A/N: Well the finale has aired and I have to say it was disappointing. Sorry it took so long to update but It kind of knocked the wind out of me and my muses sails to see Reese massacred the way he was, it was brutal and mean spirited, although there were some nice Finch and Reese and Reese and Fusco moments it was a mess. Shame on you EP's for that messy debacle. Oh well this is therapy. This is AU so I'll be using a couple of the episodes from season 3 and 4 out of order to help propel the story. Thank You all for reading and reviewing. I do not own POI the mistakes are all mine. Enjoy!

POI Season 309-5 Redux - Chapter 4

Kara casually exited the 780 Mercer Building. She wanted to feel remorse for pulling Reese into this operation but it seemed she had no choice, but her day of recompense had finally come. She had successfully uploaded the virus as Greer had instructed and now she was about to receive the name of the person that was responsible for her and her ex partners near retirement in Ordos china. She hit the programmed number in the burner phone and someone picked after the first ring. "It's done."


Finch sat and looked over the chessboard. He always ended up sitting at the public boards in Battery Park towards the end of the day. They were living in a Samaritan world now the team was scattered and the machine was, well he wasn't really sure where the machine was. He was glad that John had let him keep Bear to give him a sense of normalcy. Samaritan had been given access to Wi-Fi signals, cellphone and security cameras all over the city but soon the AI's reach would be worldwide with every digital device being affected. So Finch had plenty of the idle time on his hands not having access to his computer equipment for fear Sam could trace back to his devices. Now he had an opportunity to deal with the emotional rollercoaster the team had gone through to this point. As he stared at the chess pieces, he began to think about the events. Detective Joss Carter was dead. That began the avalanche that the team barely recovered from and he himself had not really had the opportunity to grieve. John trying to kill Quinn and nearly bleeding out, then deciding to leave the team and eventually coming back. Discovering his old college friend Arthur Claypool had created an Artificial Intelligence called Samaritan, The run in's with Vigilance. The disagreement over sparing the congressmen's life who was the proponent of shutting down Northern Lights and bringing Sam online, Decima discovering his identity. He had been shot, but it all came back to Joss being dead. That was the biggest blow because she was the heart of the team. He felt the machine had failed by not warning them in time to stop Patrick Simmons. It added to his sense of failure. He hadn't told her about the machine to keep her safe and found out that hindsight was twenty-twenty. Sometimes when he closed his eyes he could still see John and Joss' blood comingled on that sidewalk, hear the payphone ringing, and feel how he was frozen with shock and fear. Harold felt a shadow pass over him, and opened his eyes. He wasn't surprised that John was able to find him he just wondered why it took him so long. Finch sat up and stared at the ex CIA agent. "Hello Harold." John greeted with that quiet assured way he always used. "John what are you doing here?" He looked around nervously.

"It's time to get back to work Harold. We need to start helping people again."

Just then both their burner phones chimed.

John Greer was frustrated. Senator Garrison was breathing down his neck to produce terrorists and although Samaritan had found dozens he wasn't ready to turn over the information to Washington just yet. Senator Garrison had talked about accountability and he and Samaritan answered to no one. Samaritan had come online and its higher functions were not operational yet and Harold Finch and his cohorts were still on the loose and for some reason Sam could not see them. His priority was finding Harold Finch.


Martine Rousseau wasn't happy she was supposed to be Greer's right hand, how is it that she was relegated to babysit his newest, precious asset? She stood at the foot of the gurney her arms folded across her chest, where some operatives were transferring an unconscious Joss on to a hospital bed. "Be careful we wouldn't want to bruise Greer's precious asset." Her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Martine jealousy does not look good on you." Jeremy Lambert had come to observer the transfer. "Are you here to check up on her or to supervise me?" Martine turned to glare at him. "He wants to see us." He spoke ignoring her question.

Jeremy Lambert made his way to the observation room where Greer was having a discussion solely with Samaritan. It intrigued him how engaged the old man was with this computer life force, there was an odd sort of reverence the man exercised that made Lambert very uncomfortable. He wasn't worried about himself, he had sealed his fate joining Sam years ago but he was concerned about how obsessed Greer was with a computer controlling human beings and dictating every aspect of their lives. It was the only goal for the AI to complete, bring order to mankind. But first they had to find Harold Finch and his Machine, Greer had called it. In the chaos that ensued on the rooftop following the explosion of the old courthouse Mr. Finch and his associate had managed to get away and somehow eluded Samaritan ever since.

Jeremy sighed. He was alarmed by the newest addition to their team Joss Carter former homicide detective was an innocent she was enlisted to join them or die. Things were happening quickly Samaritan had limited access the government feeds and once it became fully functional it would subtly become a part of daily life. The AI had already began engaging hackers with the Nautilus challenge those who completed the challenge weren't given a choice they were taken in to custody to be persuaded to join the ranks and if they did they survived, those who didn't were disposed of quickly. The distribution of tablets and laptops that contained malware that Sam could infect other devices would begin shortly. And then the AI would begin to transform the world by food distribution to some third world countries and resolving the hunger crises in those countries. Jeremy shuddered to think what would happen in the countries Samaritan would not assist. "Mr. Lambert come join us." Jeremy reluctantly entered. Martine had managed to catch up to him and join them.

"Is our patient settled?"

"Yes sir the transfer took place without incident."

"Good as soon as the doctors clear her for the implant we'll begin the process. Ms. Carter will become the stellar Samaritan asset weather she desires to or not." Jeremy clinched his jaw not sure what to say, Martine did not react.

Greer dismissed Lambert and asked Martine to stay with him. "Is he going to be a problem?" Martine asked looking in the direction Lambert had exited.

"I've never had to question Mr. Lambert's loyalty before, why do you ask."

"He seems to be soft when it comes to the woman."

"If it becomes a problem we will deal with Mr. Lambert."

Joss gasped as she suddenly came to. Her eyes darted around frantically, she couldn't move she became aware her body was restrained. She closed her eyes to try to calm her breathing. She realized that she was in a hospital room with an array of computer monitors and hard drives, but it wasn't the facility that they had been holding her. "Glad to see you could join us Ms. Carter." Greer looked around with a weird grin on his face. He was joined by Jeremy Lambert, several computer techs and two doctors. "I hope you find the accommodations to your liking?"

"Yeah I'm sure my comfort is your number one priority." Joss tried to keep her voice steady. This was an impossible situation and she needed to stay as calm as possible and hope that somehow she could escape or at least minimize the danger. "I'm sure you'll be surprised to know that your safety, comfort and wellbeing are truly at the top of my list Ms. Carter. I told you that you would help usher a new era of mankind but first there is the matter of a little operation. I know you would never complete the task before you without being prompted to do so I've decided you would become a test subject for a neural implant devised by Samaritan to help gain your cooperation. You will join the team to help us find this man, Harold Finch." At that moment a picture of Finch came up on the computer monitor.

Joss tried to school her reaction hoping the glimmer of recognition went unnoticed the men in the room. What the hell, just what were Finch and John involved in, how did these people know about Finch, did they know that she knew him? The questions flowed through her mind, "this man Harold Finch is either going to join us or die."

Martine had taken the opportunity to slide into the room unseen, she had seen it, it was quick the flash of recognition that passed over Joss' face. She knew this man. Finally, something to peek her interest.

"WHAT!" Joss eyes filled with tears and she began to struggle against the restraints. "OH! MY! GOD! Please don't do this, Please! She pleaded closing her eyes thinking about Taylor and John.

"When you awake you will become a part of Samaritan, let me be the first to welcome you to the new reality."

She watched in horror as a nurse injected a substance into her IV and she began to drift into unconcsiconess.