accompanied by Bear's happy tap-dance effectively put an end their conversation.

Carter rounded the corner carrying a large pizza box. She suspiciously eyed the number of missing beers in their twelve-pack. "Damn, couldn't even wait for a girl to get here?"

John smoothly took the box, "Hello Detective." and offered her a freshly opened beer. "We were weak..."

Finch sheepishly agreed adding an apologetic smile.

"I can see that. Long as there's a couple left with my name on it..." She brought the sweating bottle to her lips and didn't bother hiding the sheer appreciation of its frothy coldness slipping down her throat. "So you guys have serious-face. What's going on now? New case already?"

"Nothing." John answered far to quickly, wondering where the hell all his finely honed covert skills had just gone.

"Hi, I'm DETECTIVE Carter.., guess we haven't met before?" She sarcastically stated.

"Mr. Reese was just informing me about my apparent 'loosening up' and evolving social nature."

"Okaaaaay." She eyed them both. "Loosening into what, exactly?" She looked at John as she sat and grabbed a slice pizza. "Piping hot, deep dish, spinach mushroom..." She sing-songed.

"Into a more trusting 'paranoid-reclusive-computer genius'..." Reese grinned at Harold.

"Or maybe into a lone-wolf, consequences-be-damned, superhero?" Carter flashed him a toothy smirk between mouth fulls. "You should have seen him. He was pretty fearless smashing into those Merc trucks and holding his own against their attacks. Mad driving skills by the way, Harold. Even got a sexy battle scar." She winked.

"Why thank you Detective." He gave a slight bow, grimacing with the motion and took both a slice and a seat. "Though I'm not sure how 'sexy' the battle scar feels at the moment."

"So how goes our victim's processing and Lionel's commendations?" Reese strategically steered the conversation well away from his and Finch's earlier one.

"Mmmm," Carter swallowed her bite, licking the sauce from her lips. "Those anonymous files.., thank you Finch.., are going to go a long way to get our five perps convicted. The FBI's weapons trafficking dept. is all a-buzz about Fusco nabbing Erinson. I think they just about fell out of their chairs when we handed them Boyd and Stark too. Interpol is sending someone for Sinclair as we speak. And Canada's sending down some RCMP boys to haul Trent's butt back north. And... Fusco left for Hawaii with his son this morning." She smiled, truly happy for her partner.

"Hawaii... to hot." Reese complained.

Carter laughed at his obvious jealousy. "I'm assuming your errand went well?" Where John stashed the nastiest of their villains was no longer a mystery to her.

"It did and went much faster with the jet... They were pleased to be receiving the notorious child trafficking doctor."

"Child trafficking, Mr. Reese?" Finch frowned.

Reese raised his eyebrows in absolute innocence. "Helps to insure proper treatment of the prisoners... What can I say, I'm an advocate of prisoner's rights."

Carter almost humphed a drink of beer out her nose. "Oh my God, John! You know.., one day your 'Arkham Asylum' is gonna spring a leak and come back on you."

"Didn't know you were a Batman fan, Carter."

"Yeah well... lotta' things you don't know about me. Always been a sucker for the tall, dark and brooding hero types." She coyly grinned into her beer.

Finch leaned back, savoring the calm and rare moment to catch their breath. A broad smile covered his face, not to mention he was thoroughly enjoying the entertainment...

The End... But the numbers never stop coming... Watch for team's next adventure.