Author's Note: Pete asks Helena about her comment in "Buried". Takes place during that ep.
It's the middle of the night, and Special Agent Pete Lattimer is wide-awake.
Normally, this wouldn't be a concern. If he were at the B&B, he'd simply go for a walk or a run, or play video games or read comic books until he felt tired. But he's in an aisle seat about two-thirds of the way back in an airplane, headed for Egypt. He's already made a couple of trips to the tiny restroom, just to stretch his legs. The comic book he packed is in his bag, which rests in the overhead compartment. He can't get to that at the moment because his partner and best friend, Myka, is passed out against his shoulder. Usually, Pete isn't far behind her on the trip to dreamland. They've been doing this for long enough that they both know the value of catching a nap when they can, because when they reach their destination they often have to hit the ground running to snag whatever artifact is wreaking havoc.
But tonight, Pete just can't shut off his mind. Ever since Mrs. Frederic told him about the "one" rule, he's been thinking about how he'll tell Kelly about what he really does for a living. It'll be nice, not having to hide behind the world's crappiest cover story any more. (And really, what genius decided to make them IRS agents?) But as dense as he can be, even Pete realizes that simply saying, "Hey babe I hunt down dangerous antiques for a living," wouldn't go over very well.
A light flickers on to his left, drawing Pete's attention to the third occupant of their row. HG closed her eyes not long after Myka, although if her facial expressions were any indication her sleep was less than peaceful. Based on what little Claud and Mykes have told him about the woman's past, he can't say he's surprised that she suffers from nightmares. But she's awake now, pulling out her notebook. Pete watches for a few moments as she jots down… what? Plans for another cool invention? Ideas for a story? Memories of her past? Hey didn't she say something about her lovers…?
Like she can feel his eyes, HG looks over at him. "Can't sleep?" she asks in a low voice, mindful of Myka and other sleeping passengers.
Pete shakes his head slightly. "Were you serious?"
"About…?"
"When you said that 'many' of your lovers were men."
It takes her a second before she offers him a little smirk. "Quite serious."
"So who was the lucky lady?"
She cocks an eyebrow at him, the smirk tugging a little more at her lips. She doesn't say anything. After several long moments, Pete squirms slightly. "A lady doesn't kiss and tell," she relents, the smirk turning into a small smile. "But I will say they were each special."
"Lucky ladies, plural?" He lets out a low, quiet whistle. "HG's got game!"
She merely rolls her eyes at him, her usual response when she doesn't understand something he's said or done. But her eyes flicker over Myka before turning back to the pages open before her. Wait a second, did she and Mykes… Pete suppresses a snort. Myka's unclenched quite a bit since they started working at the Warehouse, and Pete knows she's gotten close to HG. But the idea of HG and Myka together just seems… actually… Nah. There's no way Myka would keep something like that from him. Dismissing the thought, Pete shifts slightly, turning his gaze forward again, and once more tries to come up with a good plan for talking to Kelly.
