Hey, sorry this took so long… My muse has just up and left me recently and I have been on quite the search to get it back. Thanks for all the reviews! This chapter got a little dark but I think it makes it better… Please stick with it for the sweetness! There are some spoilers for recent episodes, be warned! :)

Myka sat on the couch watching some mindless TV, she needed it. The last case had been hard on all of them. Her first instinct had been to grab Pete and go into town for some ice cream or dinner but he had been acting odd lately. He seemed distant and was always taking little breaks. She was worried. After her scare a few months ago with the telegraph, she had become hyper aware of Pete's behavior. She wanted to make sure she knew if something went wrong. Myka was 90% sure something was. She shook her head as if to shake off the bad thoughts. Pete would tell her if he was in trouble. Hearing footsteps, she immediately turned her head. There was Pete with a faded Dartmouth t-shirt and lop-sided grin. She smiled back. Maybe nothing was wrong after all…

Only when he sat down could she smell the alcohol.

At first she was so shocked she couldn't speak, but that quickly wore off and turned into concern. "Pete, have you been drinking?" she asked, leaning forward to smell him. He pulled away, smile disappearing off his face.

"That's none of your damn business Myka." He replied angrily. She leaned closer and the scent of alcohol intensified. She felt hands on her shoulder and before she knew what was happening Pete threw her across the couch. The coffee table collided with her head and she felt a soft trickle down her cheek. Myka froze. Pete had just laid his hands on her.

"Pete." She started, unsure of what she was going to say after that. He got up and turned to leave and she stood up ready to follow. "Why are you doing this?" She finally said. Pete didn't flinch. "Why are you throwing it all away again?" Myka watched Pete for a reaction, anything. She had to reach him. He spun around and what she saw in his eyes terrified her more than any artifact or bad guy ever had. Sheer rage aimed directly at her. He flew across the room in what seemed like record time. Her body couldn't react. The first punch hit her stomach and she stumbled backwards screaming. She could feel the bruise it would leave. Before she could even stand back up, he grabbed her shoulder and threw her against the wall.

"Help!" she screamed. This couldn't be Pete. That's what she kept telling herself, even as the hits kept raining down.

"Myka!" She heard her name but it didn't register. She let the first sob escape her lips. She started spewing off her final words, everything she wanted to say but couldn't.

"Claudia, you are like the little sister I never had." Punch.

"Myka!"

"Artie, no matter what you think, you're a great father figure." Punch.

"Myka!"

"Pete, I love you." No punch.

Myka awoke to her partner with his hands on her shoulders, wild-eyed. She immediately shook him off. It was still the dream. He was still hitting her. She scrambled as far away from him as she could get.

"Myka, it was just a dream. Your ok." He said reaching out a hand. Her whole body was shaking and she had absolutely no idea what to think. "Myka, you're here, in your bedroom. Safe and sound." The look in his eyes was confused and worried. She finally believed she was out of the dream. Myka took his hand and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Pete, it was awful." She barely whispered, struggling to keep the tears at bay. "It all felt so real…" He rubbed circles into her back and just his warmth was soothing.

"Shhhh. You don't have to talk about it." She pulled back and a lone tear fell down her face.

"I do Pete. You told me yours." She studied her fingers as she began. "You were…." She paused and another tear fell. "Drinking again." She felt Pete's hand reach for hers. Now she was hurting both of them but she had to get it out. "You… You hit me. I told you that you were throwing it all away… and you lost it." She finally looked up and Pete's eyes were filled with tears.

"Myka, I would never hit you. I would die before I hit you." Pete managed. He didn't want to cry in front of her but he was so upset that he could cause her pain, even in her dreams.

"I know that Pete. I know." She looked into his eyes and saw something there, beneath the utter brokenness that defined them at that moment. Maybe what she heard him say during his dream was true… Could he really love her?

They must have looked like quite the pair, sitting together in the almost dark. Tears streamed down both faces and their hands lay intertwined between them. To Myka, Pete had never before been quite so open, quite so sincere. To Pete, Myka had never been more quite so raw, quite so beautiful. He tucked a stray hair behind her ear and she closed her eyes. His hand felt so warm on her cold skin. Without thought, Pete leaned forward and laid the sweetest, shortest kiss Myka had ever received. She opened her eyes to find his peering at her nervously. She leaned forward and closed the distance. Pete wrapped his arms around her and she had never felt more at home. Tears not even dry, the darkness surrounding them, they found each other. Myka pulled back and laid her head on his shoulder. This would change so much… But she didn't want to think about that now. The nightmare still seemed fresh but when something Artie said drifted into her head, it brought out a full on grin.

Everything happens for a reason.