Thanks to Aimofdestiny for the beta.

AN: Busses and cars in the future are still busses and cars because even though I'm writing science fiction, I'm not utterly interested in writing science fiction.


Jinks and HG lay on the ground of Artie's office next to each other on their backs, their feet resting on the office chairs. Spread around them were files. Piles of files. And bags of crisps and sweets and cookies. Helena and Steve giggled like children while they handed each other different sorts of food.

"This one is Myka's favourite." Jinksy said, grinning. "She wouldn't admit it but she's almost addicted to them."

The Victorian took a bit from the red liquorice. Her face immediately changed to a slightly disgusted one. "Oh." She laughed and scrunched her nose. "It's disgusting. I love it!"

Steve took a bite himself and looked at the ceiling. He started giggling and she joined immediately until they burst into uproarious laughter. They always had a good time working with each other. It was like HG had the same energy as Steve's former partner Claudia, while he was still the calming pole of this work relationship. But sometimes they both just felt the need to do incredibely silly things. Like stealing Pete's and Myka's sweet supplies while the other team was on an artifact hunt, for example. HG had talked him into it and Steve had been unsure about it at first, but HG could be very persuasive if she put her mind to it.

"It's ridiculous!" Steve panted and laughed again. "I'm lying on the floor of our office with HG Wells and we're taste-testing different kinds of candy."

The writer grinned. "I have literally travelled more than a hundred years through time. I was born in the Victorian age and I have met so many important historical persons... and I must say that this may not be the most productive thing I've ever done, but it still amuses me nicely. Not as much as that one time Oscar and I-"

Now Steve faked a snoring noise and she mockingly slapped his shoulder in reaction.

"Good afternoon, second A team." Claudia's voice said and they both gasped at her sudden appearence in the office. But then the Warehouse agents burst out into laughter again. The caretaker rolled her eyes.

"Claudia!" HG yelled and threw her head back so she could see the girl (upside down) standing there with her hands on her hips. "Myka loves disgusting artifical sweets. Isn't it fantastic?"

The redhead groaned. "Don't you two have anything to do? Hunting artifacts for example? Or keeping this office clean? I mean, yes, it's Artie's week off, but this is just ridiculous."

"Do you know what is ridiculous?" Steve asked and giggled again. "I'm lying on the ground of Artie's office with the HG Wells, eating candy." HG and Jinks again burst into laughter. Claudia walked through the office, sighing.

"Perfect! Jinksy. I'm so proud of you." She grumbled.

"We're bored." The Victorian declared like it would explain their behaviour. "There is nothing to do. We did inventory after that accident with the Jumanji board game so we can't do that again. There is no ping, no artifact disturbance. I'm bored."

"Oh, I'm so sorry for you two." The caretaker's voice was heavy with sarcasm. She opened one of the drawers of the green cupboard and groaned after taking a look at its content.

Helena and Steve shared a concerned look. "Is everything alright?" Claudia's former partner asked and clambered upright from his position. HG sat up as well and glanced at the both of them.

"Sure." Claudia forced out. "Everything is alright."

"Yeah." Steve replied. "You don't need to be a human lie detector to see that that was a lie."

The writer nodded, stood up and approached them. "Maybe we can help, Claudia."

"Yeah, maybe. Or well. Maybe not." The redhead pursed her lips while she opened another drawer.

"Well, you do look like you're looking for something." Steve suggested.

"Indeed. The problem is that I don't know what exactly I'm supposed to be looking for. Mrs. Frederic was like 'Claudia, I need you to find an artifact for me.' yesterday and that's all." The caretaker explained and imitated the former caretaker's voice perfectly.

"You mean she didn't state which artifact?" The Victorian asked, surprised.

"Yes, that's what I'm saying, the problem is that all the artifacts I brought her didn't make her happy and now I'm at a loss. I don't know what she wants from me."

Jinks tilted his head. "Have you already... you know? Asked... the Warehouse?"

"Oh, yes, I have. Leena was all like 'This is Mrs. Frederic's puzzle for you. You have to solve it on your own.' Best guide in existence!" With her knee, Claudia hit the drawer and closed it, causing a loud thud.

"Okay, this sounds like a job for good old Claudia and Steve friendship time." Her former partner declared and the redhead's face brightened a little.

HG nodded in agreement. "Well, since I'm getting a visit from Adelaide tomorrow morning and I have to prepare some things, I can leave you two alone. And I meet with Dr. Cho in about two hours."

"It's okay, HG... if..." Steve looked at her.

"No. Honestly." The Victorian smiled softly at them. "I can see when brother and sister need time together. And this seems to be the case here."

Steve and Claudia looked at each other after Helena had left the room. The caretaker smiled mischievously. "So." She said, taking place in one of the chairs. "It seems the second A team is now the first gay team?"

Jinks rolled his eyes. "Didn't you have a problem?"

"Yeah, I have and yes, I need help. Thank you. But talking about being gay for each other... HG and Myka..." Claudia made a gesture in front of her face to show him that she really had to talk about this topic.

He shook his head. "Not our business."

"We should do something about that, Jinksy. You know... taking care of them..." The girl still grinned at him.

"Your problem? You know? The puzzle by Mrs. Frederic?" He crossed his arms in front of his chest and glared at her. "Oh come on! Claud, you're not suggesting we should set up HG and Myka? You know, I'm working with one of them and I'm not interested in having to face HG's wrath. Woman is nice, but still creepy."

"Dude, I'm just thinking that we maybe could..." The caretaker wiggled her eyebrows.

"Not. Our. Business." Steve overemphasised every word.


2044

The bus stopped with a loud squealing noise in the middle of Univille. Sarah shot a few nervous glimpses outside and then looked at Julia, who sat next to her. Her best friend didn't stop babbling. She had been talking for almost the entire trip by plane and bus from New York all the way to Univille. But Sarah was happy about it, because she liked listening to the other woman's voice. The blonde and rather short Julia was Sarah's best friend - had been for years now. They had met at college, shared a flat and from that point onwards this girl had become a very big part in Sarah's life. Their friendship gave the dark-haired girl a feeling of normality, which was not a very big part of her life.

The two of them grinned at each other and left the bus, Julia still talking.

"Everything I want to say, Bells." She strictly declared while walking down the stairs. "Is that if you don't make them become a couple in the next part, I will eat you alive."

"Hm?" Sarah showed her a confused look and then looked around for her brother. She tried to see wether he was already at the bus stop. He wasn't. Paul had a talent for always being late. An older man shyly smiled at Sarah. He had left the bus with them. Sarah couldn't remember when he'd gotten on the bus, or why his face caused a strange feeling inside her.

"Susan and Janet." Julia nodded profusely and shot a glimpse at the bus driver who opened the trunk for them so they could get their luggage.

"You want Susan and Janet to become a couple?" Sarah asked surprised. She turned away from the man who had now walked away, and looked at her best friend.

"Does this thought really surprise you that much? I mean you basically wrote them a love story." The blonde woman leaned into the trunk and reached for Sarah's suitcase. She handed it to her friend and pulled out her own.

"Uhm, no..." The curly haired woman shook her head. "The thought of them together doesn't surprise me... but it surprises me that you'd like to see them together."

"Oh god, Sarah! Let me just summarise this for you. Vampire Janet basically waited two hundred years to meet your lovely protagonist Detective Susan. And then she rescued her ass and betrayed her and rescued her ass again. If this isn't a lovestory, then tell me what a lovestory is."

"I know what a lovestory is." The brunette said indignantly. "I'm a writer!"

Julia dropped her suitcase and glared at her. "Yes, you are! You did that quite well. All this chemistry between them and now you have to finish it! If they won't become a couple, I swear I'll never talk to you again."

The brunette nodded at the bus driver who tipped his hat and left them to start the bus. As they watched him drive away, Sarah tilted her head from one side to the other.

"Well, my publisher wants Susan and Matthew become a thing."

"What?" Julia looked at her with her eyes widened. "Her partner? Is he insane?"

"I know..."

"They are basically brother and sister!"

"I know!"

"That's crap! No... Susan and Janet and nothing else." Julia's blue eyes bored into Sarah's intensely and caused her to swallow.

"Hey, accident." She suddenly heard her brother's voice behind herself. Sarah spun on her heels and looked up into her brother's face. She grinned. "Idiot." She laughed and jumped into his arms. Paul was much taller than her, so he lifted her up from the ground and spun her around.

"You're late." The older of the Bering-Wells children declared when she stood safely on the ground again.

He showed her an apologetic smile. "Yeah, you know, I had a thing in-"

"I don't want to know." Sarah punched his shoulder and turned around to Julia. "You two already know each other."

"Hey, handsome." The blonde firmly hugged Sarah's brother.

"Oh, Julia. You flatter me." Paul demurred and nodded in the direction of his green Ford.

"You could show your gratefulness by carrying my bag." Julia grinned.

"It's an honour." He replied in the thickest British accent he could manage.

"Oh, don't talk to me that way or you'll have to deal with the consequences, young man!" Julia purred.

Sarah rolled her eyes at him as he turned around, shifting both their suitcases on his back.

"It's always interesting to see the two of you." Julia looked at Paul and then at Sarah and back. "If there are more people in your family who look so incredibly good, I might not make it through lunch."

She was right. With his light brown and curly but short hair and the almost black eyes, Paul indeed looked very handsome. The writer was aware of that.

"Julia, my mothers are old." Sarah said, feeling a little uncomfortable and rubbed the back of her neck.

"I was not talking about them... yet." Her friend smirked.

"Technically Paul and I just share 50 percent of our-"

"Yes, but your family's X chromosomes seem to be pure gold." Julia grinned. Sarah didn't know what to reply to that. She just lowered her gaze to the ground.

"Oh, honey. Sometimes I'm really surprised how incredibely blind you are for a writer. You should take a compliment if you get one." Julia winked and then turned to follow Paul to his car.

"Young man, that's not a car. That's a disaster."

"So, Paul, tell me." The blonde girl adressed Paul from her position in the front passenger seat a few minutes later. He turned his long neck to look at her.

"Eyes on the street." Sarah poked him from her place behind him and he groaned.

"Susan and Janet or Susan and Matthew?" Julia wanted to know.

He furrowed his eyebrows. "Susan and Matthew? Whose idea was that?"

"Not mine!" His sister commented from the back seat.

"They are like brother and sister." Paul declared, sounding indignant.

"Preach it!" Julia replied and raised her arms triumphantly. "Susan and Janet forever."

"Can we just stop talking like the romantic interests of the characters in my novel are the most important part of it? I mean, that thing has a plot, you know? I worked very hard on it!"

Paul ignored his sisters attempts to change the topic. "Well, Julia, I always like the thought of a female protagonist not having a love interest at all."

"Ha!" Sarah cheered. "That's what I told my publisher!"

"Oh, come on! I'm a busy medicine student who needs a little love in the only fiction that she has time to read." Julia groaned.

"That's an irrefutable argument, Julia." Paul grinned.

"I know. I'm always right." The blonde girl declared and proudly crossed her arms in front of her chest.

With a big grin, Paul turned in his seat and glared at his sister. "If you don't marry her, I will."

Sarah groaned. "And that's the next thing we should immediately stop talking about. It's bad enough that our parents already keep talking like that without having met Jules in person yet."

Her brother's smile just brightened.

"Eyes on the street." The writer huffed. "And: Not going to happen."

Paul parked the car in front of the B&B and looked at Julia, narrowing his eyes. "Of course not, Sarah." He replied and then got out of the car, smiling brightly.

While Julia headed to the trunk to get her suitcase out, Sarah approached her brother and punched him in the shoulder, hard. "If you ever read my best friend's aura like that again," She hissed and glared at him, with her green eyes widened. "I will castrate you!"

"Oh, such harsh words." He replied and jogged towards the B&B's door. Quickly, he pushed it open and yelled inside "A special delivery called Sarah Bering-Wells for her mothers!"

It was quiet in the B&B and suddenly, Sarah had a strange feeling. Julia carried her suitcase behind them into the building as brother and sister walked around like they were searching something.

Adelaide appeared in the hall, her son on her hip and Pete's daughter right behind her. "Gosh, Paul, Sarah. Have you seen the others? It's like everyone is gone and I can't find them. They don't even answer their Farnsworths."

Julia raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. "Their what?"

"Ha!" Sarah laughed. "Very good idea for a surprise, Adelaide. Everyone is gone, I'm so worried."

"No.", the older woman shook her head and put the toddler down to the ground. "I'm not joking. I've found them alone here in the B&B." Adelaide waved her hand to point at Pete's daughter and his younger son showing up behind her. "Alone. That's not normal. I tried to call Pete on Farnsworth. Or Myka and Hel. Or anyone."

Sarah pursed her lips and stared at the older woman, horrified. Then, she eyed Julia nervously and looked at her brother.

"Julia, can you stay here? Paul and I have a thing to do. Adelaide makes a wonderful tea and a very strong coffee. You can choose."

Julia mustered her best friend firmly. She looked worried. "Sarah, is everything al-"

"To be honest, Julia. No" Sarah's brother took a deep breath and surveyed Sarah. "But actually, we're gonna solve it. Don't worry." The younger Bering-Wells child placed a hand on his sister's shoulder. "Ferret." He said and took a brief look at her hands pressed into fists, the knuckles already white. "Calm down. Please."


AN: Before you ask. No, I'm not going with Julia and Sarah there. Even though it looks a lot like this. It's supposed to look a lot like this, but there are other things I need them for.