"How is everything going with the latest number, Ms. Shaw?" Finch asked, switching to track the ex-assassin.

"Uhh…" Shaw began, as she ducked behind a metal desk. "Seems that our number's the perp. We got some Decima boys in the hotel now."

"There's an air vent in the closet. It leads to the main entrance. Though I may be able to send Mr. Reese to your position if you need back up."

"Aww, and end my day's worth of fun, I don't think so." Shaw retorted, peeking from behind to see one of the men getting closer and leaning against the front of the desk. She lowered her voice and answered back, "I think I can take these guys."

"I feel that I should warn you, this maybe the only chance, Ms. Shaw."

"Look, Harold, I-"

Shaw was then interrupted by the sound of seven shots breaking the sound barrier. Four thuds sounded next as the Decima agents fell to the ground. There were footsteps which lead to the body of a grunting and whimpering agent. The gunman cleared their voice and cocked their gun.

"Ugh, really? You can go. Now, I have six shots left." The feminine voice began. "I can shoot your legs and arms, and let you bleed out… or you can tell me what you know about Samaritan and I can kill you."

Shaw sighed and stood up. "Are you safe Ms. Shaw?" Finch worriedly asked her.

"Yes," She hissed into the intercom. "We found our friend though."

"Good of you to join us, Sam." Root began, not taking her eyes off of the agent. "I thought you'd just stay hidden until I finished the job." She joked glancing up at the smaller agent and winking.

Shaw rolled her eyes in response and holstered her gun. She walked to the other side of Root and placed her foot in top of the Decima agent's shot knee. He screamed and struggled as the persian pressed her heeled shoe into the wound.

"And let you have all the fun, I don't think so. What do you know about Samaritan?" Shaw commanded.

"I can't tell you!" He seethed. "These lips are sealed."

Root shot him in the shoulder. "Do you want another shot?"

"These lips are sealed."

"God, he's annoying." Shaw sighed, walking to kneel over the fallen agent. "What do you know about Samaritan?"

"These lips are sealed." He hissed, spitting in Shaw's face.

Root crooked her eyebrow as she carefully watched her friend's reaction. Shaw smirked and wiped the spit off her face. She cleared her throat and grabbed the agent by his collar, dragging him to the window and opening it up. She lugged him out and held him outside the window. Her rage gathered in using all of her strength to holding him out the window. He struggled and reached for her hand with his one good arm.

"Careful, Sameen, we need him alive."

"He's Decima, they all sign a contract to die instead of giving out their secrets." Shaw muttered. Root walked over and shot the young man in the other shoulder, asking him again. The agent screamed and bite Shaw's hand. Shaw grunted and punched him. She looked at her hand and groaned when she saw the bite marks leaving bloody pinpricks. "Is he even worth it?"

"Of course he is Sameen." Root flirtatiously answered. "He'll break. Look, we know that you have a child and wife at home, Charles. She's six right, Eva?" He grunted in response and looked at the brunette. "We'll kill you if you tell us."

Charles thought about the pros and cons. He weakly took off his wire and threw it to the 75 meter drop. He then cleared his throat and answered the women. "Samaritan is a computer. One similar to the Machine. It can see everything. It will find the Machine and destroy it."

"That's where you're wrong. Drop him."

"Finally." She smiled and let the agent go. Root grabbed Shaw's forearm and dragged her around to the closet.

"Never thought I'd be back in here." Root joked as she began to take the grate off it's hinges.

Root tore it off and climbed in. She crawled through the air duct with Shaw close behind. She flicked on a flashlight and stopped. Shaw ran into her and cursed. She shifted a bit and waited.

"Your robot god talking again Root?"

"She's an AI, but I can understand your confusion, Sameen." The brunette corrected as she turned around. She placed her hand on Shaw's forearm and smiled.

Shaw rolled her eyes, shaking the hand off. She pushed Root's shoulder and pointed in the direction of their destination. Root smirked and crawled to the end of the vent. She rested against the wall and sighed. A clanking noise began in the vent as the fan began to turn on.

"Shit." Shaw muttered.

"Now what?" Root asked the machine.

"What?" Shaw asked, looking at her.

"Sadly, I wasn't talking to you, Sam."

Shaw sighed again and sat against the wall, too. She closed her eyes and waited for Root to find a way out. Root, on the other hand, had taken this time to look at the persian. She crawled closer, resting a hand on Shaw's.

"What are you doing?"

"Just getting to know you."

Shaw raised her brow and sighed, pulling her hand away. "There are better ways."

"Like how." She retorted flirtatiously.

Shaw seethed and pressed her hand against Root's throat. She growled and shoved her against the wall harder. Root made a gasping noise as she got her breath knocked out of her. She smiled and raised her chin. Shaw frowned and pulled back.

"When are we getting out of here?"

"As soon as the fan goes off."

"And when will that be?"

"Patience, Sweetie."

Sameen gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. "What are we going to do until then?"

"Oh lighten up, Sam, we can talk."

Shaw shot Root a glare and crawled over the brunette's lap. She took out her phone and turned on the flashlight. She shined the light around. When she lost hope, she punched one of the walls. Shaw turned it off and laid against the end of the vent.

"When the fan turns off we can leave." Root comforted.

"When will that be?" Shaw asked again.

"She tells me that it'll be about a half hour." Root winced as she shifted to face the persian.

Sameen crawled towards the fan and stopped to see the bloody tracks. She turned around and followed the tracks to Root. She frowned as she neared the crazy brunette. Root looked at her in a defensive position. Shaw caringly pulled her arms down and moved her flashlight to see her blood stained shirt. She lifted up the cloth to reveal a nasty slice to her side under her ribs. Shaw looked at Root and back at the wound. She pulled a thin cloth from her jacket pocket and placed it against her side.

"It's only temporary. We still need to get you out of here."

"I love it...when you play doctor." Root flirted.

Shaw rolled her eyes and focused on the wound. "When did this happen?"

"When the Decima agent shot me."

"How are you feeling it just now?"

"Adrenaline or other."

"I'll have to treat you later." Shaw muttered under her to breath. She looked at Root and then back at the wound, pressing the cloth into her side. "Finch, you there?... Finch? Great, no connection. Why didn't we just go out the front door?"

"Too many agents and cameras."

"I could take them all."

"If you think I'd let you do that, then you've never met me."

"God, Root, you can be really annoying."

"I care about you, Sameen." Root stated clearly and calmly.

Shaw looked at Root and a slight smirkish grin peaked at the corner of her lips. She cleared her throat and turned away. Root turned her around, holding her shoulders.

"Sameen, when will you accept that there are people who care about you? People who couldn't survive if you were gone?"

Shaw stared at Root and closed her eyes, furrowing her brows and turning back around. She sighed and crawled back down the vent. Root followed and called after the ex-assassin. Shaw sat next to the fan and looked around the area. Root sat across her holding the cloth to her side. Shaw looked at Root with an annoyed gaze and pursed her lips. She knelt and redid her hair. Root listened to the Machine and smiled.

"Good news for, Sam, we only have twenty minutes left."

"That's still twenty too many with you."

"Oh Sweetie, it could be worse." Root said, tilting her head and smirking.

Shaw sighed and shook her head. She looked at the fan and rolled her eyes. "At least it's cold."

"Are you getting all hot and bothered, Sam?"

Shaw glared at the offending party and kept her rage in check, knowing full well that there was… something. She closed her eyes and hit the back of her head against the wall for a minute, falling asleep soon after. She looked at Root and asked for the time, seeing that the hacker had moved to the other side of the vent. A trail of blood followed. Shaw quickly crawled over to check on the other woman. She held Root's shoulder and lifted the side of her shirt, seeing that she had begun to bleed out. She took her shirt off, pulling her jacket back on and zipping it back up. She pressed her black tank top up against the wound, seeing Root weakly wince. She looked at Shaw and smirked.

"I love this side of you." Root weakly stated.

Shaw ignored her and continued to press against the wound. "Stop moving, you'll make it worse." The persian stated quietly. Root leant against Shaw's shoulder and took quiet and shallow breaths. "We need to get you out of here, how long do we have?"

"F-Five minutes. We need to go to the right, left, left, first right."

Shaw nodded and began towards the fan closer to Root, helping the hacker over. The whining and short gasps Root let out almost broke her heart. They reminded Shaw of the noises that Cole made when he had been in the similar scenario. When they settled down, Shaw placed Root's head on her lap and held her hand. Root was grasping onto the other's forearm and closed her eyes.

"Come on Root, stay here. You'll have time to rest back in the library. Stay with me Root!" Shaw whispered to the hacker.

As the fans shut off, Shaw began to pull the hacker along with her through the tunnels, listening closely to her as the older woman groaned out the directions. She moved her arm across Root's chest and pulled her to the exit. Shaw began the kick open the grate as Root mumbled random words to the Machine. She looked out and crawled out of it, pulled Root out with her. She pulled the hacker over her shoulder into a fireman's carry. She grunted at the woman's shocking weight, soon remembering that she had the two guns and clips on her with an extra baby glock in on her ankle and a taser to spare in her back pocket. Shaw jog-walked the backstreets to the library. On her way, a buzzing and clicking noise began in her ear. Fuzzy noises then shifted into coherent words as Finch finally cut in.

"Ms. Shaw, are you and Ms. Groves safe?"

"Mostly, Root's got a nasty wound. Where's Reese?"

"On another number. It seems that the Decima agents have been keen on ending whatever it is that is connecting our numbers to each other. Where are you two?"

"Back of K, we'll be there in 5. You might have to take my number, Harold."

"Of course, Ms. Shaw. I'll take Bear with me."

"How's your German."

"Well, enough to tell him heel and attack. I'll wait until you and Ms. Groves arrive."

"There's no time to waste, Harold." Shaw grunted as she made her way to the library.

On the other end, Finch took Bear out, his umbrella in one hand and leash in the other. He left the library for the number's workplace. Shaw neared the library, and after another fifteen minutes, they arrived at their destination. She went to the medical room with the bed and placed Root on it. The latter shifted uncomfortably and groaned, furrowing her brows. Shaw pushed Root onto her side and checked out the bleeding wound in the light. She frustratedly grabbed the scalpel and disinfectant alcohol along with the bandages and cotton ball. She knelt on the bed and began to work on the hacker, blocking out the whining sounds that came from her friend. She dug out the bullet and cleaned out the wound while Root was in her slightly comatose state. Shaw clambered off and grabbed her supplies.

Root moved her hands to where Shaw had made the stitches. She winced and bit into the bedding, the sharp sensation clawing into her every nerve. She sat up, hovering her hand over side as she winced. She heard the sound of shuffling heels as Shaw made her way back. Root slung her legs over the counter as Shaw walked in.

"Get back in the bed, Root."

"She needs me, Sam"

"Later, when you're not dying. Get back in bed before I make you. I didn't drag you all the way here to let you get yourself killed. I-" Shaw began, quickly stopping herself.

"You what?"

"Lay down."

"Mmm… What do you have in mind, Doctor?"

Shaw glared at Root, and began, "Now's not the time to flirt."

Root gave Shaw her ridiculous two-eyed 'wink' and smiled. She grabbed Shaw and pulled her close. Shaw, caught off guard, fell into Root's grasp. She growled slightly, but didn't move. Root smiled and looked into Shaw's brown eyes before releasing her and letting out a sigh of victory. The younger woman puffed out her collar and left the room. Root smirked and shifted around to face the monitor. She counted her heart rate as she drifted off into slumber.

"How is Ms. Groves?" Finch asked Shaw through her earpiece.

"Annoying as usual."

"I've secured the number. Mr. Reese has found some difficulty with his, so I've sent Detective Fusco to help him."

"When'll you be back?"

"No time soon, sadly. The number has decided to take matters into his own hands, so I asked a mutual friend to subdue him for the time being."

"Sounds like you got a fun one. I wish I was there instead of with her."

"Yes, well I hope that Ms. Groves doesn't give you too hard of a time."

Shaw scoffed and ended the call. She walked back into the medical room and looked at Root. She checked the bindings and went to check on her vitals. After she finished, Shaw sat in the chair next to the hacker looked out the window. After a few minutes, she smirked and shook her head, facing the other woman. Shaw stood up and paced around the sleeping woman. She watched the rhythmic fall and rise of her chest. Shaw sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the hackers annoying and beautiful face. She smiled slightly, the sides of her lips lightly tugging into that smirkish response to the thought. She tucked a stray hair behind Root's ear and got up to look for some booze. She searched the fridge, sighing when she found none, and looked behind the books and in drawers where she found a forty of Jack. She sat at Finch's desk and spun around in the chair, drinking a quarter of the bottle. After a while, she escaped to the library to find Root there sitting on the desk and staring at the shelves. Shaw neared the hacker and sat in the chair near her.

"You really shouldn't be out." Shaw began, looking at the book shelf.

"When did you start caring about me?"

"When did you start asking so many questions?"

"You're avoiding my question." Root said nearing Shaw.

Root turned to look at the ex-assassin, and raised an eyebrow. Shaw's body language had changed from defensive annoyance, to a more submissive stance. Shaw then cleared her throat and hopped out of the chair. The hacker grabbed her wrist and pulled her between her legs, their faces centimeters apart. They took in the same air, the tension growing thicker by the second. Shaw nudged the hacker's nose with her own and softly kissed her. Root placed her free hand on the back of Shaw's neck. After a minute, she pulled back, looking down and smiling.

"I'll go back to bed." She said as she hopped out of the chair, moving her hands to Shaw's hips. She went back to the medical room and slid into the bed. She smiled contently as her caretaker stood in the doorway, watching the hacker. "Are you just going to stand there, Sameen?"

Shaw stood and thought about the pros and cons of being with Root. She measured the thought of Root's delicate state and then looked at the hacker's patient gaze. She shrugged and neared the hacker. She climbed onto the bed and straddled Root's hips. Root sat up, grasping her side as she brought Shaw into a kiss, pulling the back of the persian's neck in with her free hand. She smiled into the kiss, her hands going down to the ex-assassin's hips.

Shaw moved her hands to Root's jaw and pulled her closer into a more intense kiss. She bit her lip hard enough to draw the red metallic liquid out of the hacker. Shaw pulled back to see the blood slowly pool on Root's lip and begin to overflow across her lips. Shaw went back and licked the blood off, kissing her gently every now and then. She rolled her hips against Root's body and kissed her jaw. She ground against her again, this time a slight hitch in her breathing. She smiled, a hungry look flashing in her eyes like a predator to their prey. She kissed Root more intensely and pushed against her until they were lying down. She ground against her again, biting her lip. Root kissed Shaw's neck and reached a hand down to play with the assassin. She found her way between their bodies and pressed her hand against Shaw's clit. She pressed her mouth against her neck and bite hard. Sameen moaned, and placed a hand around Root's neck.

"No marks."

"Sorry." Root said with a smile, raising her chin and pressing her first finger into Shaw.

Shaw furrowed her brows and groaned. She moved her hand to Root's shoulder and dug her fingers into the pale flesh. Root growled and smiled. She smirked and kissed her neck tenderly. Shaw's breathing became labored as she came closer to the edge. Her moans were inaudible, but her expression told it all. Her hips bucked against Root's hand as the hacker slid in another finger. She placed her arms on either side of the hacker's head as she kissed Root. She came, her body tightening around Root. She exhaled rapidly and inhaled two seconds later. She sat up and waited for Root to pull out. Root sat up quickly, not moving her hand, and looked at the ex-assassin. She then pulled out, dragging her fingers up Shaw's sternum. Shaw raised and eyebrow and got off of Root. She grabbed her clothes and went to the bathroom to clean up.

Root smirked to herself and laid back down to sleep.