The plane back to South Dakota was much more lighthearted. As Artie had booked the plane tickets in one go the four women sat together, talking quietly to themselves about their trip to Vegas and how much of it they would tell Pete. In the end they had decided that what they tell him will depend on how he's acting, although they were reluctant to divulge the fact that both Helena and Claudia had shared spit with a stripper. Although Myka did internally file it away in her mind.
Both Pete and Steve had just arrived back at the Warehouse within the hour of them arriving. The two men were talking light-heartedly as Artie ignored them and worked on for the next ping. Pete stood and talked down to Steve who was sat behind a desk. Myka had driven them back from the airport, dropping Leena off at Leena's Bed and Breakfast. Helena had immediately walked through the office of the Warehouse and into the actually warehouse to shelf the tongue stud and to deal with whatever chaos Artie may have missed whilst cleaning up Pete's attempt at inventory.
"Claudia, Myka." Pete nodded to the two women who stuck around in the office.
"Pete." Myka responded, trying to be polite but coming across as cold.
"How was..." Claudia's voice trailed off.
"Denver." Pete filled her in. "It was good, just a simple snag, bag, and tag."
"I heard that you girls got to spend a few days in Vegas." Steve said, trying to make conversation.
"It was good, yeah. It was a crazy night but the next day we got to spend some time in the casino after we wrapped everything up the next morning. So... yeah." Claudia said, trying to force the conversation to the point where the awkwardness just made her wish she was back at the strip club challenging Helena, master of Kenpo, to a fight.
"Are you okay, Claud?" Steve asked.
"I'm fine." Claudia responded.
"Jinx, that's girl code. She's not actually fine." Pete whispered loudly to Steve.
"Are you kidding me, Lattimer?" Myka raised her voice. "We can hear you."
"You children need to sort out your problems or I'll send you to your rooms." Artie called out, only semi-listening.
"Haha, very funny." Pete responded.
"Pete!" Myka bursted out, waving out her hand so fiercely that a stack of papers went flying off of the desk. Myka nursed her hand for a moment as six hundred pieces of paper scratched against her flesh but she simply brushed it off almost immediately. "Can you be serious for once?"
"I can't be Serious, I'm Pete." Pete said, laughing at what he thought was the best dad-joke of the century but the response was Myka storming from the room in search of Helena so that she could rant and see her. This left Claudia in the room with the currently frustrating Pete and her best friend who she hasn't talked to in about two weeks.
"That wasn't your best joke." Steve broke the ice once again.
"Are you kidding?" Pete exclaimed, clapping his hands together and thinking intensely for a moment. "Why is she so emotional lately?"
"The question you might want to ask is why you're being such a jerk lately." Claudia commented.
"A jerk? Me?" Pete took a step back, confused and bewildered. He had considered himself a fun and friendly guy. It hit him all at once at the realisation that his jokes were not as harmless as he consciously thought. Instead it was just pent-up anger that Myka had blatantly rejected him after he had put himself out on the line for her. She made it clear to him that they would never be an item.
"You should talk to her." Artie said.
"Are you still listening?" Pete said.
"I also agree, you've been incredibly distracted and heartless lately." Artie said with little care.
"Heartless?" Pete repeated.
"Okay Pooh-bear, we don't need your help." Claudia told Artie. "Although we wouldn't mind some cookies."
"Wouldn't mind some cookies." Artie parroted back in a childish voice as he left the room.
"Artie's right though." Steve said, and Pete shot him a warning glance. "I meant that he was right when he said that you should talk to Myka."
Pete didn't need anymore time to think. The realisation was enough for him to want to apologise to everyone, starting with Myka. He stormed from the room, marching at marine speed in search of Myka, who had gone to Helena to rant and for comfort.
"So that just leaves us then." Steve observed.
"Look, I said some things that I shouldn't have said and I am so sorry. I've hated the fact that you were made at me and I can't imagine losing my best friend." Claudia blurted out, not leaving space for Steve to intercept but just left him watching her every move, analysing her as he would when detecting for lies from everyone else.. "And I don't want to make excuses and an apology won't fix everything but look at me, I'm telling the truth and-"
"Claud," Steve finally managed to cut her off. "I can't imagine losing my best friend over something like this."
"Yeah?" Claudia looked down at him in hope.
"I shouldn't have left it that long." Steve explained. "I apologise for that. I'm not angry, Claudia. It's okay."
"Really?"
"I promise you." Steve said.
"Hug?" Claudia asked, testing the waters.
"I would but I can't stand without Pete hoisting me up." Steve tried to joke.
"What?" Claudia moved around to see the other side of the desk where she could clearly see Steve's leg in a purple cast. "What happened? Who do I have to kill?"
"Calm down, Claud." Steve laughed. "We were only in Denver for about an hour when we found the guy abusing an artefact and I ended up being airborne for a little part of it. That was interesting until I remembered gravity."
"Are you okay? Are you in pain?" Claudia said.
"I'm on medication right now but Artie was just seeing if there's any helpful artefacts with minimal side affects for me." Steve explained. "Pete nabbed the artefact in record time and got me to a hospital. Man of the hour when he's not in that mood."
"I know." Claudia said.
"So how was Vegas? I want details, girl." Steve said, patting the desk for Claudia to sit on.
"Don't tell Pete because it'll kill him but..." Claudia leaned in and turned the whole trip into a massive joke to lift Steve's spirits. Claudia left out no details about what had happened, including the tongue action with the stripper, but did leave out her suspicions between Myka and Helena. She wanted to talk to him about it but she wanted to talk to Myka first to find out what was going to happen next. She especially did not want Pete to somehow find out because that would crush him.