A/N: Doesn't take place after any particular episode, just some time in the Season 1-Season 2 range. I haven't seen the show in ages, so I'm referencing my memory for the set-up.

This one is for KJay99.

…

This was a section of the Warehouse he rarely visited if he could help it: the music aisles.

Most people underestimated the power that music could hold. Fortunately, Artie Nielsen was not like most people.

Ever since his hands graced the keys of a piano, he understood the beautiful power behind the music. The tone of a piece, the tempo, the style, it could all guide humanity to glorious places.

And, it could also guide humanity to places that never should be explored.

Now, as much as he loathed to go through this particular section while suffering from the flu - courtesy of Pete - he knew it was necessary. Claudia had already deflated out of the Warehouse and sunk into bed a little over three days ago.

They had already been starting to run behind on inventory.

Granted, in a place like the Warehouse, it always felt like they could never catch up.

The weary agent shook himself out of his reverie before he lost his focus. It was never a good idea to by lost to your thoughts in any section of the Warehouse.

But the music section was a hypnotic nightmare of its own. Little trills and notes whispered down the aisles, tickling one's curiosity and stirring emotions.

Aggressive tones beckoned forth darker desires, soothing instruments stole your time. Every piece in this section - instrument or otherwise - vibrated with a luring sound.

He coughed, glaring at the shelves. His headache was leaving the Badlands and entering the Worse lands.

And the dissonant sounds twirling through the air were not helping.

While most sections of the Warehouse were silent, with artifacts feigning coyness until attention was given, this was one of the few exceptions.

He huffed in irritation, frustrated that after years of taking care of himself he was getting taken down by a measly flu.

And even though he knew it was time to stop and take a step away from work to recover, he was almost halfway through the string section.

Now, Artie Nielsen could be considered a messy dresser, an unusual thinker, and an unusually irascible personality, especially without his coffee.

But, he was not the type of person to finish only half of the job.

Which brought his attention to a suspiciously quiet, suspiciously familiar, viola.

This instrument triggered a faint memory in his worn down brain. And even though memories involving artifacts normally set off alarm bells in his brain… the flu fog silenced his common sense, allowing reckless curiosity to mist over the agent.

Artie blinked.

Realized his hands were only centimeters from picking up the viola.

And immediately took a step back to try to shake the metaphorical fog away.

He really shouldn't have been out there. Especially alone.

In his haste to uncharacteristically scurry away from the unknown, his hand brushed the strings of another nearby violin. A chord was swiped into the space.

And then Artie Nielsen was gone to world.

...

A/N: this was supposed to only be a cute one-shot sick fic for a fellow fanfictioner… but it turned into this. Heh.