Control {The Umbrella Academy} *Complete*

Chapter 12

Leta tossed and turned throughout the night as normal, but somehow the presence of another person helped to ward off her annual nightmares. She woke early the next morning, that warm body now gone. She stretched a bit, arching her back until she heard a satisfying pop.

It was about then she heard a loud exclamation of shit! From outside her window.

She hoisted it up the pane, looking down to the dumpster below the fire escape. "Hey!" She shouted, cupping a hand around her mouth to increase the volume.

Klaus looked up and let loose a smile as he waved wildly from the trash below.

"What'cha doin' there?" She asked, climbing out the window and perching on the fire escape.

"OH, nothing... just getting in my exercise, you know, dumpster diving!" He clasped his hands over his head and pretended to go head first into the sludge.

"If I didn't know better I'd think you were looking for something." She said, starting her descent down the fire escape.

He blew some air out from between his lips and waved her off. "What on earth would I be looking for?" He muttered while continuing to rummage through the dumpster.

"Oh come on, just tell me!" She moaned, finally making it to the bottom and jumping down next to Klaus.

He groaned, popping up and looking at her over the rim of the metal box. He crossed his arms and plopped his head down into them. Leta laughed a bit, hoisting herself up to perch on the rim next to his disgruntled figure. "Promise not to tell. Like, not even Diego." She raised an eyebrow, nodding at him in agreement. "Okay. So you remember when I was... borrowing things from Dad's office?"

"You mean stealing."

"Exactly, borrowing. I might have gotten away with a box that looked pretty expensive after Luther tried to get me to give it all up. WELL... turns out it had some really important stuff in it."

"And you threw it away."

"I would say misplaced."

Leta laughed, nearly causing herself to fall into the dumpster herself. "So let me get this straight. You stole-"

"Borrowed."

"Right, stole some irreplaceable stuff from old Regi's office, tossed it out-"

"No, misplaced."

"That's what I said, keep up. So you threw it out and now, what, Pogo is giving you hell for it? I hate to break it to you hon but it's probably been hauled off to the dump by now."

He sighed, dangling his head in shame. "Yeah I know! But that chimp is not going to get off my ass about this! Whatever it was, it was apparently priceless. All it looked like was an old journal and some papers, I don't know." She nodded, swinging her legs back and forth.

"Well, your secret is safe with me. But man, are you screwed."

He moaned, slamming his head into the rim and sullenly nodded.

"I'd ask what you're doing down here, but then it occurred to me. I don't really care." Leta looked up to see Five descending down the fire escape to the two of them.

"Ah yes, you seem chipper this morning Five. Why on earth are you climbing down the fire escape though? You remember the front door, right?" He plastered a sarcastic grin to his face as he jumped down and landed in front of Leta.

"Yes, but I thought this way would include less conversation. Apparently, I was wrong." Leta rolled her eyes before looking over her shoulder to make sure Klaus hadn't drowned in the sludge.