A/N: KNOCK KNOCK. Hey guys. So, since my rule to not post anything new until I finish something I've already started publishing resulted in me not uploading at all anymore, I decided to switch strategies. Maybe that'll help. I really just want to get active again.
I've been sitting on this story since what feels like forever, and I really wanted to get this out there. What can I say about it beforehand? Let's see: It's an AU with slight crossovers to Eureka, but you don't have to know the other show. It probably ignores all rules of the American educational system, and it's named after the poem the screenwriters made up for Rheticus ("…and chaos rules and order lost, and hidden then, my heart, from love.") as well as Garbage's song "When I Grow Up", which Claudia and her sister performed in the fifth season ("Chaos rules when we're apart.").
Also, since it was her birthday yesterday (missed it by only a little bit), this is a little gift to my dear friend Kath.
KTF CLM
Chapter 1: Intro (Kenswick, Minnesota - Cambridge, Massachusetts - Geneva, Switzerland - Eureka, Oregon)
Bringing a girl home had always been a rare thing for Joshua Donovan to do. Even more so once he was left on his own with Claudia, after their parents and sister died.
She had been seven, he had been eighteen years old.
He'd just started going to college, and almost dropped out because their life had become such a mess. But Claudia encouraged him, teased him, shoved him. She was so young, but already proved herself to the world on a daily basis. They were both hurt, and they missed their family terribly. But they weren't willing to give up and throw away their lives.
If nothing else, the tragic accident in 1999 had proved that everything could be over in the blink of an eye. Joshua and Claudia grieved, longed, missed. But they had both decided for themselves; they would make the most they possibly could of the time they got.
Josh took his younger sister to Massachusetts with him. There he continued studying physics at the MIT, where their cousin Zane had been accepted at age thirteen only to get kicked out again. He and Joshua talked occasionally, about how Zane was doing and how Claudia was handling the changes.
While both of the siblings struggled emotionally, they were extremely intelligent nonetheless. Although Claudia had pulled a grimace when her brother told her he'd found a new school for her, she started studying again two months after they moved to Cambridge. She never felt understood by 'kids her age', and easily fell back into her pattern of avoiding social situations. There were a few she got along with, sure. But she never really shared much of herself with any of them.
They had been alone together for a little over a year the first time Joshua told her he'd met someone, and Claudia immediately disliked the young woman. While the stranger was pretty and not dumb, she didn't care or understand him the way his sister knew he deserved it. At first, Joshua thought the eight year old simply didn't want to share him. He would've understood it, really.
But as it turned out, Claudia had been right either way. The whole thing lasted for two months, which honestly surprised him. He hadn't expected it to survive longer than a few weeks, not since he realized what his sister had seen right away.
A few months later, the short story repeated itself in a similar style. Only with another woman. A fellow MIT student; blonde, blue eyed, surprisingly chatty, she seemed nice at first sight. But when she wasn't studying, she was pulling Joshua through the nightlife of Cambridge. And when he told her he wasn't willing to leave Claudia alone for a whole night, she didn't take it too well. They had that argument three times, before she broke up with him.
This time around, Claudia felt bad. No, she hadn't liked the woman too much. But Joshua had seen something in her, and the girl felt like she ruined it.
After that, her brother decided to focus on studying. When he was at home, she often glanced over his shoulder as he worked. It looked interesting. Very much so. She'd asked him to teach her a few things, and she learned fast. Well, in matters of physics and computers anyway. He had to put up more of a struggle trying to get into her head how to make an omelet.
But the two of them had a lot of fun. Whether it was cooking with the stereo turned up, reading before bedtime or taking apart the laws of science.
The more time passed by since their loss, the more they grew together. They could laugh and joke around again, and they made a great team. The nights in which Claudia would cuddle against his side and cry herself to sleep became an absolute rarity, and both of their nightmares started fading away.
Claudia had been ten years old, almost eleven, when she walked into their lives.
It was Joshua's last year of college, and they were trying to finally decide what would happen afterwards. He considered several universities and laboratories all around the globe to dive into his own research, including his only current crush: quantum particle entanglement.
The siblings were sitting at a table in their favorite café by the campus, looking down on stacks of papers. There were places to live for them, places to work for Joshua, places to go to school for Claudia and a few pieces that had been empty when they arrived. Now, there were drawings and equations all over them. Most of it was his handwriting, but she just couldn't help adding her thoughts here or there.
They had started with projects and programs they could think of that would support Joshua's research, since they both agreed that they could figure out the rest once he had a more exact idea of where he wanted to work. Getting whichever job he chose probably wouldn't be much of a problem, but Claudia made sure her brother had more than one stable plan anyway. When talking about schools for her, the girl had merely shrugged and said she would be fine as long as they'd be side by side. At least until she finished high school and could kick start her own career, which Joshua insisted would happen sooner rather than later. Whether he liked it or not. Of course, he was proud that his sister had caught herself so well. But separation, after all those years and everything that happened? It sounded... painful, to put it mildly.
However, in the end the conversation went as usually: They drifted off and discussed complex scientific problems Joshua ran into recently, again and again.
"But what if I-"
"I know what you're thinking Josh, but I don't wanna explain to the cleaning people why there are human limbs and guts all over your lab."
"I wouldn't start with- Damn it, now I see it too. How could I forget?"
"You're chaotic, which isn't uncommon within people who try to bend the laws of physics. You forget a lot when you're stressed, but don't worry. I don't."
While Joshua pouted silently, Claudia continued to examine their notes. She had just picked up a piece of paper, scanning the page with her curious brown eyes. A few strands of dark brown hair fell beside her face like a curtain, including one near the front that was braided together with a dark blue streak. Claudia raised her gaze, intending to ask her brother a question, only to find Joshua looking right above her head.
No, scratch that. He was staring, with eyes round as plates and his mouth hanging slightly ajar. Claudia gave him a funny look, but he didn't even notice it. With a sigh, the girl turned her head to see what got him so distracted.
At the table behind the girl sat a young woman, probably a little younger than Josh himself but not much. Her hair was a deep shade of brown that reminded Claudia of her own, a color like dark chocolate. It stopped just before it could reach her shoulders, and it was partially captured in a solo side braid going from the left side of her forehead to the back of her head. The piercing pair of blue eyes was obviously watching them, sparkling with amusement. She didn't look away when Claudia's gaze met hers, merely chuckling softly.
"I'm sorry, it's just... I barely understood a word of what you were talking about, but you two are so sweet. He's your brother, isn't he?"
The ten year old wasn't fond of being watched or spied on, she didn't like it when Joshua got sidetracked like that and she sure as hell wasn't a fan of being called 'sweet'. But there was something about that young woman... Sympathy? Mutual understanding? Hell, she didn't even know her! But Joshua was obviously interested in getting to know the stranger.
Claudia smiled, nodding eagerly before she pointed over her shoulder with a thumb; motioning towards the still stunned Joshua.
"That's Josh, and I'm Claudia. And if it somehow helps you, there aren't a lot of people who would understand my brother's work. But I live with him, so I was bound to learn something. It's actually pretty cool."
"It sounded like it, but... Okay, what exactly is 'it'?"
The pretty stranger grinned sheepishly, almost apologetically.
Claudia knew the answer, of course. But instead of telling her, she kicked her brother's shin under the table. The message was clear; it was his turn.
"It's... uh, quantum particle entanglement."
The girl couldn't tell if Joshua was so up in the clouds the he needed a moment to remember the focus of his own project, or if he had been looking for a less nerdy way to say it. Either way, she decided to help out. She rolled her eyes with a healthy dose of dramatically exaggerated annoyance, smirking at the young woman.
"That's Fancy Pants' way of saying he's setting up a theory about teleportation."
"Wow, seriously? I didn't think that's even possible."
The stranger's awestruck expression had Joshua blushing and Claudia beaming.
"Well, it's not." He said.
"Not yet." She added.
Sometimes, Joshua wondered where his little sister, who backed away from just about every kid around her age, got that kind of confidence while talking to people his age. In that moment, it actually made him a little jealous. Those blue eyes had him searching for his lost vocabulary, and all he could hope was that it wouldn't be the first and only time.
"Currently, we're not legally allowed to go through with experiments and nobody figured out the real deal yet. I mean, there's been progress and that alone is amazing. But..."
"But you think you can stretch the horizon a little further."
The woman had finished the thought for him, smiling at the enthusiastic spark she could see in his eyes.
They got along well. So well, in fact, that Joshua actually became pretty chatty. He answered the stranger's questions about his work and studies at MIT, and in return she told them that she just recently moved from New Jersey to Massachusetts to study at Harvard Medical School. She was into photography and music, and previously lived with her younger brother and their mother.
Over an hour went by without any of them really noticing it, before the young woman got half a heart attack when a clock on the wall caught her gaze. She apologized hurriedly, and was halfway out the door when Joshua subconsciously stood up to place a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry, but I don't think I caught your name."
A grin spread across her face again, her blue eyes shining sheepishly.
"Give me your phone."
He hadn't realized how close they were until after his hand dropped from her shoulder to her upper arm, and then in his pocket. He handed over the device without further hesitation, even though he couldn't process the situation until she had given it back.
There was a new number and name within his contacts.
His head shot up, but the door was already falling shut behind the young woman. Claudia rolled her eyes, but couldn't help smiling hopefully when she heard her brother whispering the soon to be so familiar name.
"Olivia."
Soon enough, Joshua and Claudia spent almost every free minute of his last college year with Olivia. They grew closer over those months, as if they'd known each other all their lives.
Olivia dragged Joshua out of his previous comfort zone, showing him the world in a whole new light.
Claudia trusted the young woman easier and faster than anyone else she'd ever met, and the girl was more than willing to support her relationship with her older brother however she could. She let Olivia feel welcomed, went with them when Liv suggested it and stayed home alone to give the 'grownups' time for themselves. Claudia's favorite thing to discuss with Olivia was music though. It reminded her of years ago, when she sang with Claire. And it meant a lot to her that she wasn't afraid to tell Olivia how she felt about it.
Olivia was so much the siblings had been missing before they met her.
Of course, because of that it hurt even more when they parted ways. Joshua was done with the MIT. He wanted to stay in Massachusetts, with his girlfriend, but she didn't let him. Olivia didn't want him to put his glorious future on a hold for her. She had come to his graduation party with Claudia, and the next day they said their goodbyes.
Joshua and Claudia moved to Switzerland, since he had been offered to start working at CERN in Geneva. The then eleven year old was a little down, for various reasons. She missed Olivia, and the school she was sent to annoyed her to hell. Only about a quarter of the people born around there could follow her English, which made it necessary for her to rapidly improve her lingual skills. First French, then Italian and German. Sure, she was quick to catch up. She had always learned fast, but that didn't make things much better.
The siblings had been in Europe for three years when the invitation came. A handful of scientists who cooperated with CERN had connections, with a facility called Global Dynamics. Apparently, it was a top secret government project; a collection of the world's most promising and forward-looking geniuses. They'd kept an eye on Joshua's progress, and finally they asked him to join them.
That was why, within only days, Joshua and Claudia packed their stuff and moved from Geneva in Switzerland to Eureka in Oregon.
There was absolutely no doubt in her mind that it crossed his mind too, but Claudia ended up being the one to point out that Olivia would graduate a few weeks afterwards. They had several discussions about it; which basically consisted of Joshua insisting that the young woman probably moved on and forgot about him a long time ago, while his sister reminded him that they were still in contact and he should stop being such an exhausting pain in the ass.
"You'll never know unless you actually try, Joshua! Now gather your frakking guts and book us a flight." turned out to be the teenage girl's final hit. She'd won, of course, and one week later they found themselves back in Massachusetts.
They appeared at the ceremony as surprise visitors, and Olivia's jaw almost dropped to the floor. The first time around, because they'd been there at all. The second time, because she had a little trouble recognizing the then fourteen year old Claudia. And the third time around, because Claudia calmly suggested she could come and live with them in Oregon. That one shocked Joshua too, but he couldn't deny that he liked the idea. So yeah, when Olivia asked if they were serious about that idea he started theorizing out loud.
She could work with Doctor Blake at the medical bay of GD, and their new house did have a free bedroom.
To his surprise, that was as far as he got before she interrupted him. She'd agreed, she actually decided to accompany them. And damn, if that didn't remind him of who he was talking to.
Olivia Jinks was truly what they needed in their new home. Spontaneous, creative, spirited, curious, compassionate, dedicated, determined, honest... the list went on and on.
It had been four years now.
Shortly after the three of them moved in together, Olivia started working with Doctor Allison Blake's medical team. Joshua took over the department exploring quantum particle entanglement, and it turned out that Zane had been hired by GD shortly after him. He had been banned into Doctor Parrish's non-lethal weapons laboratory, but somehow always made his way to more interesting projects. Currently, he was finishing off the so-called Sky Cruiser, a high tech hover bike.
For Claudia, Tesla High was the ideal school. Never before had she been surrounded by so many kids and teenagers who she could actually talk to. The lessons went beyond anything any other high school could offer her, and she sincerely couldn't care less about the occasional catastrophe. Explosions, Artificial Intelligence running wild, seasons changing within mere minutes, wannabe superheroes, a second sun, jealous visitors from Area 51, and so much more crazy things she ran into since they moved to Eureka would've driven normal people insane. But she wasn't normal. No, Claudia, not unlike her adrenaline driven cousin, welcomed the crazy challenges with open arms. And every time she got to help and save the day, the grin she walked away with grew brighter and prouder.
Yeah, life in Eureka was treating them well. More and more, with every day. Especially days like this one.
Claudia watched the scene with warm eyes and a soft smile, crossing her ankles underneath the chair she sat on. The heels of her black ankle boots were not something the eighteen year old could say she was used to, but surprisingly enough they weren't as uncomfortable as she had assumed either. Olivia had picked them, along with the dress Claudia was wearing. It was cherry red, barely reached her knees and was wrapped in lace. The outer layer went above the heart shaped neckline and down her back on the other side, and the long sleeves completely consisted of the lacey material. A thin black belt was holding the fabric around her waist. It was the same dress the bridesmaids got, but theirs were green with red belts and shoes. After all, Olivia had made sure her maid of honor would be recognized at first sight.
Red and green were the allover color scheme, which was why the entire place looked 'only a little' Christmas-y. But as Olivia pointed out, she absolutely loved Christmas. So did Joshua, Claudia, Emma, and apparently just about every other guest. Nobody dared to object, and it actually ended up pretty damn amazing.
Plus, Christmas wasn't that far away. They'd chosen to get married in winter. It was Joshua's favorite time of the year, and this way Olivia would get her honeymoon snowboarding lessons. Her husband managed to learn a bit in the three years he and his sister lived in Geneva, and now his wife couldn't wait to try it.
Although right in that moment, Claudia doubted they cared about much except each other.
Joshua and Olivia had just finished their first dance as husband and wife, but had yet to let go of one another. They looked so incredibly happy, as if all the bad in this world didn't even exist. No troubles, no worries, no problems. In that moment, it was just them.
Most people in the room were gathering on the dance floor, and if they hadn't been the constant center of attention Claudia might've missed the couple approaching her.
"Why, if that isn't Mister and Misses Donovan. Shouldn't you be on the dance floor? Don't tell me your feet hurt already, after one dance in those shoes. If I can do it, you sure as hell can."
Claudia smirked sheepishly, her eyes wandering from her brother to her sister in law as she spoke. Olivia shrugged unapologetically in return, carefully running the hand that wasn't holding Joshua's through her hair. It had grown out quite a lot since she stopped cropping it every few months, and was loosely captured in a bohemian side braid for the occasion.
"A little. But hey, I didn't see you dancing yet. Who says you can do it, Cherry Head?"
"I say so, you'll see I'm right. As always. And you know, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but it's actually more copper."
The teenager grinned, dramatically gesturing to her head. She'd dyed her hair last week, and was pretty happy with the result. Listening to all the nicknames she'd gotten since then was a price she was eager to pay.
"That was one beautiful dance, Olivia."
Claudia turned her head to see Emma Jinks approaching, her brother's new mother in law. Neither Joshua nor Claudia spent a whole lot of time with her at this point, but she seemed like a very kind and sincere woman. She obviously loved her children and took good care of them, no matter how hard things probably got after their father died. That was a quality Joshua and Claudia both quickly recognized and truly appreciated.
"Thanks, mom. I'm just glad you and Stevie are here."
Olivia smiled warmly, and there were tears in her usually so sharp blue eyes.
There had been some sort of turbulence with the flight from New Jersey to Oregon the previous week, and Olivia's family almost hadn't been able to attend the wedding because of that. Getting another flight wasn't easy around this time of the year. Claudia remembered the attack the bride had gotten when she heard the news. It hadn't been pretty, so the teenager was now twice as happy that things ended well.
Emma smiled gently, cupping her daughter's cheek. For a moment, her gaze wandered to Joshua before it settled on Olivia again.
"I wouldn't have missed this for the world. And neither would your brother."
Claudia's eyes scanned the crowd, and found the young man standing a few steps away from pretty much everyone else about the same time as the bride did. Olivia's smile fell, a look of worry replacing the spark in her eyes. It wouldn't have taken a genius to know why. Steve hadn't talked to anyone except his sister and his mother, and occasionally his brother in law, since he arrived. Claudia had tried to start a conversation with him, but it wasn't like she expected him to meet her halfway. Unlike their mother, he hadn't been there to meet the siblings four years ago. Not when Olivia graduated, not when they showed a stunned Emma their new home... Claudia was actually a little surprised to see him now. Previously, she'd only ever heard stories and seen pictures. Liv said he'd been in Massachusetts to congratulate her the week before graduation, because the back then nineteen year old had something important going on that day. Was it university? Work? Claudia wasn't sure anymore. In fact, Olivia's stories about her beloved little brother mostly ended around the time she moved out of New Jersey when she was eighteen and he was fifteen years old.
Did the distance really drive them apart this far? Claudia was eighteen now, and even though she hadn't told anyone yet, she was about to leave. Could this possibly happen to her too? Would she lose that tight bond she formed with Joshua and Olivia after all those years?
Out of the corner of her eye, Claudia caught movement. Olivia was just about to make her way through the couples dancing in the middle of the room, and she didn't look happy. Not exactly angry either, just worried.
The teenager reached out and got a hold of her wrist, gently holding the bride in place as she stood up.
"Via, this is your day. Enjoy the party, and let me talk to him. What am I your Maid of Honor for?"
Olivia hesitated at first, but when their eyes met she smiled gratefully.
"You're my Maid of Honor because you're the best, and basically my sister. I hope you know that." She leapt forward and wrapped her arms tightly around Claudia, lowering her volume to a whisper. "Thank you, Dia. For everything."
Before Claudia could do much more than smile, Olivia took Joshua by the hand again and he led her to their seats. The redhead nodded into Emma's direction, before she turned on the heels of her ankle boots to go find the woman's son.
It didn't take long, since she had already spotted him from afar and he wasn't exactly hiding. But he obviously wasn't expecting to be approached either.
His blue eyes landed on the 5' 7'' redhead marching into his direction, one eyebrow raised. He didn't say anything, just waited for her to talk. And she did. With her hands on her hips, she tilted her head to the side and clicked her tongue.
"Care to tell me why you're looking like someone left you in the rain on your sister's wedding day?"
"It's nice to meet you too. Claudia, right?"
Steve almost looked amused right then, but Claudia really didn't. No, the young woman had a fire in her deep brown eyes. But what really confused him, was the concern he thought to see behind it.
"Yes. And you could've met me years ago, if you had simply visited. But that doesn't answer my question, Steve."
He frowned, bringing the glass he was holding to his lips. Claudia stayed exactly where she was, determination written in her eyes. She could easily tell that he was trying to get around talking to her, but she wasn't simple to get rid of. Eventually, his glass was empty. And she still stood there, arms crossed in front of her chest and a challenging look on her face.
"You know what? Fine. You don't wanna talk, so we won't."
Surprise was evident in his eyes when that reached his ears, but he didn't let his guard down. Something told him this wasn't over yet. It served as enough of a confirmation when she took his empty glass, left it on the closest table and grabbed his hand instead.
"What exactly do you think you're doing?"
Smirking, she started pulling him along with her towards the crowd.
"If you don't wanna talk, you're gonna help me to prove a point instead."
He was about to ask what the hell she was even talking about, but they'd already reached the dance floor. She turned around and quickly locked her hands behind his neck, not giving him time to step back. Although for some reason, he didn't really mind. He'd automatically gone with it, resting his hands on her waist. And really, how could he not move at all when music was playing? And when there was that forceful eighteen year old looking at him expectantly, with her big brown Bambi eyes...
Well, damn it. She had him dancing.
And even more surprisingly, he was enjoying it. Steve was having a good time, which he really hadn't seen coming. He was only here for Olivia, nothing more. And the brunette was on the other side of the room, stealing off her husband's plate.
Claudia caught his gaze, and smiled warmly when she spotted the newlyweds.
"I'm glad, you know. They both deserve to be happy. And Olivia's great. Honestly, before we met her I didn't think any of his girlfriends would ever be good enough for my brother. After everything he's done for me, with an angel's patience... But Livi's-"
The redhead abruptly stopped talking when Steve's hands left her waist, one of them gently grabbing her upper arm. She couldn't quite swallow the surprised squeal that left her lips when he pulled her off the dance floor and towards the door.
It wasn't until she found herself outside, where the vows had been exchanged only an hour or two ago, that she actually got the chance to study Steve's expression. Although it was winter and therefore the sky was already darkening, she could see his blue eyes shining with concern.
It took a moment for realization to sink in.
"Hang on, are you worried about Olivia?"
The young man shifted uncomfortably on his feet, visibly hesitating before he spoke again.
"Not exactly. I mean, Livi can watch out for herself. But... I don't know your brother, alright? When she met him, she was suddenly so busy. She called less often, and when she did she asked more questions than we got the chance to ask! Then he left, and things went back to the way they were when she started college. Except she was... sad. Claudia, Liv is not a sad person. She's energetic, and fierce and sarcastic, and-"
"She's a total badass queen, I know." She sighed, nodding slowly. "Listen up, Jinksy. I've lived with these two for a while now, and I can tell you there's nothing to worry about. Of course she was down back then. She missed him. Maybe me, too. And most likely you and Emma. But since they're married now, he'll probably cling to her for the rest of her life. So yeah, I think she won't have to miss him again any time soon."
He appeared thoughtful, but stayed silent. His gaze was locked to the ground, until he looked up when she placed a cautious hand on his arm.
"Steve, Joshua's good to her. He's harmless, really. If anything, she's got him whipped and I'm pretty sure you know that. Back then, Olivia told him to go and take his chance. He wouldn't have left if she hadn't. And the spontaneous choice to come with us to Eureka? She decided that way, because it's what she wanted. And obviously, it's what she still wants. Otherwise, she wouldn't be here."
Their eyes met, and she could see it. She'd reminded him of the one thing he had actually forgotten within all his concerns: It was Olivia. The quick-witted, tenacious, sagacious Olivia Jinks. As if that woman would ever let a man tell her what to do.
A sly smirk crossed Steve's lips, which automatically helped to brighten the mood. There was something about that cheeky smile that made Claudia cheerful.
"I'd wish your brother good luck, but this one's on him. I hope he knows what he got himself into."
The redhead chuckled, shrugging sheepishly.
"Hey, he knows Via."
"And he knows you. If he survived Hurricane Claudia this far..."
She glared playfully at him, lightly punching his upper arm.
"What's that supposed to mean? You don't even really know me!"
"Liv talks about you a lot. And as far as I can tell, her descriptions were pretty accurate. But no worries. I don't think she ever said anything negative. Well, nothing she would consider negative anyway. What does confuse me a little is why you're still here."
With that, Claudia's mood shifted. Something about his last comment obviously made her uncomfortable.
"What do you mean? Where should I be?"
He shrugged, not visibly reacting to her nervousness. Of course, he noticed it. But there was absolutely no need to pull her nerves even further.
"Well, as far as I understand you're pretty smart. I kinda assumed you'd be going to college right about now. You don't have to, sure. But I thought..."
Steve left the unfinished sentence hanging in the air, giving Claudia a chance to consider it. She swallowed silently, closing her eyes and tightening her arms around herself. The redhead almost looked... guilty?
"I will. When I was sixteen, Henry firstly told me he could get me a spot. I said I didn't want it. Last year, I was once again offered one at MIT. I declined again. But... for some reason, I accepted the last time around. I'll be starting classes soon."
He took a few seconds to process her words. Why she decided against it, and eventually changed her mind, was none of his business. He wasn't gonna ask about anything like that, especially since he had a feeling she wasn't quite sure about the answer herself. But the further it sunk in, the more clearly he realized what the current problem was.
"You haven't told anyone else yet."
It was a statement, not a question. But she didn't even seem to take note of that fact. Instead, she nodded numbly. There was a faraway look in her eyes, and for a moment he could see it. She was hurting. This was leading her mind to a dark place, although he didn't understand why. It obviously meant a lot more in her sight than he could recognize.
There was a sense of déjà-vu about this scene; a young woman who usually bounced with energy and determination looking so fragile and doubtful. She wasn't broken, but she wasn't as repaired as she presented herself either.
Steve chuckled quietly, earning a confused glare from the young woman.
"What's suddenly so funny?"
"I'm sorry. It's just... I get it now, you know? Why you and Liv got along so well right away."
The glare disappeared, and now Claudia just looked plain confused. What the hell did any of this have to do with that? To her, the case was clear. She and Olivia were thick as thieves, because she tried her very best. The woman was an idol to the redhead, someone to look up to. So yeah, she'd fought to keep her in their lives.
Seeing the look on her face, he decided to clarify before she could even ask.
"You said it yourself, Livi's a clever and tough girl. She's not invincible, but she knows her way. Whatever tries to hold her down, gets thrown off."
"We've pretty much established the fact that your sister's freaking Wonder Woman, Steve. But what does that have to do with me?"
"Are you kidding? You're basically the same way!"
She scoffed, shaking her head in protest.
"No, I'm not. I'm not half as strong or stable as she is. She's balanced, and collected and I'm... a mess."
Steve sighed, but stayed calm despite her sinking mood. She just couldn't see herself that way, he understood that.
"I never said you were the same person as she is, I simply meant that you've got that in common. Come on, Claudia. You're stronger than this."
"We basically just met. How would you know?"
"I don't have to spend a whole lot of time with you to know that much. I know Olivia, I know how she thinks of you and I know she's right. It's as simple as that."
Her reaction was less than minimal, and not really what he'd been aiming for. She wasn't entirely wrong, he didn't know her personally. He just knew what his sister told him, and what he saw today. Something told him that he was right about her, but how could he explain that?
With another sigh, Steve stepped forward and rested a hand on her shoulder.
"Alright, so I don't know you. All I got are... impressions. Of you and the life you're living, the people and places surrounding you here. And honestly, you fit in. You fit into this... crazy world hidden from the rest, where people are five times as smart and probably ten times as dangerous as anywhere else, exactly because of that. You're not merely... surviving your life, like others do. You're actually living it. You wanna hear my impression of Claudia Donovan? There's an intelligence that got a bunch of grown scientists jealous, strength that catches a lot of people off guard and on their ass, a sarcastic and daring attitude that doesn't annoy people half as much as it likely should, an actually rare honesty that-"
That was as far as he got, before his sentence was cut off by a pair of red lips meeting his. And he just froze. Sure, he had known she could be impulsive and unpredictable. But he really hadn't seen that coming! And the weirdest part for him was that it didn't seem so wrong right then. It actually felt good, and Steve almost caught himself responding when the redhead jumped back.
For a moment she only stood there, with those big brown Bambi eyes. Then they fell shut, and with trembling lips she found her voice again.
"I-I'm... Oh, God. I'm so sorry, Steve. I-"
Her eyes opened again, but she avoided looking at him. He should say something, he knew he should. But he simply didn't know what. She'd caught him so off guard, and that was something extremely rare for him.
She swallowed audibly, crossing her arms in front of her chest again. He could see that she was freezing, but didn't want to step closer to even just hand over his jacket now. The distance in between them already wasn't enough anymore.
(And yet, it was too much.)
Apparently, Claudia agreed because she reluctantly pointed over her shoulder with a thumb.
"I'm gonna... Uh, go find Zane or Zoe or Jo or Henry or... You know, I'll be inside. See you later, I guess."
Steve nodded numbly, still unable to speak. He could only watch as she turned around and walked away, and freeze again when she stopped in the doorway and turned to look at him. For a split second, their gazes met. And he could swear he saw a small smile on her lips.
"Hey, Steve? Thanks. You know, for... telling me all that. I've got some things to think about now."
A smile tugged at the corners of his lips, which she might've barely noticed before she walked inside and disappeared out of his sight. A few seconds after she'd left, he slowly found himself relaxing. Although the wheels in his mind were only starting to turn. He shook his head, whispering to himself before he followed her example and went back into the building.
"Yeah, me too."
