A/N: Well it was a close race, but somehow option three managed to come out the winner. For those of you who voted for option(s) one or two don't worry. Those will eventually get written. Anyway sorry for the delay in getting this one posted. I hope you guys enjoy it, and thank you in advance for taking the time to read this.
"I don't want to talk about it Root. So just leave me alone. I'm fine!" Shaw snapped at her close friend and sometimes lover as she grabbed her gym bag and marched out into the chilly fall afternoon without bothering to change out of her sweaty clothes.
Root gave a mental sigh as she watched the shorter woman depart. She felt rather silly standing there still holding a Medicine Ball. Setting it down by her feet she tucked a strand of hair back behind her ear and wondered what was going on with Sam lately.
The two of them had spent the last twenty minutes exercising together. Things had been going smoothly and rather pleasantly up till Root had noticed the faraway look in Sam's eyes that almost caused her to miss catching the medicine ball they had been tossing back and forth.
"You alright there Root? I'm not going to rough on you am I?" The teasing tone in Sam's voice had brought a smile to Root's face that was strangely absent from her partner's.
"Really Sam?" She stated raising an eyebrow. "I'm surprised you're worried about being too rough on me now. You certainly didn't seem concerned last night." Her eyes zeroed in on the collar of Sam's shirt where the edge of a red blemish with some teeth marks peaked out at her.
Sam rolled her eyes and went over to the wall where her water bottle was sitting. Popping the top she took a drink and wiped her mouth off on the back of her hand. "Then I won't have to worry about you making any noise in the future. Music to my ears." This time Sam managed a smile that almost reached her eyes that quickly disappeared as she noticed the concerned look on Root's face. "Is something wrong?"
"Sam is everything alright? You've…been distant lately. Are you…still happy with our relationship?" Root said in a rush. She had not meant to voice her concern at that time, but it spilled out of her too quickly to be stopped or taken back.
A mixture of emotions raced across Shaw's face and eyes too quickly for Root to fully read before they were replaced by an emotionless mask and Sam's eyes had grown dark. With venom in her voice she had told Root in no uncertain terms that she was perfectly fine and was more than capable of taking care of herself thank you very much. Then she had simply left with a huff and all Root could do was watch.
This was not the first time that Sam had suddenly grown angry with her or reacted strangely. Sometimes she had simply yelled at the taller woman, other times she had left without a word and did not talk to Root for a couple days. When she returned it was always with no explanation.
To this point Root had been willing to tolerate these sudden mood shifts, but she was growing tired of it. The dark haired woman knew how much she cared about her, and till recently had been willing to put up with Root's odd showings of affection.
Ever since their unofficial 1st anniversary Sameen had been acting stranger and her sudden shifts in mood had been occurring with increasing frequency.
Thinking back on the night Root could recall that was when Sam's strange behavior had first started.
She had planned a special dinner that night for their anniversary. While neither woman had openly said 'I love you' Root had felt that they were in a relationship and that it deserved to be celebrated. With the irrelevant numbers pouring in faster than before there had been less time to really relax and celebrate anything.
So with the Machine's help, which Root still felt had been unnecessary given her lock picking skills, she had broken into Sam's apartment shortly after the woman left to assist Mr. Reese with a number. She had muttered a few profanities that had garnered her an admonishment from Her when she took in the disastrous state the place had been in.
The double sink and the counter beside it were buried under dirty dishes. So many in fact that Root figured Shaw did not have a clean dish left in her apartment. The trashcan was filled to the brim with assorted trash and food waste that needed to be taken out. Beside the can there was a small stack of newspapers dating back at least a month that had cobwebs attaching it to the floor.
While the bed was unmade the rest of the bedroom was in a much better state then the rest of the apartment. There was a small pile of dirty clothes pushed against one of the closet walls neatly tucked out of the way.
Thankful that she had several hours before Sam's return Root set to work on cleaning her love's apartment. A part of her did not want to do it, but the part of her that desired everything to be in at least a semblance of order figured that it would get her a few points with Sam and possibly some 'special' treatment tonight.
It was a nasty task and one that left Root more than once wondering if she had been out of her mind to tackle it. The trouble had started when she had tried to take the trash out to the dumpster in the parking lot only for the bag to break open just outside the apartment complexes backdoor. While it had not dampened her spirits it did leave Root feeling a need to wash her hands before she made further attempts to clean the apartment. A task somewhat hampered by the Kitchen sink being full of dishes, and the bathroom faucets only dispensing cold water.
The dishes took the longest to clean. Mostly due to the sheer number of them that needed to be done, and the various bits of food that managed to become almost glued to the plates. At least a few dishes had to be thrown out. Mold had begun to grow on them and they had become inseparable thanks to a disgusting mixture of barbecue sauce, mac n cheese, and a few unidentifiable sauces.
Once the dishes were thoroughly cleaned and sanitized Root put them away and set to work on preparing dinner.
Every so often the Machine would give her minor updates letting Root know that she still had plenty of time to prepare before Shaw got home.
When Sameen stepped through the doorway Root could see her lover's eyes widen in surprise. Her mouth opened slightly as she stared in mute awe at the lit candles that decorated various surfaces alongside vases of flowers. Root had decided to not go with the standard fare of roses and had instead gone with a wide variety. Each was just starting to bloom and had a vibrancy to it that brought to mind the flourishing of life.
"I hope you like it Sam." Root said quietly as she stepped into the living room from the Kitchen. She wore a smile that alternated between self-assuredness and uncertainty as she waited for Shaw to say something.
Her worry was for naught as the shorter woman wrapped her up in a tight hug and showered her with kisses.
The air was heavy with flirting and seductive glances as the two women enjoyed their meal. Root was doing a victory dance in her head as she chose to unveil her present to Sam once the woman had polished off the twelve ounce sirloin Root had taken great pains to cook to perfection.
The silver and black box was wrapped with a dark red ribbon that had cutouts of knives and guns decorating its surface. Inside was a knife with a silver inlaid hilt with the words "Adhuc incerta cernitur. No woman epitomizes this more than you Sameen."
Root took a moment to take in Sam's silence and the way her eyes blinked rapidly while tears brimmed at the corners. "Still waters run deep. A phrase that seems designed for you in my opinion." Root gave her a toothy smile. "Hope you like it my love."
Root was not at all prepared for what happened next. Sameen's face had suddenly gone cold and she verbally tore into Root. What had started out as a romantic evening had turned into a heated argument and ended with Shaw literally grabbing Root around the waist and throwing her out the open door and into the hallway.
The next morning Root had awoken, after a night spent alone crying herself to sleep, to find a text from Sam reading 'I'm sorry.'
Things had gotten worse though between the two women. Normal romantic gestures that Root had made for Shaw for the past year had been coldly rebuffed or led to more fighting between the two women. It was beginning to tear Root apart and she could not understand why or how Sameen could be so emotionally unstable lately.
This final incident at the gym was the last straw for Root. She had been patient and had tried to give Sam some space and even opportunities to explain why she had been acting so irrational. Yet since the woman stubbornly refused to take the initiative to talk about it Root decided it was now her time to act and make the shorter woman explain herself.
Grabbing her own water bottle Root headed to the locker room to change and give both Shaw and herself time to cool off before confronting the woman.
Root waited two hours before she headed to Shaw's apartment. Thanks to the Machine she knew the former assassin had headed straight home after storming out of the gym and had not left the premises. After checking to make sure her tazer was handy in her purse, since she was going to get Shaw to talk to her one way or another, and that her gun was also safely holstered Root locked her vehicle and headed inside.
Root knew immediately that something was wrong when she got to Shaw's door and found it slightly open. Dread filled her and scenarios of what she would find inside ran through her mind in an unending marathon.
Freeing her gun Root thumbed the safety off. Her heart was pounding in her chest and it was difficult for her to keep her breathing slow and steady as she slowly nudged the door wider open.
The door made not a sound as it swung into the room on well-oiled hinges. Providing the hacker with a limited view of the dark apartment interior. No lights were on and there was no sign of Shaw. The immaculate living room, still tidy since Root picked it up, showed no signs of a struggle which gave her some relief. She knew there was no way her Sameen would have been taken without a fight that would have left at least half her attackers dead or permanently injured.
Stepping inside Root held her breath as she listened. For a moment she heard nothing but then with her good ear she heard something.
It was faint and out of place in Sam's apartment, but there was no mistaking the sound of crying.
Puzzled Root ventured further inside and nudged the door closed with a foot as quietly as she could. She still had her weapon drawn in the increasingly unlikely event that Samaritan's operatives had managed to track Sameen down. Following the sound Root made her way to Sam's bedroom where the door was firmly shut.
Now she was faced with a choice. She could open the door and head inside and hope that her barging into Sam's apartment unannounced wouldn't set the woman off again. Her other option was to make some noise and pray that there was no one on the other side that had Sameen helpless. Making a decision Root mentally cursed herself for a fool as she pressed her back against a wall and knocked on the door.
The crying continued for a moment till Root knocked a second time and then it came to a brief halt. Sniffling could still be heard amongst the quiet movement that Root was barely able to hear.
"Sameen we need to talk." Root called out. Her voice came out sounding far braver then she felt.
"Go away." Shaw's voice was thick and broken. The melancholy of sadness and tears still dripping heavily from it.
"I'm not going anywhere Sam. You can either open the door and we can talk like adults, or I can break it down. But I'm certainly not leaving."
"Go away Root. I…I don't….don't want to….see you." Shaw responded back. Her words halted by sobbing as her crying renewed.
"But, I want to see you." Holstering her weapon Root let out a breath of air as relief filled her that Sam was apparently okay. "Please Sam. Let me in."
The sobbing grew louder as Shaw approached the door and then with a quiet click the latch retracted and the door opened revealing a side of the woman that Root had never thought she would see.
Her hair was an utter mess. Half free of its ponytail it was a messy tangled knot that looked as if birds had been using it for a nest. The little eye shadow the shorter woman wore ran in long dark streaks down her cheeks reminiscent of a child painting with watercolors that had been mixed with too much water. Shaw's eyes were red and puffy and nasal mucus had piled up near her upper lip. As Root watched another snotty river began to wind its way down out of the woman's nose till it was whipped away.
'Broken' that was the only word Root could think of to describe Sameen's current state. Gone was the strong woman who took on the world more times during a single day then most people did in their entire lives.
Concern for the woman she loved filled Root. Straightening she moved away from the wall and stood in front of Sam. Before she could say a word the shorter woman launched herself at Root.
Root had no time to react and barely processed the fact that Sam was attacking her again before she was knocked to the floor. Even as the breath was knocked from her Root prepared herself for a flurry of blows that did not come.
Instead Shaw had buried her face in Root's chest and was crying again as hard as before. The woman was saying something but it was distorted by the sobs still wracking Sam and hindered by Root's shirt. Putting her hands on Shaw's shoulders Root maneuver the woman just enough so she could clearly hear what was being said.
Root was not certain how long the two of them lay there in Sameen's hallway as the former assassin talked. In between bouts of inconsolable crying and interspersed with hiccupping sobs Sam explained her emotional fluctuations for the last few weeks.
Ever before the anniversary dinner she had been feeling strongly about Root. Small things like concern about Root wellbeing began to occupy her thoughts more than they had in the past. Even anticipation and hope of Root calling her or doing some minor thing to let Shaw know she was thinking of her began to happen with increasing frequency.
While Shaw had thought little of this at first it was not till she saw Root's gift and processed the inscription and Root's words that she had panicked. Unused to feeling any strong emotions she had fallen back into an emotionally defensive stance and lashed out with the one emotion that she understood well.
After she had thrown Root out Shaw had spent the rest of the night conflicted. She found herself on an emotional rollercoaster that she was no longer able to control or stop. She had hated how she had snapped at Root yet could not understand why she finally gave any thought to the other woman's emotions.
Finally at the gym she had lashed out in anger and had run in fright at what she had done. She had been terrified that she had finally crossed the line for a final time and driven Root away. That…had been rock bottom for her.
The vault she had locked her emotions away in so long ago had been broken open and she had been unable to fully cope or adjust to feeling them at such a high volume.
Through all this Root simply sat and listened and gave what little comfort she could to Shaw. Finally when Sam was done talking Root placed a hand under the woman's chin and tilted her face up and kissed her on the lips. "You don't have to worry Sam. There is nothing you could ever do that would drive me away. I love you, and I plan on staying with you for the rest of my life. I'll help you through this emotional time you can trust me on that."
Tears filled Shaw's eyes once more. Though these were of happiness and not sorrow. She mumbled a quick "I love you to." Before returning Root's kiss.
A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I know it's a little longer than what you are used to, but I think you guys won't mind too much. Please let me know what you thought. Suggestion and recommendations on what I can change or improve upon are always welcome. Below are your options for the next chapter.
Shaw fears that she is getting somewhat chubby and might need to start losing some weight. Root upon finding out feels the need to allay the woman's concern that she would ever stop loving Shaw.
After a rather violent argument Root accidentally let's slip her true feelings for Shaw. How the shorter woman will use this new knowledge will be seen.
Shaw gets a new computer and refuses to listen to Root about the need to thoroughly protect it. Root decides to hack the computer to show Shaw the need for protection. Root just was not prepared for what she would see firsthand. Note: Basically Shaw decides to take a page from Root's playbook and teases the poor hacker something first. Additional note: Please, pick this one cause I really want to write it.
