Disclaimer: I own nothing but the cupcake.

Author's Note: Chapter two of this project. Episode two included Artie's first run-in with the mysterious hacker attempting to gain access to the Warehouse. This chapter is my take on that scene from Claudia's viewpoint.

***Special thanks to the four people who reviewed chapter one. You guys rock!***

Light 'Em Up

Claudia bit her lip as her fingers danced across the keyboard. Her last conversation with Professor Reynolds had been surprisingly helpful. They had been working together for a few weeks now, comparing notes on Rheticus. Claudia had filled him in on her hunt for Warehouse 13, and after some back and forth correspondence, Professor Reynolds had given her a few new ideas that might be able to help her circumvent Warehouse 13's first lines of digital defense. She wasn't particularly hopeful, of course. So far she hadn't been having much luck.

Until now.

"Happy Birthday to me," Claudia said smugly.

She couldn't help the grin that crossed her face as she crossed through the last of the initial firewalls. She was in. The gates of heaven had just swung open. Well, they weren't fully open. She still didn't have access to the basic data files, let alone the system's core. But she finally had her foot in the door. The fact that it was also her nineteenth birthday only made the victory that much sweeter.

She had only been in the system for a few seconds when someone began trying to trace her location. Unfortunately for them, she had come prepared.

"Time to ring the bell and run," Claudia said.

She was talking to her computer again. It was all Milo's fault. He had always talked to himself. Well, he claimed he was communicating with the implant the aliens had put in his head. Claudia had never bought into that one the way some of the other inmates had. But she had apparently picked up his habit of talking to an empty room. Doctor Creepy Pants, as Claudia had dubbed him, would have had a field day with that one.

Claudia wouldn't really have cared too much about it under normal circumstances, but the idea of holding on to something that the institution had failed to break her of was too much to resist. So she had decided to let herself keep doing it as a personal middle finger salute to the caretakers at the International House of Nut Jobs. She might be quirky and unbalanced, but crazy she was most definitely not. And she was going to prove it.

A few rapid keystrokes were all it took to momentarily disable the Warehouse 13 computer. It wasn't enough to do any serious damage, but it would stop the trace cold. It would also tell whoever was on the other end of the system that she knew they were on to her. While it might have been easier if she had remained undetected, part of Claudia had wanted to be discovered. It would definitely make them nervous to know that there was someone out there capable of hacking into one of the most top secret facilities in the United States. And nervous people made mistakes.

With that thought, Claudia pulled herself out of the Warehouse 13 system. That small foray was enough for the moment. She ran a quick search to be sure her phony trail was neatly in place before adding the final finishing touches. It had to be obvious enough to be noticed, but also covert enough to seem accidental. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on who's side you were on), Claudia was an expert at digital deception.

"Tonight's dinner will be a nice roast goose chase," she said in her best deep butler voice, "followed by a course of delicious red herring. We do hope that you enjoy it."

There. That should keep them busy while she came up with a real plan.

"Game on, Artie."

With that done, Claudia turned her attention to the small box sitting on her desk. She flipped it open to reveal the chocolate cupcake she had ordered from the nearby bakery. She had intended to eat it after another dinner of cold pizza, but finally making progress on the firewall was definitely cause for celebration.

A small blue candle rested atop the cupcake. Claudia pulled a lighter out of the desk drawer and lit the wick atop the little wax tower. The sight of the dancing flame lofted over chocolate icing immediately brought back memories of presents and family. Even after all these years, Claudia's throat still tightened a little at the sight of it. She could still see Joshua smiling as he held up the camera. Make a wish, Claude.

Claudia closed her eyes and concentrated. She knew logically that blowing out a candle didn't change anything. But something about the tradition gave her a sense of hope.

"I wish for Josh to come home," she said quietly. Maybe on her next birthday she wouldn't have to celebrate alone.

She leaned forward and blew out the candle.

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