"Ms. Shaw, this alley seems to be a dead end. Are you sure you're alright?" Harold realized before turning around in confusion. His eyes widening with fear and betrayal under the tormenting moonlight in a seedy New York alley. Staring down the unmistakable barrel of a gun, pointed directly at him by one of his most trusted friends. Words fail to escape his mouth, alerted to the fact that his heart had seemingly skipped several beats.
It all seemed too surreal, one moment Sameen was leading Harold away from Samaritan operatives, gaining a tremendous advantage in the maze of century old alleys, then at the turn of a dime the Persian woman halted in her tracks as unbearable screech tormented the troubled woman. Forcing her to wince, and her eyes to briefly roll back into her head, before clamping shut. As soon as she opens her eyes, her gun is trained on Harold Finch. "This...this wasn't. I don't know what's happening. Finch I...", as she stuttered, a thundering crack filled the air.
Harold Finch stumbled over, choking in a pool of blood at the tail end of the thud. The black crimson pool sopping up and seeping into his briefcase, Professor Whistler's briefcase, to be exact. Sameen Shaw's hands quiver. The Persian woman dashes over to her colleague, squatting down, hoping, no wishing, that it's not too late. Horror consumed her as the light in the man's eyes slowly escapes, betrayal and heartbreak forming his last final gaze.
"Shaw", John Reese warned, in awe of the sight he stumbled upon.
"This wasn't supposed to happen. I...I haven't been myself lately, but I never thought it would come down to this", her only hope was in that feeble admission.
Pleading with her brain yielded no results, the woman could not bring herself to lower her gun at her advancing colleague. "Think twice about, what you're about to do Shaw", John growled. Sameen could feel the rage and disappointment in his eyes. "Shaw, give me the gun", John Reese advanced forward.
Next thing Sameen Shaw knows John Reese stumbles over and falls to the ground. Blood and brain matter illuminated in the moonlight. The moonlight taking it upon itself to act as the albatross around Sameen's neck.
The woman's pupils twitch, her head pounding and thrashing. Shaw could feel the weight of her legs being pulled out from under her. The environment around her collapsed, fading away, giving life to dozens of rapid sporadic images. Merry-go-rounds spinning, buildings collapsing around her, her hands locked around the neck of a terrorist, choking the life out of him, blood oozing out of limbs, flashing lights accompanied by glass exploding in her face. Needles were jabbed into her veins while Greer's sanctimonious diatribes looped in the background. Watching herself relive hundreds of gasps as her eyes flung open in the Virtual reality headset. Gasp, flail, eyes pop open, repeat. Constantly, loop after loop she fights for her own breath.
Sameen Shaw flails in her own bed, kicking and gasping for breath, losing her fight for control, needing desperately to come back to reality. She feels a warm arm accompanied by set of hands cradle her, in the midst of the her episode. A body wraps around her, whispering, calming her down. "Sameen", a worried voice pleads, "hey it's okay. They can't hurt you. I'm here."
Root's warm body pressed up against Shaw's soothes her thrashing. Shaw's breathing returns to a steady pace, she doesn't want Root to stop holding her, it's the only thing empowering her, at the moment. A couple years ago Sameen would have never imagined that being held could be so empowering.
Sameen rolls over, facing Root. Peering into her eyes, grounding herself. "Wanna talk about it?". The other woman's voice full of sleep and concern. A minute passes by before Shaw slowly lifts her bed mate's arm from her across her naked body. Root's eyes dart open completely as Sameen slides out from under Root's hold and sits on the edge of her bed.
"No", it was cold and definitive.
Root knew not to push. Sameen would come to her, when she's ready. Root was sure of it. In the past six months since they agreed to give the relationship a shot, they've slowly built trust and made progress. Shaw agreed to allow Root to stay over two nights a week, Root chose the weekends, reasoning that it was better to start and end the week with each other. For all intents and purposes the "relationship" consisted of those two days per week. Baby steps, in time Sameen was willing to entertain the possibility of a third day, no more, not for a long while.
Root also gave two, not unreasonable conditions as well. She made Sameen promise that every three months, on the fifteenth, they would go out, and do something together. The fifteenth because, tax day(in April) and the Ides of March, duh! It was the day Caesar was killed. But mostly because it was a nice psychologically satisfying number, not ten like popular opinion would dictate. Fuck ten, they're non-conformists!
Nothing large and upscale, just simple little diners or dive restaurants. Which was more their style. Root just wanted to spend time with Sameen,a nice little dinner or movie here or there was perfect, and all she would ever want. Sameen found herself content with the arrangement as well, the AI war and the Island debacle, as well as almost losing each other again, really changed them as people. They both cherished the value of each other's company.
Sameen sat on the edge of her bed, panting, slowly catching her breath. Her naked body glistened in the moonlight that beamed through the blinds of Root's window, as the sweat cooled. Shaw threw on underwear, pants, her shirt, and hooded jacket. "I'm going for my run. I don't know if I'm coming back here or back to my place."
Root glanced over at the alarm clock 4:48 am. She let out a passive, understanding sigh, pushing down the mild disappointment. "Just text me, when you get back", she powered through the final part "to your place", this was condition number two. On the days their "relationship" was active they agreed to keep each other updated whenever situations like this occurred. Or if one of them had a mission out of town. Not in a clingy way, just a little text to let the other know that they are okay or safe. Both women worry about each other "And take Bear with you."
"Alright", Shaw's footsteps lingered down the hall, soon accompanied by the scampering, scratching sounds of Bear's footsteps. Root sighed as she heard the door of her apartment close.
The woman stirred and rolled over in her bed, the emptiness was unbearable and watching Sameen leave was always rough. It was barely Sunday, and their two days were up, Shaw had decided, and they would resume their normal working relationship. Both were lucky if they saw each other on a consistent basis on the weekdays.
The relationship was unconventional, but it was a start. Sameen was really trying, even though at times, Root could tell she was overwhelmed, her patience being utilized to the max. Nonetheless, Sameen still kept good on their arrangement, slowly and surely loosening up along the way. They had even begun watching television in their spare time, on their weekends together. Not too much, but shows like Dexter, Dexter Morgan they both really related to, Game of Thrones, and occasionally Shaw would watch football, while Root sat idle at the other end of the couch coding. It's a process, but Root wouldn't want it any other way.
Sameen Shaw jogged around the city. Her eyes weighed down by sleep, the cold morning air taunting her. At that early hour in the morning the world becomes a stage. With a select few designated to live out their existence in that dreary stage setting, the city seems obdurate, and omnipresent. Streetlights haunt you with the glistening sheen from the wet early morning air. Powerless to aid the humans as they are reduced to their most primal state, a one track mind, survive. Its a curse that effects everyone unfortunate enough to be awake at those early hours, and Sameen Shaw is no different.
She thought back to her nightmare, it'd been nine months. The same amount of time she was held captive, little by little her life, her independence, and her power has been coming back. Root's return six months ago, played a key part of the healing process. Sameen reflects heavily on her decision not to discuss her nightmares or some of the aspects of the torture with Root. More and more it seems like the wrong decision.
Root has been excellent, working hard to give Shaw the space she needs. Their arrangement and the conditions she and Root agreed to have been quite smooth. Its coming up on their second three months, their "date night" for lack of a better term. Much to her surprise, Sameen, actually didn't dread the last one. Her and Root had a nice steak dinner at a small diner, once she eased into it they shared a great conversation, even making each other laugh a few times.
A vibration in her pocket, disrupts her jog. Catching her breath while ignoring Bears antics, Sameen slows her pace, coming to a complete stop. She whips out her phone, catching a brief glimpse of her dreary stoic reflection.
You were too hard on her
Sameen inhaled sharply, glancing up at a streetlight camera.
I know She spoke into her phone.
She slid the phone back into her pocket. Robot Overlord was correct, Root has been great at giving Shaw the space she needs, even though she's forced to forgo a little bit of her own happiness.
It's not fair of me, to cut our two days short, when we've barely spent 24 hours together. Sameen decides.
Allowing herself to catch her breath, Bear and her resume their jog. Daylight begins to emerge, and the old curse slowly begins to wear off. Shaw feels the sleep and chill fade away, it leaves her face first, before slowly traipsing down the rest of her body. The two of them will need to go out of their way. Shaw was within a short distance of her loft, having intended to stay there, but after some reflection, decided to head back to Root's place, their place.
Samantha Groves, or Root as she preferred, was never the heavy sleeper, although the skill would benefit her tremendously, both in her past, but more importantly the present, when she needs it the most. The woman lays on her back, perky nose pointed upward, fluttering. The sign of an individual engaging in the seduction of slumber, only to find themselves rejected and shamefully played. Nonetheless, her eyes are clamped shut, her thoughts, slowly subsiding, hopefully allowing herself to finally relent and permit her to ease into sleep.
A light tugging of the sheets and blankets followed by weight on the other side of the mattress shot any potential promise of sleep right to hell. Root stirred, letting out a light groan before turning over.
"Hey baby." Fatigue heavily coated in Root's voice. The words barely slipped out. The once incredibly dangerous woman, had learned to be so warm and gentle in the past couple years.
Slowly flicking the covers over herself, Sameen settles down, on her side. The side facing away from Root. Unexpectedly the Persian woman grabs Root's arm and hand, flinging it over her body. Root's hand landing on, cupping Sameen's soft smooth breast.
"Mmmm", Root cooed, still half asleep. "My favorite pillow."
Shaw let the joke slide, she's having a moment, wanting Root to hold her. Allowing herself to share her vulnerability. Cuddling came as a surprising guilty pleasure to her. More and more, Shaw realized that it was quite soothing. Root trojan hacked her programming, that had to be it. There's no other conclusion as to why Sameen was at ease with snuggling, god snuggling, had she finally stooped that low, now. Plus, and she'll never admit this out loud, but being held by Root keeps the monsters, the nightmares away. After all, Root was her safe place. Spending their weekends together wrapped up in each other each night was becoming a staple.
"It was one of the simulations", she started. "I shot Harold, then Reese. In cold blood in an alley."
Shaw's admission captured Root's full attention, the taller woman shifts her weight. Scooting closer to Sameen, Root runs her fingers through Shaw's smooth black hair, resting her head in the crook of Shaw's neck. A gesture that never failed to produce goosebumps in Sameen.
"The ground collapsed underneath me", she continued, Root's warm breath on her skin giving her confidence, "then needles Root, needles everywhere. They jabbed me with needles, I tried to fight them, but I couldn't. That bastard Greer, he stood there, taunting me the entire time."
"You're here now, with me. They can't hurt you anymore. I'll always keep my beautiful girl safe", Root gently assured into Shaw's skin
Their body heats sent a ripple of comfort throughout both of them. Root's fingers eventually ceased running through the soft black hair, when she finally smiled at the vague snores emitted from Shaw. Slowly the chipper loon, relinquished her hold on Shaw. Making sure she was sound asleep before finally rolling back over to her side of the bed, yes they have sides now. They aren't barn animals, even though they fuck like them. Root closes her eyes and eases her way back into sleep.