MollyMia. Meatballs. Baby Girl Morgan.

As always, enjoy x

Friday 1st December 2017, 9.39pm, Finch's Townhouse, Carnegie Hill, New York

Harold Finch was an optimistic man. He had high hopes that assembling Team Machine in the Library would allow for the successful completion of two missions, just as he believed that Jocelyn Carter and Zoe Cassandra Morgan would make a good team despite the tensions between them. The Machine had advised him of the probability of "combustible" interactions so he was smart enough to dispatch John to the field prior. Joss noticed that Shaw wasn't overreacting and Zoe was a full-time resident because Bear was nowhere to be seen.

"Bear has a spot of canine influenza." Finch announced, reading her thoughts. "Notwithstanding, it's nice to see old friends. Even old friends in trouble."

"I can fix that: don't have friends." Shaw suggested, biting the end off an apple cable.

"Thanks." Fusco replied, despite having the warm and fuzzies simply because she was nearby.

Harold raised his teacup. "And welcome back, Detective."

Shaw was more than happy. "Hello, Yoga Pants."

Carter knew better than to correct her; they were workout leggings and the weighted lunges must have been working. "Good to see you too, Shaw. It's been a while. What's on the menu tonight, Finch?"

"An oldie but a goodie." And with that introduction, a familiar face appeared on the main screen.

"Leon the Scammer?" Shaw was disgusted. "What is this, after five rescues get the sixth free?"

"So that's where John is." Carter deduced.

"I was hoping you'd both assist me with logistics tonight."

"You got it." Carter said too soon. "Zoe."

"Joss." Zoe looked better with an eight-month old with a head full of short blonde curls in a sling than she had the day she solicited John's sperm. "This is Delta."

It was the first time seeing her outside of a hospital, and she was surprised that Zoe was doing well without help. "So you went Greek after all."

Shaw waited for it. "Yeah, Delta Joan. Classic."

Anyone could've felt that face crack. "Wow," Was all Carter could say.

Finch sensed the tension. "As I mentioned, it's all hands on deck. Our second number is Olivia Allo, art collector for the Quasi-Modern Art Gallery in the Meatpacking district."

"Hipsters. Great." Fusco scoffed. "Guess it's me and you, Sporty Spice."

"What should I do?" Zoe asked.

Shaw replied. "Look pretty and piss off Carter. Like that."

Joss tried to fix her face. "I meant; I know the area well."

"The Meatpacking district? I bet. With all your clients caught ass-up, face down over there in a coke binge like-"

Finch cut her off before she expounded. "That will be all, Ms. Shaw. Ms Allo has a late-night function tonight and will need your keen eye and-"

"Firearm. Got it. Come on, Dough Boy."

Fusco couldn't believe he had to follow her out when he wished he could stay behind to see Legs cause fireworks.

10.27pm, Quasi-Modern Art Gallery, Haver Street, Meatpacking District, Manhattan

Despite having a lady-love who gave him reason to hum along with the car radio in the mornings, buy new shirts and learn how to make panna cotta, Fusco still got a certain rush from working with the woman with the worst attitude and the quickest draw in America. He was over his blurred feelings for her but nothing beat hiding out in a discreet Estate car with her, waiting for the evening's events to unfold and watching the viewing on a tablet. As a pre-emptive act to protect his privacy from the others, he entrusted her with MollyMia's government name. "Martina, Martina, does she have a weiner?" She asked with an obnoxious long slurp of her flat green soft drink.

"Hey, not so loud, the gods are listening." He tilted his head toward the Bluetooth car stereo.

She smirked. "Signal jammer. Ye of little faith in my skills."

"That's not how it goes. Fine, I shoulda known better." She was vindicated for the moment and caught an M&M mid-air with her mouth. "I don't want Carter looking her up. I got the feeling she wants to tell me something and I don't wanna find out first."

Shaw already knew the secret and that he really liked Polly Pocket so she decided against telling him to avoid his getting heartbroken twice. "So no hot dogs then?"

He chuckles at her childish analogy and even more childish hand and finger gesture. "We're taking it slow." The most action he'd gotten of late was administering an EpiPen shot to her thigh on their last date.

"So where'd you take her?"

"Sunflower fields."

"Sounds pukey."

"It was. She's allergic." He chuckled with embarrassment.

"Fore." She yelled, obnoxiously.

"Yeah, not my best. She said she'll pick the next spot, long as the boys can come. Rock and Val."

"Rock and Val?" She repeated.

"Rocco and Valerius."

"Too easy, way too easy."

"She said they should start a garage band. The Lee Valley Rockers. Get it?"

She was annoyed that she did. "Yep…pukey." Shaw knew she should warn him about getting too close to Martina, but she couldn't when he had that stupid look on his face. If you asked her, love was a tacky outfit; just like the red shoes Zoe put on Finch.

10.45pm, Finch's Townhouse, Carnegie Hill, New York

The object of Finch's affection knew when someone was staring at her. She felt it when she lost one of Delta's soft shoes at the supermarket, in her first and last foray to a competitive Mom 'n' Me group, and when Nurse Doreen shook her head at the eczema on her baby's back due to the expensive soaps she was using. The red blotches on the baby's back were covered in Vaseline. "It's a flare up." She explained, without looking up.

"No sleep for her or you, huh?" Joss said, to break the silence. "I remember when Taylor had the croup. How scary it was to hear him cough like that. He was burning up and I was doing all the wrong things. You should've seen Ma's face when she found us in the bathroom."

"Bathroom?" She asked.

"Steam shower. I thought it was a good idea." Zoe made a mental note to google "croup" and "why steam showers are bad". "After the shock, she told me I should've asked. Then she took him outside. Night air." Zoe smiled to cover up the difficulty of having a mother on a quest for meaning on the West Coast. "Anyway, if I was Leon Tao, where would I be?"

"Casino? He likes showgirls."

"Too many cameras and bouncers."

"Off-the-books game?"

"I'm guessing – Five grand buy-in at least."

Zoe remembered someone from her past life. "I know a guy who knows a guy."