He was scared of the screaming and blood and words and everything.
He wanted dad to understand.
He was cursed, had to be.
There was one ghost though who just didn't want to be alone.
The man was called Grandpa, or Grandad, and he was a friend.
The old man didn't scare him, not at first and not ever.
Reginald wasn't a father or a grandfather or anything other than a monster, the night in the mausoleum had taught him this.
He'd given up the hope that he'd ever comfort him or apologize.
That's when granddad showed up.
Grandpa was a small frail looking old man with hands that were gentle and slow.
His withered face was wrinkled and he had laugh lines, he was always laughing at something.
Offering klaus a piece of candy from the dish on dad's desk when he wasn't home.
Going for walks with him when Klaus would sneak out.
Regaling him in tales of his life and his children and his still living wife.
Klaus liked these ones the most and had met her a few times before.
She didn't know how the strange, kind little boy was that brought her flowers once a month was, but she always told him she loved him and thanked him and offered him sweets.
Which Klaus accepted happily
The old man's picture was on the mantelpiece.
She was old and grey but had been a beautiful, spiteful woman in her youth.
According to grandpa, he couldn't keep up with her most of the time and let her do what made her happy.
Working and knitting and adventures in their old beaten up car on the weekends.
They had children, but none of them were in the area, all of them out state.
Klaus would send out small presents picked out by the old man to them, signed dad.
He liked to think it made him more of a hero than his powers did.
"Who are you talking to, Klaus?"
"Grandpa."
"we don't have grandparents..."
"Okay."
"Okay?"
"Okay."
"Whatever...weirdo..." Diego mumbled walking away, his brother's powers never made sense. Even at 10, when he should have been able to.
There was a storm brewing outside, the branches and wind scraping the house made it impossible to sleep.
How did siblings didn't care was beyond him.
"Grandpa, I'm scared."
The old man in the corner chuckled and patted the floor next to him, as if he'd been waiting.
"Come and sit with me child. It'll calm you down."
Klaus took the blankets and pillows to the corner and laid down beside him.
The storm outside raged on.
"Do you want me to tell you a story?"
"Yes please."
"How does another army story sound?"
"Sounds great."
"We'd just finished basic training when..."
Klaus was asleep before the middle of the story, snoring lightly as the storm had been forgotten.
"She's gone, Klaus."
Klaus was now 19, still occasionally seeing grandpa when he wasn't high. It was a rare moment.
He had seen the obituary, it was in his coat pocket.
He didn't want to get rid of it ever.
"I have to go."
"I know..."
"You'll be okay?"
"I will. I promise."
"Take care of yourself, my boy. You're in for a great life."
"Tell her I said hi."
"I will. Goodbye, klaus."
"Goodbye, Granddad. Take care."
"You too, my boy."
And just like that, he was gone.
Klaus was alone and sobbing in the middle of dirty alleyway.
He was scared.
But he was happy.
They'd found each other.
There were days when he would visit the graves of Walter and Beatrice Right, questioning why him.
There were other days when he was incredibly happy that they were together in eternity wherever they ended up.
Never knowing the answers was the hardest part of being the man he was.
But knowing that he had had the pleasure of meeting them and having Walter there for all of those years...
It made him hopeful that he was lovable.
Today, however, he was visiting with flowers and last words.
He didn't want to have to come back here with guilty conscience.
He brought sunflowers for them, their favorite and the flowers from the story of their wedding.
It was sunny outside, blue skies and good omens.
God, he sounded like he was tripping.
But he wasn't.
His head was clear.
Kneeling down on the familiar grass in front of their headstones, he let out a chuckle.
"I wanted to say thank you for everything... You did so much. And for that I am so grateful. I hope wherever you ended up is nice and that it's treating you both well. Thank you and this is it, I guess. I'm not coming back after today. So this is goodbye for now, thank you."
He walked back and caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye, it made him turn and watch.
A young couple, both dressed straight out of the 40's were pushing an old looking pram.
The wife had black wavy hair and the old man had the same twinkling blue eyes.
The young man had noticed him and smiled ear to ear.
He lifted his hand to Klaus in a little wave before following her.
"Thank you." Klaus mumbled, leaving the cemetery one last time.
They were alright.
They were together.
And to Klaus, that was all that mattered.