Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's Note: Episode three of season four had the team splitting up to collect multiple artifacts in the same city. Along the way, Steve discovers that the metronome causes Claudia to feel his pain. This chapter is a conversation between the two of them as they drive back to the Warehouse at the end of the day. I wasn't entirely sure what to do with this episode, but I quite like the end result. It's a much more lighthearted chapter than the last few have been. Enjoy!

Life Is a Highway

"Crazy day, huh?" Claudia asked, glancing over at Steve where he sat in the passenger seat of the Prius. It had taken a great deal of whining and begging, but she had finally convinced him to let her drive for a while.

"Isn't it always?" Steve asked. There was a small grin on his face.

"Pretty much," Claudia said with a chuckle. "But we got waffles out of it."

"That's true," Steve agreed. "And they didn't melt our skin off."

"Technically that would've been the waffle iron," Claudia corrected. "But yes, we have successfully saved some poor high school dropout from melting their own hands off at their day job."

"You can put a lot of things on waffles, but melted skin is not one of them," Steve said, wrinkling his nose.

"Pete would've eaten them," Claudia said. She sounded slightly disgusted.

"Pete eats anything," Steve pointed out.

"That's true. I saw him eat a skittle off the floor of the B&B once."

"Five second rule?" Steve asked hopefully.

"No," Claudia said, shaking her head. "He found it under the couch. There's no telling how long it had been there. It looked like it was hosting a pretty successful bacteria colony."

"Gross," Steve said, making a face. Claudia nodded.

"Pretty much," she agreed. "And speaking of waffle irons. I get the point for that snag, which makes the final score Claudia: two, Poopy Pants: uno."

"Technically, I'm the one who spotted the bird cage," Steve reminded her.

"But I neutralized it," Claudia said smugly.

"That would be bagging," Steve told her. "You said whoever snagged more artifacts."

"Did I?" Claudia said innocently.

"You did," Steve assured her.

"I thought you didn't want to play."

"I didn't," Steve conceded. "But since you're making me play, I want to be sure that you're scoring fairly."

"Since this is your first mission back from the dead," Claudia told him, "I am willing to call this one a draw on the grounds that you may still be slightly off your game."

"Oh, thank-you," Steve said drily. "You're so kind."

"I know," Claudia said with a grin. Steve shook his head.

They both fell silent, watching as the scenery flew by outside. It had been a long day and they were both grateful for the rare moment of peace. But Claudia wasn't very good at sitting still. Eventually she couldn't take the silence anymore.

"You're being awfully quiet," she said, glancing over at Steve. He shrugged.

"I just keep thinking about Jesse," he admitted. "He gave his life to save his brother. That's real love."

"It was also crazy brave," Claudia pointed out. "He put a gun to his own head. Well, not literally."

"He was willing to do anything to save his brother," Steve said. He looked over at her. "Like you trying to save Joshua."

"Except I didn't actually die for him," Claudia pointed out. "But you did. You gave your life for the Warehouse."

"That wasn't really plan A," Steve reminded her. "I didn't even see it coming until the last minute."

"But you still went in there knowing that you might die," Claudia insisted. "It must've been scary."

"It was," Steve admitted. He smiled over at her. "But it was worth it. I would do it again in a second."

"So brave," Claudia told him in her best admiring voice. "Granted, it pissed me off at first. I probably would've killed you myself if Sykes hadn't beat me to it." Steve chuckled. "But that doesn't make it any less amazing."

"Thanks," Steve said sincerely. "Look, I know I was a little weird about the whole metronome thing, but... thanks for bringing me back. I'm really glad you did."

"You're welcome," Claudia told him. She looked over at him in mock sternness. "But don't expect me to bail you out every time you feel like being a hero. Next time you decide to go get yourself killed, you are on your own."

"Fair enough," Steve said with a smile.

"And since we're on the subject," Claudia said smugly, "you owe me a resurrection. Or at the very least, a big birthday present."

"Your birthday isn't for three months," Steve pointed out.

"Well, you have plenty of time then," Claudia told him with a smile.

"Speaking of the metronome," Steve said a bit more seriously. "Did we ever find out what the side effects are?"

"Nope," Claudia said. "Why?"

"No reason," Steve said quickly.

Claudia's eyes narrowed.

"Your nose is growing, Pinocchio," she informed him.

"I'm just curious," Steve said with a shrug. "If I'm bound to this thing for life, it might be good for me to know about it."

"Interested in how your arc reactor works?" Claudia teased.

"Something like that," Steve said. He looked over at her. "How's your neck?"

"Fine now," Claudia said. She reached up and touched the area that had been sore. "I probably just got a knot in it or something."

"Probably," Steve agreed.

"Are you okay?" Claudia asked, giving Steve a concerned look.

"Fine," Steve assured her. "Why?"

"You just seem a little doom and gloom," Claudia told him. "Lighten up, Debbie. We snagged like a dozen artifacts today."

"Sorry," Steve said with a small grin. "Must be a side effect of dying."

"Maybe," Claudia agreed. A smile crossed her face. "It's good to have you back, Jinxy."

"I was only undercover for a month," Steve pointed out. "And I wasn't even dead three whole days."

"So I guess you're not Jesus," Claudia teased. Steve chuckled.

"Apparently not. But really, Claude. I wasn't gone that long."

"I know," Claudia said defensively. "But I missed you. You're my best friend."

"I missed you too," Steve told her with a smile. "And I'm not just your best friend. I'm your best friend forever whether you like it or not."

"Does this mean we get friendship bracelets?" Claudia teased.

"Maybe," Steve said, going along with it. "But they have to say BFFWYLION."

"Just don't tell Artie," Claudia warned. "He might try to bedazzle them."

"I thought you guys broke the bedazzler," Steve said in confusion.

"We did," Claudia said drily. "He got a new one."

"I think he needs an intervention," Steve told her.

"Probably," Claudia agreed. "And not just for the bedazzler. We need to do something about those eyebrows. I think there's a bird nesting in one of them."

Steve laughed.

"Well, one thing's for sure," he said, shifting into a more comfortable position.

"Yeah?" Claudia asked. "What's that?"

"There's no place like home," Steve said with a grin.

"You better believe it," Claudia told him. "Now try to keep your head in the car, Toto. I want to see how fast this baby goes."

Steve's protesting cry of her name was drowned out by the gust of wind created as the Prius shot off down the road.

Thanks for reading thus far! Leave a review and let me know what you thought. :)