The Long Road Home
Kneeling next to the granite stone, the woman pulls a long, silver chain from under the collar of her blouse. Her curls fall to her cheeks and Myka Bering brushes them away with one hand, long fingers on the other wrapped around a silver ring.
"I… I'm here, Rebecca." She inhales a shaky breath and looks down at the former Warehouse agent's engagement ring before glancing at the gray tombstone.
Her fingers trace the 'R' in the older woman's name.
"I took your advice, Rebecca. I left." Myka chokes back a sob. "Not…" Clearing her throat, the Secret Service agent continues, "Not because… it wasn't its fault. The Warehouse isn't to blame. I trusted her… the entire world nearly paid for my mistakes."
She can almost hear Rebecca sigh. The thought of the senior agent's disapproval echoes what her psychologist had been saying, since Dickinson's replacement had coerced Myka into meeting, in exchange for her return to the Secret Service. The normal Secret Service.
"You ran away," the psychologist had informed her, "but, from what?"
The Pete that still lived in Myka's mind had chuckled, but she'd tuned out any jokes that involved the words 'shrink' and 'crazy.'
'Oh, well, I nearly let a 150-some year old lunatic blow up the planet with a trident that could start another Ice Age.' That would have gone over well. She'd have been on Pysch. Eval. faster than she could sneeze.
Her index finger was nearly finished looping the 'L' when Myka notices the rainbow assortment of daisies sweltering in the muggy St. Louis summer heat.
"Who…" she questions, the word dying on her lips as a twig snaps behind her.
She reaches for a gun she doesn't have as she turns to face the newcomer, only to freeze in disbelief.
"Claudia?"
The teen plants her feet, electro-cuffs dangling from her left hand. "Knock-knock."
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SyFy. Imagine Greater.
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"Funny, Claudia," Myka forces a laugh. "How'd you find me?"
The redhead chuckles, but none of the usual amusement danced in her voice. "It wasn't easy. Every spare second, I'd have the Warehouse computers searching for you, and I never got a ping. Then I realized—" Claudia takes a step forward, locking eyes with Myka "—you're predictable. I'm not. If you ever wanna hide something, hide it in plain sight. You told me that. I thought… I thought you'd have more sense, but D.C., Myka? Really?"
The older woman looks down at Claudia's converse.
"Well?" she snaps, electric blue highlight bouncing in time with her angry breths.
Myka juts out her chin. "Well, what?"
"I'm waiting."
The Secret Service agent raises an eyebrow. "For?"
"Oh, I don't know—" Claudia crosses her arms, and the electro-cuffs jingle "—an apology? An explanation, at least!"
Myka stands slowly. "Mrs. Fredric read you the letter. I know she did. It was my only request and Pete—" her voice cracks "—Pete wouldn't have come after me, unless he knew. Unless he heard."
"Heard what?" Claudia growls. "What you wrote about having to go, you know, the complete and utter bull crap you wrote in that letter?"
"I meant every word, Claudia."
The younger woman's shoulders slump. Her eyes are snapping as she looks back up, reciting from memory, "Artie, it breaks my heart to write this. We both know the Warehouse is my happiest place. I've thought a lot about this and I can't stay here. If I do, I'll second-guess myself into oblivion. Please forgive me, but I have to go. Pete, you're the big brother I never had. I wish I had your strength. I know I frown at you and punch you a lot, but I'll always love you a lot. Please be careful. Leena, you're the only mom they have. Watch over them, and make sure that Artie eats right. Claudia," the teen's voice breaks on her own name, "take care of Pete and Artie. Let's face it, you're the only real adult in the group. I wish I could be there to see you grow into the amazing woman you're going to become. I love you all, Myka." Breathing heavily, Claudia spears the agent with a furious glower.
"I'm not apologizing. I did what I thought… what I knew was right."
A strangled laugh bubbles from her lips. "What was right? Myka! How the heck could running away be right?"
"I'm not coming back, Claud," Myka shortens the Warehouse 13 apprentice's name. "I can't."
"You have to," the younger of the pair argues. "Pete… Pete needs you!"
A smile touches Myka's lips. "Pete needs better than me. He needs someone he can count on to have his back."
"His new partner…" Claudia lights up, fired up about something, bringing back the teen that Myka remembers. "He's too freakin' perfect. Oh, yeah, Steve's cool… but Myka… he's not you. And granted, it's like having a brother again… but I don't need another brother. I have Joshua. And Pete."
Myka laughs. "How's Pete living with that big brother status?"
Claudia smiles mischievously. "He's declared that his room and comics are completely off limits. I've learned, well, it takes approximately a minute and a half to pick the lock. It takes him another ten minutes to get a vibe that I'm up there."
"I did miss you guys," Myka says slowly.
Her eyes widen and positively glow with happiness. "So, you're coming back?"
Myka shakes her head. "No. I'm sorry, but no, Claudia."
"Pete wants you to come back. We all do," Claudia urges.
"What's all of this about Pete needed me? Hmm?" Myka asks slowly.
The teen suddenly becomes interested in the grass at her feet.
"Claudia." The warning in Myka's voice rang strong, as her hazel eyes study the girl who should be in college, instead of the Warehouse.
"I think… he loves you."
"What?"
Claudia shrugs, looking the woman in the eyes. "You have chemistry. Leena's said stuff about auras that I don't even pretend to understand… or to listen to… but she thinks so too!"
"Claudia."
"And, I know, he's your partner. But you haven't seen him. The week after you left, heck, the month after you left," she sighs. "Myka, he misses you. We all miss you. Just, come back. Come home. And—"
"Claudia! Pete is not in love with me, Claudia."
The teenager mutters in frustration, before looking up at the curly-haired woman before her. "But, what about you?"
"Me?"
Claudia nods. "Do you love him?"
Myka bites her lip.
"I knew it!" Claudia crows with excitement. "I knew it! Artie didn't believe me. Neither did Steve, but he doesn't count… he's never even met you! What does he know?"
Myka shakes her head. "I'm not going back, Claudia, end of story. Goodbye."
"Wait, what?"
The electro-cuffs fall to the ground in her surprise.
…
SyFy. Imagine Greater.
…
"Myka," Claudia yells, trying to catch up to the woman's long-legged strides. "Myka!"
The Secret Service agent tries to start her car.
Claudia stops, hands on her hips. "Do you really think I wouldn't have messed with your getaway vehicle?"
Myka glares through the windshield. "Do you really think I can't hotwire my own car?"
Resisting the urge to stamp her foot, Claudia races closer to the driver's side of the black car, only to slide to a halt.
"Pickles," she mutters to herself, her hands rising slowly. "Really, Myka?"
"Give me the Tesla, Claudia. I know you have it. You wouldn't have left without it. Artie wouldn't let you leave without some way to protect yourself." The agent levels her gun as she slides from the seat of her car.
"Is crazy contagious? Cuz, this is HG crazy," Claudia yells, reaching into the pocket of her jacket and tossing the Tesla in front of her. "Besides, Artie doesn't know I'm here. Running away worked well enough for you."
The venom in the young Warehouse 13 agent's words only belied Myka's belief that she should stay away from her former workplace. Her happiest place.
"You're here alone, without back up, and without a weapon, and no one knows you're here. Claudia!" Myka scolds, falling into the role of mentor easily.
"I'm not alone. Hey, hey, hey," Claudia lifts her chin, as if nodding to an imaginary agent behind Myka.
The words trigger a memory in the elder woman, and Claudia pulls another Artifact from the bag over her shoulder, thanking her lucky stars that the man pulling up across from the cemetery looked enough like an agent to catch Pete's previous partner off guard.
She clicks the camera as Myka turns around. The 'Kodak Moment' camera, as Artie referred to it, was usually in his emergency kit. She'd taken it before leaving a note in Steve's room at the B&B.
Myka was stationary, frozen into her position in a two-dimensional black and white world.
Her Farnsworth buzzes, and Claudia flips it open with one hand.
"Claudia!" Steve hisses. "Where. Are. You?"
"Chillz, man," Claudia tilts the Farnsworth to show the cut-out version of Myka.
"Is that… please… please, tell me that's not Agent Bering."
Claudia shrugs, studying the brown–haired agent. "I won't tell you."
The older man groans. "Claudia! I thought we'd talked about this; kidnapping is not okay!"
She smiles, lips twitching with laughter. "Artie freak out yet?" she questions, retrieving her Tesla from its place at Myka's feet.
Steve Jinks snorts. "You think? Where are you?"
"St. Louis."
"Figures," he mutters. "Leena was right."
She bites her lip, knowing it was futile to lie to him. She'd tried it, many times. He didn't even have to be looking at her to call her bluffs.
"Listen, Steve. I know, you don't get this stuff, but Rebecca… Rebecca was important. A friend. She worked for the Warehouse, and saved Pete's life once. Myka," Claudia pauses, re-adjusting the film in the still camera, "was connected to her. Before H.G. betrayed us, and most of all, betrayed Myka, Pete and Myka used her time machine."
"Time travel?"
A teasing grin comes to her face. "C'mon, Jinks. Never rule something out—"
"Until you've actually ruled it out," he finishes with her. "So, you do actually listen to Artie."
"At times. Anyway, Myka's mind was inside Rebecca, in 1961. I don't think that she's ever forgotten how it felt." With a toss of her hair, she continues, "I don't know how she could. Anyways, it's been a year, since—"
"Her death, yeah, I know," the man supplies.
"Sort of," Claudia responds. "You here yet?"
He snorts. "ETA, three minutes. Artie's been using the Farnsworths, to do something…smart."
The teen laughs. "Using the frequency to triangulate my location. Pretty simple. GPS aside, it's the easiest way to establish my position. Though," Claudia continues, "I don't doubt that he has one somewhere on the El Camino."
His Prius stops behind Myka's SUV. "Probably a good bet," ATF Agent Steve Jinks shrugs one shoulder.
Claudia clicks her Farnsworth shut. "Get her gun, would you? Stay behind the camera," she cautions, raising the near-antique to her face.
"Now?"
The almost blinding flash goes off.
"Now," Claudia affirms, as Myka blinks, her skin returning to its normal pigment.
"Uh, Ms. Bering? I mean, um, Agent Bering…" He reaches for her gun. "I'm—"
Myka's eyes narrow and Steve is on the ground before he can even finish his introduction.
"Oof," he groans.
The Secret Service agent holsters her gun, and glowers down at the new Warehouse agent.
"I'm Steve… Jinks. Steve Jinks. Agent Steve Jinks," he corrects as her hands search for a weapon. "I, ahem," he chokes but recovers quickly at the thinly veiled, disdainful glare she sends him before patting down his other leg for a concealed gun or knife. "I work at," he lowers his voice, leaning up towards her.
"Warehouse 13," she interrupts. "Obviously." Myka pulls the Farnsworth from his shirt pocket. "No Tesla?"
"Pete—" he begins.
With a startling laugh, Myka offers him her hand. "Say no more."
He takes her hand and stands from the graveled drive of the cemetery.
"Geez, Jinks. I told you to get her gun, not sweet talk her to death," Claudia drawls sarcastically from behind them.
Myka reaches for her gun in surprise, but then stops. "Claudia? What… what are you doing in St. Louis?"
Steve steps away. "What just happened? Why doesn't she remember that you—"
Claudia coughs, trying to stop him.
"That she what?" Myka questions, turning back to the ATF agent.
"Well," he says slowly, backing up. "Uh. Maybe I shouldn't get involved… I mean, we just met!"
The Secret Service agent part of Myka thinks she should throw him to the ground again, just for good measure. The Warehouse agent inside of her instead worries that there was an Artifact involved.
Claudia removes her jacket, thankful that she'd not passed out in the heat. Steve's baby blues widen comically, and Myka spins back to face the teenager.
"Wait," the older woman stares at the steam-punk vest, "I thought it burned out. H.G. left it behind."
The dark metal of the Imperceptor Vest stands out against the neon green tank top the teenaged Warehouse agent was sporting the mid-summer day. "I found an alternative power source."
Pressing the buttons on either side of the vest, Claudia feels lighter than air and faster than a speeding bullet. Maybe she had been reading too many of Pete's comics, she thinks, disarming Myka in a fraction of a second.
Turning off the new power conduit, Claudia stops before Steve and Myka. She felt drained, as if she'd just been dumped into another vat of Boiling Point.
"Myka. I think… we need to talk. About Pete. About the Warehouse."
"About the new guy nearly drooling over me?" Myka asks, amusement in her voice.
Steve's jaw drops and Claudia can't help but laugh. In the following seconds, Myka discovers her gun to be missing.
"Sorry, Myka. It's for your protection, as much as ours. Now, please don't make me Tesla you," Claudia warns the senior agent.
Myka steps forward. "I am not going back to South Dakota. I will not go back. Even if you make me go back, you can't watch me every second of the day. I'd find a way to leave again."
Claudia can't help but groan in aggravation. "We. Are. Family."
"Yes, and I love you all," Myka continues uncertainly. "I love you, and Artie, and Leena, and Pete," she adds firmly, "like family."
The first member of 'Warehouse 13: Next Generation,' as Claudia jokingly referred to herself, almost wishes that she was back to being the half-crazed teen looking for a way to save her brother. Then she'd have an excuse for the tears running down her cheeks. "Fine!" she shouts, and pulls the trigger on the Tesla.
The blue electricity arcs and hits Myka, who flies backwards before landing on the grass in an unconscious heap.
…
SyFy. Imagine Greater.
…
Steve Jinks kneels next to Myka, checking for a pulse. "Claudia! What the heck?"
"Come on, Jinks," Claudia urges. "Help me get her in the car. It's a long road home."
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AN: Well, that's all for today. If you like it, review, and maybe I'll continue. Well, even if you hated it and never want to read another chapter in any way, shape, or form, I'd like to hear from you.
I wanted to post this before the premiere tonight, before it becomes slightly AU.
Just as an incentive for reviews, tell me your favorite thing about the new episode, or your least favorite. Or both.