So, welcome then to another part of weird time travel shitfuckery. Like I haven't written enough of this in my life. As always, I have a beta reader and want to thank her. This one's beta reader is Aimofdestiny and I'm happy to have her.

So, we will meet some people we already met in TTAW in this one. I hope you don't mind.


Mrs. Frederic gracefully took her seat at the dinner table in front of Claudia Donovan. They were both in a restaurant in Berlin. Claudia had made it here by teleporting, but she had no idea how the older woman had travelled to this place. The new caretaker had just received a rather cryptic letter that morning, which read: 'Berlin, Borchardt, 6 pm local time. Don't be late.'

After her disconnection from the Warehouse, Mrs. Frederic still seemed to enjoy being mystery personified and Claudia didn't want to take this pleasure away from her. So she had appeared in Berlin, visited the Alexanderplatz and the Brandenburg Gate, sat on the bank of this river called Spree for a while, people-watching, and then make it to the mentioned restaurant.

Claudia's German was terrible, which meant she didn't speak a word but 'Ja', 'Nein', 'Jäger' (yes - she loved that movie) and 'Wanderlust' - which wasn't actually a thing anymore in German as she just had learned.

But apparently Germans spoke acceptable English, so Claudia had no problems finding her seating in the restaurant to wait for Mrs. Frederic.

The former caretaker was punctual. Of course.

"So, Claudia." She gave the redhead a meaningful look. No real greeting, just these words. Claudia wasn't surprised. They met like this occassionally and the older woman always gave her some kind of lecture or a puzzle to solve. All of them had something to do with the Warehouse or being its caretaker. The redhead assumed Mrs. Frederic way trying to teach her some of her old tricks and Claudia liked that. In fact, she was grateful for every bit of help she could get considering this new job and its responsibilities.

"Mrs. F." She nodded at the older woman, expecting to receive some information or some sort of riddle.

"What would you like to eat?" The former caretaker asked, opening her menu. Claudia was surprised. This was the first time they'd met in a restaurant, but she hadn't lost any thought about the possibility that Mrs. F wanted to have dinner with her (especially because of the time difference between South Dakota and Germany). It wasn't really a regular thing to just have dinner in Germany. The redhead blinked in confusion.

"Hm?" She asked, flabbergasted.

"I think I'll take the Schnitzel. Since we are in Germany, it sounds like a good choice." The older woman declared, surveying her menu.

Claudia's eyes widened and she quickly opened her menu as well. "Well..." She said, hurriedly browsing through the pages. "A... salad... maybe?"

"I'll pay, Claudia, so you can take something more filling if you like." Irene closed her menu and gave her a piercing look. Claudia looked up shyly into her eyes. "Uhm... I think I'll stick with the salad."

"Alright, that's your choice." Mrs. Frederic seemed a little disappointed, but the redhead was okay with that.

The older woman ordered for them - in perfect German, Claudia was surprised to notice. After the former caretaker had exhorted the girl to practice her language skills ("But I have Myka and HG for that!"), they went silent. Until their food arrived.

"Well, Claudia..." Mrs. Frederic began and cut her meat. The redhead reached into her bag to get her notebook out, but the former caretaker just glared at her. The girl froze mid-reach.

"What are you doing?" Irene asked, sounding genuinely interested.

"Uhm, I thought I was supposed to take notes." The girl quickly pulled her hand out of her bag, feeling uncomfortable.

"About what?"

"I don't know. Your new task or puzzle... or something." Claudia took her fork and picked a cherry tomato out of her salad.

"I would prefer to eat and talk." Mrs. Frederic raised an eyebrow.

Quickly, the redhead placed the tomato in her mouth and chewed to keep herself busy.

"Tell me, Claudia. How's Agent Wells?", was the first question Mrs. Frederic asked and suddenly, just like that, Claudia felt like a spy.

"Uhm, well... she's well, I guess. Busy with the artifact hunting with Steve and doing her job very well. Which is what she's doing: Her job, well. No evil stuff going on or anything." The redhead could feel that she was starting to sweat profusely.

The older woman sighed and put her silverware down. "Claudia, I'm not here to sound you out on HG Wells. I was just interested because she's back in the Warehouse and I hoped that she would settle in nicely."

"Oh!" Claudia's eyes widened. "Yes, I think she likes it with us. And is quite happy and everything. I don't see her very often. All the caretaking stuff and the artifact hunting keeps us from meeting that much."

"Well, it's good to hear she's fine." The former caretaker said with a pleased tone of voice and continued eating her food.

Again, they ate in silence until Mrs Frederic looked up from her plate.

"And how is Agent Bering?" She asked, again sounding genuinely interested.

"Uhm, good, I guess. Mrs. F. Are you going to ask me about every single agent? They are all well. Very well. Everything in the Warehouse is alright. I'm taking good care of them." Claudia couldn't help but feel a little indignant about her teacher's questions.

"Claudia, why do you have the feeling I'm up to something when I'm just trying to make conversation?" And now Claudia was sure she saw Mrs. Frederic smile.

"Uff! Because you're Mrs. Frederic. You're our boss. You're the care- Oh wait, no, that's me." Claudia shook her head.

Irena raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at her and the redhead couldn't interpret that gesture. "I'm sorry." She said, without knowing why.

"Then, Claudia, let me assure you that I'm currently just having light conversation over dinner. And," Mrs. Frederic looked directly into her eyes. "I wasn't going to ask about every agent. I was just interested in the agents Bering and Wells."

"Ah, are you afraid of that their relationship could complicate things?" The redhead was now sure she was about to find out what Mrs. F was up to.

"No. Claudia. I'm not afraid their relationship - whichever kind of relationship that might be - could complicate things. I was just interested in how they are." The former caretaker replied primly.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Frederic." Claudia groaned and buried her face in her hands. "Really, really sorry. I'm just... I'm not used to this."

"Then I think we should meet more often for dinner, Claudia, so you can get used to this." The older woman inclined her head for emphasis.

"Yeah, maybe. So, well, Myka and HG are fine. Still tiptoeing around each other, but they are fine, I guess." Claudia looked up again from her hands.

"Good." Irene nodded again at that information and continued eating her Schnitzel. They didn't speak another word until they were finished with their dishes.

"Claudia." Mrs. Frederic delicately wiped at her mouth with a corner of her white linen napkin. "There's indeed a small task I have for you."

"Oh! Good." Claudia pulled our her notebook from her bag. She took a pen and opened the book while looking attentively at the older woman.

"I need you to find an artifact." The former caretaker said calmly.

"Okay." Still looking attentively at Mrs. Frederic, Claudia waited for further information to write down.

"That's it." The older woman said.

"What?"

"That's all."

"Wait. 'I need you to find an artifact'? That's everything I get? Like... I could bring you anything and the task would be solved?" Claudia was honestly a bit aghast. This was too easy.

The older woman opened her purse and pulled out her wallet. She counted off some money and placed it on the table. "No." She answered the redhead's question.

"So, more information please?" The girl pointed at her notebook.

Mrs. Frederic rose from her chair. "It's an artifact. And you need to find it." She bowed her head in farewell.

"Good bye, Claudia."

With this, the former caretaker left the restaurant and Claudia stared at her back, completely and utterly confused.