If not for me then you'd be dead
I picked you up and put you back on solid ground
Chapter 1
"Is it always like that with you?" Shaw watched as Root picked her clothes up from the floor. She had meant the hasty departure when the Machine signaled it was time for Root to leave.
"You mean awesome despite the given obstacles?" Root threw her hair back.
"Ha, cute!" Shaw laughed, "There's only one rule: We don't talk about it." Shaw paused. "Then, if we live long enough, we might just do this again."
"Fine by me." Root wasn't going to argue that.
"Good."
"Good."
The door clicked shut, Shaw grinned and rolled on her back, pulling the covers with her. The last 24 hours had turned out so much different than she had thought, and not in a bad way. She had felt comfortable with Root, even strangely so. But then again, they'd been dancing around each other for months.
Root had given her the space she had needed until she figured it out by herself. Most people in her life had tried to push her. Her family after her father had died, kids at school, teachers, students at med school or co-workers at the hospital, basically everyone she met, they all had wanted her to show emotions, feelings, passion even.
Shaw was a passionate person when it came to her missions, to safe lives. Even if that meant take one. She didn't care about individual persons. Root knew that and she didn't ask for anything Shaw could not give. And Shaw had great respect for the hackers gesture. And that Root had been very careful with her leg injury. No torn stitches.
Chapter 2
"Did you already kneecap someone without me this morning?" John asked suspiciously at Shaw's rare good mood.
"Just be my backup," Shaw grumbled and entered the bodega.
Reese barely nodded but didn't say anything further, sticking to his job as support while Shaw took lead on their newest number.
It wasn't a very challenging job, Shaw even prevented two crimes at once and they were on their way within minutes.
Until someone pulled Shaw into an ally.
When the Machine told Root about Samaritan and that Shaw and John were walking into a trap, she felt a lump in the throat. But she was too much of a professional to let her feelings cloud her judgment. She knew to follow the Machines instructions was the safest way to prevent bad things from happening.
But it did feel good to catch up with the duo and prevent them from having to shoot their way out of an ambush with only a 34% chance of making it.
"Nice to see you, too, John," Root greeted him, while he pointed his gun at her head.
"Where the hell did you come from?" Shaw straightened her coat and sounded less angry as she should have.
So, Decima was on the hunt and they were the prey. Samaritan was online and apparently, there were very few places they could hide from the all seeing eye.
Chapter 3
Apparently, Decima had found a link between Finch and Grace Hendricks and now she was their new number.
Bringing Grace to the precinct was their only option and not a very good one as it turned out. Decima already send someone but John took care of him.
When she recognized the figure brought in in cuffs, Shaw smiled. Root had found them and was giving poor Fusco instructions on what sounded like a science project.
Shaw's stomach grumbled and she went to look for the vending machine. Can't help anyone when you pass out from malnutrition. But, as if things weren't bad enough already, she had no change. Then she felt two hands placed on her shoulder and lightly moving her to the side. Root put a neatly straightened bill in the slot and pushed two buttons.
Handing her the bags, Root smiled smugly.
"Awfully pleased with yourself, aren't you?" Shaw tore one bag open.
"Interesting choice of words," Root grinned. "Just let me know when you're ready for another round." Root's eyes lingered but Shaw didn't reply.
"I heard you the first time," Root dropped her eyes to floor and sounded genuinely annoyed.
That's a first, Shaw frowned slightly. Root usually obeyed any orders from the machine without question.
"I've got to go stop Grace," the human interface sighed. "We'll catch up later." Root brushed by Shaw to stop Grace from leaving the station and running right in the hands of Decima.
Chapter 4
Root had a plan in place for them to leave the station, involving C4 and an explosion as a diversion but unfortunately , it hadn't worked out. The impact of the SUV was brutal and the car hurled around.
Shaw heard muffled shots when she came to and the fog in front of her eyes cleared. But then she was wide awake, checking the backseat she saw that Grace was gone and John was standing on the street, watching the black SUV with Ohio plates depart into the night.
"Root!" Shaw climbed on the backseat and checked the hackers vitals. She had taken the worst of the impact and was out cold.
Shaw unfastened the seatbelt and checked for broken bones. Satisfied there were none, she called out to John to give her a hand.
Root was surrounded by blissful silence and felt deeply relaxed and strangely weightless. She blinked her eyes open and sighed deeply. The light from the streetlights below was illuminating the Shaw's bedroom in yellow, red and green colors.
Turning her head, she looked right into Shaw's eyes, watching her.
"You're still here." Shaw stated.
"You haven't asked me to leave," Root retorted and Shaw bit her lower lip, the look of ardent longing and it made her body tingle in just the right places.
It was a look she'd never seen on Shaw before and it also unsettled her somehow. This wasn't supposed to mean anything. Root didn't have her hopes up that she'd even get to first base with Shaw or catch a bullet trying. Shaw's signals have been mixed at best.
Suddenly, lyrics from an old song began playing in her mind. She recalled one of her favorite songs and for the first time, the words kind of made sense.
Kryptonite.
The song was about not caring what happens now and then as long as you'll be my friend in the end.
About if I go crazy - and if you will still stand with me when I'm alive and well,
if you will be there to hold my hand when everything is alright.
That was the moment when Root was genuinely scared. She realized that she did indeed want Shaw to still be there, to hold her hand. But was she her Kryptonite? And why didn't the Machine interfere if she was getting to involved?
When Shaw leaned over, Root was breathing heavily and her pupils were dilated. Shaw tilted her head slowly, never breaking eye contact and pressed their lips together, still watching her. She took her sweet time, nibbling, licking and softly tugging.
Shaw scooped closer, one hand caressed a thick strand of hair out of Root's face, the other pushed on the pillow, supporting her weight. When Shaw nudged her legs apart with her good knee and Root willingly complied, aching for the touch that didn't follow just yet. Shaw hovered above her, her lips wandering over her face, down her chin and onto her neck and Root gave in, burying her hands in Shaw's hair, pulling her close and guiding her mouth back up, kissing her hungrily.
Root gave Shaw's knee a push and swirled her around, careful not to further hurt Shaw's injury, rolling them over and coming to rest on top of her.
Shaw grinned and the groaned when Root pressed her hips down.
Chapter 5
"Root!"
She was harshly ripped from her dream. But, it wasn't a dream, it was a memory.
She could still feel Shaw's hands on her. But why was she sitting in a car. And then it all came back to her. Decima had found and crashed into them. Grace was gone and another hit team probably on the way.
"We need to leave," Root's voice was harsh and she winced when she tried to get out.
"Easy there," Shaw got out of the car first and her and John helped Root, holding her steady for a moment until she gained her balance. "You might have a concussion," Shaw held her face with both hands and looked her in the eyes. Another flashback hit Root and she froze for a second. But the Machine was giving her new orders already and she quickly collected herself and guided them through camera blind spots until they were out of Samaritan's reach and out of the city.
Welcome to New Jersey.