Author: SoThatHappened

"You just left her?" Reese asked. They were sitting on the rooftop of a high rise building using the sniper rifle to watch a new number in his office. Reese was eating a sandwich, Shaw had her eye pressed to the eyehole of the gun.

"She's better off without me," Shaw said unemotionally.

"Did you consider the fact she might have a different opinion on that?" Reese asked and Shaw tilted her head back to stare at him.

"Root always has a different opinion on everything I say," Shaw said "Stop being my therapist."

"Therapy would be a lot worse than this" Reese pointed out and Shaw rolled her eyes. "All I'm saying is that shouldn't it be up to Root to decide what's best for her?"

"No" Shaw replied looking back through the eyehole, watching the number shuffle papers at his desk. "She makes dumb decisions that almost get her killed."

"Shaw" Reese said "She only did that for you, it was instinct."

"Her instincts suck," Shaw shot back "Which is exactly why I can't stay."

"Are you sure it's just that?" Reese asked and Shaw's jaw clenched.

"What are you trying to imply, John?" she asked. "Be careful what you say next, because I'm armed."

"I know she makes you happy" Reese said then paused "Or at least...less angry than you usually are, hell, I've even seen you smile at her, and I've never seen that many of your teeth before."

"So?" Shaw asked.

"So what are you going to do?" Reese asked. "Divorce her because her natural reaction is to protect you?"

"I don't want her to protect me," Shaw said her jaw tight.

"You don't get to decide that." Reese pointed out, and Shaw sat back from the gun staring at it vacantly.

"I'm just angry" Shaw said looking at him eventually.

"I know" Reese said. "Relationships make everyone angry."

Shaw let out a grouchy sigh.

"You can't control how much someone cares about you, or what they'd do for you" Reese said and Shaw frowned.

"It's weird when you talk about this" Shaw said bluntly and Reese almost smirked.

"You forget about my battle scars" he said and Shaw snatched his sandwich off him and took a bite.

"I think she makes me feel" Shaw said through a mouthful of food.

"Feel what?" Reese asked.

"I don't know" Shaw replied "Feelings."

"She makes you feel feelings?" Reese said "What a bitch."

Shaw rolled her eyes "I don't know what to do with them, sometimes I can't even tell if they're real."

"But you told her you love her?" Reese said and Shaw glared at him.

"Harold tell you that?"

"No, Root did" Reese shrugged. "You make her happy too, which is almost frightening to witness, and also considering shooting people makes you smile."

"What if next time the bullet kills her?" Shaw asked.

Reese stared at her "That'll suck."

Shaw rolled her eyes at his reply. "I don't want her to die for me."

"Then just hope like hell she won't, but you can't control that either." Reese said snatching his sandwich back off her. "Stop eating my food."

*

Shaw's place felt empty and cold. She hadn't been there for weeks, but everything was exactly as she had left it. The only thing in the fridge was beer so she cracked one open and took a long sip, as she sat down on the couch and pulled the bandage off her hand. It was still a little swollen and red, the stitches weren't perfectly in line but what the fuck was she going to do about it.

She couldn't help think about Root as she stared at her bullet wound. That stupid gangly ray of psychotic sunshine that she had married. She knew every fucking detail about her, from the scar behind her deaf ear, her slightly crooked tooth, the freckle under her chin, every facial expression, the shape of her lips, her smile...god that smile. Shaw shut her eyes and exhaled loudly. She thought about the first time she had seen Root smile, she had been holding a burning hot iron inches from Shaw's bare chest. "I'm kind of a big fan" Root had said, that stupid smile stretching across her face as they had looked at each other. Shaw had loathed her. Shaw had wanted her dead. She had wanted to put the bullets in Root herself. And now, she wanted the complete opposite, it infuriated her that there was no possible way to build a shield around Root that would keep her safe.

Shaw thought distance would be the best protector. The further away she was from Root the less chance of something happening to her.... wrong. So wrong. Shaw put her beer down on the table and lay back on the couch staring up at the ceiling.

The next thing she knew, she was being jolted from sleep by a light tapping sound on her door. Cracking her eyes open she was blinded by the daylight flooding through her window, unaware that she had even fallen asleep, she pulled herself from the couch and stumbled to the door, yanking it open without second thought.

Bear bounded inside almost knocking her over with his enthusiasm to see her. Shaw rubbed her eyes and looked up from the dog to see Root standing at the door.

"Bear was asking for you" Root said quietly. "Maybe he does like you better."

"Didn't know you spoke Dutch hound" Shaw said standing back to let Root in, knowing it was a lame thing to say but feeling strangely taken aback that she had suddenly appeared, as if she felt it too. The emptiness of not having the other around.

"How's your hand feeling?" Root asked.

"It's getting there," Shaw said "Probably leave a gnarly scar though, how's your chest?"

"I don't know" Root said and Shaw immediately stepped forward, pulling Root's top down to check the wound. "I meant, my heart kind of hurts." Root said smiling at little at Shaw's automatic concern, watching her take a quick step back.

Shaw looked at her and swallowed hard.

"I know you're still mad at me for what I did" Root said. "I can see how you think it was stupid but..."

"Instinct" Shaw said and Root just looked at her.

"You said that you weren't worth my life" Root said "But Sameen, I can't live without you."

Shaw frowned.

"I know you're angry, Sam" Root said and stepped closer to her. "But I belong with you." Root slipped a handcuff around her wrist and then put the other one around Shaw's good hand, snapping it together before she realised what was happening. "So, we're going to figure this out."

Shaw stared down at their wrists, realising that Root had cuffed them together, her mouth dropping open as she looked back at Root.

"What are you doing?"

"If you pick the lock I'll put zip ties around our wrists instead and we'd probably have to hold hands for it not to hurt," Root said and Shaw just stared at her in shock.

"Let me go" Shaw protested.

"No." Root said.

"This is so stupid" Shaw said and tried to turn away but her wrist yanked Root with her and she stopped to glare up at the ceiling. "How am I meant to do anything? My other hand is broken."

"You ask me to help," Root said looking at her "Because we're married."

Shaw rolled her eyes. "You could help by taking these damn things off" Shaw said and rattled the her wrist around the metal cuff.

"I'll take them off when you get it, Sam" Root said and Shaw just stared at her.

"Get what?"

"If you die, I die too" Root said and Shaw just frowned at her.

"Don't be-" Shaw started.

"I'm not" Root finished "I love you, Sameen, and I need you, and I want you, and chances are if someones pointing a gun at you I'm going to try and protect you and I'm sorry if that upsets you."

Shaw just looked at her, biting hard on the end of her tongue.

"Have you considered that maybe I don't want to live without you either?" Shaw asked.

"Then why did you walk out on me?" Root asked and Shaw fell silent. "Why, Sam?" Root pressed her.

"I was angry." Shaw said.

"So you just leave?"

"You know that's what I do" Shaw said going to walk away again but pulling Root with her, again.

"You can't" Root said "Not today."

"You're driving me crazy" Shaw said glaring at her.

"Good." Root replied.

6 Hours Later...

"This is torture" Shaw complained "Are you ever going to take these off, or are these the friendship bracelets you've always wanted?"

Root smirked wandering into the kitchen, dragging Shaw along with her. "Don't be so pouty Sam, I think this is good for us."

During the past six hours Root had taken Shaw back to their place, after deeming that Shaw's was practically "unliveable" now, and it was making Root sad. So they walked back to their home with Bear, getting the odd glance at their wrists from people they passed who shot them looks of confusion and mild concern.

After they had mostly argued, they had almost an hour of silence.

"Root" Shaw whined. "I'm hungry and I can't eat while I'm attached to you."

"Are you angry?" Root asked.

"Yes" Shaw replied and Root pulled her to a stop, stepping closer and kissing her on the forehead making Shaw groan with irritation.

"Now I'm furious" Shaw said and Root kissed the end of her nose.

"I think you're lying" Root said.

"And I think you're annoying" Shaw replied.

"I think the fact that you care about me makes you angry" Root shot back.

"And I think handcuffing us together isn't going to make that stop" Shaw said.

"So you admit it?" Root asked and Shaw rolled her eyes.

"I think you should shut up" Shaw said.

"Caring isn't a weakness" Root said and Shaw stared at her.

"Yes it is" Shaw said.

"It's a weakness everyone has then" Root said and Shaw lifted an eyebrow "Even you." Root added. Shaw just stared at her and shook her head, before looking away and frowning. Root could tell that she was trying to process. She pulled the key from her back pocket and released Shaw's wrist, before her own.

"Sam" she said softly and her finger brushed against Shaw's bandaged hand. "You can't be mad at me forever for wanting to protect you, or maybe you can... but what's the point?"

Shaw looked at her freed wrist. "Now you say that? After six damn hours?"

"Maybe I was just mad at you" Root almost smirked "For leaving me."

Shaw sighed. Root stepped forward closing the gap between them and wrapping her arms around Shaw, kissing her forehead lightly.

"Please don't leave me again" Root said quietly.

"I won't" Shaw said slipping her arms around Root's waist and pulling her closer.

"Are you angry?" Root asked.

"Less" Shaw replied feeling Root's body relax against her own.

"I hate fighting with you" Root said softly her lips pressed to the side of Shaw's head. "You get that I need you, right?"

Shaw moved away from Root so she could look at her. "You get that I don't enjoy hugs, right?"

Root smirked letting go of Shaw, knowing that her deflection meant yes.

"So our matching bullet wounds are pretty cute" Root said changing the subject and Shaw just rolled her eyes.

"Yeah Root, so cute." Shaw answered sarcastically.