Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's Note: This episode sent Claudia and Steve after an artifact that was killing jockeys. Over the course of the mission, Claudia discovers that Steve was reporting on Artie to the regents. Back at the B&B, Artie is introduced to Abigail Cho, the B&B's new owner. And she also just so happens to be a psychotherapist. Though initially resistant and even hostile, Artie eventually opens up to her about what happened with Leena. In the next episode it is made quite clear that Claudia has issues with Abigail, but unfortunately we never get to see their initial meeting. So I decided to write how I think that might have gone, as well as giving a closer look at why Claudia is so against the idea of Abigail being around. There is one minor inconsistency here because in the next episode she asks Abigail why in the world the new innkeeper would think Claudia didn't like her, whereas in this chapter it's pretty obvious. But I think Claudia has a combination of reasons for disliking Abigail, and as such I think their first meeting probably would have gone pretty badly. Enjoy!

The Innkeeper 2.0

"We're home!" Claudia yelled as she kicked open the door to the B&B.

"Come in here," Artie's voice called from the direction of the green room. "There's someone I want you to meet."

"We have company?" Steve said curiously. Claudia shrugged.

"Maybe Artie does have friends," she joked.

Together she and Steve walked across the small B&B to the green room. They stepped inside to find Artie sitting in one of the chairs. A woman of Asian descent was sitting next to him. She smiled at Steve and Claudia as they entered.

"Children, this is Dr. Abigail Cho," Artie said by way of introduction. "She's the new owner of the B&B."

"Pleased to meet you," Abigail said. She got up and held out her hand, but both Steve and Claudia were looking at Artie.

"What exactly do you mean by 'new owner'?" Claudia asked suspiciously.

"The Regents decided that it was time for someone else to step in," Artie began. He looked as if he were preparing for an argument. Which, of course, was exactly what he got.

"So she's Leena's replacement," Claudia said darkly.

"No," Artie told her. "No one is replacing Leena."

"Well, it sure looks like it," Claudia said, crossing her arms irritably.

"Doctor of what, exactly?" Steve asked Abigail curiously.

"Well," she began awkwardly.

"Go ahead and tell them," Artie said. He pulled off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "They'll figure it out eventually anyway."

"I used to be a psychotherapist," Abigail said. Steve glanced from her to Artie and then nodded in understanding. Claudia, however, was far from impressed.

"Oh, hell no," she said angrily. "She's a Regent snitch and a psychiatrist? So what, she's here to see how unstable we are? Well, guess what, Dr. Freud? We're all perfectly fine. So how about you go running back like a good little spy and tell them we don't need you."

"Claudia," Artie said wearily.

"Let me know when she leaves," Claudia told him. She turned around to leave the room, but stopped long enough to flash Steve a death glare. "Way to go, Poopy Pants. Now we have a psychoanalyzing babysitter."

With that, Claudia stormed out of the room. They could hear her angry footsteps as she stomped across the living room and up the stairs. A moment later her bedroom door slammed. Steve turned around to see Abigail staring after Claudia in shock. Artie, however, looked utterly unimpressed. He shook his head and leaned back into his chair.

"Well, that went well," he said drily.

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

It was late in the evening when a knock finally came at Claudia's door.

"Go away, Steve," she said irritably. She had spent the rest of the afternoon in her room, and she was still irritated with the whole mess. It would just be safer for everyone involved if she wasn't around people for a while.

In spite of her yell, the door to her room slowly creaked open. Claudia looked up from where she sat on the bed with her laptop to see Myka standing in the doorway.

"Oh, it's you," Claudia said. She turned her attention back to the computer, quickly minimizing the foremost tab.

"Can I come in?" Myka asked carefully.

"If you're here to lecture me-" Claudia began. Myka quickly shook her head.

"No lectures," she promised.

"Fine," Claudia muttered.

Myka came into the room, closing the door behind her. Then she walked over and sat down on the end of Claudia's bed.

"Did you meet Lady Psycho?" Claudia asked darkly without looking up from her screen.

"I did," Myka said, choosing to ignore the barb.

"And?" Claudia asked.

"And she doesn't seem that bad," Myka admitted. Claudia looked up at her with a glare.

"She's a psychiatrist," she said.

"You know, not all of them are like the ones at the institution," Myka pointed out.

"That's beside the point," Claudia told her. "She's here to spy on Artie in case the Regents need to replace him. But Artie's fine."

"He's not fine," Myka said gently. "He's dealing with some really hard stuff right now. Talking it through might help him."

"Well, why can't he talk about it with us?" Claudia asked.

"It's not the same," Myka said. "You know how hard it can be for Artie to open up to people. But a trained psychologist might know how to get him to talk. In fact, he said he and Abigail talked a lot this afternoon. He seemed to think it was helping."

"Okay, so Artie needs someone to talk to," Claudia conceded. "But she's a Regent spy, Myka. She'll be sticking her nose where it doesn't belong."

"You don't know that," Myka told her. "And even if she was, the Regents aren't a bunch of tyrannical overlords. You like Jane, right?"

"Just because I like one of them, doesn't mean I trust all of them," Claudia said.

"That's fair enough," Myka agreed. "They don't always make the best calls. But this time I think they really are trying to help. And for what it's worth, I think it's the right call."

Claudia shook her head.

"It's too soon," she said, looking back down at the computer. "I knew they'd have to find somebody else. I just... I didn't think it would be this fast."

"Me neither," Myka said quietly.

"I can't imagine someone else in her room," Claudia admitted. "It just seems wrong. And they didn't even give us any warning. They just dropped it on us out of nowhere. It's like they're trying to replace her. Like she's the newer model here to take over where the last one broke down."

"Claude, no one is trying to replace Leena," Myka told her gently. "Nobody could ever do that. Abigail may own the B&B now, but she is not a replacement. She's another person who wants to work here. And I think we should give her a chance."

"Is that your way of telling me to play nice?" Claudia asked, looking back up over the top of the computer screen. Myka smiled in answer.

"When we first met you," the older agent said, "I thought you were a lunatic. I never dreamed that you would stay. I couldn't see how you could possibly fit in here. But now I can't imagine the Warehouse without you. Right now Abigail feels like an intruder, but who knows? Someday we might not be able to do without her. But we'll never know if we don't give her a chance. I'm not asking you to like her. But for right now I think it will be good for Artie to have her around."

"Okay," Claudia said quietly. "But I'm not gonna sit down and talk about my feelings with her. And if she starts trying to psychoanalyze me, all bets are off."

"Fair enough," Myka said with a chuckle. She reached over and patted Claudia's leg before standing up from the bed. "Artie said he made biscuits, so there should still be some left if you get hungry. Although you may have to fight Pete for them."

"I can take him," Claudia said with a smile.

"I'm sure you can," Myka said. Her expression sobered a little as she looked down at Claudia. "You know, Artie's not the only one who's been dealing with a lot. I know you don't care for shrinks, but maybe you should talk to someone about Leena or Germany or... any of it. It might do you some good. And it doesn't have to be me. But if you ever want to talk, my door is always open."

"I'll think about it," Claudia said noncommittally. Myka nodded.

"Okay," she said. "Well, I'm gonna go see if there are any biscuits left."

"Good luck," Claudia called. Myka smiled at her before turning around and walking toward the door. She pulled it open and was halfway out when Claudia's voice suddenly called after her. "Hey, Myka?"

"Yeah?" Myka asked, turning back around.

"Are you busy tonight?" Claudia asked carefully.

"Nope," Myka said. "I have zero plans."

"You wanna get out of here?" Claudia asked. "Take a drive or something? I just haven't seen you much lately."

"I'd like that," Myka said honestly. She knew Claudia well enough to know that was the closest the younger agent would come to saying she might possibly want to talk. "We could go into Univille and get dinner."

"Okay," Claudia said with a growing smile. "The biscuits are probably gone by now anyway."

"Probably," Myka agreed. "You want to go now? I can be ready in five minutes."

"Works for me," Claudia said. "I'll meet you in your room in a sec."

"Sounds good," Myka said with a smile. She turned and stepped out of the room, quietly closing the door behind her.

Once Myka was gone, Claudia reopened the tab she had closed upon Myka's entrance. It was a folder of pictures of the Warehouse team. The one currently selected was of all of them together at Christmas. The sight of it made Claudia smile slightly in spite of herself.

"I'll give her a chance for you," she said, looking at Leena's pixeled face. "But I'm not promising anything."

The familiar smile seemed to say that Leena was okay with that.

With a final look at the innkeeper's bright face, Claudia reached up and shut her laptop.

Hopefully that didn't seem too out of character. As always, leave a review and let me know what you thought!