All too quickly, the Warehouse agents and their time-travelling stowaway found themselves again gathered in an artifact-crowded aisle somewhere in the depths of Warehouse 13, but not one of them seemed to be very happy about it. Stevie took in all of her companion's glum expressions, and let out a sigh as she tried to correct her own slight pout.
"You guys," she whined softly. "I gave you a couple of days to get used to this idea. I gave you happy memories."
"And that just made us even sadder," Pete said, the dimple in his chin growing deeper as he pursed his lips together. He looked like a little kid who'd had his favourite toy taken away. Stevie squeezed her eyes shut for a moment as she felt tears start to prickle at the back of her eyes.
"I'm sad too," she told him softly. "But I think we all knew that at some point, this had to come to an end. I have a home to go to." Stevie paused to grin ruefully.
"I need to get back to you," she quipped, twitching her nose as Pete failed to stop himself from grinning back. When Myka reached over and soothingly grazed her knuckles gently down Pete's jawline, Stevie took a moment to turn and look down the aisle to where Artie was fussing over the artifact Stevie had identified during her inventory run with Claudia. The moment Stevie had laid eyes on the copper kettle, the memory of her birthday wish with Miles had come rushing back, so obvious that the blonde couldn't believe that the thought hadn't crossed her mind sooner.
"I thought I'd made an impossible wish," she'd explained to Artie, perched on that foot stool as she'd toyed nervously with her coffee cup. "After all, when you wish to get the opportunity to know your dead father, you don't exactly expect it to come true."
"So you want to try the kettle to get back to your own time?" Artie had asked, and Stevie had hesitated for a moment before nodding softly.
"If you think it will work," she'd murmured. Artie had given her a smug smile, causing Stevie to raise a curious eyebrow.
"I suspected it, you know," Artie commented. "That Steve was your father. You almost threw me off the day I asked about your mother, but clearly you've become very good at lying over the years." His smile faltered.
"Is she really how you described her?" he asked hesitantly, sadness clouding his eyes. "Claudia, I mean. She is your mother, isn't she?"
She'd almost forgotten that Artie had loved Claudia as fiercely as he did, and that the knowledge of her emotional retreat would cause the older man so much pain. Stevie had taken that moment to reassure Artie that there had been nothing he could have done to change the situation, and while she was sure he didn't believe her, Stevie left him alone to do his research on using the copper kettle. He'd worked hard, and it had all led them to this moment, to the dusty aisle in Warehouse 13 where the copper kettle was housed. Stevie was dressed in the pink shirt Myka had gifted her, and the bat earrings she'd been given by Claudia were in her ears. In the back pocket of her denim skirt was the treasured Polaroid of her and Steve, along with the black and silver guitar pick that made up the last of her tangible birthday gifts. Behind her, Artie cleared his throat.
"Shall we, Ms McFly?" he asked, holding up the artifact and raising an eyebrow expectantly. Stevie smiled despite herself. She'd offered to tell Artie her name when she'd revealed her paternity to him, but Artie had declined, still affirming that the less he and anyone else knew, the less likely it was to disturb the future balance. Stevie rather suspected that the senior agent had actually grown to like her chosen moniker.
"I just need to say goodbye," Stevie murmured, and Artie nodded discreetly. When Stevie turned back towards the four Warehouse agents, she found tears in every eye gazing back at her.
"Me first," Pete said thickly, pushing to the front of the pack and wrapping his arms around Stevie tightly. Stevie hummed gently as she squeezed him back, and then reached up to wipe at the wayward tear that had rolled down his cheek.
"It's not sad, Uncle Pete!" she exclaimed softly. "It's only goodbye for a little while."
"Who's going to play football with me?" Pete whined at her, and Stevie screwed up her face in amusement as she tried not to laugh.
"I promise that when I get back, we'll play for as long as you want," she smiled, and the corner of Pete's mouth twitched upwards.
"I'll be counting the minutes," he promised. Stevie gave him one last tight hug before she looked towards Myka, who was fighting a losing battle with a trembling lower lip.
"Myka!" Stevie whined, feeling a lump form in her throat.
"I can't wait to meet you all over again, beautiful girl," Myka squeaked, holding out her arms for her own hug. Stevie pressed her face against Myka's shoulder for a moment before she leaned in close.
"In case I don't say it enough to you in the future, thank you, for everything you do," Stevie murmured in the curly haired agent's ear. "You've been my constant in both the future and the past. You're my foundation, Myka."
Pressing a kiss to Stevie's cheek, Myka hiccupped and sniffled as she pulled away, already shuffling under the arm Pete held outstretched. Stevie felt a sense of overwhelming love and gratitude settle over her as she smiled fondly at her future aunt and uncle, and she had to bite back a giggle when Myka unhesitatingly used Pete's sleeve to dry her eyes. Behind her, a throat was impatiently cleared, and Stevie turned to find Claudia huffing out an unhappy sigh.
"You sure we can't convince you to stay, kid?" she quipped softly, her expression despondent. "We have cake, and coffee."
"How could I resist an offer like that?" Stevie rasped back, blinking against the sting of tears welling in her eyes. There was the sudden sensation of a great weight on her chest, like it was becoming overwhelmingly harder to breathe. She fought to keep her composure as she stepped towards Claudia.
"You were the last thing I expected to find here," Stevie murmured, smiling sadly. "You surprised me, Claudia Donovan."
"I feel like I didn't get enough time with you," Claudia told her, blowing out a breath that wavered unhappily. "I have no idea how to explain it, but we're connected, you and me, right? I'm not the only one who felt it?"
"Every moment with you has been perfect," Stevie said shakily. She could feel the corners of her mouth pulling downwards, and there was a large lump stuck in her throat.
"Don't let us lose it," Claudia demanded softly, stepping forward and wrapping her hands around Stevie's. "You made a promise, McFly. I'll be waiting for you to keep it." She stared Stevie down, coffee-coloured eyes wide with sincerity.
"Don't let us down, kid," she murmured, and then pulled Stevie into her tight embrace. Stevie could feel the tears rolling down her cheeks even as she pressed herself into Claudia as closely as she possibly could, forcing herself to remember every part of the way Claudia held her, and the way she smelled, and the warmth that radiated not only from her body, but from her very soul. No matter what Claudia said, Stevie couldn't quite bring herself to believe that when she got back to the future, things between them would change, and so she filed every sensation into her memory and locked it up tightly. Claudia let out a shuddering sigh as she finally released Stevie from her hold.
"I'll be waiting for you," she repeated softly, the promise evident in her eyes. Wiping at her tears with the back of her hand, Stevie nodded and then nearly fell apart all over again when her eyes met Steve's. Panic hit her without warning, overwhelming her every sense. Her heart started to race in her chest, and she flicked her gaze wildly between where Artie stood and then back to Steve as her breath started to escape her in soft gasps. Dizziness threatened to overpower her as her stomach started to churn. Her chest felt like it was on fire; the thought of leaving her father behind squeezing at her heart like a vice. Stevie started emitting tiny little squeaks as she gasped for air.
"I don't think, I don't, I can't," she stammered, feeling herself starting to hyperventilate. "I don't want to go! I can't... I won't... I..."
"Hey, take a breath!" Steve exclaimed softly, lunging forwards and grabbing onto her shoulders. "Look at me, and just breathe. Try to calm down."
"I can't!" Stevie yelped, shaking her head hysterically. "I can't... oh God..."
Myka, Pete, and Claudia had all taken a few steps forward, but before Stevie had time to process their movements, Steve wrapped an arm around her shoulders and walked her briskly around the corner of the next aisle, away from everyone else's sight and hearing range. He turned Stevie to face him, cupping her face in his hands and forcing her to look into his eyes.
"I need you to breathe, Stevie," he murmured soothingly. "Calm down. There's my girl. You're my perfect girl. Come on, now. I'm right here. Just concentrate on my breathing, and see if you can match it, ok?"
Stevie knew her eyes were as wide as saucers, and she could feel her whole body shaking as she continued to squeak uncontrollably. Steve smoothed his thumb across her cheekbone.
"Stevie, breathe," he instructed with a little more firmness. Stevie swallowed hard and then exhaled roughly. Steve gave her a gentle smile, his eyes tracing over every inch of her face.
"There's my girl," he murmured again, steadily breathing in and out so that Stevie could match his rhythm. The cheerleader was still trembling, but slowly her heart rate started to return to some sense of normal.
"You gotta stop doing this to me," Steve quipped gently, and Stevie hiccupped as tears brimmed in her eyes.
"How am I supposed to leave you, knowing what happens when I go?" she whimpered desperately, lifting her hands so that she could wrap her fingers around Steve's wrists. "If I leave, you die, Steve. How do you expect me to live my life, when... when..." she trailed off as she started to gasp for air again.
"Whoa, whoa!" Steve soothed, pulling Stevie against his chest and running his hand over her hair as he rocked her gently. "Stevie, you know you have to go home."
"I don't want to," Stevie mumbled against his chest. "I changed my mind. I want to stay here, with you."
"I want that too," Steve admitted gruffly, kissing the crown of Stevie's head and then sighing as he inched her out of his hold. "But we both know that we can't change how things turn out."
"It's not fair," Stevie whined wetly. "We didn't have enough time. It's never going to be enough time!"
"I know," Steve conceded unhappily, reaching up to rub at his temple. "I hate this as much as you do."
Stevie kicked at the ground with the toe of her sneaker.
"I want my Daddy," she whimpered, wrapping her arms around herself. Steve reached out to cup her cheek again. They stared each other down for a while, sky blue eyes that mirrored each other so perfectly, and then Steve sighed unhappily as he hung his head.
"I need you to go back, Stevie Faith," he murmured gently. "You're my reassurance. When I die, I'll be able to go peacefully, because I'll know that Claudia will have someone to look after her, even when I'm gone."
"She's supposed to look after me," Stevie whispered pitifully, her voice cracking. Steve winced as if she'd slapped him.
"You've got Pete, and Myka, and Miles," he finally replied, his tone soft, and Stevie's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
"Miles," she whispered, her lower lip wobbling. She'd tried desperately to push the thought of her best friend out of her mind, but the mere mention of his name had her longing to see him again. Steve smiled in bemusement.
"I meant what I said about him, Stevie," he offered. "I really do think you should give the boy a chance."
"I just don't understand why I couldn't have everything," Stevie sighed, chewing on her lower lip as she wiped at her falling tears with one of her hands. Steve made a rumbling sound low in his throat.
"No one ever said life was meant to be fair," he murmured, and then emitted a low grunt when Stevie threw herself back into his embrace.
"I love you, Daddy," she mumbled against his shoulder, holding on to him as tightly as she could.
"I will never stop loving you, Stevie Faith," Steve whispered back, squeezing her with just as much desperate enthusiasm. "I'll always be with you."
Stevie sniffled as she reluctantly eased out of the hug, exhaling loudly as she scrubbed at her tear-stained cheeks with her hands. Steve stuck his hands in his pockets and looked at her shyly.
"We ok now?"
Stevie shook her head, but then she gestured towards the aisle where they'd left the rest of the Warehouse agents.
"I get the feeling you won't let me stall forever," she quipped sadly, and a smile tugged at the corners of Steve's lips as he reached out and tucked her under his arm so that they could go back to their waiting friends and family. When they returned, however, the focus of the group was firmly on Artie, and Stevie could immediately see that the agents of the Warehouse were prepping for a fight. As she and Steve drew closer, Stevie saw that Artie was holding out vials of a pinkish substance with a determined look on his face.
"You're in serious denial if you think I'm even touching that," Claudia snarked, fixing Artie with a seriously unimpressed expression.
"What's going on?" Steve enquired as he and Stevie drew level with the group. Pete looked up, his nostrils flared.
"Artie's trying to poison us," he sneered, and Artie immediately barked out a protest.
"Pete," Myka murmured warningly, but her face reflected an uneasy unhappiness. Stevie bit her lip as she nodded towards the vials in Artie's hands.
"What is that?" she asked hesitantly. Her stomach threatened to turn over again as Artie sighed.
"The brains at Eureka designed it, on my request," he explained gruffly. "It's a memory serum."
"He wants us to forget you!" Claudia snarled unhappily. "What Artie doesn't seem to grasp is that there's no way any of us is going through with that."
Her heart pounding, Stevie glanced towards Steve, and noted that his face had drained of colour. She knew immediately that he was having the same thoughts as her, and none of them were of the happy variety.
"Why?" Stevie asked. Artie looked pained.
"I have only the best of intentions," he murmured. "You've told all of us so much, some more than others, about the future, Miss McFly. I can't bear to think that something might go wrong due to a simple slip of the tongue. If you're erased from our memories, you, us... we'll all be safe."
"Nothing's going to happen, Artie!" Claudia yowled, rounding on her father-figure mentor. "We wouldn't do anything that would hurt her. We love her."
"I love her too!" Artie barked, causing Claudia to take a startled step backwards. "I am simply trying to do what is right, for you, and for her, and for everybody standing here right now."
"By making us all forget?" Claudia yelped. "You're out of your gourd, old man."
"You should do it," Stevie spoke up, and Claudia whipped around, her eyes wide like a deer frozen in a headlight beam.
"What?" she shrieked, her tone verging on hysteria. Stevie's nose twitched, like she was about to cry again, but she held her voice steady.
"My life," she stated, "your life, our lives... they're all connected. And yes, there's things I'd change, that we'd all change, I'm sure, if we had the opportunity, but we can't, not without risking changing everything good as well."
"McFly," Claudia breathed. Her face had fallen, like she'd been betrayed by the person she loved the most. Stevie's heart felt like it was literally cracking inside her chest. She powered on regardless.
"I don't like it either," she murmured. "But I think Artie is right. He normally is, after all."
Claudia's eyes were brimming with tears, and with her mouth slightly ajar, she looked over Stevie's shoulder to where Steve stood. Stevie didn't have to turn around to know that Steve was giving Claudia the kind of look that told her he agreed with the plan. Claudia's lips finally pressed together in a hard line as a lone tear slipped down her cheek.
"Fine," she finally bit out. "I'll do it. I won't forget though. I'll fight it."
"I wouldn't expect anything less," Stevie whispered with a watery smile. Behind Claudia, Myka sniffled as she held out a hand to Artie, who pressed two of the vials into her palm. Pete raised an eyebrow at her.
"I'm not taking that," he stated emphatically, and then yelped when Myka balled up her free hand and punched his arm.
"Don't be an ass," she growled, holding out one of the vials. "Do as you're told."
"Everyone's always telling me what to do," Pete muttered, nonetheless finally taking the vial of pink liquid and holding it up to the light so that he could study it. When Artie handed the serum to Claudia, she fixed him with her signature Donovan death stare.
"You can look at me like that all you want," Artie grumbled at her. "I only ever do what I do to protect you."
Claudia snorted and averted her gaze, her nostrils twitching angrily. Stevie watched as Steve accepted his own vial from Artie, but then she blinked in surprise when the older man held out one for her as well.
"You're affected as much as the rest of us," Artie told her. "I think it would be best if you take this as soon as you return, and then your life as you've always known it can go on.
Stevie sighed, her brow furrowed, but she nodded shortly as she tucked the vial into the spare pocket of her skirt. She quickly turned her attention back to Steve when Artie walked back down the aisle to collect the copper kettle. Steve beckoned her closer, and then held up the memory serum he'd been provided with.
"This might take you from here," he murmured, pointing to his head," but nothing will ever take you from my heart."
Stevie smirked despite herself at the cheesiness of the line, and she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she felt her cheeks grow warm.
"I'm really proud of you," Steve told her gently, his voice thick with emotion, and Stevie wrapped her arms around his neck in her final goodbye hug.
"I love you," she whispered in his ear.
"I love you too," Steve whispered back, his sentence almost swept away by a groan as suddenly three extra sets of arms wrapped around them. There were murmurs of well wishes and promises; tightened grips and fingers stroked through hair one final time before everyone reluctantly pulled away. Stevie snuck in one final graze of her fingers over Steve's before she drew in a sharp intake of breath and stepped towards where Artie waited for patiently for her. The copper kettle sat in his purple-gloved hands.
"I know it might be difficult right now, Ms McFly, but I need you to clear your mind," Artie instructed in his low, rumbling tone. "No wayward thoughts, or this won't work at all."
Stevie squeezed her eyes shut for a moment as she tried to force herself to relax. She could hear the others shifting and murmuring behind her, and her hand twitched as she debated just for a moment turning and running back to them. Tears stung her eyes, but she willed herself not to cry. Instead, she put a soft smile on her lips and held out her hands for the kettle.
"I'm ready," she whispered. Artie gave her a half-hearted smile of his own.
"Remember, you have to be clear in your intentions too," he said steadily.
"I got it, Artie," Stevie drawled back. "If, I didn't know any better, I'd think you were stalling, Grandpa."
Artie harrumphed at her, shaking his head as he shuffled past her so that Stevie was forced to turn around and face her Warehouse audience. Only then did Artie hold out the kettle, though he kept his hands on the base even as Stevie wrapped her hands around the handle.
"Make it count," Artie murmured, and then, sighing softly, he let go. Stevie immediately slammed her eyes shut, and filled her mind with thoughts of home. She pictured the Lattimer girls; smart and brave Zoe, bubbly Shiloh, and quiet and defiant Bridget. She imagined her Uncle Pete, hair completely grey but his eyes still shining like a child's, and her Aunt Myka, eternally beautiful in both appearance and soul, putting their every effort into making her feel like one of their own children. The happiness she only ever felt with Miles made her tingle all over as his handsome face and warm smile crossed into her mind. And then there was Claudia, lingering on the edges of her memories, head down, eyes sad, but, Stevie suddenly realised, always watching despite never making contact.
"I wish to go back," Stevie said out loud, her voice clear and unwavering. "I wish to return to my own time. I want to go home."
The aisle was silent for what felt like an eternity, and Stevie's stomach turned to lead as she waited for something, anything, to happen. Just as she was about to give up, she heard it, soft at first, but then all at once; a high-pitched ringing that was clearly building to a crescendo. Stevie's eyes flew open just in time to catch the entire aisle starting to shimmer. Her gaze immediately went to Steve, who had his arms wrapped around Claudia's shoulders, holding her back from running to Stevie's side. It was the last thing Stevie saw before the bright flash of light that consumed the entire aisle. She had to shut her eyes again against the flare, but it still burned red against her eyelids, and there were spots in her vision when she finally allowed herself to blink. It took Stevie a moment to realise that her hands were empty, but not as long to note that she was alone in the aisle. A hiccup lodged in her throat, catching her by surprise, as she turned in a slow circle to ensure that she was actually by herself. Ducking down, Stevie caught sight of the hourglass that had started it all, lying on its side again in what Stevie now realised was its proper neutralised position. Huffing out a breath, Stevie returned herself to her a standing position and looked around again. She wrinkled her nose and smiled despite herself when a familiar scent filled the air.
"Really, now?" she asked out loud, the smell of apples tickling her nostrils. "You think you're so smart, don't you?"
Stevie could have sworn she heard the Warehouse laugh softly in reply, and the apple scent intensified. Rolling her eyes, Stevie walked to the end of the aisle and patted one of the stack shelf posts fondly.
"Yeah, ok, you did it, girl," she murmured. "I'm home."