A different homecoming
Ben never felt never lost as a ghost. He had always his brother as an anchor in this world but the second the blue light from the briefcase swallows Klaus, Ben is alone. It feels like he is a leaf and the wind pushes him where ever it wants him to go. A strange feeling, when Klaus is gone forever he might get lost, even forget who he is.
The moment his brother is back Ben can feel him, his presence, close by. In seconds he is next to his brother and isn't sure what exactly he is looking at. A few hours ago Klaus disappeared only dressed in a borrowed coat and a bath towel. Now he wears some green army west and pants. Bloody hands hold tight onto the black briefcase and empty eyes stare into nothing.
"Klaus?" Ben ask hesitating, but nothing happens, it´s like Klaus can´t hear or see him and for the first time he isn't sure if that has something to do with the fact that he is dead. The bus stops and like in trance Klaus gets off the bus. He doesn't seem to know where he is.
"Are you alright? Where have you been? Are you hurt, there is blood on your hands." Ben tries to get Klaus´ attention but after a minute his brother just starts to walk. He tries again and again but he isn't answering so Ben decided to just follow him.
As Ben notice where there are going he is glad that whatever happened to his brother his instinct told him to walk back home to the academy. "You nearly there Klaus, only a few blocks and you can rest and wash up. Would you like a bath?" No answer again but at least he continues to walk and passes through the gate. The door was unlocked. Looking closer Ben notice that the lock is broken, it seems like his siblings hadn't have time to fix it. They didn't have time to look for Klaus either but that is something different.
"Ok, Klaus just open the door and go inside. Try to find someone, mom, Five, Diego anyone. They will help you." Ben hopes that his brother would get help, because he can´t and like every time before he feels useless, he can´t touch Klaus or call out for help. Without Klaus he is alone in a world full of people. No wonder the other ghost lose their minds after some time.
Inside Klaus stops in front of the chandelier that had fallen from the ceiling and just sinks to the ground. The briefcase lays forgotten next to him and tears fall down. The tears draw lines on the dirt covered cheeks. Klaus lifts his hands and stars at the blood.
"Please Klaus call out for someone, they will help you." Ben pulls his eyes away to see into the living room, maybe one of his siblings is there. "Help." Ben calls depite knowing no one will hear him. Meanwhile Klaus was crying openly on the floor, tears fell in flood, one hand is holding something on a chain around his neck, the other is hitting the floor.
"Dave. Please come back to me." Klaus first words are barely audible over the tears and the sobbing but Ben hears them. "Please, don't leave me." Ben watches worriedly how Klaus starts to hyperventilates.
"Klaus, calm down, I … Oh god. DIEGO, FIVE, ANYONE Please help." Ben shouts out powerless kneeing next to Klaus who had stopped pleading and is crying desperately.
"Ben?" Ben looks up and sees Diego in his black vigilante outfit, starring at him. "Klaus!" Diego runs to his crying brother and apparently ignoring the fact that he sees his other (dead) brother. "What happened?" Diego ask Ben.
"I have no idea. After we escaped these two mask wearing people, Klaus disappeared. As he came back he was … I don't know. He didn't talk to me, not even look into my eyes. It is as if he couldn't see me." Speaking his fears out loud was terrifying and his voice carried this fear.
"Don´t worry everything will be alright." Diego tries to get Klaus to look at him, he sit to small ball of limps and tears up but Klaus just continue to cry and his eyes are unseeing to the world.
"What´s going on here?" Five appears next to them, having an annoyed look on his face what changes as soon as he sees his three brothers and the briefcase on the floor. Connecting the dots and ignoring the fact that Ben is here (blue glowing but here) he knees next to Klaus and after a quick rundown he takes the hand that is holding onto something. "Klaus let me see this for a second. I won´t take it. No one will take it, promise." And it seems to be the first right words spoken because Klaus lessens the death grip on the pendant around his neck.
Diego recognizes the military dog tags the second Five gets the hand to open. Five reads the name on them and sighs with a sad look on his face. "I´m sorry for you loss Klaus."
Klaus stops sobbing alone and throws himself into Five´s arms. Only Diego´s support prevents the smaller body to get pushed to the ground. Ben and Diego look at him questioning while Klaus continues to cry into Fives uniform.
Five points to the briefcase. "He time travelled, don't know how long he was gone but I guess a while and it seems as if he landed in the middle of a war zone. The tags point him to a war around 1960-1980, most likely Vietnam, looking at him and … He must have found someone special that didn't make it."
"Dave." Ben offers. "He said the name before."
Five nods. "It´s the name of the other tags next to his." Five not one for physical contact holds Klaus tight and rubs his back with one of his hands.
"He was a soldier?" Diego asks. Five nods. "Okay and why is Ben here? No offence brother but how is this all connecting?"
Ben looks at his blue body and then over at Klaus, he is the one with the ghost-seeing ability. "I guess our brother is clean, or cleaner than before and his pain made is powers work. I don't think I was visible on the way over, it started as he woke up out of his shocked state. Maybe he heard my bagging to get one of you to help him and unconsciously he made me corporal to get help."
"Klaus?" Diego has his hands on his back. "How about I take you upstairs, we will get you a nice warm bath and after that we can cuddle in your bed, like when we were children. If you feel like it I´m sure we can find someone to get us waffles and you can tell me about Dave, only when you feel like it."
Klaus crying had subdues, most likely out of exhaustion. He doesn't talk but let himself be taken upstairs, Ben follows him while Five looks down at the Briefcase. He will find them and make them pay for the pain his brother is feeling right now.