[Fanfic] Uncharted

[shuufleur93]

Title: Uncharted
Fandom : Person of Interest
Word Count: 2,018
Type: OS
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Root | Samantha Groves/Sameen Shaw
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Treasure Hunters, Pre-Relationship, Pining
Summary:

Sameen and Reese's new mission smells like trouble, and Sameen doesn't know how to feel about Root.

Notes: Fill for the square Treasure Hunter of my What if AU card & for the prompt Flirt of the 100 Ships Challenge table.
AO3 Link: Uncharted.

“What do you know about this Finch?”

Sameen sliced a bit of her apple, loving how her knife slid through the fruit like butter. She bit into the slice in a satisfying crunch and briefly looked up at Reese, sitting next to her.

“He’s a scientist. He used to be a big name in computer science. He was going to revolutionize artificial intelligence with his partner until their little start up blew up. Literally,” she added with a sharp smile. As usual, Reese only had a slight twitch of the mouth. He was so used to her and her quirks that he didn’t react much anymore. Not that he reacted more before either.

“During a party on a boat, there was an explosion,” she continued, “the partner died. Finch got hurt badly but survived.”

“And how did he go from computer science to… this?”

Through the window, Reese pointed at the island they were currently approaching by plane.

“He’s rich,” Sameen replied with a shrug. “His buddy had life insurance for which he was the sole recipient. It seemed the partner didn’t have any other family.”

“Convenient.”

“I guess he wanted something else to do in his life. I don’t know. You could ask him when we land,” Sameen continued finishing the last bit of her apple.

Reese had made a face at her suggestion and ignored her. Unfazed, she put the core in a paper napkin after cleaning the knife from the juice and putting it back into its sheath.

“I hope this mission goes over quickly.”

“Why, you have a hot date?”

Again, Reese ignored her. It didn’t bother her. They never really talked about their private life unless it could jeopardize a mission. They were very similar on that point, which was one of the reasons why they worked so well together. They both understood the importance of the mission and didn’t really care for each other’s personal lives. However, it would have been remiss of Sameen’s own skills if she hadn’t noticed the glances Reese threw at his phone during the flight, and the tiny smile he let out during those times.

Sameen was certain he was seeing someone. She did remember seeing a woman leaving his apartment a couple nights back in New York when she was feeling restless and needed something to do during a bout of insomnia. Reese probably knew what she was doing but he never told her anything about that.

“I prefer quick and simple missions over complicated. I’m not that young anymore,” Reese said with an ironic twist of lips. “Maybe you can hold out more but my knees ache after a while.”

The laughter bubbled in Sameen but never quite came out, like it was stuck somewhere between her lungs and her throat. She managed a smile, though, to show Reese she appreciated the joke.

“Sir, Madam, we have begun our descent into Laguna Isles,” the pilot announced a few minutes late, cutting short the rest of the conversation.

---

“Sameen!”

She could recognize the voice anywhere and anytime. Sameen turned around. Holding her hat with one hand, Root was waving at her with the other, a big smile on her face. Sameen had to take a few moments to look at her and maybe make the tiny spike of nervousness disappear. They hadn’t seen each other for a few weeks, and Sameen had almost expected her to change. She didn’t, of course; she still had the same flowing hair, the same smile, the same mischievous air. Lately, any time Sameen thought of Root, her heart did something funny, which she wasn’t sure she liked. She thought it would stop at some point as time went on. It didn’t. It somehow felt worse now that she was seeing her again in the flesh. Without looking at him, she knew Reese’s curiosity was picked, but she wasn't going to say anything.

The pilot gave them their bags and reminded them of their planned departure before going back to his plane. In silence, they walked to Root. As they got closer, a man detached himself from her as if he was springing from her shadow. The man was shorter than Root, with cropped hair, glasses, a walking cane and the look of a book smart person overall.

“I was wondering when you were going to arrive. I’m so excited to see you,” Root exclaimed to Sameen when they were close enough, taking her hands in her own and smiling wide. Once she was seemingly satisfied of looking at Sameen, she turned to Reese and extended a hand, “Hi, I’m Samantha Groves, but you can call me Root.” She stepped aside and introduced the man next her. “This is Harold Finch, leader and backer of this expedition.”

The other man greeted them with a head movement.

“Thank you, Ms. Groves,” Mr. Finch said with a quick smile. He turned calculating eyes on Sameen and Reese. She hated how it felt like he was looking inside her mind. “Ms. Groves assures me you’re the best of the trade, and I trust her.”

Root had dropped Sameen’s hands, but stayed close, her arms brushing her. Anytime the wind ruffled Root’s hair, it would spread the fragrance of her shampoo. It hadn’t changed since the last time they met, which was unusual for Root who liked change more than Sameen liked when things stayed the same.

“We are professionals who can deal with a lot of different situations,” Reese replied easily, without false bolster, just the simple truth and confidence in their skills and experience. “However, I can’t help but wonder about something. Root informed us this mission wasn’t going to be dangerous. If that’s correct, why did you hire us?”

“I assure you this mission is not dangerous,” Finch replied with an easy smile but a serious face. “Ms. Groves is unjustly worried.”

“It’s not unjustly, Harold,” Root replied, a slight annoyance in her voice, before addressing Reese and Sameen, “We’ve had some issues in the camp and on the archeological site.”

“What kind of issues?”

“Ms. Groves,” Finch warned, but Root continued to explain.

“Someone set a tent on fire. Somebody else, or the same person, set traps in the woods. Bear traps. On an island without bears.”

Root then looked at Finch with a raised eyebrow, although she didn’t seem overly worried about what she just told them. Sameen didn’t like it. Root seemingly forgot to tell her about that. Hell, before Root left on that expedition, Sameen had never heard of Finch. She didn’t know how they met, or if they were friends from before. Sameen waved that thought away. It didn’t matter. It wasn’t like the two women had this kind of relationship.

“Is somebody trying to kill you?” Reese asked, not beating around the bush.

Eyes wide opened, Finch waved his hands. Root rolled her eyes, which let Sameen know what she needed to know.

“No! No! It’s just… this island seems to be the center of some kind of natural element that could be used as a future energy with the right tools and transformation. These are just legends, but of course, people are going to flock to the island, trying to find its secret.”

“Like you did?”

Finch smiled at Sameen’s question, sharper than all his previous smiles.

“I’m merely there for the scientific and geological discovery. Curiosity is my main drive. Others… well, you would be correct in that they’re not interested in the discovery just for its intrinsic value.”

“I see,” Reese replied, pensive.

“Well, I think we can leave you to settle down, we can meet up later," Finch said, suddenly in hurry to leave them. "Ms. Groves, please show them to their private quarters and come see me after.”

He threw her a look which suggested to Sameen he didn’t completely agree with her. Interesting. Worrying.

“Of course,” Root replied, then to Sameen and Reese, “Please follow me.”

She walked to a tent nearby and opened the flap to show them inside. There were two folding beds with a simple sheet covering, a lamp and a trunk beside each bed.

“We don’t have enough tents for everybody so you will have to bunk with each other during you stay. Is that going to be an issue?”

“None,” Sameen replied as Root gazed at her with intent eyes.

“We’ve slept in worst,” Reese added with a smirk.

Root smiled in return, but it lacked sincerity.

“Please join us when you’re ready.”

As she left, she couldn’t resist touching gently Sameen’s hand from the tip of her fingers. Before she was too far away, Sameen jogged to her.

“Why did you hire us, Root? This is not our typical missions. Or yours.”

Root had a mischievous smile on her face.

“I needed the best and I got the best.”

“Root…” Sameen sighed, half annoyed and flattered. “You could have gotten anyone else. I know about a dozen of competent people who could do the same thing that Reese and I, and you know that. Tell me the truth.”

“Maybe I just wanted you by my side. Maybe I missed too much these last few weeks.”

Root approached her to softly kiss her on the cheek, so close to Sameen's lips, her heart did something funny. Root smiled against her cheek as if she knew then took a step back to leave again. Sameen took a few seconds to reign whatever emotions she was currently feeling and went back to the tent.

When he saw her, Reese didn’t waste any time to ask, “Do you have something to tell me?”

Sameen raised an eyebrow. She didn’t expect him to not have noticed their unusual interactions, but it didn’t mean she had to talk about it.

“I have nothing to tell you.”

“Nothing," he repeated plainly, "What was that with Root? Anything I should know about?”

“Nope.”

Sameen grabbed her bag and went inside the tent to claim on the beds. Reese followed her and put his bag on the other bed.

“Shaw, I need to know if you have history. You know I don’t care what you do in your private life, but here, you need to tell me if there’s anything between you two.”

Sameen didn’t lie, there was nothing between Root and her. Reese didn’t seem entirely convinced, of course. She couldn’t blame him. Root had always been quite handsy with Sameen. At first, she was pretty sure Root only did it to annoy her. Until… well, until the kiss, some time ago. The memory of this kiss made her heart flutter for a brief moment, and something that almost felt like longing blossomed in her chest. How could she feel that?

“The mission will not be jeopardized, I assure you.”

Reese pressed his lips in a thin line, but his shoulders had relaxed. Relief, maybe.

“I trust you, Shaw, as always.”

Discussion settled for now, they decided to leave the tent. They looked at Finch who was going around the camp talking to people.

“Do you think he’s telling the truth?”

Sameen smirked.

“I believe he believes what he says. But we both know people, and their greed and what happens to the obstacles in front of them. It isn’t just the fire, or the traps. He’s scared. And I think deep down, he knows why, which is why we’re here.”

Reese sighed, long and deep.

“So, we’re expecting trouble. I don’t know why I thought this mission was going to be simple for once.”

“Come on,” Sameen said, poking him with her elbow. “You love that. Don’t pretend. I know you. This is where we strive. And who’s to say this mission is not just going to be simple and easy?”

“Me.”

But Reese had that smile, the little smile that only meant good things for Sameen. The mission was probably going to hell very soon, but at least, she wasn’t going through it alone.

Her eyes strayed for a few seconds on Root’s silhouette. As if she felt eyes on her, Root turned her head towards Sameen and smiled, knowingly.