Chapter Text
“Hey, sis!”
Allison looks at Klaus, then at Five, who is silently glaring at their sister instead. Her knuckles pale where she clutches at the door frame. “Um. Hi. I wasn’t… expecting you.”
“Sorry to just drop in,” Klaus chatters, a winning smile on his face. “We were in the neighbourhood, and-”
“Did you run out of money?”
Klaus’ smile sours. “No, we-”
“You’ve been avoiding us,” states Five.
She closes her eyes. Takes a deep breath. “I guess you’ll be wanting to come inside.”
Five grins, all teeth. If he still had his powers, Klaus thinks, he would be inside already. But he doesn’t. So here they are. “So kind of you.”
Allison steps back, and allows them in.
Following Five to L.A. is not a difficult decision.
The house Allison had wordlessly purchased for them is nice. Too nice. Uncomfortably so, with every large window and high arching ceiling reminding them that none of them have ever been this rich. It's not like they have a lot of options - Klaus really doesn't fancy going back on the streets, particularly without his handy immortality - so the Hargreeves are all staying there, minus Ben, who apparently decided to go find himself in Korea, and Allison, who presumably is in L.A.
Presumably. Since she hasn't actually spoken to any of them. But hey, who needs direct communication when you have sickening amounts of disposable income?
Diego and Lila are looking for a place of their own, which makes sense; Klaus also wouldn’t want this family around a baby. Luther is either moping in his bedroom, or scouring the country for Sloane, depending on the day. Viktor is probably the sibling who has their life most together. He’s already joined a local orchestra, and seems determined to find a life that makes him happy, even without his powers. Of all of them, he has the most practice with being normal.
Five, naturally, is being obsessive.
It seems his short lived hope of retirement is completely out the window. He’s at his most paranoid, and with the name Hargreeves embossed on every other building, it’s hard to forget that their father somehow came out of the new apocalypse with more power than ever. Five is convinced that he has some nefarious plan.
Klaus doesn’t disagree, exactly. He just doesn't… care. Like, sure, Reggie is probably up to something, but what’s new there? He’s learnt his lesson. It may have taken him upward of thirty years and several deaths, but he’s got it. Klaus is staying out of it. In fact, if he never heard the name Reginald again until the day he died (permanently), that would still be too soon.
So, L.A. Another road trip with good ol’ Fivey, to a destination about as far as you can get from Reginald Hargreeves without the use of a passport. What’s not to like?
They rent a car - oh, another gift from Allison is the very reasonable amount of money in each of their bank accounts - and drive across the country. Five isn’t quite as eager to see each and every tourist attraction, but he does allow them to stop at various diners and dives along the way. It’s not so bad. It’s nice to be around another person. Without the ghosts, everything is so… quiet. Which is a good thing. Right? It’s what he’s always wanted.
Right.
The air in California is hot, but dry. Nothing like Vietnam, really, so there’s no reason to be thinking of that.
He’s fine. Totally fine.
Allison’s home is basically what Klaus had been expecting. Big. Clean lines and open spaces, modern, but with enough classic touches to be interesting. A perfect home for perfect people. Five, in his old man garb, and Klaus, in his unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt, don’t quite fit. Not that they fit in anywhere else, either.
They follow her through to the kitchen. It’s big and airy and spotless. Klaus can’t imagine that his sister has ever cooked in here.
“Drink?” she offers.
“Whiskey, if you have it.”
Allison eyes Five, lips pursed. “Beer?”
“If I must.”
She hands out a couple of bottles - should Klaus be offended at the assumption he’s also drinking, considering it’s a correct assumption? - and he twists the bottle cap off, taking a deep drink. The tension in the room is stifling, and it’s going to take more than a beer to forget about it, but he’ll take what he can get.
Bracingly, Allison asks, “How is everyone?”
“Well, they’ve been better,” Five responds dryly. “Not like you.”
“What does that mean?” she bites out, arms folding.
Five nods to the fridge. “Unless you drew that charming artwork, then I can only assume that you got Claire back.”
For once in his life, Klaus decides to keep his mouth shut.
“Yes,” Allison confirms tightly. “She’s at school right now.”
“How nice for you,” says Five. It’s unclear just how sincere he is.
“I won’t apologise for getting my daughter back.”
“Of course not!” Klaus intervenes. “We’re delighted for you, obviously. Isn’t that right, Fivey?”
Grudgingly, Five says, “Obviously, I’m glad Claire is alive.”
Allison softens a smidge. “Okay. Good. For what it’s worth, it is nice to see you both.”
Klaus throws an arm around his sister. “Isn’t it just? You look great, bee-tee-dubs. Did I tell you how much I love the new hair?”
“Okay, that’s enough compliments,” interjects Five with his usual tact. “I have some questions.”
“Of course you-”
“Honey?”
Klaus frowns at the familiar voice, unable to place it. It’s not Patrick, that’s for sure.
Footsteps down the stairs. A figure turns into the room, and Klaus blinks, thrown. “Ray?”
With a cheery grin, Ray exclaims, “I didn’t realise your brothers were coming to visit! It’s so nice to see you both again.” He steps forward and clasps Klaus’ hello hand - or, it used to have hello tattooed on it - in a friendly shake, but Klaus has always believed that handshakes are for hypermasculine dudes and boring rich people, so he pulls his brother-in-law into a quick embrace.
“Holy shit,” says Klaus, pulling back to get another look at him. “I can’t believe you’re here!”
Ray’s smile falters, bemused. “Why wouldn’t I be here? I live here.”
“Right,” Five says, eyes narrowed. “Of course you do.”
Allison’s smile is fixed. “Ray, baby, would you mind giving me some time alone with my brothers? We have a lot to catch up on.”
“Sure thing,” he agrees easily, something around his eyes still puzzled. “See you guys later.”
Barely waiting for him to pass out of earshot, Klaus questions, “Is he okay?”
“Yes,” says Allison, but she doesn’t meet his eyes.
“So that’s what you made a deal for,” Five notes. “You got Claire and Ray. Is that it?”
“And you guys,” Allison says, defensive. “I made sure my whole family would be safe and healthy. That includes you, so, y’know. You’re welcome.”
“And we are so, so grateful,” Klaus assures her. “Just one tincy wincy question - when you say family, does that include Sloane? Because Luther is kind of freaking out.”
Allison freezes. “I… Sloane isn’t here?”
“If she is, she’s very good at hiding.”
“Shit, I- I didn’t specify. I mean, she married Luther, I figured that Dad would have-”
“Yes, because our father is so warm and fuzzy, of course he would assume you considered Sloane family,” Five deadpans. “Is that it?”
“What?”
“Is that all you know,” he grits out impatiently. “So you have no information on Dad, and why he suddenly owns half the country?”
Blinking, Allison says, “What? No. I mean, it’s not like Dad told me his whole plan, he just said he was going to save the universe, or whatever.”
“And you didn’t find that suspicious?”
“It was the end of the world, Five! He promised me Claire, what was I suppose to-”
“Useless,” Five bites out. He balls his hands into fists, jerks forward a step, and-
Nothing. Because he doesn’t have powers.
Slowly, Allison asks, “What happened to your jumps?”
Once the loss of their powers was established, Five decided that was enough family time, opting to do some research at the local library.
Between library research, and hanging with his sister, Klaus made the only sane choice and suggested that he and Allison continued the day drinking. Klaus had been concerned that now, with the world not ending, she might have tried to enforce some sobriety rule, but it seems not. Considering how much Allison had been drinking in the last timeline, maybe Klaus should be the one trying to encourage them to put away the alcohol. Then, thinking about the last time he tried to have that conversation with Five, maybe not. When do interventions ever work, anyway?
They make cocktails, and drink around the kitchen table. Klaus can’t help but feel a deep nostalgia for the 60’s. Sure, it was full of racism and homophobia, but he had some of the best sibling bonding time there.
“So, how did you explain everything to Ray?” Klaus wonders, taking a delicate sip of his third- no, fourth drink. He's already feeling substantially tipsy, which is weird. Did his tolerance disappear with his tattoos?
Allison stares at her hands. “I… didn’t. He hasn’t really asked any questions, actually.”
Squinting at his sister, Klaus asks, “What? He just… accepted that he was alive in 2019, with a kid he’s never met?”
Glancing behind them, like her husband might be hiding behind the houseplants, she hisses, “Can you talk a little quieter?” Then, after a deep breath, “I guess so? He still remembers everything from the 60’s, he just… I don’t know. He doesn’t want to talk about it.”
Klaus takes a significantly less delicate sip. “Jesus. Okay. Did you, like, ask how much he remembered?”
“Yes! I just- whenever I bring it up, he acts like I’m being weird, like I’m confusing him. I mean, it’s Ray. Can’t I just be happy I have him back?”
Something hot and painful rises in Klaus’s throat; he swallows against it. “Of course. Of course you can,” he says, voice only a little rough.
Allison smiles, the expression grateful and a little sad. “So how is everyone, really? I know you said Luther is searching for Sloane, but what about everyone else?”
“By everyone, you mean Viktor?” Klaus asks slyly.
Allison rolls her eyes, but the way she sucks on her teeth gives her away. “I mean, Viktor is part of everyone, sure.”
“Mhmm. Well, he’s doing okay. He’s playing violin again, trying to, y’know, move forward.”
“Oh. Good. That’s good.” She takes a long sip of her drink.
“I mean, he’s definitely missing you, but he’s gonna be okay.”
She looks at him sharply, dulled only slightly by the alcohol. “He mentioned me?”
Klaus waves her off. “No, no. It’s more that he specifically doesn’t mention you in a way that is very sad and obvious.”
Allison is quiet for a moment, swirling her drink. Then, voice low, she says, “I don’t think there’s any coming back for me, is there?”
“What? No, of course- I mean, you’re family-”
A bitter laugh. “What does that even mean, anyway?”
“It means,” says Klaus, “that you’re still one of us, even if you did go all emo on us.”
“You wouldn’t say that, if you heard all the shit I said to Viktor. I mean, it got really fucked up. And what I did to Luther-” She cuts herself off.
Klaus frowns. “What did you do to Luther?”
“I-” Allison looks vaguely nauseated. “It’s- I don’t think it’s fair for me to tell you. That’s his to- If he ever wants to talk about it, I mean.”
“Um. Well, that sounds ominous.” He tilts his head, considering. “Is this why you’re avoiding everyone?”
“I’m not avoiding,” Allison argues. “I’m just… giving them some space.”
Klaus can’t help but scoff. “Sure,” he says into his drink. “Okay.”
“Oh, screw you. I’m trying to be considerate!”
“Sis, with love, you can’t fool me with that. Avoidance is my jam. I know it when I see it,” Klaus says. “Like, I’ve been to the afterlife so many times over the last few weeks, and did I go find Dave? No! Because why face your problems, when you can not?”
A slight pause. Then, Allison blurts, “I’m sorry, what?”
“What, what?”
“What- How many times have you died, exactly?”
“Uh, I don’t know, like- several. Many. I told you about this, didn’t I?”
Allison shakes her head. “I feel like I would remember.”
“Wait, no, I definitely did,” says Klaus, pointing at her excitedly, “and you asked whether I was on bath salts!”
“Well. Okay, that does sound like me,” she admits, tilting backward in her seat. “But in all fairness, you have a tendency to make serious information sound like a joke.”
“Okay, okay, do I though? Or is it just that everyone assumes I have nothing important to say?”
“Oh,” says Allison. “That’s… really sad, actually.”
Alarmed, Klaus backtracks, “No, no, no, we’re happy day drinking! No sadness here.”
“No, but, like,” she forges on, and Klaus comes to the sudden realisation that she might even be drunker than him for once. “Like, that’s genuinely not okay. Oh my god, I’m a terrible sister.”
Klaus upgrades the situation from alarming to downright scary. She looks like she might cry. Only Klaus is allowed to cry! “No, you’re not! No, you’re my favourite sister!”
Allison’s bottom lip wobbles. “I’m your only sister, though. So I’m also your least favourite sister.”
“I- okay, I don’t know what to do. Do you want a hug?”
“Yes. Wait.” She presses her hands to her cheeks, eyes wide. “Am I making this about myself? I am, aren’t I? Klaus, do you want a hug?”
He pauses. “Yes,” he realises, “I really do.”
With a watery smile, Allison leans over and pulls him into a slightly damp hug. Klaus almost slips off his seat, but manages to rebalance them both. Into his ear, Allison whispers, “I wish everyone would believe you all the time.” Her breath smells like vodka and limes, and neither of them notice her eyes flashing gold.