December 22, 2014

Retail was hell. It was barely days until Christmas and every day Shaw had idiots coming in at the last minute, asking stupid questions.

Shaw knew the moment Root entered the store; it was like when the wind shifted, or when you felt the lens of a sniper rifle between your eyes. Just a moment to duck.

Unfortunately, Shaw's cover depended on her keeping her crappy retail job. Root's eyes shone as she looked Shaw up and down,

December 22, 2017

Gen had gone to bed at midnight, when she was asked, but she had heard soft laughter into the night. When she woke she tiptoed through the lounge room to the kitchen, startling when she noticed both Root and Shaw, curled up together on the couch. Root's eyes were open and her good hand stroked one of Shaw's wrists.

"Coffee?" Gen asked quietly, and Root nodded against the pillow of Shaw's chest. Shaw woke up as Gen ground the beans, and Gen watched as Shaw helped Root sit upright, then helped Root to her feet.

Root yawned, and Shaw frothed the milk.

"I should have woken you up," Shaw said. "But I think I fell asleep right behind you." Shaw made a diluted frothy coffee for Gen.

"Are you sure she should have coffee?" Root asked dubiously.

"She made the coffee," Shaw pointed out, and Gen drank her coffee triumphantly. "If you're going to stick around for a while, we'll need to find you a good physio," Shaw noted as Root struggled to stir her coffee.

"I'll start looking for a place today," Root said. "My new papers should get here today, and I've got an appointment with the ear guy this afternoon."

"Physio?" Shaw asked, and Root looked away.

"Won't make much difference," Root said. "That's what the last one told me."

"Second opinion?" Shaw asked, and Root shrugged as much as she could.

December 22, 2014

"My colleagues are going to start recognising you," Shaw said as Root sat in the customer chair.

"All they'll see is a satisfied customer," Root said, shaking her hair back from her face. "Now, do some work on me so we can talk."

"You could have just called," Shaw said, gritting her teeth as she was forced to look at Root's face, the easy amusement apparent in Root's eyes.

"But this is so much more fun," Root said breathily as Shaw touched her face. Shaw paused, lipstick hovering over Root's lips, lips that Shaw had felt against her own, lips that were even softer than they looked, lips that... Shaw swallowed and focussed, applying the lipstick hastily. Shaw moved to the eyes, and Root didn't look away, even for a moment.

December 22, 2017

Shaw stopped the car outside the clinic.

"Want anyone to come in with you?" Shaw asked. Gen nodded, but Root opened the back seat door where she'd been sitting with Bear. Bear leaped out after her with his service-dog harness.

"We should be fine," Root said, juggling the harness until she could grasp it.

"Promise me you'll take the anesthetic," Shaw said dubiously.

"It's Finch's guy, I'm sure he's lawful good," Root said before she closed the door behind her.

As they drove away Shaw looked over at Gen.

"I'm sorry we're not spending much time on the things you wanted to do these holidays," Shaw said.

"Are you kidding? I get two of you for the holidays."

"I've taken that extra leave. If you want to go see Uncle Finch you can, but he understands and he'll come once the snow melts."

"If you want time alone with Root I can go," Gen offered.

"It's not about what I want," Shaw said. "It's up to you."

"Can I stay?" Gen asked so tentatively that Shaw felt something in her shatter. She looked at the road very hard.

"You are always, always welcome with me. As long as I'm not working, as long as it won't put you in danger, you are always welcome. You know I don't really have a home, but wherever I am there will always be room for you. And if it's too dangerous for you to be with me, you know Uncle Finch wants you to move over East with him. You know he bought that place with a spare room just for you. I wish we had something more... stable in place for you."

"I like our life," Gen said simply. "Especially now I get to drink the coffee I've been making you for years."

"It's not child labour," Shaw said. "It's life skills." Shaw looked over at Gen and squeezed her hand.

December 22, 2014

"So what did you need to talk to me about. Do we have a mission?" Shaw asked, close to Root's left ear under the guise of applying foundation.

"Can't a girl just drop in to say hi to a friend?" Root asked coyly.

"We see each other every day, Root," Shaw said impatiently. "Get to the point."

"I need some manpower. Gunpower, whatever. Tomorrow."

"We're even, Root."

"You get to shoot someone," Root pointed out. "Technically I think I'm the one doing you the favour."

Shaw smiled, the smile she used when something bad was about to happen to someone probably deserving. "Deal."

December 22, 2017

Root was subdued when they got home, rifling through the package that had been on the step when they got home.

"Who are you this time?" Shaw asked, taking off Bear's harness.

"Samantha Lovelace," Root said, and Gen squealed. "So you can keep calling me Aunty Sam," Root continued. "And Bear is registered as her service dog, so he can come with me into buildings."

"You mean Bear can come to the Museum of Modern Art with us?" Gen squeaked. Root shugged.

"If that's what we're doing, sure. Tomorrow?" Root cocked her head to the side, smiled at the voice that had returned to her.

Notes:

I fell asleep early last night so very late update for yesterday.

Early as in, the moment I finished work in the study I walked 10 feet to my bed and fell asleep.

Today's update might be short as I am on leave and have a lot of things to catch up on.

I gave someone art of my network for Christmas which is possibly the most nerdy thing I have done.