Ten Minutes Ago

07. The Case of The Missing Box

The dinner bell chimed and the Hargreeves children entered the dining room in number order. They stood at the designated spot, awaiting their father's arrive. Sir Reginald entered the room and stood at the head of the table. Vanya was at the opposite end. Allison was to the right of their father, Klaus and Ben to her left. Luther, Diego and Five were to the right of their father.

Sir Reginald looked between the eight children. "Sit."

The children did as instructed and began eating.

Five stabbed a knife into the table and pulled his hand away, glaring at their father.

"Number Five?" Sir Reginald called.

Five spoke in his normal sarcastic tone. "I have a question."

"Knowledge is an admirable goal, but you know the rules. No talking during mealtimes. You are interrupting Herr Carlson."

"I want to time-travel."

"No."

Five's eyes narrowed. "But I'm ready. I've been practicing my spatial jumps, just like you said." He stood and spatial jumped to their father's chair. "See?"

Sir Reginald turned to Five. "A spatial jump is trivial when compared with the unknowns of time-travel. One is like sliding along the ice, the other is akin to descending blindly into the depths of the freezing water and appearing as an acorn."

Five frowned. "Well, I don't get it."

"Hence the reason you're not ready." He took a sip of his drink.

"I'm not afraid."

"Fear isn't the issue. The effects it might have on your body, even on your mind, are far too unpredictable. Now, I forbid you to talk about this anymore."

Five glared and turned as he walked away.

"Number Five," Sir Reginald called. "You haven't been excused!"

Five ignored his father and began spatial jumping through time, ending up in various seasons. He ended up in an obviously destroyed world, no longer able to travel.

Guinevere was sitting at home, reading to her twins. Diego smiled at his family and kissed his wife's forehead.

He then kissed her hand and said, "Do you have plans for today?"

Guinevere nodded. "The twins and I are heading back to the house. They wanted to explore more where you grew up before their doctor's appointment."

"Let me know how it goes? I've got some things to do."

The brunette nodded and squeezed her husband's hand. "Of course. Liam, Layla, go put on your shoes, please."

The twins jumped down and went to put on their shoes.

Liam grabbed his sister's shoes and stood on a chair, holding them up so she couldn't get them.

Layla started hitting her brother. "Mommy, Daddy, Liam won't give me my shoes!"

Diego walked up to them and crossed his arms. "Liam Roger, you know better than to stand on chairs. You have ten seconds to get down and hand your sister her shoes."

Liam stared at his father who began counting down. "Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five..."

The little boy finally decided to listen and handed Layla her shoes.

Diego knelt in front of his son. "Are you going to listen to your mother?"

Liam nodded. "I'll be good, Daddy."

"That's what I like to hear."

Guinevere headed back to the Umbrella Academy mansion with her twins and watched as they ran around the room before stopping in front of their uncle.

"Mommy!" the twins called.

Guinevere turned to see Klaus sitting in colored underwear. "Oh, hello, Klaus. I'm not even going to question the underwear. Did you get sleep last night?"

"A little, yes," Klaus replied. "Hello, Liam. Hello, Layla."

Layla tilted her head. "You look funny, Uncle Klaus."

"Did your father tell you to tell me that?"

"No, I told me to tell you that."

"Well then, thank you. I strive for humor."

Guinevere studied Klaus. "Somehow you seem like you're hiding something. What did you do?"

Before Klaus could speak, Pogo walked in and cleared hIs throat.

Klaus gasped. "Christ on a cracker! Pogo?"

"My apologies, Master Klaus. I have a query for you."

"Oh?"

"Items from your father's office have gone missing. In particular, an ornate box with pearl inlay."

"Really?"

Guinevere frowned. "Klaus, I reiterate my question. What did you do?"

Klaus glared behind Guinevere and the twins and all three turned, seeing nothing.

"Really. You don't say..." Klaus muttered.

Pogo frowned. "Any idea where it went?"

Klaus contorted his face to an innocent look. "No, no, no. No idea." He sighed. "Sorry."

"Liar," a figure sitting on the couch said.

Klaus narrowed his eyes, looking behind his sister-in-law, niece and nephew. "Drop dead."

"Low blow."

"Would you shut up!"

"Excuse me?" Pogo questioned.

Klaus began trying to defend himself. "Pogo, I didn't mean you, I just... I -- You know, there's been a lot of stuff I've been dealing with. Just a lot of memories coming up. All good times. Well, not so much good times as really awful, terrible, depressing times."

"The contents of that box are priceless. Were they to find their way back to the office, whoever took it would be absolved of any blame or consequences."

"Oh, well, lucky bastard."

Pogo clicked his tongue softly. "Indeed." He stared at Klaus a moment before leaving the room.

As soon as he was gone, Guinevere turned to Klaus. "So. The box. Where is it?"

He frowned. "Oh, don't you start too."

Guinevere stared into Klaus' eyes and charm spoke, causing her voice to echo softly. "Where is the box, Klaus?"

As though under a trance, Klaus said, "I pawned the box."

"You pawned your father's priceless ornate box?! Klaus, that's -- that's unbelievable!"

"Hey! I needed the money."

"To fund your drug habit, right? You really should attempt sobriety."

The twins looked between the arguing adults before running off to the window to look outside. They liked playing a game where they counted trees or birds, whatever they saw.

Guinevere pursed her lips. "Very well. Liam, Layla, it's time to go. We don't want to be late for the doctor."

The twins stood and ran to their mother.

Layla frowned. "Mommy, I don't like the doctor."

Guinevere gently squeezed her daughter's hand. "I know, sweetheart, but we have to go. It's the doctor's job to make sure you're both healthy. If you two are good, then we can get some ice cream and go to the park, okay?"

"Okay, Mommy. I can be good."

"I know you can, baby."

"I can be good too," Liam said.

"That's what I like to hear. Come on, you two."