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Prologue
Aller Anfang ist schwer„A partner?“ Dave looked up from his cup of instant coffee, eyebrow raised. Was she actually serious? They tried partnering him up so many times before and it never ended well for anyone. Most of his partners were hardasses and had a fetish for following the rules, just like Detective Patch. And Dave was… Just not that conventional with his methods. It made others uncomfortable. But if it solved the case, who were they to complain?Not too long ago, David Price was promoted to Detective. He solved mostly murders and drug-related incidents. Basic stuff. Eudora and he had met at the Police Academy and became friends fast, even if they liked to be harsh to each other. Surprising many, they were not paired together though. No, Eudora was partnered with Hargreeves. It wasn‘t like Dave was jealous though, not at all. Probably.Okay, he was. But it didn‘t mean that Hargreeves and he had a bad relationship. They didn‘t like each other that much, but they were polite enough and never caused a scene. Diego and he were similar in a lot of ways, they could appreciate each others company but not actively seek it out most of the time. And while Dave wasn‘t one to believe in all this Umbrella Academy bullshit, Diego had undeniable power and Dave knew even he wouldn‘t stand a chance against that man. Diego and Patch had been dating for a while before breaking up. They were still close though and Dave never really felt a romantic connection to her, so he didn‘t really care.Eudora looked a little annoyed at him, clearly expecting more of a reaction. Dave didn‘t doubt his new partner would be just like all the others. Just there to keep him in line and stop him from doing anything crazy. He looked up at Patch expectantly, waiting for her to get into detail.
„He‘s a freelance medium.“„You‘re kidding. You want to pair me up with some unqualified ghost whisperer moron? What, are you running out of by the book goody-goodies that you have to give me some crystal ball gazer to tell me what he sees in my hand regarding my love life? If I want to bullshit myself I can go back to high school, Eudora. I don‘t need some tea-leaf reader to tell me shit that could apply to about half of New York.“ Dave barked in slight amusement. They were really getting desperate, weren‘t they?„Don‘t worry sugar, the only thing I see in my tea is vodka. And I don‘t need a crystal ball to see that you‘re a prick.“ Dave quickly turned to the voice that obviously belonged to his new partner. Leaning in the door frame was the sluttiest looking guy Dave had ever seen. He wore a black mesh crop top and leather skinny jeans with cut out sides, a really fluffy hot pink cardigan and fucking pink heelys with flower print. His hair was a mess and the slight stubble beard didn‘t help the gay homeless look either. He was scrawny and probably didn‘t eat much, but took some other stuff regularly by the looks of it. A junkie, just great.Guys like him were usually the ones Dave arrested and not who helped him arrest people. Needless to say, he was in quite a shock. How the hell was that gay disaster even qualified to work with someone on Daves level? Was he just some homeless guy who pretended to be psychic so they would give him money or something? Eudora looked about ready to bang her head against the nearest wall, but she still introduced them.„Dave, this is Klaus Hargreeves, your new partner. Klaus, this insufferable fucker is Detective David Price, our latest addition to the team. Get along, boys, don‘t kill each other.“ she said, dropping a file on Daves desk before walking off. She obviously didn't want to be a part of this.
Wait. Hargreeves? He was one of the Umbrella Academy freaks then. Fucking fantastic.Klaus couldn‘t believe that Diego actually got him this job.„You have a gift, Klaus. This would be a great way to use it! You could help so many people.“ Diego had said. And he‘d believed him. Ben was thrilled as well, always looking for reasons to make Klaus embrace sobriety. But now Klaus wonders why he‘d actually believed these assholes in the first place. Clearly, his new (incredibly hot) partner wasn‘t too fond of him. A shame, really. Dave definitely looked like the kind of man who spent way too long in the closet and could use some bait to get him out. Namely, Klaus‘ ass. He obviously didn‘t believe Klaus could be of any help. Well, that was a great start. Knowing the person you work with doesn‘t believe you can do anything was really motivating, especially on the first day.With a sigh he plopped down on the desk next to the file containing their first case. With an expectant yet bored look he asked:
„So, what‘ve we got? Enlighten me, sweetheart.“ earning an eye roll from Dave.„Doesn‘t concern you. It‘s my case.“ the Detective just answered, much to Klaus‘ displeasure.„Wow, Patch told me you were a prick, but I didn‘t expect this level of asshole so early in the morning. We‘re partners now, so just tell me and don‘t make this harder than it needs to be, yeah?“ Dave was about to tell him that he had no right to decide that, but Eudora did and she made her point clear enough. So he just sighed and opened the file, scanning through it.„So appearantly this girl was killed in some shady hotel and her boyfriend was reported missing when her body was found. We have about seven suspects and don‘t know anything about the boyfriend. They‘re pretty sure the main suspect killed her but there‘s close to no evidence. We‘re gonna have to go to that motel and investigate before questioning the suspects and trying to find out where the boyfriend went. So come on, get in the car. If I‘m not gonna get rid of you, I'll at least make sure you don't do anything stupid.“ he finished and stood up, emptying his coffee on the office plant, before making his way down to the car. Klaus exchanged a congested look with Ben before following him.
He was in for a fun ride, wasn‘t he?
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Chapter 1Besser spät als nie„Tell me about yourself.“ Klaus asked, or rather demanded, as he idly watched the scenery flow by. They had about an hour to kill since the motel wasn‘t exactly in the city center. Driving with a stranger who you didn‘t like was definitely not something pleasant, but the silence was killing Klaus. And if Ben wasn‘t already dead, he was sure it would kill him too.“What‘s there to tell? My name is Dave and I solve crimes. That‘s basically all.“ Dave answered in a bored tone. He wasn‘t in the mood for small talk or Klaus in general. He made Dave weirdly uncomfortable with his gaze. His eyes looked as if they could see into his soul. Klaus didn‘t seem satisfied by that answer but pushing it would just make it worse. So he decided to talk instead.“That‘s kind of sad, isn‘t it?“ Klaus answered somberly. He pulled a cigarette out of his pocket with a sigh and put it in his mouth without lighting it. Dave looked at the cancer stick for a few seconds before deciding to keep quiet about it, since Klaus didn‘t show any sign of lighting it. He‘d heard somewhere that some people do that to cope with their addiction. That just the act of having a cigarette in their mouth somehow tricked their brain into thinking they were smoking. If it worked, it worked. Or Klaus was just waiting for them to arrive and readied his cig in advance. Dave didn‘t care either way as long as he wasn‘t smoking in the car.“Well, I‘m proud to say my life is a lot more interesting than yours seems to be. If your name and your job are the only things that define you, maybe you should take up a hobby. Or develop a personality, whatever you prefer.“ That stung a lot more than the detective was willing to admit. Dave kept silent with his eyes on the road regardless. Klaus eyed him with a bored look, clearly waiting for some kind of reaction he wasn‘t getting. After some more uncomfortable quiet Klaus groaned and stretched obnoxiously. He definitely just wanted to annoy the hell out of Dave for some reason. He‘d shed his thick cardigan sometime earlier and now seemed to take even less space with his bony body. Maybe by stretching and moving around, he tried to mask the fact that he was a walking skeleton. Klaus looked behind him to the backseats and snorted in amusement, confusing his partner. What was so funny back there?“You know, my brother thinks you‘re a dick. Maybe I‘ll call you that from now on.“ Klaus giggled and leaned his elbow on the window while cupping his cheek with his hand. Dave tried to stay calm. That psychic guy was just trying to rile him up. He just wanted a reaction to laugh at. But Dave wouldn‘t give him that today.“If your brother thinks that he can tell me himself.“ He just answered unimpressed. Did Diego actually talk about him? And if he actually did say that, Diego had the balls to say it to his face. He didn‘t need his little brother to do it for him. Diego was not a coward. And Dave was not a child who threw a hissy fit every time someone said something mean about him. But something about Klaus just got under his skin. He just laughed at Daves response like he said something funny but didn‘t explain the joke. After a few more moments of silence between them, Dave let out an exhausted sigh and leaned back a little.“So, whose ass did you have to kiss for that position? No offense, but guys like you are typically not getting offered a job from the police. I thought to trick people into thinking you can see the future was more profitable.“ Dave asked warily. Did he even want a response? God, Klaus would just tell him some weird story about who he had slept with that caused him to get hired, wasn‘t he? To Daves surprise though, Klaus just smiled dimly and shook his head in soft amusement.“You‘re asking the wrong thing, sweetheart. The question is, who kissed my ass to actually get me to stay sober long enough for this crap. I‘m usually high to avoid using my power.“ Klaus explained. His tone was cheerful and fun, but he had a slight sadness in his voice at the end. As if it actually caused him pain to make people believe he was a psychic. Well, Dave didn‘t really believe in any of this stuff. And he didn‘t want to talk about it, that was not his choice to make. If Klaus wanted to pretend to see the future he could do so at his own free will. He‘d probably just be in the way of the investigation anyway.“Hey, Dave?“ Klaus raised his head higher and made a pouty face at him. „Can we stop at McDonald's? I‘m starving.“ He whined like a child and Dave just rolled his eyes in annoyance. How old was this man? Dave himself was 32, still, a young man with most of his life in front of him and he acted a lot more mature than this guy who couldn‘t be much younger than him. Maybe about 28 if he had to guess. He didn‘t want to ask in case his estimate was way off and Klaus was actually five (which would explain his childish whining). How the hell were they going to find a McDonalds out there anyways? No one in their right mind would think it would be a great idea to build a fast food restaurant in the middle of nowhere.“Maybe later, when we‘re done.“ Dave just answered. Klaus seemed almost surprised that the detective didn‘t immediately turn him down. Maybe they had a chance to get along after all if they gave each other a chance. Dave was considering but still unsure if he should actually try with him. For all he knew Klaus would be gone in a heartbeat and he‘d just get attached again. That never ended well before, so why should it now? There was no doubt Klaus was a fun guy to be around. Drinking with him would probably be the highlight of his life if Dave had to be honest. His life was boring as hell, he might as well didn‘t even have one. But Klaus seemed to have a life that was always moving, always changing. Just one look at him told Dave that this man was adaptable, did what he had to do and had fun living. But maybe that was wrong? A life filled with drugs and alcohol couldn‘t be the best life and it certainly couldn‘t be fulfilling. But who was he to judge other peoples lives when he didn‘t even have his own to judge first.Klaus kept quiet then, but he wasn‘t calm. Even while focused on the road Dave noticed the tremble in his hands and his unsure eyes, always darting back and forth. Sometimes his gaze would linger on the rear mirror watching the backseats or the green land outside. Dave checked the mirror himself from time to time, confused as to what he saw back there that captured his gaze so often. It felt like forever until they spoke again, but it probably only was about ten minutes of half comfortable silence. Funny how just a few words could smooth the atmosphere between them so much. At least it felt like that to Dave, who knew what Klaus was thinking.“So, what is your psychic power? Can you see the future or something?“ Dave asked half mockingly. He was genuinely interested but not entirely convinced that Klaus had an actual power. There had to be something about him that made him special enough for the police to request his help. He couldn't be just a normal guy. Maybe it had something to do with his brother Diego and the whole Umbrella Academy thing. At least that was the most logical reason Dave could think of.“I see dead people:“ Klaus whispered seriously while staring at Dave with wide creepy eyes. A few moments later they both couldn‘t suppress their smiles anymore and Dave huffed and shook his head. „No, but really. I see the dead and talk to them and shit.“ Klaus explained as he turned his head away from his partner to watch the road. Of course, Dave didn‘t believe him. That was crazy in his eyes and Dave didn‘t believe in things until they‘re proven. Klaus could easily fake it.“Yeah, right.“ He just said, entertained by the lies Klaus was feeding him. The Hargreeves didn‘t seem to think it was all that funny though. His face turned a little sour and he was quiet once again. David didn‘t really understand why he seemed so upset by that. It‘s not like a lot of people believed him, probably. He should be used to that reaction by now. It felt wrong to think that though. If he was lying he got what was coming to him. But at the off chance, Klaus was telling the truth, it was a sad thought to think that Klaus should be used to others belittling him. To say it was his fault others felt that way about him, called him a liar. To Dave, it felt as though he‘d told a victim of sexual abuse it was her fault for wearing the clothes she wore when in reality it didn‘t matter what she wore. A no was still a no. Just like pain was still pain when someone put you down. He should probably apologize for brushing Klaus off like that, but after a few minutes of silence, it became too awkward to bring it up again. So Dave said nothing. And their silence stretched all the way to the murder motel.~~~~~~~~~~It was about 1 pm when they jumped out of the car. The motel looked every bit as shady as you‘d expect. The walls were painted in an ugly greyish brown, the stairs were rusty and looked unsafe. This place looked like it didn‘t even need any murderers for people to die here. Police tape covered the walls and one room in particular, obviously the victims' room. Or at least the one she was killed in. Klaus leaned on the car with a wary expression while watching the motel intensely. Something seemed wrong to him, or concerning at least.“This is definitely the right place.“ Klaus murmured when he finally joined Dave on his walk to the reception. His eyes flickered from side to side. Dave guessed it was the withdrawal or something. Without his Cardigan Klaus‘ needle poked skin was clearly visible. If there was anything not screaming „I‘m a junkie!“ then that was the proof.
“It‘s basically deserted. I wouldn‘t want to stay at a piece of shit place like this either, but most of the rooms seem to not be occupied.“ Dave said to himself more than to Klaus who just looked at him funny and stopped mid-step. Dave turned to him in confusion and raised an eyebrow.
“Deserted of living people at least.“ Klaus mumbled quietly.
„I‘m gonna go investigate the room first. Meet you up there later, partner.“ Dave just sighed and nodded. He wanted to get the names of the motel guests and a list of the occupied rooms before actually going to investigate. With a little chime that announced his arrival, Dave opened the dirty glass door to the reception. An equally sad and scared looking man with golden hair greeted him there.
“You‘re the detective? I‘m Robert Springer. I- I work here at the reception.“ He introduced himself nervously. To be fair, who wouldn‘t lose his nerves in a situation like this. You come to your boring old work in the morning and the next thing you know people think you murdered someone. But his behavior made clear that he knew something. David smiled widely and leaned on the counter while the younger man leaned back a little.
“I‘m Detective Price. Nice to meet you, Robbie. I can call you Robbie, right?“ It wasn‘t really a question and Robert only had time to nervously nod before the detective spoke again, eyeing him almost predatory.
“Listen, Robbie. I need you to work with me, yeah? Some poor girl has been brutally murdered here. Think of her family, of her friends. Have you ever lost someone, Robbie?“ He spoke in a gentle voice, almost as if talking to a toddler. Robert managed to nod again and not stumble over his words entirely.
“M-my gran, sir. Just two years a-ago.“ he confessed nervously. Daves muscly stature and strong features did nothing to soothe the young man. Dave knew how to emit just the right amount of pressure on people to get what he wanted. And Robert was almost there.
“I want you to think about your gran, Robbie. Think about her. Think about what you felt when you lost her. All the pain and sadness.“ The younger whimpered softly and kept nodding, as ifit was the only thing he could do. Satisfied with the reaction Dave leaned forward a little more, voice barely more than a whisper now.
“Poor gran. And poor, poor Liz. All that pain you felt, now her family feels that as well. And they don‘t know who did it. Why did her parents have to lose their daughter? Why did her sister lose the one she grew up with? Why does her dog now wait by the door and wonder when mommy will come home, only for her to never come back? Think about them, Robbie. Feel their pain.“ Dave leaned back and watched Roberts reaction. He was clearly thinking about it, and it hurt him.
“Now I want you to help me. Can you do that, Robbie? It‘s important. You want to help, don‘t you? We‘re partners now, Robbie. And together we can help poor Elizabeth.“ He gave Robert a minute to think about it and calm his nerves. There was still pressure on the young man, but now he had the feeling of calm, of choice. Like he wasn‘t doing this because he had to, but because he wanted to help. Giving him the illusion of free will was the most effective tactic on young impressionable people Dave had learned. In reality, Dave didn‘t like manipulating others like that, but it was necessary and it wasn‘t like it didn‘t feel better for them either. Feeling useful in a situation like this was important. Not being able to do anything to help can drive you crazy.
“You have a list of everyone, right? What room was rented to which person? I need to take a quick look at that. And I need you to tell me anything you remember. No matter how small it seems, it could help. Help me with this, alright, Robbie?“ he gently demanded and Robert nodded once again, this time more fiercely and motivated.
“Of course, sir!“ he agreed and rummaged around in a drawer for the list. When he found it, Robert handed it to Dave with a soft smile which Dave reciprocates. He eyed the paper and straightened up again, nodding to the younger man.
“Let‘s talk outside, okay?“
~~~~~~~~~~
“Alright, Robbie. Tell me everything you know.“ Dave demanded gently as he handed the blonde a soda from the vending machine nearby, which he didn't open but held in his hands regardless. Dave was honestly surprised that the vending machine still worked. Robert and Dave had sat down together on a bench outside to talk in a calmer environment. That would help ease Robert into it and if he was hiding something he was more likely to spill it. Robert looked a lot more relaxed now than he did earlier, which was very good.
“I don‘t know exactly when it happened. I work from 8 to 6, sometimes longer. Depends on the manager. I actually live here though, so there‘s never a problem. I‘m a heavy sleeper, so I didn‘t notice anything was wrong at night. But I think someone was banging on my door, maybe around 2 am. I actually haven‘t told anyone before. I just felt like, if I hadn‘t fallen back asleep, maybe she would still be alive? I felt guilty about it and kind of scared what people would say if I told anyone. Well- Elizabeth and her boyfriend checked in yesterday morning and they were really nice. If she didn‘t arrive with her boyfriend I probably would have tried to flirt with her. She was really pretty and kind. They helped me carry something down the stairs too. I don‘t have a lot of friends, since I spend most of my time here, so it was really nice to meet people my age and get along with them. I mean, I didn‘t really know them at all. But they seemed like nice people. I don‘t understand how someone could just- just kill her like this.“ Robert took a deep breath to calm his nerves before continuing his messy narrative.
“So, um, I saw them last when I went to my room around nine yesterday. They were both getting snacks from the vending machine. I went to bed. But… I don‘t think I heard them come up the stairs again? I‘m not sure. The stairs are pretty loud. But I figured they maybe just wanted to stay outside for a while before going back to their room. So I just went to sleep. The police woke me up around 5 or 6. The cleaning lady found the body when she came to clean their room and called them. They said the blood was already dry so she was probably dead for at least an hour before anyone noticed. And they looked everywhere for Albert, but they couldn‘t find him.“ Robert finished and lowered his head. He was blaming himself for her death. Dave had to do something.
“Robbie, it‘s not your fault. Even if you had woken up, who knows if you would‘ve survived? If she or Albert were running away or tried to get help from you, maybe they were chased. And if they were, who says that it would‘ve saved them. You did the right thing. Your own life comes first. Maybe you actually saved your life by not opening the door. Don‘t blame yourself. There was no way you could have known this would happen.“ Dave gently said with a calming hand on the blond's shoulder. But Robert just shook his head. Tears started pooling in his eyes, his lips quivered.
“Actually, I could have. People go missing a lot here. Manager said they just leave without paying, but sometimes guests check in but not out. But I don't know if that has anything to do with that... incident. And maybe it should have been me instead of her. Liz had everything. She had a great boyfriend, she was beautiful, she was kind and had enough money. They were on a trip. Albert wanted to propose to her, he told me. And I‘m just some lowly motel worker with no friends or purpose. It‘s not fair that she had to die while I‘m still alive.“ He confessed in tears. Dave didn‘t know what to say. This was not the first time someone felt that way and surely not the last time, but Dave could never find the right words. The only thing he could do was tell him how it was. Though the first things he'd said raised suspicion. Nothing he could do right now though.
“The way you determine the value of human life is something everyone has to do on their own. Do you want to know how I do it?“ Robert looked up at him teary-eyed and desperate. He didn‘t say anything, his face was enough to be a yes.
“I determine the value of life not by the past, but the future. Maybe you haven‘t done a lot in the past, but there‘s always the future. I think Liz thought so too. Moving forward is the best thing you can do.“ Dve finished with a smile. Not his best, but it would have to do. Dave was never one to listen to his own advice though, so he had yet to use this on his personal life. The eyes shining up at him with adoration made it all worth it though.
Their little moment was interrupted by Dave standing up. It was time to take a look at the crime scene. He‘d wasted enough time. The detective stood up and petted the youngers head affectionately, like a father.
“Alright. I‘ll go have a look at the room. You did good, partner. If you have time to spare, could you write it down as well and sign it? You don‘t have to do it, but it would be very helpful for the guys back at HQ. They always want everything on paper.“ He asked with a wink and Robbie smiled. They nodded to each other and went their separate ways.
Dave climbed up the rusty stairs to the eerily quiet room. Wasn‘t Klaus supposed to be in there? The junkie was nowhere in sight. He couldn‘t have left. Surely Dave would have noticed that. There were only two stairs and Dave and Robert had sat in front of one of them the entire time. Klaus was not the quietest person, he would have noticed him running down the stairs. Suspicion crept up in him and Dave looked around in worry.
“Klaus?“ He called out warily and he looked around some more until his eyes fell on a rather small dark spot on the banister on the other side. He carefully approached the spot, heart pounding in his chest. Dave knew what it was before he was even there. It was blood. And it was fresh. Dave was a detective, so he wasn‘t stupid. He could put two and two together. That was most likely Klaus‘ blood.
“Shit!“ Dave whispered in panic and hurried down the stairs.
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Chapter 2In den sauren Apfel beißenWhen Klaus came to, darkness clouded his vision.He felt something drip down the side of his face and when he tried to lift a hand up to feel at his face, Klaus noticed that his hands were bound behind his back. Just great. Being kidnapped was just what he wanted today. The last thing he remembered was something painfully hitting his head when he talked to one of the ghosts living in another room. She had come to tell him what she saw and Klaus remembered her trying to warn him shortly before he fainted. That worked out well, didn't it? At least his mouth was free, so he could talk to Ben and the other people around him. About twelve ghosts sat in the room with him, as far as he could tell when his eyes finally adjusted to the darkness. They were weeping and whispering to each other in fear. Clearly, they had died trapped in this room or wherever this was. Did they even realize they were dead?Klaus sighed shakily and sat as upright as he could. He always hated talking to ghosts. Death was not easy on the mind and accepting you were dead was not easy for most of the ghosts he had met. They all wanted to be alive again, to be okay and with the ones they loved. But that wasn't possible anymore and the anguish never seemed to leave them. Klaus would argue the death of someone emotionally scarred the dead more than the living. They were the ones who could forget and move on. The dead had to, well, live with the fact that they were dead. Klaus could only see them and talk to them, sometimes even make them physical. But he didn't know a lot about them, really. Nobody did. Klaus never learned to be a medium. He just was and he called himself that to clear it up for other people. Not a lot of people believed him. Hell, even his family had a hard time believing the things he said regarding the dead. Diego was one of the only siblings who believed in him and his power. Klaus had overcome his addiction just half a year ago by working with a therapist who helped him cope with his fear. She'd helped him develop his abilities further just by taking some of his fear away. Talking to the dead was still hard and his brain sometimes outright refused to do it, but he got better at it. And this job would hopefully help with that. Doing good with his abilities and actually being useful could do wonders for his mind.Being locked in a dark room where others had obviously found their end was not. Definitely not. The ghosts didn't really seem to notice him, though. Or each other for that matter. Everyone seemed trapped in their own heads, not caring for their surroundings. No other sounds could be heard, other than the crying of the dead, so Klaus assumed they were alone. Nobody bothered to cover his mouth, so it was only logical to assume that it didn't matter if he screamed for help. The chances that someone heard him were close to zero. His attacker made a crucial mistake though, that would not end well for them. They didn't know about his ability. Or maybe they did and that's why they captured him? But letting him talk was not a smart move on their part and Klaus would shamelessly use that to his advantage."Yeah, hi? Sorry to bother, guys. I'm Klaus. I- I can see you." he tried initiating a conversation. Ben was at his side in an instant, proud look on his face. He seemed absent before and seemed to have only now realized Klaus was conscious. The ghosts partially stopped their weeping and looked up. From experience, Klaus thought them to be the ones that died more recently. Those spirits were the ones most likely to still have hope someone could see or hear them. Desperation and curiosity shined in their eyes and Klaus wondered why the dead sometimes felt more alive than the living."Can someone explain what's going on here? I'm guessing you guys were killed in here and I'm really scared to meet the same fate." Klaus explained in a soft voice. He was nowhere near as confident as he tried to be in this situation. A boy who Klaus would guess died at around twenty perked up and moved closer to him. He was young, almost still a kid. It made his stomach feel weird and twisted inside."Is she okay? Is Liz okay?" he asked with hope. Liz. That name sounded awfully familiar and Klaus' expression turned a shade darker."Elizabeth Stork?" he asked gently and the boy nodded with a gleeful smile. Oh god, how could he tell him what happened to that poor girl? He was so hopeful. But the truth was undeniable. Her spirit was probably searching for him as well. If Klaus could only conjure her, that would make this so much easier."Actually, I was at the motel with a detective. We were called because they found the body of... a young woman with chocolate brown hair named Elizabeth Stork. She was killed in your motel room, impaled through her throat by a pipe from the bathroom. I'm very sorry." Klaus said and swallowed thickly right after. The look of grief and defeat on the youngers face broke his heart in two as the ghost curled into himself and sobbed, murmuring the name of his beloved under his breath. The others huddled to him sympathetically. Almost as if to shield him from the pain and protect him from the world that was so unfair to him. But life wasn't fair, Klaus had learned way too early in his own. Nothing was fair. But complaining about it could only do so much."I know it's hard. I'm so sorry. But I need you guys to fill me in. I promise I'll organize for you to be reunited with your families. I can- I can smell your bodies in here. They were never found, were they. You never had a proper burial." Klaus whispered. The smell was truly disgusting, but Klaus couldn't focus on it. His mind was preoccupied with the situation at hand. Although terrible, he blocked out the smell instinctively. He had slept next to enough dumpsters to be able to do that, which was a useful skill to have, even though the circumstances weren't the greatest.One of the ghosts, an older lady, then spoke up. She seemed the most calm out of everyone and it didn't surprise Klaus that she would be the one to think rationally. She just looked the part. Honestly, Klaus was thankful that none of the ghosts here were gruesomely disfigured or bloody. Everyone was very thin though, so they had probably just left them in this room to starve or die of dehydration. Not a pleasant death by far. But on the upside, nobody looked extremely horrifying."He did the same to all of us. We were just going to spend one night at the motel, all of us heading for a new life, wanting to start over. He was so friendly. A great guy, funny and helpful. It wasn't strange when he came to our rooms at night, he said he was scared and wanted to talk about something. We trusted him and he brought us here. And then he just left us here and never came back." She explained softly, watching Ben more than she was watching Klaus himself. Ben just hovered near him nervously, trying to think of a way out. Klaus' safety came first for him, solving the case second."Where is here?" Klaus asked calmly. He needed to know where the fuck he was first and if there was a chance anyone would find him. Another ghost spoke up, a middle-aged man with a full beard this time."Not too far from the motel. The owner lives here with his wife. We're in some sort of garden shed. I don't know why he had the key though." he said. His dead eyes pierced right through Klaus, as he just stared him down like a teacher eyeing his new student to determine what kind of person they were since they'd be together for a long time. Obviously, he didn't believe a word of Klaus' promise. But the most important question hasn't been answered yet and it burned Klaus' tongue to ask."Who is he?"~~~~~~~~~~"Klaus! Where are you?" Dave yelled while searching every nook and cranny for his new partner. The owner stepped outside the main office with confusion. He was one of the suspects that wasn't taken into custody because he had a solid alibi, along with Robert. He'd been informed that a team of professionals would come to take a look at the place, but it seemed like these professionals couldn't even keep track of each other. What a bunch of amateurs. The owner huffed in disappointed amusement as he watched Dave, who finally stormed towards him."My partner was taken. I want to know what the fuck is going on here. The murder is obviously still here." he growled at the shorter male. Usually, Dave was able to think more clearly, but something about the situation rubbed him the wrong way. He'd been right there when Klaus had been snatched. And as far as Dave knew, Robert, the owner and him had been the only ones at the motel and Robbie was with him, so that excluded him. The owner was the most suspicious person right now and Dave was furious."I thought it was pretty clear that our manager, Mr. Tennington, was the culprit. How do you even know your partner was kidnapped? I was in my office the whole time and I didn't hear anything that sounded like trouble. Maybe he just went somewhere without telling you?" he offered a solution, but his voice clearly showed distance. It was as if he thought Dave and Klaus were some sorts of lowly peasants, which was pretty rich coming from the owner of some shitty motel in the middle of nowhere. This place was a shithole, not a palace to justify his pride."No offense, sir, but I know my partner for about two hours now and I know that if there was a fight, even your deaf ass would have heard it. And I don't know how finding fresh blood could not be concerning in any case, so maybe you'll leave the detective work to me, alright? And if Mr. Tennington was the culprit, who the hell just kidnapped my partner? You're in a tough spot right now, so get off your high horse." Dave crossed his arms in front of his chest as he looked down at the owner doubtingly. His voice made clear he wasn't in the mood to fuck around. Something was more than sketchy here. Why would one of the detectives just go missing during the investigation, if he hadn't found anything that could lead them to the suspect? But if the owner was the one taking Klaus, wouldn't he be more sneaky about it? It was just plain stupid to kidnap one of the investigators when you were one of the only people on the lot who could have done that. And his clothes were clean and perfectly ironed. No trace of blood, no sign of the owner dragging the body of a grown man somewhere.At least Daves little speech had shut him up. So there was that.It had to be someone else. The motel was as good as empty, Dave hadn't seen a single person other than Robert, Mr. Gordon and Klaus (or, well, didn't see him for that matter). It didn't mean there was nobody else though, that was a foolish thought and Dave was a little angry at himself for being so careless. Just because the suspects were out of the picture didn't mean the culprit was. Long years of detective work had proved as much.The first thing Dave had to do was calm down. Panic wouldn't get him anywhere and it wouldn't rescue his partner. He sat down for a moment to gather himself. The blood unmistakably indicated that he was downstairs, but that much was clear. The best thing to do was request backup, even though it would take them a while to get there. Dave and Klaus drove for about an hour, so the backup would be there in no less than 45 minutes. Better than nothing. But it could still be too long, Dave didn't have an indicator if Klaus was even alive, as bad as that sounded. He'd found blood, but it wasn't much. There were no signs of a fight, no sounds of it either. So the logical thought was, that Klaus was knocked on the head with something and fainted. The bleeding was presumably not too bad if he hadn't lost any more blood, so the culprit most likely didn't plan on killing him right away. He could have done so easily if that's what he was after.Alright, so logically Klaus should still be alive. That was definitely a relief. Backup was next. Dave told the owner to go to the reception and stay there, along with Robbie, until the situation was clear. With a nod, Mr. Gordon did what he was told and joined Robert. A sigh left David as he dialed. They'd better hurry. While having to trust his colleagues and the two other suspects Dave went on a search for his missing partner himself, starting with the motel rooms.
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Chapter 3Eine Hand wäscht die andere"You're wasting your time."Klaus sighed heavily and let himself relax. Ben was right. There was no way he could free himself by just pulling at and wriggling around in the rope around him. The others watched him with pity and something else. Admiration maybe? The elderly lady from earlier had sat down next to him to offer her company. Even though all of them looked hollow and, well, dead, Klaus appreciated their concern. Starvation was not a painless way to die by far. Starvation...Wait a second. Klaus' eyes darted across the room to Albert."Albert? You- you didn't starve, right? How did you die?" The medium asked warily, the others seemingly surprised by the question. Like they knew how obvious it was that he didn't, couldn't have. Ben widened his eyes in fear.Of course, he didn't. You don't starve in less than 24 hours."Shit." Klaus whispered and started to struggle again. His mind was running wild. He supposed he had time, but now that wasn't so safe to assume anymore. He was a detective, obviously, they couldn't just keep him around until he died by himself. They'd have to get rid of him as soon as they could. His eyes helplessly wandered to Ben.His brother looked understandably spooked. They had to find a way to get Klaus out of there immediately. Who knew how much time they had until the one responsible came back for him. From what the other ghosts had told him Klaus gathered enough information to assume he didn't work alone. If that was the case Dave was in danger. They wouldn't kill him though, probably. Hopefully. It would be a stupid move to kill the detectives sent to investigate.Unless there was no way to prove they even arrived.Anywho, Dave was in danger. He could seriously fuck this up. If he didn‘t find out who the murder was, or that he himself was in danger, this situation could easily escalate. Sadly, the chance that Klaus‘ new partner even noticed he was missing wasn‘t great. His family never noticed - or never cared, one of the two – so why would Dave? But he couldn‘t think like that right now. He had to trust this stranger to do the right thing, which was easier said than done. There was so much potential for something terrible happening, Klaus didn‘t want to jinx it by saying something along the lines of I‘m sure he won‘t mess up. Because raising death flags was something Klaus believed in after that disastrous summer in Vegas. God, Diego was so wasted then. It took all of them to get him to the hotel that night. Even Ben had to help and he usually avoided being in situations like that when he was still alive."Hey, Ben? I think I have a plan." Klaus suddenly perked up. The memory of that night gave him an idea. If he couldn‘t do it alone, why not ask for someone else's help? His brother cocked his head in worry. But he looked intrigued nonetheless, just like always. Klaus had some weird ass idea and Ben was in despite knowing how utterly stupid it was. Ben guessed dying fused their two brain cells together and now they had to share them. Klaus would argue that they shared them since they were seven, but he wouldn't change it for the world."Remember the first time you got me to stay sober? We can't really control it, but maybe it'll work? I can't get free myself, I need outside help. corporal outside help." Klaus explained while watching his brother with pleading puppy eyes. Ben looked unsure, scared even. What if they couldn't do it and Klaus would die here? It was a terrible thought but sadly entirely possible. It wasn't rare that Ben wished to just be alive so he could help his brother. Be alive so he could be with his family, make their pain go away. The worst part of being dead was his uselessness. He just couldn't do anything other than being Klaus' sassy moral compass.He had this fear that Klaus would feel terrible and useless again. Ben tried so hard to get him over that, over his families harsh words and dismissal. Klaus was not the useless junkie everyone took him for. He was the kindest, sweetest and bravest person Ben knew. No matter what terrible shit happened to Klaus, he would always get back up and get over it, not bother others with his problems. He would always push aside his own issues when someone needed his help and that‘s why Ben admired him so much. But he feared that one day Klaus wouldn‘t. He wouldn‘t get back up again, wouldn‘t keep trying and loving. He‘d let the darkness consume his heart.That was the thing Ben was most afraid of. There was so much Klaus could do. He wasn‘t Number four, he was Bens personal Number one. He was a person, not a number, not an experiment. Even if Reginald Hargreeves didn‘t train Klaus as he did, Ben could never forgive their adoptive father for taking away their humanity. Having powers didn‘t mean they didn‘t have feelings, that they weren‘t human. They never chose to be born the way they did.But Klaus wouldn‘t think like that, would he? Yeah, their dad was a piece of shit, but they were still themselves and they couldn't change that. Klaus was Klaus, Ben was Ben. Who cared about what their father thought? Who cared about the opinion of someone who didn‘t even see you as human? The only opinion that mattered to Klaus was the opinion of his loved ones, the people he could trust. Or at least thought he could. Who knew if his ties to Luther and Vanya could ever be repaired. Being you should never be something to apologize for.But all of that didn‘t matter right now. The most important thing was saving his brothers life. So Ben nodded with determination in his eyes. They could do it. They went through so much in Klaus‘ life, some inexperienced idiot who was too soft to actually kill anyone himself (except for Albert) didn‘t stand a chance against them. Dave needed his help. They could do this.“On the count of three. Ready?“ Klaus said, voice barely more than a whisper.When his hands started glowing, Ben couldn‘t be any more proud of his brother.“One… Two...“ Klaus counted with a proud grin as the others watched them wide-eyed and amazed.“Let‘s do this, baby! Three!“ He shouted and the whole room was suddenly blue.~~~~~~~~~~Something felt really off about this whole thing. Nobody could be the culprit if Dave looked at the whole thing logically. If someone didn‘t have an alibi for one time they had one for another which evidently ruled them out. This just didn‘t seem right at all.Unless the killer could go invisible and nobody saw him do anything there was no explanation for all of this. But there had to be! Dave bit his nails, a nervous habit he‘d picked up in his early teenage years and never lost. This whole situation made his head hurt. He was a somewhat intelligent and successful detective for god's sake! This little mystery shouldn‘t be able to get under his skin like that. It wasn‘t the victim either. He‘d been at a lot of crime scenes where the body of a young woman was found. Hell, he‘d invested child murders and way darker stuff with basically no leads, and he solved it every time. Every single time he was able to do it, so he could do it again.Dave wanted to investigate alone, but it honestly felt more dangerous with every passing minute. He couldn‘t explain it, but he felt wrong for leaving the suspects alone together. Call it detective instinct. They wouldn‘t get far without him noticing, but if one of them was the killer, the other would be in great danger. Surely, one wouldn‘t kill the other unless absolutely necessary, which it definitely wasn‘t.He let his emotions control him and he knew it. This wasn‘t professional behavior in the slightest. This was desperation. Desperation over someone he barely even knew. Some junkie who probably lived through far more dangerous things than this. A liar who thinks he can talk to ghosts. What did Dave care about him?The truth was, Dave cared a lot. And he knew Klaus was far more than what Dave thought of him. When Dave looked into his eyes earlier, he‘d almost looked haunted. Pained. Like he was wise beyond his years but somehow still young at heart. Someone who experienced a ton of crap and still kept his innocence through all of that. Well, Klaus definitely didn‘t seem innocent at all. But maybe he was, just in another way. His heart seemed to be at the right place, as far as David could tell from such a short amount of time. People could change and people could lie and cheat and kill to save themselves. But Klaus… he felt different. He felt warm, like a bright light emitted from his soul. God, that sounded gay.Just as he thought about his partner, Dave noticed movement behind the glass door of the reception. Right. Back on track. His legs carried him down the stairs again and to the room containing his main suspects. They seemed restless, nervous. Dave quickly joined them in the room. He could still investigate when the backup was here. He just… had to trust Klaus to still be alive. Maybe there was no time, but Dave knew that his gut didn‘t lie. And he felt like it was a mistake to leave them alone while he looked for the medium.Trusting was a tough choice. He‘d never trusted someone so quickly, never got attached so soon. But even if he was annoying, Dave felt so much better knowing Klaus was okay and by his side where he couldn‘t do anything stupid or get in trouble (which he still totally would). Dave was almost ready to admit that he missed those daring comments and annoyingly confident looks.He just… hoped Klaus was alright. In his mind, Dave promised to find him alive. Whatever he had to do, he would do. And if that meant waiting for the backup, then he did that. It seemed like the right thing, though who could really tell. Maybe it didn‘t seem so much as the right thing, but more like the less wrong thing. So trust it was.~~~~~~~~~~When Dave entered the reception area, he stopped with a confused look. Nothing particularly strange had happened there. Robbie and Mr. Gordon sat together behind the desk and looked nervous. But that wasn‘t why Dave stopped. No, he got this weird thought.Maybe he got it all wrong. They had individual alibis but put together, they never were at the same time. How didn‘t he notice that before? Robert could have lied to him about the thing at night. The manager could have lied about not being there at the time of the murder. His only witness was his wife, who had confirmed he was at their country home at the time. It was possible that he threatened her or she just wanted to protect him. Dave couldn‘t take the word of a single witness with an obvious personal attachment to the suspect. The times seemed way to perfect, until the point Dave and Klaus arrived. Robbie and Gordon were basically covered for the time after their arrival. Which left one flaw in his logic of them possibly working together. Honestly, Dave never believed the manager was the killer. He‘d met the guy and if anyone could have written scapegoat all over him, it was that guy.Dave sat down on the desk in front of the two, face serious. Then he twisted into some sort of calm smile, like the devil trying to seduce someone who knew he was the devil. He had to prove this theory wrong.“So, how long have you known each other? You seem kind of close. Don‘t worry about my partner, backup is on the way and the culprit will be caught. I‘ll keep you two safe.“ He spoke in a gentle voice, way too calm for this situation. But it could be played off as not wanting to scare them and easing their minds. Robert somewhat trusted him from earlier Dave guessed, so he‘d fall into the trap more easily.“Rob came here about seven years ago, still a teenager. Ran away from home, so we offered him a job and a place to stay. He‘s almost like a son to me.“ Mr. Gordon explained fondly. Well, that cleared things up a bit for Dave. His theory thickened with every word.“I owe Jonathan a lot! He picked me up when I had nowhere to go, Felicia and he treated me better than my own family ever did. This was the first place I ever felt welcomed.“ Robert said. His voice and eyes were soft and gentle, full of admiration and thankfulness, while Daves own grew cold.“Then, do you mind explaining what you did to Detective Hargreeves?“ He asked with calm anger and suppressed hatred. Roberts' eyes widened in shock and fear at the accusation, while Gordon tried to scoff it off.“We didn‘t do anything to your partner. It‘s outrageous to even assume that! Our establishment has been the victim of a terrible murder and you accuse us?“ he sounded offended and enraged by Daves words as he stood up to loom over the detective. Dave was having none of it and stood up as well, now being taller again. Without any more nonsense, he pulled out his gun and aimed it at Gordon's head causing Robbie to shriek in fear.“Yes, I do actually. You know, it never made sense before when I thought all of this was the work of one perp. But if I put you together, it makes a whole lotta sense to me. But to get a kid involved, Mr. Gordon. That‘s just bad parenting if you ask me.“ Obviously, he was threatened. Still, Jonathan Gordon tried to defend himself and Robert with a shaky voice while Rob looked ready to cry.“It wasn‘t us! It was Mr. Tennington is the one who did it. We don‘t know what happened to your partner. And we couldn‘t have taken him! You were with us the whole time, remember?“ he fearfully tried to justify them. It would be reasonable if it weren‘t for the last missing variable in this situation."Where‘s your wife then, Mr. Gordon? I haven‘t heard a word from her today.“ The look on their paling faces was the last proof Dave needed. Robert suddenly started sobbing and Mr. Gordon turned his face away from Dave in concern and fear.“I‘m sorry! I... didn‘t know what to do! I never wanted to kill her! I just- she didn‘t listen to me. I needed her to do something for me but she wouldn‘t listen! So I got angry and- and then I attacked her, but Albert came in and he tried to stop me, so I hit him in the head with this pipe. He- he just bled and he didn‘t move. I panicked! She saw everything and she started running and I chased her. I caught her before she could leave her room and then she just jumped at me. Next thing I know the pipe is in her throat and there‘s blood everywhere! I never killed someone before, I couldn‘t! I‘m so sorry! I just couldn‘t do it, you know I couldn‘t.“ Robert sobbed as he explained his story. Despite the cruelty of his actions, Dave felt a twinge of sympathy for the young man. Gordon looked alarmed and ready to run.Davids hand found the boys shoulder as he lowered his gun carefully. He ordered the owner to sit down, which he obediently did. Daves' hand rubbed slow circles on Roberts' shoulder, as he just continued to cry. Outside, the sound of cars pulling into the parking lot attracted Daves attention. But he had something to do before he handed them over to the officers.“Why did you take Klaus? Where did you take him? You need to tell me.“ He said quietly.“I noticed him talking to the air, knowing things he couldn‘t possibly have known. We couldn‘t risk it. So I told my wife to get him out of the picture.“ Gordon confessed before Robert answered the rest of his question. If that was true, maybe Klaus really did talk to a ghost there? It seemed so weird and made up at first, but now Dave could almost believe it.“Felicia took him to the house, probably locked him in the shed with the oth- with the gardening supplies.“ Robbie quickly corrected himself. The others? The last part of his story did sound a little weird, but Dave didn‘t think too much of it at first. There were others?“That sounds like there‘s something else you‘d like to tell me. And I suggest you do before I make you.“ Dave didn‘t play around anymore. He needed to know what was going on and he needed to know right now.“There were others. You see, there are people in the world with no kindness in their hearts, no respect for others. Runaways that were just tired of their privileges and happiness. Nobody missed them, they didn‘t belong in this world. So, we took them away from it. We let them feel what it was like to be lonely, to be without options and to die miserably from their own idiocy.“ Gordon's voice was icy and hard. Clearly, the man was very opinionated and frankly, crazy. But not the fun kind. And honestly, his words sounded a lot like he was describing himself.Dave didn‘t say anything about that. People with strong views like that wouldn‘t change their opinions because someone else didn‘t agree with them. However fucked up it was, for some people it was not a big deal. Killing another person was like killing a pesky bee or mosquito for them. Human life didn‘t matter if they didn‘t approve of it. Dave could never understand these people and he‘d given up on trying to, he never would and he knew that. So it was better for everyone to just leave it to people who knew what to do. So he did.An officer came through the door, professional as always as he told Dave what happened outside. Apparently, Mrs. Gordon was spotted by them and tried to run, so they apprehended her. Dave explained the situation and the family of three was escorted to the police cars. Just before Robert got in, David leaned on the car next to him with a disappointed glare. There was still one thing he still needed to do.“Remember what I said, Robbie. Don‘t waste your future.““He‘s right, you know. I don‘t know what he said to you, but life is not over just because you‘ll probably, most likely, basically positively, go to prison. The party only starts there. Also don't do drugs, alright?“ Dave whipped around to the chipper voice behind him. Leaning on the wall, as if nothing ever happened, was Klaus.His head was covered in blood, there were obvious rope marks on his wrists and ankles. His clothes were dirty and Dave could smell the decay from miles away. Without another word, Klaus got into the car they came with and leaned back on his seat comfortably. Dave must‘ve looked like a dying fish in his shock, but joined him in the car after a few parting words with the officers.“Don‘t worry, I already told those guys what was going on. Owner killed a bunch of people. Starved them in his garden shed, that sick bastard.“ Klaus laughed without a care in the world.He knew. So that probably meant it was true. Dave couldn‘t contain the laughter bubbling up inside his chest, at the pure absurdity of this whole situation. He wouldn‘t get rid of this guy so fast after all, would he? Klaus was like some kind of cockroach. A (despite all the dirt and the disgusting smell still) sexy cockroach. And that just sounded wrong.“How the fuck did you escape? I was about to assemble a search party for your ass.“ Dave asked when he calmed down a little, face now overtaken by immense relief. He was so done with this day."What? I'm not your damsel in distress, I can save myself, sweetheart. I had a little help, but still." Klaus grinned. It didn't look too happy thanks to his bloody face, but it was better than being dead. Dave just shook his head laughing again before burying his head in his hands on the wheel. After a few quiet moments between them, he rolled his head to the side and smiled softly at his partner.“I could really go for a burger right now. Mc Donalds?““You know it.“Dave was really glad he'd chosen to trust this weirdo.
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Chapter 4Durch die rosarote Brille sehen“So, basically, my dead brother who can summon a tentacle monster out of his chest follows me around.“Dave didn‘t even pretend to know what the fuck was going on anymore. He was lost at pretty much the first sentence. With Klaus, it was better not to ask and just go with it.Klaus looked at him with amusement as he stuffed his face with fries. He‘d cleaned up his face in the bathroom as soon as they‘d arrived while Dave ordered a ton of food for the two to enjoy. His wallet wasn‘t as happy about it as Klaus was, but it was worth it to see the medium's eyes light up and the amazed smile spreading on his lips. His beautiful lips.There it was again! Those weird thoughts that seemed to sneak in Daves mind more and more often these days. Well, the past hour rather, they didn‘t know each other for more than a day. But his initial image of a scrawny dirty guy slowly turned into the picture of messy cuteness and grace. The way Klaus carried himself seemed so flowy and fun, almost as if he was dancing with every step. He planned to ask Klaus a few more personal questions, but he seemed somewhat closed off, so Dave wasn‘t sure if it was the best idea. But he did buy Klaus lunch, so he kind of owed him. Well… no. Actually, he didn‘t owe Dave anything. It was kind of entitled to think Klaus owed him an explanation of his whole life story just because Dave willingly bought him food. It was exactly the mindset of the people Dave broke contact with.If he wanted something from Klaus he‘d just ask. And if he said no, that was okay too. Everything else just seemed wrong to Dave. But he still wanted to know more about him. This Umbrella Academy thing hardly defined him as a person. Dave didn‘t know much about it anyway since he never had much to do with it where he grew up.“So what you‘re saying is… You can see and talk to dead people and summon them and stuff. Were you always able to do that?“ David asked with true curiosity. Klaus nodded in silence. So it really was true.“Wow, must‘ve been terrible. I mean your power is cool and all, but if I‘m being honest, I‘d hate having that. All those people around you all the time. You never know if you‘re truly alone or not. All those people who died terrible deaths with no one else to hear their story and their pain.“ Dave mused. And he meant it. Sure, it was nice to see someone you‘d lost, but at what cost? Could you ever get over a loved one's death when you know they‘re still with you? The pain this power brought with it seemed so clear. Dave never wanted a gift like that or rather a curse. But Klaus used it to help others, which seemed like the best use for his power.Klaus himself suddenly seemed a lot more toned down. His happy smile turned into a sad one. Once again he nodded and swallowed. He didn‘t look at Dave anymore, gaze fixated to the table. And Dave wondered if he‘d said anything wrong.“You‘re the only one who ever said that. Everyone always thinks it‘s the best thing in the world. They tell me to get over myself and use this power. They look at me like I said something terrible when I tell them that it hurts. Or they just ignore it when they feel uncomfortable with the topic. Thanks, partner.“ The medium confessed quietly. That seemed odd. Did people really feel that way about Klaus? Sure, it was great for certain things. But the impact the hauntings had on one's psyche couldn‘t be pleasant.Once again the detective didn‘t know what to say. He didn‘t want to remain silent though since that would not give Klaus any sign of sympathy. But what could he say? “Sorry that people don‘t believe you“? Maybe Klaus would feel better if he talked about himself and his vulnerability.“I grew up with my older sister on a farm.“ he then started without really thinking about it. Telling Klaus about himself was a good way to establish trust between them. The medium looked up at him curiously, still somewhat sad, but more put together than before. He was clearly interested in what Dave had to say and he took it as a sign to continue.“My big sister is almost 12 years older than me. Our parents were never the most loving. They cared a lot about how other people viewed them and their family, from what Becca told me. When I was about three years old, actually a few days before my third birthday, Becca told our parents she liked girls. She told them that in her school a group of boys had tried to violate her because of it, I really don‘t know why, but instead of being concerned about their daughter, they were angry with my sister. They were angry about her sexuality and how she disgraced the family by telling people she was almost violated. It was shameful for some reason. And she didn‘t feel safe anymore. On my birthday she packed her things and mine. And then she took me away. I don‘t even know if she left a note or anything. I never heard from my parents and I can‘t even remember them.My sister tried to take care of me to the best of her abilities and being homeless at fifteen years old with a toddler was not easy for her. She did things she never wanted to do, just for me. And eventually, someone took us in and provided us with a home. That was uncle Maik Katz. He was a retired cop who lived on a farm alone. Becca helped him take care of the farm and she got back on her feet with his help. They raised me and loved me. They were my family, are my family.Uncle Maik died shortly after I got accepted into the police academy. I always wanted to be a cop like him and do good. Becca was so happy for me, he was so happy for me. I kept my parents' last name all these years, but I never felt like David Price. I always felt like David Katz. My sister told me that 20 years after we left, she tried to contact our parents again. They said… They never had a daughter. They didn‘t care about us, we were dead for them. So she cut all ties. And of course, I accepted her decision. She‘d done so much for me over the years, she was more of a mother to me than my real mother ever was. And I‘m glad. Knowing what they did to her, I never would have wanted to be raised by a bunch of heartless snobs like them. So… I don‘t know your life story, but now you know mine.“ Dave ended with a sigh.Talking had made him thirsty and kind of sad. Sure, it was a long time ago and his sister had experienced so much worse than him, but it was still painful to talk about it. It made him feel vulnerable. But Klaus‘ eyes looked at him with such softness and affection, he couldn‘t help but be happy about telling him.“Siblings sure are awesome, aren‘t they?“ He smiled and placed a bony hand on Daves' arm. Obviously, he could relate. Klaus had five siblings, as far as Dave knew from what he did remembered about the Umbrella Academy.“Well, Rebecca and I don‘t really get along if I‘m being honest. We used to prank each other every summer break. Uncle Maik called it the ‘Annual Katz-Family Prank War‘ and we even had a score carved in the barn wall.“ Dave laughed at the fond memories, while Klaus smiled along. He‘d fit right in with them, wouldn‘t he?“I know what you mean. My brother Ben is such a bitch, but I love him.“ he giggled in amusement and looked to the empty seat next to him. Before bursting out laughing. Oh. So Ben was the dead one. Well, at least Klaus could joke about him still.“I take it he wasn‘t too happy about that comment?“ He then asked and once again Klaus looked surprised, even though he already knew Dave believed him. Or maybe he didn‘t know and didn‘t expect to be reassured in that non-existent belief. The detectives' eyes locked onto the place he guessed Ben sat and smiled.“Nice to meet you, Ben. I‘m David. Please call me Dave. I‘m Klaus‘ new partner.“ he introduced himself to the ghost he couldn‘t see. If Ben wasn‘t really there and Klaus was really just tricking him, which honestly seemed less likely than Klaus‘ dead brother actually being with them, then Dave would look like a complete idiot who talked to air. But he trusted Klaus. Whatever it was about him, Dave knew he could trust him.“You know, Dave, usually when I say anything about Ben being with me people accuse me of lying for attention. My siblings never believe me with that, so I stopped telling them. They don‘t even believe I‘m sober, actually. But… Ben already knows you. He‘s with me all the time. He was the one who got me out of that shed earlier and called you a dick when we met.“ Klaus explained in a soft tone. He looked so much happier than before. And not that fake happiness, but the one he truly felt.Nobody ever believed the useless junkie. Klaus always made everything up for attention. Nobody bothered to listen to his opinion. He was always lying and always wrong, so why bother actually hearing him out? Attention was all he wanted. Diego was the first to kind of get out of that mindset. Diego somewhat believed him, helped him through the withdrawal. Diego listened to him and was there at Klaus‘ worst, just like Ben was. And now this guy did too. He listened to Klaus, respected him, wanted to know about him and believed the things Klaus said. It meant a lot for the ex-addict that Dave opened up to him about his own demons, show him his vulnerable side.How was it, that someone you knew for only a few hours felt closer to you than most of your own family? Their first impressions of each other were nothing if not terrible. And yet Dave had managed to get under his skin and slither in his heart. And he did that just by trusting Klaus. He trusted him to do the right thing, to be able to keep himself alive in a dire situation and to tell the truth when others never believed it before.It felt easier to trust Dave than it felt with his other siblings. Most of them at least. Honestly, Klaus didn‘t have the answer to the question if it was easier to trust someone you know or someone you don‘t. Both were somewhat true. If you know someone for a while you usually know if you can trust them or not. In Diego and Bens case, Klaus knew he could trust them with his life. In Vanya's or Luther's case, Klaus wasn‘t sure if he could even trust them with taking care of him when he was sick. It was similar with strangers. Klaus‘ gut and the ghost surrounding some people told him who to stay away from and who was safe enough. And his Gut told him that Dave was more than safe. Dave was like a potion in a witches house. Even if it looked deadly at first, you just knew if it was or not, when you dribbled it over a wilting flower and the flower started to bloom again.
God, Klaus could feel himself falling for this guy way too quickly.
But he knew how bad it was to rush those things. Dave was hot and friendly. That and his backstory were the only things Klaus knew about him other than his job. It was too early to talk about something like love. He was definitely attracted to the detective, but he couldn‘t say he loved him. There was a chance Dave didn‘t even like guys. And while Klaus himself didn‘t identify as gay, he preferred to date men. Love didn‘t have limits for Klaus. If he fell in love than he fell in love. If that person was a man, a woman or something else didn‘t matter. Sexual relationships were different though. There was never enough love or trust on both sides.Making memories with Dave seemed like a nice idea though. Time would tell if Klaus‘ little crush could turn into love. He‘d learn about Dave. Learn about his fears and imperfections, hopefully, learn to accept them and in the end, learn to love this man. Dave looked dreamy, strong and kind. He had a sense of humor, was smart and knew what he was doing. He had power over others by his charisma alone, but he didn‘t use this power to put others down. At least not as far as Klaus knew.Every rose had thorns and the medium didn‘t doubt that David Price was this way as well. Maybe he just had to wear gloves while watering this rose. And what a beautiful rose it was.“Just because something is unbelievable doesn‘t mean it couldn't be true. Not all things that are there are visible to everyone. You have no reason to lie about your brother. And even if it wasn‘t true for me, it would be for you and I need to respect that.“ Dave explained after a while. He himself did believe Klaus but couldn‘t see the things Klaus did, so he couldn‘t say for sure.“And what are your flaws, Mr. Perfect? You‘re gonna make me swoon over here with your cuteness.“ Klaus giggled half serious about his statement. He wasn‘t about to let himself ride into a delusional sunset, but a little flirting was surely allowed.Daves face broke into an embarrassed grin, which he quickly hid behind his hand. He obviously didn‘t expect to be flirted with in this situation. Dave shook his head and grabbed his milkshake. Klaus watched intensely as he drank from it and the detective almost choked on his strawberry shake from laughter when he noticed Klaus' staring.“Stop that, you asshole!“ he chuckled and wiped over his mouth with his sleeve. When he was done he lifted his fists and softly assaulted Klaus‘ arm pouting.“Stop what, Detective? I‘m not doing anything!“ Klaus grinned in amusement while he tried to escape the playful hands. They both started laughing and play fighting over the table, accidentally knocking over their ice cream. Klaus gasped in fake shock.“No! Not the ice cream! Look what you‘ve done, you monster!“ he dramatically scolded his partner who couldn‘t stop laughing on his side of the table, while Klaus gathered the spilled ice cream back into the bowl. After a while they calmed down again, still smiling at each other.“But seriously, answer the question.“ Klaus asked then and nudged Daves arm impatiently. After all, he still wanted to learn about the faults in this seemingly perfect human. Dave leaned back in thought. People usually asked about his good traits, not his bad ones. And while Dave had a bit of a hard time answering what made him good, it was even harder to say what he didn‘t like about himself. There were a lot of very small things he really didn‘t like about himself. But all in all, he thought of himself as a good guy.“Well… I guess I‘m a terrible baker. I can cook okay but baking is literally my worst enemy. I‘m scared of hailstorms and snakes. And I have this weird thing that I can‘t look into mirrors when it‘s dark. That‘s just really scary. And um… I‘m really careful whenever I get into and out of the shower. I was always afraid of slipping and hitting my head and bleeding out naked on my bathroom floor. I mean imagine finding your roommate or whatever naked in the bathroom dying. Nobody wants to see that.“ Dave rambled on. The more he talked the more weird things he found about himself.“I totally get the mirror thing. Always feels like someone else is staring back at you when it‘s dark.“ Klaus commented in between, listening with a thoughtful smile on his face.“Exactly! What else is there? I‘m kind of sensitive and I actually cry pretty easily. It‘s a little embarrassing to admit that, but it‘s true. I know, like, nothing about modern culture. I haven‘t seen a lot of movies and when people make pop culture references I‘m kind of lost. I‘m kind of bad with grammar, a little messy, I can get really jealous and I really hold onto grudges. Is that enough?“ Dave laughed softly. Talking himself down like that made him feel weird.Klaus watched him for a while before nodding. He wouldn‘t say those things were terrible, but they can definitely be seen as negative traits. But he did not agree with sensitivity being something entirely negative. Klaus actually thought being sensitive was an attractive trait. Showing weakness in front of others took a lot of inner strength and it made this person more human.“Dave. You don‘t need to think of yourself as weak or bad because you cry easily. I hate this idea that men can‘t show that they have emotions other than confidence, anger, and joy. You‘re a human person and it‘s only natural to have a lot of emotions. I think being vulnerable shows that you have a big heart and you care about others a lot. You don‘t need to be a perfect macho man when you can be a wonderful human.“ Klaus mindlessly ate the ice cream, since it just sat in front of him melting.David was quiet. He seemed to think about Klaus‘ words thoroughly. He didn‘t seem to disagree, but maybe he just had a hard time accepting it. In his line of work showing weakness was potentially deadly. If others knew how to hurt him, they would have a certain advantage in a lot of situations.“Maybe in front of you I‘ll let myself be vulnerable.“ He then said quietly and Klaus‘ heart jumped up into the sky. He didn‘t expect that kind of reaction and already felt himself blushing and mouth forming into a goofy smile. Now it was the mediums turn to be embarrassed by flirting.“Maybe I‘ll let myself too. It‘s only fair, right? Sorry I made you talk shit about yourself.“ He apologized half-heartedly. Dave chuckled again. An employee swept a few meters next to them and when the two became aware of the woman's presence they became a little embarrassed and turned back to their food. Klaus didn‘t feel as hungry anymore but continued to stuff himself with ice cream. It would be a shame to waste it after all.“You never told me how exactly you freed yourself.“ The Detective noted when it felt less weird to start up a conversation once again. It was true. Klaus had brushed it off earlier since it was really fresh at the time and the situation was scary enough to make him want to escape it like that. But now things were a little calmer and Klaus had loosened up enough to talk about it. Especially since he just told Dave he would share his fears with him as well. He was a closed up person in general and hated talking about things that made him vulnerable on a more personal level. Klaus was fine talking about random shit with a little bit of sarcasm, but when it got real he shut down and raised his defenses. Diego and Ben were the only ones he had ever truly opened up to, and even Diego didn‘t know a lot of things about him despite their close relationship.“I just transferred my energy into my brother and made him physical. Then he freed me and some of the others told us where we needed to go.“ Klaus simply explained, as if making your dead ghost brother physical was no big deal. Dave just lifted his eyebrow in confusion and nodded slowly, not really understanding how the hell Klaus did that.“Alright? I mean I don‘t know how that works but that‘s pretty cool I guess.“ he commented unsurely. Klaus grinned once again and shook his head.“You‘re so cute, I swear.“ he sighed happily as Dave felt his face warming up. How was it that every little thing Klaus said about him drove this intense heat into his cheeks? Dave wasn‘t good with compliments anyways, but if they came from Klaus it made them ten times more sincere.It felt as if just one word Klaus said to him was louder than a thousand others. The soft look in Klaus‘ eyes told him that he could trust the things he said. Nobody else seemed to do so, but to Dave, it was obvious how sincere the medium was with his words. Somewhere Dave wondered how people didn‘t trust him as much as David himself did. It was just so natural and obvious to do so.And maybe others didn‘t see it from the eyes of the detective, but Klaus was amazing. He was gentle, sweet and wise. His eyes knew darkness beyond the comprehension of normal people and yet he smiled as bright as the stars. Dave swore to himself right there that he would do anything to protect this man. His partner. In more ways than one, Detective Price felt connected with this person and knew that placing his trust in him would be rewarded.