CARLA WAS PERCHED ON THE EDGE OF A DUMPSTER, legs swinging slightly, eating a slice of toast Grace had prepared for her earlier.

     "Look," she told an irritated Klaus, "I'm not saying it's not here, but you've been at this for ages, and you're no closer to finding it." She paused, "Actually, that's exactly what I'm saying. I don't think it's here."

     "I know it's here because I threw it here. I need Pogo to get off my ass," Klaus threw a bag of trash out of the dumpster.

     "Klaus," she whined, "This is boring."

     "Can you both shut up?" Klaus snapped angrily, and Carla knew Ben was probably complaining just as much as she was.

     "Can't we go get donuts or something?" Carla sighed wistfully, "I really want donuts."

     Klaus groaned, "If you're so bored, go see if you can tag along with Diego or something. See if he'll teach you how to throw knives. That would be fun."

     "Yeah, no thanks," Carla mused, taking the last bite of her toast and brushing her hands off, "He kinda scares me, to be honest."

     "I'd ask what you're up to, Klaus," the voice of Five said, as he climbed down a fire escape ladder, a large bag on his back that probably was holding Dolores, "But then it occurred to me: I don't care."

     He jumped down the last few rungs, looking at Klaus in mild interest.

     "Hey," Klaus said, peering at him curiously, "You know there are easier ways out of the house, right?"

     "This one involved the least amount of talking," Five explained, before pausing, "Or so I thought."

     He begun walking away, hands holding the straps of the bag on his shoulders.

     "Hey, hey, hey," Klaus pleaded, making Five stop in his tracks, slowly turning around, "Do you need any more company today?"

     "From you? No," Five shook his head, before his eyes drifted to the trash bags littered around the dumpster, "Plus, it looks like you have your hands full."

     "Oh no, no, no. I could do this whenever I want, I'm just-" Klaus suddenly fell down, and Carla let out a bark of laughter, but the man continued speaking, "I'm just looking for something. Oh! Found it, thank God!" he reappeared, with a half-eaten bagel, before reluctantly taking a bite, making Carla grimace.

     "Dude, that's fucking gross," she muttered, nose crinkling in disgust.

     "Delicious!" Klaus spoke over her, obnoxiously loud and thoroughly unconvincing, looking like he was wishing for death.

     Five glared at him, "I'm not funding your drug habit."

     "Aw, come on. Maybe I just want to hang out with my brother! Mi hermano!" Five however was walking away. Carla called out his name, jumping down from her spot on the dumpster, and running to catch up, "Wait a sec!"

     Five turned around, "Yeah?"

     "Do you need any company from a fully functioning person, by any chance?" Carla asked, grinning, and choosing to ignore Klaus pathetically calling her back.

     Five hesitated, before nodding, "Fine."

     He saw a delivery man walk away from his van, and Five quickly ushered her along towards the vehicle, Carla clambering in the passenger side, the boy presumably teleporting inside, placing his bag on the floor between the seats.

     She barely had time to sit down properly, before Five slammed his foot down on the pedal and they were racing away, swerving round a corner and driving on the main road. "Holy shit!" Carla yelped, at the sudden movement, pressing herself further back into her seat, a grin working its way onto her face.

     Carla couldn't tell if Five knew how to drive. He certainly knew more than her and Klaus combined, but the way he drove radiated a sort of chaotic energy she couldn't tell if she hated or loved.

     The van's dashboard was high up, and Five had to crane his neck to even see the road, eyes squinting slightly. His hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white, and he was leaning forwards, as though physically willing the car to go faster.

     It wasn't long before they were pulling up on a road opposite a large building familiar to Carla: it was the Meritech centre. She looked at him questioningly, "Are we going in again?"

     "No," Five looked at the building, watching the people coming in and out, "We're just observing."

     "Stakeout," Carla said appreciatively, as Five turned around, hastily unzipping the bag he brought, and lifting out Delores with upmost care.

     Carla's eyes drifted down to the numerous bottles of drink also within the bag, eyebrow quirking in question. The boy's eyes went from hers, to Delores, and he sighed, "No, I'm not drunk. I'm working, remember?"

     He stared at Delores, sighing, "Yes, it's about the eye thing. This is the place it was made. Or... will be made. We just have to wait."

     "You drink?" Carla asked.

     "Yeah," Five muttered, "Well, I used to. I don't think my young body will react the same way my older one did."

     Carla nodded, before reaching forward and pressing a button, the radio blaring to life, playing some song she didn't really know. Five looked at her, "Really?"

     "What? If you expect me to sit in a car for Christ-knows-how-long without music, then you're mad," she said, looking straight ahead, swaying slightly to the beat of the song.

     Five gave her a sidelong look, before shaking his head and looking out the window again. Carla, however, soon grew weary. This whole stakeout business wasn't half as fun as she thought it was going to be, and somehow Five seemed completely content doing nothing but gaze out a window.

     It probably had something to do with the fact he was probably used to the consistent solitude and boredom that came with being stuck in the apocalypse.

     Carla rested her head against the window, watching the various people walking down the street: a lady with sunglasses far too big for her face, a middle-aged man holding a newspaper, a pregnant mother pushing a buggy, a teenage boy with a black eye...

---[]---

     "Carla! Five!" A voice called, and Carla startled awake, a small gasp leaving her lips. She hadn't even realised she had been sleeping.

     Frightened, she looked to where the sound was coming from, and saw Luther's face scarily close to the glass. She let out another yelp, leaning back, before Luther opened the door, "Hi."

     Carla looked at him for a solid five seconds, before sighing, dramatically rolling her eyes and muttering, "I'll go to the back, then."

      She clambered through the two seats, into he back, where she saw Klaus, cradling Delores to his chest. Carla's eyes went wide, and Klaus offered her a cheesy grin.

     Meanwhile, from the front, Luther was trying to get into the seat, his burly frame making it incredibly difficult for him. Eventually, he managed to squeeze in, looking at Five, "You alright?"

     Five glared at him, "You shouldn't be here- How did you even find me?"

     Luther nodded to the back of the van, and Five followed his gaze to Klaus, who was sitting in the back, slow dancing with Dolores, "Hey, a little privacy, guys. We're really hitting it off back here."

     Enraged, Five grabbed a tin can from his now empty bag, hurling it at Klaus, who laughed hysterically and shielded his face with his arms. Carla ducked, the can whizzing just by her ear.

     "Get out!" the boy yelled, "You can't be here! Carla and I are in the middle of something!"

     "Really?" Klaus said to Carla, "Because, to me it seemed like you were sleeping."

     Carla nodded, "I was."

     Laughing, Klaus clambered further to the front, clinging onto the two front seats. Meanwhile, Carla sat down in the back, gently propping Dolores up and listening to what was being said up front.

     "Any luck finding your one-eyed man?" Klaus asked Five.

     Luther looked between them, confused, "What's he talking about?"

     "Doesn't matter, it's Klaus," Five said briskly, before sighing, "What do you want, Luther?"

     "Um, so Grace may have had something to do with Dad's death," Luther said lowly, "So I need you to come back to the academy. It's important."

     "It's important," Five repeated bitterly, shaking his head, "You have no concept of what's important."

     "Hey," Klaus interjected, "did I ever tell you guys about the time I waxed my ass with chocolate pudding? It was so painful!"

     He let out a laugh, Carla pulling a face at the memory, Luther looking at his brother in mild disappointment, and Five looking away, trying to contain a smile.

     Luther turned to him, "Why are you still here?"

     Carla looked up at his harsh tone, frowning deeply, as Klaus replied, "What? I need a reason to hang out with my family?"

     "No, but we're trying to have a serious conversation," Luther said, and Carla frowned even more, brows cinching.

     Klaus feigned offence, "What? I'm incapable of being serious? Is that what you're saying?"

     "Luther's got a point," Five confessed, "You should get out."

     Klaus hesitated, before realising that they were being serious, and he moved towards the back door, opening it and climbing out.

     Carla also crawled towards the door, "Klaus, wait up!"

     Five looked at her, "I'm sure you don't need to leave-"

     She stared at him for a moment, before looking at Luther and shaking her head, voice bitter, "This seems like a family  issue, I'll leave you guys to it."

     Getting out, Carla followed Klaus, who shut the door behind them with such vigour she was surprised the windows didn't shatter. "Ugh," Klaus groaned, "This is bullshit!"

     As Luther and Five finished up their conversation, they looked up at the sound of a commotion. Klaus and Carla were running out of the corner store, Klaus's arms full of packaged snacks, Carla carrying two massive bags of fizzy sweets.

     They were closely followed by the storekeeper, who called out, "Hey! Stop right now!"

     However, neither person listened, still running down the road, straight in front of the van Five and Luther were sat in.

     Klaus stared straight at them as he sped past, "Hey, bitches!", and as Carla grinned widely at Five, who was looking on in concern, she turned to see Klaus run straight into the path of a car.

     He fell to the floor, and Carla hurried to reach him before the shopkeeper did, grabbing his hand and hauling him to his feet, dragging him down the street. A wild laugh left her mouth, carefree and joy filled, as she ran down the road, still gripping Klaus's hand, the duo with matching smiles on their faces.

     "I left a bag of chips behind!" Klaus yelled giddily.

     "Doesn't matter, asshole!" Carla replied, unable to hide her grin, "Just keep on running!"