"Guys, I got a question. Who are we saving Vanya from again?" Klaus shouted over all the noise. "FBI!" Dusk, Allison, and Diego shouted back, trying not to roll their eyes at his lack of remembrance. "But if they're all sucking ceiling right now, why hasn't she stopped?" None of them knew the answer to that question. But Dusk did begin to wonder why Vanya hadn't stopped when all the FBI agents had been blinded, their brains and blood splattered on the walls.

The raven wasn't the only one thinking about that. Diego was wondering the same thing as well. Number Eight and Number Two looked at each other with that same astonished and questioning look. It seemed like there was no way to reach Vanya without becoming blind in the process. Dusk took a quick, split-second look down the hall towards the blinding light before sitting back on the ground, informing her siblings that their sister was on the other end of the hall.

"How do you propose we get to her?" Allison questioned, her hands covering the majority of her ears. "I haven't thought of that yet!" Dusk answered, the whooshing noises becoming increasingly louder and louder. Klaus pulled out his flask, taking what he considered to be his final drink. He believed there was no way to get to Vanya and that this could be the end. "You can count me out. You guys should save her. You're great at all the hero shit," he muttered.

"Klaus, are you serious?! You're going to give up now?!" Dusk sighed, smacking him in the arm. "Listen! Vanya would understand cause she has realistic expectations of what I am. And what I am IS SEXY TRASH!" Diego rolled his eyes, claiming that his brother was a scaredy-cat, which made Dusk smack the center of his chest. "Asshole," She muttered quietly.

"Guys! This is not the time for this!" Allison spoke up, quieting the feuding siblings. "Why? Because I don't want to die? Who does?" That was the moment when Diego Hargreeves snapped. Without warning, he grabbed Klaus's arms, nearly pinning him to the wall, growling that he was going to shut up and get their sister. "And that's my cue. Dusky, you stay here and deal with the Numbnuts, okay?" The raven was hesitant, fearing that Allison could die out there, but she nodded, telling her to be careful.

"Always am," Allison whispered before she started crawling down the hall, trying to fight against the kinetic force that attempted to push her back. She called out Vanya's name, hopeful that her other sister would hear her. But instead of making it to the door, Allison lost her balance and was pinned against the wooden counter. Diego, who kept a look out went next, leaving the raven and junkie alone.

Soon after, a second thud came from the other side of the counter, meaning that Diego had also failed. It was now either the raven or Klaus that could go next. She noticed the look of skepticism and fear on Klaus's face. It felt like the weight of everything was now on her shoulders. It was up to her to save Vanya. Just as she was about to risk her life, something made her stop in her tracks.

No, not something, but someone.

She realized that if this was the end for her, there was one thing she wanted to do more than anything. "Klaus," She said, looking at him as he swallowed the last sip from his flask. "What?" He asked, meeting her ocean-blue gaze. And without warning, she grabbed the center of his shirt, pulling him towards her, his pinkish lips colliding with hers. She didn't mind the taste of alcohol at all. The only thing she cared about was giving him her final kiss.

Klaus sat there stunned, feeling as if he had become paralyzed as they pulled apart. D-did Dusky just kiss me?! He kept his paralyzed composure even as Dusk made her way down the hall, the wind blowing harshly in her ears. She tried to grip the wall as tightly as she could. To her surprise, she got a little further than Diego and Allison, and she held high hopes that she could do this. But within seconds, a blast came from the end of the hall, nearly sending Dusk into the wooden counter.

But instead, she hung onto the metal wheel with a long white rope wrapped around it. It was abundantly clear that Klaus was now their only hope. "It's up to you, Klaus! You gotta save the world!" She shouted, watching him peer over the counter. "What, no! This is a terrible idea, Dusky!" He shouted back. Without another word, she sent the rope flying and whipping through the air in Klaus's direction.

She took a deep breath, taking her hands off the wheel, feeling herself flying through the air momentarily, crashing into the unconscious bodies of Diego and Allison.

"Okay, Klaus. You can do this. You fought in Vietnam, you survived a family of eight. And you once wore a sarong to a fraternity party and got a shitload of numbers!" He muttered to himself before he tightly gripped the rope. He had never felt so determined to do something in his life. It was scary yet exhilarating. He pulled on the rope harder with every step he took, constantly reassuring himself that he could do it. He would prove himself useful to the academy. And hopefully, they wouldn't consider him lazy or an addict.

He finally reached the end of the rope, and using all the energy he had in his body, He flung himself towards the door, pulling it open just before he was pushed back by the strong force, hitting his head on the wooden counter. Through his slightly opened eyes, he could see Ben staring at him. The ghost of the sixth Hargreeves looked over at the flashing interrogation room, knowing exactly what he had to do.

~~~~~~~

"Ugh, what happened?" Dusk muttered, a hand flying to her temple as it throbbed like mad. She slowly sat up from her previously slumped posture, gasping when she saw Vanya standing a few feet away. "Vanya, you're alright!" She smiled, embracing her sister ever so tightly. "Did we save the world or what?" Klaus asked, his eyes rapidly blinking as he tried to adjust to his surroundings. "Well, the building's still here," Allison pointed out.

Klaus suddenly began to feel different. Not physically, but rather emotionally. He felt the ghostly connection with his deceased brother, but now it felt like it had been cut off. Diego stared at his watch, claiming that Kennedy was a few minutes away. He rushed to the interrogation room, pulling the blinds open as he stared at the empty road where Kennedy would make his final turn.

Allison and Dusk tried to protest with him, but he wouldn't budge. "I saw the explosion, the tapes. Kennedy doesn't have to die," He explained before he rushed out of the building, leaving his sisters and brother at the window. A few minutes later, they all watched as the president's motorcade made the final turn. Soon after, three gunshots filled the air, startling all four of them.

"Oh god, poor Jackie," Klaus shook his head in disbelief. Dusk blinked away her tears, knowing that this had to happen, that this was all part of the timeline. But it still didn't make it right or any less painful to witness.

~~~~~~~

"KLIF bulletin, from Dallas, three shots reportedly were fired at the motorcade of President Kennedy today, near the downtown section. KLIF News is checking out the report. We will have further--" Klaus turned down the radio's volume in Elliott's bedroom, still in shock by the day's events. Yes, they had stopped Doomsday from happening, but at what cost? Kennedy still got assassinated. He tried to shake away the thought, but the sounds of the gunshots echoed throughout his mind, almost pulling him back to Vietnam.

"I can't believe he's gone like that," Dusk sighed as she stared out the bedroom window. The sky had become dark, and few stars shone brightly that night. The sky appeared to be mourning the loss of Kennedy just like the rest of America. She turned away from the window, noticing Klaus's sad look. "You okay?" She asked, walking over to him and taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

He stared down at his tattooed hands, desperately wanting to tell her what was on his mind, but at the same time, he feared she wouldn't believe him. "I'm not sure you would understand, songbird," He sighed. The raven took his left hand in hers, assuring him she would try to keep up. "Please..." She whispered. "Well, you remember when Ben died? The day of his funeral?"

The raven remembered it all too well. The rest of the Umbrella Academy was crying as they clutched onto their black umbrellas, mourning the loss of their brother and friend. "Yeah, it was a dark day for all of us," She nodded. "Since then, I've managed to talk to his ghost. I was the only one who could see him. And yeah, he could be a pain in the ass at times. But he made me feel a little less lonely. Especially after you left..."

Dusk had no idea that somebody would've cared about her leaving the house without saying goodbye. Looking back on it, she probably would've done that, but she was tired of living in the house of broken memories. "Wow, I didn't know Ben's been following you around. Is he here now?"

Klaus's shoulder slumped as he shook his head, telling her he was gone as well. "I'm so sorry," Dusk whispered, her hand resting soothingly on his back. Part of him was beginning to feel better after her kindness and sympathy, but there was something else that was on his mind. That unexpected kiss.

"Why did you kiss me?" Those words made all the color drain from Dusk's face. She had not expected him to ask her that question nor expected him to remember that moment. "Umm... I-I," She stuttered, feeling her throat begin to tighten. Klaus repeated his question, his gaze shifting from the floor to her. He wasn't upset or angry. Instead, he was surprised and curious. Oh god, how am I going to tell him?

She mumbled her answer under her breath, Klaus barely able to make out the words. "I can't hear you," He said. Dusk silently counted to three before taking a breath, hoping the words would flow out of her smoother than butter. "I did it because I love you. And... in case we didn't make it out of the federal building, I wanted to kiss you one last time,"

Klaus remained silent. His eyes widened at the answer. Hearing that somebody loved him made him feel so many emotions all at once, and he wondered how he didn't notice her feelings in the first place. "I've loved you since we were kids. And I still loved you even when I was engaged to Sebastian. The thing is, I don't want my feelings to get in the way of you being with that girl-" "Wait, what girl?" Klaus cut in. "You were in the garden with another girl. She was straddling you, and you guys were making out,"

That little shitheel! "Dusk, that wasn't me. That was Ben. He wanted to possess me so he could talk to her. I've never had a crush on any of my followers. I've had a crush on only one person," He explained, his cheeks turning red at this conversation. "And... that person is you," Dusk could feel her heart race now, and she hoped he wasn't lying to her. But from the look of pure affection, she knew it was true.

"You love me?" She asked. Klaus gave a curt nod, taking her soft hands in his. "I love you, Dusk. And I will always love you," He whispered. The two lovebirds slowly leaned in close, inch by inch till their lips once again collided, fireworks erupted in their chests as their souls became entwined. They kissed with more passion and desire, their hands cupping their cheeks as the kiss grew rougher.

"I love you too, Klaus,"

A/n: Yay! The Klusk ship has officially sailed! You don't know how long I have been waiting for this moment! But it's finally here! I hope you guys enjoyed this next chapter of FTA! And keep an eye out for the next chapter!

With love,

Dusk 💖☔