Characters: Harold Finch, John Reese, OOC.

Pairing: None

Status: Complete

Beta: Gumbycan

Notes: Enjoy!

~POI~

"Mommy! Mommy!" A young boy ran from his house to the rosebushes that resided in front of his house. A woman kneeling near the roses, tending to them. She turned to look at her son, running towards her.

"Look what Daddy and I built!" the young boy showed his mother a small airplane toy. "Wow" the woman said, "You two build that?" The woman's son nodded, holding the airplane high above his head, and ran around the yard making noises. The woman giggled and went back to tending her garden.

A while later, the woman, still in her garden and her son playing in the yard as the mother looked to the next plant and saw a bright little insect crawling on one of its leaves. The woman called for her son, and the boy eagerly ran to his mother.

"Do you see that?" she asked gently to her son. The boy nodded, but he was too scared to touch it. His mother giggled, "It's okay. It won't bite you. See?" she curved her hand and let the insect crawl on to her hand.

"Do you what it is?" she asked the boy. He shook his head, whatever it was it was pretty. It was red with black dots and its head was black with two dots.

"It's a ladybug" she took her sons hand, and let the beetle crawl over to the smaller hand. The boy was a little scared, but let the critter go around his hand. He giggled over the sensation it was giving, little legs going all over his sensitive hands. His mother took the critter back to her hand. This time she held her hand straight, and the ladybug went on top of her hand, it spread its elytra and the wings came out.

They both saw the ladybug fly away.

It had been a nice spring day, and Bear had another play date. Finch and Reese sat nearby as they relaxed and saw the dogs run around the park. While Finch sat and watched, Reese began to look around. There was something he needed to find.

Finch noticing his friends movements "Mr. Reese what are you doing?"

"Looking for something" the taller man replied. When he didn't find what he was looking for he got up and went to the nearest dark green patch on the grass. They may not be here, but it wouldn't hurt to look.

"Mr. Reese?" Finch asked again. He turned his body to see what the taller man was doing. He saw Reese crouch down on a dark green patch and his large hand gently moved the grass. "I'll be right there, Finch" the taller man called back. If he could just find two. There! Reese gently curved his hand and held it in the grass. He then quickly covered his hand with the other and walked back to Finch.

Sitting down, he opened his hands to reveal two ladybugs; one red and one orange.

"Mr. Reese what is that?" Finch asked upon seeing the beetles.

"These, Mr. Finch, are ladybugs or Coccinellidae" Reese replied, he let one ladybug crawl into his other hand and held it for Finch.

"I know that Mr. Reese, but what are you doing with them on your hand" Finch looked at the insect but made no attempt to let it crawl into his hand.

"Letting them crawl over and hope they fly from my hand" the taller man said as he looked at his ladybug, his hand twisting and turning, never letting it go out of his sight.

"Why are you letting them do that? You'll have to sanitize your hand as soon as we get to the Library"

"Yes, Mother" Reese smiled, and began telling his boss a story about a woman, her son, and a ladybug.

Now that the bug was gone, the little boy was now sad. Now he'll never see it again. Sensing her son sadness, the mother hugged the boy. "Oh John its okay, there are plenty of ladybugs, and you'll see them every spring."

"Really?" boy known as John asked.

"Really. Did you see it fly from my hand?" the woman asked for her son. John nodded.

"That means spring will be good" she kissed her son in the cheek and let him go. Half-expecting her son to go back and play with his airplane, instead he kneeled right beside her, helping gardening and determined to see another ladybug.

When Reese finished the story, Finch looked at the offered bug. So far they had been crawling all over Reese's hands, Finch thought it was a ridiculous superstition, a ladybug flying from your hand meant a good spring. But then again it wasn't meant as a superstition, or a belief, rather a meaningless little tradition for the young.

Finch shook his head and let the insect crawled on his hand. He knew everything of Reese, but there were only fragments of his childhood that he hardly knew. He looked at Reese and his ladybug, what could he be thinking right now? His father? The rose garden? His mother? Finch then saw Reese straighten his hand and the ladybug instinctively went up, a second went by and it opened its elytra a couple of times before opening them fully and let its wings out and flew from Reese's hand.

Finch looked at his ladybug, and then mimicked Reese's movements, and like Reese's ladybug, his went up and flew away. He looked at Reese and found him staring back at him with a small smile.

This was going to be a good spring.

~POI~

"Ah Mr. Reese, impeccable timing, as always" Finch looked up from his seat.

"Good Morning, Finch. Any new numbers today?" Reese walked towards his boss.

"It seems that crime is taking a break today, Mr. Reese. In the meantime, I'll be making some appearances, I suggest you do the same" Finch got up from his seat.

"Oh and before I forget" he handed his employer a small envelope. Reese took the envelope, but didn't have time to ask for the contents inside, Finch was already gone.

Reese opened the envelope. Inside was an old picture; a much younger version of himself, with his mother in the rose garden. His mother kneeled down and arm wrapped around him, he wrapped an arm around his mother, they both had an arm extended out with their palms. Each in their hand had a ladybug in them.

Reese smiled at the picture. It was a long time ago when this picture was taken. A lifetime ago. He wondered how Finch had gotten this picture. Then again Finch was Finch. He could get hold of anything he wanted.

"Thanks Finch."

He carefully put the picture away in his jacket and left the Library. He'll follow Finch's advice and make some appearances, but not before going to the store and getting a picture frame.

~POI~

R&R, please!