Oh friends, writer's block is a bitch and I apologize. This is a short one, and was a very aggravating one, but I think I now have gotten myself back on track. Due to some personal family stuff I probably won't have any time to write this week, but look for a new chapter early next week sometime. Hope you're still with me, and hope you are continuing to enjoy:)

Helena had been pleasantly surprised when Myka showed up at her door almost an hour earlier. She knew the detectives had the day off and hadn't been expecting to hear from any of them. Helena hadn't exactly been surprised when Myka had declined her offer to go trick or treating with her and Christina, but she would be lying if she said she hadn't been a little disappointed. Myka Bering was indeed a puzzle Helena wanted to solve, but the more she got to know the woman, she had a feeling she might never crack it. The taller woman didn't appear to be comfortable under Helena's gaze, she shifted her body nervously while Pete jumped up and down on the balls of his feet next to her. The three of them were waiting to order at Helena's favorite pizza place and she was enjoying seeing the two of them outside of work. Despite knowing them for almost four months now, the majority of time spent together was discussing cases. Helena had certainly gotten glimpses into their lives, but realized now as she was out with the two of them, that this really was the first time they had spent time together that had absolutely nothing to do with work. Helena liked it.

She knew that Pete and Myka had previously been partners and that they were best friends; but seeing them together outside of work and with no one else was not what Helena would have expected. They had a sort of wordless language – mostly consisting of Pete making faces and Myka hitting him – that Helena envied. She and her ex-husband Malcolm had been like that in the beginning. Helena hadn't had that with anyone else since.

Myka punched Pete in the arm as he tried to cut ahead in front of a teenage boy. "Myka, I'm starving." Pete whispered angrily at her as he rubbed his arm.

"Chill out Pete, we're next in line."

"Starving Myka. Lattimer starving." He complained. Helena watched as Myka simply rolled her eyes and turned away from him. She smiled sheepishly at Helena, as if apologizing for Pete's behavior. Helena only shook her head; she had spent enough time with Pete to no longer be fazed by it. "Hey HG, how'd you find this dive anyway?" He asked. Myka smacked him hard as a customer glared at him. "What?"

Helena laughed lightly. "Purely by accident. I was in the middle of an important phone call and my mobile died. I came in to use the phone, they said I had to order something. I've been coming here ever since."

"Finally!" Pete exclaimed as it was their turn in line. He jumped up and ordered faster than the girl behind the counter could write it all down; and they headed for a booth in the back. Pete slid in next to Myka and Helena sat down across from the two of them. They were quiet for a minute or two, before Pete broke the tension. "So, how'd trick or treating go?" He asked Helena.

"Wonderful, Christina has enough candy to last for months, though I'm sure it won't."

"Ha, I never had mine last more than a few days. When I was seven, I ate it all Halloween night, and threw up on my dad." Pete stated proudly.

Myka laughed. "When I was six I did that, only I made it to the toilet."

Pete stuck his tongue out at her and Myka simply mimicked him. The waitress arrived with their pizza and Pete wasted no time taking a huge bite, then complaining about the heat. Myka and Helena showed him no sympathy. Helena pushed over a glass of water and Pete took a huge gulp. "That is AWESOME pizza HG." He exclaimed. "But man is it hot."

"So, I passed the Lattimer test?" Helena asked.

"Hell yeah!" Pete grinned and held his hand out for a high five. Helena shot a glance to Myka, who smiled as she reached up and high fived Pete. "Though, you can't be an official member of the club 'til you've slept on Myka's couch. Its a rule." He picked his pizza back up and ate greedily.

Helena turned to Myka. "Slept on your couch?" She asked, with her eyebrows raised.

"It's not a rule." Myka insisted quickly. "There are no such rules; Pete just tends to pass out cold when he is tired enough."

"Nope, it's a rule!" Pete insisted with his mouth full. "Claud has slept there too, and I think Leena did that one time when she was too drunk to drive home."

Myka shook her head and picked at her pizza. Helena glanced back and forth between the two of them, Pete, oblivious that he was making her uncomfortable, and Myka, clearly trying to show she wasn't. Helena hid her smirk and lifted her pizza to her lips. "Well, I'm sure at some point I'll get the opportunity." She said. Myka's looked up, surprised and caught Helena's eye. The raven haired author only smiled. "I'm sure we'll be working late on a case there at some point darling, don't you think?" Helena bit her food and chewed with a grin as Myka's cheeks tinted themselves with pink. All three of them ate quietly for a few moments, Helena had realized how hungry she was only once they had arrived at the restaurant. Oddly, she was happy about getting Pete's approval. Helena had many friends, but the majority of them were more like acquaintances or friends she only met up with casually. She had always found it easy to make friends; as a child she could assimilate herself into almost any social group with ease. That hadn't changed as she got older. However, none of the people had ever been particularly close to her. Sure, she was fond of a lot of people, she could enjoy their company, but many of them only saw what she wanted them to see; and very little knew anything substantial about her. The ones who did were all in Helena's past. She would never admit it, but Helena was lonely. Oh she loved Christina with all her heart, and she enjoyed her life, but the more she got to know the detectives at the twelfth precinct, the more she liked. She found herself wanting to know what they did on their time off, and wanting to be around them more, Myka most of all.

The three of them finished up their meal and walked outside. The weather was turning colder and Helena pulled her jacket tighter around her as they walked. The conversation turned light and joking back and forth the three of them headed back to Helena's building. As the neared it, Pete cracked a joke that made Myka burst out into laughter and Helena marveled at it. Myka's laugh was loud and beautiful, and Helena was determined to hear it more often. She bid them a good afternoon and told them she would see them tomorrow. Helena watched with a smile as Pete comically held out his arm to Myka and she laughed, taking it and walking along down the sidewalk.