"Root! Please for the love of all Deity's will you please replace the milk when it is empty!" Shaw was getting tired of having to constantly remind her toll hacker that while she was not 100% unhappy about having to live in a safehouse with her, it didn't mean that she was okay with her not taking care of the house or herself. Although Shaw would never admit it, she had grown a lot close to the hacker since her rescue from the Samaritans.

"Root?!" Shaw was shouting around the small apartment, no noise could be heard. Not even typing on that stupid computer. She sighed and went to look for her roomate. Throwing the empty carton of milk in the trash as she walked past it, she opened every door peeking inside. She couldn't be found anywhere. However, when she walked into the bedroom, she heard the shower running.

"Jesus fucking christ…" Shaw muttered under her breath, if she could give an award for the cleanest person on the entire planet, it would go to Root. Always in the shower for about an hour every day. Stalking up to the door, she was about to bang her fist down loudly when she heard something that sounded like very faint sniffling over the running water. She instantly grew worried. Another thing she had learnt about the hacker whilst living with her is that she suffered from severe PTSD. Sameen didn't know everything that Root had been through, but she had heard and seen enough while working with her and reading her case file. An only child, an abusive father and alcoholic mother, running away from home at the age of 12 and has never stopped running since. The documentation of her abuse in the file had been brief but not brief enough for Sameen's liking. Physical, emotional and sexual abuse. Something that no-one (no adult let alone a child) should have to go through. Root's exterior rarely crumbled, but when it did, it did not just lightly collapse, it went crashing. Layer after layer was destroyed over the time of an hour, locking herself in the shower away from Sameen so she couldn't see what was happening. How weak she really was. But Sameen wasn't stupid. She knew what it felt like to feel trapped, like you are going through the abuse and the torment all over again. She knew why Root never slept the entire way through the night, and why she would put off eating. It was punishment, fear and loathing. Root saw her PTSD from her childhood and work as a burden on others, but for herself...it was well deserved.

Shaw slid down the door and sat with her ear resting against it, she could hear choked sobs coming from the inside. It almost made her angry. Why would Root think she would have to hide this from her? Why was she the one to go through all this? Why did her bastard parents die before she had a chance to get her hands on them? But she couldn't get angry, because deep down she was hurting for her hacker. She was tired of hearing her get up in the middle of the night and spend an hour in the shower, and then the rest of the night sitting on the couch typing on her laptop. Shaw was tired. Listening in even closely, she could hear breathing getting harsher and quicker. Soon enough a scream echoed through the walls, and Sameen burst through, breaking the lock. Jumping into the shower, she held a broken Root, curled up into a ball shaking with the overflow of emotions.

"Shh...Baby I've got you...No-one is going to hurt you...It's only me and you…" Shaw was letting her clothes soak, letting her makeup run and just holding her love close.

"Same-ee-een," Root stuttered,

"It hu-urts. It hurts so-o bad!" Root was clinging onto her for dear life. Burying her head into the crook of her sociopath's neck and crying until her throat was sore and closed up, her eyes hurt and she was shaking from the now cold water and exhaustion.

"You don't know how strong you are. You are worth so much more than what you have been through," Sameen placed a kiss on the crown of Root's head and stroked her knotted wet hair,

"You are so much more than what has happened. You are so strong. So smart. So beautiful. So...loved," Root shook her head and pulled away, turning her back and hitting herself in the head with balled up fists groaning in frustration, Sameen pulled her hands away, entwining their fingers together and wrapping her legs around her waist,

"By Finch, by Reese and by Fusco…" Root leaned back against Shaw,

"And by no-one more than me…" Sameen whispered to her. Root turned to her and placed their foreheads together, resting her hands on Sameen's shoulders. They stay like that for another 20 minutes until the water soon runs out and becomes a few icy drips. Shaw pulls out the hacker and wraps her in a towel. Rubbing her dry and then dressing her in her X-files t-shirt and a pair of boxer shorts.

"I'm Sor-rry" Root hiccuped. Sameen pulled her closer to her chest as they lay on the bed covered by a blanket,

"Never apologise for what you've been through, for what others have done wrong." Shaw managed to calm her breathing down until they lay silently together. Root may have been exhausted, but soon enough she spoke,

"I never really appreciated your shape under all those layers…" Her flirty tone was back and her hands were running up and down Shaw's stomach,

"Root…" Shaw warned

"Darlin' you really do have great shape…" Root sat up and straddled Sameen, running her hands under the loose t-shirt smirking slightly.

"Now, just what do you think you're doing?" Sameen asked with a hint of a smile turning her lips up,

"I think you just might be able to figure it out…" The hacker leaned close and licked at the sociopaths bottom lip before pulling it between her teeth,

"You honestly do flirt at the most awkward times…" A full smile was now spreading across the assassins face as she flipped them over and kissed Root's jawline. Unfortunately for them, the doorbell rang it's irritating chime and the two women groaned in frustration,

"What!?" Shaw shouted across the room,

"We have a number, get moving. Car's waiting downstairs." Finch's deep voice worked its way through the thick metal door,

"Looks like we will have something to look forward to when we get back…" Root sat up and dug her fingers into Shaws hips, bringing them down to grind into her lap,

"You carry on like that, I won't be able to finish the number before I have my way with you …"

"Well, let's go then."