Chapter Text
Allison ran her thumb across the back of Claire’s hand, her head tucked under Allison’s chin. They were waiting for Five to come back with Klaus all the while preparing to, she didn't even know what, fight their brother? How were they supposed to help him? “What if you can’t help Uncle Ben?” Claire asked. “What happens if the world ends, I know that’s what you’re worried about, and what if-”
“We’re not going to let any of those things happen, Claire. Uncle Ben and the world will be fine.” She said it with more confidence than she had, and hoped Claire didn't see through it.
The tension in Claire’s body didn’t leave, and Allison could feel her leg bouncing from anxiety. She locked eyes with Ray, who was leaning against the wall across from her, legs crossed at the ankle, hand rubbing his mouth. She knew he wanted to come with her, whenever they were ready to go out there and get to Ben, and Allison wanted him there with her, she always wanted him by her side, but she couldn’t let him risk his life for moral support. She was dreading that conversation, that hurt she'd see in his eyes when he realized he was going to continue watching the kids. She didn't want to fight with him, not ever but especially not now, but she knew he wouldn't be happy with staying behind.
She nearly jumped out of her seat when Five blinked back into Diego’s living room. It took her less than a second to realize that Klaus wasn’t with him, but Diego opened his mouth first. “Where is he?”
Five’s mouth was twisted into a snarl, equal parts annoyed and disappointed. “He didn’t come with me.”
“What, why?” she asked, pushing forward.
Five’s jaw clenched, his nose flared, and she knew he was pissed, but there was something more behind the eyes she couldn’t place, sadness, maybe? Or resignation. He shrugged, raising his hands into the air before letting them fall to his side.
“He’s staying for Dave,” Diego said simply.
Allison was ready to have Five take her to Klaus so she could march him back to help them, but even as her hand clenched into a fist she held herself back. It would be hypocritical to be angry at him when she’d done the same, worse, even, just to get Ray back. She looked over to Luther, who had taken his eyes off of Sloane for the first time since they’d arrived to have some kind of silent conversation with Five. It was so eerie how they did that, she wished she could figure out what they were saying.
“Should we go, I don’t know, say goodbye? Will we even see him again?” she asked.
“If things go well,” Five said, running a frustrated hand through his hair. “He said he didn’t want a big, emotional goodbye, he thought it was too sappy.” Five rolled his eyes and shoved his hands into his pockets.
Luther turned around with a hand pressed to his mouth. It wasn’t a surprise, really, given how close the two had gotten over the last few years.
Allison didn’t really know how to feel. She was angry that he couldn’t even show up for Ben of all people, or that she knew if she were in his shoes she might have done the same thing. She's sure they all would. Their whole lives spent fighting and just trying to survive in any way they could, and finally finding the one thing that made it all seem worth it… Why wouldn’t she, or anyone, stay behind for that small moment of happiness?
“He knows we love him, right?” Diego asked.
“Yeah,” Five said, turning around so they couldn’t see his face.
“Yeah, but I love him the most,” Lila whispered, though she didn’t sound like her heart was in it.
Allison turned to Ray. She took a deep breath, her arm wrapping around Claire’s shoulders.
“Allison, I’m-”
“You’re going to have to find a safe place to keep yourself and the kids while we-”
“No,” he said it so calmly, so simply it almost startled Allison. “I need to be with you for whatever is about to happen.”
“You could get hurt,” Allison hissed.
“So can you.”
“I want to go too,” Claire said, but a stern look from the both of them made it very clear that she wasn’t going to be anywhere near Ben, or any potential fighting or danger. “We both don't have powers, why not!?” she asked.
“Because you’re a child, Claire.”
“So were you when you fought all those villains from your stories. You were younger than me.”
Allison smiled grimly. “Exactly, and I didn’t want that for you. I don’t want that for you. I don’t even like that you’re worried about it.”
Claire sighed. “What if I lose both of you, then what?”
Which was why Allison didn’t want Ray to go, and she looked at him, tilting her head towards Claire as if to prove her point.
“You won’t lose either of us,” Ray said more confidence than Allison thought was warranted. Because how could they guarantee that? With those weird monsters outside, and with them not even knowing if Ben would recognize them in the state he was in, how could they promise nothing would happen to them?
Allison looked at him, really looked at him. There was an anger behind his eyes she wasn’t used to, one that had been there in their first year together after the reset, when resentment began bubbling up but before they were able to work through it all. She looked away.
“I do know how to handle myself in a fight. And I know how to shoot a gun.”
“This isn’t going to be like fighting people, we don’t know what’s out there right now.”
“Are we partners or not?”
Allison met his steady gaze. “If I tell you to run, you run, you stay where I can see you, you listen to me, ok?”
Ray smiled, wide and warm and he kissed her, immediately easing her worries. “I always do.”
Allison kissed him, and pressed her forehead to his.
“I can listen to you too,” Claire said, squeezing between them.
“No,” they both said firmly.
“You and your cousins are going to find somewhere safe to hide while we go out there and try to help Ben, ok?” Diego and Lila both kneeled in front of their kids, undoubtedly giving them a much less truthful version of what was happening. She could hear Gracie asking about where Uncle Klaus was, and Allison looked away just as Lila did the same. “We’ll all be fine.”
“But where are we going?”
There was an attention catching cough, and Jane, still clutching the Briefcase in her hand, stepped forward. “I can take them to the Subway, Destiny’s Children will be happy to take care of them all while you’re here.”
Claire's brow furrowed and she looked at Allison, as if she wasn't entirely sure that was a good idea. Allison wasn't sure either, but for some inexplicable reason, that eased some of the worry Allison felt. She didn't know if she'd lost her mind, or if it was because it was Klaus, in a weird roundabout way, taking care of her daughter, but when she looked at Diego, who seemed just as confused as she felt, she nodded at him, like it made all the sense in the world.
“I would prefer to wait for my brothers, but I know we don’t have that much time,” she added.
Before either of them could answer there was a loud, incessant knocking. Marcus got to the door first, already prepared to fight off whoever was there. Niko and Bertram pushed past him, ignoring his shouts of protest as they made a bee-line to where they must have thought Klaus was. They slowed to a stop, looking around.
“Who’re they and why are they still alive?” Alphonso asked.
Niko spun around in a way that reminded Allison far too much of Klaus. “Long story, they’re with us,” Allison said.
Jane flung herself at them, quietly whispering to Niko as Bertram quickly, quickly explained that they learned that The Keepers, Jean and Gene specifically, had access to a Briefcase, that they met someone during their travels who convinced them that the world needed to end.
“Do you know what she looked like?” Five asked.
Bertram shook his head. “They didn’t say, just that she helped them fix their Time Portal, and sent them back.”
“Does it still work, then? Their Briefcase?”
Niko and Bertram looked at each other, and Allison chewed on her lip, second guessing trusting them at all with her family “They didn’t say, but I think it’s safer to assume it does,” Bertram said.
“Klaus was right about the CIA knowing about all of this,” Luther said, pursing his lip to hide his smirk as Five whipped around to glare at him. “What, he’s not here to gloat.”
Allison let out a wet laugh and wiped at her eyes with the palm of her hand.
“Are we ready to go, or?” Jayme held up a hand. “We still have a brother that could be dead to save.”
Niko walked over to Grace and the twins, looking at Diego and Lila. “They’ll be safe, I promise. The Elders won’t let anything happen to them.”
Allison didn’t know what Niko could’ve done or said, but Diego nodded. “Yeah, ok.” When Niko made his way to Allison, Del and Theo in his arms and Gracie holding onto his jacket, she saw it in his wide eyes, and the way he held onto the twins.
Claire looked at her. “Mom?”
“Go with your cousins,” she said, nodding at Niko as she said it. “You’ll be safe, and we’ll be back for you before you know it.”
She squinted at her, then squinted at Niko.
“You promise?” she asked.
“Promise,” she said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
“You have a lot of explaining to do,” she hissed at Niko who gave her a dopey little smile. Niko looked like he was about to salute her, before realizing his arms were full before agreeing verbally.
Jane came over, Bertram at her heels. “We’ll see you soon,” she said flicking open the Briefcase, her daughter, nieces, and nephew disappearing into a cloud of blue.
“Please tell me that wasn’t a terrible idea,” Diego said.
Allison could not. “What other options do we have?”
Diego sighed, and scrubbed at his face before turning to the others. “Well, let’s go,” he said, gesturing to the door.
Allison turned to Ray one more time.
“I know, listen to you, I got it.”
“I love you,” she said.
“I love you too.”