Chapter 37 - EPILOG - JOHN'S POV
John, Lionel and Shaw watched Root and Harold in rotation. They were both awake proximately two days. Root was presently laying on the sofa halfway asleep. Harold worked almost forty-eight hours straight on two laptops. He needed both of them, every few hours switching, never talking, sometimes nibbling on crackers or fruit John put in front of him.
John knew exactly where to put the plates and cups of tea, so Harold automatically eat and drink, he did have some practice with the computer genius through the years. Harold acknowledged the world around him, he half listened, but ignored the rest.
"Harry, you need to sleep," Root muttered tiredly.
She tried to talked some sense into Harold few hours ago. John switched the position with Lionel and patted his thigh to let Bear know it was the time.
"I will take Bear for a walk, Harold."
"Sameen could take him." The immediate answer from Harold made Root more awake.
"She's sleeping now. I need some sun on my face."
"Do you want me to buy you a tanning bed, John?"
John tried not to smile. "Fresh air is good for the soul."
"You can open the windows."
All of this without Harold interrupting the coding. It was amusing and sweet at the same time. "I will have Bear with me, Harold."
"Sameen can take him."
"I'm going out," John stated firmly and hoped for a moment it won't be a problem and he didn't read Harold wrong.
The silence, when Harold stopped working on the laptop was almost like a shock, everyone's attention suddenly on them. One could feel self-conscious, but Harold only stared at John several long moments. They didn't need to have a conversation. Harold's eyes talked for themselves and they have plenty to say.
Why is it so important for John to go out. Why did he have to leave Harold for more than bathroom break. Thankfully the tired, worried expression changed into the defeat. Harold knew it was important for both of them to function separately as well.
When Harold finally gave up and focused his attention back on the computer screen, he whispered: "Be careful, Mr. Reese."
"Always, Finch."
Nothing changed much after John's return with Bear. Root sat up straighter and stretched her aching muscles, when John came back. John didn't even have the chance to take off the coat and Harold was commenting the situation.
"Long walk."
"Bear enjoyed himself." John calmly finished the undressing.
"For fifty-seven minutes?"
It looked like the answer didn't catch unaware only him, Root as well. She was probably thinking, when the hell had Harold time to be aware of that.
"I'm fine."
John put down a paper cup near Harold's hand without other word. He joined Lionel by the window and waited. He could feel Root's questioning gaze on him. She and Lionel didn't understand why he would leave Harold and rather went with Bear out, but John was confident Harold would in a second. It was only a matter of time.
The room was silent again, because Harold froze with a paper cup on his lips, once he sipped his beverage. John gave a him sad smile, when Harold twisted his body in the chair and looked at him.
"I still remember," John drawled. Sencha green. One sugar. From Harold's favorite teashop.
Harold only blinked, dazed for a moment.
"You need to sleep, Harold. You want to help Her, you can't if your concentration's not one hundred percent. You know I'm right."
John's worry finally penetrated the man's conscience. "How long since we started to work?"
"Almost two days."
John watched Harold's shoulders sagged in exhaustion. "Alright."
It was his cue to went to him and helped him on his feet, silently watching the wince of pain. Harold surprisingly sneaked his arms around John's torso and rested his forehead on John's shoulder.
"She's there," he informed them. "We need to find big servers and moved Her, but it looks like She could be alright."
"Good job, Harry," Root was on her feet in a second, barging into the bedroom and yelling at Shaw to wake up, because they needed to find a home for the little Goddess.
John ignored Root's bubbling, exciting words and Shaw's grumpiness, he only waited for them to leave, so Harold could replace Sameen in bed.
John felt Harold's fingers slackened on his shirt. "You can't sleep on your feet, Harold," he whispered softly and guided him carefully to the bedroom.
Root's POV
Root was strolling down the streets with Sameen by her side and watched their surroundings. January 11th looked like a perfect day. The sun was shining on the sky, people milling around them didn't pose a threat. Everything looked good.
The Goddess will be fine. Root remembered her own words to Harold almost nine months ago.
"When everything is over, and the worst has happened, there's still one thing left in Pandora's box... Hope."
They still had hope. At the present moment the hope was hidden inside the laptop.
From the beginning she thought Harold to be pathetic genius who couldn't care less about the young Goddess he gave birth to and wrongly taught Her to bend under the bad code, under humanity.
Now, years later, she knew there were things she failed to realize.
Like Harold loving his Daughter. Like Harold loving the brooding, suicidal lapdog with a hero complex. Like John loving Harold and the Daughter back and the Goddess seeing them as Her parents.
Yeah. There were definitely things she failed to realize.
"Stop smiling like a grasshopper on crack," Sameen grumbled. "People are looking at us."
"Bit of a change. At least they are not shooting at us," she couldn't help herself and smiled at the ex-CIA agent. That was when the most shocking thing happened, Sameen smiled back.
"Yep. Life's good."
THE END