A/N
I was heartbroken after the end of POI. One of my heroes died, one of my heroes survived. How could I go on?
I still miss John&Harold. But I was lucky, because there was (and still is) one person who helped me through it all.
This story is dedicated to you, justayellowumbrella.
Disclaimer: I don't own or make any money from Person of Interest.
ONE
John entered the bar, smoky air and smell of alcohol pushed against him.
Looked around, decided for a barstool on the side.
Exits in view and the stairs to men's and women's restrooms.
"A beer." He commanded when the barkeeper showed.
A bottle was slid to him.
He was just enjoying his first sip when his phone buzzed.
A tap on his ear. "Finch?"
"Mr. Reese."
"New number?"
"No."
Reese frowned.
"I thought we were done at the library…"
"Where are you?"
Reese sighed. Hesitated. Wanted to stay alone after their discussion about the last case.
"You know where to find me." Was all he finally answered and tapped his ear to end the communication.
How long would it take? He guessed a beer, and he was right.
John just ordered his second beer when a voice he knew by heart sat next to him.
"Really, Mr. Reese. - You didn't expect me to leave things like that?" Harold's voice sounded straight, but clipped.
"For once, yes, Finch." Reese answered. "Besides, there's nothing further to add."
"Mr. Reese…"
"Finch, I didn't do it for mercy. I did it because…"
But Finch interrupted him. "You did it because you pitied her."
That remark kept John silent.
Two days earlier…
"Is there something else I should know about our new number, Finch?"
The voice in his ear sounded distracted.
"Mr. Reese. Didn't we decide this time for 'watch and learn'?"
John couldn't suppress a small grin.
"I learned 50 years old, average height, good job, nice husband, a house, a dog, a cat…"
A sigh on the other end made him continue: "…no threat so far, as I watched?"
He also heard noises that sounded a lot like the drives he had seen earlier on Finch's desk. Since yesterday, to be precise.
"Besides, what did you learn from these drives, Finch?"
The noises stopped for a moment. Bingo!
"I didn't know your computer expertise, Mr. Reese."
John shook his head. "No offense, Finch, but you shoveled them from the left side of your desk to the right side. For which purpose other than that they are useless?"
Silence on the other end.
"You figured it out by the noise?"
"I figured it out because you made no tapping sounds on your keyboard."
Silence on the other end again.
John leaned back in the car where he watched the house of their new number. Suburban life, normal for so many people. A nice house, a neatly planted garden, dogs and cats running around, in the afternoon the laughs and cries of the kids.
The low sound of music seemed to underline the beautiful picture he just drew, when Harold interrupted his stream of thoughts.
"What are you listening to?"
John grinned. "A classic."
"You declare country music as 'classic'?"
"Finch!" John asked himself sometimes if Harold had indeed lived in this world... or was born on another planet. (Which would explain why there was nothing to be found about him so far.)
"Don't tell me you don't know one famous song."
"Mr. Reese. There are far more important things in this world than country music..."
"How about 'Sweet Home Alabama'?"
"Mr. Reese -"
John saw suddenly a man going through the garden door and straight for the house. In seconds he had taken a photo.
"Finch, this isn't her husband. Sending you a photo."
He could hear Harold tapping on his computer. "This will take me a moment."
John's mouth twitched again. "If you like, I can sing another famous country song for you..."
He spoke to a silent communication line. Alright. Finch was no fan of country music. The way he had pronounced 'classic' let John guess that he was more the classical type.
Maybe he should switch to the classic channel? Seeing Harold's reaction could put an end to his speculation. At least on one of his way too many ones...
He just reached for the radio when he heard Finch's voice again.
"It's a neighbor from the other street. Officially logged in for work. I guess he's not working right now?"
Instead of an answer, John left the car. "Only one way to find out."
"Mr. Reese?"
"You're not planning on breaking and entering?"
When Harold got no answer from John, he tried to get access to the street cameras as fast as possible. And yes, there he could watch John climbing the balcony of the house, where a door stood wide open.
"Mr. Reese, this is highly impropriate..." Harold started anew, but the link was dead. This was another situation he had always dreaded because right now he could watch the husband appear on the street camera, parking the car, stepping out and walking in a fast way to the house! As if he would have known...
Quickly, Harold was tapping again, looking for a camera inside the house he could hack.
And there it was – right to the bedroom. He also activated the TV to have ears inside the house, and rightly there, he could hear loud voices. Arguing.