The Chaos AU
set in the Person of Interest universe is, as the author herself puts it 'mostly casefics involving Team Machine and new Numbers. They are largely canon-based, but contain recurring original characters and locations such as appropriately-name Chaos Café'. Written by LindaO, there is everything you'll find in the show, plus lots of wonderful internal dialogue and possible side action that probably happens on every case, it's just that there isn't enough time to show us.
The Chaos AU is in fourteen parts and counting. It starts with the fic Backing Up, where Harold comes face to face with a woman from his past. A woman who was part of Nathan Ingrams program for young computer programers, but fell through the cracks. Years later, her Number's up, and Finch and Reese have to save her.
The other parts are, in ascending order Instinct, Tuesday in the Rain with Bear, By The Book, Sacrifice, Close To Home, Purpose, Mind Game, Telling Secrets, Asena, Crying Wolf, Fictive Kin, Burning Down, and Take the Long Way Home.
Tropes found in Chaos AU
- Abusive Parents: Not only are Christine's parents abusive, but her 'hobby' is hunting down those who abuse children as a strange sort of redemption/therapy.
- Anger Born of Worry: Reese and Finch about Christine.
- Anti-Hero: Christine isn't all bad. But she isn't all good either.
- Affectionate Nickname: Christine calls Finch 'Random', a reference to The Chronicles of Amber.
- Arbitrarily Large Bank Account: Christine often does freelance computer security for large companies. When one of them tried to hire her, she turned them down, simply saying that she had 'enough' money.
- Artificial Intelligence: The Machine is getting dangerously close to this. For instance, it (through Donnelly) saves Christine.
- Ascended Extra: Will Ingram plays a much larger role in these fics then he does in the show, as does Agent Donnelly.
- Benevolent A.I.: In C.A., The Machine isn't just an all seeing presence, it also cares about and protects Team Machine.
- Break the Cutie: Christine is a hacker who worked in a program for young computer programers founded by Nathan Ingram. She idolized him. Then her mentally ill father was killed in a police shoot-out. In front of her. Sadly, he was the parent who cared about her, her mother was an abusive alcoholic that presumably drunk herself to death. Out of sorrow, Christine becomes a junkie. Finch finds her and checks her into a rehab program in New York. A week later, 9/11 happens. Strangely, she's somewhat stable. Somewhat.
- Broken Bird: If you want to know the full extend of Christine broken bird-ness, just read the spoiler above. Thankfully, Team Machine are good with Broken Birds.
- Cute Kitten: Team Machine adopts another animal , an abandoned kitten found by Bear. Both Reese and Finch take a while to warm up, but Bear is adorably smitten with her.
- Guardian Angel: It is explicitly stated that Donnelly would not be able to infiltrate Research if not for the Machine's protection. Now, given that the Machine is behind Research...
- Heroic BSoD: The events at the end of Burning Down leave Christine in such a precarious emotional state, that she ends up checking herself back into rehab.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: In order to give Grace Hendricks a Christmas present anonymously, Finch arranges for her friends and family to win extravagant gift baskets and lotteries. In one of the later chapters, he sets her up with a new love interest. Excuse me, I have something in my eye...
- Inspector Javert: Donelly is relentless in his pursuit of Reese. The Machine has to sit him down and talk to him for him to finally realize that Reese and Finch are helping people.
- Just Like Robin Hood: Reese sticks up some idiots, robs them, and stuffs their money in the local churches poor box. The scene is hilarious.
- Kill It with Fire: Christine's first thought on how to get rid of Root starts with Thermite. Starts with.
- Playful Hacker: Christine is this to her friends, but more like The Cracker to her enemies. You do not want to be her enemy.
