Control {The Umbrella Academy} *Complete*

Chapter 4

August 9th, 2001

Leta lifted her head, the sun shining in through the window of the Umbrella Academy early that morning. She had been living there for no more than a week, under the tutelage of Reginald Hargreeves, the instructor of the academy.

It wasn't long until the door had opened, a spindly boy sneaking in as quietly as he could.

"Klaus? What are you doing in here?" She muttered, throwing off the covers to reveal her black shorts and t-shirt she slept in.

He quietly tip-toed over, putting a finger to his lips. "I've got a surprise. Come on, before we get caught." She let on a little smile, sliding out of bed and pulling on a pair of sneakers before making their way to the yard out back.

The sun had just made its way over the horizon. The light rays caught on the full leaves of the tree, bits of dew highlighted with pale yellow. It always was so beautiful here this time of year. She spun around a bit, breathing in the misty morning air.

Klaus grinned, watching her twirl to her hearts content. He stepped forward, hands in his pockets as she came to a stop in front of him, glee written on her face.

"I know you grew up away from here, that this place." He gestured to everything around them. "Is all new to you. But I hope that this can make it a bit more, I don't know, welcoming." He dug his hand down into his pocket, retrieving a hand woven bracelet from its depths.

Leta bit her cheeks, looking at him with tears in his eyes. She lunged forward, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and smacking a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, so so much." She said, sticking out her hand for him to tie it around.

"I made it. Ben taught me how, he likes this kind of stuff. I'm sorry if it's not perfect." He muttered, doing a double knot around the back to keep it secured.

Leta grinned, twisting the bit of string around her wrist and rubbing it happily. "It's wonderful. I'm glad you wanted to make me this." She put her hands down to her sides, looking the boy in his bright green eyes as he hid his grin of joy. "I couldn't ask for anything more perfect."

*~*

March 24th, 2019

The six adults sat around the table, looking at the fifteen year old boy standing in front of them. "So.. Five. What the hell?" Klaus finally let it slip, leaning forward and raising up his unruly eyebrows. Leta shoved him a bit, giving him a stern stare before returning her attention to the collective point of the irritable boy.

Five pulled out a cutting board, smacking it down on the counter before returning to the cupboards. "What's the date, the exact date?" He asked, or more of demanded.

Vanya was first to answer, "The twenty fourth." He carelessly dropped down a few pieces of bread before looking back up, eyes narrowed sarcastically at the bunch.

"Of?"

"March." She responded, shaking her head in confusion. Leta couldn't help but want to do so as well.

The boy in the suit obviously quite too large nodded his head, letting a small thankful smile grace his lips. "Good, so there's still time."

Luther stood, blocking Five's way as he attempted to retrieve another item from the pantry. "It's been eighteen years Five, where have you been?" He muttered, the boy, obviously irritated, spacial jumping through him.

"It's been a lot longer than that."

Luther tilted back his head in frustration. "I haven't missed that." He muttered, turning to Five as he retrieved a jar of peanut butter and a bag of marshmallows out of the cabinet before returning to bread and continuing to assemble his monstrous sandwich.

Leta wasn't satisfied with all the vagueness, non of them were. "What is that supposed to mean Five, where have been?" He made a face of consideration at Leta as she looked at him with her big, sad blue eyes. "Tell us what happened."

"I was trapped... in the future. It's shit by the way." He muttered, slapping the top of his sandwich before taking an enormous bite out of it.

"Called it!" Klaus exclaimed with a hand in the air.

Leta's heart dropped, "You mean to tell us that you... you did it?" Diego put a hand on her shoulder, "But how did you get back?"

"In the end I had to project my consciousness forward into a suspended quantum version of myself that exists across every possible instance of time."

Diego's mouth hung open a little, "That doesn't make any sense?" He muttered, raising his eyebrows.

Five let on a smug smirk, "It would if you were smarter." Diego shot up from his seat ready to fight.

Leta and Luther each took a shoulder, shoving him back down to hopefully pacify his anger. Vanya made a face as she tried to grasp the concept. "How long were you gone?" She mumbled a bit, lacing together her fingers in front of her.

"Forty-five years give or take.." Five ran the peanut butter covered knife up and down his tongue. The rest seemed to be pushed back in their seats.

Luther knitted his eyebrows, "So what, you're... fifty-eight?" He asked, having as hard of a time as the rest of them.

"No." Five mutterd, obviously frustrated, "My consciousness is fifty-eight. I seem to be thirteen again." He glanced down at his pint sized body and then back at his family. He flicked his gaze down at the newspaper on the counter top, lifting it to read the headlines. "Guess I missed the funeral." He muttered, taking another bite of the sandwich.

"How did you know that?" Luther asked in shock.

Leta rolled her eyes, "He's from the future dude, keep up." Klaus grinned, snickering at her comment.

"Thank you." He smiled at Leta as she returned a crooked grin. "Heart failure huh?" He mumbled, reading the report.

"Yes."

"No."

The feuding Brothers glaired at one another as the rest held in their sighs of disappointment at their behavior. Leta let out a groan. "For gods sake grow up!"

"Glad to see nothing has changed." He muttered, finishing off the sandwich.

"Is that it?" Luther shouted as Five began to walk away, "Is that all you have to say?"

Luther held up his hands in frustration at the know it all. "What else is there to say. Its the circle of life." And with that, he was gone.