Present Day
"And so you see, that's why I sometimes have trouble speaking in public." The little girl said shyly, but Eleanor gave her a warm smile.
"We're all afraid of something Alicia. Even superheros have fears!" Eleanor revealed, shocking the young girl before her.
"Really! Like who?" She wondered, letting her curiosity get the best of her. Eleanor paused for a moment as she looked at the young girl before her.
She was no more then 6 years old and had a fear of public speaking. Her mother brought her into Eleanor's office in hopes that therapy would help her.
Ellie hardly spoke of her childhood with anyone, let alone her patients, but she saw so much of herself in Alicia, that she couldn't resist the urge to help.
"Well, when I was your age, I was in an elite group called 'The Umbrella Academy.' It was my 2 sisters, 5 brothers, and me and we all had super powers!" Eleanor explained and the girl sat on the edge of her seat, dying to hear more.
"My brother, Luther, was really strong and my sister, Allison, could rumor anyone to do whatever she wanted..." Eleanor began, but Alicia quickly cut her off, eager to ask questions.
"Wait so she could tell her mommy that she wants ice cream for dinner and she'd be able to?!?" Alicia asked shocked and Eleanor merely let out a laugh before continuing.
"Haha yes! We called her 'The Rumor.' My other bother, Klaus, could talk to the dead, Five could jump from one place the other in a blink of an eye, and Ben could summon creatures!" Eleanor explained as she used her hands to show how Ben's powers worked.
"Wait...that's only..." Alicia paused as she counted with her fingers. "5 of your siblings. What about the other 2?" She asked and Eleanor laughed to herself.
"Huh you're pretty smart aren't you?"
"I like to think so." She joked and both girls laughed. Eleanor took in a deep breath before continuing.
"Well, Vanya had no powers and Diego...he was able to throw knives and change their trajectory!" Eleanor paused for a moment, remembering how much she truly missed them all, especially after how she left things with everyone.
But, Alicia dragged her out of her thoughts. "What about you Dr. Hargreeves? What's your power?"
"Well, I'm able to read people's thoughts and move things with my mind!" Eleanor exclaimed as she made a funny face, earning a laugh from Alicia and for the first time, she was happy to share her story with someone - even if it was just a little girl.
"That's so cool! But how could you guys be afraid of anything?" Alicia wondered.
"Well, Diego is afraid of needles, Ben is...was afraid of lightning, and I...I'm afraid of being alone." Eleanor admitted, feeling a sense of relief at doing so.
"Wait, I am too! That's why I don't like speaking in front of my class. I'm afraid that I'll mess up and no one will want to be my friend." Alicia said sadly, but Eleanor immediately turned it around.
"That's exactly it Alicia. It's just a fear, nothing more. As long as you believe in yourself, you can do anything you set your mind to." Eleanor said, remembering the words Diego once told her.
Suddenly a clock went off and Eleanor looked to see that their hour session had ended. "Well that's all for today Alicia. I'll see you next week! Good luck with your presentation!" Eleanor said as she brought the young girl to her mother.
"Do I have a 6:00?" Eleanor asked her secretary as the older woman looked through the schedule on her desk.
"No Dr. Hargreeves. All done for the night." Sarah, the secretary, said happily.
Just as Eleanor was about to speak, something on the radio caught her attention.
"Moments ago, police reported the death of the most eccentric and reclusive billionaire..."
"Hey Sarah, can you turn up the radio?" She asked hurriedly as she moved closer to hear it better.
"Sure thing doc."
"Sir Reginald Hargreeves was found dead in his home this morning. Some of our sources have claimed it to be a heart attack, but we have yet to confirm it. Our thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family at this time."
The radio announced as Eleanor stood in shock, unable to process what she's just heard.
"Huh, the old man finally kicked the bucket." Eleanor joked in an effort to alleviate the tension in the room, but Sarah merely ignored it and gave her a hug.
"I'm so sorry Eleanor. I know you two weren't close but he was still your father." Sarah said, her motherly instincts kicking in.
The two released from the embrace and Eleanor went to grab her coat from the hook.
"Can...can you uh cancel all of next week?" Eleanor asked as she tried to hold the tears back.
"Of course honey, but where are you going?" Sarah wondered and Eleanor looked at her grimly, knowing what she had to do.
"I'm going home."
Time jump :)
Eleanor pulled her car up in front of the academy and let out a long sigh before getting out.
I never thought I'd be here again.
She thought to herself as she stood before the place that she once called home.
Before she could knock on the door, it opened to reveal an older looking Pogo with a sad smile on his face.
"Oh Miss Eleanor! How wonderful it is to see you again, although it is under such terrible circumstances." He added as the two gave each other a long hug.
"I've missed you so much." Eleanor admitted with tear filled eyes.
"And I have missed you all as well." Pogo said with a soft smile.
"Wait...all? Who else is here?" Eleanor asked, immediately wiping the tears from her eyes.
"Everyone is. You are the last to arrive." Pogo told her, causing Eleanor to tense up.
"Oh ok...I guess I'll just go find Mom then." Eleanor said timidly, anxious to see her siblings again.
But before Eleanor could do so, she heard a familiar voice call her name.
"Ellie! Is that you?" Allison asked with a smile across her face and Vanya following close behind her.
"The one and only." Eleanor joked as she gave both of her sisters a hug.
"You look great! What have you been up to?" Allison asked curiously.
"Well I went to school to become a psychiatrist and I have my own practice now. It's a few blocks away." Ellie said with a short smile, which the girls reciprocated.
"That's great Ellie! I'm so proud of you." Allison said truthfully and Eleanor only smiled, still hurt that Allison cut connection from her and the rest of the family years ago.
"Well I know that the fabulous superstar Allison is doing great, but what about you Vanya? Are you still playing?" Eleanor asked, remembering how the beautiful sounds of Vanya's violin once echoed through these halls.
"Yeah I am. I'm in an orchestra and I teach lessons now." Vanya said shyly.
"That's great! I'm happy for you." Eleanor said with a tinge of sadness in her voice.
Ever since Vanya wrote her book about the family, nothing's been the same. Eleanor tried to forget about it, but she'll always remember the intimate secrets that Vanya revealed about her to the world.
An awkward silence filled the room and Eleanor nervously pushed her hair behind her ear out of habit, revealing a long scar along the side of her face.
Allison and Vanya soon noticed and were staring intently at it, making Eleanor instinctively cover it with her hair again.
"Well I'm going to go find Mom." Eleanor said in an effort to change the subject before they could ask anymore questions about her time away from the academy.
Eleanor thankfully made it to the kitchen without seeing another one of her siblings. She slowly entered the room to find Mom making her favorite dish, cookies.
"Mom?" Eleanor asked slowly and the robot turned around with her usual wide smile plastered across her face.
"Eleanor! It's great to see you! I've missed you dearly!" Grace said joyfully, but Ellie still felt a ting of guilt for leaving Grace alone for all of those years.
"I'm sorry Mom, I should have called or..." Eleanor began, but before she could continue, she heard a name she never thought she'd hear again.
"El?" Klaus asked, using his signature nickname for her. He slowly approached her with tear filled eyes upon seeing his sister again.
"Klaus!" Eleanor exclaimed as she ran into her brother's arms.
"Listen, about what happened..." Klaus began, but Ellie cut him off.
"It's ok. You didn't mean it." Eleanor said, her voice cracking in the process.
"I know, but still..." Klaus continued, but Eleanor pulled back and cut him off once again.
"I forgive you." She said truthfully as a few tears spilled out of her eyes.
Klaus was quick to wipe them with his thumb as he held his sister's face with his hand. Eleanor leaned into his touch, missing the sense of security that Klaus gave her.
After grabbing a few cookies, the two soon left the kitchen and headed to Klaus' bedroom with their arms linked, as they did when they were children.
"So have you seen the others yet?" Klaus asked as he sat on his bed.
"Only Allison and Vanny." Eleanor said as she sat beside her brother.
"Have you..." Eleanor began, trying to secretly ask if he's seen Diego yet.
"Seen Diego?" Klaus asked with a smirk, earning a blush from his sister, prompting him to continue.
"As a matter of fact I have. He asked about you." Klaus said with a wink and Eleanor's heart fluttered.
"Really? What'd he say?" She asked desperately.
"Just wondered if you were coming or not. I don't know where he is now though." Klaus finished while playing with the feathers on his coat.
"Oh ok." Eleanor said, slightly saddened at the fact that Diego may not have missed her at all.
"So..." Klaus began, noticing the sad look on Eleanor's face. "What have you been up to sis?" He asked in an effort to cheer her up.
"Where to begin?" Eleanor started with a laugh before continuing. "Well I'm a psychiatrist and I have my own practice now." She said, unsure of how much more she should reveal to him.
"Ooo I'll need to book a session soon! Does family get a discount?" He joked and Eleanor laughed, finally realizing how much she missed her brother.
"What about you? What have you been doing these past few years?" She asked slightly worried, remembering how bad he was when they last saw each other.
"Same old, same old." Klaus said with a forced smile, but before she could press him any further, someone barged into the room.
"Hey Klaus, Luther wants you down stairs for a family meeting..." Diego began, but stopped when his eyes landed on Eleanor.
"Ellie..." he began and she instantly got up and turned to his direction.
"Diego." She said with a wide smile as she cautiously stepped closer to him.
The two hadn't left things on a good note and she feared that the boy she once loved...still loved, didn't feel the same way anymore.
"When did you g-g-get here?" Diego asked, cursing himself for stuttering, but being too overflown with emotion to control it. Eleanor simply blushed and came closer to get a better look at him.
"Just a little while ago." She said and the two looked at each other with longing and loving stares for what felt like eternity.
Klaus merely smirked at the two before rolling his eyes and asking "Are you going to kiss already or what?" The pair instantly backed away from each other with a wide blush as Klaus laughed to himself.
"I guess we should get downstairs then." Diego said and Eleanor nodded as she and Klaus followed close behind him.
The three made their way to the living room to find the rest of the family there.
"Luther!" Eleanor said happily as the now giant man turned to see her.
"Ellie, I didn't think you'd come." He admitted but she just gave him a hug.
She looked him over once more, shocked at how much he's changed. He's gotten much taller and buffer since the last time she's seen him, but I guess time changes a person.
"So, why'd you call us down here?" Eleanor wondered aloud for the group, having secretly heard their thoughts.
She took a seat on the coach near Vanya as Klaus made drinks for her and himself. Diego discretely got up and moved to stand near Eleanor, causing her to blush to herself.
"Um I guess we should get this started." Luther began. "So I figured we could have a sort of memorial service in the courtyard at sundown. Say a few words, just at Dad's favorite spot."
"Dad has a favorite spot?" Allison asked shocked and the rest of the family all turned to Luther in confusion.
"Yeah, since when?" Eleanor added.
"You know, under the oak tree. We used to sit out there all the time. None of you ever did that?" Luther asked and Eleanor let out a scoff before saying "Dad hated us Luther."
Klaus quickly made his way over to the coach before handing a drink to Eleanor. "Will there be refreshments? Tea? Scones? Cucumber sandwiches are always a winner." He said with a smile.
Eleanor let out a laugh as her brother sat beside her, only to earn a glare from Luther. "What? No. And put that out. Dad didn't allow smoking in here." Luther ordered, but to deaf ears as Klaus kept his cigarette lit.
"Is that my skirt?" Allison asked, finally noticing Klaus' outfit.
"What? Oh yeah, this? I found it in your room. It's a little dated, I know, but it's very breathy on the bits." Klaus concluded and Allison glared at him, while Eleanor laughed to herself.
"Listen up." Luther began, in an effort to refocus the room. "Still some important things that we need to discuss, all right?"
"Like what?" Diego asked bored.
"Like the way he died." Luther told him as Diego and Eleanor both rolled their eyes.
"And here we go" Diego said softly to Eleanor.
"I don't understand. I thought they said it was a heart attack." Vanya asked, confused.
"Yeah, according to the coroner." Luther said.
"Well wouldn't they know?" Eleanor asked.
"Theoretically" Luther added.
"Theoretically?" Allison questioned in disbelief.
"I'm just saying at the very least, something happened. The last time I talked to dad, he sounded strange." Luther said as he glanced around the room.
"Oh quelle surprise!" Klaus exclaimed as he gurgled his drink.
"Strange how?" Allison asked, giving Luther the benefit of the doubt.
"He sounded on edge. Told me I should be careful who to trust."
"Luther, he was a paranoid bitter old man who was starting to lose what was left of his marbles." Diego said as he walked closer to the taller man.
"No. He must have known something was going to happen. Look, I know you don't like to do it, but I need you to talk to Dad." Luther told Klaus, who pointed to himself in shock, a drink in one hand and cigarette in the other.
"I can't just call Dad in the afterlife and be like, 'Dad, could you just stop playing tennis with Hitler for a moment and take a quick call?'" Klaus told him and this time Eleanor couldn't help but let out a few laughs out, causing Diego to smile as well. Oh how he missed the way her smile lit up a room.
"Since when? That's your thing." Luther exclaimed, pulling Diego from his thoughts.
"I'm not in the right...frame of mind." Klaus said delicately, being very carefully on which words he used.
"He's high." Eleanor deadpanned as the rest of the family sighed.
"Yeah! Yeah! I mean how are you not listening to all of this nonsense?" Klaus wondered, while resting his head on his sister's shoulder.
"Well sober up. This is important!" Luther demanded, but Eleanor quickly spoke up.
"Hey leave him alone! It's not that easy." She yelled at him and Klaus gave her a warm smile as he mouthed a small 'thank you.'
"Then there's the issue of the missing monocle." Luther continued, deciding to move on from Klaus.
"Who gives a shit about a stupid monocle?" Diego asked annoyed.
"Exactly. It's worthless. Whoever took it, I think it was personal. Someone close to him. Someone with a grudge." Luther finished, looking directly at Eleanor.
"Why are you looking at me?" She wondered, shrinking under his gaze.
Diego glared daggers at Luther for even thinking that Eleanor was responsible for their father's death, while Klaus went to quickly change the subject from Ellie.
"Where are you going with this?" He wondered.
"Oh, isn't it obvious Klaus? He thinks one of us killed Dad. More specifically, he thinks Eleanor did it." Diego said angrily as he glared at Luther.
Eleanor looked down in shock at her brother's accusation. She didn't need to be a mind reader to know that he at least suspected that she was the culprit. She felt a few tears slip from her eyes and she quickly wiped them away before anyone could see.
Klaus looked from his sister to Luther before drawing the same conclusion as Diego. "You do!" He exclaimed in shock and Vanya quickly spoke up as well.
"How could you think that?"
At this point, Eleanor could no longer control the tears coming out of her eyes as she quickly ran out of the living room and upstairs.
"El?" Klaus called out worriedly for his sister.
The rest of the family all watched Eleanor with sympathetic glances as Luther rubbed a hand down his face.
"Great job Luther, way to lead." Diego said snarkily as he quickly followed Eleanor upstairs.
"That's not what I'm saying..." Luther began, feeling guilty for making Eleanor cry, but Klaus quickly cut him off.
"You're crazy man! You're crazy! Crazy." Klaus told him as he got up to leave.
"I'm not finished" Luther demanded, only to be ignored by the family. Vanya hastily got up as well, following Klaus out of the living room.
"Sorry Im just going to go murder Mom. Be right back." Klaus said over his shoulder, leaving only Luther and Allison in a tense silence.
"That's not what I was saying. I didn't..." Luther sighed as he looked hopefully to Allison.
"Allison..." he began, but she too left, leaving him alone in the now empty room.
"That went well."
A/N: Hey guys! I hope you liked this chapter! Sorry, it was another long one, but I had to introduce all of the characters. The next few chapters should shorter. Please comment and vote. I love hearing from you guys!