Disclaimer: Credit to Jonathan Nolan, Greg Plageman, and the POI writing team. Bolded sections are straight from the episodes.
QUEENSBRIDGE PARK
Chapter 43: beginning of If-Then-Else
It turns out that saving the world is going to come down to a possibly suicidal mission at the New York Stock Exchange. Samaritan had launched a cyberattack on the U.S. stock market, threatening worldwide upheaval, and the only solution is for Reese, Fusco, Finch, and Root to go into the stock exchange itself to deploy a countermeasure, even though Samaritan agents are sure to be lying in wait for them.
Option 13
As Reese walks with Fusco toward the service entrance of the New York Stock Exchange, he calls Elena.
"Hey, El. There's a chance I'm going to be late for dinner tonight," Reese says apologetically, when she answers.
"Don't tell me it has something to do with the whole world going to hell and the stock market crashing."
He and Fusco flash their badges, give out the usual mumbo-jumbo about checking out something suspicious, and walk right into the stock exchange.
"Something like that," he admits.
"Why am I not surprised?" she mutters. "I suppose I could get dinner started," she muses uncertainly.
"Are you going to be able to hop out onto the fire escape when you burn the place down?"
"Ha ha," she says sarcastically. "We can't all be as multi-talented as you, John."
She can hear him smiling on the other end of the line.
"Hey, John?" She pauses for a moment. "When are you finally going to tell me what's really going on?"
"El ..."
She sighs. "I know you can't answer that now. But maybe you'll tell me someday."
"Someday," he promises vaguely.
"Sure," and something in her sad, resigned tone makes something in his chest ache.
"Wrap it up, Romeo," Fusco says. "Didn't Cocoa Puffs say we're supposed to be taking out a camera or something?"
"I gotta go."
"Please be careful, John."
"I'll try, El." He ends the call.
"Sorry if the cyber apocalypse is ruining your dinner plans," Fusco says.
Reese opens a security panel. "Not just any dinner, it's our first anniversary."
"Wait, what?!" Fusco exclaims, drawing attention from passersby. He flashes his badge at them, then frowns at his partner. "You're joking," he decides.
"Sure." Reese presses his earpiece. "We took out the camera as you requested," he tells Root. "I'm with Lionel at the service entrance."
"Gotta love where a badge can get you," Fusco adds.
"Am I taking out any more cameras, Finch?"
"No need."
Reese leads the way to the basement, where they just catch Finch and Root behind the closing service elevator doors.
"Got room for two more?"
Root reopens the doors for them, and Reese and Fusco join them.
"This day just keeps getting weirder."
Option 28
As Reese walks with Fusco toward the service entrance of the New York Stock Exchange, he calls Elena.
"Hey, El. There's a chance I'm going to be late for dinner tonight," Reese says apologetically when she answers.
"Don't tell me it has something to do with the whole world going to hell and the stock market crashing."
He and Fusco flash their badges, give out the usual mumbo-jumbo about checking out something suspicious, and walk right into the stock exchange via the service entrance.
"Something like that," he admits.
"Why am I not surprised?" she mutters. "How late are we talking?"
"Like six feet under late," Fusco mutters.
"What?" Elena asks, panicked.
Reese glares at his partner. "Oh, Lionel's just talking about himself because I'm about to kill him."
"John, what's going on?" Elena demands.
"You know I can't tell you, El. But in case anything happens —"
"Oh no, we are not having that conversation, Jonathan Reese."
He doesn't think anyone has ever called him that before. His parents had used his full name when he was in trouble, but of course 'Reese' hadn't been his last name then.
"Wrap it up, Romeo," Fusco says. "Didn't Cocoa Puffs say we're supposed to be taking out a camera or something?"
"John, please ..." Elena's voice wavers dangerously, so she takes a moment to get it under control. "Please try not to die today. Or, you know, ever."
He can hear the tremble of tears in her voice. He closes his eyes momentarily.
"I love you, too, El," he responds.
And he hangs up before she fully processes what he'd just said.
Reese can feel Fusco's eyes on him as he opens a security panel.
"Wait, what?!" Fusco exclaims, drawing attention from passersby. He flashes his badge at them, then frowns at his partner. "You're joking. You hung up before you said that," he decides.
"Sure." Reese presses his earpiece. "We took out the camera as you requested," he tells Root. "I'm with Lionel at the service entrance."
"Gotta love where a badge can get you," Fusco adds.
"Am I taking out any more cameras, Finch?"
"No need."
Reese leads the way to the basement, where they just catch Finch and Root behind the closing service elevator doors.
"Got room for two more?"
Root reopens the doors for them, and Reese and Fusco join them.
"This day just keeps getting weirder."
Option 65
As Reese walks with Fusco toward the service entrance of the New York Stock Exchange, he calls Elena.
It goes to voicemail.
"Might be late for dinner," he texts her.
He and Fusco flash their badges, give out the usual mumbo-jumbo about checking out something suspicious, and walk right into the stock exchange.
He checks his phone again.
In her apartment, Elena's phone rings, vibrating along the coffeetable. Bear looks from the shaking black rectangle to the door where Pretty Lady had disappeared a few minutes ago. He can hear her singing behind the door.
The black rectangle shakes again.
Because Tall Man had told him to help Pretty Lady in any way he can, Bear scoops up the black rectangle in his mouth and brings it to her.
"Oh!" Elena exclaims, when she opens the door at Bear's pawing. He drops the black rectangle at her feet, and quickly looks away because she's only in a towel and Bear is a gentleman.
"Oh, Bear," Elena laments, taking in her slobber-coated iPhone. The screen had cracked under the force of the canine's jaw.
Reese tries Elena's phone one last time, but it goes straight to voicemail.
"Wrap it up, Romeo," Fusco says. "Didn't Cocoa Puffs say we're supposed to be taking out a camera or something?"
"Hey, El. There's a chance I'm going to be late for dinner tonight," John says apologetically, leaving her a voicemail. He gives Fusco a sidelong glance. "I'll make it up to you. Happy anniversary, honey," he adds, before ending the call.
Reese can feel Fusco's eyes on him as he opens a security panel.
"Wait, what?!" Fusco exclaims, drawing attention from passersby. He flashes his badge at them, then frowns at his partner. "You didn't really leave that message," he decides.
"Sure." Reese presses his earpiece. "We took out the camera as you requested," he tells Root. "I'm with Lionel at the service entrance."
"Gotta love where a badge can get you," Fusco adds.
"Am I taking out any more cameras, Finch?"
"No need."
Reese leads the way to the basement, where they just catch Finch and Root behind the closing service elevator doors.
"Got room for two more?"
Root reopens the doors for them, and Reese and Fusco join them.
"This day just keeps getting weirder."
Option 89
As Reese walks with Fusco toward the service entrance of the New York Stock Exchange, he contemplates calling Elena to tell her that there's a chance he'll be late for dinner. Or might not return at all.
He and Fusco flash their badges, give out the usual mumbo-jumbo about checking out something suspicious, and walk right into the stock exchange.
"Didn't Cocoa Puffs say we're supposed to be taking out a camera or something?" Fusco asks.
Reese slips his phone back into his pocket without calling or texting Elena as he opens a security panel.
Reese presses his earpiece. "We took out the camera as you requested," he tells Root. "I'm with Lionel at the service entrance."
"Gotta love where a badge can get you," Fusco adds.
"Am I taking out any more cameras, Finch?"
"No need."
Reese leads the way to the basement, where they just catch Finch and Root behind the closing service elevator doors.
"Got room for two more?"
Root reopens the doors for them, and Reese and Fusco join them.
"This day just keeps getting weirder."
A/N: Which option do you think really happened?
