Cht 1

- 'You never said goodbye to me'

Present, March 2017: Central Park, Belvedere Castle:

"Aaaaah..." As the tiny lids of his eyes close and a happy squeal projects into the air lighting up the people around him. "Aaaaaah" he squeals again as he clenches his fists before unfurling his fingers trying to reach out for his Mom.

Lifting her small bundle of joy in the air, with his cute round hazel brown eyes, pink chubby cheeks and tiny round mouth, even with all the strength in the world Root couldn't suppress the grin emitting from her deep within as she watches him giggle at her. "Now Harry" as Root holds him up in his navy blue bonded all in one fleece suit, sporting a blue penguin fleece lined woolly hat with tassels and matching mitts, "when you grow up, you're going to buy Mommy a castle" as Root turns Harry around to look at the castle before back to facing her, "just like that one, OK?" Root smiles as Harry giggles again and sticks his tongue out at her. Chuckling Root continues to bounce Harry in her arms, bringing him close to kiss him on the head, then on the check. "Harry's so adorable, yes you are, yes you are." Root continues to compliment him as she tilts her head and showers him with kisses again.

Standing in a haze, Shaw blinks slowly as time freezes everything around her and making everything stand still as she hones in on that familiar face. The contour of the lines by the side of her eyes, the corners of her mouth as she grins, how she smiles with her eyes, those playful tilts and pouts, the innuendos at the most bizarre moment, and just the sheer silliness when Root tries to capture her attention.

"Woof, woof" Bear barks in the short distance shakes Shaw from her stupor. Watching Root hold their son in the air, Harry squeals and wriggles as he stretches his mouth wide open and then shut again.

Surrounded by laughter and shouts, happy sounds file in all around the vast open grass space. A group of ultimate frisbee players take early advantage of, finally, the arrival of autumn as it makes it bearable to stay outside for longer periods of time. After another freezing cold frosty winter the long overdue warmer temperatures were much welcomed as more visitors were out and about taking advantage of the park again this weekend day.

That intoxicating smile again and the familiar laughter of her voice, all with the ability to make Shaw just, feel... There were no loud and abrasive fireworks, no large obnoxious neon flashing signs, no dancing on the rooftops nor screaming at the top of her lungs so that the whole world would know it. There was just peace within Shaw.

Giggling, Harry's eyes light up as he spots Shaw. Squealing, his eyes also widen as his arms reaches out for her.

Root puts on a sad face as she loses her son's interest and looks over to Shaw now standing beside her.

"What?... He probably wants me to tell you that it's a folly, not a castle" Shaw deadpans.

Continuing to pout, "it looks like a castle."

Though just born, it looks like Harry is playing favourites already and Root was going to have tough competition vying to maintain Shaw's number one spot.

Watching Root pretend to tickle Harry, "you do know newborns have yet to develop sensitive spots right?"

Root ignores Shaw and continues to play with Harry, "Mama's grouchy today isn't she? Yes she is, yes she..."

Shaking her head Shaw takes Harry from Root's hands and holds him up to look straight into his eyes, "Harry, when you start developing your brain please ignore your Mom..."

As they continue to walk along the grass, still pouting and starting to jostle with Shaw to retrieve her son. With a departing kiss on his cheek, Shaw relents and hands Harry back to Root.

Root leans in and down to take back her son, only Shaw also leans in and kisses Root full on the lips. Pulling away again Root's pout instantly transforms into a beaming smile again as she holds onto Harry, who is gurgling, his mouth having dropped into an O and looking between his sparing moms.

The temperature begins to drop further and Root places Harry back into the pushchair as they finish circling around the grassy open space and back to it. Quickly pulling a blanket over him and pulling down his penguin hat to cover his ears, Root then proceeds to pull the pushchair cover down creating a snug dome shelter for Harry.

Shaw hands Root a heat pad to place with Harry and she spots a small dark figure in the short distance looking at her, then quickly looking away again. It was brief but it catches Shaw's attention, or at least Shaw thinks she caught something...

"Sameen?" Root calls as she spots Shaw standing still.

Turning back to Root, Shaw sees Harry already neatly tucked into the pushchair, both waiting. Taking Root's hand and pushing the pushchair with the other, they continue to stroll through the park and towards one of the exit points, the sky beginning to dim.

Whistling, Shaw calls Bear to her side.

Root clips Bear's lead to his collar and hooks the end onto a handle of the pushchair as they all exit the park.

As they continue to walk down the pavement and back to the parking lot to retrieve their car, Harry starts to shake the pushchair more frequently. Restless and bored, Harry kicks out tossing and turning before finally starting to whine.

Root moves around the pushchair to pick him up and places him on her chest. Rubbing his back, "shhhh, Harry" Root soothes, "mommy's here."

Harry settles into Root's chest and stops fidgeting as he finds comfort in hearing his Mom's heartbeat, just like how Root finds comfort in listening to Shaw's heartbeat as Shaw rubs her back.

As Shaw watches Root she catches a glimpse of that same figure again, this time standing at the bus shelter. Shifting her head slightly to get a better look a bus pulls up.

"Sameen?" Root interrupts again as she places a hand on Shaw's shoulder and breaking Shaw from her thoughts. "What's wrong?" Root asks now a little concerned.

Shaking her head slightly, "keep thinking I see the same old woman, but.." As the bus pulls off and Shaw looks back at an empty shelter. "it's nothing."

Root glances across Shaw's line of sight and towards the bus shelter. Then looking back at Shaw, pausing for a moment before letting it go, "Sweetie, we should get going it's getting really cold" and Root resumes walking again with Harry still in her arms, swaying him with each step.

Shaw traces Root's footsteps as she and Bear follow them, but Shaw's mind was now drifting elsewhere as they continue to walk back to their vehicle...

Turing Family Home, Nursery room:

Gazing into his soft brown eyes, Root couldn't help but be absorbed as Harry smiles back giggling, tossing and turning as he lays on top of a soft cotton towel placed on top of the baby changing table.

Walking into the nursery room, "Root! He's gonna catch a cold" Shaw calls as it snaps Root out of her daze.

Finishing wiping Harry down, Root leaves the flannel next to the bowl of warm water and pats Harry down with his towel while Shaw turns up the temperature of the heater in the room. Lifting Harry up, Root wraps him in the towel before placing him on her shoulder and chest and cuddling him.

"Harry's a good boy" she coos as Root continues to bounce him and pat his back dry, "and Mama is over exaggerating, Harry is at the perfect temp?" As Root brings Harry to her chest, "aren't you?"

With his head leaning over Root's shoulder, Harry remains still and quiet as he stares wide eyed and mouth at Shaw, just staring at her curiously.

Dropping her head gently onto her son's, "who's that, Harry? Who's that you're staring at?" As Root turns sideways on to give Harry a better view of Shaw while Shaw walks towards them. "Is that Mama?" Root continues to ask Harry, who's eyes remained focused on Shaw, following her every moment towards him. "Isn't Mama beautiful, Harry, isn't she beautiful" as Root kisses Harry's cheek, "you can't help but stare" Root teases proudly now looking at Shaw herself.

Shaw returns Root's compliment with an unamused stare before Root places Harry back down onto the changing table before smothering him with hypoallergenic and fragrant free baby lotion. As Shaw passes a nappy, Root proceeds to put his on Harry before pulling on a stripped baby suit over it and finishing by wrapping a white plastic gadget around his ankle.

Noticing the plastic contraption, "what!... Is that? Do I even want to know?"

Buzz... Buzz...

Shaw's phone vibrates and she receives several messages:

Oxygen levels: sufficient

Room temperature: sufficient

Heart rate: normal

Movement: normal

Body temperature: normal

Watching Shaw stare at her phone, "it's Harry's stats, Sweetie, She's keeping watch for us" and Root taps the plastic gadget around Harry's ankle. "his very own personalised baby monitor" Root finishes grinning.

Putting down her phone, Shaw resumes what she was doing by taking away the bowl of water to empty it while Root carries Harry to the nursery chair.

Now gazing at Root, Harry continues to wriggle and while as he stares at her, trying to reach for food.

Smiling, "is Harry hungry?" Root asks as she unbuttons her top to start feeding him.

As Harry feeds, Root watches Shaw as she continues to clear and tidy everything away. Root also couldn't help but note that Shaw took the news of the baby monitor anklet better than she had thought. Root had even prepared an entire arguing speech for the anklet in preparation for Shaw's response but it didn't look like it was going to be needed.

It doesn't take long before Harry starts feeding and starts to yawn. Wiping his mouth from drool and sticky residue, Root watches as Harry's eyes open and close, open and close. His eyes starts to droop heavily but Harry continues to fight sleep by kicking out with his legs. With faded whimpering, Harry finally losing the battle and his eyes remain closed. His mouth however remained hanging open. Root lets out a silent laugh wondering why babies sleep with their mouth wide open when they naturally breath through their nose. It looked odd and she was tempted to plug the mouth...

Harry's breathing sudden quickens and he sucks in rapid shallow breathes for the next minute before, silence...

Root's eyes widen as Harry abruptly stops breathing. With her heart jumping out her chest, Root stands. In two minds about what to do, in a panic, swithering whether she wanted to run out the door...

Harry's chest rises and he starts breathing normally again as he closes his mouth.

On the verge between tears and relief, Root looks up just as Shaw walks back into the nursery room after taking away Harry's bodysuit to place it in the laundry basket.

Seeing Root's distraught expression, Shaw looks at her confused, "what?" Walking towards Root and then looking down at Harry, who was sleeping peacefully.

"Sameeeeeen..." Root crumbles a little as she slowly sits back down onto the nursery chair and starts shaking a little.

"What?"

"He stopped breathing!"

Shaw instantly looks down at Harry in Root's arms and sees Harry's chest rising and falling normally. Not that Shaw needed to look at Harry's chest to confirm this as Harry was breathing very noisily through his nose, so much so Shaw could hear him very clearly.

"I swear, he stopped breathing, tell her" Root asks The Machine as she tilts her head and starts listening.

Letting out a soft chuckle, Shaw sits on the foot rest and places both arms on Root's thighs, rubbing them and waiting for Root to finish listening to Her speak. As Root does, Shaw smiles reassuringly at Root, "She probably told you that it's normal for a newborn to breath out of sync. Sometimes fast, sometimes slow, so slow there's even a pause at times where you think he's stopped breathing"

Root nods, still recovering from her fright.

"Then She will have also told you that this is because the baby brain has yet to work out the mechanics of breathing so it's gonna be inefficient sometimes until it works out the process."

Root nods again, her mood lightening again.

Chuckling softly at Root, "you'll most likely be seeing more of that" Shaw reassures continuing to rub and squeeze Root's thighs. "Besides, God Machine is watching, remember" as Shaw teases and nods at the plastic anklet, "you're idea. Shouldn't you trust it?"

Pouting, trust Shaw to use the gadget back against her.

Leaning over Shaw kisses Root as they take a moment for themselves. Pulling away again, "nap time" Shaw whispers as they make their way back to their own bedroom.

Grabbing the swaddling blanket from the crib, Shaw takes Harry and wraps him tightly before placing him on the side sleeper next to their bed before climbing into her own bed. Leaning on her side, Shaw continues to gaze at Harry before she feels two arms curling around her and a body scoot into her back.

Root had missed being able to cuddle and spoon Shaw, something Shaw had gradually allowed Root to do after months of trying. Then one night Shaw simply just never threw Root off and the rest is history. Dropping her head down onto Shaw's, Root inhales Shaw's scent and kisses the back of her head, "I love you, Sameen" Root whispers in satisfaction as she cuddles Shaw even tighter.

The two fall asleep quickly, only to be rudely and loudly woken exactly four hours later...

Rewinding a few months, Winter 2016: Soup Kitchen

Sitting eating with the regulars, Seda and Andy listen as a middle aged man, Darren, reminisces and recalls the last few years.

"Lost everything in the crash of 08" Darren continues as he places the torn piece of bread in his hand back on the napkin on the table. A pause as he also drops the spoon back in the bowl and looks away from the others, "she took the dxmned kids too. It wouldn't have been so bad if... I don't even know where they are now..."

The handful of people sitting around the table listening become silent as Darren's story hit too close to home for most of them as it makes them all start to think of their own hard individual story. They all had problems, and they all shared in this kinship...

"I'm sorry Seda, I really am" as the Captain looks hopelessly at Seda as Seda stares back at him from the arch of the front door to her home. Except it was no longer Seda's home. "I wish I could do more but this is Army assisted housing and with the Lieutenant no longer..." The Captain stops as he watches the woman stare at him defiantly, only betrayed by the tears starting to roll silently from her eyes.

Seda tried to be strong but her emotions overwhelmed her and she both cursed at herself for crying in front of this man and for at the frustration at this injustice. Her husband had not died from active duty therefore Seda wasn't entitled to any further financial aid.

Closing his mouth, pausing for a moment, the Captain continues in a softer and more gentle tone, "the Lieutenant was a good man, if only I could do more..." Before taking a deep breath and looking up again at Seda, "they've given you an extra week to organise something. Please..." As he continues urging, "if not for you, for the sake of your child, please, find somewhere."

"Seda? Seda, are you OK?" As Andy looks down at Seda, peering at her.

Breaking from her thoughts Seda looks around the room and finds that the others had already finished up and left.

Looking up at Andy who was now standing next to her, smiling, "yes, yes fine, thank you" as she looks away, the smile also fading.

Andy nods lightly. They all had their own problems and sometimes it was just better not to ask. With that, Andy leaves Seda to her thoughts as he helps to clear up. Everyone had gone home and it was now closing time for the soup kitchen.