Note : The next chapter will be the last, and I'll change the rating to M. I'll post it in a few days :) In the meantime, here's today's update !

The following morning, Root woke up alone in the hospital room. Cautiously getting up, she then checked the corridor. Shaw was nowhere to be seen.

"This is my chance", the hacker whispered for herself. She really needed to get out of here to be able to help the Machine again.

She slowly and silently made her way to the main room of the library and discovered Harold was gone. Slightly doubtful as to why she had been left alone in the building, she decided not to dwell on this point. She didn't give a damn about the reason anyway, as long as she could escape.

Root had known for a long time where the keys of the gate were and it took her less than thirty seconds to go grab them and open it. A few steps later, she turned to her left just to discover Shaw, nonchalantly sitting in a chair near to the door of the main entry of the library. An ironical smile appeared on the ex-agent's face when she saw Root, but her eyes betrayed her real state of mind. She was pissed.

The hacker closed her eyes for a split second. She should have known better. This was nothing less than a trap set up for her, and she had just fallen for it.

"Why am I not surprised ?" Shaw asked. She was trying to keep her tone neutral but a hint of disappointment pierced in her voice.

"You set me up", Root just stated as an answer.

"I had a feeling you would try something like that sooner or later, and I preferred it was on my terms. You know, usually I don't doubt your intelligence, but in situations like this one you act like a real idiot. What part of 'you haven't recovered enough to go back out there without getting yourself killed' didn't you understand exactly ?"

Since the direct approach had already proven itself inefficient, the hacker tried another tactic. Not that she hoped Shaw would let her go anyway, but maybe, if she pushed enough, she could find a flaw she could use in the ex-agent's excessive vigilance.

"Why do you care so much about what could happen to me anyway ? I'm a big girl. I know the risks. I don't need you to babysit me. Moreover She's already watching over me."

"She's not a human, She's an AI that has the unpleasant habit of thinking you're unbreakable. So let me be blunt, because obviously last time I told you that neither of you understood it : She can go to hell until you can stand up for way more than an hour a day."

Shaw's exasperation was now clear in her voice, and given the way she emphasised on She, it was directed towards the Machine as much as towards Root. Both of them seemed to be way too reckless ; moreover, if there was something the ex-agent really hated, it was to have to repeat herself.

"You didn't answer my question," the hacker noted.

Shaw knew all-too-well Root was just trying to push her and decided this game had lasted long enough. Moreover, she wasn't really sure herself what the answer to that question was. Was she just protecting an asset as she had stated the previous day, when they had had a conversation that strangely looked like this one, or was there more to it ? Could it be she was worried about the hacker's well-being ?

The ex-agent snapped back to reality. No. She was not one to be worried. And she would not let Root find out she could push some of her buttons far enough for her to be doubting her own feelings. Lack of feelings. Whatever.

She got up and walked to the hacker.

"I'm not playing your little game. Now you turn around and go back to the hospital room. I'm not putting you back in the cage but try anything else and it will be my pleasure."

Despite her disappointment and her irritation, Root forced herself to smirk. She had a feeling she could sooner or later get something out of Shaw if she kept pushing. Whatever this thing might be.

"I'm sure you'd love to lock me up. And it's not like I would mind being all yours."

The hacker kept looking at Shaw for a split second, silently chuckling once, before turning around and walking back to the hospital room.

Harold entered the library with Bear less than an hour later and found Shaw sitting in the main room, her feet on the table ; she seemed to be dozing.

"Hello, Finch", she said without opening her eyes, eventually not that asleep.

"You know, there are more comfortable positions to have a nap", he answered, his eyebrows raised.

She shrugged a little but didn't answer.

Harold freed Bear from his leash and the dog rushed to Shaw, who finally opened her eyes and scratched him between the ears. His tongue hanging out and his tail wagging, he was obviously enjoying having someone fuss over him.

"How is miss Groves ?" asked Finch.

"Well enough to try to get out of here. Not well enough for it to happen anytime soon", she stated, putting her feet off the table and turning to face him. Harold's eyebrows raised once more.

"And where is she now ?"

"Locked up in the hospital room", answered Shaw with an emotionless tone.

"I see…" Finch softly commented.

Rising on her feet, the ex-agent patted Bear's head one last time.

"I'm gonna check up on her. See what new stupid idea she invented this time."

Harold watched her walk to the hospital room, a bit confused.

"I'm not sure I want to know what crazy things happened here this week while I wasn't here", he thought before getting to work.

Root heard Shaw unlock the door but voluntarily kept staring at the ceiling. She had been brooding for the last hour, slightly angry at Shaw. The Machine hadn't spoken to her since the previous day, obviously aware it would be a waste of time since the hacker couldn't help Her in any way, so she was left alone with her thoughts.

Deep down, she knew Shaw was right. She wasn't well enough to do some exploits out here but damn it, she could take care of herself. And she trusted the Machine to adapt to her current problem. Even if she didn't fully know what she could do in her physical condition, she could probably be at least of some help. Instead, she was stuck here and had a feeling she was back into another cage. She really didn't like to be trapped and it sure felt like it.

A voice in the back of her head tried to remind her she was here for her own good and locked up because of her stubbornness, but she wasn't really willing to listen to it, too exasperated to accept the fact that she might recover faster if she actually cooperated.

"This door wouldn't be locked if you didn't fight our help that much, you know", Shaw stated from the doorstep, echoing the little voice in the back of Root's mind and snapping the latter back to reality.

The hacker didn't move, acting as if she hadn't heard Shaw. Sighing, the ex-agent moved closer to the bed.

"I need to check on your injuries", she added softly.

"Suit yourself", Root laconically answered.

"Wow. No flirting ?" the ex-agent asked, her eyebrows slightly raised and the shadow of a smile on her lips. "You must be pretty mad. But once again, you're the one to blame for this", she shrugged.

Root turned her head to look her in the eye and Shaw could perfectly read the 'seriously ?' the hacker hadn't bother to say on her face.

"Seriously", the ex-agent couldn't help but answer.

Root let out a stiff laugh.

"You're reading my mind now ?"

"I really hope this day never comes", Shaw rolled her eyes. "Now will you please let me check on your injury ?"

"You did say please", the hacker sighed before pulling back the covers.

Shaw's cool hands on Root's skin made her shiver, and she knew it wasn't just from the cold, but she forced herself to stay still.

Despite the hacker's efforts, Shaw was very aware of the reaction her hands were creating. She had always felt Root tensing up while she was checking her injury, but for the first time she also realized that the other woman's breathing had become irregular. Not sure she wanted to know why this had created a strange feeling in her own stomach, Shaw hastened to finish redressing the hacker's wound and left the room without a word, not forgetting to lock after her.

Shaw had left less than a minute earlier when Root heard a beep in her ear. It made her smile instantly.

"There you are", she whispered, before realizing the Machine had probably no way to listen to her.

"She's right. Stay. Heal", the hacker heard a split second later, a series of words coming from different voices so characteristic of her God.

"Serious- … Fine", she sighed. "I'll try to cooperate a bit more."

The voice in her ear stayed silent.

Shaw came back during the afternoon and found Root walking around in the room. Given the face she was making, she seemed to be experiencing a bit of pain.

"For how long have you been up ?"

"Some time now", the hacker answered while sitting in the bed, her cheeks red and her breathing ragged.

"Don't push yourself too much", Shaw shook her head.

"I won't. But I want to recover as fast as I can."

"That I can agree with. You're a pain in the ass when you want and I'd like my life back too, you know."

Shaw was waiting for the hacker to make a comment about how she would be more than glad to free her from her presence, but the other woman stayed silent, her eyes down.

Just when the ex-agent was opening her mouth to add something, Root got ahead of her.

"Sorry", she finally said with a small shrug and her voice low.

Root's apologize felt genuine and Shaw had a feeling it wasn't just an answer to her last sentence, but also about her behavior during the last few days.

The hacker finally looked up and saw the frown on the smaller woman's face.

"It seems like She eventually thinks you're right", Root explained.

"Yeah, I was finding hard to believe you had finally come to your senses by yourself", Shaw smirked.

The hacker tilted her head to the side, slightly offended by what the other woman was implying, but deep down she had to admit this was right anyway.