Disclaimer: Not mine.

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Root nervously paced the hallway outside Holly's room waiting for the doctor to be done.

"Julius, calm down," Foaly said from where he was sitting on a bench.

"Calm down?" Root hissed. "I probably just lost my best officer and you're telling me to calm down?"

Foaly backed off. "Fine, fine. Nevermind."

Root opened his mouth to snap at him, but the doctor came out.

"Sir? Are you here about Miss Short?" the doctor asked.

"Yes," Root and Foaly said at the same time, walking over to the doctor.

She smiled at them. "I'm Doctor Birch," she said, shaking their hands. "Miss Short should be ok, but right now she's in a coma. Are either of you related to her?"

"Yeah, he's her husband," Foaly smirked, jerking his head at Root.

Root glared at him. "I'm not. I'm her commander, and Foaly is one of her best friends."

Doctor Birch looked confused, but said, "Only family can see her."

"She doesn't have any family left. Her sister died ten years ago, her father when she was sixty and her mother when she was seventy," Foaly explained.

The doctor sighed. "I guess you two can go in, then, but one at a time. And I'm warning you; she looked really bad. Remember: she is in a coma, so she won't be able to hear you, but you can still talk to her."

Foaly and Root nodded and the doctor walked away.

"Do you want to go in first?" Root asked Foaly.

"No, you can," Foaly answered. "If you don't, you're going to explode and I don't want to be held responsible. Besides, I want to get her flowers."

Root rolled his eyes but quietly opened the door and walked into Holly's room. He pulled a chair over and sat down on the bed next to her. She didn't look any better than when he had seen her before. If anything, she looked worse. Holly was far paler and looked sort of deflated. Her finger was back on, but Root could see stitches which meant it was extremely serious since magic alone couldn't fix it. The place on her head where she had been bleeding was also stitched together and her hair around it was stained red. Remembering what Doctor Birch had said, he started to talk to Holly, telling her that everything was going to be ok, even though he didn't entirely trust the doctor about that.

A knock on the door jarred Root out of his thoughts. "Yeah, come in," he said.

Foaly walked in, holding a bouquet of colourful flowers. "Do you mind if I talk to her for a bit?"

Root shook his head and left, closing the door and sitting where Foaly had been before. He glanced into the room and saw Foaly setting the flowers on the table next to Holly's bed and decided that since he didn't have anything better to do, he could get her some himself.

Root wandered down to the gift shop and looked through the flowers, trying to find a bouquet that wouldn't make it seem like he was in love with her since there were already enough jokes about that going around. Even though Root couldn't figure out why, he guessed that it was because she was the only female in Recon and he had picked her. He wasn't in love with her; it wasn't his fault that she was a good officer.

"Root?" Foaly's voice said from behind him. "What are you doing?" he asked suspiciously.

Root turned around, his face resuming its usual dark purple colour. "Nothing that concerns you. What do you want?"

"Holly's awake if you want to talk to her," Foaly said and then added, "The roses are over there. Y'know, they have a sale on a dozen red roses."

Root glared at him. "Do you want me to slash your budget in half?" he growled before going upstairs and to Holly's room, not bothering to buy flowers. Feeling odd since it was usually the other way around, he knocked gently on the door to her room.

"Come in," a voice that was barely recognizable as Holly's said.

Root opened the door and walked in. "How're you feeling?" he asked stiffly.

Holly sighed and closed her eyes. "If you're going to yell at me, get it over with."

"No, actually, I wanted to know how you were doing," Root snaped.

"Never been better," Holly snapped back. She sighed. "What do you think? I almost died."

"I'm sorry," Root offered, almost making it sound like a question.

"Yeah, well it's your fault for wanting me to go home," Holly said angrily. "I was perfectly safe at work."

"You chose to go home," Root replied, also angry. "Listen, Short, I came in to check on you. If you really don't care, I'll go. Believe me, I have other things to do." That was definitely true. He really had to start finding out who did this.

Holly's angry look softened. "Thanks," she replied. "I'm fine, though. Really. Doctor Pine said I'll have to stay in the hospital at least over night, probably for another two days at least, but I'll be ok."

"Good," Root said and started to leave.

"Root?" Holly called out right before he opened the door to go.

"Yeah?" he replied, turning around.

"Why do you care?" Holly asked honestly, a puzzled look on her face.

"I look after my officers, remember?" Root replied, referring to when they were in the Arctic.

Holly smiled warmly at him. "Yeah, I remember. I also remember that you're notorious for not caring about other fairies, especially me."

Root sighed. He wanted to be angry at her for saying that, but he knew it was true. He walked back over to her bed and sat down on the chair. He opened his mouth to try to explain, but then closed it. He was trying to explain himself? To Captain Holly Short of all people? It seemed impossible. But when he looked at her face, he saw genuine curiosity.

"I don't know," he finally said. "I have to be hard on you; you know that. You're a test case and if you screw up, you are going down to Traffic and Frond is coming up."

"You've said that since I became Captain and I've screwed up plenty of times, yet I'm still here," Holly pointed out. "At one point I know you even threatened to turn in your badge if I was suspended."

Root nodded. "You're good. One of the best, in fact." He paused for a second. "Short, I don't know if you realize this or not, but promotions are coming up, and you're on the list."

Holly stared at him in amazement. "W-what?" she stammered. "That's impossible."

Root shook his head. "I'd get ready to become a Lieutenant if I were you."

"Wow . . . Thank you, sir," Holly breathed. "If," she added, "I don't screw up enough that I'm fired before it happens."

Root grinned at her. "Think of it this way: since you're currently injured and can't leave the hospital, when you eventually get to leave, you'll probably have to stay home for awhile so there'll be less time for you to get into trouble."

Holly paled. "I-I don't have a home," she stammered, just realizing the extent of her situation. "I don't have anything." Holly could feel the tears welling up in her eyes and didn't bother to try to hold them back. "I'm screwed. I don't have a house, money or anything."

"Were you insured?" Root asked.

Holly snorted through her tears. "Yeah, but I have crap. Nothing's going to be worth enough to get a new house or anything."

"Well, if you get promoted, you'll get a raise," Root said uncomfortably, not used to the usually strong Holly Short crying.

"I'm not going to be staying in the hospital for a month!" she yelled. "And even if I did, it would still take forever to save up for a new apartment." Holly started crying harder. "I was about to get kicked out of my old one anyways. I really didn't have enough money for it." She shot Root a withering glare. "Which is actually your fault since you decide the pay."

"How was I supposed to know?" Root snapped. "It's not as if you ever tell me anything."

"And it's not like it would've done any good," Holly spat back. "You never listen to me, and on the rare occasions when you do, you don't do anything about it."

Root sighed and put his head in his hands. "The budget's already stretched, Short. You know that."

"That's not the point!" Holly yelled. "You could've at least shown some understanding, even now! Jesus, Root. I tell you I'm now homeless and you blame it on me for not telling you my personal issues."

"But-"

"Think about it!" she interrupted loudly. "If I had asked you for help, you would've said that it was somehow my fault for not managing my budget well enough. You don't have any good in you whatsoever. It's always about you."

Root stared at Holly in shock at her honesty. He knew deep down that it was true, but that didn't mean he liked to think about it or that he liked hearing it from his officers. He stared into Holly's eyes and she stared back, challenging him to come up with a good response. Eventually he said, "You're right."

Holly's mouth dropped open in surprised. "I'm not going to get fired for saying that?"

"No," Root replied. "In fact, I'm considering rewarding you for it." Holly's mouth opened further and her eyes grew wide. "Since you're complaining that you don't have a place to live, you can stay in my basement. I've been thinking of renting it out anyways, so it's not a big deal. Everything you'll need will be there so we shouldn't have to come into contact at all."

Holly was literally shocked into silence. She closed her mouth but her eyes remained wide, even grew in size, if that's possible. "I . . . you . . . what?" she asked incredulously.

Root could feel his face returning to its usual purple colour. "It even has its own door leading outside so we really don't have to see each other."

"Thank you so much," Holly said, finally not crying anymore. "I don't know what I would've done otherwise."

Root grunted.

Her face fell as she realized something. "But I still have to get all knew clothes and furniture and books and suits and kitchen stuff and everything else that people need."

Root bit his lip in indecision and finally muttered, "I can help."

Holly looked at him oddly. "Are you feeling ok?"

Root glared at her. "Keep in mind, Short, that I can easily withdraw my offers."

Holly smirked at him. "Nevermind. You're feeling fine."

Root continued to glare. "I swear, I don't know why I bother to try to be nice to you."

"Because there's some good in everybody," Holly replied.

Root raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Holly felt a blush creeping up her neck. "My parents taught me that and I had always believed them to be right until I met you-" Holly clamped a hand over her mouth. "I didn't mean that."

Root couldn't decide whether to laugh or yell so instead he said emotionlessly, "Why?"

"It's like I said before: you're totally self-centred, you haven't once asked me, or anyone else to my knowledge, their opinion about anything and, even though you don't admit it, you don't really care about your officers. It's like you're a dictator and I know it's supposed to be a democracy," Holly explained. "If you even did something little like put a suggestion box somewhere and actually listened to what people had to say, it would make a big difference. I know it will be hard to do anything because the budget is so low, but you could at least try."

Root seemed to mull it over. "I could . . ." he said slowly. He glanced at Holly and almost seemed nervous. "Could you help? Maybe give some ideas?"

Holly beamed. "I'd love to," she said, and then added, "Sir."

Root waved a hand impatiently. "Forget about that. Do you have any ideas?"

"Well, for starters, you could . . ."

*

A half hour later Foaly walked up to say goodbye to Holly and offer his spare bedroom for her to stay in since her apartment had been blown up. He had decided that he really needed to go back to the Ops booth and was about to knock on the door when he saw that Root was still in there, sitting in the chair and listening intently to something Holly was saying. Foaly raised an eyebrow and listened to what she was talking about.

"– and, even though I know this isn't such a big deal, the chairs are really uncomfortable. I know yours isn't, but-"

"How would you know?" Root asked gruffly.

"It's obvious. You would never put up with an uncomfortable chair. It's hard to work when you can't get comfortable."

Wow, wait a minute, back up. Had Holly really just said that? Foaly stared in amazement as she continued to suggest things, and not necessarily in the politest way. What on earth had happened in that half hour?

"I hate to interrupt your little love fest, but I'm going back to headquarters," Foaly said loudly, coming into the room.

Root and Holly both jerked their heads towards him, faces dark red.

"I was just making suggestions," Holly snapped. "There's nothing wrong with that."

Foaly shrugged. "Whatever. And Holly, do you need a place to stay? Because you can use my spare room if you want."

Holly smiled warmly at him. "Thanks, but I'm staying with Root." Foaly's eyes must've popped out of their sockets because Holly laughed and clarified, "I'm paying."

"No you aren't," Root interrupted. "I said I was going to rent it out; I didn't say I was renting it to you."

Holly felt herself blush. "Really, I can pay for it."

"Holly, I know that you can't," Root replied.

"No, I'm fine, really," Holly stammered, turning darker. She glanced at Foaly, asking with her eyes not to say anything.

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Foaly complied. "Lemme know if you need anything," he said and clomped out of the room.

Holly turned to Root and glared at him. "You don't need to spew the fact that I can't afford another apartment."

"I thought you would've told Foaly," Root replied.

"No, actually, I hadn't told anyone," Holly snapped. "I didn't feel the need since I knew that whining wouldn't help anything."

"Asking for help isn't whining," Root pointed out.

"I don't ask for help," Holly spat. "And you're certainly one to talk."

"I don't need help," Root snapped back.

Holly sighed. "Whatever," she said tiredly and yawned. "I think I'm going to go to sleep, if you don't mind," she added and rolled over, curling herself into a tight ball.

"G'night, Holly," Root said quietly and left, closing the door gently behind him.

Holly smiled softly and congratulated herself on finally getting through to Root. She drifted to sleep, wondering what living with him would be like.

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Well, there's the second chapter. Hope y'all like it. Please let me know.