While they waited for Leonard and Vanya to stop by the Academy that afternoon, Five explained to Taryn that Vanya had no memory of bringing about the apocalypse every time they time jumped. He surmised it had something to do with Vanya being overcome with the power she possessed. Taryn agreed that it seemed like the most logical answer. Five then went on to tell the newcomer that she was to keep Leonard busy while the Umbrella Academy spoke to their sister.
"Hi!" Taryn said as she walked over the curio case where Leonard was standing. He was peering inside the glass door at the figures inside.
"Hi! You family?" Leonard asked. He glanced over at the others before giving her a once over.
"Friend. It's a stressful time and Klaus just finished treatment a day or two ago. We wouldn't want him to make a bad decision."
"Nice of you to keep an eye on him. Looks like he could use it," he said and looked at Number Four. Klaus was seated in a chair a bit apart from the others, fidgeting and looking decidedly uncomfortable.
"We're all broken; some of us are just better at hiding it," Taryn said.
"That's how it goes, doesn't it? Rich kids - given everything and they don't appreciate it," Leonard said bitterly. His eyes were cold as he now turned to look at her.
"I wouldn't know," she said.
"Me either."
He grumbled for a bit about the unfairness of life and how he would have appreciated the opportunity more than any of the Hargreeves. The anger and bitterness Leonard felt towards Klaus and the others filled his thoughts as well as his words. His darkness scared Taryn and she quickly changed the subject.
"These are interesting," she said and leaned forward to look in the case. Small action figures of the Umbrella Academy along with their father were placed prominently on a shelf.
"I had them all when I was a kid," Leonard said proudly.
"I've never seen them before."
"I had the comics, too…and, well, everything. I even saw them when I…they…we were kids. Stood outside there on the street," he said gesturing towards the door. "Now I'm inside."
As Leonard spoke, Taryn heard all the bits he was omitting. His mind went over how he carefully crafted a costume, climbed through the crowd and over the barriers. He repeated Reginald's scolding. But, most of all, he was not admitting to his longing of wanting to be one of them.
"Those tentacles must make buying clothes difficult," Taryn said pointing at the figure of Ben.
Leonard laughed, "He wasn't like that all the time."
"Really?" she asked, joining in the laughter. "Can you tell I grew up in the middle of nowheresville?"
"Vanya wrote a book about all of them. If you really want to know what they're like, you should read it."
"I'll have to check it out," she replied seeing no reason to tell Leonard she already went through most of it.
"Well?" Five asked. Leonard and Vanya had left and it was just Taryn and the rest of the siblings sitting around talking.
"He really doesn't like you. Like...hates…all of you," Taryn said.
"We know that. We found the stuff in the attic the first time around," Allison said.
"Did you know he was outside your home as a child during some celebration or something? That your father berated and embarrassed him in front of all of you and everyone else that day?"
Taryn watched as numbers one through five of the Umbrella Academy shook their heads. One by one they tried to recall that day. None remembered the day that was burned into Leonard's memory.
"We know this is about us, not Vanya, but she still causes the world to end every time," Diego said.
"How does he know?" Taryn wondered aloud.
"What?" Luther asked. Her question also caught Five's attention.
"How does he know all about you?" Taryn repeated. "I know I'm not the best measuring stick but I didn't know anything about any of you until Hazel told me. Leonard…he knows everything, including the fact that Vanya is the key. That wasn't in her book. She doesn't even know it, so where did he find out?"
The group considered what she had said for a few seconds, then everyone began talking – and thinking – all at once. The commotion was broken up by Grace coming into the room with cookies. Diego thanked her and took the tray from her hands. Once she left the room, Five decided he needed some time to think over some things and walked out in the opposite direction cookie in hand.
With the impromptu meeting seemingly adjourned, Allison offered one of the many spare rooms to Taryn for the night. With a smile and sincere thanks, Taryn declined and explained she needed some time to herself with no thoughts but her own.
######
A knock on the door of the motel room surprised Taryn as she was watching the television. She got up off the bed to answer it, ready to lash out at Hazel for returning. She had grabbed a quick bite with him shortly after returning to her room and she had made it clear that she was in no mood to further elaborate on the day's events.
"Klaus!" Taryn exclaimed.
"Surprise!" he replied and snuck around her into the room.
"Come on in," she said and closed the door. She watched as his eyes darted around the room, pausing to linger in the darkened corners.
"Um, I didn't tell anyone where I was staying."
"I looked at your room key while you were getting me that drink," Klaus replied.
"You're a pickpocket too? Great!"
"I was hoping for a few bucks."
"I don't keep money in my pockets. To think I kinda felt bad for what you're going through. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out," Taryn told him.
Klaus ignored her and barged into the bathroom. Taryn followed closely behind and he spun her around as he pushed past and went to look in the closet.
"I don't have it," she stated.
"Have what?"
"The suitcase you're jonesing for."
"I wasn't..." Klaus said but then stopped mid-sentence when he saw her expression. His thoughts then switched from the suitcase.
"You can't go back there," Taryn told him.
"Why not? Maybe I could change things."
"Well, there's the obvious. You could be killed. The not so obvious, you don't get back to now. It's not like anyone can come and get you."
"How long do you think it would take before they noticed I was gone?" he asked.
Before she answered, Taryn took a deep breath. Klaus' thoughts were no longer jumbled and rushing, fueled by whatever he had taken. Now they were focused, and sad. She had no idea what to say to him. Five had told her about the family's backstory and relationships that she realized that no one probably noticed he wasn't at the Academy now.
"What about Ben? He depends on you to be here," Taryn said.
Klaus looked across the room to where Ben was standing. Number Four's brother nodded, "She's right."
"You're really not going to give it to me?" Klaus asked.
"I really don't have it. And before you ask, I don't know where it is," she replied. Hazel had decided it would be better if she didn't know where he or the suitcase was.
Klaus sat down on one of the beds his head hanging dejectedly. After a few minutes, he picked himself up and announced he was leaving. Taryn offered to get him a cab so that he would go straight home but he declined. Worried that he would go in search of whatever drugs he could find, she then told him he could stay the night there on the extra bed which Klaus also turned down. He assured her that he would be fine before walking to the door and out into the night.