#Carter x Fusco

[thedragonhermit]

First of all, surprise! More Person of Interest! Wow!

Second, my brain would not let go of trying to form a PoI x Fallout AU, and for a while I didn't think I could make it work (ie: how do you get a franchise dependent on stuff like the internet and phone booths to work in one with neither), until I had an actual shower thought about it being specifically a Fallout 4 AU!

Basically it's just Fallout-y versions of the PoI main cast, with Fallout-y versions of their backstories, and following a Fallout-y version of the show's plot, but the plot of Fallout 4 is also happening at the same time with John filling the role of the Sole Survivor (except Harold got him out of Vault 111 instead of Father, and John isn't Shaun's dad lol). Oh and the Institute's surveillance of the Commonwealth is provided by the Machine, and yet Finch has ensured they don't have full access so he can use it the way he wants to: to help improve the lives of the people of the Wasteland!

[willowmosby]

Listen I told my self that I wasn't going to get invested enough in Person of Interest to talk about here but here I am anyway. It was chugging along being a good background show with Some really fun, if a little trope-y, cop characters and watching Harold Finch and John Reese act kinda gay and stop crime. I'm a big Amy Acker fan ( that's actually why I even started the show) so I wasn't upset about the shift in focus towards Root and Shaw a little bit as I entered season 3.

The problem I have actually run into is fucking season 3 episode 9: The Crossing. It just made me angry at a show's choices in a way I haven't felt in a while - please note I haven't watched past that episode as of writing this but I will eventually do so.

An the assumption that she really is dead( that looked pretty fucking fatal) I will miss Joss Carter a lot but that's not necessarily what made me angry. It seemed to me that the writers knew that the actor wanted out of the show from the start of the season as the whole season 3 arc was a seemingly slow moving suicide. It wasn't poorly written but it was obvious that this was a different type of Joss Carter than season 1 & 2.

No my problem wasn't necessarily her death. It's the "romantic" declarations of the episode. Now before you look back at the start of this and post and think I'm just mad because it wasn't my very unlikely to ever be a cannon ship that got confirmed, well you're only partially right.

Yes I'm a Rinch shipper( if follow my blog at all you've probably put together that I often root if the queer ships) but I genuinely would have been fine resigning myself to fanfiction while they get hopelessly paired up with some unsuspecting women. I understand that's how crime drama TV operates. And you know I actually like John and Zoe as a ship, if they were developed a bit more I think they could've been a lot of fun.

My problem is not that the whole you "saved me from commiting suicide" speech John gives Carter is equally, if not more, applicable to his relationship with Finch. Well, okay my problem is not only that. My problem is where was any of the romantic build up between Carter and John, like literally anything? They work great as narrative foils when Carter was still on the "the law is the only law" train. And they work great as friends as Carter steps more into the "some minor crime for the greater good is okay" camp. But not once did I think " oh these two are about to fall in love". Not even when Shaw asked about it earlier in season 3 did I think the show was going to actually pair them up like this. Now I hear you when you say that there are examples of characters with less chemistry have become couples. It's just, I'm not sure what the narrative gain is here. They had to know they were killing off Carter that same episode and this "revelation" doesn't add anything to the character. If anything it doesn't make sense with the revenge for Cal Becher (Beacher? Beecher?- You know who I'm talking about) angle that the writers have been using all season. And if it's about furthering John's character that's just dumb. I wouldn't consider it fridgeing as I'm pretty sure this is an actor who wants an out of contract situation(feel free to correct me if I'm wrong), but that doesn't excuse it as a narrative choice. John unequivocally cares about Carter and would be upset about her death regardless or romantic inclinations, as would Lionel and Finch. They already have an in on the revenge story line (which is where I assume they are going with this). Why bother with the romance especially when John already has the lost love story in his background. Like what Jessica isn't enough of a dead romance they needed to shoe in Joss as well.

Anyway I also wish this was like a mid season finale not episode like 9. Like bro why are you putting away one of your biggest villains so far and this is only a third of the way in the season.

And I wish that Lionel wasn't just suddenly back in the plot, like I know you have a bigger cast now and I m glad he's here but build the guy up a little bit better please.

I also think the Root in a cage thing is a little weird like I know all of these people are chugging the " the ends justify the means" juice but it still seems like there are other options Finch would choose. ( that being said Root and Finch's conversation about the machine somehow come off like " I had sex with your daughter, and I don't care if you know” which was hilarious to me)

Anyway sorry for the rant thanks for listening and I do hope the show gets back into a groove.

[glitterandflowercrowns]

I rewatched PoI recently and went into full brainrot. The result is a short daemon AU/character study of our main heroes. John’s POV, but of course there’s Root/Shaw content in there because they’re my best girls even 7 years later 🥹

[dearopheliaimsorry]

Person of Interest (Praise + Personal Stuff)

MY STORY

Follow me through fanfiction, reality, and my love of film real quick! I'll do my best to be concise.

I first learned about Person of Interest through Tumblr user and famous ao3 writer, astolat. I think I was reading some of their various fics from other fandoms and saw just how many fics they had written for this "Person of Interest" thing. So I started reading, doing my best to avoid spoilers (it didn't work) and fell in love with the characters. Or at least fandom interpretation of them hahaha

Anyway, time goes by. I watched Fanvids, a historical movie where Michael Emerson (Finch) acted his heart out, and refound my love for Taraji P. Henson (Carter). And eventually, I caved and watched the show.

It's great y'all. The writing is not always perfect, but I never expect perfection lol. Still, I have to acquiesce the show has its own goofy moments, but the actors eat it up every time. Especially Henson.

Good lord, that woman is in a league of her own. After her I'd say Emerson is the next best actor, but still. Henson is just amazing to watch. So if you want to see some Black Excellence, Black Woman Excellence at that, the show provides.

THE ACTUAL SHOW

It is such a good show, let me pitch real quick:

A Kooky paranoid billionaire hires an ex-military man scarred by the government running on trauma, guilt, and heavy artillery. The two have a boss/employee, partners, besties, married couple vibe going on. They work with two detectives, one that used to be dirty and another with a heart of gold. They have such fun interactions all on their own as well as with the other two men. Together they all stop crime bc the kooky paranoid man created a machine that spies on all of us all of the time. Because 9/11 was a tragedy (duh.) and the government wants to stop it from happening again. But the government is...well...the government.

No matter who you are, what political party you align with, or where you are, no one fully trusts the government. And the show plays off that heavily.

Also, there is a wonderfully sapphic relationship between two characters (Root and Shaw) but I'm on at the very beginning of season 2 so...idk how that even starts lol. But hey, I'm all for representation!

Also (no spoilers) but from what I've had spoiled, the ending is pretty sad for all parties.

Anywhoo it is a really cute show with some absolutely amazing and deep relationships. These characters got me clinging to the show far more than the plot and the plot is actually fire.

So watch it or don't idc, but here were my two cents! (And of course gifs for your troubles)

[utsukushiatsushisushi]

Okay I finally finished my 3rd every 3 year rewatch of Person of Interest.

I just love this show so fucking much! I have watched many many many amazing tv shows and NONE of them are as amazing as POI. I tried watching it with a bit of a critical lens and found a miniscule amount of flaws. It's just PERFECT.

Please bring this show back. I NEED IT!!!!!!!

#Root is ALIVE 2k23

#SHOOT is ALIVE 2k23

#The Machine is ALIVE 2k23

#POI is ALIVE 2k23

[scarparty]

Hello!! <3

Hi! I'm Fish! I'm a new writer hoping to break into the world of X reader fanfiction more than I have. I also do head canons and vague F/O imagines.

Once I actually publish anything, I'll start a masterlist. I write for MANY different fandoms and characters, including but not limited to(below cut):

Marvel

Mostly x-men, including both movie universes, Evolution, and TAS. I do most characters, but if you're not sure, just ask!

DC

Once again, I do most characters. Specifically, the whole batfam, the whole superfam, all of gotham academy, and ESPECIALLY all gotham rogues (including c listers) and some superman/flash rogues. I will do your obscure fav I promise <3

LOST

Once again, I do most characters and love a challenge! Just ask!

Lord of the rings/Tolkien works

Most all characters, except probably like those who only have one or two appearances and like,,, obscure silmarillion characters. I will be a bit more picky with these characters, but don't be afraid to send in a request!

Person of interest

All main characters(Reese, finch, carter, fusco), and Leone Tao<3

Jeffery combs characters

Preferably Herbert west, Chaz (dead man walking), Dr. Mordrid, and Andrew Paris (phantom empire)

Ghostbusters

I write for most of the main characters (including tully and janine), both new and old. I haven't seen the 2016 or the animated series, but I have seen all of the old and new ones. Other various:

Total Drama Island X-files(Mulder and Scully mostly) Dungeon Meshi D20 fantasy high (Main party mostly) Evil dead(Mostly Ash!) Doom patrol

To be added to ^w^ I will not do NSFW in ANY form, I also cannot write age regression simply because I am not well educated on it. I will primarily write for Trans and Male readers, but I accept readers of all genders.

pro.shitters dni

[a-fandom-reimagined]

You and Reese go way back, having known one another since your days in the special forces

There'd always been this palpable chemistry between the two of you. But out of respect and loyalty to Jessica, Resee never allowed himself to act on it

But in having you join Team Machine it was like life had given you both a second chance.

The Machine, of course, waits for no one so going on a real date was kind of out of the question.

But every now and then, the Machine would throw you a bone.

Tailing numbers to museums and uneventful fancy dinners

On stakeouts, Reese would make sure to pre-stock the car with your favorite snacks, drinks, and takeout.

Your favorite music playing quietly in the background.

Reese loved watching you work.

You were a masterful interrogator, a skilled hacker, and the things you could do with a knife made his blood sing.

Every once in a while someone would catch him beaming at you with pride and call him out on it, making him blush

Your relationship wasn't a secret per se but neither of you was shouting it from the rooftops either.

Both of you came from backgrounds that painted love as more of a weakness to be exploited than a strength to be relied upon.

it wasn't that you were scared, it was just your way of protecting one another.

The only exception to this was Carter.

You were good friends with her so if Reese ever needed advice, he went to her.

Reese gently nudging you to move in with him.

You'd probably find an extra key on your key ring.

Holding it up to the light, you'd ask. "What is this?"

"A key to my place," he answered, not meeting your eyes. "Just in case."

You nodded, your face hot with pleasure. "Oh. Thank you."

He'd nod, still not looking at you, and take your hand.

One morning you'd wake up looking for your clothes.

"Reese? I can't find any of my clothes. Even my shoes are gone."

"Check inside the dresser for the clothes, your shoes are in the closet," he called from across the room.

You did as he said, finding everything just as he described.

You moved to the doorway of the bedroom, your expression unreadable. "Why? What made you do this?"

Reese shrugged, hesitantly meeting your gaze. "Just seemed…right. You're here all the time anyway. You have a key. It seemed only fair that you have a place to put your things."

The rest of the team being shocked when they come over and see all of your things in Reese's place and teasing you about it.

Tending to each other's wounds.

Both of you going feral when the other is wounded or in trouble.

Cooking together.

Reese counting down the minutes until you both can go home and climb into bed with Bear at your feet or snuggled between you both

Reese is a cuddler.

He's also pretty old-fashioned.

Helping you with your coat, opening your doors.

Finch wholeheartedly approves.

He'd watch your interactions from afar, smiling and thrilled that his friend had finally found someone.

Forcing Reese to sit through all of your favorite rom-coms and reality shows

Reese eventually getting hooked on all of them against his will.

Training together

Fusco and Shaw teasing you both relentlessly.

You and Reese eventually opening up to each other about all of the things that you both had endured in the service.

Reese making you sit through all of his favorite kung fu movies.

Late-night rides through the city on his motorcycle

Walks through the park with Bear.

REQUESTED! | REQUESTS: OPEN | REBLOG DON’T REPOST | GIF?

[trishworld]

This was greatly inspired by the work of Micaël Reynaud with his art piece Amalgamation

[dameronalone]

I made a niche uquiz

https://uquiz.com/D1pJuF

[thedragonhermit]

More Person of Interest x Fallout AU!

I said in my previous art post that if I kept thinking about this AU I would post more about it, and guess what, I've been thinking about it :)))) So here's a summary of what I've currently got for it (I say "summary" but this ended up really long oops)

John Reese

His backstory is practically the same as PoI canon except it all happened in the pre-War Fallout universe, with the CIA National Clandestine Service: Special Activities Division under the control of the pre-War Enclave. Him, Staton, and Snow still had their final mission in China, but their infiltration was more high stakes as it was during the Sino-American War.

After surviving the missile strike, Reese manages to return to the States and works to track down Jessica just like in canon, only his search leads him to the community of Sanctuary Hills near Boston. By the time Reese gets there, she's already dead.

He learns her husband Peter abused her/disguised her cause of death as a car accident, and avenges her the night of October 22, 2077 by disposing of Peter. The following morning, Reese, still wallowing in his despair and rage over not being there for Jessica, is still in their house when a representative from Vault-Tec shows up at the door. He ends up answering and is signed up for Vault 111 under Peter Arndt's name.

Just like in Fallout 4, the representative's timing couldn't be more perfect as the bombs start falling not long after. Although Reese is in a state where he wouldn't mind going out with nuclear fire, he's whisked off to Vault 111 with the other residents who've applied, enters just as Boston is hit, is provided a vault suit to change into, and is directed into a "decontamination" pod-- aka a cryopod meant for testing the affects of long term stasis.

Reese doesn't wake up until 210 years later when the Vault's life support systems are beginning to crash, and exits to find a bespectacled man claiming to have just saved his life and somehow knows his name is John Reese; not Peter Arndt as Vault-Tec's records claim. He also manages to convince Reese not to kill him over knowing all this and to instead join the cause he woke him up for.

Harold Finch

A researcher for the Advanced Systems division of the Institute, though oddly not everyone can agree whether he was brought into their fold from the outside, or if he's always been there. Despite being in Advanced Systems, his work is primarily for the Synth Retention Bureau as the sophisticated Machine he built and maintains provides them their mass surveillance of the Commonwealth, while also predicting potential threats and locating runaway synths with incredible accuracy.

Finch is also seemingly the only one in the Institute who has a modicum of sympathy for the "uncouth, unclean, and uneducated" masses above ground, considering he's secretly using his Machine to try and help the people of the Commonwealth-- even if those efforts conflict with the Institute's plans.

He's a very mysterious and private man; the more you learn about him, the less you seem to really know him. Finch will talk about places and factions outside the Commonwealth as if he's seen them with his own eyes/interacted with them himself, and yet will deny having done so. He'll even talk that way about pre-War events, unnerving Reese with implications that Finch is from his time.

The Truth: he was born around 2234 and raised Harold Wren in the Enclave alongside his best friend, Nathan Ingram, with the two building the Machine together at Raven Rock. When their creation (mostly Harold's creation as Nathan would admit) neared it's official completion in 2276, Nathan confided in Harold that he'd overheard the Enclave higher ups' true intent for it-- to merge it's surveillance and predictive capabilities into President Eden; effectively erasing the Machine's emerging identity and just making it a part of the pre-War ZAX unit.

Harold was seemingly unbothered, having suspected this was going to happen and already accepted it, but Nathan was less accepting. Vowing to save the "life" Harold had inadvertently created, he downloaded the Machine's code from Raven Rock's servers and split it between two portable devices -- a modified Pip-Boy and an eyebot -- so he could run away from the Enclave with it. Harold learned of this plan when Nathan gave him one last chance to join him, only for Harold to try and talk him out of it. His friend's mind was stubbornly made up, however.

Harold didn't let Nathan get too far from Raven Rock before finally going after him, unable to abandon (or be abandoned) by his childhood best friend. Nathan was so pleased, he immediately handed over the Pip-Boy, claiming Harold technically held more custody over the Machine, then took a few unfortunate steps right into a hidden landmine.

Harold woke up, head pounding and the back of his neck bleeding, with the eyebot beeping frantically over him. When he sat up, he saw that Nathan was dead and that the Machine was somehow still functioning despite the haphazard way it's code had been cut in half, warning him of imminent danger on the Pip-Boy's screen. The Enclave was already coming after them.

Though it was extremely hard to leave his best friend, let alone how painful it was to move, Harold got to his feet with the eyebot's help and limped to the closest settlement to get quickly patched up before leaving the Capital Wasteland altogether.

He spent the next few years wandering the greater Wasteland with the Machine as his only companion; getting the Enclave off their trail with a convincing dead body double, trying not to attract the attention of the Brotherhood of Steel or more deadly factions like Caesar's Legion, all the while coming to better understand the very thing he'd built.

When Harold learned of the Institute in the Commonwealth, he convinced their Director into letting him join, then uploaded most of the Machine into their servers to hide it from Enclave and BoS searching-- though he kept the most vital code on the eyebot and a back door in his Pip-Boy to shield it from the Institute themselves (all parts of the Machine communicate remotely via an encrypted radio station).

Having seen the greater Wasteland for what it was, Harold gained a sympathy he hadn't been raised with while in the Enclave; a sympathy he could see the Institute also lacked. So he elected to take matters into his own hands and improve it with the Machine. But they couldn't do it alone.

Thankfully, he had happened to read an old, pre-War Enclave record when he was younger about an exceptional agent named John Reese who'd allegedly ended up in Boston despite being pronounced dead on mission in China...

The Machine

Considered a "miracle" as it's the first AI of it's scale to be successfully created post-War.

It's eyebot hides in plain sight among the eyebots that patrol Diamond City when it's not with Finch.

In PoI canon, the Machine provides it's "irrelevant" numbers by listing letters that match up to authors on books in Finch's library, with the dewey decimal system becoming the target's social security number. That system is flipped in this AU; the Machine gives numbers that match up with books in the Boston Public Library (Finch and Reese's hideout, tho I can't decide if they left the super mutants in it to help with their cover lol) that spell out their target's name.

Okay great, they have a name, now how do they track them down without the internet? Well, the Institute with all its surveillance of the Commonwealth has a large database of "persons of interest" that Finch just so happens to be able to access (I think in F4 it's just lists their secret synth agents?? But I feel like they also listed off people they felt may cause issues... idk, if that's not canon, it is canon for this AU!)

There are names they receive that don't appear in that database however, meaning the boys have to track them down the old fashion way-- asking around until someone who knows the target tells them where they are. The Machine will help sometimes by providing a time and place where the target is most likely to appear next.

Obvs the names of every Fallout 4 companion comes up, either their own name or someone related to them. They also get all the names related to F4's main and side quests (as well as some PoI characters like Shaw).

Technically there already is a threat predicting AI in Fallout 4 (Predictive Analytic Machine aka P.A.M.) which the Railroad can gain access to. It's purpose pre-War was to predict when the bombs were going to fall, but it's more like a complex algorithm that requires human input to operate-- whereas the Machine is a proper thinking AI that takes in it's own input via surveillance in order to make it's decisions.

I like the idea of Finch becoming aware of P.A.M.'s existence when the Railroad is suddenly out predicting the Machine, and though the Machine is ultimately capable of out thinking P.A.M., Finch ends up "crippling" the Machine in such a way that it can only out predict P.A.M. so much to allow the Railroad to continue evading the Institute.

Bear/Dogmeat

Instead of finding him at the Red Rocket gas station between Sanctuary and Concord, he's been confined to the life of a Gunners dog. When Reese sees him, he can tell he doesn't like his "owners" considering he's acting stressed and is kept on a leash unlike this gang of Gunners' other dogs. Reese also finds the name "Dogmeat" mean (like how he didn't like canon Bear's former name, Butcher) and that's why he renames him when he frees him from the Gunners.

Bear answers to both Bear and Dogmeat, but Reese is convinced he's happier when called by his new name.

Root

A Wastelander originally from the Texas area named Samantha Groves. When she was very young, her and her mom were picked up by Caesar's Legion and were stuck with them for a time, until a moment for escape opened up. Her mom urged her to run west towards NCR territory, which Root did and allowed her to be rescued by the Followers of the Apocalypse.

Under their care and tutelage, she proved herself naturally talented when it came to computers and started coming into her own as an impressive hacker. She befriended an older girl named Hanna who was also under the FoA's care, but sadly she was abducted and killed by an NCR officer, with Root the only witness.

No one believed her when she said what had happened to Hanna, leading to her taking matters into her own hands and luring a gang of Fiends into killing her friend's murderer before leaving.

For some time after, Root traversed the Wasteland, earning caps mostly by being a shadowy assassin who made use of hacking computers whenever they were available. The further east she traveled, the more she heard rumours about the Institute, peaking her curiosity and leading her to the Commonwealth. Where she eventually learns of the most incredible thing she's ever heard of: a miracle of a god-like Machine watching over everyone in the area...

S2-16 aka Shaw

An elite SRB Courser who was personally trained by Conrad Kellogg (for those who don't know Fallout 4, he's basically Hersh and provided the special combat training used by the Courser synths of the Institute. If Hersh were in this AU, he'd just replace Kellogg, but I've decided to keep Kellogg instead).

Like I said in my art post, her partner M4-39 becomes a bit too infatuated with the Railroad (whom they're supposed to be enemies with) and goes so far as to give himself the name Michael before trying to defect to them. He tries to convince S2-16 to go with him -- who he had started calling Shaw instead of her designation -- but he's ambushed and gunned down by X6-88. Shaw is considered also compromised just by having been his partner, even though she wasn't into the idea of joining the Railroad, but X6-88 doesn't believe her.

Just like in season 2 episode 16 (see where I got her designation from haha), while Reese and Finch are trying to help her out, Shaw gets captured by Root who's wanting more information on the Machine-- though in this AU she's wanting a way into the Institute so she can get at it directly. But the only known way in is via teleportation. Each Courser has a relay chip in their brain that allows them to be teleported back, which Root threatens to cut out of Shaw if she doesn't give her another way in. Shaw's freed before that can happen, but later agrees to Finch's proposition that she have her chip removed (in a safe manner) to prevent the SRB from tracking her down.

The job of a Courser, for those unaware, is to hunt down and bring back escaped synths. In order to ensure they follow through with their orders, they are installed with emotional dampening programming to prevent them from sympathizing with their targets. Although Dr. Amari is able to remove her relay chip, she's unable to remove this programming, leaving Shaw just like she is in canon: mostly devoid of emotion (besides rage).

Free of the Institute, she officially starts going by Shaw in honour of Michael and turns to focusing on tracking down Root (in a toxic yuri way).

Joss Carter and Lionel Fusco

Both were members of Diamond City Security until Carter's display of detective work during one case impressed the Great Green Jewel's only detective, Nick Valentine, so much that he offered her a job as his partner. Ever since, she's worked as a part of the Valentine Detective Agency alongside the old synth sleuth and his assistant, Ellie Perkins.

She's drawn into working with Reese and Finch after Valentine's name is given by the Machine when he's locked up by Skinny Malone in Vault 114.

Although Reese becomes known as "the Man in the Vault Suit," he also becomes a suspect in Valentine's ongoing Mysterious Stranger case, leaving Carter to try and keep him off Reese's trail.

Meanwhile, just like in canon, Fusco is stuck on the opposite side of things as he's a part of this AU's version of HR; a collection of corrupt DCS officers (which is most of them) who work back door deals with Gunners and Raiders for chems and caps, while pulling all sorts of strings in Mayor McDonough's favour.

He's dragged into Reese and Finch's operations when the Machine gives them Piper Wright's name, as HR is obvs not a fan of Diamond City's famous nosey reporter. With Fusco under Reese's thumb, he manages to get HR off her case as best as he can, but it's tricky work with Piper not being one to give up a story that easily, danger be dammed.

A Few PoI Baddies

Speaking of HR, Alonzo Quinn is still it's secret leader, being both an Upper Stands resident and Mayor McDonough's advisor. HR is ultimately in McDonough's pocket and takes a fair amount of commands from him, so long as Quinn agrees to them as well.

Patrick Simmons, HR's second in command, is the head of Diamond City Security instead of just being an officer.

Elias operates out of Goodneighbor and gradually takes control of most of it's gangs, including the Triggermen. He has a deal with Mayor Hancock that allows him to operate on the promise he won't pose a threat to Hancock's rule, though who knows how long that will last. I kinda want to make him a ghoul just for fun... that and/or go really wild and make him the son of Eddie Winters...... idk

Control would be the head of the SRB, potentially having replaced Zimmer after he went off to the Capital Wasteland.

Samaritan would be an Enclave creation, likely built from pieces of the Machine's own code that may have lingered after Nathan and Harold escaped.

Annnnnnnd that's basically the framework of what I've got!

[luirlar]

Today I (re)watch: Person of Interest, 3.10

Today I (re)watch: Person of Interest, 3.10

The Crossing may have shattered your heart to pieces, and that’s unfair. Fortunately The Devil’s Share comes in strong, and dark, and ready to avenge my dearly departed queen of my heart. I have watched the whole show before, so SPOILERS MIGHT HAPPEN. Big spoilers will be blanked out but references and irrelevant spoilers are going to be out in the open. The show begins with a cold open, with a…

[kinglivv]

Just Noise in the System

Root X Shaw

Summary: Root finally opens up to Shaw about Hanna.

Warnings: Childhood trauma, murder

A/N: This isn't my usual content so probably none of my followers are interested, but I heard somewhere that this is Shootweek20 (not 100% sure if it is, but still), and I wanted to do something for it seeing as I write fics now. Person of Interest is my all time favourite show, even more so than Doctor Who. It's influenced my life in so many ways, and Root and Shaw were the reason I first started questioning my sexuality and the reason I later came to accept it. I felt I owe them at least one fic :)

"Who's that?"

Root flinches when she feels Shaw's hand on her shoulder. She's sat on the sofa in their apartment, laptop open on the coffee table in front of her. Usually, she would lean into the touch, affection from her girlfriend being so rare. Today however, she's too busy staring at the picture in her hand to pay much attention.

It's an old photo - slightly faded and crinkling at the corners, the edges dirty from years of handling. It looks like it's from the 90s, picturing two school girls standing next to eachother in a library. One's brunette, staring at the camera with a grin on her face and school bag in hand. The other one's younger and blonde, looking up at the other one with an admiration on her freckled face.

"It's me and my friend, Hanna, when we were little." Root replies softly.

Shaw raises an eyebrow, and hops over the back of the sofa, settling down into Root's right-hand side. (She never sits on her left - she knows Root can't hear her). Both her and Root barely talked about their childhoods, them being equally filled with trauma. This seemed to be one of the rare occasions one of them brought it up, and she was interested.

"That you?" She asks, pointing at the tall brunette girl. Root shakes her head, curls bouncing.

"Nope," She points to the blonde girl. "That's me."

"You were a blonde?" Shaw grins, leaning her head on her shoulder. "Little Root was cute."

"It was just Sam Groves back then," Root hums, smiling slightly. "I was 12 in this."

"Sam?" Shaw asks. "Is that why you call me Sam?"

"Partly," Root smiles. "But also because it's adorable and it suits you."

"Shut up," Shaw rolls her eyes. "Why are you looking at it?"

"Today marks almost 30 years since Hanna was kidnapped and killed."

Shaw fell silent, glancing up at Root's face. She had heard Reese and Finch mention Hanna in passing before, but she had never pressed Root about it. She hadn't felt capable of taking on the emotional toll of someone else's childhood trauma, let alone her own.

"What happened?" She asked softly, lacing their hands together.

"She went missing one night, from the library in our home town," Root replied, squeezing Shaw's hand, her eyes not leaving the photo. "We'd been on the computers together, and then she had gone to check out her books. She went out the door, got into someone's car... and then she was gone."

"Someone took her?" Shaw asked carefully.

"Yeah," Root replied.

"They ever find out who did it?"

Root huffs a laugh. "I saw who was in the car." Shaw looked up sharply as she continued. "I told the librarian, even called 911 but no one believed me. The man in the car was really important in Bishop - he'd done a lot of good things for the town, so no one believed the daughter of the local alcoholic."

"John and Harold mentioned it once or twice, but I never really knew what happened." Shaw said. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, Sameen - I got my revenge. Had him gunned down in a parking lot 10 years later, made up to look like a drug deal gone wrong."

Shaw almost smiled at that. She wouldn't expect anything less.

It's then that she looks up at the laptop on the table and sees there's a picture of a book on the screen, surrounded by various tabs of code.

" 'Flowers for Algernon' ?" She read off of the cover.

"The book Hanna checked out that night," Root replied. "I send a copy to the librarian every year on the anniversary of her death. Just a little reminder of how she didn't believe me and let a murderer walk."

Shaw doesn't know how to respond to that. It was moments like these that she remembered what Root truly was, what she was capable of. Hell, it was only a few years ago that Root was a hacker assasin for hire, killing people in cold blood and making a fortune in the process. Although the machine had changed her, bits of her past still peaked through occasionally.

"Reese and Carter were the ones who found out what happened to her."

"Really?"

"Yep," Root puts the photo down and turns to face Shaw properly, their knees knocking together. "When I kidnapped Harold the first time around, they were both looking for me and accidentally solved the murder in the process. They thought Hanna was me!" She huffed a laugh. "They went all the way to my home town and spoke to the librarian. Turns out Hanna had been buried under their patio the whole time."

Shaw bites her lip, sitting back and looking out of the window. There's something tugging on her heart, but she's not sure what it is. She wished she could feel things the way Root did - wished she could understand even a tiny bit of what she had gone through.

"Do you ever wonder how we would have been if these sorts of things hadn't happened to us?" The Persian asks suddenly. "If my parents hadn't died, if Hanna wasn't taken and you didn't have to run away?"

"Yeah," Root sighs. "But I'm happy with the way my life turned out, even if it was tough. I never would have learned about the machine. Never would have met you."

"Yeah," Shaw smiles one of her rare, genuine smiles. "Maybe our lives aren't so bad after all."

Suddenly Bear appears, pushing his nose into Shaw's lap and Root breaks into a grin. Photo abandoned on the table, she leans down to ruffle his fur.

"Bear!" She greets him and he woofs in response. "Come on, sweetie. Time to take him a walk."

And just like that, she's off to grab her leather jacket, conversation forgotten.

[shipspostarea]

[highonmyperfume]

"Someone once asked me if I had learned anything from it all. So let me tell you what I've learned. I learned everyone dies alone. But if you meant something to someone, if you helped someone, or loved someone. If even a single person remembers you, then maybe you never really die. And maybe... this isn't the end at all."

-The Machine

Omg rewatched Person of Interest and cried almost more than the first time. This show is so emotional...

[fugglecases]

Wait s1 of poi actually slaps

[a-st-art]

【Inkvember ✕ #PersonofInterest】

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