AN: This story is a continuation of a series co-written with another author ReeseisLAVAhot. I've struck out on my own for this one although my co-author helped beta the story. Please read and kindly review so I know how I did! Reviews are an author's "Scooby Snacks".

CHAPTER 1

Finch slowly limped into the library and as usual, headed straight to where the bank of computer monitors silently waited to be roused from their sleep mode. Hanging up his overcoat, Harold tugged his vest down to its proper position and pulled out his pocket watch. Clicking it open, he was pleased to see he'd made it into the 'office' before 8am. While his time was his own, he kept strict hours when starting his day, though he was more lax about when it ended. Sometimes he was so fully involved in helping John with an active number that time had no meaning. Even with Grace patiently waiting at home, the 'job' sometimes became all consuming.

Putting a pot of water on for some tea, he walked over and awoke the computer and all of its monitors. He never tired of watching it come to life and begin pulling in data. The pure simplicity of a computer had always made more sense to him than any human being, other than Grace of course. It was a machine, it did what it was told to do, what it was directed to do. One only had to know how how to 'speak' to it using the proper language and it could be directed...controlled. Although lately….. shying away from that thought, he stepped away from the beeping of the monitors and poured the boiling water over the Sencha green tea leaves, loving the scent that wafted its way up from the cup. Walking back to his desk, he set the cup down and covered it with its saucer so it would 'steep'.

On the three blank monitors in front of him, the word ADMIN suddenly showed up even before his fingers had had a chance to caress the keys. Unbidden by Harold, the letters appeared stark on an otherwise black screen. Caught off guard, Harold sat down in his chair open mouthed.

'Who was this? Who was trying to contact him? The system was supposed to be closed, encrypted and password protected with a random algorithm. No one, other than himself, should have access to the system and HE certainly hadn't made any admin requests. So who was inside his system?' Pushing his glasses up on his nose, Harold leaned closer to the main monitor, his mind trying to puzzle out where the message was coming from.

After no response on his part to the initial message of the word ADMIN, a second message came up: ADMIN HELP

Harold sat back in his chair. A feeling of dread, disbelief AND excitement came over him. Was it possible? He'd seen a small glimmer here and there,yes, but this would mean….

Before he could respond, yet another message appeared: ADMIN HELP NOW

His fingers flew over the keyboard as he checked diagnostic after diagnostic. All his checks told the same story, there was NO ONE else logged into his system. Minute by minute, second by second, it became clearer and clearer that the incredible had just taken place. It HAD happened…..it had really happened….the Machine was…... sentient. It was acting on its own and contacting HIM. The excitement of the discovery was quickly followed by extreme apprehension. 'The Machine needed help? The Machine was in danger? The Machine KNEW it was in danger?'

The ramifications of this moment tumbled through Harold's mind like a torrent. He found his admiration was wrapped up in excitement inside of a black hole of fear. Trying to get his chaotic thoughts in order, Harold was at a loss of what to do. His hands paused over the keyboard but he had no idea what command to type. Would the Machine accept his commands? What would he do if it ignored him?

Before he'd made a decision about what to do, the Machine decided for him. A SSN, in its true form, started flowing across the screen. No words, no Dewey decimal system but an actual SSN. That in itself was alarming. Using a program that he'd created to make his searches more efficient and rapid, he began his search for the name associated with that particular SSN.

But nothing came up. NOTHING. This was disturbing to say the least. Sitting back again in his chair, Harold frowned, trying to decipher what was actually going on. For the Machine to give him a number, directly or by the Dewey decimal system, meant that it saw imminent danger associated with the person that the number belonged to. But his program, the one he designed to expedite the Machine's processes, had come up empty.

Worrying again about the virus that Stanton had uploaded weeks ago, his fears for his...for THE Machine came rushing back. A change in its program, the way it contacted him was one thing and now that information was...incorrect? None of this made any sense. The elation he'd felt moments ago when the first message appeared, now disappeared and a feeling of dread came over him.

Asking for verification of the SSN, Harold sat with his hands poised over the keyboard waiting for a response.

After what felt like hours but was really only minutes, the Machine responded but this time with a DIFFERENT SSN. Now Finch's concern ratcheted up to extreme paranoia. How much hold on the Machine did the virus have? Had it taken over completely?

After a moment of panic, Harold looked at the new number and realized it looked familiar. He quickly typed it into his program and it came up empty just like the previous SSN had. Burying his face in his hands, Harold rubbed his eyes and quietly mumbled 'no, no, no'. Desperation showed in his bowed shoulders and hunched back. Was this going to be the end of his Machine? An end of his self-appointed mission?

Suddenly Harold's head popped up, causing him to groan from the pain the sudden movement caused in his neck. Those numbers! What was it about THOSE numbers? There was something familiar about them.

Then he saw it. Typing both numbers side by side: 353-00-4879 and 287-00-2938...those numbers as they appeared on his monitor meant nothing. Neither was a valid SSN. But swapping the first three numbers: 287-00-2938 and 353-00-4879, these new combinations got results, but not what he was expecting. One number belonged to Taylor Carter, Joss's son and one to Lee Fusco, Lionel's son. They were in danger.

The combination of the TWO numbers for people he knew well and the fact that the Machine had mixed up their numbers caused Harold's mind to go into a tailspin. Staring at the names on his monitor, the two issues: realizing who the numbers belonged to and the additional concern for the obvious problem the Machine was having, warred within his brain. Which to deal with first? Concern over the children won out. But who to contact first, their parents or….?

Suddenly realizing there was no question of who to contact first, Harold reached for his phone and called Reese.

Waking up in John's arms was the best part of the day, unless she counted falling asleep in John's arms every night. No dream was as wonderful as feeling him wrapped around her and hearing his heartbeat, steady and strong, as she nestled up under his chin. For the first time in her life, Elise felt at peace. So much of her life had been spent running away from everything and everybody, always looking over her shoulder, never trusting herself or anyone else. Now she knew she was loved, knew she was trusted, knew she was needed, and knew that she was part of something good, something complete.

Feeling that familiar tug on her hair she smiled to herself and stretched her arm out to wrap around John's chest. Wiggling closer to him, she gave him a hug and whispered, "Good morning Mr. Reese."

John smiled at her gravelly morning voice and answered, "Good morning, Ms. Tate", as he continued to play with her hair. Taking a long strand, he felt its silky texture as he wrapped it around his finger. The morning light showed the deep red highlights in her dark hair. He loved burying his hands in her hair, it was thick and wavy and felt good in his hands. Carefully tucking that strand behind her ear, he slowly rolled her onto her back and kissed her closed eyes, one at a time.

Meanwhile, Elise's hand slowly snaked its way up his chest to his shoulder and then his neck. Gradually opening her eyes, she looked deeply into his crystal blue ones and saw love looking back at her. Leaning low over her, John kissed her bottom lip and then gently sucked it into his mouth. He repeated the same move with her top lip. A gentle sigh escaped her mouth just before she pulled his head down to deepen the kiss. John's leg slid up between hers as his hand released her hair and slid down her back to her hip. Pulling her closer, he increased the intensity of his kiss. Feeling her breasts crushed against his chest, John's breathing changed. His whole body came awake and called to hers. Breaking the kiss, Elise threw her head back, exposing her neck. John slowly began to leave a trail of light kisses from the corner of her mouth, to her jaw and then down her neck. Pausing at the slight indentation in her neck, he nuzzled her ear and nibbled on her earlobe, causing Elise's body to arch up against his.

Moving his hand up from her hip, he followed the curve to her waist and then to her breasts. Her breast filled his large hand. As always, he was amazed at how big her breasts were for someone as small as Elise. Kneading the mound, he found her nipple already erect and waiting for his mouth. Lowering his head from her neck, he kissed and nipped his way to its peak. Once more thankful that they both slept in the nude.

Elise gasped as his warm mouth captured her nipple and suckled. Cradling his head with her hands, she gave herself over to the sensations he was bringing to the surface. Her breathing became more and more ragged. Again his hand began its well known journey down her body. Smoothly it slid over her rock hard abs down to the cleft between her legs. Elise's legs parted to allow him access. She was lost in her own body's sensations. The moan from Elise let John know his touch was welcome. As Elise pushed up against his hand, he slowly slid two fingers deeply inside her. Feeling her muscles squeeze tight against his fingers, he began moving his fingers round and round and then in and out. Repeating the motions over and over until he knew she was close.

Raising his head from her breast he looked at her. He loved watching her respond to what he was doing to her body. It excited him to watch her enjoy his mouth on her, his fingers moving inside her. But now he wanted, no, needed to be inside her tight, wet heat. Slowly removing his hand, he smiled at the mewling sound Elise made and the way she pushed her hips up towards him.

Moving carefully over her, keeping his weight on his elbows, he positioned himself and then slowly slid home into her. The velvet tightness was a perfect fit as it enveloped him with a scalding heat. Lifting her hips, he was able to push deep into her. Settling carefully on his elbows he was able to snake his arms under hers and along each side of her head. Nose to nose they were staring at each other, drinking each other in. Slowly he began to move, in and out, in and out. Taking his time, loving her with everything in his body.

Elise was in another world. Her eyes were half closed, her mouth half open. Her mind was totally submerged in the sensations that John was evoking within her. Leaning down, he lightly kissed her open mouth, watching her eyes. As they slowly began to focus on him, he kissed her again. Sliding his tongue around her mouth he met only slight resistance, but the more he explored the more her tongue began to dance with his. Elise's hands came up and held each side of his face and she pulled him back down, deepening the kiss. Soon their tongues were following the same rhythm as their bodies.

Slowly John increased his pace yet held himself in check. Mornings were still the best time to make love and to take as long as they wanted to, to worship each other with their bodies. There was no hurry, there was no world outside the two of them. They reveled in what they had found in each other and the way they could make each other feel. They would bring each other to the edge but then stop and let the feelings subside only to build them up once more. Elise made it a point to keep John's body humming just like hers. With only a few thrusts, they brought each other back to the brink over and over.

John once again buried his hands in Elise's hair. Wrapping her legs around John's hips, Elise began to pick up the pace. Slowly, the speed of their in and out dance increased until they were both past the point of no return. Squeezing John's cock tightly with her internal muscles, Elise put her arms under John's and reached up to grab his shoulders. They were linked together and they were one. Again John found Elise's mouth and they devoured each other. Crushing her mouth with his own, John was also now lost in the sensation growing within him.

Breaking the kiss, Elise pulled John closer and gasped out his name. Hearing his name on her lips pushed John further up that slope until he too was gasping out her name. Suddenly, they were both THERE. Holding each other tightly they felt the fire consume them at the same time, each one's reaction heightening the other's.

Slowly their breaths returned to normal. Brushing her hair back from her face, John smiled down at Elise.

"You do make waking up so very pleasant, Ms. Tate."

Returning his smile Elise replied, "So glad you approve Mr. Reese. VERY glad you approve."