Root wished she had kissed Sam. She wished she had hugged her- but Sameen would have pushed her away. There were many things she wished she had done before they parted ways. As their war seemingly came to a bloody end, Root thought of things she hadn't thought about since her first contact with Harold's creation. One thing Root didn't know was how the Machine knew everything, but she also really didn't have time to think about it; that day was just one surprise after another.

After parting ways with Sameen, she had to look after Finch and get him to where he was needed next. Root really did not want to leave Sam; not again, especially in another firefight, but whatever the Machine wanted Root was compelled to follow.

After racing away from the compiled enemies set upon them by their favorite opponent - Samaritan-, the Machine sent them down the hidden path; the only safe route for their dying AI. Root remembered the beeping that interrupted the previous message from the Machine. She warned her about a split second decision to save Harold. Root dodged in front of her bespectacled friend, swerving the car for extra measure. There was a crash from the now spider cracked windshield and a short THUNK as the bullet cut through the passenger door and out of the car.

Before she could even comprehend what had just happened, Root glanced at herself, relieved until a large stain began to spread across her stomach. Next was the sharp pain from her insides being torn from the bullet that had gouged through her abdomen. It felt like an unimaginable searing wound - even when compared to the caged surgery by Control and getting shot in the shoulder by Shaw - that poured through her nerves and made her muscles simultaneously weaken and tense up. It was all a blur as blood soaked her once pristine shirt with every furious pump of her panicked heart. She felt a deep set alarm wash over her as dark spots popped in her vision, clouding her eyes and turning the world into a washed out smear of blacks and dull colors. A cold sweat broke out over her forehead; her grip loosened on the wheel and her body shook and shivered. Harold grabbed at her, but he was being pulled away. She swayed her head to glance at him as hands and fingers prodded her. The medics forced her head back to the center and shined a light in her eyes. They pressed against her wrist and throat with their gloved fingers.

Everything flashed to black as a finger pressed into her abdomen. A streak of torturous pain electrocuted her spine, forcing her into the dark.

Now her abdomen hurt more than ever. She just wanted to stab herself to remove whatever it was to relieve her pain. Her eyes slowly opened to a bright world. She seethed and sat up a bit, collapsing back into the thin pillow. Root glanced around the pristine white and light grey room. She must have been in a hospital. She really hated this place, even at first glance; Root despised hospitals so much that she thought she actually hated them more than Martine.

She looked around the room, spotting a tan brunette resting her torso on the bed while she sat uncomfortably slumped over in the armchair. Her sleek hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail. Root pushed the stray strands back from Shaw's face, tenderly tucking them behind her ear.

Root forgot just how beautiful Sameen looked when she slept. Her features were soft and vulnerable, yet she still looked beautiful and strong; almost untouchable. Root smiled and continued to brush her hair from her face, threading her fingers through her scalp until Sameen's eyes fluttered open. She stretched and looked up at Root. Her face was neutral but her eyes were worried.

"Hey," She yawned.

"Good morning, Sameen." Root smiled back.

"How are you feeling?"

"Wow, what's this caring thing about?"

"I…" Shaw began, looking down. "I'm not going to brush this aside." Root placed her hand on Sam's jaw, tilting her head back up. "I was really worried about you. When John got the call that you were badly injured, I thought I would have to say goodbye to you. Or that I'd be too late to say it."

"Sameen." Root whispered, stroking her jaw.

"I just…" Shaw began, letting out a short sigh, "I was scared for you."

Root nodded and took Shaw's hand, pressing it against her lips. Sameen watched her, feeling an apprehensive ball work its way into the pit of her stomach as she spotted tears in Root's eyes.

"I need to go help Finch and John." She whispered, getting up. "Get better, Samantha."

Sameen went to the restroom before going to help the others. As she looked in the mirror, Shaw realized that she was crying; red tracks trickled down her face. Sameen grabbed a paper towel to soak in the frozen water from the faucet and pressed it against her face. She didn't know why she was crying - or why Root caused it - but now Sameen was in a restroom crying over something good. Shaw quickly wiped away her tears and left to help John and Harold. When she turned on her earpiece, she heard Fusco first.

"Hey, how is she?" He asked.

"Lionel, ugh, who let him on?"

"Nice to hear you too, Princess."

"Call me Princess again, I dare you." She joked.

"Just tell us how she is."

"She's in a lot of pain, she didn't say, but I could tell. She'll be okay. Anyway, where do you need me?"

They were lost too soon; the two people Root cared about almost as much as she cared about Sameen were gone and now it was just the three of them. Shaw was getting Bear from Fusco, who was now leaving to take care of his family. Root had placed a deposit of $90 a day to feed into his bank account and placed similar amounts to go to herself and Sameen.

Though that was the future, Root was now focused on the past as she gazed down at her friend's gravestone. She crouched down and placed a bouquet of flowers on his grave. The white blue and red petals brightened up the still fresh granite that carried his engraved name, this time with his actual date of death on it.

"How touching." She heard Sameen say.

"I can't believe he's gone." Root sighed, getting back up and shoving her hands in her pockets.

Shaw snaked her arm around Root's waist and nodded. "I did bring a friend."

Root turned to look at the dog and knelt down, stroking his back. "Hey, Bear."

The dog licked her cheek and rested his head against her shoulder. Root continued to pet him, wrapping her arms around his warm body. She began to cry softly, realizing that she'd never get to see her closest friend again. Shaw knelt down with her and placed her hand on her back. Root let out a shuddering sigh and got up. Wiping some tears from her girlfriend's cheek, Sameen kissed her jaw and began to meander to John's grave in the veterans section.

"You know, I was almost buried here," Shaw confessed.

"You technically were."

"No, I meant before that." She began, earning a quizzical look from Root. "Once I left the army, I had no one. My parents were dead and my other family was now seen as the enemy here. I was seen as the enemy here. I was poor and living with 5 other people in a tiny apartment in the Bronx. I was so scared, more scared than when I was getting shot at by terrorists. With night terrors and slight PTSD, I thought I would go insane," Shaw explained as they came upon Reese's grave. "I was so close to pulling the trigger so I wouldn't have to deal with that kind of life."

"What changed your mind?"

"Control and the government."

"Oh."

"They distracted me and saved me from myself. As much as I hate Control, I have to thank her for allowing me to be here today." Shaw explained. She unhooked Bear's leash as she watched him sniff and poke at John's grave, resting in front of it. Shaw felt herself getting emotional- even with her limited range-, but tried to hide it. "We are the survivors of a war only we will remember."

"At least I'm not alone." Root smiled. After another few moments of silence passed, she asked, "So, what now?"

"I don't know."

"We really should talk about it."

"I know." They glanced at one another for a moment before Shaw continued. "I guess we should still hide, at least for a year while all of this calms down. I honestly thought we'd all be in the ground, but surviving has really changed my plan."

"Would we have been buried together?" Root joked.

"I don't know, probably." She shrugged, walking back to their car. "What else should we plan for?"

"A new place to live maybe?"

"Like where?"

"Somewhere safer. I was thinking out of state."

"West coast, because I will not live in the South or the Midwest."

"I agree. Gay doesn't really fly there the same way it does on the coast."

"So where were you thinking?"

"Honestly, California." Root suggested, opening Shaw's door.

"California?"

"If we move to Silicon Valley, I could probably get a job?"

"What about your resume?"

"I could hack my identity like old times?"

Shaw smirked and buckled up as Root drove to the old protected apartment.

"Maybe, but California is extremely expensive and our 180 bucks a day isn't enough. And to be honest, I really like it here."

"Really?"

"I also know that we need to watch over Fusco. We owe it to him after dragging him into this mess, and I think he'll need friends."

"I thought you didn't like him?"

"He's annoying, but he's grown on me. Besides, we do need to watch him and any old enemies who try to come after us."

"Now that we've won, there's somewhere I've always wanted to go."

"Where?"

"Saint Barts."

"Saint Barts? Yeah, why not. Maybe after a while, you know, lay low for now."

"Of course." Root smiled, "I'll see what the Machine wants us to do."

"Tell her I do not want to work in a fucking mall again."