DAVE AND KLAUS WILL NEVER NOT MAKE ME CRY. Saddest storyline in tua I fear.
SUNNY WOKE UP ALONE, the sunlight streaming through the window casting long shadows across the floor. She rubbed her eyes and glanced around the room, expecting to see her dad sprawled on the on the floor with some half-empty bottle in hand, but the apartment was eerily quiet. Klaus wasn't anywhere in sight. Usually, he was the first person she saw in the morning, no matter what state he was in. There was always some sort of chaotic noise that filled the space—his loud, off-key singing, the clinking of glasses, or his endless talking to ghosts only he could see. But today, there was nothing.
Sunny threw on a pair of old sweats and slipped out of her room, a frown pulling at her lips. "Dad?" she called out, her voice echoing in the stillness of the hallway. No response. The living room was empty, and so was his bedroom—his bed unmade and empty bottles strewn on the floor. Sunny's heart began to race, a familiar tightness creeping into her chest. She knew her dad was unpredictable, but he always made sure to leave some sign of where he was going, even if it was just a hastily scribbled note on the fridge. Today, there was nothing.
Sunny's mind ran through all the worst possibilities. He was probably off on another bender, lost in his own world, but the nagging fear that something had gone horribly wrong refused to let her rest. She tried calling his phone, but it went straight to voicemail. She even called Ben, hoping that maybe he would have seen Klaus somewhere, but of course, there was no answer.
Hours ticked by with no sign of him, and Sunny felt the crushing weight of dread sink deeper into her bones. She waited, pacing back and forth, her stomach twisting in knots as the day turned into night, and still, Klaus was nowhere to be found.
The next morning, Sunny was sitting on the steps outside the mansion, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, eyes fixed on the street. She hadn't slept at all, too worried about where her dad might be. Just as she was about to give up and head back inside, she saw a figure stumbling down the sidewalk, moving with a familiar disjointed sway. She squinted against the bright morning light, and her heart leapt into her throat when she realized it was Klaus.
But something was different. His clothes were torn and dirty, his once vibrant, mismatched outfit now replaced with a green, sleeveless army vest that hung loosely on his thin frame. His hair was messy, dirt and dried blood smudged across his face, and his eyes were sunken, haunted. Sunny's breath caught in her throat when she noticed his hands—they were covered in blood, some of it smeared across his arms like war paint. But it wasn't just his disheveled appearance that stunned her; there was something else—a small, dark tattoo on his forearm that hadn't been there before.
"Dad?" Sunny whispered, her voice trembling as she stood up, her blanket falling to the ground. She took a tentative step forward, unsure if she was seeing things. "Dad, what—what happened to you?"
Klaus looked up at her, his expression softening the moment their eyes met. He was battered and bruised, but there was a flicker of something familiar in his gaze—a mix of relief and overwhelming sadness that Sunny hadn't seen before. His face crumpled as he approached her, and without warning, he pulled her into a tight embrace, his arms wrapping around her like he was afraid she might disappear.
And then there was the tattoo. Sunny didn't recognize it, but the tattoo was new, something he didn't have before. She blinked, trying to piece together what she was seeing, but it felt like a nightmare. Klaus looked like he'd been through hell and back, and for a second, she wasn't even sure it was him.
"Dad?" Sunny's voice was small, trembling as she took a hesitant step forward. Klaus looked up, his eyes meeting hers, and suddenly, all the tension seemed to drain from his face. He rushed towards her, pulling her into his arms so tightly that it knocked the breath out of her.
