The Umbrella Academy: The End

The Lady Speaks

Five allowed himself four glorious hours of sleep in his own bed. The envelope and book were safely tucked away in the hole in his wardrobe with the dirty clothes from the future. Hopefully, the stink would keep the curious away, though Dad wasn't beneath rifling through his room while he slept.

At 2 am, he sat up in bed. He had one mission to accomplish tonight. Afterward, he'd sit his brothers and sisters down for a long talk. Best to wait a day or two. Dad would grill the seven of them relentlessly if he suspected Five. Which he did. Dad knew Five was up to something. And Five knew he knew. So, best to play his advantage while he could.

Late night chats and secret conversations, supported with facts, would convince his brothers and sisters to stand with him against Dad. Luther would be a tough nut to crack. Then probably Allison. For her, Five thought to play on heartstrings. But he needed something to hold over the big guy.

Something big.

But first, Five planned to do something for himself. It'd only been six months, a lonely six months. For his older self, the ordeal had been so much longer. They both choose a good companion to get through it.

Back in the apocalypse, while eating their sandwiches, Old Five, his cheeks red, eyed Dolores. "Hello, Dolores. Good to see you again."

Five's gaze danced between the two, a pique of jealously rumbling in his gut. But the man was him and loved Dolores, too.

Tonight's mission was simple. Save Dolores for both of them.

He unlocked his window and scrambled down the fire escape. He needed a phone book and transport. Dad might ground him for life for taking the car. Since the crime was much more innocent than time-travel, Five figured he'd be fine even if he got caught.

Driving the car proved harder than expected. But the streets were empty, and he could see over the steering wheel, thanks to the phone book he stole. It served two purposes, a booster seat, and information on a certain address.

He pulled up at the front entrance of Gimbel Brothers' department store. A quick in and out once he located Dolores.

After flashing inside, he hurried to the women's section, grabbing a flashlight on the way. He palmed it until he walked near a mannequin, hoping each time it would be her.

At the center of the store, he found her. His heart leaped in his chest. Geez, she was just some inanimate object. A representation of another human to keep him company. His brain said one thing, but his heart said something else. She was his Dolores, and he wouldn't leave her behind.

He stood before her. "Hi. It's me." God, would she know him? They didn't meet for another sixteen years. He scrubbed the back of his neck. "You probably don't..." He met her gaze and saw she was aware of everything. He smiled as her voice flitted through his brain.

"Sorry. I just got back. Yeah, so if you wanna get out of here..."

He paused, listening to her reply. "If you want to stay here, I understand. I've got a spot at the house for you."

He waited for an interminable amount of time. Finally, her look said it all.

Tears pricked at his eyes. "It's okay if I come visit, right? I mean, I know we didn't..."

She interrupted him.

"Older me seemed..."

She finished his thought.

"Yeah, new timeline, new us."

He stepped back, taking a second to gain his composure again.

"Okay, so, I'll be by to say hi, and um, thanks... thanks for getting me through it. I couldn't have picked a better person to help me. If you ever need anything..."

He laughed at her response.

"Okay, then." He paused. "Goodbye, Dolores."

He clicked off the flashlight and walked away. He didn't want her to see the tears.