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Author's Note: This chapter brings us to the final episode of the series. But once again I do have an epilogue for this story, so there is still one chapter left to go. Anyway. This episode had the team using a time capsule artifact of sorts to show their defining moments with the Warehouse. I was a little irritated that they were new moments rather than big moments we had already seen in the show, but that's a rant for another time. Claudia's moment was her deciding that she might not want to be caretaker after all. As hard as the writers had been pushing the caretaker thing, that revelation gave me a little whiplash. But the more I thought about it, the more I decided Claudia had some very legitimate concerns about how becoming caretaker would affect the rest of her life. And since the time jump at the end of the episode shows that she did indeed become caretaker, I felt like there must have been something that happened in between to convince her. So I decided to write what I think that might have looked like. Hence this chapter, which is now one of my very favorites. Just before the time jump the group is preparing to deal with an artifact that causes fire-breathing, so this chapter picks up as soon as they come back from that mission. Also, since Valda was going to use Claire as his new caretaker, that seems to imply to me that caretakers, unlike agents, move with the Warehouse. Just wanted to clear that up before people got confused. And now I promise I'll shut-up. Enjoy the final episode chapter!
The Chance of Lifetimes
"I am so glad that case is over," Steve said as he and Claudia walked up the stairs to the landing overlooking the Warehouse. "I hate fire-breathers."
"So do your eyebrows," Claudia teased.
"Are they really that bad?" Steve asked. He stopped at the top and turned around to wait for Claudia.
"Don't worry," Claudia said, clapping him on the shoulder. "They'll grow back eventually."
"Great," Steve said drily.
He started walking towards the door to the office, but halfway there he realized Claudia wasn't following him. He turned around to see her staring out at the Warehouse.
"You coming?" he asked. "Now that Abigail's back, there's decent takeout for dinner."
"You go ahead," Claudia said, waving him off. "I just need a minute."
"Okay," Steve said in understanding. "I'll be outside."
He headed into the office, closing the door behind him. Now alone, Claudia walked toward the railing and rested her hands on it. She shook her head as she looked out at the Warehouse.
"You know, I, uh... I don't really remember much from when my parents were alive," she said quietly. "So this is really the only home I can remember having. Only now it might be moving. And yeah, as future caretaker I'll still be with the Warehouse. But everyone else won't be. My family won't be. And I don't want to do this without them. So if you can hear me, if we really do have some mad connection, if I mean anything to you, then please stay."
Claudia held her breath as she waited for the Warehouse to give her some sign that it had heard. She was beginning to feel a bit foolish for speaking to a building when the air seemed to shift a bit as if a breeze had blown through some invisible window. And then suddenly she knew. She wasn't sure how she knew it, but she knew.
"You sly devil," Claudia said as a grin spread across her face. "You were never going anywhere, were you? So why the pretense, huh?"
"Perhaps," a voice said, causing Claudia to jump, "because you needed it."
Claudia looked over her shoulder to see Mrs. Frederic standing there smiling at her.
"Mrs. F," Claudia said sheepishly. "I was just-"
"Talking to the Warehouse," Mrs. Frederic said. She walked over to the railing to stand beside Claudia. "Believe me, I understand. The Warehouse is my oldest and dearest friend. I talk to it quite often."
Claudia narrowed her eyes and tilted her head as she studied the caretaker.
"You knew, didn't you?" she said with sudden certainty. "You knew it wasn't going anywhere."
"I suspected," Mrs. Frederic admitted. "I've seen it happen a few times before."
"But why would it act like it was moving?" Claudia asked curiously.
"Because in its own way, the Warehouse is a caretaker," Mrs. Frederic explained. She looked over at Claudia, who was watching her with interest. "The agents protect the Warehouse, and in return it gives them a home. But sometimes there are lessons those agents need to learn, both about themselves and about each other. And sometimes the Warehouse takes it upon itself to teach them."
"Like showing Steve that he belongs here," Claudia concluded. "Or helping Myka realize that she loves Pete. Or showing Pete that he can't lose the person he's become."
"Precisely," Mrs. Frederic said. She turned away from the railing to face Claudia. "What do you think it was trying to show you?"
"I don't know," Claudia admitted. "I mean, the moment the table chose was me not wanting to be caretaker."
"I'm going to let you in on a little secret," Mrs. Frederic said. "I didn't want to be caretaker either."
"Really?" Claudia asked in interest.
"Really," Mrs. Frederic confirmed. "My sister was actually the caretaker of the Warehouse. But she died in a fire. I was her closest blood relative, so I was brought in immediately. I had also been her one, so I understood what the regents were asking of me. At the time, I already had a husband and a young son. I didn't want a life of danger and secrecy, let alone extended life. But it was an emergency, so I agreed to become a temporary caretaker on the condition that the regents immediately begin the search for someone else."
"So what happened?" Claudia asked.
"Obviously I stayed," Mrs. Frederic said drily.
"But why?" Claudia pressed.
"Well, for one, they never found anyone else," Mrs. Frederic told her. "To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure if they ever really looked. I think they knew that I would end up staying. The Warehouse has a way of becoming a part of you. And the longevity that I once viewed as a curse has in fact become a gift. I have seen more in my lifetime than most people can even imagine."
"So was it worth it?" Claudia asked, leaning her weight on the railing.
"Yes," Mrs. Frederic said firmly. "It's true that being caretaker is not an easy task. There are hard days and painful losses. But for every heartache, there are twice as many reasons to smile. For everyone person you lose, there is a new face that you grow to love. For every ending, there is also a beginning. Yes, I have lost. But I have also been given an incredible gift: the chance to see the world, to really see it. To experience the magic of seeing a century and a half of sunrises while knowing that no two of them were ever the same. To look at an object and see not merely a collection of atoms, but rather to see the stories of the lives it has moved through. To watch as young strays turns into capable agents and broken people come together to create an unbreakable family. To understand that every single moment of our lives is a gift and that the collective of those gifts has a truly unlimited potential."
"Endless wonder," Claudia said in awe.
"Endless wonder," Mrs. Frederic agreed with a smile. "That was the Warehouse's gift to me. And I wouldn't trade it for the world."
"Wow," Claudia said quietly. She looked out over the Warehouse at the shelves and shelves of artifacts. "I guess when I think about being caretaker, I always think about what I'll lose. And it's not just the awesome missions, as much as I love all that craziness. It's also the people. Artie's grumpiness. Steve's irritating lie detector. Myka's bottomless pit of knowledge. Pete's stupid jokes. Abigail's shrinky advice. I just can't imagine this place without them in it."
"It's true that the people won't last forever," Mrs. Frederic agreed. She turned around and laid her hands on the railing in a copy of Claudia's position. "But your memories of them will. They're a part of you now, and you can never lose them."
"Like the memories in the table," Claudia said quietly. She looked over at Mrs. Frederic as an idea struck her. "Maybe that's what the Warehouse was trying to teach me. That I don't have to be afraid of giving up any of this. Because I won't be losing it, not really."
"Exactly," Mrs. Frederic said with a proud smile. "And the Warehouse will give you far more than you could ever give up. Yes, you may lose this family. But in time you will gain another. And another, and another. And that, Miss Donovan, will make you far more blessed than any other person I know."
"I guess you're right," Claudia said.
"And as for being an agent," Mrs. Frederic continued, "it's true that a caretaker rarely deals with artifacts. But we deal instead with something much more special: people. And I assure you, they can be every bit as temperamental and exasperating as any artifact. Sometimes even more so. But they are also far more magical and inspiring and rewarding than any artifact could ever be."
"You really like your job, don't you?" Claudia asked with a smile.
"I do," Mrs. Frederic said, returning her smile. "And I believe that in time, so will you. You see, Claudia, the caretaker does not choose the Warehouse. The Warehouse chooses the caretaker. It chooses people that need it just as much as it needs them. People who can shoulder the burden it asks them to bear, but who will also fully appreciate the gifts it offers. It chose you for a reason. And I believe that when the time comes, you will make a wonderful caretaker."
"Thanks, Mrs. F," Claudia said sincerely. "That means a lot."
"However," Mrs. Frederic said, turning to look back out over the Warehouse, "the decision is ultimately up to you. If you feel that you are not suited to being caretaker, you need only say the word and I will begin looking for your replacement."
"Would you actually look?" Claudia asked drily.
"That is for me to know," Mrs. Frederic said with a smug smile. Claudia laughed and shook her head. "Earlier today, Arthur was trying to tell you that sometimes you need to be selfish. And I agree with him."
"You do?" Claudia asked in surprise.
"I do," Mrs. Frederic agreed. "I do not, however, agree with his conclusion. He seemed to believe that remaining an agent would be the selfish decision. And it is true that being a Warehouse agent is the experience of a lifetime. But being caretaker is the experience of many lifetimes." She looked over at Claudia. "If I may offer you some advice, Miss Donovan: be selfish. Choose the endless wonder."
"You make it sound so simple," Claudia said with a shake of her head.
"I assure you, the decision is anything but simple," Mrs. Frederic said. "Give it some thought and let me know what you decide."
"Okay," Claudia said with a nod.
She turned her head to look back out across the Warehouse. From where she was standing, it looked as if the Warehouse really were endless. It was hard to believe a place existed that could hold so much magic.
"So, Mrs. F," Claudia said, looking to her left again. She let her voice trail off as she realized she was alone on the landing. She shook her head. "Okay, so it would be pretty cool to be able to do that."
The smell of apples wafting to her nose seemed to indicate that the Warehouse was agreeing with her.
With a final look out at the endless sea of artifacts, Claudia turned and walked the rest of the way across the landing to the door. The office beyond was empty since everyone else had already left. Claudia walked through the empty office to the main door and clicked it open. Then she stepped out into the umbilicus, turning out the office lights behind her.
The walk through the umbilicus was one she knew by heart. A small smile tugged at her mouth as she remembered flicking the plastic bomb casings the first time she had walked through the tunnel. It seemed like a lifetime ago. In many ways, she supposed it was.
The door at the end of the umbilicus opened into sunlight. Claudia stepped outside to see Steve's car sitting there with him in the driver's seat. She walked across the dirt ground and pulled open the passenger door so she could slide into the seat.
"Everything okay?" Steve asked as she closed the door.
"Yeah," Claudia said honestly. She buckled her seatbelt before looking over at her partner. "Let's go home."
That brings us up to the end of the show. Craziness. But before you get too sad, let me repeat that I do have an epilogue written as well. Hopefully that will get posted sometime Monday, so keep your eyes open. And then this story really will be over. Before it ends, please take a quick sec to leave a review telling me what you thought of this chapter and/or of the story in general. Thanks!