Title: The Only Way

Author: AnitaB

Author's notes: I own nothing from Warehouse 13. No money is made, no infringement is intended. My Artie and Leena didn't like the last few episodes of the season. I don't know yet how I'm pulling Jinx into my Duped universe yet, but I still needed to reaffirm the world that has everyone alive and home safe. Here goes.

The Only Way

by AnitaB

"Hmm..." His voice was low, rumbly, and still half asleep. And it was accompanied by the warmth of his body cuddling even closer against her back. Strong arms tightened around her waist as the scratch of his beard nuzzled against the helplessly arched line of her neck.

"Artie?"

His fingers clenched, half curling into the cloth of her pjs. His lips closed against her shoulder in a sleep kiss. "Hmm... hmm." Even unconsc ious that damn man was trying, and half succeeding, to distract her. It was a little mean, but a girl had to do what a girl had to do.

Sucking in a shaky breath, Leena channelled Mrs. Frederick's 'voice of authority' and tried again. "Arthur Nielsen."

Leena felt just a little guilty when every single muscle in the body against hers jerked wide awake and half up-right. "What's exploding? Where's the artifact?"

She barely kept the laughter inside and only until his eyes cleared and he glared down at her. "That wasn't funny, Leena."

"Says you." Leena smiled up at him, her hands sliding up the arms he leaned over her on. "I think little bad boy panic is cute on you." She paused, letting her fingers curl around the back of his neck to pull him closer. "And I wasn't the one falling asleep in the middle of our conversation, now was I?"

His eyes flicked to her lips and he leaned lower. "It's not something I like talking about, sweetheart."

Now she was the one being distracted as he crossed the last few inches to claim her lips for a slow, sweet kiss. Artie was good, very good at distracting her like this. She could never get enough of his kisses. And damn if he didn't know it, tucking her close against his chest to keep building the heat. /No, Love. You're not winning so easily.\\ "No, Artie. I want to talk about it. What would we do if..."

Now his kiss was more forceful. Strong fingers fisted in her hair, angling for a deeper, more desperate kiss before pulling back with a harsh breath. "If... if something had happened any differently... we would have figured it out." Dark eyes locked to hers, burning with conviction. "Four of the best agents any warehouse has ever had are sleeping in this building. They've saved the world more than once. And that isn't counting you, me, or Mrs. Frederick and our considerable skills." Artie wrapped both arms tight around her waist, resting his forehead against hers. "There is no possible version of today that ends any way other than this."

Leena felt the tight, painful knot in her chest ease just a little. Wrapping both arms around his neck, she relaxed into his embrace. "Tell me, please."

He gave her a sweet little smile. "The only way this case was ever going to end was just like this. You in my arms. All our brilliant, impossible agents alive, safe and home, sleeping in their rooms. And Mrs. Frederick again singing our praises to the regents. We made it, love. We're fine, we're all fine."

The smile and laugh brought his eyes back to her lips. "You really think Pet and Myka are sleeping right now?"

She love the mixture of ick and aww fighting for control of his face. "I'm definitely not thinking about that right now. I'm just going to make my own beautiful, brilliant, worrier of a woman too tired to think about any depressing 'what if's."

Suddenly her hands weren't able to maintain her grip because he was peeling her sleep shirt off over her head, following it with his own. Then his hands were burning along the bare skin of her back as his mouth planted a line along her neck and down her chest.

"If you think that's for the best, Artie, I'm with you." Locking her fingers on his bare shoulders, Leena arched under the stroke of his lips.

HIs hands held her still for the smile he hid against her heart. "Hmm...hmmm."

The end.