No, I'm not abandoning Myka and HG. There is a lot to happen to both of them. But I kind of have a plan for Sarah and Claudia, too. So... I write scenes for all four of them. Because time travel has to be handled carefully.

Thanks to Aimofdestiny for the beta. And I'm kind of anxiously anticipating to beta the next chapter with you. Bring the scotch!

Claudia sat on the bonnet of Steve's Prius in front of the Warehouse. Sarah eyed her interestedly from the side, because currently, the big black raven from the Warehouse's roof was sitting on the caretaker's arm. The redhead and the animal were staring intensely at each other, like they were having a special moment. Then, the black bird opened its beak to screech and spread its wings. With the typical flapping noises, it raised itself into the air, leaving small black feathers to float down and settle upon the two young women. After a brief moment, the blueish-black feathers slowly disappeared, falling apart into dust.

The time traveller blinked Steve's eyes a few times, then she looked at Claudia.

"And that was...?" She carefully asked, feeling slightly confused.

What did she do, Sarah? Paul quickly asked. I want to know if you had just some sort of revelation or comparable. Sarah Bells out of words is fantastic!

The caretaker raised an eyebrow at her. "That was Munin. ...Wait, you don't know?"

"Nope. I know that there's some relationship between the caretaker and that raven sitting on the roof of the Warehouse. And sometimes, it seems to give me vibes or something, like I know there's something happening. But actually, I don't know what it means." The writer looked up to the roof, where the big black animal sat. "Munin." She whispered. "That's part of Norse Mythology. And his name means something like 'Memory', as far as I can remember?"

Aha! The raven. So you do know there's a connection between the caretaker and the raven and you, Miss 'I have a great destiny but lie to my brother about it'? Sarah decided to ignore her brother on this.

"Yeah, actually," Claudia began and pointed at the bird on the Warehouse's roof. "That's Hugin. Munin is flying towards Sioux Falls."

"Hugin and Munin. Right. Norse Mythology." Sarah concluded. "Odin's ravens, telling him what's happening in the world. Personifications of his mind and thoughts."

Aha! I knew Claudia had a way of knowing that I once tried to smuggle this one artifact out of the Warehouse. Paul concluded.

The caretaker grinned. "And you still ask yourself what they have to do with the caretaker?"

"Are you implying...?" Sarah shot her a quick look in surprise.

"That there's a reason Mrs. Frederic always knew when something was up in the Warehouse? Yupp. They inform us of everything that happens around the Warehouse. That's why Mrs. F knew I messed up its electrics a few weeks ago. The raven told her." The caretaker looked up at the raven. "I was going to call them 'snitch' and 'spy' but Mrs. F has been strict about their names."

She jumped down from the bonnet and opened the car's front door. "Are you going to drive to Sioux Falls or should I? Pity that you can't 'claudia' because it would be a lot easier if you could. Sioux Falls and back in mere seconds."

Oh my god! Drive yourself! Drive yourself! We both know what Claudia does to cars!

Sarah opened the front passenger's door, trying to sit down. She promptly bonked her forehead against the doorframe. Steve was too tall for her taste.

The caretaker grinned at her, but Sarah sat down without a word, ducking her head more carefully now. Still pondering over the raven revelation, she asked. "Mrs. Frederic likes it mysterious, right?"

"Yeah." Claudia flung herself into her seat and started the Prius. "Of course she likes that. Still don't know where she got that information about the cities from. And I have to say that either I'm slowly turning into her or I'm starting to like being this mysterious as well. Seems to be the reason I haven't told you about the ravens in the future, right? It's somehow... awesome to know if my agents are doing things they don't want me to know. Even though I totally hate observing them. Like... Oh gosh, I really don't want to spy on them, but I like the thought of having a way of observation no one knows anything about, so there is always a way I can see if they are in danger no one can mess with. Don't tell Steve, he still has nightmares about those birds back then."

I wasn't planning on doing anything special with that first print, Claudia. Paul huffed. You didn't need your raven spies for that!

Sarah grinned for a second at the thought of what kind of first print her brother'd tried to smuggle out of the Warehouse. She really didn't want to know.

"How do they work?" She looked questioningly at the caretaker.

Claudia grinned, shrugging, while turning the car around. "They are artifacts. Like the ribbon. They are part of the Warehouse connection. Actually, and this is quite cool, they are Warehouse 13's upgrade."

"What?" The writer's voice showed that her confusion was growing.

"Yeah, that's... let's say every Warehouse had an upgrade? The first one had the caretaker itself as an upgrade, the connection between Warehouse and person. The second one got the teleporting. Yes, that's an artifact, I was surprised myself when I found out." Claudia clicked her tongue and winked. "Warehouse 12 was in London, you know? Do you know the London Tower Ravens?"

"No." Sarah nervously eyed the street. Claudia's driving style was terryfying. The redhead shot her a glare.

"You sure you're your mother's daughter?" She asked in an amused voice.

"Shut up!" Sarah rolled her eyes. "And: which one?"

Oh, Claud. You should see her in reality. Sometimes I'm afraid she's going to ground me, when she does that eyebrow raise. Or the glare. The time traveller struggled hard to keep herself from replying to Paul's exclamation. It was annyoing that Claudia couldn't hear him, but it was also good.

"Both actually. Well, yes... London Tower Ravens. Six Ravens living in the Tower of London. Many mystery, much legends. Wow. People talked a lot about them, even that the queen uses them to spy on her subjects. Which is bullshit, but actually... artifact, you know." The caretaker shrugged.

"Artifact." Sarah agreed.

Artifact, Paul agreed as well.

"And yeah. HG snagged them for Warehouse 12, so I'm surprised you don't know about that. And they brought them here when they closed Warehouse 12. For the caretaker. So she can spy on the Warehouse and its surroundings." Claudia ended her speech with a proud tone of voice.

"And now you sent one of them to Sioux Falls so it can observe for you before we get there." Sarah concluded. It made sense, it actually made sense. But why hadn't Claudia known about the Medusa's stone in the future, then? Why had she gone into the Warehouse without being warned by them?

"Yeah, okay. There are HG's deduction skills. Good girl... in Steve's body. Yes, I did." The redhead winked again at the time traveller. "So, before I'm using the highway: You got everything? Tesla, Gun, Farnsworth? Been to the toilet? It's gonna be a four-hour trip and don't want to stop halfway and have to turn around because you forgot something, Missy."

"Claudia, I'm 25 years old." The writer said indignantly. "And yes, I've been to the toilet. And I really hope Steve has a good bladder because I don't want to do that again anytime soon." The girl's eyes widened at the thought.

"You left the gun, didn't you?" The caretaker assumed knowingly.

"I-"

Of course she did. She's as allergic to them as she is to apples. Paul said dryly.

"You did."

"I hate guns!" Sarah raised her hand to the car's roof in desperation.

"Okay, you are HG's daughter. Good thing I took it with me." Now Claudia reached to her own belt and pulled out the mentioned weapon. She handed it to Sarah, who again rolled her eyes dramatically. "Gotcha, girl! Now that we talked about that, can you please call Abigail and inform her that we're going to Sioux Falls and won't be back for a few hours? Maybe not until tomorrow?"

Sarah sighed and pulled out the Farnsworth.

"And who is going to help me picking up the beds which will be available in the shop tomorrow and carry them into the B&B?" The former therapist on the Farnsworth's screen asked a few seconds later, indignantly, when Sarah had updated her on the fact that Claudia and Steve were going on Artifact hunt.

"Uhm... Adelaide?" The time traveller shrugged and tried hard to manage Steve's well-intentioned facial expression.

"She's eleven years old, Steve. I mean she's really good at Scrabble, as she has just proven to me... but... Do you want me to make HG's almost step daughter carry king sized matresses? That's... Let's not even think about it." Abigail shook her head with her eyes widened.

"But it's an important artifact hunt, Abs." Claudia told the keeper of the inn, leaning over to the front passenger seat. "And Sar- Jinksy and I will be back soon. Probably before Myka and HG are back. And hey, could you maybe look after Pete tonight? He's still sleeping in Artie's office. Don't wake him, ...for your own safety."

Sarah gripped into the seat as she looked on the street, recognising how the car came dangerously close to the other roadway "Claud! Claud! Street!" She yelped.

"Ah, right." Quickly, the caretaker leaned back and focused on the highway again.

"Why are you even letting her drive, Steve? Well, then. I seem to have to call for the delivery service. I kind of thought you would both come with me tomorrow, picking up those beds. But since you couldn't wait one day with your artifact hunt, we'll have to spend money on that." Abigail shrugged. "I will inform Artie that he'll have to dock that money off both your wages."

"I sort of think that I'm your boss now, Abs." The caretaker grinned, but still focussed on the street.

"Well, then. Pete and Myka's wage. So you get punished by them hating you forever." The former therapist smiled mischievously and then closed her Farnsworth.

Helena knocked on Myka's hotel door firmly, then clutched her locket anxiously. She held the pen in her gloved right hand, hiding it behind her back. It was quiet in the younger agent's hotel room and for a long moment, HG was afraid that Myka would have done something to hurt herself in her rage. But then she heard the American move in her room, muffled footsteps coming closer to the door.

Quickly, the door flew open, Helena found herself facing Myka, whose facial expression was positively glacial. The younger agent glared at the Victorian, her gaze incredibly distant and angry. HG lowered hers to the tip of her shoes.

"I'm sorry to bother you." Helena spoke in the softest tone she could manage, afraid anything she would do could cause the other woman to burst out in emotions again. "But I think I might have found the artifact. Or at least part of it. And since you have the neutralisation bags, I'm asking for your permission to get access to your room." Slowly, Helena's gaze wandered up again, meeting Myka's face. The expression on it hadn't changed, instead, the American surveyed HG with her angry eyes and clenched her jaw. It was like Myka was holding back what she wanted to say. Even in this state, under the influence of an artifact, the curly haired woman still tried to hold herself back, to not hurt HG. Helena suddenly understood why Myka had retreated into her own room so quickly. The writer was in awe of the American's strength, and she was afraid, too. If she entered that room, it was certain that the younger woman would tell Helena about all the times she had hurt her, because she was sure that Myka would not be capable of holding herself back in her presence. Like she had always struggled, because Helena had always seen it. And denied it. The Victorian wasn't sure if she could handle hearing about the pain she had caused the other woman.

But still, she needed to get into that room, she needed to help Myka. It was important. And so she waited, head bowed, eyes cast downwards, blinking rapidly. Helena didn't need to hear any of the things she was afraid of hearing. The imagination of it was enough for her.

Then, Myka pulled the door open to step aside.

"Why would you bother me?" She grumbled while Helena walked past her towards the desk on which she had spotted Myka's bag. Of course HG didn't miss the sting in the younger woman's voice, but she refused to react to it. She didn't want to add fuel to this fire that was already burning.

Without a word, HG crossed the room. She heard how Myka firmly threw the door shut behind them.

"You're not bothering me at all, Helena." There it was: That way the American had said her name, incredibly cold, accompanied by a burning rage. Struggling for distance but still intimate, betraying that Myka was deeply hurt by her. "You're allowed to show up whenever you want. Show up and leave again. Like you always do." Her tone of voice now had changed to a hurt one; this was even more painful than the coldness and distance of her previous words.

"And I cannot do anything about it, Helena. I let you go. Or I try to take some steps towards you. It doesn't matter. You're doing your own thing, showing up and leaving, trying to avoid me. Deciding to come back but still deciding to not come close to me."

Helena quickly bent over Myka's table to reach for her bag. She swallowed hard as she opened it with her shaking left hand to search for the static bags in it.

"In fact," Myka's voice again reached her ears. Helena pressed her gloved fingertips quickly to the bridge of her nose, trying to ignore the hurt sting in the other woman's voice. To only let those words reach her ears but never reach her heart, because Myka was under the influence of an artifact. She was not herself. Helena couldn't allow those words, ones that sounded like they were spoken from the most earnest place in Myka Bering, to get access to her own heart, which was still holding up poorly. Which was stitched together badly and glued but not quite set and definitely in no fit state to come into contact with Myka's words.

"In fact you do far more than merely bother me, Helena. You hurt me. You hurt me so much by leaving, then showing up again, only to avoid me." Something hit the wall with a loud thud. Myka was about to demolish the room they were in.

HG finally managed to find the static bags and slowly pulled one of them out, while still listening to Myka's voice even though she knew she shouldn't. She shouldn't torture herself with this. Because she didn't deserve this. Helena was not a villain, doomed to punish herself for what she had done. For her own way of dealing with her poorly fixed heart. It had taken her long enough to even consider accepting this thought. But it didn't keep her from pausing her motions right now to listen to Myka.

"Letting other people into your life and letting them help you and love you. And the only thing I'm allowed to do is watch. Watch you love them back. Watch you hurt me. Watch you ruin that future I have apparently avoided myself - you avoid me now, and I don't know what to do about it. Because I'm stuck, Helena. Stuck standing here and watching you ruin everything even though I should know that there are always two people needed for ruining something like this. Because it's not your fault, it's mine. I am as much a coward about this as you are.", Myka sobbed and Helena had to fight the urge to turn around and comfort her. First she had to get rid of this artifact. How long could it take to open a bloody static bag? Well, if she actually maybe worked on that instead of listening to-

"We have ruined this future together, Helena. And for a reason I cannot even understand myself, I still hope that everything will work out fine. But it surely won't and so I stand here, looking at you and being mad at myself. Because I'm as cowardly as you are about this. You're hurting me because I let you hurt me. You're avoiding me because I allow you to avoid me." Myka's tone of voice was suppressed. She still seemed to be trying to not give in the feelings of wrath. "Because I am not brave enough to make a serious step in your direction. That thing this morning with Adelaide and Scrabble was not what I was supposed to do. I need to do more, because you can't. But I'm struggling. It's because I'm helpless and I cannot handle this. And that's why I'm mad at myself! It's because I love you, Helena, but I'm not strong enough to admit it to you."

Quickly, HG ripped the neutralisation bag open. She couldn't let Myka go on talking like this. It was... Had she just said love? The Victorian slowly shook her head while dropping the pen into the bag. She ducked and covered while the sparks emerged from it. She heard the younger agent gasp loudly behind her, then hit the ground with a soft 'whump'. Then, it was quiet.

Helena's hand opened automatically, dropping the bag. She leaned heavily on the desk. Helena struggled to support herself, even with her hands on the desk aiding her balance. Without that, she would surely lose all semblance of vertical stance and tumble as gracelessly to the floor as Myka had done, judging by the sound. Desperately, she stared at her hands, as though they could answer her question: what was she to do now? For all the Victorian knew, the woman she loved had just declared her love to her. While under the effect of an artifact that had caused her to say terrible things about both of them. That couldn't be right. That was...

Myka was breathing heavily behind her and didn't say a word. No words of apology or change of mind. No indication that she hadn't meant it. But no indication that she had meant it either. Carefully, HG shifted her weight back to her feet, so she could pull her gloves off.

Love declarations made under the influence of an artifact were mostly not intended by the people who made them.

It was okay. Helena could pretend it had never happened if Myka wanted her to. She was used to pretending. She could put a smile on her face and go into her own room.

Slowly, the Victorian turned around and found the younger woman sitting on the ground, leaning against the door. The way out was blocked by the woman Helena wanted to give a chance to make her walk away if that was what she wanted. Myka was staring at Helena with widened and shocked eyes, a hand covering her mouth. There were tears in the American's eyes. HG could see them. But she didn't allow herself to make actual eye contact with her. Instead she leaned her hips against the desk and crossed her arms. She prepared herself to say some words to help Myka to leave this situation without embarrassing herself.

So she stood there, waiting for the woman she loved to send her away again.

Fina-Fucking-Ly? Everyone cheer? Much happy? Very love declaration? Wow! Leave a review, thanks?