Ashes ~*~ [ THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY/FIVE HARGREEVES ]

CHAPTER FIVE

     "Klaus lied to us," Five said. 

     "Technically, he just asked you to go on a road trip with him. He did not specify the destination," Ivy told him. 

     "Yes! Thank you, Ivy!" Klaus said, glancing back at her. 

     "How are you siding with him?" Five asked, turning to look at her. 

     "If you would let me finish," she said, "Klaus, it was messed up to not tell him about this as Luther totally would've gone with you, too." 

     "Yeah, well, Luther wasn't at breakfast and Five is so easy to lie to," Klaus defended himself. 

     "He just admitted he lied!" Five said, Ivy rolling her eyes. 

     "You're getting your Ball of Twine, so let's calm down," she said, reaching forward and placing a hand on his shoulder. He sighed as she rubbed his shoulders, Five leaning back in his seat. "Everybody deep breaths. It will be okay." 

     "Gosh, you're so good at being a mediator. I'm glad you're here," Klaus said, smiling and nodding. 

     "Don't push it," Ivy snapped, Klaus nodding. They began to pull up to the twine, being the only people there. Klaus parked, Five immediately getting out and walking to it. He shoved his hands in his pockets and admired it, the other two still in the car. 

     "Is he mad?" Klaus asked. 

     "That's possibly the dumbest fucking question you've ever asked me," Ivy said, Klaus looking back at her. 

     "I couldn't do this alone! I mean, what if she resents me and I made her a disgrace to her village or something?" Klaus asked. 

     "I understand why you want support, but you've got to just ask," Ivy said, climbing into the passenger seat. "Five... He's not a bad guy. He's had a long three weeks. He just wanted to breathe." 

     "I know," Klaus said. 

     "I'm gonna go stand there and admire the.... twine I guess," Ivy said. "Join when you feel like it." She got out of the car, walking up next to Five. 

     "What did you say to him?" he asked, Ivy looking over. 

     "To just be honest next time," she said. "And that you wouldn't have actually said no, but you've just had the worst twenty days of your life probably." Five nodded slightly, not taking his eyes off of the twine. "You get to play the 'I'm only caring about myself' card for the next two weeks, okay?" 

     "That's a lot longer than I thought you were going to say," Five joked. The car door shut, and Ivy looked back to see Klaus standing by the car. 

     "Yeah, you know. I don't know why, but I thought it'd be a lot bigger," he said, taking a few steps forward. 

     "Seems pretty big to me," Five said. Klaus hummed, beginning to pace. "How do you know your birth mother is in Pennsylvania?" 

     "Well, because I was on the ass end of a two-week bender, and I can't tell you the exact date because we were boofing Xanax and the whole business, but Amy Whinehouse was at the top of the charts," Klaus informed them. "So that puts us somewhere, where? In the mid to late August? I helped myself into Dad's office, looking for the key to his safe 'cause he had Pogo lock up all the stealables. But instead, I found a treasure trove of our family history told in expired check stubs. I was too messed up to, uh, do anything about it, too scared to look her up. But always in the back of my mind, I wondered why she sold me off for three grand. I mean, come on, she couldn't have held out for five? Six?"