Disclaimer: I do not own Person of Interest or its characters.
Chapter 10:
Joss Carter stared at the flickering fire as she pulled her oversized cable knit sweater closer around her body. She couldn't stop the chill that still shook her even after two days in one of Finch's safe houses. One moment she would be fine, on the phone with Taylor or laughing at one of Fusco's bad jokes. The next she was back in that root cellar, shivering and wondering if this was where her life was going to end. To make matters worse, she hadn't had a moment alone with John since their final exchange at the farmhouse just prior to Fusco's and Shaw's arrival. He had made sure of that. He was never in the safe house without backup, whether it be Finch or the newer associate, Shaw.
Sighing, Joss got up from the couch and grabbed her mug that still contained lukewarm coffee and headed for the kitchen. She was leaving in the morning—heading back to D.C., although she wasn't sure why. Finch had changed Taylor's flight, booking him a flight on December 23 to Baltimore where he was then to rent a car and drive into D.C. Being ever vigilant, Finch also arranged for Taylor to surprise his girlfriend in Phoenix between the 19th and the 23rd, so that he wouldn't be anywhere Kara would suspect. In addition, there were multiple flights booked in Taylor's name for just about every city on the eastern seaboard. Kara would be hard pressed, especially in her physical state, to determine exactly which one the younger Carter would take. Joss felt confident that all precautions had been taken, short of her arming herself with John's grenade launcher and escorting Taylor home herself. Also, delaying Taylor's arrival gave her time, both to search for Kara and to figure out what she was going to do now that she was jobless.
Joss deposited her ceramic mug in the kitchen sink and quietly padded in her socked feet back to the fireplace. She suddenly heard a beeping and the patter of paws on the wood floor. "In here, Finch," she called out to her friend. Bear bounded into the room, nearly knocking Carter off her feet as he licked her face.
"Oh, Detective, I am sorry. Bear, sit," Harold called sternly. The dog stopped assaulting Joss with kisses but continued standing, staring at Finch. "You would think after all of this time, he would learn some commands in English," Harold stated in disgust.
"What news do you have, Finch?" Carter questioned. Before Finch could answer, she heard a male and female voice talking as the door opened for the second time. Finch and Carter turned as Shaw and Fusco entered the room, bickering as usual.
"Listen, G.I. Jane, I told you I had it under control. I've got rules I have to play by. There was no reason for you to break the guy's leg with the crowbar. I had everything under control."
"Oh really, Lionel. So him sucker punching you and dropping you like a sack of potatoes was all part of the plan," Shaw replied snidely.
"Well, if you two are quite done, I do have some information you might find interesting," Finch stated. Shaw and Fusco paused, looking up silently as if they had just realized that they weren't alone. "My sources show that Ms. Stanton has left the country via Baltimore to Belgium. I am still working on determining her location from there but the surveillance video I was able to pull shows she is not well."
"Any idea where she's going, Finch?" Carter questioned.
"Not yet. I'm working on it," he responded.
"What about the psycho redhead?" Shaw asked.
"Agent Redding seems to have disappeared. I have been unable to locate her at this time. I would imagine she has left New York and is in pursuit of Ms. Stanton."
"What's her deal, Glasses? She was the wild card in all of this. Not even you saw her coming," Fusco stated.
"That was a question that perplexed me, Detective. I was able to access Agent Redding's original personnel file at the CIA. It seems her real name was Rebecca Conroy. Her brother had a history with our Agent Stanton. Before Kara Stanton went to the Agency, she was assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi. The embassy was attacked and Ms. Stanton and Rebecca Conroy's brother, a Marine stationed there, were the only personnel that stayed behind in an attempt to destroy any sensitive documents. Conroy did not survive, making Ms. Stanton the last to see him alive," Finch explained.
"I guess that explains why she was toting these around," Shaw said as she dropped Reese Conroy's dog tags on the coffee table with a clatter. Carter gingerly picked them up, reading the name inscribed. She silently tucked them in her pocket.
"So who is heading to Brussels? Me or Captain America?" Shaw asked drolly.
Before Harold could respond, his phone rang. "If you'll excuse me for a moment . . .," Harold said as he walked towards the kitchen leaving his companions in the warmth of the fire. As he gazed out of the window at the falling snow, he answered his phone.
"Long time no talk, Harry," a chipper female voice said in way of greeting.
"We are rather busy here, Ms. Groves. Why are you calling?"
"I had hoped you would sound happier to hear from me, Harold. I have news for you," she responded.
"What could you possibly have to tell me, Ms. Groves?"
"I've told you, Harold. It's Root. She told me to call and tell you to cease your search for Kara Stanton. She is no longer your concern."
"What do you mean?"
"She has made her my concern, Harold, but I do need something from you. I could use reinforcements in dealing with Ms. Stanton."
"Do you want to tell me what this is all about?"
"It's need to know, Harold and She says you don't need to know right now. I need you to send Shaw to me via Amsterdam."
"Where are you?"
"Nairobi. Listen, I have to go. My number is on the move. Send Shaw, Harold. It's not a request. Kara Stanton is not just an irrelevant number anymore. She's necessary—and that makes her mine."
"What do you mean, Root is tracking Kara, Finch?" John asked, frustration in his voice.
"Ms. Groves called last night, John and informed me that the Machine has made Ms. Stanton her concern, which would explain my inability to track her past Brussels. The Machine doesn't want us focused on Ms. Stanton."
"I don't care what the Machine wants, Harold. I have to finish this," John declared as his voice rose.
"Ms. Shaw is on her way to assist Ms. Groves, Mr. Reese. This is not your problem to solve alone."
"Yes, it is, Harold. As long as she is out there, she's a threat to . . ." John paused not able to complete his sentence.
"Go ahead and finish that sentence, Mr. Reese," Finch said looking at his partner as he readjusted his glasses.
"She's a threat to everyone, Harold. I need to stop her."
Usually Harold would stay out of his friends' personal lives, not wanting to insert himself in the middle, but this time he couldn't keep his mouth shut. He wasn't about to sign up for another two years of moping. "Perhaps, your time could better be spent making amends with Detective Carter. She departs the city in three hours, Mr. Reese."
"Keep your nose out of things you don't understand, Finch. I'll do what a think is best when it comes to Carter."
"What you think is best has made you both miserable for two years, Mr. Reese. When are you going to stop punishing yourself for the sins of your past? "
"I'm warning you, Finch. Leave it alone."
"I've left it alone for two years, Mr. Reese. I've seen how you've mourned for her and you're not the only one. Do you know Detective Carter hasn't been on so much as a second date with anyone since she left here and it's not for lack of men asking? What do you think she's waiting on, John? She's still waiting for you. Even after your abhorrent behavior towards her, she is still holding out hope that you will let her in."
"That's enough, Finch. I've respected your decisions concerning Grace. I expect the same," he replied calmly, slipping back into his past CIA persona.
"Well, then John, if you won't go see Detective Carter before she leaves, we should get back to work," Finch replied, attempting to hide his frustration. "We have a new number."
"You going to fill me in?" John asked.
"I will on the way," Harold responded flatly.
Carter took one more look around the safe house and sighed. It felt like déjà vu. Something tugged at her heart, telling her she shouldn't leave, not like this. She knew, however, there was no changing him. He would have to make the decision to set aside his fear and let someone in. Apparently, that someone wasn't her because for the second time in their relationship, he refused to even say goodbye.
Only this time, it was so much worse. She wasn't sure why she was returning to D.C. It had never felt like home. Taylor was now on the West Coast in school and she was no longer employed at the FBI. She had made a few friends, really acquaintances, but she was married to the job. And now she was returning to no job, no friends and no sense of purpose.
Her phone buzzed and she answered without greeting. "I'll be right out," she replied hurriedly as she grabbed her suitcase and closed the door behind her.
"What are we doing outside of the safe house where you stashed Carter?" Reese growled angrily.
"We are not doing anything, Mr. Reese. You are taking her to the airport," Finch replied as he exited the vehicle without another word. He then entered a waiting taxi, slamming the door shut.
"Harold," John called angrily at the retreating taxi but stopped, turning his focus to the figure maneuvering a suitcase down the cobblestone stairs. John bounded up the last two, taking the suitcase from her grasp and softly grazing her gloved hand.
For a moment, they stared at each other, neither one able to speak. Carter cleared her throat. "I thought Finch was dropping me off."
"He had something come up. I hope it's ok if I take you," he responded softly. She looked into his eyes for a few more seconds before answering, searching for any glimmer of hope that things were going to end differently this time. That this was some kind of sign that they were finally going to confide in each other, put aside the pain and distrust they both carried with them. She thought she saw something, but as quickly as it flickered across his face, the mask of the CIA operative fell back to cover it. Carter wondered if it had been there at all.
"Sure. Thanks," she responded quietly as he went around the car and opened the passenger side for her. The two rode in silence, as John maneuvered the black sedan through traffic to JFK. Carter stared out of the car window, tears starting to prick her eyes. In one way, the car ride felt like days and in another it was over in seconds. She didn't wait for him to come around to her side, but pushed the door open as soon as the car slowed. He popped the trunk and set her suitcase on the curb.
They stood silently, heads bowed. Both knew that this was goodbye. Carter couldn't stop herself from reaching out a gloved hand to his cheek. She stood on her tiptoes and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. Quietly, she whispered in his ear, "Goodbye, John. Take care of yourself."
John's cheek tingled from the feel of her lips and her breath on his skin. She slowly backed up and began rolling her suitcase towards the terminal. Suddenly, a hand reached out stilling her progress. John felt a lump form in his throat. There were so many things he wanted to say. He wanted to tell her he was sorry for shutting her out. He wanted to tell her that he did trust her—trusted her with his life, with his heart. He wanted to tell her to stay, but he couldn't. All of those thoughts, his desire to bare his soul to her, could not compete with the images of the times he had almost gotten her killed. He could see her unconscious form beside him in that SUV, her wild eyes when she pleaded with him as the bomb vest ticked down and lastly, the image that haunted his dreams-her dead body with Kara standing over her. "If you are ever in trouble, Carter . . . ."
"I know, John," she said with a sad smile, knowing that this was all he could give. She hoped that one day he would open up and find someone, but she knew that she had to let him go. That someone couldn't be her.
John continued to gaze at the automatic doors long after she disappeared from sight.
A/N: Don't hate me! It's not over yet. There is at least one more chapter to go. I'll hopefully get it out by next weekend. Have a great week everyone and thank you for all of the reviews!