Root woke up slowly, sucking in hair through her nose. She blinked her eyes open, humming as she stretched. It was quiet in the bedroom and Root rolled over to look around the room. Shaw was on the floor, laying on her stomach and drawing in a sketchbook. Root just watched her for a moment, taking in her calm face and the way she confidently moved her pencil over the paper.

It had been a great two weeks. Root couldn't remember a time she'd been so happy. It had been easy to hang out and spend so much time together. Root wondered if this was what it was like to be an adult, spending time with a partner and just existing in the same space. She hoped that when she grew up and met her forever partner that it would be this easy, too.

Root sighed, smiling, and burrowed deeper into the blankets. "Do we have to go to Harold's party? Can't we stay in?"

Shaw looked up, dropping her pencil onto her book. "Yes. I'm going swimming."

"We can go swimming anytime."

"But we haven't," Shaw pointed out. She tapped on her phone, looking at the time. "Perfect timing. Let's get dressed."

Groaning, Root covered her head with the blanket. She was warm in bed, surrounded by Shaw's smell. She could still feel Sameen's hands on her. She thought the feeling might be seared into her skin. The blanket disappeared and cold air covered Root.

She jerked into a ball, whining loudly. "Sameen!"

"I want to see you in a bikini," Shaw said loudly. She reached down and grabbed Root's arm. "Get out of bed, you baby."

"I don't understand." Root let Shaw pull her out of bed, bouncing off the bed onto her feet. "I'm already naked. Why are you trying to make me put clothes on?"

"So I can take them off again, dummy." Shaw winked at Root and let her go, walking to the dresser.

She took out a white bathing suit and held it out to Root. When Root didn't take it right away, Shaw looked at her. Root grinned, eyes glued to Shaw's neck.

"What?" Shaw asked. "Take this from me."

Root laughed. "You have a hickey. It's… very dark."

Shaw just rolled her eyes and threw the bathing suit at Root. "Whatever. I don't care. Those losers can just be jealous that I'm getting some and they aren't."

Grinning, Root started putting on the bikini Shaw had given her. "I don't know how I hadn't noticed."

"You wanted to wear a crop top?" Shaw asked. "I'll give you my 'resting beach face' one. It's my favorite. Don't lose it."

"Are you wearing a crop top? A bikini?"

Shaw glanced at her, eyeing her body as she stepped into the bathing suit bottoms. "Getting excited about the party?"

"Maybe." Stepping forward, Root wrapped her arms around Shaw's shoulders, stepping into her space. "You know, Harold's got some really nice showers."

"Oh, does he?" Shaw trailed her fingers up Root's sides. "We'll have to test them out. All 30 of them."

They laughed and dressed quickly, pulling on faded jean shorts and their crop tops. Root was thinner than Shaw, and she had to borrow a belt. It was snowing again, even though the storm had finally calmed down. They finally made it out the door, Shaw carrying a duffelbag with pajamas and a change of clothing for both of them. They ran to the car, their skippy, summer clothing covered by bulky winter gear.

It only took a few minutes to get to Harold's, drop off the bag in Root's guestroom, and take off their winter gear. Then, they made their way through the house to the pool area. Root knew that Shaw was still impressed with the huge house. Root's house was actually bigger than Harold's, but it wasn't nearly as nice. She didn't bring it up.

"I'm going to have a house like this one day," Shaw said quietly. She stuck her hands into the tiny pockets of her shorts. "Maybe not so big, but nice like this. I've never had a nice house."

"Having a nice house is overrated," Root snorted. "What's important is living with the right people."

Shaw glanced at her, and stopped. "What do you want to do after high school?"

"I don't know," Root answered, shrugging. "Probably college, I guess. Something with computers. I'm really good with computers."

"I know," Shaw laughed. "You are."

"What about you? What do you want to do?"

Shaw sighed, looking away. "I want to be a doctor, but I don't know if it'll work out. I don't even know if I'll finish high school."

Root's stomach clenched at the reminder that their time together was limited. Every day they spent together was one day closer to Shaw leaving. There was still texting, phone calls, the internet, but it wouldn't be the same. Shaw would be busy living her life and Root would still be stuck in this shitty town. She smiled at Shaw.

"You could always come live with me," she pretended to joke. "I've got a big empty house."

A strange look crossed Shaw's face and then she shrugged. "Whatever. I'm tired of talking. Let's go swimming."

Root just laughed and pushed open the door to the pool room. It always amazed her how large and beautiful it was. The pool wasn't quite Olympic-sized, but if you were in one corner and someone was cattycorner from you, you almost had to yell to be heard. Not that anyone could be heard right now over the blasting music.

Root looked at Shaw, who was staring out the glass walls at the snow. Root smiled, turning to look, too. She loved the pool area. One of their favorite things to do was go swimming while it was raining outside. It was otherworldly.

Now, it was snowing outside and Root watched Shaw watched the snowflakes drift around them. The large snowflakes would land on the glass, warmed from the inside, and melt. They ran down the outside of the walls, almost like rain. Root nudged Shaw's shoulder.

"Want to go find the boys?" she asked.

Shaw nodded and looked around the room, glaring at the hawaiian flower decorations and tiki torches. "Sure. I'm going to give Harold a lecture about letting John pick party themes."

"It could have been Lionel," Root pointed out. "Actually, it probably was. John would have asked for a James Bond themed party."

Shaw snorted and stomped off into the crowd of kids, leaving Root to follow her. They didn't see the boys anywhere. Shaw stopped suddenly next to the pool, making Root slip slightly on the wet floor. She threw her arms around Shaw's shoulders, thankful when Shaw just stiffened and let her stand.

"Did you have to grab me?" Shaw asked, annoyed.

Root smiled and stepped closer, making the awkward grab into a full body hug. She dropped her chin onto her arms around Shaw's shoulders. "You're the one who stopped suddenly, Sweetie."

Shaw scowled and shrugged her shoulders, knocking Root off. "If the boys don't appear soon, I'm jumping in the pool just to get away from you."

Root wasn't sure what had soured her mood, but she was pretty used to it now. "You can swim, Sameen," Root said. "I kind of assumed you would when you put on a bathing suit."

Shaw looked Root over, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. Root put her hands on her hips, cocking them to one side and grinning at Shaw. She wanted to have a good time, and she knew that Shaw liked her despite her occasional rudeness. Shaw rolled her eyes, reaching out to tug on Root's hair.

"Is there any food here?" she asked. "I think I'm hangry."

"Of course there is, Shaw," Root laughed, raising an eyebrow. "You've got a snack right here."

"Gross," Shaw snorted, but she smiled. "Alright, boys first and then food."

"And then swimming?"

"Exactly."

"We'll get wet," Root started, stepping closer again, "and then we get… wet."

Shaw rolled her eyes. "I've created a monster."

She pushed Root away, the teasing glint in her eye taking the sting out of it. Root laughed, hitting Shaw's hands down. They jokingly glared at each other and Root raised her fists like she was ready to fight.

"Hey, Dykes," Hersch's voice came from the pool. He was treading water at 8 ft. "having a love spat?"

Root rolled her eyes. This homophobic shit was getting old. It hurt a lot less now that she had Shaw. Root wasn't so alone. She didn't really care what the kids at school thought about her. Only her friends mattered. She turned to Shaw, expecting her to roll her eyes, too.

Instead, the whites of Shaw's eyes were gone, replaced by the same inky black that had appeared before. It covered her iris, too, as her jaw worked, teeth clenching. Her whole body seemed to vibrate with anger. Root was starting to recognize this anger, and those eyes, and it scared her a little bit. She took a step back.

"Was it you?" Shaw hissed, through bared teeth. She walked to the edge of the pool. "Did you write 'dyke' on our lockers?"

Hersch just smiled, apparently not noticing that her eyes were entirely black. Beside him, Lambert laughed. "It might have been."

Shaw's arms moved like lightning, fisting in the wet shirt that Hersch was wearing. She hauled him out of the pool, biceps bulging as she lifted. Root gasped. It seemed impossible that anyone could lift someone's whole body out of a pool like that, but Shaw stood up, taking Hersch with her. Now he seemed to notice her eyes, his feet kicking helpless in the water below him.

"If you ever," Shaw growled, her voice seeming to echo across the pool, "ever, do something like this again, I will kill you. Don't speak to her, or look at her, again. Is that clear?"

Hersch nodded frantically, his hands wrapped around Shaw's wrists. "Yes!"

"Apologize to Root."

Hersch's eyes flicked to her, and Root could see just how scared he looked. "I'm sorry!"

Despite her own unease, Root smiled. It was really satisfying to see Hersch squirm like this, and Shaw was on her side, so she didn't think she had anything to really be scared about. Root leaned forward, grinning at Hersch.

"Apology accepted."

Shaw flung him backwards into the pool, watching as he landed somewhere in the middle. Lambert swam to meet him and they climbed out the other side, running away. Root clapped her hands, happy that they wouldn't be giving her shit anymore. She looked at Shaw, remembering why it went so well.

Shaw was staring at her with wide eyes, the black gone. Root put her hands on Shaw's shoulders, the hairs on her arms standing. A spark of something ran up her arms, tingling like static electricity. Shaw took a deep breath, and Root found herself doing the same.

"That was impressive," Root said quietly. "Did you know that your eyes turn black when you're angry?"

"No." Shaw blinked, looking a little disoriented. "I didn't. Is that… That's weird, right?"

Root nodded. "Yeah. Maybe you're possessed."

"Possessed?"

"By a super buff demon."

Shaw laughed loudly, the sound echoing around the glass room. She shoved Root away, the last of the tension leaving her. Root just laughed. It was nice to know that she could calm Shaw down, and make her feel better. She wasn't really sure what to do about the black eyes, but it was starting to seem a little bit normal. Even if Shaw was possessed, or did have some scary magic, at least she used it for good, right?

"I don't want to think about it," Shaw said, moving to the lounge chairs that lined the wall closest to them. "It's probably nothing. Maybe I'll ask Alicia to take me to the doctor, or something."

"I wonder what kind of disease that would be." Root followed her pulling her crop top over her head. "If it's not fatal, don't fix it. It's kind of hot."

Shaw smirked at her as she took her shorts off. "I seriously think I created a monster. All you think about is sex." She frowned. "And computers."

"There's room for both of you," Root teased. "Now, go swim."

"I wanted food first," Shaw pouted, but she took her shirt off and started for the pool. "I guess I don't feel as hangry now."

Root quickly unbuckled her belt and pushed her shorts down. She chased after Shaw, stopping beside her at the edge of the pool. Shaw jumped in, curling into a ball and landing with a big splash. Laughing, Root jumped back out of the way.

Shaw emerged from the water, shaking her head and flinging water droplets in every direction. She pushed her hair out of her face, grinning up at Root. Treading water, she gestured for Root to come in.

"Come on!" she called. "It's warm!"

Chuckling, Root sat on the edge of the pool, sticking her legs in. "I'm going to sit here for a bit. I'll watch you swim."

Shaw narrowed her eyes, suspiciously. She swam forward toward Root, eyes dragging down her body. "Swim with me."

"I will! I just want to sit for a bit first."

Shaw lunged forward, grabbing Root's arm and yanking her into the pool. Root managed to suck in a breath before she went underwater. It was hot and comfortable around her as she sank to the bottom. Shaw appeared in front of her and pressed a kiss to her lips. Pushing her away, Root kicked off the bottom of the pool.

"Shaw!" Root gasped, her legs kicking. "What the hell?"

Shaw pushed her hair out of her face, legs treading confidently. "You were annoying me."

Root sputtered, trying to push her hair out of her face and stay afloat at the same time. She finally just held her nose and dipped under water, throwing her head back as she surfaced to control her hair. She glared at Shaw.

"That was mean, Sameen." She perked up. "Mean Sameen. I didn't even try to do that."

Shaw jumped forward, pushing Root under the water. They wrestled for a moment before separating.

Root shot to the surface, gasping. "Again?" she exclaimed, looking around.

"If you're going to keep being annoying, I'm going to keep drowning you," Shaw said, casually. She dove into the water, swimming for Root's legs.

Root pushed herself back, kicking and trying to fend her off, to no avail. Shaw dragged her down again, managing to maneuver herself so she dragged Root to the bottom. Root flipped over, suddenly inches from Shaw's face. She kissed Shaw this time before swimming up.

Root pushed her hair back, her feet finding the ground. They had moved to the shallow end. Root looked around, noticing that they were the only ones in the pool right now. Everyone else was milling around, talking and drinking. She wasn't upset about Shaw pulling her in; she'd just wanted to watch Shaw swim for a few minutes. Looking around, Root realized that she couldn't see her anymore.

Shaw jumped out of the water at her side, surprising her. Root jumped and lowered herself, folding down until only her head was showing. She eyed Shaw warily, but Shaw seemed over the game and just stood, looking around the room.

Root took in how hot Shaw was, wild strands of hair falling from her wet ponytail. Her muscles gleamed in the light from the ceiling, and Root wanted to lick her abs clean. She smiled to herself, knowing they were going to shower together and she was going to get to do just that. Again, Root wondered what the difference between friends with benefits and girlfriends was. If it was feelings, then Root was starting to think of Shaw as a girlfriend.

Root sighed and swam backwards, letting herself float to the surface. She thought about how she'd only had two girl friends in her life and how she had ended up liking them both. She was too emotional, but she wasn't sure how to fix that. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Shaw kept her from going overboard.

Root had liked Hanna right away. Hanna was so determined to be herself, so sure of what she wanted. Root wasn't as sure. She thought about Shaw's question. She could have a future with computers. She was good with computers. Amazing, actually. They just made sense, unlike people, who Root didn't fully understand.

Root thought she understood Sameen. She was strong, physically and emotionally, but she ran away from genuine connections. She was a great friend, even if she didn't think so. Root floated idly, slowly paddling her hands to keep herself afloat, the party music muted underwater. It was so confusing, to go through the motions of dating, and sex, but still thinking of it as friendship.

Root felt hands tug on her bathing suit bottoms and jerked, grabbing them from the front. She put her feet down, standing up, and glaring at Shaw. Shaw was totally under the water, only her eyes showing. Root laughed.

"Oh, no." She wagged her finger. "No, you don't."

Shaw lifted up until her mouth was free. "No watching us. We could get one in without anyone noticing. Don't let the patriarchy hold you back."

"It's not the patriarchy that's the problem right now, Sameen." Root raised her eyebrows. "It's you."

"You're no fun," Shaw grumbled.

"Oh," Root smiled suggestively, "I am a lot of fun. You're just upset you didn't get me naked."

Shaw flushed. She opened her mouth to reply when phones started to ring. They both straightened and looked around. The music stopped as a loud whine came from the radio followed by a storm warning. Kids started pulling their phones out, calling their parents.

For the first time since she got there, Root looked out the glass walls, the light snow flurry had picked up and the trees in Harold's backyard were being blown around. Harold's voice came over the PA system and Shaw rolled her eyes.

"Hello, everyone," Harold started, "There's a blizzard warning in effect. I'm sure you've just spoken to your parents, but if you haven't, I suggest contacting them now."

Shaw swam to the edge of the pool, hauling herself out. She waited for Root to get out and they headed towards Harold, John, and Lionel.

Root sighed, dejected. "Our parties keep getting interrupted."

Shaw snorted. "Well, third time's the charm."

Root grinned. They got to the front of the room where the boys were standing. Lionel was wearing his swim trunks, but neither of her boys were. Root wondered what the point of a pool party was if they weren't going to swim. John smirked at them in amusement.

"You two looked like you were having fun," he said, wryly. "You got a hickey, Shaw."

"I'm aware," Shaw replied, her face neutral. "We're not going to lose power, are we?" She held up her hand. "Let me rephrase: We're not going to lose heat, are we?"

"No," Harold said, looking at his phone. "The only reason we're worried is because it was only supposed to be a couple of inches and now they're saying it could be almost a foot."

"It always snows like this?" Lionel asked, looking up at the storm. "I've never been in this much snow."

Root shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. It was warm in Harold's house, but the pool water still chilled her. She wasn't used to wearing so little.

"We're going to shower and change," Shaw stated, grabbing Root's arm and leading her away. They maneuvered their way through the house, avoiding people as they put their coats on and headed out into the growing storm.

They passed Joss and Zoe and Shaw finally let go of Root's arm, going to them.

"Joss," Shaw said, catching them before they left, "let me know when you guys get home."

Joss nodded, smiling between Root and Shaw. "What about you two? Where are you going?"

"We're staying here," Root offered. "That was the plan anyway."

"Great!" Joss said. "I'm glad you two are together." She turned and left with Zoe.

Shaw rolled her eyes and continued to the bedroom. Root followed behind, smiling at Shaw's back. It seemed that Shaw was protective of everyone. She told herself that it didn't make her jealous. It was good that Shaw cared about all her friends. Shaw entered the room and moved her bag onto the bed, unzipping it. Root did the same and pulled out her pajamas.

"Hey!" Shaw said, accusingly. "Those are my dog pajamas!"

Root looked at the pajamas in her hands. She'd packed them when Shaw wasn't looking. Even though Root had been wearing them for two weeks, they still smelled like Shaw. She had been planning on stealing them after the party to wear at home.

"I love them," she said simply.

"Well, you can't have them," Shaw grumbled, trying to grab them back.

Root quickly raised them out of Shaw's reach. Shaw glared at her, crossing her arms.

"Fine. I will let you wear them tonight, but only because you'd have nothing to wear if I didn't."

Root smiled, condescendingly. "Alright, Sweetie."

Shaw mumbled under her breath, but gathered her toiletry bag and clothing in her arms. She headed out of the room, calling over her shoulder. "You coming?"

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Later that night, after they showered and hung out in Harold's room, watching movies, Root and Shaw lay in bed. Shaw was laying on her side, sleeping soundly, but Root couldn't sleep. She stared up at the ceiling thinking about the evening. She almost hadn't expected Shaw to stay in her room. They'd been sleeping together at her house, but they hadn't officially told the boys they were together. 'Together.'

The boys just knew that they spent a lot of time with each other. Lionel had gotten stuck at Harold's house over the break, just like Root had been stuck at Shaw's. If he had been home with them, he probably would have found out. Root wasn't sure what to think about Shaw sleeping in her bed. The boys would know by the morning. They might even already know. Shaw hadn't been subtle in the pool.

She wasn't sure how to interpret the new openness. Did this mean Shaw was comfortable with their relationship? Was she telling people that they were together? Did that mean Shaw liked her back? Could Shaw even like her back? There were so many questions that Root had, but the only person she wanted to talk to about them was Shaw, and that would just be awkward.

For the first time in a while, Root wished that her parents were still around. She'd had a good relationship with them before, even if they always left her behind on their roadtrips. Her mom would probably have some great advice for her, and her dad would probably love Shaw. Anger welled up in Root. Why would they just leave her? She clenched her fists.

The window above her bed slammed against the frame, making Root scream. She bolted upright, turning to look behind her at the window above her bed. This storm was ridiculous. She couldn't remember a winter this bad. She pushed the blankets aside and stood up on the bed to close the window again.

Shaw rolled over, grumbling. She sat up, blearily rubbing her eyes. "Root?" she asked into the dark, her voice thick. "Did you scream?"

"Sorry," Root said, guilty. She held the window closed. "The window banged and it scared me."

Shaw nodded and yawned loudly. The bedroom door opened and Root saw Bear poke his head in. Shaw patted the bed and he jumped up, turning in a circle and laying down. Root turned back to the window, locking it. When she thought it was secure, she sat back down beside Shaw.

"Want to go to the pool and watch the storm?" Shaw asked. "Could calm you down."

Root smiled, swinging her legs off the bed. "Sure."

They padded across the house, the only noises the echoing of their feet against tile, the storm outside, and the jingling of Bear's collar. Root led them into the pool room, her mouth dropping open at the sight outside.

"Whoa," Shaw said, breathless. "That's a lot of snow."

The glass walls were wet on the inside, the temperature difference causing condensation. Outside, there was about a foot of snow on the ground and the storm showed no sign of letting up. Root mused that they might be trapped inside for a few days.

"I should call Alicia in the morning," Shaw said to herself. "See if they made it home last night and tell them I'm alive."

Root nodded, knowing that her own parents probably weren't even aware that it was snowing in Connecticut. Shaw sighed and headed for a lounge chair, sitting with her legs crossed. She raised her arms when Bear climbed into her lap.

Smiling, Root sat in the chair next to her. "I've always loved snow," she commented, "It's comforting. The world always seems brand new after a fresh snow. Like everything is good."

"Do you believe in that? That everyone is good?" Shaw asked, her face turned up to look at the storm.

"I don't know," Root replied. She picked at her nails. "I'd like to think so, but there's so much chaos and evil that I just don't know."

Shaw looked at her, her expression unreadable. "Do you still think about Hanna?"

"Every day." Root stretched her legs in front of her. "Every single day."

Shaw didn't answer. Eventually, Root thought that Shaw was going to pretend she never asked the question. It was probably too emotional.

"I think about my parents."

Root looked at Shaw, surprised, but Shaw's face was turned up again. She watched the snow fall, calm.

"I think about them, not every day, but most days. On a bike ride, or in a car, or eating lunch. I wasn't sad when they died, but I remember them." She smiled at the ceiling. "They were happy and kind. They loved me even though I…" She trailed off.

Root smiled, sadly. "It sounds like you loved them, too. In your own way."

Shaw just shrugged and sniffed, looking away from Root. "They were good people. They took me on all their trips."

"I remember," Root said quietly. "That was really nice of them. I'm jealous."

"The only trip they didn't take me on," Shaw sighed, "was the one that killed them."

Root gasped, the sound skipping along the pool water and echoing off the walls. "Sameen," she breathed, turning in her chair to look at her fully. "I'm so sorry."

Shaw shrugged. "I don't feel guilty, but it's still weird. Like I was their good luck charm or something. I had a science project due, so they left me with a friend instead of taking me out of school. I got an A, of course. My dad had helped me with it."

Root wasn't sure what to say. Shaw obviously wasn't upset, but anyone else would be. It hurt that Root's parents just left her and never came back, but it seemed worse that Shaw's parents loved her, and wanted to come back, but they just couldn't. Root pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She looked up at the snow, too.

"I'm glad you had good parents, and I'm sorry you lost them. My parents were not good people. Even before they left."

Shaw looked at her again. "They always left you behind."

"Yeah, and they never told me where they were going. I really think they're never going to come back. They don't ever call me, or even give me money." She smiled sadly at Shaw. "They just abandoned me."

Shaw drew her knees up, hugging Bear to her. "And you steal money from them now? How?"

"I'm good with computers, Sameen. You know this." Root gave a dry laugh. "My parents are very wealthy, but they use it all for traveling. I don't know what their jobs are, but I do know how to hack their bank accounts. They don't even use the one I have access to. They just put money in, and never take it out. I'm rich."

Shaw laughed, startling Root. "That's great. I think that's fair. They ditch you and you take their money. It's a good system."

Root smiled, giggling. "I'm glad you enjoy my life of crime."

"How much money do they have exactly? Can we book a flight to Disney World and charge everything to them?"

Root grinned, her eyes twinkling. "You know, we probably could!"

"Let's do it!" Shaw pumped her fist in the air. "We could roadtrip and stay in seedy motels. I'll be 18 in May, and then we're free!."

Root laughed at Shaw's enthusiasm. The reminder of her 18th birthday stung like always, but knowing that Shaw wanted to keep spending time together warmed her heart. It seemed that Shaw could get excited about some things, and Root was one of them.

"How about we start small? We could go camping over Spring Break. There are some nice parks around here.

"I guess," Shaw pouted. "We can 'start small.'" She used air quotes. "How about we invite the boys? Maybe bring Joss and Zoe."

Root nodded. "It's a plan."

Shaw yawned suddenly, causing Root to yawn, too. She pushed Bear off her lap, standing, and stretched her arms over her head.

"Alright, bed time."

They trudged back to their bedroom, and Root pushed open the door. Bear bounded in ahead of them, jumping onto the bed. Root chuckled, and followed him, climbing into the bed and settling on the other side of him, against the wall. This bed was big, twice the width of Shaw's, and Root missed being squeezed together.

Shaw climbed in beside her, getting comfortable on the other side of Bear. She flung an arm over them both, her hand clutching Root's pajama shirt. Root smiled to herself, happy. Despite her parents being gone, and Hanna not being around, Root was happy. She had good friends, a sort-of-girlfriend, good grades. Things were going well.