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Harold’s statement he had given to Sameen at the political campaign office regarding Root fired the ex-ISA up. She could never get a straight answer these days. Not that she needed one. Shaw was perceptive and yet no news about the hacker was slightly worrying. On the outside, Sameen was always stone-cold, no doubt about it, but in that office her insides were melting ice. An emotion or reaction was never guaranteed with Shaw, she never knew what she was completely feeling herself; either way she needed a walk.
It was dark by the time she made it to Washington Square Park. Sameen paced the sidewalks just thinking about the situation the whole team was in. It wasn’t ideal that was for sure, but they had to have Root, it was the only way they could foreseeably win the war. Reese could handle the police side of things, but that didn’t matter if Samaritan was informed of their identities. Being a trained operative Sameen always had back-up plans, escape routes and the like, but Samaritan didn’t call for any of those scenarios. By the time they would have a plan it’d be too late. The wind strongly gusted throughout the park and Sameen couldn’t help but think that the war was about to give her team one of the biggest gusts soon. Shaw’s cell phone burned in her pocket begging her to call the one person on her mind. She had no idea where Root could be at or even if she was okay.
Stopping to sit down on a cold park bench Shaw crossed her right leg over her left shaking it impatiently. She took out her phone and rang the imfamous number.
No answer.
She rang it one more time and it went to voicemail again. Even though Samaritan was up and running Shaw would still hear from Root once in awhile, well at least she’d receive a flirty text from her, but it had been a few weeks, and something didn’t sit right in Shaw’s stomach. She got up from the bench and left.
Shaw quietly rapped on the apartment door, “Root? Are you there?” Waiting for a minute she shook her head and rolled her eyes starting to walk away. Why was she here anyway? Root was fine. She was a big girl, she had the Machine for support. On her way down the steps something changed Sameen’s mind. Maybe it was the fact that things were getting heated lately with the numbers or perhaps it was because Harold’s comment didn’t sit right in her chest. Angered with her indecision; she clenched her fist. What was going on with her? Shaw walked right back up the stairs and took out her lockpicking tools she kept in her jacket. Root might not want to be seen, but Shaw needed to check on her potential wounds, for the mission’s sake.
The handle slowly turned open; Shaw peeked inside the small apartment. It was dark with a lamp turned on in the living room that had one couch. The bedroom was just off the main room with the door open and a shadow of someone sitting on the floor leaning against a bed. Sameen sauntered into the living room taking off her black coat and boots. “Hey, what’s going on?”
Silence. She walked to the bedroom and the shadow moved slightly to hug her knees tighter.
A quiet, tired voice finally spoke up, “What do you need Shaw?”
Shaw rolled her eyes.
Root found her face when she didn’t answer. That was when Sameen saw the cuts, one on Root’s forehead and one on her lip. Plus a small bruise on her jaw. Then there was the sling that hung around her right arm.
“Harold told me what happened.” Shaw remarked lying slightly, Harold hadn’t given her the specifics of what happened to Root but Shaw figured she would find out soon enough. She sat down next to the hacker. Her arms relaxed on her knees. Root’s eyes followed her. Usually she would make a joke about how close they were sitting together, but she was exhausted and not in the mood. “You can’t go putting your life in danger like that Root.” Shaw raised her voice.
Root swiveled away from Shaw annoyed, “I’m ready to do whatever it takes to win this war. And if that means dying--”
“Stop.” Root’s head turned to Shaw. “We need you.” Shaw muttered. Root was the only connection the team had to the machine now. Losing Root would be the worst case scenario because after her came the rest of them.
Root’s insides twisted; her chest got tighter. No one had ever really cared about her before. And now somehow, Shaw, the woman who claimed to have no emotion at all, was taking her in. It was different, something she hadn’t felt with someone in a long time. “Oh Sameen, I knew you cared.” Root teased, changing her position to her legs down and arms behind her like she was trying to get a tan.
Shaw rolled her eyes, standing up, “Way to ruin the moment.” She said gruffly. Shaw knew the real issue with Root still hadn’t been solved, her reaction was far too quick for that.
“Oh c’mon Shaw.” Root followed her as Sameen made her way to the tiny kitchen to scour for food, “You’d be so impressed with how many guns I used. Two holstered in my jeans and two in my hands.” Shaw’s eyes got a bit bigger while she fixed herself some coffee. Root continued, her iris’ gaining a faraway look, “For those couple of minutes I felt unstoppable.”
Shaw slammed her mug down almost breaking it. Root came back to earth. “I can tell by the sling.” Shaw blurted. “Who has your back Root? Because it’s definitely not that thing in your ear.”
Root, sitting on a bar stool across the island peered down at her arm. “It’s just the price I have to pay.”
Shaw almost growled. “I can’t believe you.”
“Look Shaw, what do you want me to tell you?” She replied standing up walking towards her. “That I’m going to stop listening to her? That I’m just going to sit all cooped up in an apartment until Samaritan dies?”
Shaw breathed out. Shaking her head.
“News flash Sameen, that’s not how this works.” Root and Shaw were face to face now only inches separating them. Sameen took a finger, moving some tangled curls away from Root’s face and pushed down on Root’s yellowing bruise.
Root hissed. The wound stinging. She snagged Shaw’s wrist as Sameen tried to pull away. “What was that for?”
“To remind you that you’re not invincible.” Shaw pulled away and continued to work on making her coffee.
Root walked over to the couch and sat down, her arms crossed. She ran her fingers through her hair and watched as Shaw opened the fridge to grab a few eggs she was about to cook up. Maybe Harold was right. Maybe there were things to look forward to. She sat quietly hearing the eggs sizzle in the pan and the spatula hitting the metal. Shaw plated up her meal and started eating.
After a few minutes Root whispered, “She doesn’t talk to me much anymore.”
Sameen glanced up from her plate, her jaw clenching for the smallest of seconds.
“I get whispers, encoded messages, but that’s about it.”
Maybe it was Samaritan that had upset the rotation of Shaw’s universe or perhaps it was Shaw figuring out that the time her and Root spent together was limited now. Either way it wasn’t fair. She padded over to Root sitting down across from her on the coffee table. Their knees slightly grazed one anothers and Root glanced up to Sameen.
“Don’t try to do this alone.” Shaw spoke roughly, something caught in her throat. “Let me help you.” It was a small plea, something Shaw never knew she was capable of.
For a moment Root paused then finally she looked Shaw softly in the eyes. “So I can call you whenever?”
“I’ll be there.” Shaw put her hand on Root’s thigh feeling the warmth spreading from her fingers.
A genuine smile crossed Root’s face.
“No social calls though.” Shaw countered.
Root’s smile turned to a smirk, “I don’t know if I can promise that.”
Shaw rolled her eyes letting it go as she slowly removed her hand. “I suppose I should be going, Sam from the makeup counter has an early shift tomorrow.”
“I suppose.”
Shaw got up from the coffee table, softly stepping over to the door putting on her boots and peacoat. Root followed along close. Pushing a strand of hair away from Shaw’s face giving her a small smile.
Sameen started turning the door handle, “Call me okay?”
“I will.”
As the door clicked shut Root let out a huge sigh. Relief. The one word to describe how she felt at this immediate moment. The weight of the war seemed insurmountable at times and it was finally lifted from her shoulders just a bit. She didn’t want to admit it, but she needed help. The Machine gave her missions that were always doable on her own, but having someone real to fall back on was comforting, especially when it was Shaw. Root still trusted her one hundred percent, but Sameen was her real connection to this life.