Hello everyone, I'm here with another Umbrella Academy fic, one that's kind of similar to my previous fic. This one is going to explore the events of season 2, but more particularly developing Klaus' powers. I am totally borrowing a bit from some other fics, but they're just so awesome, I'm going to mesh a lot of ideas together and they are all going to get some therapy. Basically, this fic is one big guilty pleasure. Read on and enjoy!

X

"Klaus."

There was screaming, loud too loud, where was it coming from? He was cold, he felt stretched, worn too thin like that last bit of butter in the tin spread over bread. He struggled to keep his eyes open. Something important was happening. Wasn't it? Everything felt distant, fuzzy, like he was floating, like that scene in the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy gets trapped in the tornado.

"Klaus!"

He needed to focus. But all he could hear was screaming, loud, so loud, drowning everything else out. He was tired, worn out, but it was not the sort of tired where he could fall asleep. He felt like electricity was running beneath his skin, like his heart was beating at the rate of a mouse, too small for his body, he was dizzy. His head hurt; his mouth was dry.

"Klaus are you paying attention?"

Something settled on his shoulder, it was warm. Klaus blinked and shook his head glancing around the room, they were in the attic, old relics and antiques from Reginald's escapades. They were sprawled on a couch Klaus suspected was made from the pelt of an extinct creature. It was uncomfortable and rough beneath his hands, like sandpaper. The dust in the air irritated his eyes, the beams of moonlight that pierced the curtains did little to illuminate anything beyond looming shadows, flickers of something other.

Diego's hand was on his shoulder, he was staring at him with those big brown soulful eyes all full of concern. Klaus blinked again confused, wasn't he just in the barracks listening to Tully talk about his wife? Or had he been in the auditorium cowering behind a seat?

"Klaus are you okay?"

Diego asked gently, so caring beneath his tough exterior. Klaus managed a numb nod as he glanced around the room once more, studying his siblings. Allison was settled on the opposite couch, one that looked far more comfortable than the one he was on, Vanya's head was resting on her lap, it was strange to see her with the bangs again, a curtain to hide behind. Luther was settled in an arm chair at what could generously be called the front of the room, he looked like something out of a medieval movie, one with a boy king.

"Are you high Klaus?"

He asked, disappointment and a bit of concern flashing behind his eyes, though whether it was for everyone else or Klaus he could parse a guess. Klaus nodded slowly and let his eyes drift away from Luther to Five curled up in a small ball in an uncomfortable plastic chair; he had passed out the moment they had landed on damp grass, tipping sideways into Luther's arms; Klaus doubted he would wake for anything but coffee now.

Diego was settled, perched, on the arm of the uncomfortable couch, a knife in hand that he was idly flipping, studying Klaus still with concerned eyes. There was something warm pressed against his side. He glanced down at a dark mop of hair and tilted his head. Oh, it was Ben. Klaus raised shaky fingers and settled them on top of Ben's hair. He was here. He was alive.

"I think we should call it quits Luther, we're all too tired to function."

"We need to make a plan before tomorrow when we have to see Dad."

Luther protested to Allison's perfectly reasonable request. Klaus shifted away from staring at Ben, who was also asleep, face settled peacefully, and responded, "In case you haven't noticed Vanya and Five are both unconscious. Ben is out cold and I'm halfway there. Any plan we make is probably going to suck. You know kind of like our last plan which led to the Apocalypse."

"How about some coffee then."

Luther suggested as if this was a perfectly normal response to half your team being dead (heh) on their feet. As wonderful as coffee was, an opposed to Five's staunch belief, coffee couldn't solve all of their problems. Diego scowled, tossing his knife in the air, it caught a flicker of moonlight and glimmered like liquid silver as it spun back into his hands.

"What let's just do a coffee run, with what money Luther? What store is open at three in the morning? Being a leader doesn't just mean giving orders idiot."

Luther's brow furrowed, a familiar frown settling firmly into place as he glanced at his siblings, he glared particularly hard at Diego and Klaus distractedly wondered if they were going to fight again; that would definitely wake dad up. Allison let out a sigh, brushing her hand through her dark curls she added, "Come on Luther it's late. We can talk about this in the morning. I'm pretty sure it's Saturday anyway."

"What about if Vanya wakes up in the middle of the night?"

Diego asked, eyes flickering briefly to their little sister, and then away again with down-turned lips and narrowed eyes that tried to hide guilt and a whole other slew of emotions. Klaus was usually better at assessing his siblings' emotional state but it was strange to see them as children again and besides that Klaus was very tired thank you very much. He was also maybe a little bit high because at 13 he had discovered weed, alcohol, and LSD were an excellent mix.

"She'll sleep with me in my room it'll be fine."

Allison stated running her fingers through Vanya's hair with a sad expression. Luther face shifted, jealousy, rage, and a whole slew of emotions that made Klaus flinch back into the couch remembering the feeling of being lifted into the air, he couldn't breath, slamming into the wall.

"Her body will still be under the effect of the medication."

Five's voice stated, well growled would perhaps be more apt. They all glanced at Five who had uncurled slightly and was observing the room with narrowed eyes as he muffled a yawn behind his hand. Diego huffed and replied, "That still doesn't help us with what to do about dad."

"If I were Vanya I would totally try and murder the bastard."

Klaus helpfully supplied, resolutely not thinking about Pogo, about Mom. Dave. Diego rolled his eyes at Klaus and Allison shook her head, Klaus didn't bother to look and see Luther's reaction. Five shook his head and commented, "I doubt it. Allison is right though. None of us are thinking straight, Ben and Vanya are asleep. Time Travel needs acclimation, you can't hit the ground running, that is unless you're me."

"So, what just put the Apocalypse on the back burner?"

"Only for a week or two. We have years Diego."

Five responded with a roll of his eyes, arms crossed in front of his chest, he looked like a petulant toddler but Klaus wasn't going to mention that. Luther frowned, it didn't look as imposing without the ape body, and said, "We should just keep Vanya on her pills. Dad gave them to her for a reason so she probably needs to take them."

"The whole reason the Apocalypse happened is because he gave them to her."

Allison replied, fingers drifting up to her throat before settling in Vanya's hair again. Klaus glanced at Ben, or where Ben would have been if he was dead. Right. Shaking away the strange sensation Klaus commented, "Why don't we ask Vanya?"

"She's asleep."

Diego replied with a nod at Vanya. Five glanced at Klaus and nodded once, which meant an awful lot, and replied, "Obviously. And that is why we need to postpone our planning."

"I for one am going to bed. I need my beauty sleep and four hours isn't going to cut it."

Klaus announced and rose to his feet (he resolutely did not wait for Ben's crack about how no amount of sleep would ever make him beautiful). He swayed for a moment, blood rushing to his head and his body reminding him that making a ghost corporal for the first time in forever took a lot of power. Also being high. Klaus turned to Ben and wordlessly slipped an arm under his shoulders, and one under his legs; he was lucky Ben had always been small. Not as small as Vanya though.

With an exhale he picked Ben up, he stumbled for a second before he righted himself. It wasn't that bad. He would last long enough to go to his room.

"Uh Klaus where are you going with Ben?"

"To bed."

Klaus replied and nodded at Five and Diego before sweeping dramatically from the attic. Or at least as dramatically as he could manage with Ben in his arms. He was probably a bit lopsided. As the door clicked shut behind him, Klaus could feel a sudden chill, like a gun shot fire signalling open season or whatever. He closed his eyes and counted to ten. When he opened his eyes, Ben was still there a solid and warm weight in his arms.

There was also a ghost lacking eyes with its jaw hanging off, a horrible gurgling noise bubbling from its mouth but Klaus resolutely ignored that as he lumbered off towards his room. It was strange, how large everything looked now that he was thirteen again. What wasn't strange was the craving for a hit of something, anything. Klaus' hands tightened around Ben as he opened the door to his room with his foot.

He tucked Ben into the bed, shucked his academy uniform, all uncomfortable fabric that was apparently bullet proof, and collapsed into bed beside Ben. In the moonlight he could see poems, words, sentences cascading down his wall, the bulbs of fairy lights, the shadows of his dresser. It was home in a strange sense of the word. He closed his eyes and was dead to the world.

X

Klaus flinched as a bomb went off nearby, shrapnel went flying, dirt and mud scattered itself throughout the trench. He could feel blood trickling down the side of his head. Something was pounding in his ears. Something was ringing shrilly, like a teapot going off. He glanced to the side, bullets sticking into the dirt in front of the trench, glanced at Dave. Where was he? He turned and stared at his other side. Something thrummed in the air, suddenly he wasn't in the trenches. He was in the field, the mud clinging to his trousers and boots, blisters rubbing against the heel, he was thirsty.

Something latched onto his ankle. Klaus glanced into the dirt; Dave's blank blue eyes stared at him. No. No. Please. Dave don't leave him. Don't leave him alone. Where was he? Dave? Dave!

Screaming. Who was screaming? He stumbled back only to trip over another body, another corpse, Diego, his own knives in his chest, brown eyes all blank. He scrambled away, the mud sucking at his hands, he couldn't breathe. Oh god. Allison throat slashed. Luther crushed. Vanya. Vanya eyes blank with an empty pill bottle beside her, the orange was toxic, too bright against the mud. Ben? Ben. There was blood everywhere. Why?

It was his fault wasn't it? Someone was screaming? Who was screaming?

"Klaus!"

In between one breath and the next Klaus jerked awake. Warm hands gripped his arms and he glanced hazily around the room, bombs still going off in his head and the copper taste of blood on his tongue. Faint sunlight streamed into the room, falling on his face like liquid warmth.

His eyes itched, his mouth was dry, he felt like shit. Klaus recognized withdrawal, recognized it like the tattoos on the palm of his hands. He glanced around the room again, looking for where he might have hidden his newest stash. Maybe in the bookcase? Beneath a floorboard? Oh! He knew he had a stash in the vent, the perfect little baggie of happiness.

"Klaus?"

Wait. Something wasn't right. Klaus glanced at his hands; they were too small. Where were his tattoos? Klaus sucked in a shuddering breath and glanced to the side, shoving aside the covers to stare at Ben. Ben with big eyes, his warm hand touching Klaus' arms. Ben who was dead. Who was alive. Alive. Warm. Living. Breathing. Alive.

Klaus sucked in a harsh breath. Something wasn't right. Ben was dead. He was dead. Klaus couldn't breathe. Why were his hands so small? Where was Dave? The dregs of his nightmare lingered tugging at him from the inside out as the withdrawal shook through his hands.

"Klaus what's going on?"

Ben asked, quiet and confused like he would ask after their dad would announce some new training plan. Klaus covered his face with his hands, brushing his fingers over his eyelids, the side of his face, his cheek. In. This was real. Out. This was real.

Oh.

Klaus straightened slightly as he remembered. Right the Apocalypse. Vanya. Five. Time-travel. Ben was alive again. Klaus' eyes were burning and he reached up with a shaking hand to brush away the tears already spilling down his cheeks. Fuck he felt like sobbing. Maybe some of that was the withdrawal.

Ben's hand shifted and suddenly his arm was wrapped around Klaus, warm and real in a way that Klaus doubted his new power could ever hope to imitate. He shivered always too cold and leaned his head against Ben's chest, listened to his heartbeat.

"So, time-travel?"

"Yeah."

Klaus responded with a huff of laughter that quickly developed into a giggle, something about the absurdity of the situation propelled everything into full blown laughter and the tears were back again as he turned and buried his face in Ben's neck. Ben's arms encircled Klaus and he could feel Ben shaking too, warm tears soaking into his hair.

"Fuck I don't miss puberty and hormones."

Klaus stated with a wet laugh as he pulled back and wiped at his eyes. Ben huffed a laugh and replied, "I don't think I mind. Feeling stuff again is weird."

"Bet you're hungry."

"Could really go for some waffles."

Ben replied with a shaky grin. Klaus' eyes crinkled as his fingers reached up and traced gently over Ben's face. It had been so long since had been able to touch Ben. Ben who smiled and let his own fingers trace over Klaus' face, eyes wide, mouth hanging open, looking like he was three seconds away from crying all over again.

A knock on the door disturbed the silence, or well the almost silence jam packed with emotions and stuff as it was. Klaus could already see the ghosts starting to filter in at the edge of his sight. There was a man with a slit throat, a young boy who was too thin, too pale. He couldn't hear them yet and it was a small mercy he was all too grateful for.

The door creaked open and Diego poked his head in, a frown on his face as he picked at the collar of his uniform, he looked tense and stiff, unhappy. Diego observed the two of them with narrowed eyes that tried to hide the soft emotions and relief at Ben being alive again.

"Mom a-a-asked me to wake you two up. Breakfast is in f-f-fifteen minutes."

They both stared at Diego for a long moment, Klaus supposed they might look like owls or something. He hadn't been stuttering yesterday but maybe something about the mansion just you know. Diego sighed and scrubbed hand over his face, the motion eerily similar to when he did it as an adult before he continued, "Act n-normally."

Ben nodded which seemed to satisfy Diego, he did toss a warning glance at Klaus anyway. Then he turned and closed the door behind him, the sound of his footsteps slinking off into the distance. Klaus' stomach gurgled deciding to aptly remind him that weed always gave him the munchies. Ben's stomach echoed the sound like a weird duet, and when Klaus looked, he could see the eldritch horror in his stomach shifting beneath his skin.

"This is weird."

Ben stated hand hovering over his stomach as his brow pinched in concentration, he added, "I can't tell if I'm hungry, in pain, or they want to go out."

"Maybe all three?"

Klaus suggested as he attempted to stand and instead fell out of the bed and onto the carpet, he could still see the pink stain from Allison's nail polish and the bitter smell of vinegar; an old lady had said it was supposed to help remove it. He kind of wanted to just stay there on the carpet soaking in the sunlight. Ben snorted and shrugged but it did little to hide the disquiet on his features. Klaus supposed being dead for ten years and then being alive again would take some readjustment.

He staggered to his feet and over to the closet, which unfortunately had row upon row of the pressed uniform, like something out of a cartoon when the character wore the same outfit every day. He made a broken sound and stated, "This is just sad. Do you think dad would let me get away with borrowing one of the girls' skirts?"

"Only if I can too. Though we're supposed to be acting normally."

Klaus flashed a winning smile over his shoulder, Ben had been curious about skirts for ages, before he pouted and nodded. He pulled out the blazer, the undershirt, and all the other accoutrements that made up the uniform and began tugging it over his head. Never let it be said that dad didn't have the stuff perfectly tailored even it was as uncomfortable as a brick wall.

"Like that's going to last."

He replied as he flung a blazer at Ben's head. The blazer smacked into Ben's face and onto his lap as Ben belatedly raised a hand eyes wide. Klaus' face scrunched in sympathy as he replied, "Sorry."

"Used to being incorporeal."

Ben replied with a shrug and shimmied and wiggled the blazer over his head. It would be big on him but their dad probably wouldn't notice, too full of himself for that. Glancing at the mirror Klaus reached up and fingered the strands of his hair, short, like a military buzz, trying to curl but mostly failing. It reminded him of Vietnam. It reminded him of, well the Umbrella Academy.

Ben stepped into the frame beside Klaus, staring at his reflection with a blank expression. Klaus had been right, the blazer was big on Ben, he only came up to Klaus' ear, but it worked well enough. Ben sighed, fingers twitching before he stated, "Time for breakfast."

Klaus started humming the Waffle Song and valiantly ignored the pounding of his head and the aching of his eyes; he was an expert at ignoring things. Stepping into the hallway was strange, in the darkness of the night before everything had been familiar, but in the sunlight, it was all too bright (painful), new, the posters were vivid, the sunlight felt false.

They were quiet as they made their way down the stairs and Klaus suddenly remembered that he missed this. The way they could just be in each other's presence and he didn't have to fill the void with talking, didn't need to drown out the ghosts because The Horror kept them mostly quiet and it was Ben.

The dining room was quiet, only the faint ticking of some ancient grandfather clock counting time in another part of the house. The others were all standing behind their chairs, even Vanya hiding behind her bangs with red eyes. Luther was frowning at the two of them, eyes narrowed and lips a thin line but Klaus really couldn't find it in himself to care.

"Number Four late as always. Number Six I expect better of you than to adhere to your brother's folly."

Right dad. Klaus had kind of forgotten in the buzz of Ben being alive again that their dad was alive again, that he controlled them again. That he was standing at the head of the table, that damn monocle, looking the same as when he had died, and utterly disappointed.

Ben opened his mouth, probably to protest cause Ben had no filter, but Klaus knocked his shoulder against Ben's and muttered an apology before standing silently behind his chair. They needed to act normally; they couldn't raise suspicion. If it was for Vanya then Klaus could manage that much.

Hargreeves nodded and they all pulled out their chairs, scraping across the hardwood floor, and settled to eat. Klaus had thought he had forgotten everything the Umbrella Academy had tried to drill into his head. Vietnam had proved him wrong. And so, did breakfast.

They sat silently, just the scraping of cutlery against plates. Klaus stared at what their mom had prepared, bacon, eggs, and toast. He poked at the eggs with his fork knowing he should be hungry, knowing that mom's cooking was to die for. It all looked kind of like plastic and all Klaus could see was the egg running like sunlight spilling onto the fields at dawn and the medical tent, cauterized meat and blood.

"May I be excused."

Klaus asked, stomach churning and hands shaking, his head was still aching, in fact it hurt more, like toiling bells, like it was angry at being ignored. Their father glanced at Klaus for a long moment before he nodded. Klaus burst to his feet and darted to the washroom, shutting the door behind him with a slam, bile burning his throat. He leaned over the toilet and retched, whatever they had eaten the night before ending up in the toilet bowl.

Klaus heaved for a moment more before his body finally settled. He grimaced at the acidic taste in his mouth and wiped his face washing his mouth out with water. He studied the contents of the toilet for a moment before with a gusty sigh he flushed it; he did not miss this part of withdrawal.

He could stop it. Go to his room and pry up a floorboard, open an empty eye shadow pallet that actually had cocaine in it, wait he hadn't done cocaine yet in this body. The point was he could go and get high, smoke weed, drink alcohol and it would all stop, the girl with a gash on her chest, pus and blood leaking out would go away. The man with an iv and gaunt features wouldn't be crying. He wouldn't have to listen to them screaming. It would be quiet.

Dave.

He couldn't. He had to stay clean, had to stay sober. Needed to see Dave again.

It should be easy. Right? This body only found out about the wonder of drugs a year and a bit ago after he broke his jaw; the morphine. He couldn't do it. Klaus had been sober before, rehab did that much, and he had always gone to the next hit as soon as the streets swallowed him whole.

But he had wanted to be high.

Klaus' stomach turned again and before he could continue the moral debate about his own willpower, he slumped over the toilet and heaved again. The tiles were cold against his knees and Klaus shuddered, body shaking like a leaf (why was it a leaf) as he heaved.

Someone knocked on the door.

"Klaus are you okay?"

It was Vanya, her voice soft and concerned like she always is, was. Klaus wiped his mouth and sat back on his hunches; breath heavy in his lungs like it just didn't want to get out. He opened his mouth and closed it again. Clean. He needed to get clean. For Dave.

Maybe even for himself. Nah. For Dave.

"Yeah."

He responded weakly and stumbled to his feet. He swayed for a moment before the door clicked open and Vanya stared up at him with concerned eyes, her eyes were still red and Klaus could almost feel the guilt surrounding her. Vanya seemed to curl into herself as she stared at Klaus, like she expected him to snap on her too but all he could see was that fricking cage Hargreeves had put her in.

"Just had to toss my lunch after seeing daddy's ugly mug again."

"Klaus!"

Vanya snapped with wide eyes and hit him on the shoulder. Ouch. He hissed and covered his arm with a wobbly lip that a hundred percent failed to hide his grinning eyes. Vanya caught on a moment later and rolled her eyes but she was smiling beneath it all. Her fingers locked onto Klaus' hand with all the iron grip of a gorilla and tugged him towards the dining table; he liked when Vanya was like this. Missed it even.

The others were all still eating, trading glances over cutlery and around the centerpiece some flowers mom liked that Diego had bought. Klaus settled into the seat and didn't acknowledge the disapproving and calculating glance Hargreeves levelled him, Ben's concerned face, Luther all suspicious side eye, Five was dead to everything but the coffee he had bribed mom into giving him, Allison's focus was really only on Vanya, and Diego was talking to mom. Home sweet home.

X

"What room in the house doesn't have cameras right now?"

Five asked leaning against the door staring at him with narrowed eyes. Klaus glanced up from where he had been lying in the centre of his bed, just chilling, no, relaxing, no, disassociating was probably the best word. God, he wanted a joint. Klaus rolled his head to the side and squinted at Five before he honestly considered the question.

"The attic, the bathroom, uh that one guest room with the blue walls and the gold elephant statue, the ballroom on the southside but the floor is damaged so be careful, oh and in a few months a bunch of cameras are going to mysteriously break."

"Mysteriously?"

Five asked with a tilt of his head. He had been gone already in the original timeline. Klaus shrugged, and closed his eyes, it was still early in the afternoon, their requisite self-study time granted only on Saturdays and heavily cherished, the sun was keen on reminding him of his headache.

"Well teenagers like their privacy."

Klaus replied with a shrug and didn't mention how Vanya and Allison had taken down six all on their own. Luther was the only one who had kept his camera up and if that didn't say enough Klaus wasn't sure what would. Kind of kinky.

"Why? Looking for a new room for all your crazy science mumbo jumbo, kids these days, we can just get you a chalkboard. Oh, it could be like one of those ones that flip and on the other side we take bets on how long it takes for Luther to insult someone!"

Five rolled his eyes but he was smirking ever so slightly so Klaus counted that as a win. Speaking of. Ouch. He tossed an arm over his eyes and settled back into the comforter. Footsteps sounded across the hardwood floor and a moment later Five was sitting on the edge of the bed.

"You had a new tattoo here."

He stated and poked Klaus' left arm where the army tattoo had been. That had been a good night, they had all been drunk, laughing as they stumbled through the streets of some small Vietnamese city. Jim had been the one to pull the what, five, of them into the tattoo parlour stating, "Freshies that last a month need to get a tattoo."

Klaus hadn't disagreed and Dave had held his hand through the whole thing with a fond resigned smile just knowing that Klaus was totally fine. The arm he had been holding after all had the umbrella and goodbye on his palm.

"Yep, got it in this dingy little place, the guy had an eyepatch!"

"When?"

Five asked voice sharp, always sharp, but the inflection was different. Klaus blinked a few times and glanced at Five, he was staring at Klaus. Most people would think Five was a complete and utter psychopath but Klaus had learned to read people a long time ago, Five was a psychopath but he also cared.

But you know fresh wound and all that.

"Why? You want one. Trust me I could totally hook you up with one this century, she's great, bald as an egg, looks like a drag queen, makes the best weed brownies."

Klaus shot back with a wide grin pushing as much mania as he could fit into his expression, it hurt but it was an age old hurt. Five's lips curled, kind of like Hargreeves when he was disappointed and shook his head.

"Suit yourself."

Klaus replied with a shrug. And oh. There was the nausea. Klaus really hated withdrawal. He stumbled to his feet, and swayed his way towards the washroom idly aware that Five was following behind him as he crouched over the porcelain throne and heaved his guts up again. Yay.

A warm hand settled on Klaus' back, moving in stiff but rhythmic circles. Klaus spit one final time and contemplated just sitting there until he expired but that was generally frowned upon. Instead he levered his way to his feet and began to wash his mouth out.

"Are you going through withdrawal?"

"Maybe time travel just didn't agree with me."

He replied. A part of him that sounded suspiciously like Ben wondered why he kept pushing them away, why he was lying. He wasn't lying thank you very much. He was just avoiding the truth. Five made a vague sound of acknowledgement as Klaus straightened, everything spun for a moment but then it was fine, and tilted his head at Five.

"You can talk to me Klaus if you need to."

The tiny serial killer said looking uncomfortable and glancing off into the distance. Klaus paused swaying between two choices, he responded, "I know." But I can't.

"We're going to meet in the attic tonight, around one."

"A slumber party? What are we gossiping about? Who's brining the chips? And the spiked drinks?"

Five rolled his eyes and disappeared with a soft pop and crackle of blue light (Five could totally have been one of those Rice Krispy things). Klaus planted his hands on his hips and turned to the old woman who only had one arm and a rather large chunk of her chest missing.

"That's just rude."

She continued screaming and Klaus sighed, his head was pounding. He wanted them to just be quiet. Gore he could deal with. Unpleasant but tolerable. Screaming though? That was like nails on a chalkboard, someone listening to music on transit without their headphones.

Shaking his head Klaus stumbled back to his room on silent feet, knowing that Ben would remind him about the meeting. He would probably still be awake. Klaus tumbled into bed fingers tracing over familiar poetry, dates, words. God Klaus wanted a hit of something.

X

Klaus stepped into the attic on silent feet, he could hear voices, and thought that maybe he should have set an alarm of some kind. But it was still around one so technically he wasn't late. Besides fashionably late and all that. Rubbing at his temples and running his tongue over the back of his teeth Klaus valiantly ignored the ten ghosts clustered in the attic, guts hanging out with a putrid scent, blood drip, drip, dripping onto the floor, limbs missing, it was like Bluebeard's closet, and walked over to where they had sat last night.

"I just think we shouldn't rush into this."

Vanya said quietly, she was sitting with Ben, curled against his side and looking so small, like a kitten. Luther frowned, seated upon his throne, sorry cough, chair once again. Five stared at Vanya for a long moment before he stated, "I agree. We have time and should use it wisely."

It was nice they had started without him. He was probably off getting high, wasn't he? Wouldn't even notice he was gone.

Klaus pushed away the bitter tide of emotions and stepped further into the small sitting area, a lamp cast a golden light over everything but in the grand space of the attic it was like a torch in a forest. Diego crossed his arms over his chest and added, "The longer we wait the more time Dad has to notice."

"Not if we're careful. Worse case I can… I can rumour him."

Allison replied fingers drifting up to rest against her throat. Vanya flinched at Allison's words and Luther went a very dark shade of red and said, "We're not rumouring dad!"

"Why not? We could make him actually love us? Thaw his cold dead heart? Oh, I know! Treat us like children instead of child soldiers."

Klaus interrupted seeing his que, it was important to wait for the right moment. They all turned and stared at Klaus in shock as he sauntered into the light and settled into an arm chair, legs thrown over the side resting his head in his hands.

"Klaus how long have you been there?"

Diego.

"Where were you Klaus? The meeting started twenty minutes ago."

Allison, with a tinge of disappointment.

"Probably out getting high."

Luther.

Klaus shrugged and replied, "Forgot I didn't have an alarm clock."

Which was a better answer than having a nightmare about being in Vietnam thanks. Ben shifted against Vanya and flashed Klaus an apologetic look, but Klaus waved it off, it was his fault. He just had to adjust to the concept that Ben was actually alive again. Wasn't stuck to him.

"Anyways, I agree with Vanya, she can't just quit cold turkey it's not a pretty sight." (example A Klaus himself)

Klaus added his two cents and leaned back against the chair. They were screaming again, crying out his name and there was one that was standing right in front of him, a hole in his chest that reminded him of, nope don't think about it, and there was a girl hanging from a noose by the window, and a man with a dent in the side of his head, and a person with holes in their arms and blue lips, and a boy with bruises around his neck, and, and.

"-a week is enough time to adjust to the timeline and gives us time to make a plan for Vanya's training."

Klaus vaguely heard the words, heard that it was Five speaking, but it all trickled through like sunlight through water. He shifted in the chair, tucking his arms against his chest and wished that he had one of those big pullover sweaters, he was cold, and felt like shit. And, they were still screaming at him, chanting his name, like a choir, like a broken radio, like the static of tv in an empty room.

"Klaus?"

Someone called and Klaus blinked and shifted his head glancing around the room. His siblings were staring at him again and Ben looked three seconds away from bolting from Vanya to him. Diego said his name again and he shifted until he was sitting upright.

"Were you even paying attention?"

Allison asked, nose scrunched in that way the always managed to convey disappointment. If Klaus could erase a word out of existence it would be disappointment. Klaus picked at his arm and replied, "Yeah, uh we're taking a week to adjust-"

"Are you high Klaus?"

Luther asked, but it was really more of an accusation. Klaus' eyes widened and he starred for a few minutes at Luther, because couldn't he tell when Klaus was high? Usually he was you know happy, focused enough to actually function depending on the day.

"Nope nothing in the system, my body is temple and all that."

Luther scoffed like he didn't believe it and Klaus wanted to cry, wanted to demand when Luther, when any of them had stopped caring, had stopped trying. He had cheated, he had stolen from his siblings he got that, had refused whatever help they tried to shove down his throat, but it still hurt that they just gave up. Wasn't family supposed to keep trying no matter what?

"We were actually talking about Vanya's training."

Five interjected before Luther could make some disbelieving remark. Klaus nodded and glanced at Vanya who was hiding behind her hair again and Klaus really wanted to give her a hair cut. Oh, a pixie cut! Wait focus. Klaus glanced at Five again and gestured for him to continue.

"Logically, Ben, Diego, Allison, and I will be of the most help to Vanya in training her powers as we have the most control over ours. Luther yours doesn't count as it does not manifest beyond the physical. Klaus you can't control your powers,"

Ouch. Tell it as it is Five.

"Sometime in the next week I will attempt to break into our father's office to view the notes he made on Vanya's powers. We can create a training plan from there."

"We'll need a distraction."

Diego chimed in ever the realist and Klaus muffled a flinch. Totally because a ghost had phased through his body and dropped the room temperature another few degrees. No other reason. Not because he was always look out. Always left out.

"We'll also need a distraction during the day while we train Vanya."

Five stated calmly, hands crossed in front of him. The words sank into his gut with dread, like drowning, like the corpse that couldn't move from the ground, pinned to the floor.

As if on que their eyes turned toward him, like a herd of meerkats of whatever they were called, a pride, a collection. Klaus stared around the room, at Diego all this is your responsibility, Luther, well enough said, Allison asking him to be useful for once, Vanya wasn't looking at him, Five had his it's all a part of the plan face, it was similar to his for the greater good face. He glanced to Ben. Ben who knew a little bit what training with dad was like for Klaus. He was biting his lip, offering to stand up and say no. But. But he thought it was the best idea too.

For Vanya. Right?

All he had to do was tell Hargreeves he could manifest the ghosts and bam training. Maybe he could avoid the mausoleum. Right? God didn't hate him that much. Right?

"I can do it. But uh can you guys like help a bit."

"Luther doesn't require personal training from dad any longer."

Allison stated, fingers drifting towards her throat for a moment as she glanced at Klaus with sympathy, a quirk to her lips. Klaus glanced to Ben whose face was pale and yeah Klaus couldn't make his brother train with Hargreeves. Ben had told him what Hargreeves forced him to do in an attempt to control the Horror. Klaus couldn't force Ben through that again.

"Don't be selfish Klaus Vanya needs training and the others are the only ones who can help her. This will probably be good for you too."

Luther. Darling Luther. Klaus wanted to scream. Wanted to rant about how putting him in the mausoleum would never fucking ever be good for him. How their screaming made it hard to think. How he couldn't sleep. And he couldn't go back there. Please don't make him go back there.

But for Vanya. For Ben.

"We'll all pitch in, it isn't fair to shovel all of dad's attention on you."

Allison placated. But that was all it was. Placation. Lies. Just another rumour. He wanted to cry, his eyes already burning, he felt sick, felt like he couldn't breathe.

Instead, Klaus shrunk back into his seat and nodded, his chest was tight and squishy like he had swallowed a caterpillar and it had multiplied and there were now a hundred caterpillars crawling about his lungs. Klaus' eyes burned, his mouth was dry, his head hurt.

They screamed and screamed. God why wouldn't they fucking shut up. He just wanted quiet. Please.

"Klaus?"

Ben said his name softly, and oh he was leaning against the arm chair running his fingers over the material of the chair. He blinked and glanced around the room, it appeared the serious planning conversation was over and they were all talking about sneaking out to see movies they hadn't gotten to see in theatres.

"Are you okay?"

Ben asked, brow furrowed, lips pressed like he always did when Klaus was searching for the newest high or sprawled in an alleyway after a deal gone wrong. He shivered remembering that one time it had been laced with something bad, really bad.

"Just fantastic Benny-boo I think I'm going to head to bed, gotta go find the man of my dreams."

Klaus announced and rose to his feet with a flourish missing his skirts, the drag of velour, the rustle of silk, the feel of a good outfit. Ben tilted his head disbelief written clear across his features but when Vanya called his name the expression was gone.

It was fine. Vanya needed support. Needed Ben. Luther was a dick and wrong. But he had Ben for ten years so Ben was free to socialise with whoever he wished. Ben must have seen something on Klaus' face because his arms wrapped around Klaus, warmth and Ben, the scent of something other and the same laundry detergent mom washed all their clothes in, he had missed Ben hugs. Klaus' arms wrapped around Ben and he giggled when Ben whispered, "Go escape while you can before Luther starts talking about the moon again."

Nodding, Klaus pulled away and with a wave stated, "Sleep tight bitches don't let the bed bugs bite."

He was fine. He could do this. Stay sober, stay clean. For Vanya, for Ben. Dave. What could go wrong? Everything. But everything had already gone wrong before so Klaus at least was prepared this time. He ignored the way his siblings barely noticed his departure as he stepped over a corpse and crept down the hallway. He hummed Sweet Dreams (are made of this) and knew that he wouldn't sleep tonight but that was fine.

X

Thank you all for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. This one was kind of slow but was a set up for the next few chapters. I'll try to update on Mondays' every week or every week depending on the schedule. Reviews/comments are always appreciated, till next time!