Different // an Umbrella Academy fan fic

Chapter 13

"The Swedish Job"

Alice pulled Eleanor back into her arms. "Oh, God." She sighed. "I got so worried when I got back to the apartment and you weren't there."

"You weren't at the apartment last night?" Eleanor asked, her eyebrows furrowed.

Alice pulled away slightly, shaking her head. "I stayed at Dotty's. I just needed some time to process everything you told me. And when you weren't at home... Eleanor, I was so worried. I thought something had happened to you."

"I'm... I'm okay."

"Why did you leave?" Alice asked her softly, her hands gently holding Eleanor's face.

Tears slipped out of her eyes as Eleanor placed her hands over Alice's. "I thought you hated me, that you were gonna leave. So... I left and came here."

"I could never hate you, my love." Alice whispered. "You're my everything, Darling." She pulled Eleanor close and held her as she softly cried. As she held Eleanor in her arms, she noticed a familiar scent. "Did you get drunk last night?"

Eleanor let out a quiet giggle. "I might have, you know, before I came here."

"I'm not even surprised." Alice chuckled, placing a kiss on her girlfriend's temple.

****

After spending the day with Alice and cleaning up the bar, Eleanor found herself at the local liquor shop. She wasn't buying any for herself- though she really wanted a drink. The bar had started to run low on certain beverages and out of the two, Eleanor had been the one tasked with the job of restocking.

She was walking home, carrying a couple of large bags, when she saw an old face- someone she hadn't seen in years- sitting in a car just outside the hardware store.

"Klaus?" Eleanor whispered, walking closer to the car. "Oh, my God. Klaus!" She cried, racing over to the parked vehicle. She knocked on the passenger window, gaining the attention of her brother who seemed to be very distracted. "Klaus, hey!"

Startled, Klaus looked to his right, smiling when he saw his younger sister. "Ellie? Is that really you?"

Eleanor let out a laugh, relieved to see her older brother. "Yes, it's really me." She watched as Klaus leaned over and unlocked the door before moving his new cans of paint to the backseat. "It's been so long!" Eleanor exclaimed as she opened the door and sat in the car next to her brother, placing the fresh bottles of booze on the floor between her feet.

"I know!" Klaus laughed. "How long have you been stuck here?"

"Oh, you know, about three years. Almost four, actually." She sighed.

"Wow, seriously? Me too. I'm loving your new vibe." He smiled, gesturing to Eleanor's hair- which was styled similarly to the 'flipped bob' that women tend to wear in the 60s.

"Well, you've got to fit in." Eleanor chuckled. "Honestly, I'm digging the long hair Klaus. It really suits you."

Klaus smiled at her and twirled the ends of a few strands of his hair around his finger. "Why thank you, Ellie." He laughed.

"So, what made you change your hairstyle?"

"Oh, you know, there's not really time for haircuts when leading a cult..."

Eleanor let out a giggle. "You started a cult? You fall into the wrong decade and that's what you chose to do? Honestly, not really surprised." She laughed.

"Well..." Klaus sighed, glancing to the backseat where Ben was sat. "What have you been up to these last few years?"

Eleanor smiled. "Actually, I own a bar. That's what I've been doing." She giggled.

"A bar, huh? Well, I've actually been keeping sober so... Forgive me if I don't stop by."

"Sober Klaus... Huh, that's new." Eleanor giggled. "Well done though, that must have been super hard."

Klaus shrugged and began to answer when two police cars sped by, their sirens wailing. "Oh, shit. Allison." Klaus exclaimed, starting the car and beginning to drive after them.

"What? What's happening? Is Allison in danger?" Eleanor asked, worried for her older sister's safety.

"There's a sit in at one of the cafes, Allison's a civil rights activist these days." Klaus exclaimed, focusing on the road ahead.

Eleanor gulped. "I hope she's alright."

****

Klaus' car pulled up in a side street and the two siblings jumped straight out of the vehicle, the second Klaus turned the engine off. Both Eleanor and Klaus ran to the main road, where they immediately saw hundreds of people of colour being harassed and arrested by cops.

"Allison." Eleanor whispered, grabbing Klaus' hand and pulling him through the crowds of people. "Allison!" She repeated, this time yelling, desperate to find her sister and take her to safety.

They found their sister coughing from the smoke, calling after her husband who was running through the crowds in the opposite direction.

"Allison." Klaus called, letting go of Eleanor's hand to hold Allison's arm, turning her around to face them. "Allison, come on. We have to go."

"No, no!" She protested, trying to get out of Klaus' grip and run after her husband. "I can't leave him! Ray!" She yelled.

"Allison, it's not safe right now. We have to go." Eleanor told her, the fear for her sister's live clear in her eyes.

"Come on!" Klaus instructed, holding onto Allison's arm and pulling her away from the scene. "Right now!"

Eleanor followed closely behind them, tears leaking from her eyes as she wished for a way that she could help all of the people she passed.

****