Cht 25

Who you choose to be

'That look, oh God, not that look!' Shaw watches as Root stands and walks around the breakfast bar to her side, continuing to walk behind her back, running her hand seductively across her shoulder as she does so, before stopping right next to her. So close. Shaw slowly swallows a gulp of air as she looks back into Root's eyes. 'Not the pleading face. Don't look Shaw, don't...' Shaw shudders as Root reaches out and starts rubbing her back, sending small jolts of electricity up Shaw's spine, breaking her slowly, torture. Shaw breathes in a long drawn breath before exhaling again and licks her drying lips. Root sighs as she drags her hand across, and off Shaw's back, then leans back into the breakfast bar continuing to tease, as Shaw's armour splinters, and starts cracking...

BANG BANG BANG...

The front door.

No one moves.

A scuffling noise, and Gen then walks into the tension as the door opens. Her eyes shift from side to side as her expression furrows witnessing the two stare each other, unflinching. Hitting her hand with his nose, Bear whimpers into it. Rolling her eyes and patting Bear on the head, Gen closes the front door before plodding her way into the kitchen past the two, and helps herself to some pancakes and milk from the fridge. As Gen puts the dish and glass down on the breakfast bar, she glances back, both still motionless, still staring at each other.

"Can you two get a room or something, you're making me sick!" As she thumps down onto the bar stool, fork from the drawer now in hand.

Root continues to gaze at Shaw, a smile creeping across her face as Shaw slowly turns her head to glare at Gen.

"One second your killing each other, the other your both all, yuck" as Gen screws up her face. "You know you're both insane right?!" Gen finishes with a 'I'm disgusted at your lover's quarrel' look staring right back at Shaw.

Incredulously, "you just broke into our apartment, again!" As Shaw points out the obvious.

Gen stops eating and grins at Shaw, showing all her teeth.

Shaking her head and turning back to look at Root, Shaw gets up from her seat and goes to the front door. Grabbing the lead on the way, Shaw whistles, and Bear comes bounding to her as she clips the lead onto Bear's collar.

Root turns around and looks over at Gen who is giving her the 'what' shrug and 'I'm innocent' face. Chuckling softly, Root shakes her head and pulls a drawer open, and Gen hears Root pull something out, and place it on the bar in front of her, clink. Pausing long enough to hear Gen's jaw drop, Root turns to the front door where Shaw is waiting for her, and they share a smile together. Root grabs her leather jacket and pulls it on as the three exit the apartment leaving Gen still sitting, speechless, staring at her own set of apartment keys.

Sooooooo, Ausman, what's that about?" Mill muses.

"That one's pretty obvious isn't it?" Ausman lifts his eyebrows in surprise at Mill, who is a little clueless. "Mate, give you a hint, the accent! Why, you wanted to be a windmill or something?"

Mill looked horrified and scrunches his face at Ausman's reply as the others laugh at his expense.

Lounge around the kitchen area of the office continuing to suss each other's background and deal, their thoughts are momentarily interrupted with the arrival of Shaw, Root and Bear, where Bear subsequently runs across the room knocking things over and causing mischief momentarily before halting at Shaw's harsh instruction. Bear returns to the couple, tongue hanging out, merrily ignorant at the chaos just caused, and Root pouts at Shaw before bending down and patting Bear to console him.

"You were just saying hi to everyone weren't you boy?" And scratches behind Bear's ear. Bear than walks off to his own office, that is, where his toys, dog bed and water bowl have been laid out for him.

Shaw just rolls her eyes at Root, shakes her head slightly and walks to the command post for a new number and updates.

Danny and Reina watch on in silence, warmed by the transaction, 'there's hope for us', as they continue in secret.

Already at the command post, Reese looks round the office, but Nox was still not there. Acknowledging to himself, 'she needs time to recover', as he focuses back on the new numbers coming in.

A slow, and long, intake of breath... Exhaling, focus, 'there is only me and the target... Inhaling... The stomach expanding outwards as it fills with air, 'the strength, the delicacy on the tips of my fingers'... Exhaling slowly in one long unbroken even breath.

The feel of the light breeze passes through the broken windows and tickles over her skin gently as the corrugated metal sheet walls whistle. Pigeons can be heard burring in the background as they gather for their morning chat, walking about in all directions as if they were at a morning exercise class. Nox closes her eyes and feels the texture of the string on her fingertips, and opens them again, looking straight through the scope, 'X marks the spot'. Aiming at the target, she inhales slowly, taking her time, holding her posture, her line, exhaling, she extends the form of her shoulders and draws back on the string, pulling, and with it the arrow, curling her bicep, her shoulder following with. Extending the opposite arm, inhaling focusing, 'X marks the spot', exhale...

BANG!... Ping, clang clang, clatter...

Birds are heard fluttering and grumbling as the group fly off, startled by the sudden loud noise which continues to echoe through the abandoned empty skeleton building.

Closing her eyes, a slow inhale of breath as she now uses the technique to keep calm. Taking in a couple more deep and long breaths, she grits her teeth and turns her head over her shoulder to be greeted back by an apologetic grin, as he picks up the offending case and stands back up. Nox turns to face the target, she looks at the five arrows on the 'x', and the other, lying on the ground, in pieces.

After being frightened by the sudden loud noise, Nox had let go of the string as her body flinched, sending the last arrow flying off to the side before it hit a pillar and brought the arrow clattering to the ground, broken. Nox grimaces, before staring annoyed at the man now standing in front of her on her imaginary shooting line.

Still grinning, and hunching his shoulders up, "sorry?"

"What's it with you guys and stalking?"

"Uh..." As he shifts his eyes side to side awkwardly, "just... Just wanted to check up on you after..." As he bares his teeth in awkwardness, "you know..." Joey continues, only half completing his sentences, not sure how comfortable Nox is with his knowledge of her life's story.

Joey watches as Nox strides away to her target and pull out her five remaining arrows, before walking back. She turns around and stands back on the shooting line, before finally turning her head to Joey with a look of, 'why are you still here?'

"I come, in peace?" As Joey raises the case that he had been cradling in his arms all this time. Nox raises an eyebrow looking at the black case, and Joey leans closer in, teasing her. As Nox looks back up to Joey, he grins and squats to lay the case down horizontally on the ground. Unclipping it to open it, he then spins the case around revealing the item.

Eyes widening, Nox's mouth drops open...

Inside the case is a re-engineered sleek carbon bow. No doubt Pierce's R&D lab had been busy.

"Oh I'm so sorry..." As Root bumps into the white collar by accident in the middle of a crowded coffee house.

As the white collar wipes his crisp white shirt now stained with coffee, he looks up about to shout at the idiot, only he closes his mouth again at the sight of Root as she fumbles with some napkins and moves to pat the victim in an attempt to absorb some of the coffee stain.

Watching on from a table within the coffee house, shaking her head at Mill who has his mouth hanging slightly open, watching, "it's just as well Shaw isn't here, otherwise you'd be melted cheese" Reina muses. Mill snaps out of his daze, sits up straight and closes his mouth.

Root is wearing a tight fitting tailored red dress and black rimmed glasses with a business satchel hanging on her shoulder on top of a three quarter black feminine lined business jacket. Her black heels further extending the already long legs.

"It's ok" reassures white collar, "are you ok? Nothing spilt on you did it?"

Smiling a wide smile, "no I'm fine" as Root moves to keep giving white collar more napkins. "Let me get you another coffee, it's the least I can do!"

Looking at his watch, "you know what, I don't have time, I have a meeting in 10"

"Are you sure, I'm so sorry" furthers Root, apologetically.

Shaking his head slightly with a smile, "it's fine", and he leaves the coffee house for the office.

As white collar leaves, Jenna who was waiting outside, follows him from a distance.

Root looks over at the two recruits and flicks her head in indication that it was time to leave themselves.

"Good morning, Mr Harris" greets Danny as he opens the door of the limo to an aging man with greying hair, furious expression and blue suit.

The man grunts in reply.

"I don't care that he has lived there for three generations, do whatever it takes to move them!" As blue suit continues to shout down his phone as the limo drives off.

Danny looks slightly to his colleague for the day, another security guard on Harris' staff list. The colleague takes his eyes off the road momentarily to give Danny a quick glance and a shrug, it wasn't unusual for Harris to talk this way.

As white collar leaves the meeting room with his business partners, he spots a familiar face in the short distance, "hey, girl in the red dress!" He calls, walking towards Root.

Root turns to the suit, looking at him with a blank expression.

"You know, the guy you bumped into this morning," and moves his jacket aside to reveal the coffee stain.

"Oh... I'm so sorry about that. And hey, you're..." As Root looks around the room. "Here."

Laughing, "yeah, my team and I were called in for a consult. Didn't think I would see you again", as Root watches him scan his eyes down, and then back up her body before meeting her eyes again and smiling casually as if he wasn't just checking her out, "do you work here?"

Shaking her head, "no, I'm also a consultant, IT" as Root lifts the cords she was playing with as she was setting up some systems before the interruption.

"Ah... Well, you still owe me a coffee. How about it?" White collar questions with his confident swagger and continuing honey will melt smile. Clean shaved and well dressed, he knew how to impress.

"I really can't at the moment, I need to finish this project soon, tight schedule" as Root fake teases.

"Here's my business card, call me when you're done" as white collar hands over his business card.

Taking it, Root reads the name with a cocked eyebrow, "Matthew Ackers, business data analyst", before looking back up to Matthew with her sweet smile.

Encouraged by Root's smile, "just Matt!"

'Seriously?!' As Mill looks on from one of the office desk pods looking on, 'that worked?'

Reina who is sitting a couple desks away from him chuckles as she catches a glimpse of Mill before turning back to Root playing out her scene.

Having not left yet, Root looks at Matt expectantly.

Chuckling lightly, "do I get a name, or do I have to keep calling you girl in the red dress?" He continues to flirt.

Chuckling too, "Sophia Wilson" she informs Matt tilting her head.

"Nice to meet you Sophia" as he stretches out his hand, "I really hope you will call me", a glint in his eye.

Root returns the handshake, and watches Matthew step away, and back to his consultation.

Boom...

An explosion, followed by a fire as the barn starts to burn furiously. Shouting can be heard, followed by horses running from the stalls and out the large extended barn. Stable hands, jockeys, trainers and any nearby staff start running around grabbing pales of water trying to dampen the fire, while others open the stalls to allow for the horses to run to safety.

From a distance, standing behind a series of parked cars along the street outside the stables, Reese spots Harper encouraging the horses out the stables. As she turns and spots Reese,

Boom...

Another explosion as the fire catches the second propane tank on the opposite of the barn. The adjacent barn and sheds near by also catch on fire. The now raging inferno heat drives everyone to evacuate the stables as they run for the fire meeting point in the car park, nothing more they could do but wait for the fire department to arrive. Harper follows the crowd to the car park, blending in with the rest of the staff.

Running into one of the long tabled meeting rooms in his office building, "Mr Harris", interrupts his secretary, as Harris and the rest of the employees sitting at the table look up at the secretary, "there's been a fire at the stables", before pausing, "you're wife..."

Standing outside, just to the side of the meeting room door, Danny confirms the fire as its transmitted over his comms.

Reese sits in the car looking out onto the bay, Harper in the passenger seat. They watch on as the owner of the yacht stands on the deck arguing with the son of the Chinese mafia, Derek Chung. Two boats down from the yacht were Ausman and Goose, their heads peering over the top of the yacht as they lie low. Ausman, with his outstretched arm, starts snapping photos of the meeting. Just then another car pulls up alongside, "hi John".

Reese looks past Harper and through into the other car, "Joey".

Flicking his head to the the khaki shorts on the yacht, "who's the shorts?"

Chuckling, "that's Eric Harris, son of the Harris Estate and horse racing tycoon Scott Harris" replies Harper, filling Joey in with the other details learnt from Team Reese.

Joey drops his mouth open in an 'o', and says nothing further as they watch on.

After another round of heated exchanges, Chung leaves first, his thugs following closely behind. Eric then steps off the yacht with his own security team.

Reese nods to Ausman and Goose who have now clambered off the yacht they were lying on, to follow Eric, while Harper had already hopped out and jumped into Joey's vehicle. Reese watches as Joey too drives off, continuing to follow Chung.

"Heads up Root", Jenna informs over the comms from her vantage point on the roof of the opposite building, looking in through the bar window to where Root was sitting via her binoculars.

Matt walks into the bar, and instantly notices the girl in the red dress, again. Walking up to her, "three times in one day, it must be my lucky day", as Matt stops in front of Root, "no time like the present," as he stops to look around Root for the company she was with, "if the lady is not with anyone" and looks to Root and then the empty seat beside her.

Head still leaning on her arm which is resting on the table, Root fake sad smiles, "sure, I could do with some company"

Surprised, "bad day?"

"You could say that" as she tilts her head into her arm...

Nodding and smiling, Matt sits down and calls over the bar tender.

"Nice one" muses Jenna over the comms.

Sitting in the apartment, Shaw sits up from the couch, then slides back down onto it again as she continues to flick through the tv channels. Unsatisfied, she clicks the tv off again, and with a heavy sigh, flops back onto the couch. Bear canters up and noses the hanging outstretched arm and whines.

Scratching Bear's snout, "I know Bear, me too."

"Woof, woof", Bear looks eagerly at Shaw, wagging his tail excitedly, but Shaw remained motionless, not even looking at him. "Woof, woof!" Bear calls again, still panting eagerly at her.

With another heavy sigh, Shaw sits up, "ok boy", and goes to change.

Breaking into the penthouse suite apartment on the upper East side, Mill lets out a long breathy whistle indicating how impressed he was with it. He then walks to the window, mouth gaping as he over looks over into the city view, having forgot himself already.

Reina chuckles at him before Finch indicates for her to enter the apartment first. Upon seeing the apartment Reina is also impressed, "how does a self employed business data analyst consultant afford this?"

This time it was Finch's turn to chuckle.

"I don't know but wow..." As Mill begins to look at the electronic gadgets, state of the art technology tv and sound system, digital lighting system, walk in wardrobe, as he makes his way into the bedroom. Even the bathroom was bigger than Mill's own apartment. Regaining himself, Mill goes back the front door and opens it slightly, keep it ajar to keep a look out.

Finch was already at the desktop computer, in front of the two state of the art monitors and latest core processor computer. "Looks like Mr Acker is doing some insider trading", confirms Finch as he finds what he's looking for within minutes. "Ms Reina"

"Finch, it's just Reina, Ms is not part of the code name" Mill informs looking back at Finch from the door.

Stopping his typing and nodding at him in acknowledgement before turning back to Reina, "Ms..." Finch grimaces, "Reina, have you found any clues about our mystery Mr Acker?"

Chuckling at Mill's playfulness, "uh, still looking Mr Finch" as Reina continues to rummage around the apartment searching for clues.

Finch smiles into the monitors as he plugs in a USB to download Ackers data, there was so much and they needed more time to both decrypt and analysis it all.

As Reina comes back into the main room empty handed, she shakes her head to confirm she had found nothing of use. Walking closer to Finch, "anything on your end?"

"Nothing I can see, but there is a lot of data here" as Finch finishes by pulling out the USB and holding it in the air to signal mission complete.

Nodding Reina looks around the apartment one last time to ensure she had put everything back the way it was while Finch finishes shutting down the computer.

Opening the front door wider open, Mill peers through checking for the all clear, before the three slip back into the hall and back out the building.

Click, "we're finished, leaving now", informs Reina over the comms.

"Root, they've leaving the apartment now", Jenna confirms the message via the comms as she sits in the car looking towards the restaurant. Moments later Jenna spots Root and Matthew exit the restaurant and stand on the sidewalk.

Shaw doesn't usually jog at night, but dxmn it Root, she had to be out working a number, as Shaw turns a corner down another quiet street. With little foot traffic, Shaw is able to stretch her legs further as she increases the pace, Bear running happily beside her.

Buzz... Buzz...

Glancing at the phone, Shaw hesitates before deciding to follow The Machine's instructions, and turns to jog away from her usual route.

"Thank you for the drinks, though I should have been the one paying since I spilt the coffee on you", Root offers bashfully.

Laughing and shaking his head, "I insisted. Can I drop you off somewhere?" As Matt shows the car keys in his hand.

"No it's fine, I don't live too far from here, and it's a nice night to walk"

"Then I'll walk you", Matt insists as he waits for Root to lead the way.

Within the car, Jenna grimaces as she watches Root struggle to shake the guy, 'shxt'. Just then she spots Root pull out her phone.

Pretending her phone had buzzed, "I might need that lift after all" as she looks back up at Matt.

Smiling, Matthew flicks his head, 'come on then' as he leads her to the car parked half way down the block.

Jenna then receives a message from Root, 'tell Mill to get to C-T Mem now'. Smiling Jenna is impressed, 'good idea!'

As Finch reaches the office, he hands the USB to Daizo as he chuckles at Casey having fallen asleep over his keyboard despite the loud music still blasting from his headphones.

Arriving, Shaw sees a series of train carts, tracks and heavy machinery. Slowing, Shaw ducks behind a train cart as she spots a body being dragged from a vehicle and into a small office building. Looking down at Bear, Shaw smirks at him before making her way closer to the office.

Crouching low and peering over through the cracked window, she sees the body being restrained to a chair. "Woof, woof", as Bear warns and snarls, but it was too late, as Shaw is hit over the head.

Disturbed by the soft groaning sound beside her, Shaw waits for the ringing in her own head to fade as she continues to keep her eyes closed. Finally finding it a little more bearable, she opens one eye to adjust, then the other. Nox was stirring beside her, sitting side by side, back to back. Shaw tugs at the rope restraining her hands, 'tight'. In the short distance, a handful of thugs were talking, discussing maybe, instructions being relayed over the phone. To her side a shadow through the window in the distance, the same window she was just at. The shadow disappears again once he catches Shaw's gaze, 'good boy, Bear'.

"Well, this is fun", as Shaw looks over her shoulder to the voice tugging on her restraints, before abruptly stopping again as the thugs walk towards them.

Thug leader walks up close and very personal into Nox's space, ad bends down to her eye level, almost growling. Nox stares straight back in defiance. Standing up again, he walks round and does the same with Shaw.

Watching, Shaw catches herself starting to tilt her head, and stops herself as thug leader leans in closer to her. Scoffing with a smirk, Shaw shakes her head back to the present.

"What's so funny?" Asks thug leader, curious and surprised at Shaw's reaction.

Shaw just shrugs in reply. Standing and backing away from Shaw, thug leader looks Shaw up and down, clearly not sure what to make of this situation. "Who are you working for?"

Seeing thug leader's confusion, "can't a girl go for a run with her dog without being hit across the head by a deadbeat?"

"Not when the girl is snooping" snaps thug leader, before turning to two of his colleagues, "you two! Go find the dog!"

One of the thugs instantly froze, "do I..."

"Go!" Shouts thug leader, snarling again before focusing his attention back to Shaw, "who are you?"

Keeping quiet, Shaw smirks.

Getting no where with Shaw, thug leader walks round and tries Nox, "how about you, why were you following us?"

"Can't a girl go for a stroll through the park without being hit across the head by a deadbeat?" Before turning to Shaw, "so they weren't kidding when they said the city is a dangerous place for a girl", as Nox finishes also smirking at thug leader.

Clearly having a bad night, thug leader breathes in, and then exhales in a loud huff, clearly in rising anger. "I don't have time for this, get rid of them" as he commands the other two thugs by his side.

As one thug walks towards Shaw, and the other to Nox, growling and snarling, followed by screams, is heard outside the office, and everyone's attention is diverted to the door. One thug then comes running in a state of panic, back into the office. Just as this happens, Shaw stomps her heel into the thug in front of her. As this thugs bends crying in pain, Shaw then head butts before swinging round and smashing her chair into him. The thug stumbles back and then quickly goes down in a heap, 'rookie'.

Simultaneously, Nox does the same, heeling the thug and throwing herself on him as she smashes her chair onto him. Before hitting the ground, this thug manages to grab Nox, bringing her down with him. As Nox lies on the ground she quickly knocks her assailant unconscious with a swift kick before untying the rest of the rope from her torso and wrists while she stands back up.

As Nox does this, thug leader lunges for Nox. Too focused on shaking herself loose from the restraints, she doesn't spot thug leader until he crashes down on one knee next to her. Shaw had kicked out his knee to stop his attack on Nox. Spotting the knife in his hand, Nox quickly spins and knees thug leader in the face. With the extreme opposing force of thug leader's direction of fall, and Nox's knee, he crashes to the ground, lights instantly out.

The fourth thug who crashed back into the office was now lunging at Shaw, however Shaw had by that time untied the rope from her hands and was beating him up in hand to hand combat. The man also goes down in a heap in no time.

Stopping to look over her shoulder at Nox, who nods back in acknowledgement, Shaw runs out of the office, and skids to a halt as she runs past the growling heard just beside the door she had just exited. Turning back, Bear had the last thug pinned against the building wall. Sauntering up to Bear and smirking at the last thug, "good boy, Bear."

Hearing the sirens blaring, NYPD vehicles come skidding to a halt just behind her in the yard just as Nox walks out of the office. Shaw, facing the vehicles, spots Fusco and Harper climb out of one of them, 'good timing, Lionel,' as Nox also acknowledges Harper.

Fusco wasn't as thrilled to see Shaw, or Nox. Seeing those two was like seeing double vision.

Leaving Fusco and Harper to clean up, Shaw turns back to Nox who was holding her arm, blood clearly draining from it.

Walking through the entrance of Carter-Turing Memorial, Root runs up to the front desk, Matt following closely behind.

"Miller Wilson" Root questions, "is he ok?"

The nurse, played by Reina, looks up at Root before going to the computer, pretending to type something. "Wilson..." She teases, as Reina spots Matt looking over Root's shoulder, and then expectantly at her, "broken arm from a fall down the apartment stairs. He's getting his arm cast right now, should be out any time." She pauses, waiting for Root to acknowledge. "You can take a seat over there" as she points over to the waiting area.

Root moves to the waiting area, then stops and turns to Matt, "oh I'm sorry, thanks for dropping me off here, you really don't have to wait with me, you've done enough already" she says with gratitude.

"I'm here now, what's a little more time?"

"This guy is persistent" comments Jenna over the comms as she is now lurking in the waiting area, having slipped in after Root and Matt.

Nodding, Root was about to continue to the waiting room, however Mill then walks out into the hall and towards Root.

"Hey Sis!" He greets as he walks closer. Root looks him over, "I'm fine Sis, it's worse than it looks, honest" as Mill goes to lift his arm, too quickly, and grimaces in pain.

Root just looks at Mill bemused in reply as Mill turns to look at Matt, suspiciously.

"Hey man", Matt greets awkwardly before Mill looks back at Root.

"Oh, this is Matt, a colleague", as Root continues to play out the scene.

Nodding, and then looking back at Matt, "hey!" And flicks his head at him in greeting, "I'd shake your hand but", as Mill points to the cast.

Nodding and chuckling, "yeah, that would be a problem" before turning to Root, "I see you have a busy night ahead, I'll catch you next time?" As he looks at her expectantly.

Root smiles and places a hand on his arm, "thank you for the drinks, and driving me here. I still have your card" as she continues to teases and flirt.

Matt smiles and pecks Root on the cheek as Root watches him leave for the exit. Jenna also exits, following Matt closely from behind.

Looking behind Root, Mill freezes as he stretches his lips into the back of his face, 'eeeeeee'... Watching Mill's expression change, Root chuckles, tilts her head and then turns round flicking her wavy brown hair over her shoulder and locks eyes with her thunder ball, gazing, as usual, adoringly, at her.

As Shaw walks the few remaining steps to Root, Bear having already ran to her, Shaw keeps her glare on Mill, who eventually scampers away from the scorch of the glare. Shaw stops close into Root's personal space. Planting her feet, Shaw turns her head to glare over her shoulder at Reina, burn, as she catches Shaw's eyes and Reina ducks behind the shelves at the nurse's station.

Nox looks on amused at the unfolding chain reaction, as does Root. Finally her attention focuses back on Root, and as they do, Root finishes patting Bear and places her arms on Shaw's, stroking them to soothe her, except, Shaw's eyes widen a little as she scans down Root's body, slowly, taking in the red dress, and heels. Root already towered over her, with the added heels, Shaw was now covered in leg. Smirking and leaning into Shaw's ear, "hey Sweetie", Root coos, "wanna get out of here?"

Nox watches as Shaw leaves with Root, and Bear, jumping around them. Nox's thoughts are broken as she feels a pair of eyes on her. Looking over her shoulder at the eyes, Nox spots Reina now standing in front of, and leaning on the nurses station desk, smiling at her while spinning her car keys around her finger. Grabbing the spinning keys, Reina continues to look at Nox as she flicks her head towards the exit. Nox couldn't help but shake her head and smile as she walks towards the exit, meeting Reina there.

"Aussie?" As Ausman hears Jenna's voice over the comms, before feeling the car shake as the passenger door opens and she jumps in the vehicle.

Surprised to see her, Jenna nods at Matt returning back to his own apartment.

Ausman nods and smiles, then flicks his head at the two thugs standing on the corner a short distance away from the apartment door.

Jenna, now seeing the two thugs, nods at Ausman in acknowledgement. It was going to be a long night.

Crashing through the apartment door, Root nearly falls on top of Shaw had Shaw not been embracing her with her strong arms and core muscles, keeping them upright as their keys clatter to the floor, both passionately fighting for control, nipping, sucking and kissing each other.

Thud, Bear has nosed the front door shut behind them before wandering over to the couch merrily...

Finally feeling a pair of eyes on them, they stop.

Looking to the side, Root sees a bemused Gen sitting on the couch, before smiling, "hey Sweetie, how was your..." Before abruptly stopping and leaning heavily into Shaw's head with her own. Root couldn't help but let out a low moan into Shaw's ear as Shaw continues to suck on Root's neck. Not feeling the need to socialise, Shaw grabs Root, lifts, and then carries her to their bedroom.

Along with new pieces of clothing in the wardrobe was a new laptop and noise cancelling head phones sitting on the desk of Gen's new room. Knowing now why the last item especially, was bought, and with still a twitching face of disgust, Gen pulls the head phones back over her head and continues tapping on her laptop, 'like... Yuck!'