Peter saw the light of the new day through the balcony windows, falling onto the put-together design of Neal's home. He blinked, clearing the fuzz from his brain, while he checked for his phone. It was on the floor, along with everything else he'd had on him before they went to bed.

He smiled a little; El was getting home tonight. She'd be jealous she'd missed that.

Shifting, he tried not to wake the nearly-snoring con man draped over his shoulder while he stepped off the bed to grab his clothes. As he dressed, he checked his phone; it was six. He needed to run home, tidy up so that Elizabeth wouldn't come home to a dirty house, get food, and get to the Beaureau. He leaned over to kiss Neal's forehead, and turned for the door.

Peter felt a hand on his wrist, tugging gently. He turned.

In the early morning, Neal looked softer, younger, unguarded. For all his bullshitting, it was only just after he'd been woken up that Peter sometimes realized that this man could be hurt.

"You coming back?" The desperation in his eyes was unnerving, and for a second Peter could almost see that five-year-old Neal, clutching a stuffed animal and asking whether Dad would come home this week.

He'd never really grown up, he'd just hid his weaknesses well.

Peter wrapped his callaused hand around Neal's softer one, tucking the duvet back around his ears.

"I'll always come back."

At three in the morning, there was a devastatingly familiar vworp-vworp-vworp outside the safe-house. They weren't there often- only when they needed it, or the whole point of it being a secret was rendered moot- it was a wonder they'd been found.

Jack allowed his eyes to open fully, glancing out the bedroom window to see the bluish light shining from the front yard.

He sighed. Every time something balanced out, something else knocked the scales off the table entirely.

The floorboards didn't creak yet, good for the sleeping young Welshman on the other side of the bed. Jack got dressed, quickly and quietly, gliding around the room like he wasn't really there. And in a minute, he wouldn't be.

His hand touched the door, when he heard Ianto shift and murmur in his sleep. His heart clenched. Every time he made something right, something else went wrong again.

There was a knock at the front door.

Jack closed his eyes, and made a fast decision.

Striding back across the room, he took out the pad of paper they kept by the bedside for similar purposes, and, in pen, inscribed:

I'm sorry

I love you

I will always come back

Then he kissed his lover, softly, and a minute later was inside the blue box.

"Damnit, Jim!" The most common phrase out of Bones' mouth, these days. He partnered this one with a sharp grap on his shoulder. Jim turned, smiling as helpfully (infuriatingly, really) as he could to stare his medic in the eye.

"What is is, Doctor McCoy?" He used the title; he couldn't be informal, not before he met with the diplomats. Couldn't drop character.

"What d'you think you're doing? This planet is as hostile as it gets, you know as well as I do this meeting is a scam to try and take out Starfleet's golden boy! If you get shot, the Federations' first line of defense is crippled." The country doctor dropped his voice low. "We can't lose you on this one, Jim, you hear me?"

He heard it. Clear as day, he heard the unspoken I can't lose you within the frantic lecture. Jim wished he could listen, or even say what he really meant, but he couldn't risk the planet below hearing Leonard's shouted accusations- the comms were open in the other room. This job would be difficult enough as it was.

"It's nessecary for diplomatic purposes that we seem willing to negotiate with our best people, Doctor." He could, however, allow himself to grasp the hand on his shoulder, pulling Leonard's hand away from his shoulder, but squeezing before he let go. He looked straight into his (medic, partner, best friend, the holder of his sanity) Leonard's anchoring brown eyes, and gave a smile that could hint at what he really wanted to say.

It's okay-I wouldn't dare let myself not come back to you- it doesn't matter if I get hurt if you're safe- I'm practically invincible anyways,so stop worrying- I'm not sure if you're ready to hear this yet but I love you, Bones, I really do.

"I'll come back, Bones. I always come back."

Heyyyy...

*ducks tomatoes*

I know I haven't been on in... Months. At least. But I was... Distracted. Composing. Getting my life in order. I broke up with my girlfriend, found new music, learned to cook, dunked my grades in the toilet. Reinvented myself, a bit.

So... New stuff. Star Trek (NERD). Doctor Who(DOUBLE NERD AND SCHIZOPHRENIC TO BOOT). Torchwood (Okay, EVERYONE on this show is attractive... Blame my hormones). White Collar(I frighten myself with how much I identify with Neal... And how little I'm attracted to Kate. She's my type, but she's a little... Off-putting. I prefer Elizabeth). Yeah. New. Ish. I'm sorry. Really, I am.

Enjoy my first publication since I've been 16! w00t!