"There is no way I can afford that."

"No one asked you to," Root sighed in exasperation.

In her defense, they'd been at this a few times now, and Shaw still couldn't agree on an apartment with her. Any apartment. But Root was being unreasonable.

"So you're just gonna pay for everything?"

"Not everything, but so what if it's not fifty/fifty? I have the money, and I want to live somewhere nice." Shaw just glared at her. "Screw you, Sam. New York is not cheap. Why won't you work with me?"

"Work with you? Why won't you work within my budget?"

"Because your budget is crap and New York rent is insane!"

They weren't going to agree on this, were they? Honestly, Shaw wanted to cave, she really did, just for this to be over. She didn't even care where they lived, which was why she hadn't protested moving. Plus, she hated looking at apartment after apartment when Root found a listing she liked. But her pride wouldn't let her say it. Root had domesticated her enough without paying for their apartment, too.

"I just don't want to live in the slums. Is that so bad?" Shaw didn't answer. "You'll be making more money someday, you can pay half then."

"In the meantime?"

A wicked grin appeared on Root's face. "I am happy to take interest payments."

Shaw scoffed, knowing exactly what she meant. She told suddenly excited lady bits to calm down, this was only a hypothetical solution. To Root she said, "Sex. You want me to pay you in sex. Seriously?"

"Yeah?"

"No," Shaw retorted, even as her brain worked furiously to come up with as many ways as possible in which she could 'pay' Root. In the thirty seconds that had elapsed, she already had four.

"Okay, what if it's not about the number?"

"Huh?" This was normally the part where Shaw walked away, too frustrated to continue the conversation. But for a moment, she paused.

"We can't split rent fifty/fifty in any area that isn't basically the slums...but we could split the rent based on our incomes. If your rent now is say, thirty percent of your income, then I get to put thirty percent of my own toward a new place. We're still even, technically, but everything is proportional to what we make."

It didn't sound unreasonable. Still, Shaw hesitated.

"It's an even contribution, either way, right?" Shaw nodded slowly, unable to deny the point. "And it would allow us to get a bigger place. Also, I think we should skip the pictures. I'll pick out my top three favorite places that are within our price range and close to the hospital, and we can go see them in person. You pick from those three."

"What if I don't like any of them?"

Root chuckled as she playfully lobbed her pen at Shaw's head. "Unless you've recently developed a picky personality that I have yet to notice, I think we'll be fine."

"Fine. But no carpet, Root. That rule hasn't changed."

She perked up far too easily. "Great! Rugs offer so much variety!"

And that was how Shaw ended up spending her one day off in two weeks going to look at apartments. She was grumpy about it and didn't hesitate to let Root know how she felt. Root, of course, took it in stride, like she always had. She'd started the day off right by waking Shaw with her mouth between her legs. After Shaw's run, Root had breakfast and coffee ready. And to top off her quest for perfection, she'd successfully anticipated Shaw's every grumpy thought, from wanting the radio silenced in the car to wanting to explore the apartments without the landlord right there as their shadow, sending them away with a shoo of her hand. Convenient, as Shaw didn't want to talk if she didn't have to. Actually, Root was making it very difficult to be sincerely grumpy.

It was obvious which one was Root's favorite. She practically glowed at the sight of the floor-to-ceiling windows when they walked in. The kitchen was a little small, but it had granite countertops and top-of-the-line appliances. Root was also eager to point out that there was no carpet. And then she said, "Want to know the best part?" Shaw didn't care what features she considered 'best', but she let Root point it out to her. "One bedroom." She gestured. "Second bedroom." She pointed to the other side of the spacious apartment.

"So?"

"So," she sidled closer, "John doesn't have to hear a thing when he comes to visit."

Fair enough. Although Root could be loud enough to wake the dead. But Reese knew the drill by now. When he stayed with them, he slept with headphones. Better safe than sorry.

Shaw walked over to the admittedly impressive view. "And this?"

Root stopped behind her, just close enough for Shaw to feel her body heat. "Perfect to fuck you against, don't you think?"

Shaw suppressed a smirk, though it was Root she'd been envisioning pressed naked to the glass, not her. "Voyeurism? That's new."

"Not really." Hands met her hips. "Considering that time in the movie theater-"

"Terrible movie anyway."

"And the dressing room-" Hands drifted from her hips up to her waist.

"I was bored."

"And then there was that time at the lights festival-" Hands slipped under her shirt.

"We were in the dark; no one could see a damn thing."

Root laughed, low and quiet, right into her ear. Shaw was grateful for the jacket that hid her goosebumps. "My point exactly. Who will see us on the twelfth floor, sweetie? It's the thought that will be...stimulating." Her voice was barely even a whisper, and she made sure her lips brushed Shaw's skin as she spoke.

"Fun," Shaw said, her tone deadpan. "Are we done now?"

She turned and walked for the door. The anxious landlord was waiting in the hall. He didn't seem eager to leave them in there alone, but when Root had commanded him to leave, he caved under her authority. It was the only part of the day Shaw had taken pleasure in. Well, second.

Despite the sheen of sweat on his forehead, the tall man tried to appear happy and confident that they would want the place. "How did you find it?"

"Even more beautiful than the pictures," Root told him, her tone sweeter than when they'd started.

"So glad it exceeded your expectations! Shall I get you applications?"

Root looked at Shaw. They'd gotten applications for every apartment, just in case, but Root still looked to see if she'd made a decision.

"How soon can we move in?" Shaw asked.

"I can get you keys tomorrow!"

Shaw took the applications from the other apartments from her jacket pocket, looked over at Root, and crumpled them. She beamed.

"We'll take it!" Root turned that blinding smile onto the very relieved man in front of her.

"Great! Let's go down to my-"

Shaw tuned him out, still staring at Root. "Today is my only day off this week."

"That's fine, I can move things."

"By yourself?"

"Do you doubt my capabilities?" One eyebrow arched.

Shaw scoffed. "Just your sanity, Root."

"All I need is an extra set of hands for the furniture. I can do the boxes. Think you can spare a couple of hours for that, Oh-Tired-One?"

If Shaw wanted to, she could probably say no. Root was too happy that Shaw had agreed to this place to even put up a fuss, and she was more than determined enough to manage. Shaw had learned long ago not to underestimate her. But she just sighed and nodded.

All in all, it wasn't terrible. Yes, Shaw was permanently exhausted, but she was really settling into her new job, and Root's renewed presence gave her a boost every day that if she were anyone else, she might describe as happiness. But she wasn't, so she just moved furniture with only a couple of complaints. Her shift had left her dead on her feet, so they didn't christen the new place until the next day, but Shaw made it up to her on as many flat surfaces as she could before they collapsed.

Root seemed satisfied, at least, curled atop Shaw's body and purring like a cat. One hand ran lazily up her back as they caught their breaths yet again. Shaw was pretty sure this was the last 'again' for today, but she'd learned with Root to never rule anything out. The woman had a way of getting her motor running no matter how tired she was. Besides, this beat unpacking. Shaw was more than happy to keep Root occupied like this in her free time and let Root do the hard work.

It struck her, not for the first time, how utterly compatible they were. Not in something so trivial as Root doing all the unpacking if Shaw wanted her to, although Shaw appreciated that she was so willing. But how easy it was to mesh their lives together, not once, but twice. Everything just flowed so smoothly between them. And all she would ask in return would be Shaw on her knees, or in handcuffs for a couple hours. But on the other hand, if she insisted Shaw do some of the grocery shopping, or cleaning, or even unpacking, she would end up agreeing. Root was almost as good at cajoling her into things as she was sending away pesky landlords and charming best friends. Yeah, she and John were officially friends now. They talked more than he and Shaw did. And while Shaw liked to think she wasn't so easy, even with her token resistance it was hard to deny that she often gave Root what she wanted. Because in the end, neither of them could resist the other.

They were on their second night in the apartment, Shaw having just gotten off shift, when Root struck with one of those wants.

"So...what do you think about getting a dog?"

"A dog?" Shaw parroted, as if she didn't know what a dog was.

"Yeah. We've both always wanted one." Root went for casual as she added, "And now that we're all stable and responsible, I was thinking it might be a good time."

Shaw hesitated. "I don't know. I mean...you're here all the time, sure, but we're both really busy..." It wasn't that she had changed her mind on wanting a dog, but it was an idea she was so used to rejecting because she never seemed in the right place in life for it.

"If you're worried about taking care of him, don't be. I'll do everything. I can walk him and feed him and clean up after him. I don't mind."

The more she talked, the more desperate she sounded. Shaw guessed she'd been thinking about this for some time. She chuckled into her beer, grabbing another slice of pizza. "You sound like a kid asking for their first pet!"

Root pouted unexpectedly, and it wasn't in her cute, pity-me type of way. It was just disappointed. She flopped back on the couch without another word.

Shaw eyed her carefully, trying to deduce the reason for the sudden mood change. What did she do? Obviously, it was something Shaw did that had upset her. Was it her rejection? Perhaps the comparison itself, or something else? She wasn't sure. Even after all these years, she never was sure with Root, if more confident in her assessment than with anyone else she came across and had to try to understand.

But despite her teasing, she wasn't opposed to the idea of a dog. Root was right, they'd both always wanted one. Root hadn't had much growing up, certainly not pets, and Shaw moved too often to be allowed any furry friends, especially a dog. It was just...she wasn't capable of agreeing so easily. Not even for Root. Which, to Root, after gathering the courage to bring up this thing she'd clearly been thinking about for some time, would seem like rejection. Shaw fiddled with the label on her unopened beer, watching Root ignore her. She vaguely remembered something in the application about pet-friendly apartments. She doubted that was a coincidence. Root likely hadn't looked at any places that said otherwise. She knew that without having to ask.

She downed the remainder of her drink, took a bite of her pizza, and considered in silence. They certainly had the space for a dog. She glanced around. Despite the mere forty-eight hours they'd been here, Root already had a lot done. This place looked more lived in than her last one, which she'd been in about ten times longer. She pictured a dog bed under the window, a leash hanging by the door. Would it be so bad? It was a lot of changes at once, but she liked the idea. And what else was she waiting for? A sign from the heavens? She finished her pizza and reached for another beer. As she rounded the counter, Shaw casually flicked her beer cap into the sink. "I'm off Friday morning. We could check out a couple of local shelters?"

Root bolted upright, her demeanor changing in a heartbeat. "Yeah?" Shaw shrugged, smothering the smile that wanted to answer Root's. "Okay, sure."

She snickered at Root's second go at casual. Not even she could miss her sudden excitement. Shaw relaxed, pretty sure she'd saved that one. Hell, she could say whatever she wanted for the rest of the night and get away with it. Probably.

Shaw wandered over to the couch and dropped onto the far end. Root moved her feet in anticipation, and then tangled their legs together. Her happy aura was almost too much, making it hard to meet her eyes. But Root had no problem staring at her. She never did. Shaw took another swallow of beer. She glanced around the room. "We need to put the TV up. I can't stare at your face all night, every night."

Root just laughed. "Wouldn't want to put that on you. Why don't you do it now?"

Shaw sighed heavily. "Too tired."

Root rubbed her thigh sympathetically. "Sorry. I can do it tomorrow, if you want."

Shaw shrugged like she didn't care, but inwardly she hoped to come home from work to find it done. Mounting a television sounded like work after a fourteen hour shift.

Movement on the other side of the couch brought her eyes back to Root, where she was met with a mischievous smile. She rose up onto her knees and parted Shaw's thighs. "I can find other ways to occupy you, I think."

"I just told you, I'm too tired," she said plainly.

That didn't deter Root, of course. Nothing did. And admittedly, after years with her, if there was one impression of herself that she could not undo, it was that she was never too tired for Root.

"That's okay. I'll do all the work."

They'd better pick out a companion that didn't mind all the noise at all hours. They sure made a lot of it. Even after moving to the bedroom, there was no question that their shared shouts and screams echoed through the apartment.

Root didn't mention a dog again the rest of the week, but Shaw knew it wasn't because she'd forgotten. She was biding her time, choosing to quell her excitement in case too much of it made Shaw change her mind. Shaw wasn't going to, though. She was starting to look forward to it, too, to her surprise. She'd been so caught up in her education and then in her training that she hadn't had the head space for much else in several years. Root took what little else she had to give. It was a nice change, thinking about adding a dog to their space, this life they had together, something that once had felt so far into the future. But with the official realization that Root was her future, she was set in the decision to expand their little unit.

Come Thursday evening, Root was practically shaking in excitement. Shaw had agreed to visit three shelters, maximum, and if they didn't find the right dog that they both could agree on, they would press pause on the search. Root agreed without hesitation. New York had more stray dogs than their shelters could handle, so they had plenty to choose from. In theory, they shouldn't need to look at more than three places. But Shaw made sure to choose places that all still utilized euthanasia when they got overloaded. If they were going to take in a dog, they were going to choose someone who otherwise had no chance. Root had no objection to that.

Root barely slept the night before, Shaw knew, and would have assumed as much if they didn't share the same bed every night for her to be aware of it. She was just too excited. Shaw had to get almost two cups of coffee into her to get her to focus.

"Remember, no lap dogs."

"I know, babe."

"A senior is fine, but if we go that route, I'd rather take in a dog with serious disabilities or little time left. No one else takes those dogs."

"I know."

"And I think-"

"You'd rather take in a male dog," Root finished. She rolled her head to look at Shaw. "We talked about all this last night."

She sighed. "I just don't want to have to go over it again when you fall in love with some cute little Chihuahua."

Root glared at her. "Really? Those yappy little pests?" Shaw's lips tilted up. "A Pom, maybe," Shaw's budding smile died, "but only because they're so fluffy. No, Sam, I don't want a lap dog, either. And I am fine taking in a senior, although we need to remember that if we do that, we could be back here in six months."

"Possibly." That was all she said, although she felt strongly about the idea of taking in a dog no one else wanted. She knew what it was like to not be wanted.

"Let's just see who we meet, okay?"

Shaw breathed out and nodded. It was unlikely they would have any major conflict over this, she knew. Most of the big things in their lives hadn't ever been in conflict. Other than moving to New York. That was a first. The big blow-ups between them were reserved for when Root stole/borrowed Shaw's clothes, or bought a scent of shampoo she didn't like, or forgot to run the dishwasher. That was what they fought over.

They entered the first shelter, squinting until their eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. A young, slim guy behind the counter beamed at them. "Welcome! Are you looking to adopt today, or just browsing?"

"Browsing? They're living, thinking, feeling animals, not cheap clothes off the rack!"

Even Shaw gave Root a surprised look at the outburst.

The guy behind the counter stammered and flushed under the force of her ire.

Shaw tapped the back of Root's hand and cleared her throat. "We plan to adopt. Mind showing us the dogs you have?"

"R-right, sure. This way." His hands shook visibly from the verbal attack, which Shaw just thought was amusing. She had no idea Root had such strong feelings about strays, or perhaps just the ones at kill shelters, but this kid had certainly never met anyone like her.

Then again, neither had Shaw.

They followed the guy, Edward, according to his name tag, to the back and down a hallway. Shaw could already hear the sound of animals from here. Root grabbed her hand in excitement. She resisted the urge to push her away. There was no tempering her excitement, and to try to would only upset her, as Shaw had already learned. She just hoped she wasn't like this all day. They were unlikely to pick anyone right away. Hell, how many apartments had they gone through? No, Root would have to temper her expectations, and the only way to do that was to get through this first place and hope she handled the second one better.

"Right, um, here we are." Edward fiddled nervously with the keys. "We keep the young ones on this side," he gestured to his right, "and the older ones over there. If you're looking for a specific breed-"

"We'll take it from here," Shaw interrupted, already moving away. She was on the left, so she veered that way, avoiding the puppies for now.

The man said something about a visiting area, where apparently they could meet a dog outside of their cage, get a feel for their personality and spend time with them. But she wasn't listening and didn't check to see if Root was.

The first cage held a beautiful husky that was very clearly blind. But the tens of thousands of olfactory neurons led him right to his cage door to sniff at the hand she was offering. He nuzzled her almost immediately, deciding she was a friend. Shaw's lips quirked. Friendly, gorgeous, senior...Root would love him. She turned to look for her roommate and found her cooing to bloodhound across the way, with Edward right behind her.

Shaw rolled her eyes. "No lapdogs," she muttered. The husky whined in response. "Right? Don't worry, I'll remind her." She rubbed the offered nose again. "Press pause. I might be back."

She rose to her feet and moved on, pleased the husky now behind her didn't whine sadly as she left. Some of the others she met did. One of them seemed terrified, this little lab mix who wouldn't uncurl from his corner to come see her. He just buried his head under his paws. Obviously the runt of his litter, he was used to being picked on. Shaw had no desire to force it and moved to the next cage. She found a thick German Shepherd there, with dark eyes and a warning growl. Shaw promptly sat on the ground and waited for him. He hesitated, considered her, and then took one step forward. There he stopped, as if he still wasn't sure. Shaw held out her hand, palm up, keeping it close to her, an invitation that didn't intrude on his space. He looked down at it and then back to her.

"I know, I get it. All these people and no one ever takes you home, huh?" He huffed quietly. "I can't make you any promises, okay? But you can come a little closer, and we'll see."

He seemed to take her at her word, as if he could even understand, and finally stepped up to the door. She very slowly lifted her hand for him. He sniffed, paused, then sniffed again. His eyes met hers. And then he bumped her hand through the door. "Good boy," she murmured. She scratched him gently, watching his cues to see what he liked. Maybe he would join them in the visiting room after all. Him and the husky.

She looked behind her again and saw Root greeting an Akita with eyes so blue she could see them from here. She turned back to her new friend. "Blue eyes like that creep me out. They're weird!" The dog chuffed in agreement.

"Okay, I'll see you in a bit." Shaw got to her feet, gave him one last pat, and moved on again.

No one else held her interest much. She was nearly at the end of the row and would be meeting up with Root again soon. Hands in her pockets, she meandered down the last few cages, unimpressed.

"Oh," Shaw breathed when he came into view. Big brown eyes looked back at her steadily, neither pleading nor afraid. "Hey, you." He growled warningly. "Don't worry, handsome, I'm not like them." She knelt slowly. "You don't belong here at all, do you?"

The dog just stared back at her, assessing. She let him look. This was a smart animal, used to far different environments than the one he was in now. Shaw could only imagine how many hands had passed through here, trying to reach him through the cage without his consent. She wouldn't.

Long moments passed, and finally he ducked his head, a gesture of approval. "There we go." She scooted a little closer. "Where did you come from? Are you trained?" Belgians were usually service dogs, and if he was ex-military... She didn't know much Dutch, but she could conjure up a few words. "Zit!" He immediately obeyed, giving Shaw a rush of warmth. "Oh, yes. You are perfect."

She didn't even look over her shoulder when she called, "Root!" The familiar sound of her lover's footsteps approached. "Look, a Belgian Malinois, like they use for police and military dogs. He's trained, too."

Root hurried over to look as she bent down to his level from behind Shaw. "He's gorgeous!"

"Oh, that one," their guide said in a tone that did not convey approval. His enthusiasm must have gotten eaten up on all the other dogs he wanted to saddle them with. "Yeah, uh, he's kind of aggressive. Don't try to touch him, okay? He belonged to a veteran who passed, and we just can't seem to find a good fit for him."

Fury rose unexpectedly inside her. "Probably because you don't know what the fuck to do with him," she snapped. "Dogs like this have very specific needs. And you stuck him in a cage the size of a bathtub."

He stepped closer, hands raised defensively. "Look, we only have so much space. At least we take in-"

Sudden barking stopped him in his tracks. He'd crossed an invisible barrier, and the large mammal in front of them wasn't having it. He rose onto all four legs and started barking, showing his teeth.

"See!" As if he'd made a point.

Shaw glared over her shoulder. "Dogs like this don't bark from aggression, asshole. He doesn't like or respect you, and yet you come into his space." When nothing changed, she growled, "Step the fuck back."

He nearly tripped over himself getting away. And almost instantly, the barking stopped. Shaw turned back in satisfaction. "You want the hell out of here, don't you?" The dog dropped back to his haunches and panted in response.

"Does he have a name?" Root asked.

"B-Bear."

"Fitting." Root took a deep breath. "He probably needs fresh training, after this place. Lots of attention. Long walks."

Shaw looked up at her. "Yeah, so?" She looked back at Bear. "I want this one." She looked up again. "I want him."

Root smiled knowingly, pleased for a reason Shaw could only guess at. Perhaps at her adamant statement, perhaps at her sudden change in attitude about finding a dog today. But what mattered was when she said, "He's the one." She looked over at the volunteer. "Tell us where to sign."

Shaw stayed in front of the cage while Root took care of all that. And when it came time to leash him, there was no question who was doing it. Edward practically threw the leash at her. Bear didn't respond negatively to her approach, but she was prepared if he did. No way did he get to be the alpha of this pack. She told him to sit again, keeping her posture stiff, maintaining eye contact. Bear obeyed immediately, didn't even flinch when put the lead on. Satisfied, she led him from the cage to the front where Root was waiting. Root grinned happily and knelt down to greet him, and all of a sudden he was an eager puppy. He barked like he was greeting an old friend, and he was as happy about it as she was. He yanked at the leash until Shaw allowed him to go, jumping on Root and knocking her to her ass. Root just laughed and hugged him.

"Oh, you're such a good boy, aren't you? How could anyone think there was anything wrong with you?" Shaw couldn't help a smile of her own. She was very on board with this idea now. Bear was definitely the right fit for them. Root continued to coo at him, accepting slobbery kisses along with the happy whining and little tufts of fur flying around them.

Shaw pulled out her phone while they were getting acquainted, looking up the nearest pet store. Now they had shopping to do.

"Okay, lovebirds, let's wrap it up."

Root got to her feet, smiling madly, her cheeks flushed. Shaw was swamped with a sudden need to kiss her. She resisted, solely for the sake of the idiot on the other side of the counter. "We're ready!" she proclaimed.

"I can tell. Glad you two are gonna get along." Her dry words just made Root laugh.

They'd taken a cab here, but decided to walk to the pet store. Bear seemed thrilled to be outside, no cage or fence in sight, and Root was just as happy, her arm looped with Shaw's, watching their new companion trot along with the throng of people around them. Shaw kept him close, in case he got overstimulated. He was a military-trained dog, but he'd been in a cage for who knew how long, and if he overreacted to something, he could easily hurt someone.

She kept him close in the store, too, where Root went crazy, filling up a cart with a few hundred dollars worth of shit. Shaw let her, content to give her the opportunity to enjoy this new experience. Shaw even picked up a couple of toys and treats for Bear that she thought he might like. He watched them both raptly, as if he could sense that this was all for him. But other than his lolling tongue and high tail, his excitement didn't show. He was very well-behaved, staying close to Shaw and not snagging anything off the shelves. As a reward, she opened a bag of treats and let him have a couple. Root admonished her without an ounce of seriousness in her voice and a wide smile on her face.

Shaw tossed the bag into the cart. "What, we're buying them anyway." She took the two tug-of-war ropes and offered them to Bear. "Blue or red?" He immediately snatched the red one. "Red, it is."

Root giggled as she stuffed the biggest dog bed the store carried under the cart. "Should we get him a red collar, too?"

"Only if it's leather. He needs something sleek, sexy."

"Hm, let's see what they have." Root rounded the corner and headed for the collars. "No red leather, but they do have some leather options. What do you think?"

Shaw stopped next to her, perusing the selection. "Why is everything neon?"

"No idea," Root muttered back, unimpressed.

"Ooh, that one!" Shaw reached for the one that had caught her eye.

Root narrowed her gaze at the studded collar. "Really? Are we taking him to a BDSM club?"

"Hey, you don't know what he likes. Don't judge." She showed Bear the collar. "What do you think?"

He just stared at it and then at her, quietly gnawing on the rope in his mouth.

"Works for me." She tossed it onto their mountain of stuff. She followed Root over to the kiosk at the end and let her engrave a tag for him. "Root? How are we going to get all of this home?"

Root looked at the cart, at the tag the machine had just spit out, then at Shaw. "No idea!"

Shaw chuckled and shook her head. "I really didn't think we would be bringing home a dog today, let alone half the pet store."

"I know you didn't," Root said knowingly. She smiled down at Bear. "But he's perfect!" Bear woofed happily at her statement.

"Why don't you take a cab and we'll walk?"

"That's a long walk," Root pointed out.

"It'll be good for him."

"Work up his appetite, too. Guess I better have food ready for you guys."

"Damn straight." Shaw led the way to the checkout. "C'mon, Bear, let's see how much the crazy lady is spending on you." Root's laughter followed closely behind them.