She had never felt so lost in her entire life, the war against Samaritan may have been over, but to Shaw it felt like she was still waiting for something to happen. For someone to jump out with a gun, plunging her straight back into the middle of the war.

Wearing Root's jacket with Bear at her side was the closest she felt to normal, in a world where nothing was normal any more.

So when the phone rang beside her, it felt like the most natural thing in the world to pick it up.

The voice that spoke to her nearly made tears come to her eyes again, when so long ago she would have felt nothing at losing another person who had fought beside her. It was right for the Machine to have taken Root's voice, it was what Root would've wanted, from the moment she became part of Team Machine her life was devoted to her God, body and soul.

But this time there was something different to the tone of the voice speaking through the phone, something that was more Root than anything else the Machine had been able to impersonate.

"Next street on your left, hundred yards forward and then take a right. I'm waiting sweetie."
Wordlessly, Shaw hung up the phone and stepped backwards, hardly daring to hope as she smiled up at the camera in a thank you that she knew the Machine would never truly understand the depth of.

Slipping into the crowd again, she followed the instructions she had been given, before turning down into an alley faltering when she reached a dead end and no one was waiting for her.

Kneeling down in front of Bear, she ran her hands through his coat tiredly, "Just one too many miracles to ask for I guess."

"Not at all."

"Should've known you had something up your sleeve." Shaw shook her head as she stood up and turned to face Root, who was leaning against a wall with her arms crossed, grinning at Shaw.

Pushing off from the wall, she walked towards Shaw, stopping inches away from her and looking down at her eyes searchingly, "Are you mad at me?"

"Honestly?" Shaw asked, tilting her head to the side, "A little bit, you made me think you were dead Root, what were you thinking?"

Root smiled sadly as she reached up to touch Shaw's cheek, "We were at war, and when your God asks you to do something, you don't refuse. My death was a necessity but whether or not it stuck was up to me."

"You could have told me, I would have backed you." Shaw argued as Root shook her head.

"Your reactions had to be genuine, for me to do what I needed to there could be no doubt I was really dead." Root explained earnestly.

Narrowing her eyes suspiciously, the corners of Shaw's lips quirked upwards slightly, "Just how much did you really have to do with us winning?"

"I've got to have some secrets don't I?" Root grinned, winking at Shaw, "But if it was a lot, how would you show your gratitude?"

Smirking, Shaw leaned up towards her lips, before pulling back and looking her dead in the eyes, "I won't kick your ass for making me believe you were dead."

Laughing, Root quickly leaned in before Shaw could lean back any further and stole a kiss, "Well then take me for breakfast and I'll tell you all about it sweetie."

"Sure." Shaw smiled, "Let's go for breakfast Root."