"Okay, lets just stay calm." Pete remarked as Myka and Claudia began to panic.
Steve had yet to arrive nor had he responded to Claudias' text message, Claudia was beginning to slowly break down as her mind was going blank.
The young agent was at a loss for where Harper had run off too, or how she had managed to get out of the house without anybody noticing.
"Why hasn't Steve come back? Oh my god…he's never going to come back!" Claudia said, now beginning a full on panic attack as she paced around the living room.
Myka shrugged "Maybe he started looking for her?" he suggested.
Claudia huffed "He would have told me!"
The three agents were silent before Claudia finally groaned, grabbing her bad off the floor "I'm going to look for her!" she said as she left the house.
Myka and Pete turned to each other before following behind Claudia, grabbing their coats off the rack and following her outside.
"Claudia, wait!" Myka called out before the three agents stopped in their tracks as Steves' Prius pulled into the Bed and Breakfast.
Steve wasted no time getting out of his car "I'm sorry, I came as fast as I could!" he said.
Claudia just stood in front of Steve for a moment before she finally hit her boiling point; she pushed Steve away from her, screaming and cursing at her friend before Steve managed to pull her in for a hug.
"I know! I know!" Steve said, now comforting the sobbing Claudia.
Pete and Myka waited a moment before Steve turned to them "Okay, here's what we're going to do; Myka, Pete, go to the Warehouse. Maybe she walked there."
"That's a long walk." Pete remarked.
Steve shrugged as he let go of Claudia "Better safe than sorry." He responded.
Pete nodded "Alright, c'mon Myka!" he said, pulling Myka towards the SUV.
"We're gonna search downtown." He said, walking Claudia towards the car.
'Not at the Warehouse.' Pete texted Claudia as they walked down the empty sidewalk of the downtown district.
"We're never going to find her." Claudia muttered as she put her cell phone in her back pocket.
Steve put his arm around his best friend "We're going to find her." He said, comforting Claudia.
Claudia sighed "Where would she be?" she asked.
Steve stopped as he saw the playground across the street; he took his arm back as he crossed the street and began to run towards the playground.
"Steve?" Claudia asked, following behind him.
Steve brought out his cell phone and turned on its' light as he began looking around for Harper.
"Harper?" Steve called out, now climbing his large body into the playscape where he found Harper sleeping on the wood paneling of the playscape.
Steve turned to Claudia "I found her." He said.
Claudia sighed with relief as Steve shimmied his way further into the playscape.
"Harper?" he whispered, pulling himself closer to his daughter.
Harper squirmed for a moment before she opened her eyes; Steve smiled at her "Sleeping." She muttered.
Steve smiled "C'mon, baby, lets go home." He said.
Harper shook her head "No."
"Why not?"
"Because you and mommy don't want me." Harper said.
Steves' heart strings began to tug as he shook his head "Of course we want you!"
"Then how come mommy said—"
"Hey!" he said, interrupting Harper "Forget what mommy said. Okay?" he said.
Harper sighed, nodding to herself.
Steve looked at his daughter "Now lets go home, lets get you in your own bed." He said, reaching out for Harper.
Harper took his hand as he gently pulled her out of the playscape; Harper placed her head gently on Steves' head before she gasped "Wait, Buddha!" Harper cried out.
"Buddha?" Steve asked.
"He's still in the playscape." Harper said.
Steve turned to Claudia, who nodded "I'll get him." Claudia remarked as Steve walked to the car with Harper in his arms.
She fell asleep quickly in the backseat of the car, holding onto the teddy bear, Buddha for dear life as she did so; leaving Steve and Claudia alone in the silence.
Steve pulled into the Bed and Breakfast and cut the engine, the both of them still in the silence when Claudia finally broke down.
Her sobs were quiet but Steve couldn't help but feel her pain, Claudia covered her face with her hands as Steve pulled her in for another hug.
"It's alright." Steve whispered.
He repeated it over and over again until Claudia finally composed herself, they both finally got the nerve to get out of the car with Steve holding the sleeping Harper in his arms while Claudia held onto Buddha.
Claudia opened the front door to the Bed and Breakfast where Pete and Myka were waiting for them to come inside.
"Is she okay?" Myka whispered.
Steve nodded "Yeah, she's fine." He said before gently walking up the stairs and towards Harpers' bedroom.
Claudia stood in front of Pete and Myka for a moment with Buddha in her hands before the two older agents pulled her in for a hug.
"She's home." Pete told her.
Claudia took a deep breathe as they all pulled away from the hug "I know, it's just dealing with the aftermath that I'm afraid of." She said.
Myka and Pete weren't sure how to respond before Claudia sighed "Goodnight." She muttered before she climbed her way up the stairs.
Claudia walked into Steves' bedroom after she had snuggled the teddy bear with Harper; she wanted the conversation to be as soon as possible, quick and painful.
"I'm sorry." Claudia muttered.
Steve sighed, he crossed his arms as Claudia walked closer to him "I don't know why I said those things; believe it or not, I'm still afraid of all of this. And the second you showed panic, I just…"
"Claudia," Steve said, meeting her halfway "I want this to work as much as you do; but we can't let this be our lives." He told her.
Claudia nodded, she crossed her arms "Why not? That's what parents do, don't they? They forget about their lives and their children take over."
Steve sighed "Because we are Warehouse agents; we will never be normal parents for her."
Claudia sighed "Well, we can't have her in the Warehouse all the time, she's such a distraction. Unfortunately."
"We need a baby sitter." Steve said.
"What about daycare?" Claudia asked.
"Daycare? Ew, no! Exposing her to germs and whatnot!" Steve remarked.
Claudia smirked "Jinksy, she has to interact with children her own age! The Warehouse is no place for a little girl." She said.
Steve sighed "Lets talk about this tomorrow."
"It is tomorrow."
Steve huffed, forcing Claudia to smile "Fine…later on in the morning, after I get a few hours of sleep. Please?" he asked.
Claudia nodded "Yeah, okay." She said.
Steve pulled her in for a hug "Goodnight." He said as he let her go.
"Goodnight." Claudia returned as she left Steves' bedroom, closing the door behind her.
Steve thought for a moment, he didn't like nor did he want to have conversations like that; but Claudia was right, this was their lives now.