A/N – So, I'm not very happy with this chapter despite it being a bit longer than the previous chapters I've posted. I'm just not sure how to describe what's happened in this chapter other than what I've been able to spit out. If you have any questions about what just happened in this chapter, just ask so that I'll know what I'll need to clarify when I go back and edit all these chapters once the story is completed. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the chapter.

Chapter 6: One Step at a Time

Ben knew he shouldn't have gotten his hopes up. He should have expected that he and Five wouldn't find Klaus that easily just because there were two of them now. Even as he laid in bed that night – it was almost eleven when they finally decided to go to their respective rooms after their failed search – Ben's mind was still running. His stomach was knotted, and he was running out of air, too hooked on the worry gnawing at him.

"Where are you, Klaus?" He found himself thinking this single phrase almost as a mantra throughout the day.

At first, Ben and Five had stuck together, moving to different locations throughout the city in hopes of finding him. However, by noon, his brother suggested splitting up since they could cover more ground like that – Five went downtown while Ben was instructed to move up the road. The two promised to meet up at about six for dinner at a diner they saw during their search. This meet up would be a way for each other to fill in the other boy about what they'd found or if there had been any new leads.

Plus, with one brother missing, both needed this check in to make sure another one hadn't disappeared. However, Ben almost wished that Five hadn't come with him at all. It wasn't for another other reason than that his brother had found something, something of Klaus'.

His phone.

It was completely dead and neither Number brothers had thought about being their chargers as they had full charges on their own phones. Though, now probably would have been a good time for it. Five and Ben chatted for a while over dinner about what they should do now. Their options were to go back home and wait for the phone to charge or stay out longer in hopes that Klaus might be close – both didn't sound as appealing to their current situation. After a long while of debating over a plate of shared fries and a cheeseburger or two, they compromised somewhat.

Ben was actually the basis for the idea, asking if Five would go back to the house via teleportation with the phone and set it to charge before coming back and continuing their search for another few hours. This way they could still have time to check out the area where his brother found Klaus' phone before heading back home to check what's actually on it. Number Five agreed almost instantaneously, having gotten up from his seat to move between spaces in the world before coming back within the minute only this time the phone wasn't in his possession.

They finished their meal quickly, paying for it before heading over to the location of Klaus' phone. The time-traveling boy explained to Ben on their walk over there that he had found the phone in the bike lane of the streets. It didn't look like anyone had touched it or even noticed that a perfectly good phone was there, but there was one thing that was certain, it was definitely dropped.

"Could he have been a hurry?" Ben had asked his brother. The shrug that came next was definitely not an answer, but it would have to do for now.

The two Number brothers looked up and down the streets for quite some time. They searched down alleyways and in the surrounding park, only stopping when the streets had cleared of people as the moon rose to play dance with the street lights. Exhausted and more than frustrated, both Five and Ben agreed to walk home to check the phone that was almost positively charged by now. However, home still didn't give them any answers either.

The phone was interesting to say the least, but it was a bust as well. There were several calls between Klaus and an unsaved number for about three weeks leading up to their brother's disappearance before the calls just stop altogether. While it was weird, Ben couldn't really find anything against it. Klaus used to tell him that he'd call random numbers when he found himself getting lonely or simply needed to get out of his head for a while. It was possible that this was just a number that he kept calling for whatever reasons.

Five, though, found this explanation completely absurd and continued to dive through Klaus' found. There were a few photos on the phone and, despite everything that was happening right now, Five and Ben found themselves highly amused by the ones Klaus decided to take.

The first one was of Vanya playing her violin, taken from the hallway. The photo that followed it almost immediately was taken in her room, the girl smiling against the instrument, eyes squinted in delight. There was some time between Vanya's photos and the next – it was Diego passed out on the couch, mouth hanging wide open with a fluffy pink blanket laid over him. Five sent that particular photo to himself using Klaus' number, saying that it could be good blackmail material for later.

Ben rolled his eyes at that, finding it amusing and simply moving to the next one. It was of their mother smiling brightly at the camera, hands clasped in front of her in a proper pose. He sent that one to Diego and himself before clicking over once more. Luther and Allison looked like they had been snuggling up against each other on the couch, face reddened and turned around to look at the camera. Klaus had obviously surprised them with the photo if their shocked faces were anything to go by. Ben snorted at their faces before going to the last one.

It was taken three weeks before Klaus' disappearance and it was honestly such a golden photo. His eyes moved to himself, faced stuffed with pancakes with syrup practically everywhere. Ben grinned, heart warmed by the sight before glancing at the back, nearly bursting out with a laugh. He immediately showed it to his brother. Five was in the back of the photo, tipping an entire bottle of vodka into his mouth and downing it without a care in the world. His brother shrugged, "Not a bad idea."

Although the two brothers found some happiness in their search, it still didn't distract them from their main task: finding Klaus. So, they went back through everything they've learned over the last day and a half. They even looked back through the phone one last time in hopes of finding something new.

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

The only ones who decided to check in on them when they returned home that night were Grace – who offered the Number brothers snacks and beverages of all kinds – and Pogo who looked just as distraught as Ben felt over Klaus. The rest of their siblings steered clear of the bar, neither brother seeing any of them.

It wasn't for an several hours after the phone incident that Five finally decided to call it a night, eleven o'clock just around the corner. They chatted about what they should try to pursue the following morning before parting ways, each boy going to his own respective room.

And so, that's where Ben finds himself now, lying in his bed with his mind running about.

He's spent almost an hour already trying to fall asleep, but he can't, not with such scattered puzzle pieces to a mystery he hasn't even started on filling his head to the brim. The boy feels completely useless and at the mercy of life's cold hands. Ben wades through the waters of consciousness and unconsciousness, his anxious stomach doing flips with anxiety.

And when he does fall asleep, it's a fitful one and leaves him more exhausted than when he'd gone to bed that night.

He dreams of Klaus, of what life was like before death and then his new life after death, the life he spent tailing his estranged brother for almost twelve years. And there is someone calling his name, someone just out of reach pleading towards him, but Ben can't hear what they're saying – they're just too far away.

And then, just like that, the noises are suddenly way too close to his ears and dream him tries to back away as quickly as he can, eyes shut in fear of death climbing back to grab him with their cold dead hands. But the noises keep coming, morphing into words but Ben can't understand them. "Go away!" He shouts at them.

"Open your eyes!" They call back to him, voice finally acknowledgeable, morphing to have a masculine tone. Number Six struggled against himself, taking in frightened breath, senses dialed up to eleven at this point. Loud, everything was too loud. "Ben!" They shouted at him again, a hint of pleading in their voice, "Ben! Ben! Benny!"

Benny.

Benny…

He opened his eyes, the dreamlike world he was in almost completely white, sinking down into a dark depression underneath him. Ben looked at his hands, the ghostly appearance he had after his death showing up again. The younger body he was in when they went back in time was gone now, replaced with the appearance he held before the apocalypse. Although he found it cool, the man searched the area around him for what had disturbed him so, floating aimlessly about.

"Benny." There was a voice behind him, said boy swiftly turning around as fast as he could. Ben sucked in a quick breath, eyes wide. Before him stood – or rather floated – an adult Klaus. There was happiness dancing in his eyes, body slouching a bit in relief. His shirt exposed his belly, vulgar writing on it, which was paired with skin tight black jeans and that stupid flamboyant jacket he liked to wear all the time. He took a step towards his brother, "I can't believe you actually heard me."

"Heard you…?" Ben looked back at his hands, seeing as how they'd gotten smaller and held a soft look to them. He put a hand to his cheek, shocked at feeling the baby face he had at thirteen – he was back to be a boy again, terribly afraid and alone. Not alone, he reminded himself, glancing up to stare at his brother.

Except Klaus wasn't an adult either.

He had reverted back to thirteen as well, but there's something wrong with him. There's dried blood coming from his nose and his face is black and blue. There are bruises showing up around his throat and his brother looks to be limping, practically leaning against an imaginary wall in this imaginary world. Despite the pain flashing in his eyes, Klaus grins, "Yeah, you heard me."

"This is a dream." Ben finds himself saying.

Klaus shook his head, "No, it's not."

"But, this world doesn't exist." He stated, "You don't exist here – you're not real."

The boy limped over to him, dragging his hurt foot along with him. Slowly but surely making his way over to Ben. He stared up into the boy's brown eyes, fear evident in Klaus' own ones. "Please, you have to believe me." Klaus whispered out, voice wavering, "You saw the video, you have to believe me."

Ben held onto his shaking brother, "Video? What video?"

His face fell, head falling forward, "I knew he wouldn't watch the video."

"Who wouldn't?" He tried.

"Our dear Father." Klaus pulled away for a moment, bitterness in his voice, "They sent a video…"

"Who's they?"

His brother took a few steps back, wrapping an arm around himself, "Are any of you even looking for me?"

"Looking for you…?" Ben blinked, mind whirling back from the information being given to him before starting up again, "Of course, we're looking for you! Five and I were all over the city trying to find where you went off to. All we found was your phone."

"I dropped it when they came for me." Klaus stated with an apologetic tone of voice.

"Who's they?" Ben asked again, desperate for information. The world was swirling – does that mean he's going to wake up soon?

"They are three men and one woman. I don't know all their names yet, but one of the guys calls himself Alex," He stated out quickly, "I don't think that's his real name, though."

Number Six froze, the dream world suddenly way too cold, "You… You were kidnapped?"

Klaus looked into his brother's eyes, "Yeah…"

"Wait, but… then how are you talking to me right now?" Ben asked frantically.

"I… I don't know. I remember falling asleep and…" He looked away for a moment, "I was desperate, you know, and I was just kind-of begging any of you to just… come find me, to answer my call for help, I guess…"

"Do you know where you are?" He asked, glancing all around as the darkness was starting to close in.

Klaus shook his head, "Not the exact location, but I'm being held in this garage on a street. I didn't get the street name… sorry."

"No, no that's okay. Five and I can work with that." Ben gave an uneasy smile before remembering something, "Wait, you said something about a video? What's that all about?"

"Oh." His face paled, "They beat me up on camera and sent it to Dad. I'm being held for ransom."

Ben's eyes widened before anger took over him, "I'm going to find you, Klaus, I promise! I'm going to bring you home!"

Klaus gave an uneasy smile, "I know. Don't take too long, okay? I'm really getting on these guys' nerves."

He didn't get the chance to respond, shot up in his bed, panting like he'd just run a mile. Ben was wide awake now, shaking in the coolness of his bedroom simply reeling from what had just happened. There was a part of him that wanted to believe that this was real, but there was a slim chance that he might have just dreamt this all up.

However, there was no disputing the fact that Ben needed to tell someone no matter what time it was. Ben climbed out of bed and moved towards Five's room, intent on waking up the boy with more information even if it wasn't real.

After all, Ben had promised, and he doesn't go back on his promises.

*I would like to note something before someone says something in the comments. I never actually checked to see what year in which they were kids so cellular devices like Klaus' phone might not have been a thing, but this is an alternate universe so let's just say that it is a thing that can happen. It's not a smartphone if that's what you're thinking, more along the lines of a chargeable flip phone. Thanks for checking in with endnote*