Ok. I never intended it to be this time before I got this completed. I also didn't intend it to be this long- I meant to do a short scene of Klaus having a slight panic attack before getting in the bath. But here we are, a few thousand words later. I'm going to ignore the fact the 'epilogue' is nearly as long as the actual story- my bad. And I just can't seem to give Klaus a break, I'm extremely sorry.

As you may have noticed, I've slightly altered the Title of the Fic- discussing title options with my friend we decided we both liked 'Depths of Despair' and 'Sinking Deeper'. At first I went with 'Sinking Deeper' but after writing the final part I realised that it fit that much better. So now the main story is 'Depths of Despair' with this final section being 'Sinking Deeper'.

I have babbled, and I could have finished this at varying parts throughout but as usual I just kept giving Klaus a bad time. I hope it's not too much or too jumbled but I promised I'd try to get it out so here you are. Enjoy. x

To all the reviewers, thank you so much, and to those I can't reply to I want you to know I am so grateful for your feedback (Idrk, you've left some lovely comments, thank you!). Looking forward to S2 and what it will bring.

It felt like the cold was set so deep into his bones that he would feel it for a long time. Mom and Pogo had cleared him from medical, telling him to keep an eye on his breathing and general health and that if anything felt even slightly wrong to go back to them.

So maybe he should tell them he still felt half dead?

It wasn't unusual for Klaus to feel so poor, for his body to rebel and constantly feel run down, on the verge of some new illness. He often felt cold in the heat of summer with his skin goosepimpling and his hands shaking- when not shaking from the drugs that is. He often got headaches from the constant barrage of voices and pressure of his powers working in the background and because of nearly everything about him, nausea was a daily occurrence. So he wasn't going to let a little chill worry him. And he definitely wasn't going to alert anyone else and worry them; he'd only just got Diego to stop following him around.

"Dee, Dee, I'm fine. I'm just gonna go nap ok, maybe take a bath. You need one of each too, you stink and you're cranky."

He'd forgone the nap, too alert and buzzing to even think about sleeping. And honestly he didn't know if he dared close his eyes for even when he blinked he saw the dark waters and the terrifying ghosts that had dragged him down. Once or twice since returning he'd had dizzy spells, his head going light and feeling all too close like the sensation of floating, and then falling. He could still feel their grips on his ankles, the bruises rubbing roughly against his trousers and the strong grip around his torso that had felt so paralyzing.

Now he stood in the bathroom, his reflection staring back at him from the mirror. He looked just like they had, eyes glazed over and half empty sat upon their backdrop of dark rings, with dirty skin poisoned by the water leaving blue sheens on a pale background. He was a twisted and warped painting, 'The Scream' forming a filter over his face in his mind. This was going to stick with him for a long time. Hell. It may even be the new mausoleum.

The mirror slowly steamed up as the heat from the bath he was running took over the room, forcing him to turn away and focus on the activity at hand. He was dressed in some sweats and a loose top, something Grace had thrown on him when they brought him back still shivering, but made no move to remove them now. Once the water neared the rim of the tub he turned the taps off and let the water settle beneath him. Usually he would be straight in, lapping up the joy of being in a bath and throwing his headphones over his ears and a lit cigarette in his mouth. But now, it was as if he was rooted to the spot.

Behind him the bathroom door squeaked a little as it was pushed open- he had left it ajar so he wasn't going to snap at whoever it was.

"Hey. You want anything before you get in?" It was Allison. "Anything I can get you. Or do?"

No.

"Klaus?"

No thanks Allison. Typical mum, always prying for manners.

"Klaus? You alright?"

It was then he realised that maybe he hadn't actually responded. "Oh. Sorry Ally Cat, yeah. Just. Just peachy." Even he knew his voiced weakened and trailed off at the end.

He heard the clack of Allison's shoes on the tiles as she grew closer, before feeling the warmth of her body as she stood behind him. She put a gentle, and nervous, hand on his elbow. "No. You're not."

Maybe it was the utter exhaustion, or maybe it was the fact he'd already voiced so many emotions and thoughts today but his words seemed to spill out far easier than they had ever come before.

"I don't think I can have a bath Al." They may have spilled from his mouth, but they were still whispered and broken.

The one thing he loved and could rely on and it had been taken from him. Just another point of evidence to go toward his growing belief that he should never love anyone or anything lest it be ripped from him viciously and violently.

"Klaus..."

He turned to her, but neither broke contact. His eyes met hers and he saw pity staring back at him. "I don't want to get into that bath anymore than I want to visit a graveyard." Even as he stood there with his back to the offending object, he began to shake a little more. "I. I-I can't. I don't want..."

As he shook his head and looked down at the floor he felt himself pulled into a hug, being wrapped in an embrace almost meant to hold him together and stop the shaking. Allison was shushing him and carding her fingers through his hair as she rubbed his back with the other hand. Total Mom!

"You don't have to have a bath Klaus. Not now. It's only been a few hours. Take a shower. Or just get into something comfortable and try again tomorrow."

"I don't want a shower." Yeah, he sounded like a moping kid, his bottom lip out and his face scrunched.

"Then don't have one."

"But I want a bath!" He forced himself from her embrace and stomped his foot. He was angry at the world, at what had happened and everything that had ever happened to him. Maybe he was going through some 'stages of' type thing; fear, uncertainty, anger...

"Do you want me to stay?" Allison said it so suddenly and with so little fight or reaction to Klaus' immature behaviour that he stood frozen for a moment.

"I...no. No that'd be weird."

She laughed, and even though it was short, Klaus felt a bubble of something good inside of him upon witnessing it. "I think this entire family is passed 'weird', don't you? Besides, it's not the first time I've seen you in the bath, nor naked for that matter."

"Ally I was 8 last time you saw me in the bath."

She laughed again but was rubbing his arms up and down as if to warm him. It helped ground him if anything.

"But I've run the water now."

"Well if you don't use it, I'm sure one of us will. Diego's already had a shower and I'm pretty sure Vanya has but there's me or Five."

"What about Luther? Does he wait for a storm and stand outside?"

He got a punch to the arm (though lovingly even so) for that remark. And another laugh. "You're terrible!"

After that, they lapsed into silence and stood for a good minute in one another's company. From the corner of his eye, Klaus could see Allison assessing him, looking him up and down and trying to gauge his stability.

Eventually, he sighed and ran a hand over his face. "Yeah. I'm just gonna call it a night. My sheets need changing anyway, I'll wash them and me tomorrow."

When she spoke, Allison's voice was oh so soft. "Ok."

There was still a part of him that hated this pity and sympathy, that wanted to shout at her for treating him like she would Claire, but he was just so done. He couldn't argue, couldn't find it in himself to be angry because there was so much more to feel and he couldn't take anymore emotions.

Ironically, he was drowning in it all.

"Klaus?" Allison's worried voice came through. Damn, how long had he been lost in thought? And when had he fallen to heavy breathing?

It was the drowning reference wasn't it!?

"No. I'm good. I'm good." He straightened his clothes and tucked some of Allison's hair behind her ear. "You should use the water, I put fresh flower meadow bubble bath in and I know how much you love your blossom scents."

She looked at him again, toying with saying more, but evidently decided against it- for now most likely- and nodded. "Ooh you definitely know how to persuade a girl!"

Klaus kissed her on the cheek, stroking a thumb over her face as he held her. She squeezed him back, her eyes beginning to shine with tears.

And that's my cue to leave! "Don't forget to lock the door, though not much use when Five decides to just pop in."

As the door closed behind him, he ran across back to his room and locked himself in. The burn of tears at the back of his throat fought with the air stolen from him as his grief and panic took over. Was he going to get a damn break today when it came to breathing clearly!?

Sinking down the side of his bed, sitting on the cold hard floor, he grounded himself and focused on everything BUT the pounding of his heart and the sting of his fear. The day had worn him away until there was nothing left, until he was a shell moving about and trying to mimic a human. He was a ghost.

Sitting by his bed he let the exhaustion take over him, the singing in his ears and the buzzing of his body replaced by pure emptiness. Knowing full well it would be a restless and nightmare fueled time, he fell asleep.

XX

He hadn't washed himself or his sheets as he had planned. It was a miracle he was even up now- though 'up' included him standing in the middle of his room two days after the events of the reservoir and trying not to pass out scream or cry.

He had woken to find himself in his bed a few hours after falling asleep on the floor and later heard that Diego had found him that way, panicked, checked him over with the help of Mom before lying him oh so gently ("Tell anybody else and I'll kill you!") onto his bed. Over the course of that night- or day?- he was mostly unconscious, hearing people coming in and out his room to check up on him and taking readings of his vitals. At one point Vanya worried he was too out of it and voted they put him back in infirmary to keep an eye on him but was (kindly) knocked down by Pogo stating it was natural to be this exhausted and that him waking up in a different room would probably spook him more. Klaus stayed as he was, letting sleep take over whenever it wanted to and fought nightmares and horrors just as he always did. Even when he awoke he stayed motionless, just staring at a fixed point in the room or feigning sleep if he knew he had company. A part of him just didn't want to face anybody.

It was a day later he woke up properly, turning over to see a jug of water and some fruit and biscuits laid beside his bed should he want anything. He had forced himself to rise from the bed and made a note for his door asking for privacy before locking it. In the time since, he had only had about 10 knocks and threats of breaking down the door but a quick manifest of Ben to calm their worries made them go away.

"Just give him time. He's ok I promise, he's just dealing with it the Klaus way."

"But he doesn't have to. We're here. We want to help."

"I know Vanya, and I'm sure he knows too but just...he has his coping mechanisms and I want to give him space for those- for now."

"No offense Ben but we know his coping mechanisms and we aren't huge fans of him being alone whilst needing them."

"There's no drugs in there, no alcohol. He needs time and privacy..."

"He needs his family!"

"Yeah well where was his family all those times before Diego! Huh!? And what am I? Scotch Mist?"

Klaus had 'ended the call' before things got even more heated, with Ben skulking back in with his shoulders slumped. "How much did you hear?"

"I'm not deaf you know. You were stood right outside my door."

"They really are worried."

He had slept again after that and now stood stock still in the centre of his room. After managing to finish half the water and a couple of mouthfuls of banana he felt somewhat better. Ghosts still crowded the room, crying and muttering their death songs around him and it was only his lack of energy that meant he didn't raise a finger to try and shut them out. His arms were so weak he couldn't hold them over his ears and even closing his eyes felt like too much effort.

He still craved a bath though. So with the one shred of willpower he had, he walked from his room and across the landing. The light in the bathroom was good, sunny but not so bright it hurt his eyes and the warmth of the rays held the room at a comfortable temperature too. Slowly he began the process of setting up his bath. He poured a selection of fragrant bubble baths in, creating a relaxing and atmospheric mixture, and turned on both taps to begin filling up the tub. From the linen cupboard he fished out two fresh towels and hung them from the shower rails to warm up as the room turned into a mini sauna. Returning to his room he grabbed some of his favourite trousers- a pair of dark purple and grey tartan skinny jeans- and a random rock band tshirt he may have stolen from Vanya or Allison years ago during a shared 'rebel' phase. They would make him feel good, a reward after his bath, fresh clothes and fresh Klaus.

As the water once again reached the rim of the tub he turned off the taps and stared down at it. The colours of one of the bubble baths shimmered with hues of purple and pink and resembled some mystical, magical water from a fairytale. If only Klaus felt like the water looked.

He was yet to strip from his now manky sweats but couldn't push himself to do so, once again petrified to the spot. With a little cajoling from Ben he bent over and slowly let his fingers plunge into the water, sweeping his hand from side to side and letting the liquid seep over the appendage.

Maybe it felt good? He wasn't sure.

It did feel good but his mind went right back to the murky waters of the reservoir and the damn ghosts stood around the room with him weren't helping in the slightest. They weren't the same ghosts as back then, these were ones he recognized that seemed to be stuck in the vicinity of the mansion and had found him years ago when his power was still growing. But it didn't help him feel any better for he knew that there were a number of these people who would love to see him suffer and probably wouldn't think twice before shoving his head below the surface should he let them. His power had manifested without his say so a few days ago, at a time when it was dangerous for them to do so and it terrified him that he wouldn't have a hold of his abilities in future times of need. Who was to say he wouldn't be laid in this tub and not be pushed down if his powers did as they pleased again? Or even now, stood beside the water, one could come from behind and bend him over the rim until his face was submerged and air bubbles forced themselves from his mouth?

Klaus ripped his hand from the water and took numerous steps away from the bath, his heart hammering and his chest heaving. Tears and sweat mixed on his face and his hands shook as he held them to his body.

He was stood there for a good 5 minutes before a knock at the door brought him from his trance.

"Klaus? You in there?" It was Allison again.

When she gave the knob a gentle turn and the door another knock he realised he must have remembered to lock the door this time.

"It's ok if you want to be alone, I just saw your room empty and wanted to be sure."

She wasn't demanding, her voice was gentle and caring and he could sense the anxiety behind her words. He knew that she would respect his privacy but also knew that she would break down the door or get Five to jump in if he didn't give her some clue to his safety.

In the end he turned to the door and unlocked it. He opened it, meeting her worried gaze.

"I want a bath." The voice that came from him was so childlike it made him sick, he wasn't the type to share his emotions and there had been so much vulnerability these last few days that he was embarrassed and ashamed. Allison almost cried with him, her eyes shining with tears as she looked from the bath behind him back to him.

"Come on." With all the care of a mother, she took his hand and led him back into the bathroom. As he stood there he allowed her to take off his tshirt and trousers before wrapping a towel around his midriff. "I'm not forcing you into that bath, ok, but I'll stay here as long as you want me to until you feel comfortable enough to get in. And if you can't do it today, then we'll do this again tomorrow, and the next day, and next month if we need to. Alright?"

His nod of affirmation dislodged a number of fresh tears that tracked their way down his cheeks. He could do this. He had been in a war for Christ's sake, he had lived on the streets for years, he had done things to get money and drugs- this was a bath, a bath, a thing that he loved so much.

Ben stood a bit further back but made himself known to Klaus, clearing as many of the ghosts from the room as he could- it seemed being manifested and murdering assassins gave him a little more decree over the lesser, screaming, ghosts around him.

"Allison's with you Klaus, if anything happens she'll be right there. She's not going to let them push you under."

"You promise?" The words were meant for Ben, for his assurance of Klaus' safety under Allison's care, but of course, their sister had not heard Ben's side to the conversation.

"Of course." Though the words were spoken softly and full of emotion, there was a sting to them, as if it hurt her to think that Klaus had so little faith in her. And he wanted to correct it, to explain that it was meant for Ben but he just couldn't find it in himself to bother.

As he drew in a breath, it hitched and shook and he turned his gaze to the ceiling to try and reign in his emotions. He could do this.

Before the fear took over again, and with both of his siblings' words still fresh in his mind, he lifted a leg up and into the water. Luckily he always drew the bath extra warm and so the water was still a decent temperature.

His foot tingled under the depths but he could feel the oils of the products soft on his skin and an inhale had the aromas filling his lungs.

"It smells gorgeous Klaus, you'll have to start your own fragrance collection." Allison had noticed him trying to focus on the good things, the feel of the water on his leg, the smell of whatever he had used, and she focused on that, aiming his attention even more.

"Like making potions from all the bottles when we were kids." He smiled as the memory forced away his anxieties for a moment longer.

"Sometimes I still kind of want to do it." She giggled in his ear.

With the arm that was already in her grasp, he let his weight fall onto her a little as he lifted his second leg into the bath until he was stood paddling in the water, the towel still wrapped around his waist.

He breathed deep, focusing on the smells and the sounds around him (trying not to listen to the last few ghosts Ben hadn't managed to clear off), and the feeling of Allison behind him, her touch grazing over his body as she soothed him.

"I think I want to sit down." It came out as a whisper, and almost as if he was asking permission.

"Ok." Was her response.

Taking it as permission and confirmation of her presence, he removed the towel with a shaking hand- his other absolutely not letting go of his sister's. There wasn't even a thought spared to her seeing his ass, or any other part of him, as he precariously lowered himself further into the water.

The hand in his remained.

He tightened his grip as the water came up and up his legs, covering his lower back.

His hand shook in hers as his stomach went under.

Her spare hand scratched the back of his head as she added extra contact support when he was close to jumping right back out again.

With his eyes closed and Allison's left hand in his and right hand in his hair, he finally allowed himself to firmly sit in the bath and leant his body back to lie down.

He still shook, but it felt so damn good to be in here. The soothing effects of the bath already working their magic, and the internal celebration of facing the challenge forcing a huge serotonin wave to sweep through him. He felt good, even though his body was still half reacting to the anxiety.

"Feel better?" Allison was slowly stroking his hair and tickling the nape of his neck with her nails.

"Mmhhmm." He hummed.

When she laughed it was like jingle bells in his ears, tinkling a happy tune. And just like that everything drifted away. He was back in his happy place, with the warmth of the bath enveloping him and a gentle hum coming from Allison as she sat beside him- he felt he should find that awkward but he couldn't find it in himself to care. Turning his gaze toward his sister he saw her eyes shining with pride and happiness, and he returned the look with soft, grateful eyes that spoke volumes.

"Thank you Ally Cat."

"You're more than welcome." She leant forward and kissed his forehead. "Want me to stay?"

He thought about it for a while with the childlike fear still niggling at him to get her to stay, to see him through this one bath, but the relaxation and accomplishment of the task had given him a boost he knew he had to use. "Nah, think I'm good."

"Ok. Shout me if you need me, I'm just in my room." She gave him another kiss and got up to leave; Their hands stayed entwined until she was far enough for them to break apart.

Once she had left, he manifested Ben just long enough for him to turn the latch on the lock. "Thanks Benny, we all know Luther doesn't know how to knock."

"So Allison can see your junk but not Luther?" His brother laughed.

"I just don't like the boys getting jealous, y'know? I feel bad that they think they have to compete with this." He swept his hand up and down the length of his body.

"You just gestured to all of you."

"Exactamundo Benjamin!"

"You're impossible."

They lapsed into an easy silence after that, with Ben grabbing one of his mystery books out of no-where and Klaus relaxing further into the bath. He closed his eyes and let himself fall back into a familiar calm.

X

The water was all around. There was no light above him, only darkness, and no way out. It was an endless body of water and he wasn't ever going to break the surface. His lungs burnt like fire, like scores of barbed wire wrapped around him and squeezed. It grated on his skin, under his skin, in his lungs and everything in between. It felt like his throat was cut off, an invisible noose knotting and pulling and stealing any chance of breathing.

Beneath him, his ankles tore as nails and hands gripped and scratched and tugged as if he was the rope in some sick game of tug'o'war, and when others latched onto his arms he became some stretchy doll being pulled from all directions. He tried to scream but nothing came out, only bubbles- precious bubbles of air that he couldn't afford to lose. He watched them float up and away. The ghosts continued to tear him apart as he screamed and flailed as best he could, trying to break away and dislodge these phantom anchors.

"Klaus." Oh god, they were screaming and crying and now they were calling his name.

"Klaus?" Stop it. Just stop it.

"KLAUS!?"

LET ME GO.

"KLAUS!"

He flapped wildly, the air bubbles clouding his vision making everything around him one big black mess littered with terrifying faces and limbs. His skin was broken in places and he wasn't certain if he had hurt one of his wrists writhing in their death grips.

In the end, his scream became one of theirs, lost in the endless void.

X

Allison sat in her room. She planned on sorting through a lot of her things with the idea of handing some to her siblings and passing others on down to Claire. She had a pile of 'Klaus' clothes to her right which was much bigger than any of her other loads and she smiled remembering him 'borrowing' them over the years. The day they had reunited and she had seen him wearing her skirt had been like nothing had ever happened, like they had never broken up, like their father had never forced half of them away and let the other half die. Klaus had walked in, large as life, sauntering around in her skirt and suddenly all those years of distant interactions and hearing about him back in rehab or back on the streets could have been bad dreams. There they were, sat in the main room of their mansion and bickering like they always had and their pain in the ass 'little' brother broke the tension by just being him. Beautiful, wonderful, him.

And that was what made seeing him so broken hurt like hell. They knew he had bad days, and probably more bad days than any of them, but he always did so well to hide it or work past it. Klaus was strong, possibly the strongest at times over the years, and he had always been affectionate and caring and let his emotions show but it was his deepest darkest thoughts that scared them the most. They had seen him get bad, they had seen him close to giving up and it was far from their courageous brother. They gave him hell, they were shit siblings more often than not and yet he stuck close even after all the shit they'd gone through- and now more than ever. And the man she had held not long ago was not her skirt wearing, high heel stealing, nail and face painting brother. He had been one step away from the ghosts that plagued him, one foot over the line that split the living from the dead. Even sat in the bath, body trembling in her hold, his face and soul had been devoid of life.

Shaking her head from the morbid thoughts she walked from her room toward the bathroom. It had been 3 quarts of an hour since she'd left him and even that made her antsy to check in on him.

As she neared the door she heard water sloshing, so maybe she'd just caught him getting out- or more likely in the middle of a dance party he often had when he was in a good mood. She smiled as she stood there listening. You little perv, she could almost hear Klaus' teasing tone. 30 seconds of standing and listening she thought it best to leave him a little longer, she would go down to the kitchen and make herself some tea and come back up and have another check on her way past back to her room. But as she began to walk away she heard a clatter of something falling on the floor from inside the bathroom, and the water sounds seemed to intensify. Maybe he was doing the macarena and just got a bit too into it? Or maybe he needed her?

Forgoing her caution, she moved to the door and knocked. "Klaus? It's just me I just wanted to check in?"

Nothing.

"Klaus?" She didn't raise her voice, she wasn't going to allow herself to panic yet.

Again, nothing.

This time she knocked and turned the handle- she would just poke her head in the door and if he was full macarena he wouldn't see her anyway.

The door was locked.

Ok. No panicking. He'd probably just got out to unlock it once she'd left, not everyone in this house had the decency to knock before entering a room. Five!

"Klaus." This time she did raise her voice a little.

Fuck.

"Klaus!?"

Ben was probably aware of her presence and would no doubt get through to their brother, waving a hand in front of his face and making him take off his headphones.

But...Klaus hadn't had his headphones on him.

Turning to his room, she easily spotted the walkman and his treasured music source laying haphazardly on his bedside table.

So no music. No headphones. No reason for Klaus not to be able to hear her.

Her feet moved before she could think, racing to the staircase and yelling down.

"FIVE!"

He popped in a second later, glaring daggers at her. "This best be important."

"Bathroom!" There was no time for explanations and so she turned back and ran the way she had come, hoping the old fool was following. The pop and flash as she reached the hallway told her he had and she quickly pointed at the door. "I need to you check he's ok."

Five pulled a face. "But he's in the bath?"

"For fuck sake Five, I think he's in trouble. I can't get in!" She jangled the doorknob for effect. "Just jump in and make sure he's ok. Please."

Maybe the whole event had rattled him too, as for once Five put up little resistance and jumped away before Allison's eyes.

Her stomach dropped as, from inside the room, she heard a pained yell from Five. "KLAUS?"

A second later the lock clicked and she rammed herself inside. The smaller man was running toward the bath but her fear soon had her taking over and reaching it first.

Klaus was under the water. His head was completely submerged with his gangly limbs flapping at the sides of the bath. Through the murk of the water she could see his eyes wide open, terrified ovals seeing something that she couldn't. His mouth was open and she felt sick watching him drown for a second time.

Together, she and Five grabbed him and dragged him from the water. They landed awkwardly on the floor, with his dripping body over hers, both gasping like fish.

Five ran and grabbed the towels Klaus had hung earlier and draped one over his lower half and gave Allison the other to wrap around his shoulders. She didn't know how long he had been under or how much water he had taken in but she knew it wasn't healthy and that even though he was breathing now, he could still drown.

"We've got to get him to Mom or Pogo." Five must have been thinking the same.

She nodded in conformation but couldn't find her voice, only finding herself able to wrap around her breathless brother, her head resting on his and her tears being lost to the droplets already covering his hair.

Five moved for them both, securing the forgotten sweatpants back around Klaus' waist and wrapping another towel around his top half. Allison moved on autopilot then as they got up and pulled Klaus up with them. Somehow he walked alongside them, half stumbling as they dragged him a little quicker than they should.

The infirmary felt miles away, the corridors stretching into some twisted nightmare horrors and the near dead weight of Klaus between them pulling their steps every which way.

Allison felt rather than saw Mom pull Klaus from them and lay him on the bed, only able to keep her eyes on his chest watching it rising and falling as someone drew her from the room.

They lost Five years ago. And then Ben. Father had died recently (even though she still didn't exactly know how to feel about that) and then they had all almost been dragged apart again by recent events. Her own throat being slit. Vanya losing control and nearly ending it all. Everything ever since to fix all that was wrong and now this. Now she had almost lost Klaus twice in a few short days.

And she didn't even dare let her mind wander to Claire, for that was still rough and painful.

"He'll be ok." She heard someone say but didn't register who it was or anything that was happening around her. Her sole focus was on the door in front of her.

X

Klaus recovered. It was a rough few days with him lying half motionless in the med bay alternating between bouts of nightmares, semi conscious hallucinations and restless sleeps. When he was awake they focused on making sure all the water was from his lungs, which sadly meant a lot of sickness and probing for their brother. Allison had been sat with him as he threw up multiple mouthfuls of water, his body trying to collapse in on itself from stress and strain. After that he had been on oxygen, with the mask somehow looking too big for his delicate face, swallowing his features beneath it. When he slept, she cried. Klaus shouldn't be that still. He was lively and gangly and everything about him was so big and yet then he had seemed so small.

The siblings took it in turns to be with him, holding his hand as he wept in his sleep or rubbing his back as he struggled for air. Even Five insisted on staying with him, going over his time by an hour and refusing to leave when Vanya came in for her slot.

Once Klaus began to recover it seemed almost too quick. It was as though he bounced awake and got on with his day like any other. Allison saw how he avoided them as best he could, ploughing straight back into his bravado act of peaches and cream. He strutted from the hospital bed and exaggerated his movements. He wore some of his fanciest clothes for the next two days and wore more make up than she'd seen since a night out in their late teens. But Allison also saw how his hands shook when they didn't have anything to do, and the way his eyes flitted around more often than usual. She also heard the shower running one morning, expecting Diego to step out of the bathroom but instead coming face to face with Number Four. She didn't say anything and neither did he, not even weeks later when the bubble bath's weren't being used and the usual aroma that drifted from the bathroom and followed Klaus wasn't there. Five jumped in once, not giving a single fuck about privacy or subtlety, and saw Klaus sat hunched over in the shower as the droplets stole and hid his tears. He didn't say anything to Klaus but Allison knew when she found their time travelling brother nursing a rather large drink and battering the bar with his fist. They'd talked to one another, discussed what needed to be done, but in the end all they could do was help when Klaus let them.

Over time Klaus had let them see him a little more, see the real him, with his vulnerabilities. Past the makeup and the skirts. He had told them a great deal more than they could have ever dreamed, with Diego punching both a wall and Luther when they found out about the mausoleum and his 'Death by Rave' as he had so bluntly put it. They had cried and laughed as he told them about Vietnam, and Dave, and about all the mischief their platoon had gotten up to when not knee deep in mud and blood. They finally understood his need for drugs and wished so hard they had realised sooner, saving him from the perils of the habit and his god awful power. On more than one occasion he had manifested Ben, and for longer periods of time, who had alternated between hugging them all and berating them for their stupidity over the years. It was a rough time for them all but something about them finally coming together and being both the team and family Reginald had attempted to make years ago made it better. It was almost a 'screw you' to him, that they had found each other and made the bond so much stronger on their own, without him lording over them all.

So Klaus recovered. He still didn't have baths but he sat by the poolside when Allison and Diego swam lengths and then one day let his legs dangle in the water as Vanya sat on the steps beside him chatting away to Ben. And one day, when he felt strong enough, he slipped into the shallow end of the pool and walked down the ramp until the water came up to his neck. He tread water for a while as Luther watched from the sidelines ready to jump in at a seconds notice. Diego was already in the pool but pretended not to notice as he continued his routine up and down. When he passed his brother he was awarded with a face full of water and at first stopped, worried that Klaus was freaking out in the pool and about ready to be dragged out. He was, however, beginning a water fight.

"You did not just splash me?!" Diego mock scolded, his signature scowl and gravelly voice adding drama.

"Oh. But I think I did." And Klaus splashed him again.

And that was how they got into the biggest water fight they had probably ever had. Their Father had always forbade it, saying it was childish and degrading and so there had only ever been minute splashes hidden behind the man's back in their childhood years. Word got round the household that Klaus was in the pool and beating Diego, and so it was that Allison and Vanya went running in to join as Five stayed behind. Luther dive-bombed into the pool and dislodged half of its contents, causing a wave to sweep the siblings at least a couple metres from where they floated. And when Five appeared a few moments later, spraying them with a huge water gun he had found somewhere, they fell into howls of laughter.

That night, after they had spent time together around the fire with cocoa and stories and games, Allison retreated happily to her room. As she passed the bathroom she smelt herbs and lavender and heard the tell tale tinkle of Klaus' laugh as he spoke in hushed tones to Ben.

"You best not use all the hot water up Ghost Boy!" She joked through the door.

"Too late!" He replied.

"And I really want to try that new bubble bath out, save some for me will you?"

A pause. "Erm...too late?" She stood there laughing to herself but heard a quieter mumble of, "Is she mad?" which was obviously aimed at Ben.

"That's fine, I need to nip to the store tomorrow anyway. You could come? Pick some bath bombs for yourself too!"

She heard his signature happy clap, slightly distorted from his wet hands, and a resounding 'Yay'. "It would be my honour to accompany you dear sister."

Allison laughed again before walking away.

And from somewhere down the corridor she heard Diego yelling about no hot water. Klaus hollered something back, probably insulting Luther, because in turn he added his voice to the fray and it was only when Vanya complained about not being able to focus on her violin that they all shut up.

It was somehow like being back in their childhood and a whole new dynamic all at once; they still roared at one another, taking the piss and winding each other up the walls, but they were allowed to joke around and argue down the hallways and through doors. They could behave like children without the threat of Reginald jumping in and bringing them right back down to earth. And now, when one of them was in a bad place, they banded together and got through it, unlike Reginald's 'push on regardless' attitude which ultimately lead to their downfall.

No longer would they let one another sink further into despair, they would grasp on and not let go.

The mansion has a swimming pool, I decided- though it doesn't seem too much a stretch really when you look at what it's made up of.

And that's that folks, thank you for reading and I hope it wasn't too disappointing.

Take Care.