Cht 3

This is who we are now

Seeing Shaw get down on one knee, pulling her hand towards her, Root panics... "this isn't who we are!"

Rewinding, 27 minutes...

"Give me the money old man or I swear to God!..." As a round beer bellied bald man with a pair of tights and holding a baseball bat over his head screams, ready to swing down on the shocked store keep at any second.

Having reached the end of the aisle in the small convenience store just as the screaming begins, Root continues to saunter up to the round bald man, her hand already in her leather jacket pocket.

Recovering from the initial shock "get out of here, I'm calling the police" the old man starts to scream back and grabs his phone and starts dialling '91...

This only prompts the bald man to escalate as his expression turns from anger to fury, "give me the God damned money, noooooow!" And smashes down hard, again and again on the the counter top as the items on it get battered and bruised, candy bars and other unknown items go flying in all directions around the two screaming men. Not finding satisfaction in this, the bald man then leans forward and swings at the old man, twice. Missing, twice.

The old man yelps as he sees the baseball bat swing towards his head and cowers back into the shelving behind him.

Seeing the old man move well beyond his reach, the bald man places his hands and bat on the counter top about to jump over it, zaaaaaaap... As the round bald man jumps, then falls, crashing back down onto the floor, his limbs involuntarily jerking from the shock. The baseball bat then rolls back along the counter top and thud, hits the round bald man on the head as it lands on top of him. Clatter, as the bat falls onto the ground next to the still jerking bald man, and rolls away. The round bald man now only semi conscious and groaning.

The old man straightens up from his cowering as the receiver on the other end of his phone shouts down it, "sir, sir?! Do you need emergency help?" In a second wave of shock, the old man looks up to see a tall brown wavy haired woman in a leather jacket standing over the bald man and looking down, a taser still buzzing in her hand.

"You know, you really should get one of these, they're handy" she grins switching the taser off and placing it back into her leather jacket pocket. As the old man store keep's gaze follows Root, he sees her move towards him and place a couple of bags of Twizzlers and a bag of Pretzel M&Ms on the counter top before reaching back and fumbling into her pocket for some money.

Buzz... Buzz...

Distracted, Root takes out her phone, momentarily stopping her search for money, creases her head in confusion upon reading the message, thinks about it, shrugs and then places the phone back in her pocket. Looking back up to the old man who is still standing motionless, stunned, Root takes the phone from the old man's hand, "yes, emergency, police please, the store is being robbed," before placing the phone back onto the counter top along with a ten dollar bill. Still looking at the old man, Root gives her usual tilted head tight lipped smile, then takes the three packs of candy and walks, ding, as she pushes the door open and continues to walk out the store.

Rewinding, 14 mins:

Buzz... Buzz...

Now near running, Root mad dashes and weaves down the block as her phone continues to vibrate. "Root! Where ru?"... "Ru arriving soon?" …. "You're missing it all" as a rapid fire of Gen's text messages continue to light up the phone in Root's hand.

Running through the hotel lobby, and looking down the long hall, 'left... Right?' Spotting Gen as she waves her over, Root walks towards her, "Sweetie, what's so..."

"Get in" as Gen grabs Root's hand and drags her into the elevator.

Root watches as Gen presses button 14... Concerned, "Sweetie, the elevator isn't going to move if you keep pressing the button".

"Oh... Right" Gen giggles before finally remembering to stop pushing the button to allow the elevator door to close.

"You seem a bit... Nervous, Gen, are you OK?" Root continues to ask, only to be answered by Gen's humming and shake of her head as she smiles back at Root, tight lipped. This must be how Shaw feels when Root does the same thing to Shaw. Root smirks in amusement at the thought as she hands Gen the bag of M&Ms from her pocket.

Gen snatches at it, 'yum!'

Rewinding, 3 minutes:

While chomping down on the candy, ding... Gen quickly pushes the unfinished bag of candy into her own pocket and grabs Root's arm.

"Gen, where..." Root is cut off as Gen ignores her and continues to drag her out of the elevator and down the hallway. 'Why does this look...' "Gen?" No reply, and still looking at the back of Gen's determined head, Root keeps looking around, 'room 1455, 1456, 1457...'

The next room door suddenly swings opens abruptly. Interrupting Root from her thoughts, Shaw grabs Root's wrist to pull her into the room just as Gen pushes Root in from behind and quickly closes the door again.

Confused, "Sameen?" As Root looks around the room bemused at the two. Lamps in all corners of the room, a wooden table top surrounded by cushioned chairs sitting in the middle of the room, the bathroom to the right a short distance from the front door, and Shaw gazing at her as Root's eyes finally wander from the room back to Shaw.

Giving Root a moment to orientate herself, Shaw pulls Root further into the room. Stopping, and regaining herself, Root is finally able to fully appreciate Shaw's black dress "Sameen, why..."

Root is cut off as Shaw goes down on one knee and pulls Root closer into her.

In shock, "Shaw!" Root panics as her eyes widen, "what are you doing?!"As Root tries to pull her hand free from Shaw, trying to retreat back to the door and out of the room.

Seeing Root panic, biting her lip and looking around nervously, Shaw quickly stands again and grabs Root's other wrist and pulls her into an embrace before leaning in to kiss her. The advantages of wearing heels is that Shaw is currently on the same height level as Root, making the manoeuvre smoother than normal. As the kiss extends, Root begins to calm, and Shaw pulls back.

Locking eyes with Root, Shaw places her hands on Root's shoulders and draws down from the base of her neck to her chest before hooking and lifting the chain from Root's neck, exposing the black titanium ring. Finding what she was searching for, Shaw lifts it, "it's about time we make this official, don't you think?" Shaw asks softly.

Placing her hand on Shaw's, cupping Shaw's hand and ring into her own, "this isn't who we are."

Placing the chain back down onto Root's chest, "do you remember?" As Shaw looks to the room.

Root's attention is snapped back to the room itself, before suddenly realising... 'That's why!' Last time Root was in the Suffolk Hotel, she had used the back entrance and sneaked up the service elevator before walking down the familiar looking hallway to this room.

As Root recalls the memories Shaw couldn't help but laugh at just how true her statement is. "You're right, this isn't who we are anymore. This is who we are now," as Shaw moves Root's hand to her heart, "you stole this a long time ago," smiling reassuringly at Root, "it now belongs to you"

"And me!" As Gen shouts from behind the other side of the room door, interrupting.

Root giggles upon hearing Gen, followed by the short argument and scuffling as someone drags Gen away from the door, most likely Finch from the muffled voice calling her Ms Zhirova.

Taking a step closer, Root takes Shaw's other hand, squeezing it, "it's going to be a long and annoying life for you then."

"I hope so" Shaw confirms as Root finally starts to smile again, widely, before sealing the promise with a kiss.

"What now?" As Root continues to take in Shaw's dress, squeezing Shaw's hands.

Loosening one hand and turning around, Shaw, meaning to guide them to the bedr...

Zaaap...

"Uuuugh..." Shaw comes to a few seconds later, zipped tied to a chair. 'At least it's a comfortable chair' Shaw consoles herself as she looks up to a wide grinning Root kneeling beside her, holding up the taser to confirm what Shaw already knew.

Tilting her head to the side, Root smirks as she switches off the taser and places it on the carpeted floor beside her.

Letting out a puff of air in exasperation and amusement, Shaw couldn't help but be impressed. Smirking, "I kinda enjoy this sort of thing."

"I'm so glad you said that, I do too," as Root returns the tease, and leans over to open the cupboard door behind Shaw.

"Nah-ah" Shaw calls, a little alarmed.

"Huh?" As Root turns back around and peeks round to Shaw's face, iron in hand.

"You. Are. SOOOOO, not!"

"No?" Root replies, now returning to Shaw's line of sight, kneeling down between her legs and placing her elbows onto Shaw's knees. Humming, Root leans forward into Shaw, Root's body weight now on Shaw's knees, and places the cold iron flat on top of Shaw's heart, all the while staring at Shaw with a playful sad face and a tilt of her head. "I thought you said that was mine?"

"Uh..." as Shaw starts to squirm. Shaw likes a little pain, but being branded by an iron is on a whole other level.

"So that means I can mark it, right?" As Root's sad face turns to a grin as she continues to watch Shaw shift in her chair, enjoying. Every. Moment.

"Rooooot?!" Shaw calls alarmingly as she tugs on the zip ties and watches Root lean further up into her, so close Shaw could feel Root's breath on her face.

"Hmmmm" Root sings smirking. Unknown to Shaw, Root had already dropped the iron onto the carpeted floor, and reaches round to unzip Shaw's dress. Continuing to smile and hum to herself, Root continues to tease Shaw as she slides her dress down Shaw's torso slowly, purposely brushing Shaw's skin lightly, tickling her, before pulling the black dress off and discarding it. Lifting Shaw's chain, and the ring around Shaw's neck, Root takes a moment to look at it lovingly. Satisfied, Root places the chain back down on Shaw's chest and brushes her hands down Shaw's chest, torso, abs, and thighs before her hands finally rest back on Shaw's knees. Root leans back onto her legs, kneeling, while squeezing and massaging around Shaw's knees, teasing, as Root continues to look up and down Shaw's toned body. Taking. In. Every. Inch...

Bemused, Shaw looks back down at Root, still tugging on her restraints, trying to loosen them.

Shifting her gaze to the noise, Root moves her hands and places them on top Shaw's, "uh-uh" Root warns, stilling Shaw from tugging on the zip ties. As Shaw stops tugging, "good girl" Root praises.

Shaw shivers a little as goosebumps begin to form along her arms as Root stands and takes off her jacket, throwing it onto the chair behind her. Then taking the ice bucket and the champagne bottle in it, Root sits down onto Shaw's lap, and places the ice bucket on the seat next to them.

"Sweetie, you're cold" Root soothes as she moves her hands up and down Shaw's, smoothing away the goosebumps.

Shaw is relieved at the body heat, before its quickly replaced with amusement as she watches Root pick up the champagne bottle and try to uncork the bottle top. How Root's forehead creases when she concentrates, how intensely Root stares when she's focused on something, and how Root pouts when things get challenging. At this point Shaw is trying to move her head as far away from the bottle and cork, fearing the worse.

"Sameeeeeen..." Root calls in frustration, pouting at the bottle.

Bemused, Shaw tugs at the zip ties, rattling them on the chair.

Chuckling, "oh yeah" as Root also tilts her head to the right, pausing.

"What?"

Focusing back on Shaw, "She said people are more likely to be killed by a popping cork than by a shark" Root informs, head still tilted "but with the proximity and trajectory of this bottle, you're more likely to just lose an eye."

"That's comforting, thanks" Shaw says disgusted, directing her words towards the table top where she left her phone. "Ahhhh..." As Shaw jolts, thrusting her hips up into Root as she feels the sudden cold on her stomach. Recovering, Shaw sees a load of ice now starting to melt and drip down from her body as Root giggles. The champagne bottle now abandoned and back on the seat next to them, the ice bucket now also half empty. "Ro..."

And Shaw is abruptly cut off as Root leans in to kiss Shaw, grabbing Shaw's shoulders and pulling her in. Kissing fervently, Root curls her arms around Shaw's head and grinds on her lap. Shaw leans up and tries to deepen the kiss. "Aaaaaaah..." Shaw cries out again shivering and abruptly breaking the kiss to find an ice cube now being dragged up her abs and reaching her chest as it finally melts completely. The water drips back down Shaw's chest and sliding off to the side.

Taking another ice cube, Root drags it over the top of Shaw's bra, sliding the ice over the top of Shaw's breast. Breathing out a long and slow breath, Shaw tries to not think about the cold as her nipples harden from it, her arms continuing to add to the goosebumps already there, shivering. As the ice melts, the water drips down under her bra and down her breast.

Feeling Shaw shiver again, Root takes pity on her and leans down to lick the top of Shaw's breast where the ice had been.

Shaw arches into Root as she hears a low moan, feeling Root continuing to grind on her.

Root bites down lightly on Shaw's breast, pulling Shaw's bra down as she continues to bite down to the nipple. Now exposed, Root licks and laps at Shaw's nipple before sucking on it.

Shaw leans her head back onto the top of the chair, closing her eyes and continuing to moan lowly, "aaaah..." As Shaw's eyes fly open again, again rudely disturbed as her head snaps forward and is greeted by an amused and smiling Root. Shaw snarls at Root as she pulls more forcefully against the zip ties, making the ties clatter a little onto the arm rests of the chair, but not loosening. Unable to move or stop Root, Shaw drops her chin onto her chest and closes her eyes, grimacing and riding the cold out.

Root all the while is relishing in dragging another ice cube over Shaw's stomach and down over Shaw's panties, melting. Taking another ice cube, Root slides it deliciously down... Then up... Down... Shaw's clit. Shaw's pants go wet from the water and the stimulation as Root continues to torture and tease Shaw, getting wet herself.

"Root!" Shaw warns, staring tensely at Root.

"Sweetie," Root beams, as she takes another ice cube and drags it from Shaw's pelvic arch up along her side and making it up to Shaw's ribs before the ice cube completely melts, "you said you want me to annoy you for the rest of our life," before stopping, and taking another ice cube. Holding this cube directly on and over Shaw's clit, leaving it to numb and melt while still gazing adoringly at Shaw with a pout, "you regret it already?"

"Arrgh!" Shaw grunts as she grits her teeth. This wasn't exactly how Shaw had planned this day, but it felt right it, as she continued to gaze into Root's admiration of her. Why did someone know and love her as much as Root did?

Still gazing at Shaw, Root spots the minute reaction with her eyes and leans into Shaw, "fun right?" Root asks, biting her lower lip and resting her forehead onto Shaw's, breathing her in.

Shaw only stares back in response as Root finally crushes down on Shaw's lips and relieves her, sliding her cold fingers into Shaw... Hot or cold, Root sure knew how to mark Shaw.

As they continue to consummate their marriage, Root would realise later the official documents sitting on the wooden table she had dragged an unconscious Shaw past earlier.


Two nights later, Fusco and Reese sneak into a government building and then separate onto different floors. Fusco moving to the adoption services, while Reese to the marriage registry, each to sneakily file the Turing's papers. The Machine did the rest to register the new family electronically into the system. It was now official, as Root and Shaw begin a new life together with their daughter Gen.