Chapter 4

A long-awaited reunion.

Vanya could not believe her eyes. Standing by the door of the donut shop were Ben and Klaus, gaping, looking at her in shock. Even the few people around the donut shop stirred a little when they heard Ben and Klaus call her name, but they didn't otherwise look up from their newspapers as they grumbled something about kids.

Her eyes on Ben, she could not believe he was standing there in front of her. Sure she knew he was alive, but seeing it in a picture was very different from seeing him in real life.

He looked so much older. His hair was short and pushed back naturally, and just like in his picture, she could see he still had the same kind, soft eyes he had as a child. For clothes, he wore an untucked white buttoned-up shirt, dark jeans and white sneakers. Klaus however, always the fashionista was wearing his usual furry coat and leather tight pants. His hair short and messy, with his usual beard. Unlike Ben, who aged and changed completely, Klaus looked exactly the same.

"Vanya?" Ben asked tentatively, taking a step forward, his voice, though much deeper, still sounded exactly like she remembered it.

That was the breaking point for her.

Running towards him at full speed, she leaped at him and nearly tackled him to the ground if he hadn't shifted his weight. Arms wrapping around his neck, she closed her eyes tightly and clenched him closer.

Ben is alive, and though she wasn't entirely sure if this was this reality's Ben or not, she didn't care. Her brother is alive.

"Woooow," she heard Klaus drawl. "So Ben gets a hug and I barely get a sideways glance, I see how it is."

Vanya couldn't help but smile fondly at Klaus.

Not letting go of Ben, she raised an arm and waved Klaus forward. Klaus pouted for a few seconds as if he was still mad at her but then he gave in. Smiling broadly, he walked towards them and leaned into the hug, wrapping his arms around them and placing his cheek on top of her head.

"Hey, Vany."

"Hey," her voice came out muffled.

For a few seconds they just stood there, hugging, and though she knew they must look so weird, a couple of adults hugging in the middle of a donut shop, she didn't care as much. Not when she felt the tension on her shoulders lessened.

A few seconds later, however, she did separate herself from them, knowing that they must be attracting too much attention. However, she still held on to Ben's hand as she smiled at him, still shocked.

"Ben is this really-" she couldn't finish her sentence, worried he might not be the Ben she knew. Of course, his reaction told her he was, but she was still skeptical. It's been a long morning.

Ben gave her a soft smile and nodded.

"Yea, it's me. And I can't believe we finally get to talk to one another after…" Ben looked up at the ceiling for a few seconds as if making a mental count before pulling his eyes back to her. "After thirty-four years."

That made Vanya's brows shoot up.

"Thirty-four years? What do you mean thirty-four years?"

Ben formed his lips into a tight line.

"I guess we should take a seat, this is going to be a bit of a long story."

Nodding in agreement, the three of them walked to the stools and she sat on the same spot as before, her coffee cold at this point.

As Ben and Klaus sat on either side of her, Ben called the waitress over and ordered a coffee for both of them. Unlike she had done with her, the waitress simply gave them a friendly smile, not once making the shocked expression she had made with her.

Vanya finished her donut, waiting for them to get comfortable before asking any questions.

Once the waitress brought their coffee, Ben paid her and this time the waitress did accept the money. Ben then proceeded to add a little more sugar to his coffee, while Klaus grabbed the mug from the counter and pulled it towards himself, hiding it from watchful eyes as he grabbed a flask from his pocket and poured some of its contents inside the mug.

"Seriously Klaus?" Asked Ben, shaking his head in disbelief when he noticed what Klaus was doing.

"What? It's five o'clock somewhere and besides," Klaus took a large gulp of his drink and sighed in delight. "I think I'll need it for this conversation and Vanya too, right sis?"

Klaus twisted the flask in his hand, offering it to her, and as tempting as it was she shook her head and opened her mouth to say no thanks when Ben beat her to it.

"She can't you idiot, don't you remember the conversation we had in the car? Five said…"

Suddenly Ben fell silent, shutting his lips tightly closed as Vanya cocked her head. What did Five do?

"Five said what?" She asked, frowning.

Ben let out a deep breath and rubbed the back of his neck, looking a little awkward.

"Well, on our way here Five called. He sounded pretty concerned." Ben took a sip of his coffee and cleared his throat. "Said that you might be pregnant?" He asked unsurely.

Vanya blushed, even though she knew she shouldn't be. Pregnancy is a normal part of life, a normal thing that happens between two people that have decided to commit themselves to one another. Of course, there was the tiny fact that her version of Vanya has never actually slept with Five, and was embarrassed that her brothers also know she's slept with him, at least the other version of Vanya anyways.

'It's a different Vanya,' she told herself, taking a deep breath.

"Well?" Asked Klaus, leaning on the counter, his lips twisted into a smile.

"What?" She asked, not liking Klaus's tone.

"What do you mean what? Are you and Five expecting a little twerp? A little Number Twelve?" He asked with a smirk.

Vanya blushed and scrunched up her face. What kind of name was that?

"Oh god," she groaned, wishing she had said yes to the shot of whatever Klaus had offered. "If I had a child with Five, I would definitely not call it number twelve."

"Sooooo you're not pregnant then?" Asked Ben, leaning forward.

Vanya looked at the ceiling for a few seconds, counting to five, when she realized she was counting to the very number that was the name of the very man she didn't want to be thinking about.

Groaning, she looked down at her mug.

"No! I was just shocked about waking up in some unknown bed, with a half-naked Five! An-"

She snapped her lips closed and blushed furiously when she realized she gave them a little too much detail. And as expected, Klaus wasn't going to let that go.

"Oooo, half-naked?" Klaus purred, resting his chin on his hand. "Do kiss and tell, and don't you dare skip any deta-"

"Shut up Klaus," Ben huffed, blushing slightly, clearly not wanting to hear what she and Five got up to behind closed door, something that she herself had also wondered a few times.

Well, clearly they hadn't just cuddled and slept in each other's arms all night, not when she had woken up completely naked, feeling satisfied with a slight ache between her...

Shaking her head, she snapped herself out of her train of thought before her brain went straight to the gutter.

"Look, I'm not pregnant, I'm just really confused about what the hell's going on alright," she sighed, grabbing the mug between her hands as if it was a lifeline.

Klaus huffed, clearly annoyed that she wasn't going to give him any detail about a certain naked someone, however, Ben nodded, and took a deep breath.

"Oh, well, Five's not going to be happy about that."

That had her reeling as she turned to face Ben and cocked her head.

"Why?"

From how shocked Five sounded when he asked her if she was pregnant, she would think that he would be glad to hear that she wasn't.

"Well, he sounded shocked but he also sounded a little excited," Ben shrugged. "I guess he liked the idea of you guys being pregnant."

Eyebrows shooting up, she gaped a little.

Five was excited about having a baby? Five, The Five, cynical, cocky, smug, not great with kids Five, wanted a baby? How? Why? She always thought that he, out of all their siblings, would never want to have a child seeing as he always abhorred them, even when he himself was a kid. Every time they went anywhere as kids, Five would grimace and grind his teeth every time a baby started crying, while Klaus and Allison gushed over the baby, making faces at it while its mom wasn't looking. So to hear that Five wanted a baby made no sense to her.

'Unless of course, it's different when it's your baby,' a small voice inside her head said, and Vanya frowned.

"Why do people say that?" Klaus asked, snapping her out of her train of thoughts.

"What?" Asked Ben, taking a sip of his coffee.

"That a couple is pregnant? I mean, it's not Five who's gonna have to carry the damn kid for twelve months is he?" Klaus waved his hand.

Ben rolled his eyes. Meanwhile, Vanya didn't understand how they were still on this topic.

"It's just an expression Klaus, the mom may be the one carrying the baby but the dad is still very much involved. And it's not twelve months you idiot, it's nine, well technically-."

Klaus waved his hand, interrupting Ben.

"I know, I know. Still, a bit presumptuous on the father's side isn't it? I mean it kinda fits Five because he's the king of presumptuous but-"

"Can we please get back on topic, and stop talking about babies and pregnancies?"

For a few seconds, Klaus regarded her as if he wanted to refuse and ask her more about Five but then he shrugged.

"I doubt there's another topic more interesting than a half-naked Five, and the wild sex you guys must be having, but…"

Vanya blushed furiously and took a deep breath before she snapped. Before Klaus arrived, she felt really bad about what she had done to him in the future, how she had held him suspended and sucked the life out of him. However, now she wished that she had.

"Oh my god, I forgot how easy it is to tease this version of you, Vanya!" Klaus grinned, and Vanya glowered at him, which thankfully he took the hint that she was at her last straw. "Alright, alright, we can talk about something else, but after you owe me a few details."

Keeping herself level headed, Vanya decided to just let it go and switched topics before Klaus changed his mind and insisted on talking about Five.

"So when did you guys arrive?" She asked.

This time it was Ben who answered, finally looking up from his coffee seeing as the topic was changed.

"Two thousand and two."

"What?!" She asked sharply, utterly bewildered.

Ben and Klaus have been in this reality for seventeen years? How is that possible? How did they even manage to survive this long? She's only been here for an entire morning and she felt like she was going to lose it. Not to mention that if they've been here since two-thousand and two, that meant that they must have lived through their teenagehood, again. She could only imagine what torture that must have been. Forced to live at the academy again, forced to do what dad said.

"Yea, and let me tell you, I never understood why Five was being so bitchy about going through puberty again, but now I totally get it," Klaus huffed, taking a long sip of his coffee, no doubt trying to drown out the memory.

Switching the conversation a little, seeing as asking about their time as teenagers again probably wasn't a good idea, Vanya looked at Ben.

"So how are you back Ben? As the future you, when you were…"

"Dead?" Ben finished for her, not at all shocked by the question.

She nodded.

"I know, it makes no sense to me either. I guess the device Five used somehow affected me too, or it somehow affected Klaus's power and in turn, it affected me, I don't know. But what matters is that I'm here."

Vanya didn't argue with that. She had very little hopes of finding out how Ben is in this reality, so she conformed with the simple answer. What mattered is that he's alive. Not to mention that now it was confirmed that Five did indeed sent them back, but to where? She still wasn't sure.

"And let me tell you, it's nice to finally have someone to talk to other than Klaus about the future…" Ben tilted his head a little. "Well, about the other reality."

Cocking her head, Vanya's brows furrowed.

"So we're the only ones here?" She asked confused, feeling a pang of sorrow hit her. She had hoped that more of their siblings would be here with them, trying to make sense of this crazy world. But it seems that was only wishful thinking. That also meant that she'll never get to apologize to Allison for what she did.

Vanya took a deep breath to calm herself down. Seeming to notice her reaction, Ben gave her a reassuring smile.

"Not that we know of, but then again Klaus and I thought we were alone for seventeen years until now, so I guess there's still hope for the others."

Spirit lifting somewhat, Vanya straightened herself up and faced Ben completely.

"You mean you haven't searched for the others?"

"How could we?" It was Klaus who asked and Vanya turned on the stool to face him. "Five said no one could know we're from the future, and besides, the other would think we've gone insane if we asked."

Vanya frowned.

"So when did you arrive, Vanya? Not too long ago I take it?" Ben asked.

Vanya turned to face Ben, wishing they had sat on a booth instead so she didn't have to get dizzy looking from one to the other.

"This morning, I woke up-"

"To a very naked Five apparently," Klaus chuckled into his mug, and Vanya had to take another deep breath.

"Seriously Klaus, quit it," Ben reprimanded.

"What?" Klaus smirked, acting all innocent.

Ben huffed and leaned forward to scowl at him.

"Vanya's just gone through a very tough morning, waking up to a very different life, so please just lay off the comments alright?"

Klaus hummed as if thinking it over and then opened his mouth to answer when Vanya's phone, still on the counter, began to vibrate, nearly causing her to jump off the stool, especially after she saw the caller ID.

Five

Looking at her phone as if it were a disease or a very large insect, her heart began to beat faster, and her hands began to sweat. She couldn't talk to him, couldn't face him, what on earth was she supposed to tell him? What if he asked questions only the Vanya of his reality knew? What the hell was she supposed to do?

As if noticing her mental battle, Klaus nonchalantly grabbed the phone and clicked on it, pressing it to his ear before she could stop him.

"Yello!" He sang confidently as if the phone were his and the call for him.

Being so close to Klaus, and with her hearing much better than it's ever been, she was easily able to make out the conversation.

"Klaus?" Five asked, clearly shocked and confused to hear his voice rather than hers, no doubt wondering how he managed to acquire her phone.

"Oh hello there little brother, how's it hanging? Long time no talk!" Klaus grinned, propping his elbow on the counter.

'We were born on the same day at the same time you idiot,' Five pointed out exasperated. 'How do you even have Vanya's phone?'

"Nope, pretty sure I'm a few minutes older," Klaus sang, ignoring his question.

She heard Five sigh, clearly done with the conversation. Patience was never one of his strengths.

'Put my fiancé on the phone Klaus' she heard a clearly angry Five say over the line, and Vanya froze when she heard the word fiancé.

Klaus who wasn't at all fazed by his anger simply shrugged, and extended the phone to her. Vanya's mouth opened and closed, her eyes wide as she looked at the phone in horror. However, instead of just handing her the phone he continued to speak.

"Oh yea sure, wait-" Klaus made some hissing, swoosh sounds as if he were in a tunnel. "I think I'm losing-"

Vanya couldn't help but deflate and quirk her lips up at Klaus antics.

Five took in a sharp breath.

'Klaus, I swear if you hang up the-'

Just like that, Klaus hung up the phone and tossed it to Vanya, which she somehow managed to catch between her hands.

"You owe me," Klaus pointed at her, taking a sip of his coffee. "Do you have any idea the kind of wrath I've brought down on myself?"

Vanya smiled and wanted to thank him when Klaus continued.

"But then again, what are brothers for? When you're not banging them, at least in your case."

Of course, Klaus wasn't just going to lose the opportunity to say that.

Takin in, yet another, deep breath, she opened her mouth to speak when they heard the doors to the donut shop bang open and the three of them turned on the spot.

Eyes widening, they all looked, shocked, at a very confused and equally shocked Allison.

"Yay! Another one!" Klaus sang, clapping his hands.

Yay! Another one of the siblings arrives! And again, I'm gonna keep my lips sealed before I mess up and spoil anything!

So as always, thanks to everyone for reviewing, and overall just liking this story! I really appreciated it!