Missing: Chapter 8
Title: Misisng
Author: luna_dove
Pairing: Artie/Claudia
Rating: T (for mild swearing and some violence)
Spoilers: Spoilers up to and including "Duped."
Summery: Claudia isn't too happy that Artie's been kidnapped again - and this time it isn't by her.
Disclaimer: I don't own Warehouse 13. Never had, probably never will.
Chapter 8: The Darkest Hour
Myka sighed as she looked out her window into the night. The clouds were so thick and large tonight that they were covering up every source of light, whether it be the stars or the moon. Despite that she had her regular antidote for nights like these - a warm cup of tea, a compelling book and a snug blanket, she couldn't' make herself relax and enjoy them.
Things had been different every since Claudia had come back.
For one thing, there was the girl herself. Myka hadn't been expecting her to be fine after being tricked, held hostage and tortured by MacPherson, but Claudia seemed to have spiraled into a depression. She barely talked to the others anymore, moped in the darkest corners of the warehouse, and had quit trying to invent gadgets for Artie. Everytime Myka or Pete would try to talk to Claudia and see what was bothering her, she would push them away. Myka was both terrified and curious to know what had happened with MacPherson. She had tried to talk to Artie, to see if maybe, knowing both Claudia and MacPherson the best out of anyone in the warehouse, he could help, but he hadn't.
Artie was another problem. A very large one, in fact. He seemed to have recovered from MacPherson's abduction, but not from Claudia's.
Myka had never seen Artie so afraid or angry as he had been when he had gotten back to the warehouse, brushed off Myka and Pete's questions, and had started looking for Claudia - only to find her already gone. From that point on, until they had found Claudia, Artie had transformed into someone...that, quite plainly, scared her. She had thought him capable, for the first time, of actually bringing serious harm, instead of just subduing MacPherson.
Myka shuddered to think what would have happened if Claudia hadn't been okay. Physically, at least.
After finding Claudia, Artie had turned quiet, but not calm. He had insisted on sitting with her until she dozed off the painkillers that Leena had given her for her injuries and snapped at anyone who suggested that maybe Leena take a look at him, or that maybe he should get some rest.
After Claudia had woken up, Artie had stayed as far away from her as he possibly could. This seemed only to add to Claudia's deep depression.
Myka sighed and put down her tea. She knew Artie didn't mean to hurt Claudia, that he was only staying away from her because he didn't want to hurt her anymore than he already had, but Myka saw Claudia suffering everytime she looked at Artie and he didn't look back. She wished she could talk some common sense into him, but she knew it would be useless; he was too headstrong.
She had tried to talk to both Leena and Pete about the situation, and while Pete was all for putting Claudia and Artie in a small room and leaving them to work out their differences, Leena had simply told them to calm down.
"Things will work out the way they're meant to." Myka shook her head as the words rang through her head, looking out at the starless sky once more.
She could only hope Leena was right.
*
Claudia looked around Leena's darkened parlor, holding her bag. She wished she could talk herself out of what she was about to do, but knew she had made up her mind.
She was going to leave the warehouse.
What good was she to anybody, just sitting around here, babysat by the government? Being an annoyance that Myka, Pete, Leena and...Artie were forced to put up with under the threat of her death? She couldn't and wouldn't make them do that anymore.
Carefully, Claudia adjusted the white envelope that was sitting against Leena's best vase. She positioned herself as someone coming down the stairs, and then nodded. Someone would obviously see the envelope when they came downstairs tomorrow morning. She wasn't one for leaving sappy good-bye letters, but she wanted them to know that she wasn't going to hurt the warehouse, or was running off to join MacPherson.
She'd rather die than do that.
Breathing heavily so as to not lose what little calm she had left, Claudia picked up her bag and walked through Leena's door. She started away from the house, planning to walk until she could find a spare car to hot wire.
She couldn't use Artie's car, because he was working late at the warehouse tonight. Anyways, she wasn't sure what tricks he would have installed in his car as of the last time she had kidnapped him.
She wondered if Artie would hunt her down, Artie and Myka and Pete. Would they trust her to not hurt the warehouse, even if she wasn't working there? She had helped them, hadn't she? They would remember that. Even if they had been forced to be there with her, she had saved Myka's life with the mirror, helped solve the mystery of the warehouse agent that had died with the electric spine, and had helped them find the cave where the four elemental artifacts were.
She had helped them like they were her friends, and her family. Even if they were just acting back, being fake, she hoped that they could see that at least.
Claudia was wondering if they would use the Tesla on her if they hunted her down when a gloved hand came down on her mouth. She screamed loudly, but the glove muffled it into a whimper. She scratched at the hand but it was well protected by the leather of the glove, and an arm simply wound its way across her stomach, pinning her arms to her waist.
Desperate to free herself, Claudia jerked her head back and sent her head smacking up into a head, and there was a loud, sickening crack and the arm and hand freed her. She was dropped to the ground and crawled, crab-like, on her back to see James MacPherson holding his nose, blood pouring out of it like a waterfall.
With no other choice, Claudia stumbled to her feet and ran.
*
Leena yawned as she descended the staircase, looking for a late night treat. Artie hadn't been baking cookies ever since he had come back from his kidnapping by MacPherson, but maybe there was a bit of ice cream left over from Pete's trip to the store yest-
Leena's attention was distracted from the ice cream as she caught sight of a plain white envelope. Cautiously, she opened the envelope and took out a sheet of paper. As she read what was on it, her breath became more and more constricted and her eyes widened. When she was finished, she rushed to the staircase, letter still in hand.
*
Myka didn't realize that she had fallen asleep over her book until Leena was shaking her awake.
"Wha-?" She asked drowsily, then sat upright as she noticed the heartbroken look on Leena's face. She also noticed that Pete was behind Leena, looking grave and depressed.
"What happened?" Myka asked. Pete answered, the pain audible in his tone.
"Claudia's run away."
Author: luna_dove
Pairing: Artie/Claudia
Rating: T (for mild swearing and some violence)
Spoilers: Spoilers up to and including "Duped."
Summery: Claudia isn't too happy that Artie's been kidnapped again - and this time it isn't by her.
Disclaimer: I don't own Warehouse 13. Never had, probably never will.
Chapter 8: The Darkest Hour
Myka sighed as she looked out her window into the night. The clouds were so thick and large tonight that they were covering up every source of light, whether it be the stars or the moon. Despite that she had her regular antidote for nights like these - a warm cup of tea, a compelling book and a snug blanket, she couldn't' make herself relax and enjoy them.
Things had been different every since Claudia had come back.
For one thing, there was the girl herself. Myka hadn't been expecting her to be fine after being tricked, held hostage and tortured by MacPherson, but Claudia seemed to have spiraled into a depression. She barely talked to the others anymore, moped in the darkest corners of the warehouse, and had quit trying to invent gadgets for Artie. Everytime Myka or Pete would try to talk to Claudia and see what was bothering her, she would push them away. Myka was both terrified and curious to know what had happened with MacPherson. She had tried to talk to Artie, to see if maybe, knowing both Claudia and MacPherson the best out of anyone in the warehouse, he could help, but he hadn't.
Artie was another problem. A very large one, in fact. He seemed to have recovered from MacPherson's abduction, but not from Claudia's.
Myka had never seen Artie so afraid or angry as he had been when he had gotten back to the warehouse, brushed off Myka and Pete's questions, and had started looking for Claudia - only to find her already gone. From that point on, until they had found Claudia, Artie had transformed into someone...that, quite plainly, scared her. She had thought him capable, for the first time, of actually bringing serious harm, instead of just subduing MacPherson.
Myka shuddered to think what would have happened if Claudia hadn't been okay. Physically, at least.
After finding Claudia, Artie had turned quiet, but not calm. He had insisted on sitting with her until she dozed off the painkillers that Leena had given her for her injuries and snapped at anyone who suggested that maybe Leena take a look at him, or that maybe he should get some rest.
After Claudia had woken up, Artie had stayed as far away from her as he possibly could. This seemed only to add to Claudia's deep depression.
Myka sighed and put down her tea. She knew Artie didn't mean to hurt Claudia, that he was only staying away from her because he didn't want to hurt her anymore than he already had, but Myka saw Claudia suffering everytime she looked at Artie and he didn't look back. She wished she could talk some common sense into him, but she knew it would be useless; he was too headstrong.
She had tried to talk to both Leena and Pete about the situation, and while Pete was all for putting Claudia and Artie in a small room and leaving them to work out their differences, Leena had simply told them to calm down.
"Things will work out the way they're meant to." Myka shook her head as the words rang through her head, looking out at the starless sky once more.
She could only hope Leena was right.
*
Claudia looked around Leena's darkened parlor, holding her bag. She wished she could talk herself out of what she was about to do, but knew she had made up her mind.
She was going to leave the warehouse.
What good was she to anybody, just sitting around here, babysat by the government? Being an annoyance that Myka, Pete, Leena and...Artie were forced to put up with under the threat of her death? She couldn't and wouldn't make them do that anymore.
Carefully, Claudia adjusted the white envelope that was sitting against Leena's best vase. She positioned herself as someone coming down the stairs, and then nodded. Someone would obviously see the envelope when they came downstairs tomorrow morning. She wasn't one for leaving sappy good-bye letters, but she wanted them to know that she wasn't going to hurt the warehouse, or was running off to join MacPherson.
She'd rather die than do that.
Breathing heavily so as to not lose what little calm she had left, Claudia picked up her bag and walked through Leena's door. She started away from the house, planning to walk until she could find a spare car to hot wire.
She couldn't use Artie's car, because he was working late at the warehouse tonight. Anyways, she wasn't sure what tricks he would have installed in his car as of the last time she had kidnapped him.
She wondered if Artie would hunt her down, Artie and Myka and Pete. Would they trust her to not hurt the warehouse, even if she wasn't working there? She had helped them, hadn't she? They would remember that. Even if they had been forced to be there with her, she had saved Myka's life with the mirror, helped solve the mystery of the warehouse agent that had died with the electric spine, and had helped them find the cave where the four elemental artifacts were.
She had helped them like they were her friends, and her family. Even if they were just acting back, being fake, she hoped that they could see that at least.
Claudia was wondering if they would use the Tesla on her if they hunted her down when a gloved hand came down on her mouth. She screamed loudly, but the glove muffled it into a whimper. She scratched at the hand but it was well protected by the leather of the glove, and an arm simply wound its way across her stomach, pinning her arms to her waist.
Desperate to free herself, Claudia jerked her head back and sent her head smacking up into a head, and there was a loud, sickening crack and the arm and hand freed her. She was dropped to the ground and crawled, crab-like, on her back to see James MacPherson holding his nose, blood pouring out of it like a waterfall.
With no other choice, Claudia stumbled to her feet and ran.
*
Leena yawned as she descended the staircase, looking for a late night treat. Artie hadn't been baking cookies ever since he had come back from his kidnapping by MacPherson, but maybe there was a bit of ice cream left over from Pete's trip to the store yest-
Leena's attention was distracted from the ice cream as she caught sight of a plain white envelope. Cautiously, she opened the envelope and took out a sheet of paper. As she read what was on it, her breath became more and more constricted and her eyes widened. When she was finished, she rushed to the staircase, letter still in hand.
*
Myka didn't realize that she had fallen asleep over her book until Leena was shaking her awake.
"Wha-?" She asked drowsily, then sat upright as she noticed the heartbroken look on Leena's face. She also noticed that Pete was behind Leena, looking grave and depressed.
"What happened?" Myka asked. Pete answered, the pain audible in his tone.
"Claudia's run away."