Grand Theft (The Umbrella Academy)

CHAPTER ELEVEN: Rumor Has It

They were back in the US now and Fleur was no where to be found. She hadn't shown up for practice. She was just pretending that she never existed at all in her invisible state up on the roof.

Five was worried sick. They all were. She noticed Vanya had started leaving the light on for her outside, but she was too ashamed to face them like nothing had happened. Fleur knew she could trust Five and Vanya. If she came back she'd definitely unrumor Five... probably... maybe...

Then there was the consideration of rumoring them to forget her at all. Fleur could go back to her life of running or she could stop and live a normal life. Decisions decisions. There was the rumble of thunder overhead. Decisions that need to be made pretty quick. Rain started to patter down. Maybe I'll stay in one of the guest rooms until I figure it out. They wouldn't search all of them.

Fleur used Five's ability to blink onto the fire escape ladder outside of Five's room then turned invisible again. He left it unlocked... She quietly opened the window and stalked inside then quickly closed it back before someone saw it was open.

The girl slinked down the hall to see them sleeping. She took a breath then caved and stopped to see Five asleep in her room. Eight silently stepped closer to see the red on his eyes and his pale face. He hadn't been able to bring himself to eat since she'd left.

This is cruel. She crouched down. Fleur had two options here: One—wake him up. Tell him that she was back in a joyous reunion. She could unrumor him and everything would go back to how it was. Two—she could make him forget. He wouldn't feel the heartbreak. She would run and not feel regret. Fleur couldn't live her whole life trying to hide her past. The first seems like the obvious answer. Everything would go back to normal, granted they'd always feel questions that they couldn't answer, but, she was at a turmoil.

I'm not supposed to be here. I'm only here because of a rumor. I love Five with all my heart... but I'm no good for him. I can't rumor his siblings or him every time something doesn't go my way. I-I killed him. I got lucky that I time traveled correctly... What am I supposed to do?

Fleur took a breath. I'm no good for him. It's the responsible thing to do. She straightened her stance and mindset to that she's worked so hard to curate over the years. The perfect, proper, uniformed accent. She had to have it as a child and it stuck. No mistakes.

She leaned down to Five with tears in her eyes and a burning throat. "I-I heard a rumor... that you don't remember Fleur," she softly whimpered. She could've sworn she saw his features turn cold. Like the life had left him. Fleur covered her mouth then ran. I can't stay here now. I don't belong here. Five... Five doesn't remember me. It's-It's f-for the best. It's for the best. Fleur quietly ran back through Five's room to the fire escape when she heard someone stir. She opened the window to the loud sound of the rain pattering against the trash bin below then closed it.

Ben and Five ran into Five's room at the sound. Five looked back from the bedroom he ran from. Why was I...? Eh.

"Do you think it was her?" Ben exclaimed as he looked out the window for Fleur.

"Was who her? Who was in my room?" Five asked in a gravelly voice.

Ben scoffed. "Fleur. Who else?"

"Who's Fleur?" Five inquired with irritation at his brother waking him up.

His body slumped. "It was her. She rumored you to forget... Why would she do that? She was—She was happy here. We all were."

Five blinked himself awake. "Do you plan on filling me in? If not I'd really like to go to sleep. It's three am."

"That's... that's low Eighty."

Fleur sat outside in her invisible form silently bawling. I'll rumor the rest next chance I get. It'll be like I was never there. I'm so so sorry but... I don't fit in this puzzle. They'll move on. Five will find a new love... They'll go on dates on top of the Big Ben. They'll go to museums in Paris. They'll sleep next to each other every night because they don't feel complete without the other... And he'll be safe with her. Not having to carry the stress of so many secrets. Five will find a girl he deserves.

•••

The entire family was all gathered together to start practice like they do every morning. Now's my chance. They'll see me but they won't remember it in a moment. Here goes nothing. Fleur stepped out from behind her post still in her invisible form but the floorboard squeak. Ah shiiit.

"There!" Klaus pointed and threw flour on her.

"Seriously, medium? Were you just carrying around a bag of flour waiting to do that?" He shrugged.

Fleur wiped at the flour on her face then turned into Allision. "I heard—"

"Luther," Diego called.

Fleur didn't notice when One came up behind her and put her in a gag so that she couldn't speak. She struggled as he tied her to a support beam. Shit shit shit. She rolled her eyes and turned back into her default setting.

Ben stepped forward. "What the hell, Eighty?! Why did you run off without telling us? You didn't give us a single reason why you did this to us, to Five. We are going to undo this gag and you are going to unrumor Five, the love of your life. Got it?"

Fleur took a breath and boredly  waited. Luther took off the black cloth tied around her mouth. She grimaced at the feel then spit. "Rude."

"Funny." Ben crossed his arms. "Now unrumor my brother."

Five huffed and rolled his eyes then shot his signature derisive smile. "Don't see the point of this but, any day now."

Fleur's eyes watered. "How about I just unrumor you all? See if you call me "Eighty" or "flower" or "Fleur" after that." They looked at each other then back to her suspiciously. She took a breath then switched into Allison. Her voice quaked, "I heard a rumor that you remember every rumor I've ever told you. You aren't bound by them anymore." Fleur's voice cracked slightly more as her throat burned. Don't cry. Smiths don't cry! Don't you dare shed one forking tear.

She watched their faces distort and become angry and hurt, Five's the most. Fleur could see the tears well up in his eyes from every memory of their love story hitting him at once. Her heart plummeted. Five stepped past Six. "Why would you-why would you do that to me? Fleur, why would you take that away from me? The mem-memories that we had together. They couldn't have meant so little to you. I love you, Fleur!"

"I love you too! With all my heart. Those memories mean everything to me but I had to! I don't belong here! I killed you, Five! I'm dead weight. I'm a killer who should've been put down a long time ago. It. Won't. Work! I'm no good for you. I can't rumor you guys anymore. I won't do it. I won't ask you to hide my secrets. I was going to have you all forget me. It'd be like it was before for you all. Like I never existed! What's so wrong with that?"

""What's so wrong with that?"" Five scoffed then started untying her binds. Luther put out a strong arm to stop him. "What're you doing?"

"Five..."

"She's the same Fleur that's been your friend for half a year. She's the same Fleur that I've loved for the best six months and seven days of my life. So, move," Five snarled.

Luther looked at the others then back to his brother. "...I can't do that. Her name isn't Fleur, Five. Her name is Connor Smith and she needs to pay for her crimes." He tried to soothe him but he only got more riled up.

"Connor Smith, Connie, Fleur Hargreeves, Number Eight, I don't care. I love her and—" His eyes went big as a thought crossed his mind. "Fleur, I'm gonna save you."

She held a terrified expression. "Five. Don't do it. I mean it. Don't you dare, Number Five."

He nodded with a hollow expression. "It's my turn to fix things. I love you." Five took off running.

"Five! Mr. Man! Don't! Please please don't!" Fleur unraveled one of her holds that she'd been working on and then popped her thumb out in a hurry for the other. "Five!" She bolted outside with the others trailing behind her. She saw him about to jump through a portal when she grabbed his arm, taking her with him.