Author: SoThatHappened

"Root?"

"Sam" Root lay there for a moment, breath jagged from the crushing fall to the concrete, she could see the silhouette of Shaw's face above her. A smile began to spread across her face, she put a hand to Shaw's face. Shaw looked confused and shocked more than anything, quickly scrambling to get off Root they both got back to their feet. Unable to look away from each other.

"Sameen," Root couldn't believe it, the elation of the moment more than she had ever anticipated. "I found you."

Before Shaw had a chance to answer Root pulled her in, tightly embracing her, feeling her close, her body warmth. Root held her tightly, afraid to let go, that she would wake up and this would all be some horrible dream, that she would be alone in their house and Shaw would still be gone. She kissed the side of Shaw's head, not wanting to release her. Everything felt right for a moment as she felt Shaw against her. But seconds later Shaw pushed her way out of Root's arms, holding her by the shoulders at arms length, that perplexed look still on her face.

"She bought you back to me" Root said emotions welling up inside her, pulsing through her veins as she looked at Shaw.

"No" Shaw whispered her eyes darting around the garage. The look on Root's face immediately faded into a frown. "No," Shaw muttered again "this is different, you shouldn't be here" she said, her voice was low, she didn't look directly at Root as she spoke, it was a murmur like she was talking to herself, she stared vacantly into space.

"It's a trap" Shaw said and looked back at Root.

Root glanced around nervously "then let's get out of here."

Shaw just looked at her, still keeping Root at arms length, strangely hesitant to let her close.

"No." Shaw said and Root took a step toward her but Shaw immediately took a step back. Root stopped, Shaw's behaviour was obvious.

"Sam" Root said "whatever happened...whatever they did to you, you're safe now"

Shaw shook her head taking another wary step back.

"You don't know that" Shaw said. "You don't..."

Root tucked her gun into the back of her jeans and held her hands up slowly in front of her.

"Baby," Root said softly "I'm here now."

Shaw just looked at her, there was something different about the look in her eyes. Almost as if she were terrified.

"But you shouldn't be" Shaw mumbled "you shouldn't be"

"Why not?" Root asked. Shaw stared at the ground, her gun still in her hand.

"It's complicated" Shaw said and Root took a careful step forward.

"Then explain it to me" Root said and Shaw looked up at her. It felt real, it felt so real. The way Root had kissed the side of her head, the way her fingers had tangled in Shaw's hair as she held her tightly. The way she was looking at her. It looked like Root. It felt like Root. But Root wouldn't be here. This had to be a new game, a new test. They were gonna come out at any moment and get them both. Trap Root, torture her, make Shaw watch. She couldn't let that happen. Root had to go. Or Shaw had to go.

"Simulations" Shaw said quietly and Root raised an eyebrow. "They put me through simulations, hundreds of them"

Root frowned in Shaw's pain, she wanted to collect Shaw up in her arms and hold her close again, tell her it was going to be okay. But she couldn't, not right now. Not with Shaw wired up like this.

"They wanted to turn me against you, against everyone" Shaw said "I escaped, dozens of times, but you never made it here...this isn't real"

"Sameen," Root said realising the deep frustration and agony of the situation. "This is real, I'm real"

"Yeah," Shaw nodded "I've heard that before."

"I'm serious" Root said. "If this is the first time I'm here don't you think maybe that's because this isn't a simulation anymore?"

Shaw looked at her curiously, watching her every movement. Root swallowed, her hands still out in front of her. Come on Sam she begged, trust me.

"Or maybe they changed their game" Shaw said "because I gave them their weakness."

Root stared at her waiting for the answer.

"You."

Root's heart jumped in her chest at those words, but the reality quickly followed.

"How can I prove to you this is real?" Root asked and Shaw shook her head.

"I can't answer that" Shaw said cautiously, if this was a simulation they were digging for information. Anything to break her.

"The simplest way to break someone is to rob them of their reality" Shaw said lifting her gun slowly and pointing it at Root. "I killed a lot of people"

Root stared down the barrel of the gun her wife was pointing at her. Shaw wouldn't shoot her. She knew that for a fact. Root glanced away from the gun, barely flinching, and looked at Shaw.

"That wasn't real Sam" Root said.

"You don't know that" Shaw said "I d-don't know that, not anymore, I don't know if I'm calling the shots anymore"

Root let out a small sigh, glancing around them and then looking back at Shaw.

"You're not going to hurt me" Root said.

"But they might" Shaw said "As long as I'm alive, you're not safe."

"They took you on Valentine's Day," Root said and shook her head "they're the ones who aren't safe."

"Root this isn't..."

"A joke?" Root asked and raised an eyebrow, taking a step closer to the gun, slowly lifting her hand and wrapping it around the barrel. Shaw stared at her with a frown, watching her closely. Intently.

"C'mon Sam," Root said "as if they could simulate this, as if they could get anywhere near close to replicating our marriage, what we have, all those memories that no one else knows about."

"They have ways" Shaw said "of finding out."

"Maybe" Root said "But they'll never know everything, not even close"

Root watched Shaw's finger hesitate on the trigger. Twitch.

"You were the one person I could never kill" Shaw said "not once."

The corners of Root's mouth almost twitched into a smile as her hand dropped off Shaw's gun, and she looked at her with that near smile. That was it. Shaw thought. That was the look. Or close to it, Root seemed different, she could describe it. She couldn't pinpoint what it was.

"So I killed myself" Shaw continued "over and over, and I'd rather do that here and now than to risk your life."

The look on Root's face changed drastically again as she realised the immensity of Shaw's words. The image of Shaw killing herself to save Root. Then, Shaw was turning the gun on herself, pointing it towards her own head still looking at Root.

Root could feel her heart racing. She could feel her pulse quickening, a sweat breaking out at the base of her neck. This wasn't happening. She wouldn't let it.

Root drew her gun from the back of her pants.

"Okay baby" Root said clicking the safety off her gun and pointing it directly up towards her chin. She watched the expression on Shaw's face fall, change into an immediate frown, confusion, anger, concern.

"What the hell are you doing?" Shaw whispered.

"We'll play it your way" Root said and moved closer to Shaw "You can't live with me, I can't live without you... so if you die, I die too."

Shaw was frowning, deeply so it creased her forehead. She shook her head.

"Put that down" she instructed but Root just looked down the barrel of her own gun.

"September 16th" Root said and Shaw looked confused. "Tomorrow we will have been married for 6 months, feels like longer, I'm proud of us for making it this far although I never thought our downfall would be ...quite this dramatic"

The confused frown on Shaw's face turned to an agonising look of frustration as she stared at Root, so lost.

"I love so many things about you Sam" Root continued the gun still sharply pointed under her chin, ready to blow through her skull with a simple tap of the trigger. She wasn't scared. She wasn't sure what would happen after, but she wasn't scared.

"I love how proudly you stand up for the good guys, I love how much you care, I love how strong you are, I love your smile... your smile could stop wars" Root said the corners of her mouth turning up at the mere thought of Shaw's radiant smile. "I love your heart too... you have so much courage Sam, you might think you're in the dark, but there is so much light slipping through the cracks."

Root breathed in deeply, stopping her eyes from welling up with tears as she looked at Shaw.

"I've never been much of a believer, but I hope we end up together on the other side" Root said with a small shrug and Shaw just shook her head. "I guess we'll find out."

"Damn it Root" Shaw said letting her gun fall from her hand and clatter to the floor. "Stop." she demanded knocking Root's gun from her hand.

Root stared at her shocked that Shaw had managed to bring herself back so quickly after hearing those words, even if it was just for the moment that counted. Root smiled a little.

"I don't know about you" Root said "but home sounds really nice right about now, I'm sure Bear will be glad to have you back."

"Bear" Shaw said quietly and Root just held her hand out for Shaw. Shaw stared at Root's hand, she wasn't entirely convinced yet, Root could see it on her face. It would take time, Root didn't care. She had Shaw back. That's all that mattered.

*

They stopped at a nearby town to rest for the night. Shaw was hesitant to stop but Root knew they wouldn't be able to drive all the way back to New York tonight. Not with Shaw like that. And not when Root was exhausted. Shaw checked the doors and windows several times, and swept the room for any bugs or cameras. It was an old motel, that kind of technology was yet to hit this place. They would be safe. Entirely off the grid. But Root let Shaw check anyway.

"Come to bed, baby" Root said walking out of the bathroom and starting to pull off her clothes. The room was dimly lit with the two bed side lamps. Shaw was standing in the middle of the room, hovering like something was about to happen. She watched Root pull off her jeans, her shirt and toss them towards the arm chair. Shaw stared at Root's skin closely, and found herself moving closer before she could think.

"Where's your scar?" Shaw asked moving behind Root and running a finger across Root's lower back. Root stood up straight at the feel of Shaw's touch, and glanced over her shoulder at her wife.

"Which one?" Root smirked and Shaw just stared at Root's skin.

"The one here" Shaw said trailing her thumb over the curve of Root's hip. Root looked down at where Shaw's hand was, then at Shaw, turning around so they were facing each other.

"I don't have a scar there, Sam" Root said softly. Shaw looked confused.

"Yes you do"

Root shook her head.

"I have one here" Root said taking Shaw's hand from her hip and putting it over her chest, their bullet wounds matching up.

"Right" Shaw said quietly looking at where her hand scar fitted perfectly over Root's chest scar.

Root looked down at Shaw lovingly, moving her hands to Shaw's cheeks lightly, tipping her head up so they were eye to eye.

"Get some sleep" Root told her. "You'll feel better when you wake up."

"Yeah" Shaw said quietly and Root kissed her forehead before climbing into the bed. She glanced back over at Shaw, who started peeling her clothes off before she got into bed. Shaw looked at Root as she climbed in, her eyes running over Root's body before she looked away.

"Come" Root said without missing a beat. Shaw looked back at her and arched an eyebrow. "It'll make me feel better too" Root said lifting the covers and waiting for Shaw to climb on top of her. Nestling herself between Root's legs, her arms wrapping around Root's torso, her head resting on Root's chest. She felt at home, right here, where she could feel and hear every one of Root's breaths, she could feel the warmth of her body, her muscles, her bones, her chest rising and falling.

Root's fingers drew circles on Shaw's back. She could feel Shaw's eyelashes grazing against her skin every time she blinked. Shaw was home. She had her back.

"Do you trust me?" Root said quietly and Shaw lifted her head to look at Root.

"Yes" Shaw said.

"We're going to be okay" Root said. "Do you believe me?"

"I want to" Shaw said, looking at her as she kissed Root's stomach as she lay her head back down. Watch her eyes Shaw reminded herself. Everything was in Root's eyes. The truth was behind those chocolate brown eyes.