CHAPTER EIGHT:
THE VOTING

After the van fiasco was over, the Hargreeves-even the dead ones-all returned to the academy. After all they had important things to discuss.

"I mean, do you really think Mom would hurt Dad?" Vanya asked from where she was sitting.

"You haven't been home in a long time, Vanya." Luther told his sister.

"Maybe you don't know Grace anymore.
If he was poisoned, it would have shown in the coroner's report." Allison told both.

"Well, I don't need a report to tell me what I can see with my own eyes." Luther argued. 

"Maybe all that low gravity in space  messed with your vision." Diego said with an eye role.

All while Alex was sitting on one of the sofas and enjoying his popcorn.

Luther showed the film again. " Look closer." He said and all the siblings leaned closer to have a look. "Dad has his monocle, Mom stands up, Monocle's gone."

Diego chuckled, "Oh, yeah! She wasn't poisoning him. She was taking it to clean it."

"Then where is it?" Luther scuffed, "No, I've searched the house, including her things." Alex raised an eyebrow. So Luther just goes and searches everyone's stuff. How rude of him.

"She doesn't have it."

"That's because I took it from her." Diego admitted, "After the funeral."

"You've had the monocle this whole time? What the hell, Diego?" Allison uttered in disbelief.

"Give it to me." Luther ordered.

Vanya was looking between her siblings.
Alex was still eating the popcorn and had even shared some with Ben.
Klaus was standing next to Alex and he too was enjoying the show.

A drama loving family.

"I threw it away." Diego said.

"You what?"

"Look, I knew that if you found it on Mom, you'd lose your shit, just like you're doing right now." Diego scuffed.

"Diego, you son of a bitch."

"Whoa!"

"Hey." Vanya tried to end the argument.

"No." Stubborn-space-cunt said.

"Calm down." Vanya tired again.

"Look, I know Dad wasn't exactly an open book," Vanya explained her theory, "But I do remember one thing he said.
Mom was, well, designed to be a caretaker, but also as a protector."

"What does that mean?" Allison quotations.

"She was programmed to intervene if someone's life was in jeopardy."

Alex hummed in agreement. Not that anyone could hear.

"Well, if her hardware is degrading, then-" Diego started but was interrupted by Luther.

"We need to turn her off."

Alex chocked on his popcorn and Ben had to awkwardly pat his back.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait." Diego protested. He was not going to let some space kid turn off his mom, even if the said space guy was his brother.

"She's not just a vacuum cleaner you can throw in a closet. She feels things, I've seen it!"

"She just stood there, Diego, and watched our father die." Luther said.

"I'm with Luther." Allison agreed with her not so secret lover. 

"Surprise, surprise."

"Shut up."

"I I don't-" Vanya began but this time Diego interrupted him.

"Yeah, she shouldn't get a vote."

"Rude."

"I was gonna say that I agree with you." Vanya said in frustration.
"Okay." Diego stared, "She should get a vote."

"What about you, stoner boy?" Klaus and Alex looked up. "What do you got?"

Alex scuffed. "Asshole."

"Oh, so, what? You need my help now? Oh, 'Get out of the van, Klaus!' 'Well, welcome back to the van.'" Klaus scuffed, he was fed up with how his siblings treated him.

"What van?" Diego was ignored.

"What's it gonna be, Klaus?" Luther scoffed.

"I'm with Diego," klaus said and pointed at Luther, "because screw you! And if Ben were here, he'd agree with me."

"No, I don't." Ben said blankly.

Klaus hissed at Ben like a stray cat making Alex blink in surprise, and then turned back to his siblings.

"And I know for a fact that Alex also agrees with me." Alex just nodded his head and shoved a handful of popcorn in his mouth, "and would make you all go to your rooms for even suggesting this."

"So that's three-"

"Wait."

"-To two." Diego said smugly.

"Vote's not final yet." Allison protested.

"What?" Diego said in frustration.

"Five's not here." Allison said desperately, "The whole family has to vote. We owe each other that."

"Right." Diego said with an eye roll.

"No, we should wait."

"Hey." Vanya suddenly said making the team turn and see their mother standing by the door. One of the doors at least.

"How long you been here?" Diego said as he and Vanya walked over.

Grace gave them a forced smile, "You all seem upset. I'll make cookies." She said and walked away.

"Do you ever wonder All those moments with Mom, the things she said. Like, was it her, or was it really Dad?"

"What are you talking about?" Diego asked in confusion.

"Well, he built her. And he programmed her to be a mom, to be our mom. Sometimes when I look at her, I just see him. Maybe that was true at first. But she evolved." Vanya explained.

Alex watched them with a smile, until Ben pinched him. He jumped and shouted. "What was that for?!"

Ben gave him a look.

"Don't give me that look! It's creepy." Alex told his brother.

Ben rolled his eyes. "You said you'll tell them."

Alex looked away. "Yeah. I'll tell them."

"When?"

Alex turned to his brother with tired eyes. "I don't know Ben, I don't know."

And they sat in silence.

☆彡WORDS: 1043☆彡

Sorry for the short chapter
It seems I have met my first real writers block.
I hope it passes soon because I have some great ideas and I can't wait to write them.

Like always, I wanted to thank you for the support. With your help we've reached 10k and that's amazing.

thank you for the votes and the amazing comments. I really enjoy reading them.

And about that one shot book I talked about in the last chapter, it's gonna be postponed till I make some more progress in this book and I have some more ideas for that. If you have any idea leave it here or anywhere. I'm not complaining.

And that's all I have to say.
I hope you have a happy day/night.