"I know we can be your family... if you just let us," Diego tried, staring intently into Lila's tearful eyes.
Five looked down at Violet with wide eyes, scanning her rapidly. Her neck, her shoulder, her stomach - no blood, no wounds, but still in pain and none the wiser as to the horror he had just escaped.
He looked towards the open doors and knew he had to act fast before it happened all over again. Against all bitter judgement he broke her hand free from holding him as her wide, fearful eyes shot up to meet his - and said a rushed, pleading, "trust me" as he left her and blinked to the edge of the doorway.
He heard movement and everyone turned to see Five snatch the gun out of the Handler's hands as though he just knew she was going to appear.
Violet could barely focus on what was going on, her vision blurred.
All she knew was her hand was cold now, and she wanted Five back.
The poised woman raised her hands in surrender as he aimed the gun right at the Handler, a fixed stare on his face.
"It's true, isn't it?" Lila accused her. "What they said."
Violet slowly came to, or her mind did, beginning to piece the missing dialogue together as it caught up to her. But she could not move from her spot on the floor, trembling and just absolutely exhausted.
The Handler didn't respond and just glanced over the boy.
She snapped. "Answer me! Is it true?"
The Handler gave a false smile and shrugged. "Well-"
Before she could finish, a succession of bullets struck her from the back, causing her to gasp and drop to the ground. They all watched in shock as blood spilled out of her wounds and the side of her mouth, her body stilling.
Violet could just about see one of the Swede's standing at a stand still, staring straight at Five who still had a gun aimed in that direction.
Luther barrelled towards Lila but Diego cut him off, knocking him to the ground instead.
The woman snatched up the Handlers fallen briefcase, tears running down her face, before disappearing in a flash.
Violet could only hear the blood rushing in her ears as Five finally angled his head to the side, cautiously lowering his aim before dropping the gun to the floor. "Enough."
They all nervously shifted as they waited for the Swede to make his decision.
Finally he gave a tense nod, dropping his gun. He muttered something in Swedish back.
The minute he looked over them all before taking his leave, and they were sure he was gone, Vanya's eyes widened when her name was yelled from the lower floor. She raced to where Sissy was with Harlan, still struggling with his energy field, and the siblings began to follow one by one in a hurry.
Violet couldn't move herself, staring off at her lap, eyes stinging with tears.
Five raced to her side immediately, and as soon as he was close enough she snatched him by the sleeve, finding security in it and now unwilling to let go. He held her softly by the wrist with the same hand, the touch warming her frigid skin. She let out a deep exhale, her eyes closing briefly.
Then they lifted from the spot on the ground to meet his.
"Are you..."
She shook her head slightly before he even got the question out.
He pressed his lips together in a thin line.
Eventually the chaos of the storm and the force field went away with a zap of energy, but all Five really cared about was what was in front of him.
He glanced over his shoulder when the others were approaching once more, eyes catching sight of two figures approaching through the field of dead bodies, stepping over them uneasily with a briefcase in the taller womans hands. Five straightened and the grip on his sleeve tightened.
"Vi, I need to-"
But she was rigid, like a statue, catatonic and still and unwilling to let him out of her sight. When he met her haunted eyes she was already staring right at him.
"Can you stand?" He asked eventually.
Violet swallows thickly. She wondered herself that question and slowly shifted so her legs were underneath her. Even the dried hay scraping across her legs was painful, her skin feeling sensitive and raw, but with his help she managed to get her feet on the ground and stand.
When she was upright, the floor seemed to dip and sway beneath her and she swallowed thickly, closing her eyes. When she reopened them, her shoulder was against his and he had an arm around her.
It took a lot in her resolve to not vomit then and there.
"I've got you," he said gently, looking out the barn doors and frowning slightly. "but there's some people I have to talk to."
She nodded numbly.
He knew she would not leave his side and quite frankly, he wasn't going to let her out of his sight anyways.
He approached Dot and Herb slowly, allowing her to keep up with him. She followed not even a half step behind him, arm linked with his and head down.
The sound of jogging footsteps approaching from behind made her glance over her shoudler. Diego met them on the other side of Five, giving her a wavering smile when he saw she was looking. She couldn't manage to give one back.
"Oh, is this your wife?" The black haired woman gasped, clapping her hands together in excitement with a little grin.
Violet shyly tucked herself behind Five's shoulder while the boy quirked a real, little smile.
"You are a lucky one, aren't you?"
Violet felt some warmth spread across her cheeks and tucked her head down more, but the boy next to her nudged her gently.
"Sure am." He muttered, but he sounded distracted and a tad impatient. He got straight to business while Diego shook hands with Herb, the shorter old man with glasses.
The entire time they conversed Violet stared down at the frost covered grass beneath her shoes, watching it rift when the wind howled around them and shivered, very much aware that the boy holding her by the arm was the only thing keeping her upright. If she stared too long in one space she would sway with the wind, like a wilting flower and his hold would subconciously tighten, but not enough to cause her any discomfort.
"Herb, we need a favour." Five's genuine voice shook her out of her troubled and muddled thoughts.
"Oh," the short man nodded, a little surprised. "Sure, anything!"
Violet wasn't used to anyone from the commission that sounded as kind as these two did, and it honestly threw her for a bit of a loop.
"A briefcase," Five squeezed her hand. He glanced up at Diego who nodded in agreement. "To get back home where we belong."
Home.
It felt so surreal to have it in their grasp after so long of fighting to claw it back.
Herb and Dot exchanged a little smile, laughing a little. He gestured behind them to the field of dead assassins, where each one had a briefcase lying next to their bodies. "Take your pick."
Violet held Five's hand tighter, beginning to be pulled out of her daze. Hope swelled in her heart and she gave the boy next to her a weak twitch of the lips.
He pulled an arm around her shoulders and tugged her closer to his side in a sort of embrace. Her head fell to rest on his shoulder.
Finally, was all she could think. The idea of rest seemed so far fetched and distant it was almost surreal to know it was just around the corner. She couldnt imagine how Five felt, knowing how little time it had been since he'd got back. He was the one holding her together but had no one to do the same for him.
Despite the fact the touch of another would usually set her on edge, even Five's on occasion to no fault of his own, she slid an arm around his waist to secure them in place like perfectly fit puzzle pieces.
They went to sit inside in order to give Vanya some time to say goodbye to Sissy, and everyone else time to recover both physically and mentally.
Violet ended up sitting with Five on the steps of the front porch, her head on his shoulder and hand linked with his on his lap.
He must have sensed talking wasn't what she wanted, just rest, time to collect her thoughts, and she was eternally grateful for his quiet presence beside her.
As the sun began to set over the horizon and a chill set in the air, she began to shiver, leaning against his side closer.
He glanced down at her, her bare arms and shoulders, no jacket over her thin top. The chill sweeping across her pale skin, the slight line between her eyebrows, but she said nothing. Didn't even reopen her eyes as she tucked her face closer to the crook of his neck.
It caused shivers to run down his own spine. Five gently slid his arms out of his blazer and she pulled away slightly at his movement, opening her eyes curiously to see what he was doing. When she sat back slightly, he pulled his blazer around her shoulders and tugged it closer around her front, making a tiny smile appear on her cracked lips.
"Thanks." She managed to whisper. But she couldn't help but frown at the sight of him without it. "What about you?"
He shrugged a shoulder up lightly, unbothered. "What do I need a jacket for when I've got you?"
She shook her head down at the floor and pulled him to her this time, pulling her arms around his and clasping her hands to secure the hold. He leant in to her and rested his head in her lap, prompting her to rest her chin on his shoulder and lean over him to sheild him from the wind.
And as his head rested in her lap and she held him close, the world went quiet around him.
For once he was able to breathe, content in where he was, knowing that they had done it and the fight was over. Finally he could rest.
They sat like that for however long, holding onto eachother like the world would end if they let go. Not saying a word, just listening to the wind rustle against the frost coated grass, and the quiet, somber chatter of everyone else moving about inside the house.
By the time everyone finally left the confines of the farmhouse the sky had turned a deep shade of blackish blue, stars beginning to dot the clouded space above them. They all spilt into the front yard, the dim moonlight illuminating them all.
Five hadn't wanted to get up from their embrace but the need to get back home overruled it all in his mind. (Then he could spend however long he wanted in Violet's arms without having to worry about anything.)
Violet had slid her arms through his blazer to wear it properly, held onto the end of his shirt sleeve as he approached the group with the briefcase in hand. As he set the device to the right time, everyone shifted in anticipation.
"You okay, kid?"
She looked up to her right at Diego, who had uttered the question softly but seriously.
She swallowed thickly, eyes falling to the floor. She nodded, and he sighed a little at the response.
She wasn't really, but she would be soon.
Everyone huddled closer to them.
"Everyone ready?" Five asked, glancing around at them all individually as they nodded.
"Lets do it." Luther stated firmly.
"Okay." Five breathed out. Everyone shifted to hold onto eachother in a circle. When it came to Violet, she held onto Five from behind him while Diego and Vanya got the hint and put their hands on either of Five's shoulders; so that she was still included in the circle somehow without being touched.
Klaus suddenly exclaimed, "wait!"
They all looked at him disapprovingly as he ran to grab a black cowboy hat from the porch and placed it on his head, hurrying back to his spot beside Luther.
Diego leant in to whisper in Five's ear. "Fifty bucks if we leave him here."
Violet kicked the back of his ankle and he shot her a look, grimacing down at her.
"I was kidding!" He hissed lightly.
She shook her head.
After everyone gave Five a nod to say they were ready, Five unlatched the briefcase.
Violet held onto his sleeve tightly as they were swarmed with blue light from all directions, the ground moving away from them and the farm disappearing in a flash. The vortex enveloped them all while crackling with energy.
Suddenly, the scenery around them cemented. They were in the same dull walls of the academy, the room freezing cold.
Some of them groaned, clutching their heads or their stomachs at the uncomfortable feeling of being pulled through time and space. They all leant on the circular table in the middle of them all.
Violet and Five exchanged a look immediately, checking they were both in one piece. He closed the case and put it on the table, finding a newspaper nearby and scanning the front page rapidly.
Violet tilted her head, looking around at the dark walls, the paintings, the vases and ornaments on little pedestals and tables. It all felt familiar, but something was pressing on her mind to make her frown.
"What- what day is it?" Luther groaned, pointing at Five.
"April second, twenty nineteen," Five declared as he looked around at them all. "Day after the apocalypse."
"So we stopped it?" Allison asked, eyes wide in disbelief.
Violet stilled all of a sudden, noticing a painting to the right of the stairs that looked out of place. It was of a rainy landcape, a sunset above the horizon and a family of bears walking across it.
She frowned deeply and approached it, blinking as though it was a figment of her imagination. But it wasn't.
"My god, is it over?" Vanya gasped slightly.
"Did we... actually succeed at something?" Klaus laughed, throwing his head back in celebration. "That's incredible!"
Five noticed that Violet wasn't at his side and moved around the group to look for her. He found her staring, mouth hanging open, a troubled look on her face as she stared at a mundane painting on the wall.
She didn't tear her gaze away from it when he gently touched her hand.
"Are you okay?"
She looked at him in concern. His stomach dropped at seeing her so anxious all of a sudden.
"What's wrong?"
She shakily points to the painting.
"It's just a painting. A bad one, but-" Klaus added.
Violet shook her head adamantly, staring right at Five who was searching her expression for answers. She leant in to whisper to him. "I helped Pogo put it up in the living room. It shouldn't be here."
"What do you mean it shouldn't be here?" Vanya inquired softly. The rest of them looked at Violet, confused, and she shrunk back at all the attention on her.
It could have just been her nerves, it could have been her muddled mind, but she was sure - it wasn't right.
She looked over at the group that stood around the circular table. The briefcase was on it, next to a blue and white china vase in the centre.
Violet got the nerve to leave Five's side and walked towards it, the group parting the way as she frowned deeply to herself and ran a finger along the blossom pattern painted on the white porcelain.
She shook her head. This anxiety wasn't going away. Her heart was beginning to pick up pace, making her clear her throat uncomfortably and take a deep inhale.
"Vi?" Diego asked.
Five approached her side quickly as she backed away from the table, looking around the foyer, scanning the walls as though searching for something.
"I've never seen that vase before," she revealed quietly, so softly the others had to strain to hear. It was true. Mom had put an ornament of a deer on its hind legs on this table. She had once caught a thread of her beloved blue diamond jumper on it passing it by.
"Well, its been a while," Luther suggested lightly, unsure. "Maybe you just forgot?"
Violet headed towards the living area connected to the foyer, tucking her hands in the blazers sleeves for comfort. Her head turned in all directions and Five followed her, the others not bothering and now questioning eachother about the authenticity of what she was saying.
She suddenly stopped, frozen like a statue.
This wasn't the same home she had spent her entire life hidden away in. As much as she didn't want it to be true, it just wasn't. With a sinking heart she stared up above the mentle, where the painting of young Five should have been.
Before she couldn't even look at it but she didn't have that issue anymore.
"Five..." she whispered to get his attention.
He followed her gaze. His hand immediately found hers at their side.
"Oh no..."
"Uh," Diego had noticed their stare and stood behind them. "Guys? Why is there a painting of Ben above the mantlepiece?"
Everyone surrounded them to come and look.
Violet felt sick. And yet she couldnt tear her eyes away from the painting of Ben, her heart aching terribly. She tightened her hold on Five's hand.
A figure approached them from the side. "I knew you'd show up eventually."
Violet immediately tucked herself behind Five, peering over her shoulder at their father uneasily.
Sir Reginald stood calmly, staring at them all with his hands clasped behind his back.
The group were in utter shock.
"Dad." Diego breathed.
"You're alive." Luther murmured in shock.
The old man looked at them all, confused. "Why shouldn't I be?"
"Yeah... yeah- yeah you're... right." Luther stuttered. "Just happy that were home and- and together again."
His eyebrows furrowed and he repeated incredulously, "Home? This isn't your home."
Violet didn't like this.
Violet wanted to go home. And if this wasn't it, then where the fuck were they?
"What are you talking about?" Allison asked, stepping forward. "This is the Umbrella Academy."
"Wrong again." They all stared in utter confusion. Dumbfounded. "This... is the Sparrow Academy."
The sound of footsteps sounded behind them and they all turned to look, seeing silhouettes of five people up on the second floor behind the railing. A glowing greenish cube floated beside them.
But Violet had noticed someone else before any of them and despite the fear in her chest, and the dread, she pushed through the others and they all finally saw who she was looking at.
"Ben?" She asked softly, tears welling in her eyes despite her knowing, knowing deep down that this was all wrong.
It was all wrong.
He had a scar down his face, a bit of facial hair and spiked up hair instead of smart, flat hair combed back.
It wasn't her Ben.
Not to mention this Ben was alive.
He coldly scanned her up and down, scoffing, and she recoiled as though his stare had physically stung her, the tears in her eyes beginning to burn.
"Dad," Ben glanced right through them all, looking back at Sir Reginald through the group shocked to the core. "Who the hell are these assholes?"
Violet felt sick.