Bloodguilty // FIVE HARGREEVES

8. A Family's Love Does Crazy Things to The Heart

Who? Who leads these assholes? Who? Who?

WHO, WHO, WHO, WHO.

Elisa doesn't say another word as the siblings and her head to the Commission. They're too frightened by the dead-glare plastered on Elisa's face. On the murderous twinkle in her eyes. It's enough to silence every single on of them.

All the faces that Herb made Elisa memorize flash in front of her eyes as she stares right in front of her at nothing but the dark sky and the stars that have started to sparkle, as if to annoy Elisa with their brightness. She curls her nose up before she snarls at all of them.

It could be everyone. That is the truth. Almost everyone loathed her, and her fate. Almost everyone hated the old handler, but they feared her to a point that they didn't with Elisa. And now they've proven that. Only a few could Elisa trust, and their safety is now unsure.

What is happening at the Commission? Yet another question that remains unanswered. There could be riots. The building can be nothing but ash already, flying through the air, carried by the wind. There could be a normal day. Maybe nothing has happened? Maybe it was all just some . . .

Elisa closes her eyes for two heartbeats, knowing she shouldn't give in to hope. Hope is a tricky and dangerous thing to do. It could cost her the rest of her heart and strength. And without that last bit, Elisa isn't sure if she'll remain this strong. This whole.

The stars don't stop sparkling, and Elisa realizes she wishes she was as unbreakable as them. Their light melts together with the moon's, and Elisa feels hot tears in her eyes, threatening to spill. Oh, she wants them to. This family has seen her at her worst. They've been there. And Elisa knows they won't leave her at the first sign of weakness. They came to this mission with her without any doubt. They just came.

"The stars are here for you tonight." Vanya quickens her pace until she's right next to Elisa. The group walks quickly, but Elisa is in front, shielding herself from the glances she's trying to avoid. She doesn't want their pity-not when she wasn't supposed to get any. This wasn't supposed to happen. "We are all here for you tonight, Elisa." A soft, heartwarming smile comes onto Vanya's dry lips. For just a second, Elisa watches Vanya from the corner of her eye. When she notices the sad sparkle in the eyes of the woman, Elisa looks at the stars once again. "We won't leave now."

Leaving out a quiet whimper, Elisa clings to those words. They won't leave, she repeats in her head . . . over and over again. "Everyone leaves sometime, don't they?" The words are sad but Elisa means them. A silent tear rolls down her cheek.

"Only the ones who never meant to stay, anyway. I mean to stay. And so do my siblings," Vanya tells Elisa as she reaches out to grab Elisa's now shaking hands that are clenching into fists that hard that the knuckles are turning white. "You've got a family who's planning to stick with you for forever. Get used to it."

Unmeaning to, but Elisa still chuckles. "I'm still getting used to that kind of normality."

"I know," Vanya replies softly, her smile widening as she squeezes Elisa's hands tighter in her own. "It will get better. But things have to get worse before they get any better, you know. We're now in the whole 'worse' part. Soon enough, you'll be grinning like an idiot again."

"It feels so impossible, Vanya," Elisa admits, her voice shaky. "Everything feels so impossible. I put you all into danger today. I put you into danger." Elisa pauses, taking a deep breath as she watches Vanya her eyes saddening. "I can't lose the only family I've got left."

"And you won't." Vanya glances at her siblings, who are not so subtle following the conversation. While all the others are now pretending to be very interested in the path they're walking on, Klaus' eyes are right on his two sisters. None by blood, but that doesn't make them any less his sisters. His sisters.

"The ones who have tried to get rid of us lot told us that it's close to impossible. So, don't worry," he reassures Elisa as he, too, comes to walk next to her, "You won't get rid of us that easily."

"I'm hoping that." Elisa bites her lip, smiling when Klaus grabs her free hand.

With the others behind, the three continue walking into the night, ready to face whatever is coming together.

-

The Commission hasn't burned to the ground, and Elisa sighs in relief. But that relief disappears as quickly as it came.

She swallows when watching the posters with her head on it. "Do not let in," it says above the ridiculous picture of her. Underneath it says, "wanted."

Elisa is wanted in her own Commission. She narrows her eyes at every agent entering and leaving. They're all very aware now. They're all too aware. The Commission isn't hers anymore, and Elisa should be grateful and happy. She never wanted it, anyway.

But she can't leave it to explode full of murderous assassins, who'd kill anyone if only asked. She would not leave the world under the Commission's power, its murderers.

"It will be mine once again," Elisa tells the siblings who are standing next to her, watching the posters with her face on that are plastered on the trees surrounding all of them. "I will take it back and find someone better to lead it. Someone they respect and will follow. Someone better for the job than me. Someone better for the world."

"And we'll be at your side," Allison says as she narrows at an agent who's passing the trees, not noticing the group of people who are watching him, ready to knock him out at the moment his eyes fall on them. "Fighting for what's yours by right."

"I don't want anyone to die because of me," Elisa says quietly, avoiding any eye contact again. "I don't want to put any in danger. I can do this by myself. I'm trained to do this by myself."

"Stop that," Klaus demands, surprising Elisa completely. He shakes his head as he narrows his eyes at the girl so much shorter next to him. "We're with you. We're not leaving your side. We're your family."

"And family stays," Diego joins with a smile on his lips. "We're staying."

"Now that that is handled," Vanya says, smiling, too, "What now?"

"Now we go home," Elisa tells them all. All the others' mouths fall open. "I won't risk you all even more by going in when we're all obviously in desperate need of sleep. We don't have to get much sleep, but we've got to rest." Elisa thinks back of Hazel, Anne, Herb and even Liam. They're in there, could be in danger. And Elisa isn't planning on failing them. Well, if they have turned their back on her, too, she does want to punch them in the face. But she hopes-hopes. Because this family taught her it's okay to hope and love. And Elisa won't leave the ones she loves to dwel away. She'll do everything in her power to save them.

"Tomorrow we'll be back."

"And ready," Diego adds.

"So ready," Luther says, laying his hand on Elisa her shoulder as he smiles at her. "You're one of us now."

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH EVERYONE!!!