"Why can't you ever stop lying?" Todd pulls at his disheveled clothes and throws on his coat. It had been 6 months since Todd had arrived in the middle of a dinner. Pete, Steve, Myka, Claudia and HG had been sitting around the living room, where a TV was now set up, when the doorbell rang and Myka went to get it.
"Claudia, I think you need to come in here." She and the other three went and were shocked at the sight of the 23 year old with wet hair and glasses.
"Oh my god" Pete said quietly. Myka shared a glance with him, while HG and Steve stared at each other completely out of the loop. Claudia had stepped forward and she and the guy in the doorway stared at each other.
"Hey Claudiola" he smiles and Claudia breaks from her spot and kisses him, pulling him into the house. They break apart, their faces both bright and smiling.
"You came back." He leans his forehead against hers.
"I did" Steve coughs and Claudia turns around.
"Oh right, uh Todd this is Steve and HG, and Steve, HG this is Todd." She smiles at him and the other two look at Pete and Myka for help.
Myka steps in. "Todd was Claudia's boyfriend he had to leave, but I guess now he's back. Now why don't we let them talk?" The other 4 left the room and Claudia and Todd just kind of stare at each other for a while.
"I-I don't always lie c'mon Todd." She grabs his arms and he turns to stare at her.
"I tell you everything Claude, even when I wasn't supposed to get close to anyone and I told you, and you can't even tell me the truth of where you go, and why you're always running off to do something entirely dangerous, and I know you're not the IRS. We get so close about some things, but when I try to talk to you about anything in your past, you shut me down, and I'm sick of being lied to." Claudia's eyes are big and glassy and her mouth starts to tremble. Her grip tightens on his arm and he stares at her hand with regret before shaking it off and leaving out the front door. She slumps onto the bench near the door, and wipes her eyes quickly and just deflates.
"Hey Claude can you fix this spa- hey are you ok?" She looks up to see Pete standing in pajama pants and holding a lap top. She nods and reaches for the computer.
"Yeah, uh what do you need?" Pete pulls it away and sets it on the ground.
"Where's Todd?" She looks down and he pulls her into a hug.
"Hey it's ok. What happened?" Her lips purse.
"Our stupid secret job happened and I have to keep lying to him, and I'm so sick of the warehouse ruining my relationships. And it isn't just me it's you and Kelly, and Artie and Vanessa; I mean the only reason that works is because she knows about the warehouse. I can't do this anymore, and obviously neither can he." He rubs her shoulder.
"Do you think he could be your one?" She pulls away and starts pacing.
"I don't know. I mean when do you know if they are the one, and can you even figure it out before they leave you?" He shakes his head and guides her to the kitchen. She grabs the laptop and follows.
"You weren't looking at porn or something right?" He looks down at her
"No just helping out a Nigerian prince."
"PETE" His laugh reverberates throughout the hallway.
"Claude I'm not that stupid."
Artie had overheard both conversations after he had reluctantly come back to the B&B or the first time this week. His guilt had made him avoid the B&B like the plague but he had to debrief Steve and HG for their mission, and this was the easiest way to do it. What Claudia said resonated with him. She hadn't been able to have a normal relationship since she had started at the warehouse, and he knew better than anyone that the warehouse required your full devotion, but it still wasn't far and especially not to a 22 year old. Leaving the files on HG and Steve's bed he headed into downtown Univille.
He overheard a squealing and laughing Claudia, she and Todd were lying on the couch playing with Pete's Nintendo 64 and just generally looking happy. Steve didn't trust him. He got the whole I was in the Witness Protection thing and why he had to leave, but why not have done her a favor and never get involved with her? And what was his real name even. I mean she calls him Todd, but how can you have a real relationship if all you know is the fake identity. Artie had come back about a week earlier and was quite surprised to have seen Todd, but he didn't object to it, which entirely un-Artie like and Jinks wasn't sure that he liked it. But it was nice having a happy Claudia after the months of anxiety and sadness, and- oh god now they were making out again.
A car ride and a brisk stroll late Artie arrived at the Univille Hardware Shop and walked in. At the sound of the bell Todd entered from the stairway to tell whatever customer they weren't open.
"Todd, get your coat we're going somewhere." It was Claudia's weird read terrifying boss. Not really wanting to deal with getting yelled at he followed the man's directions and got into the tiny vintage car. They pull away from the curb fast and start heading toward the direction of the B&B, but instead they passed it.
"Ok Todd listen up, Claudia's been lying to you."
"I Kne-" The older man floored it, making Todd stop talking
"But it's because she's a part of a secret international agency that collects dangerous artifacts from around the world and stores them all in the warehouse we're about to go to." Todd stared at Artie. He continued. "She couldn't tell you because you're only able to tell one person your entire life, and being the unidiotic person she is, she realizes that at age 22 blowing something that important on some guy, who left for 2 years and just came back might not be such a good idea, but she's scared of losing you which gives me enough of something to waste mine on you."
Todd stared down on the oddly impeccable car floor. So the choices were believe the crazy old man, and maybe get the chance to be together or run like hell at the next stop.
"Wait so you've never used yours before? But that blonde lady that Claudia said was your girlfriend…" Artie glared at him.
"Is an ex-warehouse agent, currently the warehouse doctor."
"But still why would you waste it on me?" Artie sighs and turns on to a worn dirt road.
"Claudia has lost so many people in her life, and this job doesn't help that track record, so the least she can have is someone to talk about it with." Todd stares out the window looking for whatever they were going to, and finally seeing a massive structure set up. The old man got out and walked to the front typing in a password he enters, and Todd runs to catch up. He reaches up to touch the metal bars hanging down from the ceiling.
"Don't touch the bombs." Todd drops his hands and follows Artie into a room that appeared to be decorated in many shades of brown.
Claudia really couldn't believe he had come back. She thought he'd go back to New York where he probably had someone waiting for him. Someone who was far less neurotic and flaky, but he didn't. And she had tried to find him, but Steve brought up a valid point; what if she did find him, his handlers would find out and just move him again. And as silly as it was she had hoped that she'd find him on a mission and they could at least of seen each other once. They never did, but now she had him again and what had sparked the day before he left was still there. She finally had something to hold on to outside of the warehouse; now she hoped she could keep it from breaking.
Artie had hurried him through the office fresh out of a steampunk photo shoot, and pushed open a heavy industrial door. He gestured grandly and Todd looked out over the winding aisles that must have gone on for miles.
"Welcome to Warehouse 13."
"This is amazing." Artie smiles and nods
"This is her life, the fearless warehouse agent, but sometimes she needs to be a girl. And that girl needs you."
"I guess I should probably go talk to her."
"Yes that would be a good idea." Todd gestured towards the door. Artie still at the railing stared off into the warehouse.
"Uh you kind of drove me here." Only turning around slightly Artie threw a set of keys at his head.
"Take the Camino."
Todd ran through the office, stopping before the umbilicus, where he gently walked, and out to this hideous Camino Claudia used to drive. It still vaguely smelled like her shampoo. He'd given up on the girl he came back for; hopefully she hadn't done the same to him.
Back in the warehouse a woman in with a bee hive sat unbeknownst to Artie. He had finally done it, given up his one and it was for Claudia. Things had rarely surprised Irene Fredric since starting at the warehouse, but one thing that did was Claudia Donovan. She had broken into the warehouse at age 19 in order to save her brother, then she had managed to manipulate her way out into the field while never having even gone to college and she had softened Artie's heart, made him move on from his past ghosts. A presence moved up beside Irene, softly gesturing at the somber old man.
"He'll be alright eventually Leena." Leena stares at Mrs. Fredric quietly and then floats out to the warehouse. Mrs. Fredric walks out by Artie.
"You do know its protocol to tell me before you use your one up correct?" Artie turns to face her.
"Well the kid had already seen more than what could be considered normal, plus "
"Plus you felt the need to protect Claudia." He nods silently and heads into his office.
"I hope you know what you're doing Arthur." And with that she was gone.
Todd opens the door to the B&B it was about 11 pm. He snuck up to the room he'd been to so many times, and heard the White Stripes drifting from underneath her door. Knocking twice before he enters, he opens the door to see Claudia typing on her computer. She glances up through her bangs, and looks back down. He moves over and sits on the chair by her bed.
"Hey, I just wanted to say sorry." She stays silent with her lips pressed together tightly just blankly staring at him.
"And I know why you can't tell me things about your job." Claudia's eyes narrow and she pushes her computer away.
"You do?" He moved to the foot of her bed.
"Yeah your boss, kind of uh showed me."
"What do you mean showed you? The Warehouse?" He nods, and then she stands and starts to pace and after a minute she stops in front of Todd.
"So does this mean for us?"
"I don't know, all I want to do right now is fall asleep with you and think about that tomorrow." She stares at him with her face entirely blank, not really knowing how to take this he goes full on rant mode. "I mean if you want me to because I can, or I can leave, and I guess I'll give you the Camino keys…" She pushes herself up against him and they fall onto the bed.
Breaking his lips from hers, "So tomorrow we can talk about this right." She started nibbling on his neck but paused long enough to breathe out a yes.