Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's Note: The season three opener involved pages from Shakespeare's lost folio being used to kill people. Pete and new guy Steve teamed up with Myka, who hadn't contacted the Warehouse since her departure in the season two finale. Near the end of the episode Mrs. Frederic used the hologram device to allow HG to talk to Myka in an attempt to get her return. While that definitely helped bring Myka closure on the events of the season two finale, I think she still needed a tiny bit more of a push to convince her to actually return to the team. The first part of this chapter picks up immediately after HG's hologram disappears and shows what I think that push might have looked like. The second half shows the beginning of the conversation Leena and Claudia are in the middle of when they find out Myka has returned. It ends in actual dialogue from the episode. There's no Steve in this one, but he'll be in the next chapter. Enjoy!

If You Ever Come Back

Myka looked back at Mrs. Frederic, uncertainty written across her face.

"Well?" Mrs. Frederic asked bluntly.

"I need some time to think," Myka said honestly.

"Fair enough," Mrs. Frederic said. "Take your time. Just be careful not to over think it, Agent Bering."

She turned and began walking toward the front of the shop. The jingle of the bell signaled the opening of the front door. (Apparently she sometimes used doors after all.) The door had already closed before Myka realized Mrs. Frederic had called her Agent.

She turned back to the book-covered counter as the whole experience rolled over in her mind. She had been running from the Warehouse as hard as she could. And yet it seemed that no matter how hard she ran, it just kept coming after her. She had almost gone back with Pete, had almost accepted Mrs. Frederic's implied offer then and there. But then she had thought about Pete and Steve and how well they seemed to work together. The Warehouse was doing just fine without her.

The phone behind the counter suddenly clicked and her father's recorded greeting began. Myka's parents had both gone upstairs and she had been planning on going to bed soon herself, so she had set the phone to go straight to voicemail. She didn't feel like answering another detailed question this late, even if it was about books.

"Hey, um, this message is for Myka," a voice said. Myka's head came up as she realized it was Claudia's voice. "This is Claudia. Well, obviously. Um, Pete said they ran into you today, so I thought I'd call and... see how you were."

Myka knew she should probably go pick up the phone, but somehow she couldn't quite bring herself to do this. So she just stood there and listened.

"Things are... pretty good here. It's different without you. Obviously. Artie still won't let me be an agent. But we haven't destroyed the Warehouse yet, so I guess that's a win."

Myka smiled a little in spite of herself.

"I finally finished that Wells collection you got me. It was kinda weird reading it by myself. But it worked. You know, I was thinking maybe you and I could... meet up sometime. Go get coffee or something. I mean, if you want to. If you don't, that's... that's cool too."

Claudia's voice trailed off. Myka found herself holding her breath. She could handle a joking message and maybe one day she could handle coffee. But if Claudia got emotional over a voicemail, it would kill her.

"Look, I get why you left. I do. But the thing is... we need you, Myka. And I'm not just saying that to try and make you come back. Although I wouldn't mind that."

Myka swallowed hard. Claudia's voice was silent for a long moment as if she didn't know what else to say. The voice in Myka's head had become a dull throb, demanding that she go answer the phone. But somehow she couldn't bring herself to do it.

"You know what, never mind," Claudia's voice suddenly said. "You're obviously happy where you are. So... good for you." The bravado in her voice was clearly faked. "I guess I'll... talk to you later. Yeah..." There came another pause and then a sigh. "What am I even doing?"

The answering machine clicked and then an electronic voice said, "Message deleted."

Myka stood there for a long time after the machine went off. Between Claudia and HG, she had a lot to think about. She had run away from the Warehouse because she blamed herself. But maybe it was time to face up to what had happened. Maybe she had been wrong. Maybe they did still need her. But did she have the courage to go back?

"Well?" a voice behind her asked. Myka whirled to see Mrs. Frederic standing behind her. Somehow that didn't really surprise her. "Have you decided?"

Myka hesitated a second before nodding.

"Yes," she said firmly.

"And?" Mrs. Frederic asked.

"I think it's time to go home," Myka said. Mrs. Frederic smiled.

"I had hoped you might say that."

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

Claudia straightened up and stretched her back. It was getting sore from being bent over crates all day. She took a look around at all the crates still stacked inside the Ovoid Quarantine. Three months after finding Warehouse 2 and they were just barely halfway through sorting and shelving its contents.

"Are we about done here?" she asked. "'Cause I'm starving."

"We barely even started," Artie told her.

"We've been in here for five hours," Claudia said drily. Artie glanced down at his watch and his eyes widened slightly.

"Oh," he said.

"I think we can be done for tonight," Leena told him. She pulled off her gloves and goggles, setting them on a crate by the Quarantine's entrance. Claudia eagerly did the same.

"Fine," Artie grumped.

"I think my vision is permanently tinted purple," Claudia complained.

"You'll be fine," Leena assured her with a smile. She turned to Artie. "You coming?"

"You go ahead," Artie told them. "I'm just going finish the manifest for this crate. I'll be up in a minute."

"Hurry up," Claudia said. "I want to eat before midnight."

"Get out of here," Artie said irritably. Claudia grinned and hurried out of the Quarantine. Leena headed after her.

"So what do you think of Steve?" Leena asked as they began making their way back toward the office.

"He's okay, I guess," Claudia said noncommittally.

"Just okay?" Leena asked.

"He's been here two days, Dr. Freud," Claudia pointed out. "I haven't had time to fully psychoanalyze him yet."

"I was just asking," Leena said calmly. Claudia sighed.

"He seems nice," she said, deciding to throw Leena a bone.

"But?" Leena pressed.

"But he's not..." Claudia trailed off, not sure how to finish her sentence.

"Myka?" Leena offered.

"Yeah," Claudia agreed.

"I miss her too," Leena said sympathetically.

"You still think she'll come back?" Claudia asked.

"Maybe," Leena said.

"Your optimism is astounding," Claudia said, shaking her head.

"Someone has to stay positive," Leena pointed out.

"Good point," Claudia conceded. She looked over at Leena. "Okay, Lady Positivo. Do you think Artie's ever gonna let me be a field agent?"

"Yes, I do," Leena assured her.

"When?" Claudia asked. "When I'm forty?"

"I don't think he'll wait that long," Leena said with a laugh.

"Okay, so when?" Claudia asked.

"When he thinks you're ready," Leena said.

"And when's that gonna be? I've already been in the field multiple times. I think I've proven that I'm capable of handling it. Plus, I'm smart, I'm good with gadgets-"

"No one is questioning your capability," Leena told her.

"Well, then what?" Claudia asked. "I've been on desk duty for over a year, and Mr. Fresh of the Bus gets to be Pete's new partner just because he has some lame superpower? How is that fair?"

"Be patient," Leena said. "Your time will come. Maybe sooner than you think."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Claudia asked skeptically.

"Just that you've changed the last few months," Leena explained.

"Changed how?" Claudia asked.

"Well, for one thing, you look older," Leena said. "You wear more dark colors than you used to."

"Really?" Claudia asked. She looked down at her current apparel and shrugged. "Okay, maybe. That makes me look older?"

"Sort of," Leena told her. "But that's not the only thing. Your aura is changing."

"Is that even possible?" Claudia asked in surprise.

"An aura is an extension of a person," Leena explained. "People aren't static. They change. And when they do, so do their auras."

"Huh," Claudia said in interest. "How do they change?"

"It depends on the person," Leena told her. "Yours used to be a sort of teal and now it's more navy."

"So you're saying my aura is changing colors?" Claudia asked. Leena nodded. "But what I want to know is like why my aura's changing colors. Does that have to do with my-"

"Because I think that you-" Leena began simultaneously. Both of them stopped mid-sentence when they suddenly realized that Myka was standing in front of them.

A hesitant smile crossed Myka's face at the sight of them. Claudia let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh my God," she said as she started forward. "Squeal of delight."

She laughed out loud, drawing a chuckle from Myka. Claudia wrapped her arms tightly around Myka's neck in an overjoyed hug. The older agent immediately returned the warm embrace.

"I missed you," Myka said.

"You have no idea," Claudia told her. She forced herself to let go and step aside so Leena could have a turn.

"Myka, you're back!" the innkeeper cried. She and Myka exchanged a warm hug. A small frown creased Leena's forehead as she pulled away. "You are back, right?"

"Yeah, I'm back," Myka assured her.

The smile on Claudia's face widened. Myka was back. The world was finally right again.

You guys know the drill. Please and thank-you.