Regarding Vanya

The Latter Numbers Make Everything Count

Landing back in the motel, Diego was disappointed to find Luther standing over him with one eyebrow raised. Immediately jumping to his feet and brushing himself off, he miscalculated just how much weight his weak leg could hold, promptly falling forward before Klaus reached out to support him. Yep, he officially had a favorite sibling. Not sure what to do, he remained dependent on Klaus, waiting for Five to hatch a plan. He could sit down, but he was a warrior. One that had suffered worse as well as refused to be humiliated in front of ever annoying "Number one". Also, though he would never admit to it, he was worried about Vanya.

"Guys!" Luther interrupted his thoughts to motion to Allison, who had been frantically waving her notepad for a good three minutes. Diego leaned a bit forward to read the printing on her page. In a large scrawl, she'd written "WHERE'S VANYA?"

"Gone." Diego thought about consoling Allison, but felt that he'd shown enough emotion in the last twenty four hours. Even now, he subconsciously squeezed Klaus' shoulder to comfort him as he tried to continue his response. "She mentioned that dipshit Jenkins guy and ran."

Allison scrambled to write out her response, producing an unreadable page of frantic cursive that just made him shake his head. It was almost as though she'd received his stutter in her writing.

"No, she knew that we're stuck in the sixties." Five walked up to Allison until they were only about a foot apart. "It's not going to be like that."

"How di-did..."

"I've written in books until the print wasn't visible" Five turned to face Diego, who redirected his gaze, unwilling to hear out his entire sentence. "I can read her mildly messy handwriting." He surveyed his other siblings, seemingly on the edge of a big breakthrough. "I got nothing." Apparently not.

Though invisible to most, Ben was quite tired of the bullshit. "Let's just go find her Klaus."

"What do you expect me to do?" Klaus noticed that Diego had his head turned to him, his expression fixed in a contemplative manner.

"More than you're doing now! I swear Klaus, if I were alive." He shook his head in disappointment before going to stand next to Diego. Though he'd probably refuse to admit it, Ben glanced at his leg, checking the wound given from the earlier impact. "We need to find a way out of here without the others."

"But what about... ya know?" Klaus was trying to remind Ben of Diego's earlier command to "stick together" without letting the neighboring Diego in on it. Unfortunately, his eyes narrowed in suspicion as the conversation carried through.

Klaus listened to the others, in the midst of an argument about who's fault the apocalypse was (everyone but Luther blamed Luther) and decided it was the best time to break ahead.

"I have to go to the bathroom!" Most of them nodded before resuming the fight. Not Diego.

"I'll come too," he smiled falsely, "seeing as we're stuck together."

"Nonsense, dear brother." He lowered him onto a chair before saluting on his way out. "No mortal should suffer like that." He steered himself down the hall, prepared to flee once reaching the doors. The halls just so happened to be where the plumbing flowed through, leaving a particularly open pipe in the middle of the wall. A pipe which just so happened to be containing a message passed on by the commission.

"Klaus, look!" Ben pointed as the tube arrived, using just enough of his brother's power to lift it up in the air. Upon opening, Klaus read a message that knocked the joy right back out of him:

FIVE,

IT'S HAZEL. I HAVE YOUR SISTER, SHE'S OKAY. PLEASE COME AND GET HER.

179 CASA VIEW GARLAND, DALLAS

Hazel. Just the memory of him and his counterpart sent all the pain back to Klaus. He wouldn't wish that experience on anyone, let alone his poor sestra. Turning to Ben, whose face dropped after reading the letter over his shoulder he only had one thing to say. "Let's get her."

"Great, where?" Five now stood in front of Klaus, having teleported while he was distracted. On his right, he held up Diego, now a bit red from all of the neglect.

"I told you we have to stick together!"

Klaus zoned in on Five, who seemed to be on his level of understanding. "We're stronger together but right now, it's about speed."

Five nodded and dropped Diego on the floor, who howled with fury as he writhed around. "Don't you dare!"

"Should we bring Allison?"

Five snorted, "And let this guy and one tear each other to pieces?" He gestured for the letter, quickly scanning it once in his grasp.

"You sure you're up for this?" Five was somewhat aware that Klaus wasn't a fan of Hazel.

"Gotta grow up sometime." It was a jest, but a hint of truth lay in that. Klaus hadn't forgiven himself for leaving Vanya in the cage, he'd make it up to her now. Hopefully. "Just let me know if you can see her too."

Five grabbed his shoulder before bringing them to the shop. It was similar to Griddy's, save for the new name (Treats To Swallow with a picture of a small bird next to it), lack of a parking lot, and fresh yellow coat of paint. Walking in, Klaus silently prayed that Vanya was being treated better than he was.

********************************************

Vanya didn't think she'd miss her pills. Waking up, she felt somewhat dizzy, enough to prevent her from getting up off of the mattress. She didn't have any plans to leave anyway, already embarrassed from her outburst at Hazel, who's been kind enough to let her stay at all. The shame aided in her anxiety, making her wish for those little relievers even more. It was hard to experience such emotion for the first time, and now it was more magnified than ever.

She didn't know how much time passed but her condition intensified, sweat trickling down in waves and mixing with the dried blood from her forehead cut. Little things around her, tchotchkes on the shelves and such, began to levitate and fall as she desperately clung for control. She tried not to scream, knowing that Hazel was unlikely to be useful to her right now. The quiet was better, less noise was less power. That was, until she began to track footsteps coming up the stairs. Bursting open the door, Five and Klaus ran in, the latter moving to lift her head in the air while Five turned to converse with someone in the hall.

"Vanya!" Klaus shook her rapidly, shortened nails clinging to her skin as he tried his best to wipe the blood and sweat mixture from her forehead. He hated this, the deja vu generating a swirl of unpleasantness in his stomach. Ben wasn't happy either, hands covering his face in "horror" (hah) as he watched closely.

Klaus would understand. "My pills," she spat when she spoke, "I'm not used to all of this." She tried her best to grapple onto one of his hands, "I'm okay, it's okay." He didn't believe her, trying-and failing- to lift her up before cursing under his breath. Laying her back down gently, his hands glowed blue once more before her other brother solidified. Ben nodded, proceeding to sweep up Vanya and carry her through the door. They paused at the corridor, where Five and Hazel were attempting to have a civilized discussion.

"Thanks, but try to be a bit more humane next time." The smallest brother nodded at the other two and led them down the stairs, Klaus stopping to give Hazel the biggest stink eye in his artillery. He focused in on him and growled.

"You owe me a donut."

Hazel sized him up with a look of guilt, "you get them free for life."