Alright, I don't own Myka, Pete, Artie, the Warehouse (though I wouldn't mind a few of those artifacts) and all that jazz.

P.S. Reviews are the best way for me to know what I'm doing right and wrong, so please share!

Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas

"PETE!" Myka screamed as she lunged for the girl in the blue pinafore.

"Kinda busy Myka!" Pete shouted back as he wrestled with the man dressed in tin. A buzzing noise came from his coat. Groaning, Pete shoved the tin man to the ground and pulled out the Farnsworth. "Artie?"

"Pete? Where's Myka?"

Pete looked over to his partner, "Uh, she's working on getting the shoes. Dorothy's a real fighter."

"Dorothy? What…what about the Good Witch's …oh. The ruby slippers."

"Yeah, the ruby slippers!"

"Oh. Of course! Baum's mother…"

"Artie!" Myka shouted. "How do I get the shoes off?"

In the small screen of the Farnsworth Artie fumbled with papers. "Have you tried knocking her out with the Tesla?"

"Yes! Pete already used it on the lion and the scarecrow! It hasn't recharged yet!" Myka struggled with the girl and received an elbow to the nose. "OW!" Myka shouted and punched Dorothy out cold.

"It's too dangerous to try to take the shoes off now so douse her!" Artie looked up and realized Pete was gone. The other side of the Farnsworth showed only sky. "Pete?"

"Just…a…second…Artie" Pete huffed. The tin man had recovered and caught Pete with a kick in the stomach. Pete got up from where he had fallen and eyed his opponent. The artifact Pete and Myka had been tracking was an integral part to the life-like aspect of four college students Halloween costumes. Earlier the two had battled a fierce but shy lion and a brainy scarecrow. Now Pete was facing a stocky wrestler-turned-tin man with a romantic side. Out of the corner of his eye Pete saw Myka edging towards the silver canister full of purple, gooey neutralizer directly to the left of the tin man. Pete let out a yell and barreled into the tin man and brought him to the ground. Myka snatched the container and quickly dumped the contents on the feet of the red-headed Kansas native.

With a bright flash the ruby red slippers of legend dimmed and adopted a defeated glimmer. Pete lay on the ground, already beginning to feel the bruises forming around his ribcage. Gingerly Myka lifted the shoes from the college girl's feet and placed them in a large silver bag.

"Come on Pete. We're done here."

Pete slowly got up, "Off to see the wizard?"

Myka rolled her eyes. "Let's just hope he doesn't have any more witches for us to melt."

Houston, Texas

"Another round for the lady!" The blonde woman Samuel was with tilted her head back in laughter at his drunken antics. The world was spinning for the middle aged man, but he was more than okay with that; anything to drown out his current situation. His other distraction snuggled into his lap holding her fourth martini of the night and began to nibble at his ear. Entwining her hands in his brown hair she placed small kisses all along his neck. Sighing, he pushed all other thoughts away and focused on his date's plunging neckline and short skirt.

"Sammy?" the blonde moaned into the pillow.

"Yes Baby?" Wracking his sore mind he realized he had forgotten her name as well as how many shots he'd put away the night before.

"My head is killing me." The clock brightly declared that it was well past ten o'clock.

"The hotel offers breakfast; they'll probably still have coffee." He rolled over. "I'm gonna sleep a little longer, I'm still exhausted."

He felt a kiss on his bare shoulder, "I know Sammy, you were great last night." He squeezed his eyes shut as if to block out the memory of the alcohol driven night. "I'll be back soon Sammy." Sam caught a whiff of the blonde's perfume as she left his hotel room. After the door shut, Sam buried his head in his pillow. He tried to think back to the night before, but as he expected, it was a blur. Sam was on a business trip in Houston for a couple days and went out with his coworkers for a couple drinks. Something had happened to land him in the hotel bar drinking with the blonde thing getting currently coffee downstairs. Absently Sam scratched at his tousled mop of hair while he recalled the fiery fight he and his girlfriend had had over the phone last night. She had been insistent that he come back to little Des Moines in Washington even though he still had three more days of conferences and presentations. Groaning, he fell back asleep to ward away the hangover pounding behind his eyes.

But as Sam slept, something else was going on in his mind. At first it was just his name: someone was calling him, calling him from afar. Then an image began to form. Sam began to dream of a woman, the same dream he'd had the past two days. The woman was beautiful, radiant, not made up like the blonde downstairs. She wore a flowing white gown and walked toward him. Sam couldn't quite tell, but she looked sad as if she had lost something. Sam felt some connection with the unknown woman and called out to her.

"Miss? Miss, can I help you?"

She turned to look at him, brown eyes tortured, "Sam."

A garden began to materialize around them, "I don't know you. Do I?"

"Sam."

Sam began to back away from the woman, a bad feeling gathering in the pit of his stomach. "I don't know you!"

"Sam." The woman was advancing on him.

"No!" Sam began to stumble as he tried to get away from the woman and in his haste fell to the grassy floor

"Sam."

It was too late; the beautiful woman in white had caught up with him. She touched his cheek gently and Sam felt himself begin to drift as if he was waking up. Shooting pain in his chest brought Sam back to the hotel room he had fallen asleep in. Flailing Sam thrust aside the covers smothering him and made as if to leap from the bed. Unfortunately Sam fell solidly against the pillows as he felt life leaking away.

As he lay dying Sam thought he heard a soft voice whisper, "I'm sorry."

Chapter 1 done! Yes! I repeat, REVIEW please!