This is set after the season 3 finale and I started this before season 4 started to air, there are a few details different from the original episodes. Shaw and Root's cover job is at an insurance company, they have no contact with Harold or John and after an incident, the Machine cut them off. Needless to say, Root's not dealing well with that.
It's not necessary to read Echelon, but it doesn't hurt either.
Thanks to sozialenigma1 and mlamachine for all your help, suggestions and beta reading!
Chapter 1
"Focus!" Shaw yelled after she threw Root to the floor, pinning her to the gym mat and poking her forehead with her index finger.
The Machine had cut them off and Root didn't take it very well. Ever since they got back from St. Louis, she wasn't the same person anymore. Someone, or rather something had stripped her from her armor. The invisible force field the Machine had created to protect her was gone and all that was left was Samantha, the little girl who watched her friend get kidnapped and murdered. The woman who lost her mother at a young age and had been on her own ever since. The hacker, who made her money by stealing from criminals and was smart enough to get away with it.
"Get off of me!" Root hissed, an annoyed grin on her lips and Shaw rolled off, getting back on her feet and offering a hand to the hacker who knocked it away.
Shaw knew she was playing with fire when she had pushed her the other day. But hadn't that been what Root was after all along? How could she have misread her signals so wrong? She was usually good at reading people. She might not understand their feelings, but she could read and interpret them just fine. And Root's signals had been pretty clear and it had been more than clear that Root had been more than pleased.
"You're angry, I get that. Do you want to hit me?"
"Yes!" Root shouted, trying to let out some of that pent up energy.
Shaw turned and picking up two gloves. Throwing them at Root, she then donned some herself.
"Don't hold back, I can take it." Shaw challenged the hacker. If that's what she needed, she'd let her.
The first punch, right to the cheek, took her by surprise and Shaw shook her head to clear it. So this is how she wanted to play. Fine with her. Shaw blocked the next two punches, sidestepped and pushed Root away. But Root found her balance quickly and put everything she'd learned in the last couple of weeks into her next attack. And Shaw let her. She took several hits, welcoming the pain. She took as many hits as Root was able to punch.
Chapter 2
"Why did She abandon me?" Tears were running down her cheeks and she wiped them away angrily. "I always followed her instructions."
"Well" Shaw shrugged and when she looked at Root she instantly realized that it was the worst thing she could have said. The Machine had told Root to keep her hands off Shaw and that was the one order she hadn't complied with. But it was a technicality, really, Shaw thought.
"Do you really think an artificial intelligence cares who you fuck?" Shaw pushed her back. "Pull yourself together!" Root punched harder using her one last burst of strength.
She was half leaning onto Shaw, hitting her with one hand until she broke down, panting. Shaw held her and kept her from slipping to the floor. Hesitating for a split second, Shaw pulled her closer. Root didn't resist anymore, her arms coming around her waist and clinging onto her for dear life.
There were no words necessary and Shaw was glad about that. They could only do harm.
Chapter 3
"I don't need your pity." Root grumbled when she felt Shaw's eyes on her back leaving the gym. She still felt numb, not only from the physical exhaustion from the fight. Everything around her was so quiet, despite being in the middle of New York City, where it was never quiet.
"I don't do pity." Shaw huffed. "Get in the car, I'll drop you off at home." She had hoped that this little session would get Root to snap out of her vacantly state and maybe help her to open up. Not that she was particularly interested in a heart to heart talk, but she couldn't deal with Root in that state either and it was just the two of them now. No Harold to reason, no John for backup.
"I'll walk." Root stood there, starring at her, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. There wasn't anything Shaw could say or do to make this any better. Root knew that she wouldn't, it just wasn't who Shaw was. And it felt like another stab to her heart. Or rather a twist of the knife after the machine had made the first blow.
"No, tonight you're not. Get in the car." Shaw stated flatly, on the edge of sounding dangerous.
"You can't tell me what to do." Root argued half-heartedly.
"I can and I will. Now get in the car before I throw you in the trunk."
"I'll be fine." Root replied tiredly when Shaw asked if she needed company. Truth was, Root couldn't stand the intense gaze of those dark eyes on her anymore. She didn't know what to do with those feelings inside of her. And Shaw offering to stay was slightly overwhelming.
She remembered all to well the last time she had felt truly contented, connected, only to have that feeling ripped from her hours later. Losing the Machine was like losing a part of herself.
She still wondered why the Machine hadn't predicted something earlier, said something. She kept asking herself why the rash separation? And why was her heart beating so fast she was afraid it would bust out of her chest whenever she thought of Shaw.
Throwing her clothes on the floor carelessly, Root stepped into the shower, not bothering to wait for the water to turn warm.
Chapter 4
Shaw knew something was wrong when Root didn't show up at work the following day.
Shaw tried calling her but just kept getting her voicemail. "Fuck!" Shaw put the phone handle down much harder than necessary and earned a few strange looks from co-workers. If Root wasn't picking up her phone she had no other choice but to check her apartment. Making up an excuse, saying she would make up the time tomorrow, but as she left the office she couldn't shake the feeling that she wouldn't be back. Ever.
Root's apartment was empty, the few personal belongings were gone sans the laptop which was still sitting on the table.
Shaw bit her lip, a million thoughts racing through her mind. She calculated each scenario and came to the conclusion that Root had run off. If she had been taken by Samaritan agents, they would have been onto her too, which they apparently weren't.
As assuasive as that thought was, the possibility that Root would do something stupid or dangerous, or both was to disturbing to ignore.
Shaw cursed herself for not staying with the hacker. You had to be blind and deaf not to notice that Root was far from stable. But Root had made it pretty clear that she didn't want any company and Shaw was stupid enough to comply. Should have made use of those cuffs, Shaw grumbled, picking up the laptop as she left.
Back at her own apartment, she logged onto her own computer and ran a trace on her partner in crime. Checking the map and seeing the last signal was right at the entrance of a national forest, Shaw got her emergency pack from the closet and was out the door and on the road within ten minutes.
Chapter 5
Though the sun was already setting, it was still awfully hot. A few strands of hair that had fallen out of Shaw's ponytail and were clinging to her sweaty neck. The rentals air condition was broken and even though she had a four wheel drive, it was exhausting navigating in this rough terrain, on country roads, some of them not even big enough to be on any maps. She'd been searching for nearly six hours with only two short breaks but the raging anger inside of her kept her pushing even harder.
How dare she! How dare she just retire from this war? Leave them behind. Leave her behind?
Then she finally spotted another reflection in the corner of her eye. Pulling over, she could make out a cabin with her binoculars. It was mostly hidden beneath old trees and bushes, but there was a small light that caught Shaw's eye. This was the thirteenth place she checked out that day.
From half a yard away she recognized Root sitting alone on the porch and sighed in relief, her taunt muscles relaxing. The longer she was searching, the more concerned she had become that Root might harm herself.
Scouting the area and making sure once again that no one was trailing her, Shaw approached the cabin.
"Taking off like that? What the fuck, Root!" She threw the car door shut furiously. "What were you thinking?!"
Root studied her for a good while and then finally asked "How did you find me?"
Shaw noticed how small her voice sounded.
"I'm good at what I do." she narrowed her eyes, part of her anger crumbling at the sight of the lost look in her eyes. Who was she to her anyway? Comrade? Friend? Lover in anything but the physical sense was certainly too far fetched.
"Evidently. You planted a wiretap on me." Root smiled, though her eyes were still unfocused and she was clearly not herself. After a long pause, she kind of snapped out of it. "So you actually do care." She stated surprised.
"What the hell's that supposed to mean. Of course I care!" And there she was again, the Root she knew, the one knowing exactly which button to push. What was she thinking, that the last few weeks were just for show? And this is exactly why I don't do this kind of shit, Shaw grunted. She couldn't express herself like other people did and Root clearly hadn't gotten the message. But Root hadn't been very forthcoming about the nature of her feelings either, so Shaw wasn't entirely to blame.
It was getting darker outside, casting the porch in shadows from the surrounding trees.
"So you're just going to give up and crawl under this rock?" Shaw fumed. It was the angriest Root had ever seen the usual cool and collected ex-agent.
"What am I supposed to do?" Root got up from where she'd been sitting and turned away.
"What were you doing before you found the Machine, hm?" Silence. "Aren't you supposed to be some computer genius? Well, guess what? Samaritan is some sort of computer, right? Can't you just create a virus?"
Root let out a sad chuckle and wanted to reply but held off when a thought crossed her mind. While Shaw had made it sound so simple, it had given her an idea. Her expression visibly relaxed and a hint of a smile crossed her face. She went inside without saying a word. Rummaging in her bag, she found a piece of paper and a pen, scribbling down a line of code while Shaw watched her.
"Forgot to bring your computer?" Shaw mocked her with a raised eyebrow.
Chapter 6
Rood didn't respond, didn't say that she hadn't been thinking rationally when she had run off. She'd been in a very dark place after their fight. So dark, she had basically forgotten about everyone else. She was defeated, they all were. She wasn't any help, just a burden with the target on her forehead. And while she wasn't necessarily clinging to her life, she wasn't going to endanger the other members of Team Machine. Especially Shaw.
Root was too consumed with scribbling down code, to notice Shaw pulling something from her backpack.
"Does this help?" She held out Root's notebook, the one she had left behind in her apartment. Root took it without saying a word and started typing right away. Shaw went back outside, scouting the area and making sure she wasn't followed. Being paranoid didn't mean they weren't out to get you.
When she returned to the cabin half an hour later, Root was still engulfed in whatever she was doing. The sun was only a tiny red dot in the horizon and the only light in the cabin was coming from the computer screen.
Shaw spotted a gas lamp and matches and lit it carefully. It was the first time she properly checked out the cabin itself and was surprised at how small it was. The main room wasn't bigger than six by six feet and included a small kitchen, a table with two chairs and a couch in front of the fireplace. Opening another door, Shaw found a tiny, undisturbed bedroom.
"You got any food around here?" Shaw interrupted the silence.
"There's a granola bar somewhere."
"Seriously?" Shaw eyed her in disbelief and started opening the cupboard doors, finding them empty.
"What were you planning on eating?" She put her hands on her hips. "Get up, we're going out."
"I'm busy!"
"Not if you pass out. When's the last time you ate?" Shaw challenged. "Take that thing with you if it makes you happy, but I'm going out for dinner and I'm not letting you out of my sight again." Shaw's voice made it clear that there was no room for argument.
Chapter 7
They sat in silence during the forty minute drive to the diner. Shaw busy with staying on the road, or more like what they assumed was the road, and Root still recovering from getting out of that dark hole her mind had slipped into.
"So, how did you actually find me?" Root poked at her mashed potatoes, once they had sat down and ordered. "A tracker doesn't work all the way out here."
"Hence my six hour drive cross country." Shaw narrowed her eyes taking another bite out of her steak.
"You found the needle in the haystack," Root was impressed. "Gonna tell me where you put that bug?"
Shaw swallowed and pondered whether to tell her or not and then pointed at her right shoulder with her knife.
"You planted a bug inside of me when you stitched me up?" Root raised her eyebrows and Shaw shrugged.
"Seemed like a good idea at the time." The tracker, a state of the art, silicone coated transmitter, smaller than a microSD card used nearby electronic devices to call back home, or in her case, Shaw. So when Root had left civilization and was out of range of the last cell tower, it hadn't made it easy for her to be found, but at least Shaw had a general idea of where to look.
"You are good at what you do." Root smiled sadly, reminded of their impossible situation again.
"You're not alone in this," Shaw put her fork and knife down and leaned forward. "Don't you run out of me like that again. We'll figure this out."
"I've still got a bull's eye on my forehead. I can't have you get caught because of me."
"I'll take my chances." Shaw held her gaze. "What have you been working on?."
"Not here." Root had a mischief grin on her lips when she leaned forward, "But if you give me a ride back," she trailed off and Shaw rolled her eyes, even if it was just for good measure. How someone could make talk about a virus sound so dirty was beyond her.
Chapter 8
They lit the fireplace up when they got back and while Root worked some more on her code, Shaw crashed on the couch.
"So, how long's this going to take?" she asked, starring at the ceiling.
"A few hours or a few days, hard to tell." Root glanced up from the computer screen and frowned. Even when relaxed, Shaw looked like she could jump into action within seconds. She was still wearing her combat boots, cargo pants and tank top. Root bit back a remark about getting more comfortable.
She caught a few hours of sleep herself before the sun was raising and Shaw made them take another trip into town to stock up on groceries and other stuff.
"You girls here on vacation?" The older guy at the store asked while he helped pack everything into bags.
"Just for a couple of days," Root smiled at him, handing over a few bills.
"Then you should probably be on the lookout." He handed her the change, "there's been a couple of break-ins at some cabins in the area lately. You got a dog or a riffle?" He pointed at the shelf behind him, displaying a good range of hunting riffles and guns and crossbows.
"My friend's got that covered," Root glanced at Shaw, trying not to look too proud.
"There's no cell phone coverage out there. Maybe a few walkie-talkies?" He was on a roll. Little did he know about the arsenal Shaw brought. And how much she'd enjoy beating up a few thieves right now. Maybe she should get a shovel, just in case, Shaw pondered and caught Root watching her from the side.
Chapter 9
Once again back at the cabin, Shaw went to scout the area while Root took her laptop outside to hook it up with her brand new solar charger and continued working.
She'd missed this, hacking, without the Machine doing all the work. She loved writing code that made sense and couldn't be misread. But she also missed having the Machine in her ear. It was a strange feeling of loss and she slowly got used to making her own decisions.
When Shaw returned, Root noticed that she had taken the opportunity to bathe in the creek. Her hair was still damp and the tank top clung to her like a second skin. Root found it rather distracting.
The temperature was still raising and she felt sweaty and dirty but refused to stop while it was flowing so nicely. But damn, she liked her lips, was she tempted.
It had been obvious to everyone with eyes that Root had the hots for Shaw, ever since their first encounter. And not in a million year she would have believed that she'd actually fall for someone like her. Or for anyone at all. She just wasn't the type to fall easily. And usually never stuck around long enough to actually get to know anyone.
And now it slowly dawned on her why the Machine had warned her the other day about Shaw. The Machine had seen this coming and knew that once they'd actually been intimate, that there was no way back for Root. Once those feelings emerged, there was no turning them back off.
Pushing those thoughts aside, she scold herself to get back to work.
Chapter 10
"Damnit!" Root cursed and closed the laptop. She just couldn't get that line right and her brain felt like it was fried. Putting it aside, she got up to stretch, hearing her spine crack a few times. Taking a sip of water, she glanced around for Shaw. Not finding her, she went back inside, grabbed her toiletries and a towel and went down to the creek. Dipping her foot first into the water she shivered finding it a bit cold but it would have to do.
Growing up in a small town, she was used to the rural charm and could adapt pretty well. It was a huge contrast to how she lived the last couple of months though. She was always hurrying from one place of the earth to another, following the Machine's leads and now she was stuck here in the middle of nowhere, far away from any communication, the internet and cell phones … and Samaritan. With the one person who didn't even blink an eye about the things she did in the past. And because she knew Shaw was watching out for them both, she could fully concentrate on writing a virus that might be able to change their odds.
She was so engulfed in her own thoughts that she didn't notice Shaw sitting down a few feet behind her, grinning.
"Taking a break?" Shaw spoke a little louder than necessary, pleased with the fact that she could sneak up on Root.
"Jesus!" Root startled a little and slid a little further into the water. "I've got to get you a bell or something."
"Not so nice, now, is it? Creeping up on people." Shaw was very amused - but also clearly thrilled at the dilatation of Root's pupils and she didn't even make an attempt to hide it.
"You could have lent me a hand, you know." Root towel dried her hair and strolled over to where Shaw was sitting.
"You could have asked." Shaw's voice dropped a notch.
"Would you have?" Root hesitantly brushed a strand of hair behind Shaw's ear, only lingering for a second when she saw something flicker behind those dark eyes.
There hadn't even been one intimate touch since the significant night in St. Louis, the beating at the gym a few nights ago didn't count and neither Root nor Shaw were sure what to do about it. So they kept at what they did best. Root teased and Shaw brushed her off and it was frustrating for both of them.
"We'll never know, you didn't ask." Shaw got up and started walking away. She was still pissed at how she was treated after the Machine had cut Root off. Glancing backwards, she watched Root pick up her toiletries. It wasn't that she demanded to be treated like they had had a relationship, but for the love of god, she wasn't a stranger who got picked up at a bar either.
Shit, Shaw stopped when the realization hit her that she had feelings for the psycho hacker that went beyond caring about the mission and staying alive. She didn't want anything to happen to Root and she wanted to be the one protecting her.
Chapter 11
"It isn't working." Root tried again and again but couldn't get the program to run. "Something is missing." she stretched the words, talking more to herself than to Shaw, who was sitting beside her on the porch.
"Should we get back to the city and ask Harold for help?" Shaw observed.
"Too risky. I can't have Samaritan pick this up before it's ready. We should stay out of any network range for now." Root didn't look up and Shaw decided it was better to leave her alone. Not out of her sight, but a little space couldn't hurt.
If anything, she needed it for herself more than for Root's sake. It slowly dawned on her why she'd been so effective compared to others in the past. Everything was so much easier if you just didn't care about other people's feeling and opinions, about people in general. And maybe she should have left the moment she realized she wasn't only in fact in it for the dog.
A little too late for that, her subconscious chipped in and Shaw pulled the chair out so she could stretch her legs on the banister.
Slowly, lots of things started to make so much more sense, Shaw mused, dozing off. Her batteries were pretty drained and she was missing out on quite a few hours of sleep.
"Taking another break?" Shaw heard the floor board creak when Root got up. She wasn't quite ready to open her eyes just yet. Her head was resting on the back of the chair, her feet on the banister and it almost looked peaceful, except for the tip of a blade that peaked out from where her arms were crossed.
"Still having trust issues?" Root teased and Shaw slowly blinked and put the knife back in her ankle holster.
Root leaned on the doorway, observing.
"I'm sorry," she said timidly when Shaw got up and dusted of the back of her pants. "I know it wasn't your fault." Root elaborated, "I shouldn't have blamed you."
"Us," Root corrected timidly after a beat.
Shaw haltered, suddenly unsure of what to do or reply.
"Can you forgive me?" Root asked shyly and Shaw was highly aware at how vulnerable the hacker was. Root had never apologized for any of her actions, justifying everything with the Machine's will. But now, she was wide open, ready to get hurt.
But Shaw had no intention of hurting her. At least not in that way, Shaw felt her lips move into a small smile and Root picked up on it, visibly relaxing.
"How's your little project coming?" Shaw stepped closer, unconsciously biting her lower lip. Damn, she'd missed her. And that aching to reach out was foreign but not at all that unpleasant.
Shaw had always been proud of the fact that others couldn't read her. But Root had spent enough time observing her to know by Shaw's body language and micro expressions where her mindset was, and most importantly, that she was indeed forgiven.
"I'm done." Root reported, gazing at her sort of lost in thought.
This could either work - or they wouldn't survive the next day. And that scared the shit out of her.
"Should we get going then?" Shaw was just about to turn and head back inside when Root reached out and cupped her cheeks firmly but gently and leaned down to capture her lips in a searing kiss.
She didn't how to react so she put everything she had into kissing her back.
Chapter 12
It was at that moment that it dawned on Root that, all this time, she'd been hopelessly falling, slowly but steadily, for Shaw.
And Shaw's first instinct was to push away, but who was she kidding, she'd wanted this. More than she would ever admit, but deepening the kiss sort of gave her away anyway. She pulled Root closer, her fingers digging in the fabric of Root's shirt and melting her body into the taller one.
Even though it felt like Root was sucking the air out of her, she couldn't stop. What could possibly go wrong, her inner voice mocked.
When Shaw tasted the first salty tear she pulled back, gazing mesmerized at Root opening her eyes slowly and whipping at her cheek embarrassedly.
This felt like the moment before she took a sniper shot, seconds felt like hours but the decision had to be precise and her own. No one could take that burden from her. She thought she felt a tinge of sadness coming through the fog of her dulled feelings department.
"I can't give you…" Shaw shook her head slightly and Root chuckled nervously, stopping her from speaking further by placing a finger to Shaw's lips.
"That's not it," she softly caressed her thumb over Shaw's lower lip. "Don't you see," she closed the small gap between them, "I wouldn't want you any other way." Root smiled and leaned forward to touch their foreheads together, feeling Shaw frown against her skin. Her lips were burning and her chest felt like it was about to burst.
Shaw swallowed, trying to control her breathing. The feelings she normally barely registered, because she felt them like other people heard things underwater, were slowly emerging.
Root brushed away a strand of hair from Shaw's neck and breathed into her ear. "And I want you so much," she trailed kisses below her ear and onto her shoulder.
Yeah, what could possibly go wrong, Shaw's subconscious mumbled before disappearing for good and Shaw wondered what it was that made Root get under her skin, and her clothes. She raised an eyebrow when Root pulled the straps of her tank top and bra down.
Damn that woman, she was driving her wild and she didn't want her to stop, ever. Shaw was breathing heavily, placing wet kisses on her chest, leaving a mark here and there.
Root started moving, guiding them blindly back into the cottage. Her shirt was the first to be thrown on the floor followed by Shaw's top.
Shaw landed hard on the bed, the air temporary knocked from her lungs but she barely registered the shortage of oxygen because she couldn't take her eyes of the woman above her, kneeling between her legs with that look in her eyes, a mixture of lust and something more profound.
Root pushed her hair back, holding it to the side when she leaned in, pausing just inches from those sweet, sweet lips and pushing Shaw back down when she tried to meet her halfway.
Shaking her head, Root made it clear that she'd be the one calling the shots - and Shaw sank back, smirking.
So submissive it is, Shaw eased up, curious as to how that would turn out. She wasn't one to give up control easily.
Chapter 13
"What's the plan then?" Shaw sat on the bed, the sheets loosely covering her legs while she happily munched on her second bagel. She had wanted to ask that question the day before, but got a little distracted.
"I've written a little program that will worm its way to every cell phone, tablet and computer and will help us exploit Samaritan." Root had sat her plate aside and was just enjoying watching Shaw be happy. And she was fairly certain that was the exact word to describe the broody operative.
"You've still got the detonators, right?"
"Hell yes!" Shaw felt a slight adrenalin rush and her eyes lit up.
"We'll put them to good use then." Root grinned genuinely and it was the sexiest thing Shaw had ever seen.
The END is the beginning
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