Different // an Umbrella Academy fan fic

Interlude

On April 1st, 2019, the Earth was destroyed in a cataclysmic event. Billions of people were wiped out in a matter of minutes. Ironically, the seven survivors of the apocalypse were the very siblings who brought it on.

A flash of blue light appeared in the sky above a dark alleyway just off a street in Dallas, Texas and a small blonde teenager fell from it- landing hard on a dumpster. She let out a cry of pain as she rolled herself off it before straightening herself up and observing her surroundings. At the end of the alley, through the early morning light, the teen could make out the figure of a woman. The woman was leaning against the wall, her body facing the main road, as she took a drag from a cigarette.

"Um, excuse me." The blonde girl called out, her voice sounding hoarse. She took a few steps towards the unknown figure who's attention she had caught, and felt her legs wobble slightly.

At the sight of the fragile teen, the woman stomped out her cigarette and rushed over. She gently placed and arm around the shoulder of the girl as she helped her walk over to the wall, so she had something to lean against. "Are you alright, Doll?" The woman asked. Her voice was soft with a sort of rough edge to it. "You look to be in quite bad shape."

"Um..." The girl looked around, hoping that her siblings would appear. But when she saw that the blue light had vanished, she knew that they weren't following. She let out a sad sigh as her head fell back against the brick wall behind her. "It's kind of a long story." She raised a shaky hand to her head and pushed her matted hair from her eyes. "Do you... Could you tell me where I am, please?" She quietly asked, embarrassed that she didn't know that basic piece of information- even though she had no way of previously knowing. "And, please could you tell me the date."

"Got a bit too drunk last night, did ya?" The woman asked, laughing slightly. "Well, you're in Dallas, Texas and it's New Year's day 1960. What's your name, love?"

"Eleanor." The girl answered. "Eleanor Hargreeves. And I don't think I'm meant to be here."

****

The woman, Eleanor had come to know as Alice Jones, had carried Eleanor to the nearest hospital as she had passed out, where her bullet wound was properly stitched up and her broken arm put into a proper cast. Alice had then taken Eleanor to a café, Stadtler's Restaurant, where they both were able to eat a proper breakfast.

"So, you're from out of town then, huh?" Alice asked, watching as Eleanor picked at a plate of bacon and fried eggs.

"You could, uh, say that."

"So, what made you choose to come to Dallas?"

Eleanor paused for a moment, thinking about how she could answer Alice's question. "I guess you could say my brother, really." She said after a while. "But, I guess we got on spilt up on the journey here."

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but, how come you ended up with a bullet wound and a broken arm?" Alice asked, taking a sip of the coffee he had ordered.

"Got into a fight back home." Eleanor said. "Guess you could say I lived in a rough neighbourhood." She took a bite of her bacon as the waitress refilled her glass of orange juice. "Enough about me, what about you? What's your story?" She asked, smiling at the slightly older woman sat across from her. Eleanor couldn't help it, she found Alice attractive. Maybe it was just the fact she liked her hair, or how she did her make-up. Or was it just that the particular woman in front of her had rescued her- had someone else found her, would she find them attractive?

"Well," Alice started, smiling at the blonde girl, "I've lived in Texas my whole life. But I moved down here two years ago when I was eighteen because I desperately wanted to move away from my parents."

"So, you're twenty?" Eleanor asked and Alice nodded. "Wow. You're like three years older than me." Eleanor laughed. "Do you have any siblings?" She asked. "Because I have like five brothers and two sisters, all of which are like ten years older than me."

Alice chuckled. "Seriously? Your house must have been crazy."

"Yeah. We were all adopted by my asshole of a father."

The two talked for a while longer until they had to leave. It was at this moment that Eleanor realised she was- for the first time in her life- homeless. As the two walked along the pavement, in no particular direction, the teen began to silently panic.

"I'm assuming you have nowhere to stay. And seeing as how I found you all beat-up in an alleyway, I'm assuming you have no money either." Alice spoke, sensing her new friend's panic.

"You'd be assuming correct." Eleanor told her, looking around her at all the unfamiliar shops.

"Well, I know we just met but, I have a spare room. You could stay there till you get back on your feet. Only if you want to though." Alice suggested.

A huge grin formed it's way onto Eleanor's face. "That would be so great. Thank you so much."

And that's how Eleanor Hargeeves found herself living in 1960's Dallas, Texas with a very attractive lady. Unbeknownst to her, things would become even crazier in just a few years.