A/N: It's been a long time since I have written anything Warehouse 13 related. After the premiere I felt the need to write this. I am currently ignoring the latest episode and living in a dream world. Reviews would be wonderful just so I know if I'm completely off base.

Disclaimer: I own nothing in regards to Warehouse 13. Which is not cool because I would really love to have an artifact or two…

Protection Detail

She never knows what to say or do in times like this. All she really wants to do is kick and scream at him while simultaneously crying and hugging him. Yes, he had come back alive. Yes, she should be thankful for that, but she can't be. He is injured because he had decided protecting her was more important than his life. Granted it is only a wrist sprain, but it is enough to remind her that they are not immortal. That sprained wrist should be hers. She can take an injury; his death? Not so much.

"What were you thinking, Pete?" she asks evenly.

"I was thinking I needed to protect someone important," he spits at her. His anger is the last thing she expected. Usually, he apologizes and they don't talk for a few hours. Later, they'll have a level-headed discussion about how they can better accommodate each other and work as partners. She is the one that gets angry because he becomes childish at the end of everything. He stays remotely calm, while hitting her nerves just right. They always come out stronger in the end though.

"I'm not the President, Pete. Your assignment is not to protect me. In fact your assignment isn't about protection. We bag and tag artifacts, Pete. We are partners and partners do things on an even playing field. There is no sacrificing one for the other." she fires back at him once she gets her bearings. He will not win this. She can't let him or one day she will find him dead because of her.

"No, Myka, you're not. I choose to protect you like I protected the President. There's a difference and that's what partners do," he explains. His voice becomes harder the more he speaks. She can barely make out the usual Pete. His eyes have no sparkle, no shine. She is staring into a deep bottomless void that she doesn't recognize.

In hindsight, arguing in the living room at Leena's might not have been her best option. Pete has an escape route here and he uses it. He storms out of the room, just before she comes up with her retaliation. She can almost feel the wind whip by her following him up the stairs. The slamming door shakes the entire Bed and Breakfast.

She sits on the couch and lowers her head to her hands. Her elbows rest on her knees as she takes a deep breath to keep the tears at bay. He has never been this unreasonable. Something is different. She just wishes she could pinpoint it.

Leena looks in at Myka and sighs. The reason Pete is so upset is easy for her to pick up on. She can only hope that Mrs. Frederick doesn't have any idea yet. Those two have gotten closer since Myka came back. Everyone can feel it. Just how close, well…she is the only one that knows that.

"Leena? What's the matter with Pete?" Claudia whispers from the stairs. No one wants to anger him more. Pete and anger don't usually go in the same sentence. He is more likely to be concerned, confused, or configuring a way to touch everything. It's rarely anger.

"The same thing that's wrong with Myka," Leena says softly.

"The same thing? C'mon, Leena," Claudia says with a half-hearted chuckle.

"No jokes, Claudia. Their auras have mixed. Their emotions have heightened because they can sense what the other feels. They have not yet learned how to combat both sets causing each individually more stress. Pete's irritation was amplified by Myka's anger. Myka's frustration now amplified by Pete's utter distain for this conversation," Leena carefully explains.

"Is that bad?" Claudia can't help but ask.

"No, but Mrs. Frederick will not like it. They will work together better, but they will risk more to protect the other. If one of them should die the other will not be able to stay here any longer. A piece of their missing partner will remain with them for life. They have officially intertwined their lives without meaning to."

"So…Pete protecting her today was only the beginning."

"Yes, he now considers himself her personal body guard. It's almost as if he has protection detail only around her. It's not that he doesn't care about anyone else; it's just that he has a personal dedication to her. It's self preservation to protect her." Leena looks at Claudia as she says the next thing, "you tell no one of this, Claudia. No one." Claudia can only nod. She has never heard Leena say anything in such a serious voice. Silence fills the Bed and Breakfast for a second before Claudia goes back into her room. Leena continues to stare at Myka. A lone tear rolls down the other woman's cheek. Heaving a sigh Leena goes back to the kitchen. There is nothing she can do for Myka at the moment. Pete has to fix it or they will never be able to figure out how to work with each other properly again.

Myka remains in the same seat even after Artie asks her what is bothering her. Her vocal chords refuse to work. He leaves the room as quickly as he came in. Artie is a nice guy, but he has no idea how to make her feel better. He just does whatever she initiates. Right now, she doesn't feel like initiating anything.

She stares at the opposite wall fighting to control all of the emotions flooding into her. There are a few she can't put a name to. It bothers her enough to keep her mind on it. That freezes her to the spot she is in. She refuses to move until she has figured something out.

"I'm sorry, Myka," she hears from behind her. Pete has managed to come down the stairs and stand behind her without her noticing. She doesn't startle though. Somehow, she knew that he was there. Her subconscious knows more than she wants to admit. His hands rest on her shoulders. Eventually, he begins to massage her shoulders taking much of the tension out of them.

"I can't explain it, Myka, but I feel as though if you survive, somehow I'll survive anything," he whispers barely loud enough for her to hear. She nods. She knows exactly what he is talking about. She can feel it too.

For some reason when he is around she feels safer. Plus, if he feels something, she thinks she can detect it. She considers it to be her excellent people reading skills. She can predict when he will get a vibe seconds before he actually gets it, and what it will be about. She doesn't realize that Leena knows the reason for her growth in skills. Aura's mixing can be dangerous, but they have beaten the odds and done what no other Warehouse partners were able to do; not even Jack and Rebecca. They have become connected in an irreversible manner.

"I don't need a protection detail, Pete," she insists after a few minutes.

"Doesn't matter what you need. I will always be your protection detail," he says with a smile.