Title: Original Sins
Fandom: Person of Interest
Pairing: Harold Finch/John Reese
Categories/Genres: Canon Divergence, Drama, Romance, Action, First Time
Length: Medium (9211 words)
Warnings: N/A

Author on LJ: manic_intent
Author Website: manic_intent

Summary:

The Machine had been born to commit the first original sin, of knowledge... and now, in its evolution, it had committed the second, of murder.

Review:

With Season 4 of Person of Interest looming in the near future, I figured it was high time I recced this gem of a fic.

Original Sins is a canon divergent fic, splitting off from the original at a pivotal point in Season 3's major plot arc, where Team Machine is forced to choose between killing a potential major threat or letting them live to fulfill that potential. Without giving away huge spoilers, I can't say what they choose, either in the canon or the fic, but manic_intent extrapolates the consequences of this different path, mainly with respect to Finch and his beliefs about the Machine and the course of its evolution. The story eventually loops back around to the canon storyline's events, but events proceed differently in the wake of this altered set of consequences.

manic_intent has essentially written out what I wished had happened in Person of Interest, with Team Machine triumphing over its antithetical foe with teamwork and snarky banter, and Finch accepting that the Machine, which he has stubbornly perceived in canon as merely zeroes and ones, is as alive and dynamic as any flesh and blood child might be. This Finch embraces his role as the Machine's teacher, however reluctantly, and in doing so becomes better able to protect those dear to him.

Original Sins