Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's Note: This episode showed Artie's past coming back to haunt him in the form of the artifacts he traded to the Russians. Pete and Myka's former boss Dickenson was killed early in the episode, which is where the first part of this chapter stems from. The rest of it is related to the B-storyline where Claudia learns Todd is in the witness protection program. While that discovery rekindles their romance, it also leads to Todd being relocated. HG also returned in this episode. While she doesn't show up in this chapter, she will feature in the next two.

Some of you have commented on the fact that I show a lot of Myka and Claudia's friendship. I honestly don't know why that particular relationship shows up the most. I just write whatever my muse turns up. If that's not your cup of tea, sorry. After this chapter, it won't show up again for several more. As for writing Artie. Again, I blame my muse. I can tell you that he features in the Christmas chapter and that I hope to be writing much more of him once we head into season three. Anyway. I'm still not quite happy with how this chapter turned out, but I've been looking at it all day and it isn't getting any better. So I'm just going to post it as is. Sorry I'm posting it so late in the day. I've been pretty busy. Enjoy!

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Myka had just zipped up the top of her overnight bag when she heard a quiet knock on her door. She turned to see a very solemn Claudia standing in the doorway.

"Hey, Claude," she said, managing a small smile.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry about Dickenson," Claudia said. Myka nodded and looked down at her bag. "Are you okay?"

"Not really," Myka said honestly.

"I never met him," Claudia said, "but the way you and Pete talk about him, it sounds like he was a great guy."

"He was," Myka said quietly. "He wasn't just a boss. He actually cared about the people that worked for him. Even after we left, he was still there to help us out."

"Look," Claudia said, stepping into the room and jamming her hands into her pockets. "I know I'm a lot younger than you and it might be kinda awkward, but if you ever want to talk... my door's open."

"Thanks," Myka said. "That means a lot."

"Well, I have some stuff to do for Artie," Claudia said. She pointed her thumb over her shoulder at the door. "I'll see you when you guys get back."

"Claudia?" Myka said, looking up. Claudia turned in the doorway.

"Yeah?"

"You should try to fix things with Todd," Myka said seriously.

"I'm not the one who broke it off," Claudia told her. "He's the one with the problem."

"It doesn't matter," Myka said. "Life is short. 'Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did.' Mark Twain."

"What if he doesn't want to work it out?" Claudia asked.

"Then you'll be no worse off than you are now," Myka pointed out. "Besides, you'll never know if you don't try. Just think about it, okay?"

"Okay," Claudia said seriously.

The younger girl turned away and left the room. Myka waited until she was gone before looking back down at her overnight bag. She took a deep breath and let it out. It was time to find out what had happened to Dickenson. She owed him at least that much.

She picked up her bag and headed out.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

The front door swung shut, signaling that Todd was gone. Claudia rapidly blinked her eyes in an effort to hold back the tears that were suddenly welling up. Leena came into the living room then, glancing over her shoulder at the door.

"So Todd's gone?" she asked sympathetically.

"Yup," Claudia said. Her voice sounded strangely tight.

"Are you okay?" Leena asked.

"Peachy," Claudia said quickly. One look at her face made it clear that she was lying.

"You're not a very good liar," Leena said gently. Claudia looked away, reaching up to wipe her nose. "It's okay to be upset."

"I'm fine," Claudia said firmly. "I just have something in my eye."

She brushed past Leena and hurried up the stairs. A moment later Leena heard Claudia's bedroom door shut. Leena shook her head. This was going to be hard. The break-up had been one thing. At least then Todd had still been around for Claudia to avoid and be angry at and potentially make up with if she so chose. But now he was completely gone.

Leena sighed and headed toward the kitchen. She had a feeling they were going to be needing some more ice-cream.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

It was late afternoon when someone knocked on Claudia's door. She reached up and swiped angrily at her red eyes. She didn't feel like talking. She was about to say as much when a voice called from the other side of the door.

"Hey, Claude? It's Myka. Can I come in?"

Claudia hesitated. If it was anyone else, she would have said no. But after Myka had discovered her nightmares, she had become the one person Claudia felt comfortable being this vulnerable around. And to be perfectly honest, misery truly did love company.

"Yeah," Claudia called.

The door opened and Myka came in, quietly closing the door behind her. A red-eyed Claudia was sitting on her bed with her back against the headboard. Myka crossed the room and climbed up on the bed, sitting down beside the younger girl.

"Leena told me what happened," she said sympathetically.

"It's not fair," Claudia muttered.

"I know," Myka agreed. She reached over and took Claudia's hand in her own, giving it a firm squeeze.

"Maybe Frosty was right," Claudia said quietly.

"Who?" Myka asked curiously.

"Robert Frost," Claudia explained. "He wrote that poem 'Nothing Gold Can Stay'. 'Nature's first hue is gold, / Her hardest hue to hold. / Her early leaf's a flower; / But only so an hour. / Then leaf subsides to leaf. / So Eden sank to grief'-"

"'So dawn goes down to day'," Myka finished. "'Nothing gold can stay.' I'm surprised you know that one."

"I did go to school, you know," Claudia said drily. "Well, most of the time. We read The Outsiders in eighth grade and the poem was in there. I kinda liked it."

"It's a good one," Myka agreed. She looked over at Claudia. "But just because gold fades doesn't make it any less valuable. Alfred Tennyson once said ''Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.' Yes, endings can hurt. But the memories make it worth it."

"That's deep," Claudia said thoughtfully.

"It's also true," Myka told her. "And you know, maybe someday when this is over you and Todd can find each other again."

"Maybe," Claudia agreed. She reached up and wiped her eyes with a sniff before skillfully changing the subject. "Did you bring me anything from Russia?"

"Sort of," Myka said vaguely. Claudia's eyes narrowed.

"That's a scary tone."

"Well, we ran into HG," Myka began.

"No way," Claudia said. "Did Artie have a stroke?"

"Almost," Myka told her. "But then she helped us save him and-"

"Whoa, pull up," Claudia said. She pulled away from the headboard and turned around so she could face Myka. "Why did Artie need saving?"

"He... got abducted," Myka admitted.

"Dude!" Claudia exclaimed, her eyes wide. "Is he okay?!"

"He's fine," Myka quickly assured her. "Although he's a little mad at me right now."

"Why?" Claudia asked in confusion. "What'd you do?"

"Well, when we got back, Artie handed HG over to the Regents," Myka explained.

"Did they bronze her again?" Claudia asked. She didn't sound too thrilled with the idea.

"No," Myka told her. "Just the opposite, actually. They reinstated her as a Warehouse agent."

"No way!" Claudia cried. "What about the scary evil that got her bronzed?"

"There wasn't one," Myka said.

"Come again?" Claudia asked in confusion.

"After her daughter died," Myka explained, "HG searched Warehouse 12 for a way to bring her back. There was an accident and one of her colleagues was killed. HG asked the Regents to bronze her so she didn't endanger the Warehouse again."

"Wow," Claudia said. "That's messed up. But what does that have to do with you?"

"Apparently the report I gave the Regents is what helped convince them to reinstate HG," Myka explained. "They decided she had learned her lesson. But Artie acts like I betrayed him somehow."

"He'll come around," Claudia assured her.

"I don't know," Myka said. "He's pretty mad at me."

"She did save his life," Claudia pointed out. "That's gotta be worth something."

"You would think," Myka agreed.

"Dude," Claudia said, her eyes suddenly widening as if she had just realized something important. "We're gonna be living with H.G. freaking Wells."

"There's a sentence I never expected to hear," Myka admitted.

"Would it make me too much of a fangirl if I asked her to sign my Wells collection?" Claudia asked. Myka laughed.

"I'm sure she'd love to," she said with a smile. "She's downstairs right now. You should go ask her."

"Maybe later," Claudia said, her serious mood returning. She leaned back against the headboard. "I think I'm gonna stay up here for a little longer. I don't really feel like dealing with people."

"Okay," Myka said simply. "You want me to stay?"

"You don't have to," Claudia said. But the look on her face made it clear that she wouldn't mind the company. "You should probably go help HG get settled in."

"She can wait," Myka said.

"Good-byes suck," Claudia admitted. Her slumped to the side so her head came to rest against Myka's shoulder. Myka smiled a little at her dramatic tone.

"Well, if it helps," she said, "I'm not going anywhere any time soon."

"You promise?" Claudia asked. Her tone tried to pass it off as a joke, but Myka wasn't completely convinced. She lifted her arm and wrapped it around Claudia's shoulder.

"I promise."

"I'm gonna hold you to that, you know," Claudia warned her. Myka smiled.

"I would expect nothing less."

Not really one of my better chapters, but it's all I could come up with. Next chapter will finally feature the amazing HG Wells. :) Also, if you have something that you'd really like to see in one of these, let me know. I can't promise to work it in (my muse is rather temperamental), but I'll definitely give it a shot.