Disclaimer: Credit to Jonathan Nolan, Greg Plageman, and the POI writing team. Bolded sections are straight from the episodes.


QUEENSBRIDGE PARK

Chapter 67: beginning of Synecdoche


"Shaw, we need you," Reese insists as they stand on the sidewalk outside of the playground he'd tracked her to.

Shaw rolls her eyes before giving in. "Got to kill time somehow. How exactly do you think we can track Harold down?"

"I don't know, but I'm not just going to stand here and wait for him to text us."

As if on cue, a nearby payphone starts ringing.

Reese and Shaw look at each other.

"No way," Shaw says even as he begins to walk toward the phone. "I am done helping little old ladies cross the street, Reese. We get Finch. We go after Samaritan. That's it."

He picks up the receiver.

"It's HMX-1," he calls after Shaw as she begins to walk away.

Shaw freezes.

"Shaw, this is not a Number. It may be a clue to get Finch back.

Shaw turns to look at him in disbelief. "You don't recognize that?"

"Should I?"

"They really don't teach you spec op guys anything, do they? HMX-1? It's Marine One, hotshot."

"So that means our new Number is the president of the United States," Reese realizes. "Looks like we're going to D.C."


They go their separate ways to prepare for the trip. He calls Fusco to tell him to arrange for a place to stay in D.C. Shaw goes to rent (or more likely steal) a car, while Reese heads to the subway to pick up the Plan B bag.

He stops short on the sidewalk leading to the subway's secret entrance. Because standing there, frowning first at her phone then the address of the nearest business, is Elena.

"What are you doing here?"

She whirls around. "John! What are you doing here?"

He's staring at her phone, slowly putting two and two together. "I asked first," he hedges.

"It's the work placement I got this morning." She glances at the empty space between the two closest storefronts. "But there's nothing here."

He sighs. Of course the Machine would make him regret his own words:

If it wants you someplace, it wants you there for a reason.

He takes her hand. "Come on, El."

"John, what is going on?"

"Trust me."

She follows him past the grocery and down into a basement passage ...

And through a secret entrance hiding behind a vending machine ...

And down some more stairs ...

And into what looks like an old, abandoned subway platform.

"What the actual fuck," she whispers as she walks farther into the underground chamber.

An excited bark echoes as Bear trots over curiously. Pretty Lady in the Subway? And it's Bear's appearance there more than anything that convinces Elena she hasn't completely lost it.

"John ..."

He gestures to a subway car full of electronics as he heads to the weapons stash. "Elena, meet the Machine."

She turns in a circle, taking everything in. "So you do have a secret underground lair. A Batcave," Elena says, still trying to wrap her mind around it. "Okay, that ... makes sense, actually."

"Shaw, Fusco, and I are heading to D.C.," Reese explains. "To try to save the president," he adds.

Elena stares at him. One of these days, she's going to stop being surprised by the things he tells her, but today is not that day.

"Okay, sure," she says uncertainly. "What do you need me to do?"

"I need you to look after Bear," he says.

"Okay ..." Her eyes widen at the array of weapons he's efficiently packing into his bag.

"Do you remember how to get down here?" he asks, not pausing his movements.

"Yes, I think so ..."

"The code for the vending machine is 3141."

Elena feels a chill run through her body that has nothing to do with the cooler temperature underground. "Why are you showing me this?"

"In case anything happens —"

"Oh no, we are not having that conversation, Jonathan Henry Reese."

That's not his actual name, but when she says it, it feels more real than any other name he's had.

"Bear's food is in that container over there," he points out. "If you ever need a place to go, if your apartment is compromised, you can hide out here. There are some rations in that cabinet. Otherwise, do everything you would normally do. Go to work. Go wherever the Machine tells you to go."

"Okay."

She keeps saying okay, even though she's feeling anything but. Detachedly, she sits down on a bench at the end of the train car, and watches John pack a change of clothes and, strangely, a tuxedo. Bear pads over and rests his head on her knee.

"I know, boy," she consoles him.

"El." John's hand covers hers, and she realizes he's kneeling beside her. He gives her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry I had to tell you like this."

Her eyes meet his. "Sorry you had to tell me like this? Or sorry you had to tell me at all?"

"Both," he admits. He never can lie to her. "I never wanted you mixed up in any of this."

"And I never wanted to fall in love with a former international assassin with a heart of gold, but here we are."

She doesn't realize what she's said until his eyes light up like nothing she's ever seen before.

Her own eyes widen in panic. "I — I mean —"

"You can't just take something like that back, Elena," he says, and though his tone is playful, there's vulnerability there, too.

"No, I can't," she agrees. "I can't because it's true. But that better be a good enough reason for you to come back to me, John."

He kisses her, quickly but fiercely. "You are the reason, El."

He stands and holds out his hand to her. She takes it and follows him out of the subway, Bear trotting along at their heels. They drive back to her apartment, where Fusco and Shaw are already parked outside with a rental.

"You know that question I asked in the park when Shaw came back to us?" Reese says as he gets the Plan B bag from the trunk and hitches it onto his shoulder.

"You mean the one about staying fake-married to you?"

"I'm still waiting for an answer, El."

"Come back in one piece and I'll give it to you."

He gives her a smile. "Deal."

"Go save the world, John Reese," she manages, with only just a slight quiver in her voice.

He salutes. "Yes, ma'am."