(AN: I have started writing this story in class. School is so boring. So expect more than weekly updates of long chapters. And expect angst, hurt, comfort, and so many other feels in the up coming chapters. Also, I want to thank everyone for being supportive readers. That's priceless.)

Leena sighed and began.

"Well, um... we think Steve used the pen because he was confused about his feelings. Please sit down Claudia." She motioned to the chair the red-head was previously in.

Claudia eyed her warily and crossed the room towards the chair in the corner. Lowering herself in the giant chair, she opened her mouth to speak. Claudia needed to ask something no matter how much she feared any and all of the answers.

She quickly closed it when she found her throat was entirely dry. Swallowing, she started again.

"And those feelings were...?" She faded. She knew that so many of the answers could lead to a huge change in their relationship forever, and on top of it, some would utterly destroy her. Leena twiddled her thumbs nervously and stared at the floor.

"His feelings for you." The inn keeper chocked out. Claudia's eyes widened, and she sunk into the chair. She felt so vulnerable, and hurt.

Yes, a very small part of her was happy, almost ecstatic by the fact that he had feelings for her. But it was drowned in all of the betrayal and anger she felt. "How could he?!" She spat angrily, sitting up in the chair.

"Claudia..." Leena said gently. "I'm his sister! We're partners! And- and-..." She slid back into the chair, and a lone tear rolled down her face. "And he put himself in danger because of it."

She felt entirely defeated, and her heart was almost in an overload of feelings. Why had they let this happen? How could she let this happen?

As she looked at Steve's twitching body, her emotions switched to ones of hurt, sadness, and overall pain. She just couldn't believe this had happened to them.

"An-and he couldn't just talk to me?" She said in a strangled whisper. "He had to go and do this to himself?" Leena smiled sadley and shook her head.

"He didn't want to hurt you. He was afraid of loosing your friendship, or making you believe he loved you before he fully understood what he felt." She looked at the other girl. "He did it to protect you."

The tech curled her legs up to her chest. As she stared at her partner's shaking body, she wondered if it had been worth it to him.

As she looked, she whispered, "But the problem is, I don't know how I can help him now."

Leena smiled gently at her. "Then be happy. It's what he would want."

As Steve watched Claudia bleed in front of him once again, he felt almost a hand tugging at his consciousness. He fought it as he felt it pulling him away from her. "No! I'm not leaving you, Claud." He growled. Suddenly, she started to fade, causing him to whimper. "Don't leave."

His vision started to fade, and slowly turned darker and darker. He groped out in the growing darkness, attempting to find Claudia. His fingers feeling nothing, and his heart feeling and overwhelming wave of sadness, he let the hand pull him away from the site of his beloved's murder.

"We just neutralized the pen. He should start to wake up soon."

Myka's face looked up at Claudia through the Farnsworth. The older agent could clearly see Claudia's eyes were puffed up and her face was streaked with tears.

"Don't worry Claud. He will wake up."

Claudia only nodded slightly. Sighing, Myka gave her one last encouraging smile and closed the Farnsworth. Following suit, Claudia dropped it on the table next to her.

She watched Steve, every fiver in her body worried that he wouldn't wake up. Both of the women sat in the room, and both watched Steve's body for any sign that he would wake.

Just as Claudia felt tears stinging her eyes as she convinced herself he wouldn't wake, she saw his eyes begin to flutter open. "Steve!"

Claudia was at his side in a moment. She stood next to the bed, and her hands nervously clasped one of his own. She shook it gently. "Come on, Steve. Come back to me." She sobbed gently, staring at her face. "Wake up, please. Please wake up Steve."

His eyes slowly pulled apart, squinting against the light as he sat up. As he looked at Claudia, the memories of what he had experienced, each and every time, came crashing back to him. He felt tears well up as he stared at her face.

He slowly raised his unoccupied hand and gently touched her cheek, almost like he was possessed. "Claud?" He whispered, and looked into her eyes.

She raised her hand and softly touched the one on her face. "I'm here." She said, tears freely falling. She smiled, and her eyes filled with hope.

He quickly wrapped and arm around her waist and pulled her towards him, and the other held her head to the spot between his neck and shoulder, where she fit perfectly. She threw her arms around his neck and squeezed him tightly.

"I thought I lost you." She whispered, her voice filled with pain." He held her closer if that was even possible. "I'm sorry." She nodded into into.

Leena smiled and quietly slipped from the room, and neither of them even noticed.

Claudia crawled into the bed and pressed herself against him, arms still around his neck, face still on his chest.

"I really am sorry."

"I know. And we'll talk about it." She looked briefly up at him. "Later. But not now." He gave her a weak smiled and pressed his cheek on the top of her head. "Okay."

After the rest of the team came back, and hugs and smiled were exchanged, Steve confined himself to his room. Myka and Pete were too happy he was okay and currently to engrossed in each other to question why he had used the pen. Plus, both were currently on the couch, with her head in his lap. And both Leena and Artie knew why already, they didn't have to ask.

And Steve had this horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach that someone had told Claudia why. After the hug they had exchanged, he had lost her and assumed she had retreated to her room. After the nightmares, it kind of scared him to not have her in his constant sight. Even though her knew that after what happened, he had no right to be around her, but it still made him chew on his fingernails with worry.

He felt such an extreme need to wrap his arms around her and just hold her to him, and never let go. He had to remember every time he lost her, every time he couldn't help her, every time her life slipped away from him. It stung like and open wound covered in lemon juice and salt.

Jinks held a picture in his hands, and his thumb brushed over the face on the right. It was him and Claudia when they were at the reenactment looking for Grant's flask, both clad in the gray Confederate uniforms.

Claudia was beaming, and her brown eyes practically shone with happiness. He was looking at her out of the corner of his eye, smiling back at her with a smile filled with content. Sighing, he studied her face, drinking in every detail of her face, that one she saw twisted in hate in his nightmares.

It hurt so much that because of his selfishness, he had brought her so much pain, and had made sure that the relationship between the two would never be the same again.

He wondered what would happen next time they got a ping. Would Artie be soft on Steve, and send someone else with him instead of Claudia? Or would he have no mercy? Steve doubted Artie would cut him slack.

The very thought of being stuck on a plane next to the girl who he did- but shouldn't- love made him want to be sick. He loved the girl for God's sake! How could anything ever return to normal, how it was before he screwed it up?

How could he even face her now?

Gently placing the picture back in it's spot, Steve buried his face in his hands. He didn't know what he would do now. Maybe he could go back to the ATF, get his old job back. Or start a new life. Get a new job.

Fall in love with someone- someone he could actually be with.

He felt lost. But he knew that he couldn't leave no matter what. It wouldn't be fair to any of the others. He knew that the only way to solve any of this was to confront Claudia.

He had to- he did love her, after all.