A/N: Some familiar characters come to the forefront in this chapter. Hope you enjoy! Thanks to SWWomen for her guidance.

Breaking Point Chapter 7

"Ms. Shaw, Ms. Groves informs me that we may have to step up our operations concerning Mr. Reese and Ms. Carter," Finch said as Shaw entered the Library where he and Root were working furiously on something.

"Why? What's going on? Reese hasn't tried to kill anybody yet has he?" she said with a snicker but it fell flat.

"I've been monitoring Donnelly's calls and text and I intercepted this one an hour ago." Root replied then tapped a few keys on her keyboard and a text message came up:

'Pick up Package in the am. Deliver to this address'.

The text gave the address for where the "Package" was to be picked up and then delivered.

"I don't understand. He's just having something picked up and delivered," Shaw questioned, confused.

"First, the P in the word package is capitalized. That means it's a person. Second the address of where the package is to be picked up is the address of the clinic Joss Carter is being released from tomorrow morning." Root explained.

"So they're planning to kidnap Carter when she's released from the clinic? With Reese right there? Are they crazy? He'll kill 'em all." Shaw responded in disbelief.

"That's what we're trying to avoid Ms. Shaw. We need to intercept Mr. Reese and Ms. Carter before anything violent takes place. I've already set aside a safe house for them the problem is going to be convincing them that we're the good guys and want to help and not the ones trying to kill them." Finch supplied while still tapping away on his computer. "I still have the feeds at the hospital," he said pointing to one of the monitors which showed John and Joss sound asleep in the hospital bed, "but I think it would be a good idea if we had a presence there, Ms. Shaw."

"On it." Shaw said and spun on her boot heel heading for the door adding, "I'll call Fusco, I think we may need him on this one."

"Okay, Ms. Groves, what is She telling you about our illusive Mr. Donnelly?" Finch asked Root who got a far-away look on her face for a moment then looked back at Finch.

"She's still searching. Apparently Donnelly is very careful. Whatever she finds she's giving me and I'm putting it in the file." Root looked at Harold quizzically.

"What? What is it, Ms. Groves?" Harold asked.

"She's very…..invested in what happens to Reese and Carter. Almost as if She cares about them. Do you know why?" Root replied curiously.

"I can honestly tell you I don't know, Ms. Groves. You would be more able to interpret that than I." Harold said softly.

"Oh Harold. Don't sell yourself short. You built Her, molded Her. Who would know Her better than you?" Root said gently.

"Maybe," was his vague response, then more acutely, "Whatever the case may be, information on Mr. Donnelly is difficult to find and that is worrisome since he is a member of our FBI. They would have most definitely done an extensive background check on him before hiring him." Finch continued with his train of thought. "Ms. Groves, how do you feel about hacking into the FBI?" Finch asked bluntly.

Roots eyebrows raised high on her forehead. "You want to hack the FBI? I'm in." She said with a little giggle.

"We are not going in there to play Ms. Groves." He admonished quickly. "We have a specific target in mind and we will have to be extremely careful." Pausing for a moment as if to gather his thoughts he finally said, "I think that can wait though. Our immediate concern is intercepting Mr. Reese and Ms. Carter before Donnelly's men get to them and cause complications."

Root grinned at Harold. "You call the Big Lug ripping half a dozen men limb from limb a complication? I call it a slaughter."

"Yes, well, either way, we must be there first. We must figure out a way to convince them to come with us to the safe house so Ms. Carter can recuperate without worry. Then we can all pool our resources to help Mr. Reese and Ms. Carter out of the predicament they find themselves in." Finch stated almost methodically.

"Why not just tell him the truth Harold?" Root said gently. Finch looked at her in astonishment. She couldn't be serious. But looking in her clear intelligent brown eyes he could see the truth there.

"Would he believe me?" he asked wondering if it were possible to tell John why he, Harold, was still alive. If he did tell him John would have questions. Questions Harold wasn't sure he could, or maybe the correct word would be should, answer.

Root got that far away look in her eyes again then smiled at Harold.

"She wants him to know." Root said in her calm, serene way. "She wants him to know everything. He will believe you."

Harold looked at Root for a long moment then nodded his head. He knew what he was going to do. Standing, he turned to Root while putting on his overcoat.

"Ms. Groves, would you call Ms. Shaw and Detective Fusco and tell them I will meet them at the clinic in half an hour. I need you to stay here and monitor Donnelly's communications. We need to know of any changes or new developments," he said to answer her unspoken question as to why she was not invited.

"Of course, Harold, I'll do that right away. What will you be doing?" She asked curiously.

"I need to have a talk with Dr. Tillman about releasing Joss into my care tonight instead of on her own in the morning. I believe it will take all of my persuasive power to do so as she has an attachment to Mr. Reese for saving her life and her sanity." He finished as he put on his Fedora.

"If anyone can do it Harry, you can." Root said encouragingly.

Harold paused for a moment then turned and made his way out of the Library while Root turned her attention back to the monitors in front of her and said quietly to hersel
"What are you up to now, Donnelly?", then began to scan the text and emails scrolling down the screen.

Dr. Megan Tillman rolled her head from side to side trying to ease the tension in her neck and shoulders. It had been a busy day at the Urgent Care Clinic she had established in her sister's honor only five years ago. She never would have been able to do it if it hadn't been for John Reese. He had stepped into her life quite unexpectedly at a difficult time, when she was about to do something very reckless and very dangerous. He had convinced her to let him handle it, relieving her of a great burden and giving her back her life. They were friends from that moment on and she would do anything for John. And now Joss too.

So when the man in the expensive suit and black framed glasses found her at a table in the cafeteria and said he wanted to speak to her about John and Joss she was instantly alert. John had told her a little about the trouble they were facing but of course couldn't tell her everything. She couldn't see how this man could be a threat, but you can never be too careful.

Harold smiled at Dr. Tillman, he understood why she was wary of a complete stranger wanting to discuss not just her patient but her friend.

"I assure you doctor I am not a threat to John or Joss; quite the opposite actually. May I sit down, please?" he asked and Dr. Tillman nodded in acceptance if for no other reason than she was curious what this man was about. "Thank you." Harold said gratefully. "Now, I'm sure you have many questions as to why I'm asking about Mr. Reese and Ms. Carter, but due to time constraints I'm going to be brutally honest with you. I will give you the facts and outline my proposition and hopefully we can agree to a course of action." He finished this little speech with a smile.

"And you are….?" Megan asked crossing her arms across her chest and leaning back in her chair.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. My name is Harold Finch. Normally I don't give people my real name but in this circumstance it's necessary." Megan's eyebrows rose high on her forehead at this statement. He was not gaining any ground with her saying things like that. "Yes, as odd as that sounds, I am asking you to trust me. I will explain everything with your permission. Without it, I will simply have to find another means to protect Mr. Reese and Ms. Carter. Yes, Dr. Tillman," Harold said when she sat up, "I mean to protect Mr. Reese and Ms. Carter. Because as we speak a plot to kidnap Ms. Carter when she is released tomorrow morning is being planned." Harold paused to allow Megan to process what he just said.

She blinked once then asked, "I beg your pardon, did you just say kidnap?"

"I did indeed Dr. Tillman. Now, do I have your permission?"

She stared at him in astonishment. "Yes, of course."

"Excellent." Harold said with satisfaction. "I would like to avoid any confrontation between the culprits and Mr. Reese due to the fact that if this attempt is made Mr. Reese will protect Ms. Carter at all costs."

Megan looked at Harold with wide eyes. "He will kill them all….with his bare hands if he has to." She said on a breath.

"That's what I said," said a small woman with long brown hair tied in a pony-tail and dressed all in black. She was accompanied by a short heavyset man with close cropped curly hair receding in the front.

"Who are you?" Megan asked, thinking this was a strange cast of characters.

"We're the honor guard," said the short man with a strong New York accent.

"What?"

"I hadn't gotten that far yet Megan. You two pull up a chair. I've just been able to convince Dr. Tillman to hear me out so don't do anything that will make her change her mind." Harold said looking at them sternly. "Megan, this is Ms. Sameen Shaw and Detective Lionel Fusco. The Detective is Ms. Carter's former partner at the NYPD."

"Call me Shaw, nice to meet ya."

"Fusco, it's a pleasure."

"Just for simplicity everyone call me Megan, please. Now you have my permission, everyone has been introduced and I assume you have a plan. I have just one question: How do you know about this plot to kidnap Joss?" Megan asked looking Harold directly in the eyes unwavering.

"We have a very reliable source that is never wrong." Harold hesitated for only a moment before he added, "This same source brought it to our attention that Mr. Reese and Ms. Carter's lives were in danger. We have been protecting them from the shadows for a while now without their knowledge. This will be the first time we have approached them face to face."

Megan's eyes narrowed slightly as she studied him. He was not telling her everything about this source. There was something hinky about it but she couldn't put her finger on it. She decided to let it slide. If they wanted to hurt John and Joss they could have done so, or at least tried, by now.

"Okay," she said. "What's the plan? I assume you have a place for Joss to recuperate properly?" she asked.

Harold sighed in relief. "Yes, we do. It's part of the overall plan. So let's get started." For the next hour they discussed the plan and Megan's part in it which was minimal. Finally everyone knew what they were assigned to do and without further ado they all four made their way to Joss's clinic room to get things rolling.

John was the first to wake. Hearing the shuffle of shoes on the clinic floor of Joss's room he was instantly alert and aware of his surroundings. He sat up quickly and first thing he saw was Megan, who smiled at him. With her he saw the man with the black framed glasses and the small woman with long brown hair in a pony-tail that he had seen before. Another man, short and hefty, who looked like he could handle himself, was also there.

He looked at Megan in confusion. "What's going on Megan?"

"John, I need you to trust me and listen to me carefully. Most of all I need you to not panic. These people are here to help you and Joss. You trust me, right? You know I would never let anything or anyone hurt you or Joss." She waited until he finally nodded his head slowly, still a little wary. She understood. "This man," she motioned toward the man with the glasses, "is Mr. Finch. He has something he needs to tell you and I need to ask you again John please don't panic. They told me everything they are going to tell you and I believe them."

"Okay, Megan, but I still don't understand…." He trailed off when he heard Joss say,

"Fusco! What the hell are you doin' here this time of night? How did you know where I was anyway?" She must have woken while Megan was talking to John and they didn't notice.

"You know this guy?" John asked in surprise.

"Yeah, he's my old partner from when I was a Detective on the Force. Come here and give me some love you old man" Joss laughed and the man she called Fusco shuffled over and gave her a hearty hug and a peck on the cheek.

"Who are you callin' old? We're the same age." Fusco responded laughing.

John hadn't been to happy seeing another man hug and kiss his Joss but when he saw the way they were together, like brother and sister, he relaxed and chided himself for being so possessive. Now that he got a good look at the guy he looked exactly how Joss had described him.

The man with the glasses cleared his throat and everyone looked in his direction.

"I hate to break up this happy reunion but time is of the essence and we have a lot go over. Mr. Reese, as Megan said my name is Mr. Finch, Harold Finch to be exact. There is no easy way to say this so I will just be as honest as I was with Megan. We have a reliable source that has provided us with information that agent Donnelly has put a plan in motion to kidnap Ms. Carter tomorrow morning when she is discharged from the clinic." Harold could see the rage building in Reese by the second so he said quickly, "Mr. Reese we have a plan to counter theirs and also provide Ms. Carter with a comfortable place to recuperate while you continue your investigation into who is trying to kill you both. And if you would allow us, we would like to help you in that investigation. We have access to resources that you might not."

John looked over to Megan who walked over to where he was sitting on the edge of the bed. She looked into his eyes and didn't waver.

"Do you trust them?" he asked.

"Yes." Was all she said.

John looked over his shoulder at Joss who looked at Megan then at her partner. Turning back to him she nodded her head.

John stood to his feet and walked over to Finch.

"I'll trust you because I have people I know that trust you. Break that trust and there will be nowhere on this earth you will be able to run from me. Is that understood?" he said looking Finch dead in the eye.

"It is understood, Mr. Reese." Finch replied.

Looking over Finch's shoulder he asked Shaw, "Who are you?"

"Shaw." She answered with a nod. He nodded back. He recognized a fellow assassin and had no doubt she was lethal. Her size didn't fool him at all.

Turning back to Finch, "I have one question. Why?"

Repeating Megan's reaction to him, Finch said, "I beg your pardon?"

"Why? Why are you helping us?" John asked bluntly.

"I'm going to get Joss's discharge papers together so you guys will be ready to go when the time comes" Megan said quickly, heading for the door. Harold had told her some of this story and she thought it was something that should be told in private.

"We're gonna check the perimeter. We've got coms if you need us Finch," Shaw said and grabbed Lionel by the arm and pulled him toward the door.

John watched this exodus with some amusement and raised eyebrows at Finch.

"Well, this should be interesting." He went to sit back down on the edge of the bed beside Joss while Finch took one of the bedside chairs.

Harold fidgeted for a moment before glancing up at John. "I'm not sure where to start Mr. Reese, there is so much to tell you, but we don't have enough time for everything."

"How about you give me the Cliffs Notes version and we'll read the book later." John suggested trying to help Finch along because he was very curious how this man seemed to know him and not just from his current situation.

"Yes, well, John, if I may call you John?" and John nodded his agreement. "It began with my friend. I went to MIT with him and we later became partners with in a technology company. I think you may be familiar with him." Harold watched as the relaxed expression on John's face turned to stone and his body became rigid. Joss must have noticed too because she looked up at him with concern. "I see by your expression and body language I am correct. I was the friend and business partner of Nathan Ingram, we owned a company called IFT. Nathan was killed by the bomb on the ferry that you and your partner Kara Stanton set off in 2010. I was permanently injured, although to the world, I am dead."

John sat as still as stone. He never believed he would come face to face with one of his victims. He felt sick. He didn't know what to say or do.

"I want you to understand something, John." Harold went on quickly. "I don't blame you for Nathan's death or my injury. I blame the people who lied to you about who Nathan was and why he had to die." He paused for a moment. "John. I know you tried to save Nathan and myself and as many people as you could that day. "

Suddenly John sprang from the bed and grabbed Finch by the collar holding him against the wall. "How the hell do you know what I did or didn't do? How do you know anything?" He said his soft voice strangled with emotion. Tears glistened in his eyes but he refused to let them fall.

"John!" Joss called from the bed but he ignored her.

"I know because I saw you change the detonators." Finch said calmly.

John let go of him and backed away, staring at him stunned. "How could you, I was alone? I know I was."

"It doesn't matter right now. I will explain later. What I need you to understand is that I don't blame you and I want to help you. Can you accept that? Can you believe that I'm telling you the truth?" Harold almost begged him.

John looked into his eyes and saw the truth. This man, Finch, was telling him the truth about how he felt and why he wanted to help them. John didn't understand it, and they would certainly discuss it further, but for now he could accept it. He would believe him.

John was about to say so when Shaw came in the room, "We need to move. Root just called, we've got company coming."

"What? Why?", Harold questioned in frustration.

"My guess? They have a mole in the clinic and they got wind of our little pow wow. You guys coming?" She asked Reese and Carter. John looked Joss and without a word spoken they began gathering their things. They missed the sly smile that slid onto Shaw's face. She was going to enjoy working with these two.

Just then they heard a commotion down the hall. Stepping out of the room they saw Fusco hustling down the corridor his sidearm in his hand. With a kind of hand chop he motioned for them to start moving down the opposite direction from where he came. He caught up with them just as they reached the double doors that were the back entrance to the clinic.

"Good thing we thought to park at the back." Fusco said breathing heavily after rushing down the hall. "I spotted five guys comin' thru the front. "

"Which means they've got at least two covering the back." John said softly looking through the glass doors.

"How would you know that?" Fusco asked.

"It's what I'd do." John answered, sparing him a glance.

"So who's carrying?" Shaw asked

John reached behind him and grabbed his Sig out of jeans but before he could grab Joss's too, which he had also put there, she snatched it, holding it in a firm grip.

"Joss, absolutely not, you're injured. Let us handle this." John said reaching for the weapon.

She held it out of his reach saying, "If you think I'm sitting this out you're crazy. I'm right handed John. I was shot in the left shoulder. I can hold my gun." Then she softened at the look of concern on his face. "I'll be with you the whole time and if it gets to be too much for me I'll lay it down and stay behind you. I promise." Then she kissed him briefly. He didn't like it but there wasn't much he could do about it.

John was in line first with Shaw beside him then Fusco, Joss and Finch. Shaw pointed out the SUV she and Fusco were in and spotted one of the kidnappers hiding behind a dumpster. So predictable. John and Shaw put their heads together and came up with a plan.

John looked over his shoulder.

"Everybody ready...Let's go." And he pushed open the doors….

A/N: Looks like things are getting hot for our two special people. But they get even hotter in the next chapter when Johns learns some interesting things about Joss and her time as a NYPD detective. See you soon...