"Root, I hope you have time to appreciate your throat," Shaw said. "Put some Vicks VapoRub on it for old time's sake. Because as soon as I'm out of these chains, I'm leaving and I'm taking the better part of your neck with me."

"Your threats are so creative," Root said lovingly.

Equally affectionately, she set a cup of Sprite on a tray, nudged it within range of Shaw, and pulled it back before Shaw could use it as a weapon. Shaw glared disdainfully at the cup she'd snagged before taking a drink.

"I'm serious. You know what we do for fun. Imagine the stuff I'll do to you now that I'm actually upset."

"I think about it a lot in the shower," Root told her. "C'mon, Sameen, at least give me a chance to sue for peace? I did save your life…"

"I risk my life for a living. All you did was stop me from doing my job. You know what I usually do to people who get in the way of me completing my mission?"

"Does it involve any sonnets?" Root guessed.

"It involves knives."

Root gave her such a puppy dog look, that if it really were a canine, it would still be in the womb.

"You want to make it up to me?" Shaw leaned forward until she strained against her bonds. "Be my slave. Every hour of every day, you answer to me. You don't get one bit of pleasure unless I okay it. Every morning, I'll decide whether I want you to wear a buttplug, a collar, a corset, or just vibrating panties. Every night, I'll punish you. Sometimes you'll enjoy this. Mostly you won't. And every week, on a random night, after I'd fucked and sucked you for hours, I'll decide you haven't yet had enough. And then you can shave yourself while I watch, so just in case I ever do want my tongue in your nasty whore slit, I'll know I won't have to mount an expedition to get there like I did that one time."

"You ziptied me, put a bag over my head, and dragged me into a safehouse," Root protested. "If I had known ahead of time, I would've waxed."

Shaw leaned back in her seat. "Why don't you start by giving me a lapdance? Right now. While John or Harold or anybody else could walk in at any moment?"

"Well, that's all very visual," Root told her. "But I feel with Samitarian's activities being what they are, we just don't have time for all that. So why don't we just do something really depraved?"

"We can't," Shaw gritted out. "Last time, John noticed his pistol smelled funny."

"Not that, sweetie. I said depraved, not—mischievous. Wait right there. I'll be back in a moment."

As soon as Root was gone, Shaw slipped her handcuffs. She rubbed her wrists, but made no move to get up. Root, goddamn her, had gotten her curious.

Exactly two minutes later, Mr. Berenstein emerged from the restroom.

Shaw felt her pulse race. She'd never imagined Root's fursona could be so… beautiful. As wonderful as Root's creamy skin was, the plush fur that covered her now was even more incredible. It made her a goddess. No, better—a bear.

"Mr. Berenstein heard someone wanted to fuck and suck," Root said, her gruff voice—her true voice coming from deep inside that magnificent suit.

Shaw could only nod. Then, wonder of wonders, Root produced a leather satchel from behind her back. She parked it on the bench beside Shaw, who could only watch in complete awe as Root opened it up to reveal the sexiest, most sensual cat costume Shaw had ever seen. She'd never known that Root had seen her that way; as someone fit to become such a creature.

She really does love me, Shaw thought, trying to hold back her tears.

"Maybe Mr. Berenstein and Miss Kitty can play?" Root suggested, moving the costume aside to let Shaw see the strap-on dildo underneath it in the satchel. It was just right for Mr. Berenstein. Just right for Shaw. "I have a special toy we can play with." She ran her beautifully furred paw down Shaw's face, nearly making the operative swoon. "And then—when we've yiffed till we're missed—we can watch My Little Pony."

Shaw closed her eyes. She wasn't a very happy person, as a rule, but that just made it easier for her to identify true bliss.

Then she heard Finch's secret door opening. Hurriedly, Root buckled the satchel and hid it under the bench, while Shaw snapped the cuffs back on her wrist. Bondage was more Root's thing than hers, but maybe later, Mr. Berenstein could teach Miss Kitty how bad it was to shed everywhere.

There was no time for Root to change out of her costume, but she had a lie ready about a children's birthday party. After all, the Machine wouldn't tell on them.

As they discussed Samaritan, Shaw wondered what the boys would think if they knew she was otherkin. It was hard to tell. There was a lot of oppression out there, and as every spy knew, trust was something you reserved for no one. Still, she thought they'd understand. Probably not even be that surprised.

She did keep telling them how much she liked the dog.