em"Will you… will you talk to me?" Finch asks, his voice gone small. "Please, just… anything… just help me wait, keep me calm until she gets here. Give me something to cling to. Be with me. Talk to me. Please."/em

John pauses for a moment; he's heard the sob and tremor in Harold's voice. His gut clenches at the thought of his partners distress. But what can he do? Harold's right, he can't get to him in the time Harold had said he'd got. His mind is working quickly sorting and discarding ideas, Harold wants to talk but what about?

Harold's voice interrupts his thoughts. "John, are you there? Speak to me emplease/em".

The quiet 'please' has John moving briskly towards his car, getting in; the sounds of the world are shut out, muffled. Now he can talk without the fear of being over heard.

"I'm here Harold", he finally replies; "What do you want to talk about?"

There's a pause and he hears Harold's sigh in the library, "Tell me about you John".

John smiles and chuckles, "There's not much to tell Harold, you once told me you knew exactly everything about me".

"Not everything is written down John".

John sighs, "You know I went into the forces after one too many brawls. It was that or go to jail. I was good at being a soldier; they moved me to black ops…"

"Was that was where you learnt to shoot using either hand".

"Yeah, the training is tough. I put a bullet in a target once and the instructor came and put several bullets through the same hole from different angles in a matter of seconds, he never made a mistake, never missed".

"Neither do you, John".

"I have made mistakes though".

There is silence between them for several heart beats, John thinks of Jessica and the CIA. Both involved decisions he would change if he could.

"Mr Reese… John... Are you still there?"

John smiled "Always, Finch".

He smirks to himself as he imagines Harold's face as he said the words that Finch usually says to him.

"She'll be here any minute now John, I'm scared, I don't want to go with her. She'll drug me like last time. It was horrible. Talk to me John".

"What shall I talk about?"

"Anything, just… something... I need to hear your voice". Suddenly

Harold gasps, "She's here, oh God, she's here, I can hear her coming up the stairs".

"You have to hold on Harold, I'll find you. Wherever she takes you, I'll find you".

"I know you will John".

"And Harold?"

"Yes John?"

"Remember this… I.. I love you".

John hears the rattle of the gates being opened as his connection to Harold goes silent.