Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's Note: Well, our hotel has internet, but it's incredibly spotty. So hopefully I'll be able to continue making it work long enough to post updates this week. Anyway. This episode has Claudia and Artie running across a homeless teenage boy named Nick who has been whammied. After getting the artifact mess sorted out, Claudia decides to bring him back to the B&B until he can find a good place to stay. Unbeknownst to the team, Nick has actually been sent to infiltrate the Warehouse for some nefarious purpose. At the end of the episode, Myka discovers that she has ovarian cancer. She decides not to tell anyone, and by the end of the season the only one who knows is Pete. While I can understand her not wanting to tell anyone, it always bothered me that no one seemed to notice that she was struggling with something. I especially thought it would create an interesting dynamic if Claudia found out. So the next few chapters will basically be how I think the show could have worked in her finding out without Myka actually telling her. This chapter starts that with Claudia realizing something is up and trying to help even if she doesn't know yet what it is. Hopefully it doesn't seem too OOC or out of line with the show. I just really wanted to see this happen. Enjoy the chapter!

Wish Upon a Star

It was a cold night out considering what time of year it was. Myka had pulled on an old college sweatshirt to keep out the cool air. Normally the low temperature would have caused her to head inside, but something about the breeze and the stars overhead was keeping her fairly calm. Plus the chairs on the back porch of the B&B had become a familiar place for her to go and think, especially at night. So for now she was staying put and letting her mind go as blank as she could manage.

A shuffling sound behind her caused her to look over her shoulder. Claudia was standing just inside the doorway in a hoodie and sweats. The hood was pulled up over her head and she was rubbing at her eyes, suggesting that she had only just woken up. She looked as if she were waiting for an invitation to come onto the porch. Myka typically liked to be left alone when she was thinking, but right now the younger agent provided a welcome distraction from her own mind.

"Hey, Claude," Myka said quietly. "Can't sleep?"

Claudia seemed to accept that as invitation enough. She stepped out onto the porch and pulled out one of the chairs, dropping herself down onto it with a thud.

"Got up to get some water and noticed you weren't in your room," Claudia said. She used her hand to stifle a yawn as she looked over at Myka. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," Myka said, forcing a smile. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"I don't know," Claudia said. She gave Myka a measuring look as if she wasn't sure whether or not to believe her. "You've just seemed kinda off today."

"I'm fine," Myka said quickly. Claudia's eyes narrowed pointedly, forcing Myka to fish for a distraction. "You and Nick seem to be getting along really well."

"We are," Claudia said slowly. "And I know what you're trying to do. This conversation is not over."

"Fine," Myka said.

"Fine," Claudia retorted. She settled back into her chair and kicked her feet up on one of the facing chairs. "But yes, we are getting along well. He's a lot like I was at his age, so I know a lot of what he's going through. It makes it easier to connect."

"Are you having any luck finding somewhere for him to stay?" Myka asked.

"Not really," Claudia admitted. "The kid's only fifteen. Most of the good places won't take anybody under sixteen. Plus he's really smart. Maybe not astrophysics smart, but still smart. I want to make sure he ends up someplace good, you know?"

"Like you did?" Myka asked with a hint of a smile.

"Yeah," Claudia agreed.

"Well, you better hurry," Myka said, shifting a bit in her chair. "Artie's gonna start getting antsy soon."

"He already is," Claudia informed her. "He's given me his whole the-Warehouse-is-a-classified-secret-and-we-can't-have-kids-running-around-unsupervised speech like a gazillion times. Somebody needs to make that man take a vacation."

"Good luck with that," Myka said with a grin.

"Speaking of Nick," Claudia said suddenly, "would you mind keeping an eye on him for a little while tomorrow afternoon? I have to go do my stupid physical, and I don't think he'd enjoy sitting in the waiting room."

"Yeah, sure," Myka said, her grin fading.

"I hate physicals," Claudia said darkly. "Actually, I'm really not a big fan of doctors in general. They're always poking and prodding and asking weird questions. Besides, I'm not sick, so I don't think I should even have to go."

"You never know," Myka said quietly. "Sometimes things can come out of nowhere."

Claudia's brow furrowed as she realized Myka was no longer looking at her.

"Are you okay?" she asked. Myka opened her mouth, but Claudia quickly cut her off. "No, I mean it, Myka. Are you okay?"

Myka was quiet for a long moment, her eyes searching Claudia's as she tried to decide whether or not to answer honestly.

"No," she said finally.

"Did something happen?" Claudia asked in concern.

"Sort of," Myka said vaguely. She looked down at her hands in her lap in an effort to avoid Claudia's gaze.

"Do you... want to talk about it?" Claudia asked carefully.

"No," Myka said, looking back up. "Not yet. I just... I need some time."

"Okay," Claudia said with a nod. Normally she liked to have all the information, but she got the feeling this was not the time to be nosy. "Well... what do you want to talk about? Or should I shut-up?"

"You're fine," Myka told her. "I'm actually glad you came out. But you should probably be heading to bed. Artie will want you bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the morning."

"That insufferable morning person," Claudia muttered. She pulled her legs off of the opposite chair and set them on the floor. Then she looked over at Myka, who had yet to move. "You coming?"

"I think I may stay out here a while longer," Myka said quietly.

"Okay," Claudia said. "Want some company?"

"Claude," Myka began. "It's a nice gesture, but-"

"Look," Claudia interrupted. "You said yourself you're not okay. And I get it if you don't want to talk. But I'm not just gonna leave you out here by yourself right now. So if you'd rather be alone, you're gonna have to find another place to do it because I'm staying right here."

She leaned back into her chair and crossed her arms over her stomach to prove her point. When she looked back up, there was a sad smile on Myka's face. Claudia swore there were tears glistening in the older agent's eyes.

"Thanks," Myka whispered.

"You'd do it for me," Claudia told her with a smile. She leaned her had back against the top of the chair's back and looked up at the stars in the sky. "Besides, I like being out here. The stars are beautiful."

"They are," Myka agreed as she leaned back in her own chair.

"It looks like somebody spilled a bunch of glitter," Claudia said, looking up at the pinpricks of light covering the dark sky.

"It kinda does," Myka said with a grin. "My mom always liked looking at the stars, but you can't see very many from our house. The city has too much light pollution. When I was ten she bought me this globe light that projected constellations on the ceiling. We used to lay on my bed and look up at them. I learned most of them by heart."

"That's pretty cool," Claudia said. "Josh was always more of a physics person, so he only knew a few of the basic ones."

She scanned the sky for a moment before pointing up at the stars.

"There's the Big Dipper," she said. "Well, Ursa Major, but Josh always called it the Big Dipper. And... there's Leo. He always looks more like a cave drawing of a horse to me."

Myka chuckled a little at that.

"I guess he does," she said, tilting her head. Then she looked over at Claudia. "Do you know the story of Leo?"

"Something about Hercules killing a lion," Claudia said with a shrug.

"Killing Leo was the first of the Twelve Labors assigned to Hercules by King Eurystheus," Myka explained. "You probably know a few of the other labors like slaying the Hydra and capturing the Cretan Bull."

"I'm vaguely familiar with the Hydra," Claudia said slowly. "But I've got nothing on the other one. How do you know so much about all this, anyway?"

"My dad runs a bookstore," Myka reminded her. "He knows a lot about literature. Ancient mythology was one of his favorite subjects after Shakespeare."

"Huh," Claudia said. "I had to memorize the Greek gods for a test in high school, but that's about the extent of my knowledge."

Her eyes widened suddenly and she pointed up at the sky.

"Dude!" she cried. "Make a wish!"

Myka looked up to see a bright star shooting across the South Dakota sky. It didn't take any time to know what she wished for. She knew rationally that a star couldn't cure her of cancer, but that didn't stop her from wishing anyway.

"What'd you wish for?" she asked, looking over at Claudia.

"If I tell you, it won't come true," Claudia reminded her.

"Right," Myka said quietly. She glanced up at the constellations in the sky and then looked back over at Claudia. "You know, if you ever wanted to know more about Greek mythology, I wouldn't mind telling you about it."

"What about now?" Claudia asked. Myka hesitated. It was getting late and they really should be getting to bed. Sensing her hesitation, Claudia put on her best begging face. "Come on, Myka. I want a bedtime story. Unless you have something better to do."

"Okay," Myka said, caving in. Telling Claudia stories would help keep her mind off of everything else for a while. For her part, Claudia grinned in triumph and snuggled back further into the pillow covering the back of her chair.

"Where do we begin, master?" she asked.

"Well," Myka said, looking back up at Leo in the sky. "If you already know the gods, then I guess Hercules makes as good a starting place as any."

"He was related to the gods, right?" Claudia asked.

"Right," Myka confirmed. "Hercules was a son of Zeus."

"The one who controlled lightning," Claudia said. "I remember him 'cause the statue of Mr. Sparky Pants caused that wicked thunderstorm in the Warehouse a couple years back."

"Zeus was the god of the sky," Myka explained with a smile. "He was also the ruler of the Greek gods. Being a son of Zeus gave Hercules incredible strength that let him accomplish amazing feats..."

Hopefully this chapter didn't seem too far out there. Leave a review and let me know what you thought!