Disclaimer: I own nothing. Sadly.

Author's Note: Episode two of season two was the one with the vigilante superhero (and the Firefly cameos!). It also showed Leena and Claudia mending their relationship, as well as Leena discovering that the Pearl has left her with some side effects. This chapter picks up immediately after the ending where the team surprises Pete with his new TV. It touches on Claudia and Leena's relationship (I felt like that needed a tad more mending) and then moves on to general team stuff. And fair warning, the end may cause cavities. I just couldn't resist. As for those of you who have been patiently waiting for Artie: he does feature in this chapter. I also have him making a small appearance in the chapter for 2x04, and then playing some more central roles in three other chapters for this season. So if you're an Artie fan, hang in there. He's coming. Enjoy!

We Are Family

"Okay, okay, I get it," Claudia insisted as she and Artie reached the bottom of the stairs. "Now please, for the love of God, stop talking before my eardrums burst!"

"Fine," Artie huffed. "If you would rather be ignorant."

"In this case, yes, yes I would," Claudia emphatically assured him.

"Children," Artie muttered. Claudia rolled her eyes and headed for the kitchen.

"Please tell me you know how to find Artie's mute button," she groaned. Leena looked up from the plate of Scotchies she had just laid out and smiled.

"Sorry," she said sympathetically. "Can't help you."

"I wonder if I could make one," Claudia said thoughtfully as she leaned against the counter. Leena gave her a skeptical look. "No, you're right. Duct tape is cheaper."

Leena chuckled. Then she suddenly bent over, clutching at the counter. Her face had gone white.

"Leena?" Claudia asked in concern. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Leena said, holding up her hand. She sounded out of breath.

"It doesn't look like nothing," Claudia said seriously. She took Leena's arm and led the innkeeper over to the dining table. Leena sank gratefully into a chair. She rested her elbows on the table and put her head in her hands. Claudia carefully sat down beside her.

"You okay?" she asked worriedly.

"I'll be fine," Leena assured her. "I just need a minute."

"Okay," Claudia said slowly. She was clearly not convinced. She waited in silence as Leena slowly caught her breath. Finally Leena looked up and gave Claudia a weak smile.

"See?" she said. She sounded exhausted. "I'm okay."

"What happened?" Claudia asked in concern.

"Just a dizzy spell," Leena said, trying to reassure her. "I'm just a little tired. That's all."

"It's because of the Pearl, isn't it?" Claudia asked quietly. Leena hesitated for a moment before finally nodding. There was really no point in lying. Claudia had already figured it out. "Are you gonna be okay?"

"I called Mrs. Frederic and told her," Leena said. "She's coming by tomorrow to check on me. She'll know what to do."

Claudia forced a slow nod as the words sunk in.

"I owe you an apology," she blurted.

"Claudia, it's fine," Leena assured her.

"But it's not," Claudia insisted. "I didn't even think about what the Pearl did to you. I got mad at you for something that wasn't even your fault. You got screwed over too."

"I'll be fine," Leena told her. "And I understand. You were upset, so you lashed out. I admit that it hurt. But I understand. And I forgive you."

Claudia looked down awkwardly at her hands.

"I'm just not used to having anything to lose," she admitted. "It kinda freaked me out."

"Me too," Leena said quietly.

"Friends again?" Claudia asked. Leena smiled.

"Of course," she said.

"Good," Claudia said, pushing her chair back. It always amazed Leena how quickly the techie could switch moods. "Because my Scotchies aren't half as good as yours."

"Oh, so you just want me for my Scotchies," Leena teased.

"Pretty much," Claudia said. She stuck a cookie in her mouth before picking up the plate and turning back to Leena. "Wez goh."

"Don't talk with food in your mouth," Leena chastised, taking the plate of cookies from Claudia. The younger girl grinned.

Leena and Claudia headed back up the stairs to Pete's room. Artie was standing in the doorway giving some speech about superhero artifacts. Myka was partially listening. Pete was openly ignoring Artie, instead pouring over the case of DVDs he had purchased over the last six months.

"Enough with the lecturing, Gramps," Claudia said as she pushed past Artie into the room. "School is out for the day."

She jumped onto Pete's bed, landing on her back beside Myka.

"She comes bearing Scotchies," Pete said. Leena smiled and set the plate on the end of his bed before sitting down beside it. Pete and Myka both leaned forward to grab a cookie.

"Thanks," Myka said with a grin.

"You're welcome," Leena told her.

"So what're we watching?" Claudia asked as she grabbed another cookie.

"I think a superhero movie seems appropriate," Pete said.

"We never got to the third Batman movie," Myka said, taking a bite of her cookie.

"I actually fell asleep during the second one," Leena admitted.

"Unbelievable," Pete said in pretend shock. "How are we still friends?"

"You know," Artie said thoughtfully, "I do happen to have a collection of some of the older Batman films."

"I could go for that," Myka agreed.

"I think we should watch Iron Man," Claudia said.

"I want to watch Captain America," Pete whined.

"You've watched it like a hundred times already," Claudia told him.

"So?" Pete asked indignantly.

"It is his TV," Myka pointed out.

"Come on, Artie!" Claudia said, turning to the older agent. "Help me out here."

"I have actually not seen either of them," Artie admitted.

"You're useless," Claudia groaned as she dropped dramatically onto her back.

"Hey, guys?" Leena said, pulling a DVD out of the case. "We could watch this."

Myka immediately grinned when she saw what the DVD was.

"Yes," she said emphatically.

"Okay, you win," Pete said, closing the DVD case.

"I haven't seen that in years," Artie said. He grabbed Pete's desk chair and dragged it over beside the bed so he could sit down.

"What movie?" Claudia asked, sitting up.

"The Princess Bride," Leena said as she handed Pete the DVD. He walked over to the giant TV to put it in. Myka had already helped him pull the bow off of the screen.

"Seriously?" Claudia said, wrinkling her nose. "That sounds like a gushy fluff fest."

"Are you kidding?" Artie said dramatically. He opened his arms wide to gesture. "Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles..."

"Wow, you've got that down," Pete said, sounding impressed. Myka chuckled.

"Got what down?" Claudia asked in confusion.

"It's from the movie," Myka explained. "And I promise you it isn't gushy."

"You've really never seen it?" Leena asked.

"I grew up in foster care," Claudia said bluntly. "The only thing we watched was TV. Some of which may not have been entirely age appropriate."

"That does put a damper on our relationship," Pete said as he closed the DVD tray. Myka held up her hand for a high five as he sat back down on the bed.

"Let me guess," Claudia said drily. "Also from the movie."

"Yup," Leena told her.

They all had to shuffle around a little bit to make room for everyone. Artie stayed in Pete's desk chair, his feet kicked up on the box the TV had come in. The other four managed to all cram in together so they were sitting against Pete's headboard. Myka and Leena were on the ends with Pete and Claudia in the middle, the plate of cookies resting in Claudia's lap.

"Everybody good?" Pete asked.

"All set," Leena assured him.

"Throw the lever, Kronk!" Claudia commanded, picking up another cookie.

"Oh, so you saw that one," Pete said as he pushed the Play button.

"They used to play it on the Disney Channel," Claudia told him.

"Used to play what?" Artie asked in confusion.

"Wow, you are getting old," Claudia said in amazement.

Artie's irritable glare was cut short by the roaring of the MGM lion. All five of them immediately directed their eyes to the screen as the movie's intro began.

"Brace yourself for the awesomest movie ever," Pete told Claudia.

As an old baseball video game appeared on the screen, it suddenly struck Claudia that this was what real families did. They teased and laughed and hung out together and had movie nights. Claudia had known for a while now that the Warehouse team had basically become her family, but this was the first time that she had really let the idea sink in. She, Claudia Donovan, had a family.

A quiet smile spread across her face. Family. She liked the sound of that.

If you have never seen The Princess Bride, then you need to go watch it right now. It's awesome. If you have seen it, why not take a quick minute and leave me a review? Please and thank-you.