A/N: So I had a bunch of ideas pop in to my head today, and this was the coolest of them. It's pretty twisty and dark. Alternating Riley/Ben POV, slash. Six part.

Disclaimer: Despite the fact that I'm head over heels in love with Riley, he's not mine. Neither are the rest of the characters.

Everything was settling into place until everything was falling apart.

It had been exactly ten years to the day that I'd known Ben Gates. Over those ten years, he had become my best friend, my partner in crime (literally), and, more recently, my lover. And, somehow, he loved me, too.

It had been five years since discovering the Templar treasure, three since discovering Cibola, and two since discovering our mutual feelings.

In two years, I'd fallen deeper and harder in love than I ever imagined I could. We were even considering adoption, or marriage. Or both.

We had actually talked about both that night, laying in bed together. My head was on his chest, and his arm was around my shoulders as he traced strange patterns against my skull.

"That feels good," I sighed contentedly, enjoying the feel of the rise and fall of his chest.

"Mhm," he confirmed. I smiled, and for a moment we laid in silence. "Did you know it's been ten years today that we've known each other?" he asked.

I turned my head so I could see his face. "Has it only been ten? It feels like forever."

He smiled but didn't really respond, so we lapsed into comfortable silence again. "I looked at the adoption center's website today," he said quietly.

I sat up and looked at him. "You did?"

"Yeah," he nodded, sitting up as well.

"What did it say?" I asked, a strange combination of anxiety and excitement churning in my stomach.

"It said it's a lot easier to adopt if you're married or in a civil union."

I thought about his words, which seemed strange to me. Then I realized… "Are you implying what I think you're implying?"

"Maybe," he whispered, his face so close to mine I was finding it hard to breathe. "Would you want to?"

"Yes," I whispered back. He took my chin in his hands.

"Then yes, I am," he answered. He kissed me, lightly at first, but, inevitably, it deepened, and we ended up tangled in each other and breathing deeply.

"I love you," he whispered, kissing me again.

"Love you too," I murmured into his lips. I fell asleep purely blissful.

NTNTNTNT

The bliss hardly lasted beyond the final flicker of my eyes. I fell deeply and quickly into a nightmare…

His face leered hauntingly before mine. 'So now you're with Gates?'

'Yes,' I answered, 'and I'm happy, so leave me alone,' I commanded.

'Are you? Really?' he asked with a menacing laugh. 'Then why would you do this?'

His face moved closer to mine, and I resisted with everything I could…

I awoke with a scream, waking Ben out of his sound sleep. I couldn't breathe for fear, and I threw myself out of the bed.

"Ri?" he asked, sitting up. "What's wrong?"

I had no idea how to put it without sounding completely crazy and paranoid. "Nothing," I lied, hoping he'd believe me. "I just had a nightmare." After pacing a moment more, I returned to bed, and he immediately wrapped me in his arms.

"You're alright now," he whispered soothingly into my ear. "You're safe."

With his help, I calmed down enough to lay down again within a few minutes. His arms never unwrapped themselves from me, and I tilted my head up to his. "Thank you," I whispered.

He kissed me lightly. "You're welcome."

When I fell asleep again, it was dreamless.

NTNTNTNT

When he left the next morning, he told me he'd be home early that night. I was giddy—Ben coming home early always meant something good.

Around ten, after I'd eaten breakfast and consumed a Mountain Dew and a half, I began to write. I was so lost in my work, that when the grandfather clock Ben insisted on keeping struck three, I was so shocked I half-jumped out of my seat.

"That clock will be the death of me," I muttered, calming myself down. I was just returning to my laptop when I could have sworn I heard a shouted command.

Confused, I turned from my work. "Hello?" I asked into the quiet.

There was no answer.

Paranoid, but feeling silly, I returned my eyes to the screen. It had been a few minutes, and I had all but forgotten about the yell, when another yell, this one pained, shocked me into fear.

I had a few options. I could call Ben, but I didn't want to bother him with something so silly. I could hide, but that just seemed dumb. I finally decided on staying where I was. Whatever was out there, I was probably imagining it.

I tried to focus on the words, but was unsuccessful. It had been three minutes since the second yell when a knock on my door set my heart pounding anew.

Forcing my fears into submission, I shakily stood and went to answer the door—

"Hello," greeted an evil, oh-so-familiar voice.

So I wasn't paranoid after all.

"Get the fuck away from me," I whispered, shaking my head, and taking an automatic step back.

"No can do," he answered, stepping in the door and making it impossible for me to escape. "Now that I've served my time, I'm planning on tearing you and Gates apart bit by bit."

"How are you even here?" I asked. "What about prison?"

"Got out on good behavior," he explained with a shrug. "Or, in other words, I kissed the asses of the right people."

I snorted. "You got out on good behavior? I highly doubt that."

A gun was suddenly pulled out of his inside coat pocket and pressed up against my forehead. "I wouldn't doubt anything if I were you," he threatened.

I wasn't. I tried desperately to make myself breathe, but I could think only of Ben and what he would think…

"So what, you're living with him now?" he snarled. "What happened to the blonde?"

"None of your business," I managed bravely through my fear.

Dropping the hand that held the gun, I was feeling lucky until the fist I hadn't seen coming collided with my jaw, and I began to slump to the floor.

"And now?" he asked.

"Still nothing you need to know," I muttered against the pain in my jaw.

He shook his head, frustrated with my lack of cooperation. "Then this will be that much more painful for you," he muttered. He punched me again, in the same place, and the pain made me black out.

You wanna watch us break

Be the first to take us down

But your teeth are worn

And there's no stopping us now

"The Resistance," Anberlin

NTNTNTNT

A/N: Love it? Hate it? …review, please?