I Think I'm Alone Now (Criminal Minds/ Umbrella Academy Crossover)

One-Shot: Diego's Hard 3 Days

Diego had truly screwed up.

He could hear the tip tip tip of the school nurse's heels as she walked up to him. She kneeled down next to the plastic chair he was sitting in and gently peeled away the ice pack that the eight year old boy was holding to his face. 

He didn't make eye contact with her, opting to look at his fingers as he nervously chipped at his nails. The nurse said something, but he didn't hear her. Before he could ask her to repeat herself she was gently pressing the ice pack back to his cheek and he took a hold of it so he could numb the physical pain. 

The nurse walked away, and Diego was left alone again in the school office. He let his thoughts wonder as he sat by himself, about how he ended up here.

Three Days Earlier

Diego shot up in his bed. The air in his lungs was unable to escape his chest, and it set the boys fear in high gear. He looked around, gasping for breath in a panic. I'm in my bedroom...Luther is asleep in his bed...Dad and Papa are down the hallway... "I-I-I'm safe." Diego stuttered, getting control of his breathing and trying to shake off the nightmare. 

He didn't bother looking at what time it was, since it was still dark outside his window. He got out of bed and quietly left Luther asleep in their bedroom and crossed the hallway to the bathroom. He shut the door and turned on the light, rubbing his itchy eyes for a few seconds. Once they stopped burning he faced the mirror and looked at himself.

"Remember Diego, just picture the word in your mind."

"I'm safe...I'm safe." Diego said with no stutter, his mother's words ringing in his memory. He sighed and left the bathroom. He felt tired, since this was the third night he had woken up from nightmares. But he knew that he couldn't go back to sleep. 

He felt antsy, and he needed to move, to distract himself. So he quietly went to the basement and turned on the video game console. He let his mind turn off as he focused on the glowing screen in front of him. He knew his Dads would not be happy with him breaking rules and playing video games in the night, but he couldn't just go to them and tell them he was having nightmares. "That shit's so embarrassing bro." He said to himself in the dark.

 It wasn't embarrassing for Luther, because he had to deal with the really hard shit. He could hear his brother talk in his sleep sometimes, and he heard some of the things that Hargreeves had done to him. 

Things that the man never did to any of the other siblings. That jerk had been the hardest on Luther. Diego's gut twisted with guilt as he remembered the jealousy he used to have towards Luther for being 'number one'. Now? Now Diego was grateful he was never Hargreeves favorite, and that made his gut twist uncomfortably with a new type of guilt.

Hours passed, and once the sun started shining through the window the boy turned off the TV and quickly made his way back to his bed upstairs. He lay his head on his pillow, facing Luther, and he watched his brother's chest fall and rise with his breathing until he heard heavy footsteps down the hall. He closed his eyes, just as the door to his bedroom opened, and Spencer walked in to wake them up.

-Morgan's POV-

"Victor, Allison, and Hank! Grab your lunch boxes." I shouted over the commotion in the kitchen as the three children ran in. Victor holding his backpack on one arm, and his violin case on the other. "Let me help ya out buddy." Morgan said, stopping the boy in his tracks and adjusting the bags on the boy's back, before handing him his lunchbox. "Thanks Papa." Victor said with a grin, and Morgan couldn't help but kiss the boy's forehead.