Fireproof

“Here, let me get that –”

Vanya moved out of the way and Sophie moved ahead of her to help with the lock on her apartment door. The fire chief had been dutifully not letting her do anything both during the ride back and on the way up to her home despite Vanya’s assurance that she was fine.

Sophie opened the door and stepped to the side to let her through first. Vanya smiled shyly at the ground and moved past her, careful not to brush her dislocated arm against the doorframe.

When the firefighter didn’t move, she turned around, “You can come in, if you want.” She nodded and stepped inside.

“You can just put those anywhere – thank you, by the way, for carrying those.”

“Well, I owe you for not absolutely freaking out on me – “ She laughed a little nervously which was strange to Vanya, this woman was obviously a leader, she held herself proud and confident but she had a certain sweetness about her that was surprising.

“And again, I am. So sorry.” She cringed, “For hitting you with my truck.”

Vanya bit her lip and looked down, “It’s okay – I shouldn’t have been walking there and I should have been paying attention. No harm, no foul, right?” She chuckled awkwardly.

“Well, you did dislocate your shoulder and get road rash down the right side of your body – so there was definitely some harm.” She put a hand out, “But, I’ll make it up to you – if there’s anything you need just let me know.”

Vanya hesitated, “Actually… I’ve got to pick up groceries some time this week and with…” She held up her arm in the sling.

“I’ll help you! We can take my truck and I promise I won’t run you over again.”

Vanya laughed, “I’d like that.”

“It’s a date – er – appointment – I’ll help you with your groceries.” Sophie’s eye twitched slightly and she grinned, a slight blush trailing up her cheeks.

“Also – I’m sorry about the whole…” She waved her hand, “Other thing. I wasn’t aware of the whole dynamic happening and I should have kept my mouth shut. I just thought— Well, it doesn’t matter what I thought.”

“No, it’s fine. I’m glad you told me – and thanks for looking out for them.”

“Well, you Hargreeves do tend to just fall into my lap so—”

Vanya nodded and they said a few awkward goodbye’s, as she shut the door behind the fire chief she sat back against it and sighed heavily. There were several things going through her mind. The first of which was the ache thrumming through the side of her body that hit the pavement, the second was the butterflies in her stomach when she thought about seeing Sophie again, and the third was whether or not she should act on the information that had been thrown on her that day.

Before dealing with any of that she decided she would get a cup of coffee and maybe take some Advil.

********************************************************

“Klaus, when you act like this you’re just teaching her that if she cries her mommy will come and coddle her.” Ben stepped out of the way as his brother and niece came through to the living room. The toddler had fallen and then started having a complete meltdown – literally, she melted an entire Thomas the Train Engine in 30 seconds.

Klaus had her wrapped in a heavy blue blanket a few moments later and was now consoling her in the same over the top manner that he did everything.

“Jeez, Ben – what am I supposed to do when she gets hurt? Just leave her on the floor to burn herself out?”

Ben couldn’t hide the small smirk that came over his features, “She didn’t get hurt, she just fell over. She got more upset because you made a big deal out of it – She acts out more when you’re here because she knows you’ll cuddle her every time she gets upset.”

“Oh, and when did you write a parenting book, Ben?” He tried to put her back down in the play area and then proving Ben’s point, she clung on to his shirt stubbornly until he gave up and continued to hold her.

Ben held his hand up as if his point was proven and Klaus made a face. A knock at the door made them both look over.

“It’s probably Leon – You want me to take her?” Ben offered.

Leon was a guy that had started hanging around the shop more and more when Klaus was working. He was better than most of the scum that Klaus usually attracts so Ben was supportive when he had started walking with Klaus back to the apartment. He figured his brother deserved to have a relationship, especially with someone who wasn’t volatile like the women he had dated in the past or aggressive like the men he had dated.

“Yeah, how do I look?” Klaus made a pose, toddler still on his hip.

“You’ve got cheese in your goatee.” Ben said matter of factly.

“No, I don’t- oh shit I do…” Klaus inspected his face in the small mirror on the wall and rubbed away at the food Kenzie had no doubt put on his face.

After some finagling they untangled the child from Klaus and Ben took her to play in her room. Klaus straightened out his skirt and checked his breath on his palm before swinging the door open with a confident smile. His eye line dropped about a foot and his face fell as he saw his sister standing a few feet away, holding two large bags in one hand while her other arm was in a blue sling. She was shifting nervously in place.

She looked up and smiled, “Hi.”

Klaus’ mouth opened then closed and he glanced around uselessly. He stood up a little straighter and flashed a confused smile, “Vanya! Hey! What are- how- how are you doing, little sis?” He leaned against the doorway.

“I’m good! I um..” Her words fell flat and they both went silent for a few moments.

Klaus laughed, “How did you find me? I haven’t heard from you in –” He blew air loudly through his lips, “2 and half years?”

She nodded, finally looking at him, “Well, I met Chief Alvarez – well, she hit me with her vehicle and then just accidentally told me how you were doing.”

His face fell and immediately Vanya put her hand up, “Please don’t be mad at her – I was in the area and she thought I was going to visit my niece.” She paused and looked away, “I told her I didn’t know that I had a niece…”

“Vanya-“ Klaus’ voice was heavy.

“Look, I get it, I do. But we’ve been worried about you, me and Diego- Not that he’s talking to me anymore… I thought maybe you were hurt or with bad people or that you died and we just didn’t know…” She swallowed, “So finding out that you’re safe and that you’ve got your own place now was great! It was really great..”

“And you’re a dad now! That’s so great. You got sober and you stepped up – I’m proud of you.” She smiled sweetly.

Klaus seemed distracted, his shoulders tense, “Vanya, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything we did to you- the pushing you away, I stole from you, I lied to you – I’m sorry. I really am! But please don’t tell anyone about us – I’ll make it up to you, I promise. I’ve still got hook ups, weed, hookers, any drug you want – I’ll get it for you..” He was pleading, babbling away.

Vanya tilted her head in confusion, “Klaus… I’m not trying to threaten you…?”

“Vanya, he can’t know about my little girl…” His voice broke slightly.

A look of realization dawned on her, “Is she special, like you guys?” She asked hesitantly.

He blinked and nodded.

“I haven’t spoken with dad since I left. I don’t want to hurt you guys – and If you don’t want me to meet her, I get it. But I missed the baby shower and I missed you moving in so I thought I would bring something to make up for it.” She held out the two bags, one was pink and one was black.

He tentatively reached out to take the bags, he looked down at them as Vanya’s hands clasped in front of her nervously. There were several moments of silence between them.

When he looked up he smiled and jerked his head towards the inside of the apartment, “So the Chief hit you?” He started casually.

Vanya hopped inside happily, “Yeah, I was walking across the road and I wasn’t paying attention- someone got into a fight behind us and she just grazed me with her truck – I’m actually glad she did.”

Klaus set the bags on his little table, “So are you gay now or..?”

“What?!” Vanya laughed and pushed the strand of hair that fallen out of her ponytail away from her face.

“Oh don’t look at me like that, she has that effect on people.”

“Well, it was kind of nice when she picked me up and put me in the truck…”

Klaus stomped his foot, “You’ve got to be kidding me! I’ve been trying to get her to carry me for a year! I’ve collapsed in front of her in a pile of distress and all she could lend was a hand - it’s not fair!”

Vanya grinned, shrugging her shoulders innocently, “I don’t know- I guess you’ll just have to get run over..”

Klaus hummed bitterly then got distracted by the black bag, he gestured to it and she nodded excitedly, “Open it! That’s the housewarming gift.”

A moment later there was white paper being ripped away and Klaus dug in, a moment later he lifted out a boxed waffle maker. She stood perfectly stoic as he turned it around in his hands and read the label, after a moment she spoke up, “I got the mix and the syrup for it too... “

Klaus looked up, “It’s perfect- We can make waffles just like mom used to do!”

Vanya’s face lit up and she nodded quickly, “Do you want to open the other one? It’s for- the little one.She may already have it- I wasn’t sure what to get.”

“Oh, well, she goes through toys like wildfire so I’m sure she’ll love it while it lasts.”

“And! I can just go get her!” He threw his hands up, “She's like a whole little person! It’s insane!” He ran to the back room and disappeared behind the door while Vanya waited patiently

A few moments later he came in with a toddler on his hip and approached the table that Vanya was currently using as a security blanket. “This - Is my little Kenzie.”

Vanya tilted her head slightly to look at her, “She’s beautiful, Klaus.” She said simply and cautiously reached out.

Kenzie did the same and grabbed her aunt’s fingers, inspecting the scene in front of her with curiosity.

“Kenz’, this is your aunt Vanny, she’s here to make sure you’re getting your waffles! Say thank you!”

Kenzie had a finger in her mouth staring around, she blinked then said confidently, “Shit.”

Klaus shrugged casually, “I don’t know where she gets that mouth from.”

Vanya lifted up the bag, “Kenzie, I got you a late birthday present - I hope that you like it.”

Ben was still invisible and he padded around to the back of the kitchen while Klaus started to help his daughter pull out the paper from the gift bag. He crossed his arms, and watched his sister closely, half suspicion and half something softer clouded his features.

“Are you sure this is a good idea, Klaus?”

“Who am I to say no to presents.” Then he added more softly over his shoulder, “It’s not her fault - I don’t think she wants to hurt us, Ben.”

Vanya gave her brother a questioning glance but didn’t have a chance to comment before Kenzie pulled out a brightly colored keyboard made for toddlers. Kenzie immediately slammed all of her fingers over the keys and it made a chaotic jingle. The child shrieked excitedly as Klaus put it on the table and let her explore it closer.

Klaus looked up at his sister, “Oh, I see - so this was your ultimate revenge - Touché, little sister, touché.”
Ben had not stopped staring at Vanya the entire interaction, finally he spoke up, “Klaus, can you make me corporeal.”

“There’s a button in the back that lowers the volume.” She said with a laugh as Kenzie started wailing in the keys in earnest.

Klaus sighed and let his hands glow blue, a moment later Ben’s form began to take shape a few feet away from them. Vanya was so busy watching her niece that she didn’t notice anything until Ben took a step forward and she snapped her head in his direction.

She gasped and took a step backwards as Ben stopped in the middle of the floor with a sheepish look on his face. She took him in and then raised her hand; he did the same. She inched closer until their fingers touched, “Oh my God… Ben..”

As Vanya intertwined their fingers, Ben covered his face with his other hand and let out a sob. She pulled him in and he clung to her desperately, burying his face in her shoulder, “I’ve missed you so much, Vanny…” He whimpered and she gripped him tighter.

They remained there for a while, every time Ben would move to step away she pulled him back in, their beautiful moment of reunion was composed by the farm animals noises being played in a C scale a few feet away.

“I can’t believe you’re really here..”

“I never went away, Vanya - I’ve been here the whole time.”

Vanya finally broke away and looked at Klaus who was pointedly looking away from the scene and instead watching his daughter on the keyboard. She wiped her face with her uninjured hand, “Klaus?”

He looked up, “Ja?”

“Can I stay a little longer?”

He snorted, “Well, obviously - we’re having waffles for dinner - and I don’t know how to use a waffle maker , so… You do the math.”

Ben held out his arm, “Come here-” and a moment later Klaus and Kenzie joined the hug and their little family got a little bit bigger.