Disclaimer: Credit to Jonathan Nolan, Greg Plageman, and the POI writing team. Bolded sections are straight from the episodes.
QUEENSBRIDGE PARK
Chapter 68: beginning of .exe
They may have not saved the world, but they did end up saving the President.
And former Numbers Logan Pierce, Joey Durban, and Harper Rose had ended up saving them.
"You guys do what we do?" Fusco had asked as they stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
"What, you thought New York had the market cornered on murder?" Harper said.
"How many more of us do you think there are?" Fusco wondered.
"Could be none, could be many, who's to say?" Pierce speculated. "Hey, John, I've got a parting gift for you." He handed Reese a photo of Finch taken from a surveillance camera in Hillsboro, Texas.
So they followed their one lead, but Finch had continued to stump them at every turn.
1 week later
Reese flips on the lights in the Subway.
"Nobody home," Shaw observes.
"Finch hasn't been here," Reese says.
"Has anyone?"
Bear barks and comes running over, straight for Shaw.
"Come here, come on. Hi, buddy," she greets.
"Atta boy, Bear," Reese commends.
"So when was the last time anyone saw Finch?" Shaw asks.
"It's been over a week. Since he broke out of that prison, Finch and the Machine have gone radio silent."
"Maybe Samaritan caught up to him. I say we grab a couple of its flunkies, see what we can squeeze out of them."
"No, it's too risky," Reese argues. "We can't afford any more losses. What we need is a strategy."
Finch was better at this part of things.
"Okay, well, you just heard mine. So you think of a better one, you give me a call."
As if on cue, the subway payphone starts to ring with a new Number.
"Shaw, come take a look at this," Reese calls her over as soon as he's put the Number into the computer.
"Who is it?" Shaw recognizes the face on the screen immediately. "Greer. That's the Number the Machine sent us?"
"Close. It gave us the social of his alias."
"Philip Hayes, Office of Intergovernmental Affairs," Shaw reads.
"Located in D.C.," Reese says. "Looks like we're headed back to the Beltway."
"You think Greer's planning to kill Finch?"
"More like the other way around. I think Finch is going to kill Greer, or die trying."
They look at each other and then move toward the exit, Bear following hopefully. The canine's sharp ears pick up the sound of someone else arriving, however, and he bolts to greet the newcomer.
And then Elena finds herself face to face with Shaw's gun.
"Cassidy?" Shaw exclaims. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"I'm happy to see you, too," Elena squeaks.
Shaw doesn't move her aim. "How do you know about this place?" she demands.
"Because the Machine sent her here," Reese says, pushing Shaw's gun away from Elena. "And someone needed to feed Bear while we were in D.C."
"Gee thanks, John," Elena drawls. She hands the paper bag she's holding to Shaw.
"What's this?"
"A peace offering."
Then she hugs Shaw.
"I'm really sorry about Root, Sameen."
Shaw remains frozen in Elena's embrace until she comes to her senses and shoves her back toward Reese.
"Do you want me to shoot you?"
Elena gives her a small smile. "Hence the peace offering. The Beatrice Lillie from Park's Deli. Pastrami. Extra mustard, spicy and yellow. Pepperoncinis. No mayonnaise. Just as you like it."
She glances back at Reese, who frowns slightly. If it were anyone else but John Reese, it would have been called a pout. "What, no hug for me?"
She tosses the other bag at him, who just manages to catch it. "Here, courtesy of your dogsitter. And you, Bear," she coos in a much gentler tone as she feeds him a doggie danish. "Since that's all I'm good for, apparently."
Reese winces. "Sorry, El. You'll have to do it for a bit longer, too. We're headed back to D.C."
"But you saved the president! I saw it on the news."
"This time we're looking for someone who can lead us to Harold."
She looks worried. "So you haven't found him yet?"
"No, but we're getting closer. Maybe," he adds at the skeptical look Shaw gives him.
"Anything I can do?"
"Actually ..." His eyes go from Elena to the phone and Finch's computer station.
"Reese," Shaw starts in a warning tone.
"What if we get another Number?"
"Who cares about the freaking Numbers? There are more important things going on, like the cyber apocalypse," Shaw says, looking at him like he's crazy. "Besides what's Cassidy going to do if she gets a Number?"
"Fusco can handle it."
Reese walks Elena over to the computer station, and explains as quickly and thoroughly as he can how it all works.
"So you want me to sit here and wait for the phone to ring, and then answer it when it does? Then plug in the code it spits out into this computer and let Lionel know who comes up?"
Reese winces. "I know that's not —"
Elena swivels to face him. "No, I wasn't complaining, John. Sitting around answering phones and typing? That's what I do."
He looks at her in surprise. She would never stop amazing him. Despite Shaw's presence, he kisses her. Properly. Thoroughly. Like he's wanted to do since she arrived.
"Ugh," Shaw mutters in disgust.
"Oh! Well," a flustered Elena blushes. "This job has its perks."
"All right, Romeo, you've put in enough overtime," Shaw says. "Places to be, people to kill."
Elena wishes it was a joke.
"Be careful, both of you," she says as Bear gives them last licks.
"What, no goodbye kiss for me, Cassidy?" Shaw smirks.
Elena smiles weakly. "You never did ask me out on that date, Sameen."
"You never showed me what else you could do with a gun, hotshot."
"Come back in one piece with this one," she jerks her head toward John, "and I'll show you."
"Deal."
As Finch traipses across the country gathering what he needs to take down Samaritan once and for all, the Machine (using Root's voice) regales him with scenarios of what could have been if he had never built Her.
"And what about Miss Cassidy?" Finch asks, after the Machine details what would have happened to himself, Fusco, Shaw, and Reese. "Surely she would have lived a much more peaceful, happy life if John and I had never forced our acquaintance. All just so Bear could have a playmate," he adds bitterly.
The Machine processes the alternate trajectory for a few seconds before Root's voice sounds in his ear again. "Elena Cassidy would have married Kenneth Parker."
"As she was supposed to," Finch notes.
"Are you imagining Little Miss Normal would have lived happily ever after? Think again, Harry," the Machine says ominously.
"Detective Carter still would have brought down HR. Kenneth Parker would have saved himself from prison by testifying against the top members. Instead of being tainted by association, he would have become the shining politician he always wanted to be. His rise would have been meteoric, unparalleled."
Finch closes his eyes. "So he would have done the right thing. But instead, a promising career and life was cut short. And what of Miss Cassidy?"
"The likelihood that Elena Cassidy Parker would have committed suicide within three years of their marriage would have been 84.12%."
Finch's eyes open in surprise.
"Even bright Little Miss Normal has a little bit of darkness to her, Harold. You of all people should understand that. So, a more peaceful, happy life? I mean, she wouldn't have been caught in the crossfire of our war against Samaritan. And it would have spared her all the worry and angst that comes with loving the Big Lug. But it still wouldn't have been happily ever after."
"No," Finch admits. "She was saved from that fate at least. But what kind of fate awaits her now?"
"Your guess is as good as mine."
Finch scoffs. "I hope I programmed you better than that."
"Come on, Harry, you and I both know how well suited John and Elena are to each other."
"But you said John is living on borrowed time."
"Perhaps Little Miss will lend him some of hers." The Machine pauses. "Their ending isn't written yet. So many possibilities, so little time."
"I've been meaning to ask you something about them," Finch says. "All the ways their paths have crossed over the years. Hiring Miss Cassidy to work for Thornhill Services. You've shown remarkable interest in her. Did you find her for John, just like you found Grace for me?"
The Machine nails Root's coy tone perfectly. "But, Harry, that would be telling."
A/N:
"Sorry, John, places to be, people to kill."
— Root, going after Martine in Search and Destroy (s4e19)
