A/N: This one came to me in a dream. Sort of on the tail end of one that was a really depressing alternate version of the current season where the team are losing so badly that Finch has essentially become a hermit living in a house that people think is abandoned, since he never/rarely comes out, has a beard reminiscent of Mr. Reese back in episode one and spends all day in a wife beater and a pair of boxers.

Sam spat in her face. It was a rather huge logy and had likely taken the woman quite a bit of time and effort to work up.

Root stopped what she was doing and gave a tired mental sigh as she wiped the disgusting thing off her face with the back of her hand. Like clockwork Sam began her hatful speech once more as Root placed the fresh cut Roses into the origami vase that she had painstakingly made earlier that day. It had been the only thing Root had thought safe enough to have near Sameen that couldn't be used as a weapon against her or anyone else in the event their former ally managed to free herself from her restraints.

It was a simple vase and one that had been rather crudely done. Earlier when Root had been lost in thought trying to think of a plan to bring her Sameen back she had had allowed her unoccupied hands to doodle and fold a simple piece of printer paper. Twenty minutes from when she started Root finally looked down and noticed the project. She could not even recall when she'd first learned origami and was rather surprised that her instincts had managed to fold the paper into a rather uneven vase that somehow managed to remain standing upright.

For three long weeks they had kept Sameen Shaw zip tied to a pipe down in this abandoned subway station. They had tried just about everything in an effort to deprogram her and reclaim the ally they had lost to Samaritan. But hope was beginning to fade and now Root was the only one still making a concerted effort at bringing the woman back into the fold.

She half expected that John was talking to Harold whenever she wasn't around. Trying to convince the man that their efforts were wasted and that it would probably be safest to put their former friend down like the rabid dog she had become.

Root felt tears begin to leak from her eyes at that thought. Looking at the woman she loved she could easily see the resemblance to a dangerous beast. Flecks of foam had once more formed at the corners of Sam's mouth as she yelled at the woman she had once confessed feelings for. Her clothes were stained and fouled from her confinement and there was a rank smell coming from them. Caused in part from all the times Sameen had refused to let them get close in an effort to bath her, change her clothes, or even take her to the bathroom.

For a brief instant in Sameen's place Root beheld an old dog that had belonged to a neighbor of hers back when she was a child. The animal had obviously contracted rabies yet its owner had refused to admit that her beloved pet had become a threat. The woman's stupid attempts at saving the poor creature had resulted in her death at the former pet's teeth and the local sheriff had been forced to put the once friendly dog down.

"Do you even realize how close you are coming to death Sam?" Root quietly mumbled to herself. Her back was turned to the woman as she feigned preparing lunch. Tears were falling freely now and a hiccupping sob threatened to escape her. It was taking a lot of effort for her to not completely break down in front of her former lover. "The others are convinced that your brainwashing can't be undone, and they can't take the chance of you revealing our identities to Samaritan. I'm your only chance of getting out of here alive and this is how you treat me still."

Root continued to cry silently for several minutes not noticing that Sam's litany of threats comprised of promises of death and worse, had trailed off into silence. Only when a couple of half chocked sobs had escaped her did she notice the unusual silence. Root dried her tears before turning to look at their captive. There was nothing she could do about her red eyes yet she refused to give this…woman comprised of Sam's worst traits the satisfaction of seeing her captor break down.

Sameen was staring fixedly at the roses. Her knees were pulled up tight to her body and she was hunched over as much as she could be with both hands firmly restrained behind her back. There was a look in her eyes that Root was no longer familiar with. Back before Sam had been taken she had been capable of reading the other woman like a book. Now that she was back Root was finding herself struggling to get inside her head.

Three weeks ago she had been the one to find Shaw. Well find might not be the operative word. She had been drinking alone at a bar, like she had been since Sameen had been taken from her nearly nine months ago. Her attention focused more on her own thoughts and trying to come up with a plan that would lead her and the others to Sameen without getting them or their compatriot killed. She had been so lost in her own mind that she had failed to notice the other bar patrons silently clearing out on after another till she had been alone in the establishment with the bartender. She had just ordered her third vodka tonic when someone sat gingerly down on the bar stool next to her.

Root paid the person no mind. She was in no mood for pleasant conversation. A part of her almost hoped that whoever it was made the mistake of hitting on her. It had been at least a week since she'd last had any excuse to put someone in the hospital and it would be a decent outlet for her grief at loosing Sameen and her anger at not being able to find the woman. She watched in silence as the bartender headed into the back to retrieve more supplies.

Putting a hand around her slightly cool glass Root swirled the ice around idly listening to it clink against the glass before draining it dry. It burned going down. Setting the glass back down Root swiped her tongue across her top lip catching any stray liquid that might have gotten caught there. She was unprepared for the other patron to give her a hard shove. With her impaired senses Root barely managed to grab hold of the wooden bar top and keep herself up right on her seat. She was gearing up to unleash her anger on the person when she registered what they were saying.

"I went to a lot of trouble to find you, especially after so long. Are you really going to sit there and ignore me all night?" The woman's gravelly voice was tired and scratchy from disuse. Yet it was still recognizable.

Turning Root almost felt as though she was dreaming. It was like out of a book or movie. Here she had been barely clinging to hope and the woman she had been pining for was now here before her.

"It took me awhile to escape from Decima. I've been hiding from them for the last week and a half. During which I've been trying to track you down so that you knew I was alive and well." Sam was smiling at her. The woman's white teeth the beacon of a lighthouse drawing Root in.

Somehow the two women found their way to the back alley of the bar. Root's lips were pressed against Sameen's trying to convey how much she loved and missed the woman. The taller woman was so giddy with joy at having her lover back that she failed to note the lack of passion or interest being returned. Sam was doing little to reciprocate the kiss. Almost as if she was simply allowing it to happen and was keeping herself emotionally distant.

In a smooth motion Sameen Shaw slammed Root back hard against one of the alley's brick walls. The rough material scrapping Root's back up even through the layers of clothing she wore. Now the shorter woman began to become involved in the kiss. Her teeth closed tight against Root's bottom lip harsh enough to draw blood.

The metallic taste of her own blood began to bring Root's logical mind back to the surface. The few times the women had slept together they had been playful but not outright cruel to each other. Pulling back she sucked in a breath of air and then exhaled sharply when the nails of Shaw's left hand raked down the side of her face leaving deep scratches and drawing blood. Now the woman's hand was around her throat and beginning to squeeze tight. Through her blurry wet vision Root looked at the shorter woman and was horrified by what she saw. There was a cruel smile on the woman's face and her dark brown eyes were those of a shark utterly devoid of emotion.

Instinctively Root's hands closed around Shaw's grip and tried to break it. In response Sameen grabbed one of her hands and slammed it against the wall with a crack that sent a bolt of pain racing up Root's arm.

Darkness began to cloud her sight and Root knew she was in serious trouble. She still had one card to play. Thrusting her damaged hand into the pocket of her jacket her hands closed around her stun gun. "I'm sorry." She managed to gasp out before she slammed it into Shaw's gut and pulled the trigger.

The burst of electricity frazzled both women's brains and they collapsed to the pavement. The last thing Root saw was a look of utter disgust and hatred on Shaw's face before the woman lost consciousness. That look alone threatened to break her hear t and as Root slipped into unconsciousness all she could think was 'What did they do to you Sam?'

A/N: Well I hope you enjoyed this. Feel free to review all comments are welcome. If you see any errors or areas that I need to improve please let me know.