Wonder • Five Hargreeves

43

I Heard a Rumor

"Baking powder."

"Baking powder."

"Flour."

"Flour."

"Sugar."

"Sugar."

Winnie stood on a step-stool with her head in a pantry cabinet. She was systematically handing off parcels of baking materials to Luther, who stood below her, and announcing it to Klaus, who sat crisscross on the table and was parroting back the ingredients as he checked them off a list.

"Is your job really necessary?" Five asked Klaus, leaning against the table. He was sipping his coffee and raising an eyebrow at the set-up.

"Vanilla extract." Winnie said without looking away from the cabinet.

"Vanilla Extract." Klaus repeated dutifully and shot Five the finger. Five rolled his eyes.

"Now then," Winnie jumped off of the stool and grinned at her family. "Let me get cracking at those I just had sex waffles."

Five leaned forward towards Winnie who was walking past. He looked down his nose with a light smile. "Do you really have a breakfast item dedicated to after-sex celebration?"

"Of course I do!" She gasped. "Sex is meant to be celebrated. I have a lunch and dinner item in my back pocket too."

Winnie gave him a duh look, but her blue eyes were sparkling with mischief gave her away. She was teasing him. Him! Time agent assassin with an IQ in the stratosphere, but Winnie Hargreeves always had a way of making the smartest and most dangerous men feel silly. She had always had that power.

"BLT and Chicken Alfredo Pasta." Klaus chimed from his spot still on the table- unaware of Five and Winnies staring contest.

"Klaus knows! Go ahead and start the family meeting Klausy- Five will help me with the waffles."

She started arranging the ingredients on table and grabbed a whisk to wave it vaguely at the rest of them. Luther and Klaus nodded together while the much larger and hungover man took a seat at the table.

"Ill only be a distraction." Five commented easily without looking up from his coffee. Winnie saw right through him though, trying to escape kitchen duty, and started tugging him toward her.

"You cant distract waffle making!" Winnie snorted.

Five's eyes danced with amusement and his hands shot out to grab her. Winnie squealed, but Five pulled her back against him "I can think of a few ways to distract you."

"Love birds, please."

"Sorry- continue Klaus." Winnie waved her whisk, and Klaus cleared his throat.

"Okay. Okay- so theres no easy way to say this..." Klaus sat up and tossed himself off the table, setting his hands on his hips with a nervous energy.

He just stared at Luther for a long enough time that the half-gorilla went "Klaus."

Klaus nodded and revealed his info. "I conjured Dad last night."

There was dead silence. Five and Luther blinked while Winnie dropped the cup of flour she was measuring into the bowl with a loud clink. Klaus nodded at them all, awaiting their questions.

"But," Luther didn't even try for tact. "You said you haven't been able to summon for years?"

"Ah, yes. But Im sober now! Ta-da." He added jazz hands. "I got clean last night to talk to someone special."