The morning light streamed into the room, casting a glow on Scarlett's restless figure. She had tossed and turned all night, consumed by thoughts of Valerie and the web of lies surrounding the commission.

As Scarlett anxiously awaited Valerie's arrival in the living room, she wrestled with feelings of nervousness. Despite her anxiety, she knew confronting Valerie was the right thing to do.

Valerie entered with two steaming cups of coffee, but Scarlett's expression made her stop in her tracks.

"What's wrong, Scar?" Valerie asked, noticing Scarlett's piercing gaze. "Where do you work?" Scarlett's question hung heavy in the air.

"The police station, same as you," Valerie replied with a forced casualness. Scarlett's insistence persisted. "Where else?" she pressed, her tone unwavering.

"Nowhere else," Valerie asserted.

"Cut the bullshit. I know about your job at the commission," Scarlett confronted, her tone inpatient.

Valerie's responded with a sigh. "The little shit told you?" she muttered.

Scarlett's frustration boiled over, her words dripping with betrayal. "It's awfully convenient how you started talking to me again when my brother returned," she accused, her voice laced with hurt.

"I have no involvement in your brother's case, alright? The handler isn't even aware of my connection to you two," Valerie explained as Scarlett crossed her arms, her skepticism evident.

"You lied to me," Scarlett stated, her voice tinged with betrayal.

"I was trying to protect you," Valerie countered, but Scarlett's patience had reached its limit. In a surge of frustration, Scarlett's hand reached out, melting the coffee cup in an instant.

"I can melt a coffee cup in my bare fucking hands; I don't need anybody's protection. So, if your concern was truly for my safety, why did you leave me?" Scarlett's question hung heavy in the air, but Valerie remained silent, offering no defense or explanation.

"I never want to see you again. Leave." Scarlett demanded.

Scarlett's request weighed heavily on her, leaving an ache of regret in her chest. With a solemn nod, Valerie made her exit, leaving Scarlett to wrestle with a whirlwind of emotions. As she retreated to the kitchen where her brothers gathered, she reached for a bottle of wine.

"Isn't it a bit early for that?" Five remarked, his concern evident.

"Why don't you get shot again," Scarlett retorted, setting the bottle aside before her brothers.

"What's going on, Scarlett?" Luther's voice held a note of worry as he observed his sister's troubled expression.

"It's nothing, just Valerie. I'll get over it," Scarlett reassured them. "Sorry, Scar," Five offered sympathetically.

"No, I'm glad you told me. She lied to me," Scarlett confessed, her frustration evident. "I'm just so stressed out. With the world ending and Valerie..."

"Hey, sis, just get high, it's what I do," Klaus interjected, attempting to lighten the mood.

Scarlett managed a small laugh. "I'm okay."

Her attention shifted to Luther, noting the exhaustion etched on his face. "What's wrong with him?" she whispered to Klaus.

"He popped his cherry," Klaus grinned mischievously. "So why's he upset?" Scarlett asked, confused by her brother's distress.

"It was a one-night stand, and he doesn't remember most of it," Klaus explained casually, earning a nod of understanding from Scarlett.

Changing the subject, Klaus stood up. "I have news." The siblings turned their attention to him, anticipation evident in their expressions.

"I conjured Dad last night," Klaus revealed, his words hanging in the air, prompting a mix of confusion and disbelief among his siblings.

"But you said you haven't been able to conjure anyone in years," Luther interjected, skepticism coloring his tone.

"Well, yes, but I'm sober now. Ta-da!" Klaus exclaimed, waving his hands theatrically.

"I got clean yesterday to talk to someone special and ended up having a conversation with dear old Dad himself," Klaus explained.

Luther let out a weary sigh. "Does anyone have any aspirin?" he asked, rubbing his temples.

"Top shelf, next to the crackers," Scarlett responded.

"Hey, let's focus here. This is serious," Klaus interjected. "I swear, it really happened," he insisted, emphasizing the gravity of the situation.

"Okay, I'll bite. What did the old man have to say?" Scarlett leaned back, curious.

Klaus sighed before beginning. "He gave me the usual lecture about my appearance and life's failures-yada yada yada. No surprises there. Even in the afterlife, Dad was still a hard ass. But then he said something about his murder-or rather, lack therefore, because...he killed himself."

The three siblings exchanged bewildered glances, their raised eyebrows reflecting their disbelief. The thought of their father committing suicide seemed far fetched.

"I don't have time for your games, Klaus," Luther declared, rising from his seat with frustration evident in his tone.

"I'm not playing games, Luther. I'm telling you the truth," Klaus insisted, his words carrying a weight of sincerity.

"Why'd he do it?" Five asked, seeking clarification.

"He claimed it was the only way to reunite us all," Klaus replied solemnly.

"No, Dad wouldn't just end his own life," Luther asserted, refusing to accept the shocking revelation.

"But you said it yourself, he was depressed. Holed up in his office day and night," Scarlett interjected, attempting to make sense of the unthinkable.

Luther remained unconvinced. "There weren't any signs. Suicidal people exhibit certain tendencies, strange behaviors," he countered.

"Like sending someone to the moon for no reason?" Scarlett challenged, her words dripping with sarcasm.

Luther sighed, turning his gaze to Klaus. "I swear to God, Klaus, if you're lying..."

"I'm not. I'm not," Klaus insisted earnestly, his sincerity evident in his expression.

"Master Klaus is correct," Pogo's voice broke the tension as he entered the room, drawing the siblings' attention.

"Regretfully, I helped Master Hargreeves in carrying out his plan," Pogo confessed, his words hanging heavy in the air. "So did Grace. It was a difficult decision for both of us, more so than you can imagine. Before your father's passing, Grace's programming was altered to prevent her from administering first aid on that fateful night," he explained.

"Sick bastard," Scarlett muttered.

"So the security tape we saw...?" Luther trailed off, seeking clarification.

"It was intended to deepen the mystery surrounding the supposed murder," Pogo confirmed, his tone tinged with regret.

"Your father hoped that by returning here and solving it together, it would reignite your desire to work as a team," Pogo continued, his words carrying a weight of sorrow.

"And to what end?" Five asked, his voice tinged with skepticism. "To save the world, of course," Pogo replied.

"First the moon mission and now this. You watched me search for answers and said nothing. Anything else you want to share, Pogo? Any other damn secrets?" Luther's voice crackled with anger and betrayal.

"Hey, calm down, Luther," Scarlett intervened, attempting to diffuse the escalating tension.

"No, I won't calm down. We've been lied to by the one person in this family we all trusted," Luther's frustration spilled over as he confronted Pogo, his words laced with disappointment.

"It was your father's dying wish, Master Luther. I...I had no choice," Pogo sighed, his expression burdened with remorse.

"There's always a choice," Luther said sharply before storming away in frustration.

Scarlett let out a weary sigh, acknowledging the tension that lingered in the room. "Well, I'd say that went well," she remarked dryly before quietly exiting the room herself.

___

Scarlett sat on her bed, gazing up at the ceiling, lost in her thoughts. With the impending end of the world looming just two days away, her mind couldn't help but dwell on Valerie. Despite her declaration to never see Valerie again, it was a lie. Deep down, below her anger, Scarlett was still deeply in love with her, and that internal conflict gnawed at her.

How could she be so furious with someone and yet still harbor such profound love for them, regardless of their actions?

A knock on her door interrupted her thoughts, and Klaus's voice broke the silence. "Someone's here to see you."

Scarlett sat up, startled, and watched as Valerie emerged. "Can we talk?" she asked, stepping into the room.

"Okay, well, you kids have fun. No hanky panky," Klaus said with a laugh before closing the door behind him.

As Valerie settled onto the bed, Scarlett scooted closer.

"I shouldn't have lied to you. I should have told you the truth when we were dating. I regret not telling you. So now I'm gonna tell you everything," Valerie began, her voice tinged with remorse.

"When I was seventeen, my parents faced bankruptcy. We were about to lose everything - the business, our home, everything we had worked for," Valerie recounted, her voice tinged with pain. "I tried everything to help them. I sold my some of my stuff, but nothing seemed to make a difference. Every night, I prayed for a miracle, hoping that my parents wouldn't suffer financial ruin," she explained, her words heavy with the weight of past struggles.

"Why didn't your parents ask my dad for help?" Scarlett asked, curious.

"My parents knew he wouldn't offer help. They didn't even bother asking," Valerie replied with a bitter edge. "Anyway, one day while my parents were at work, a woman appeared at our doorstep. She was elegant, and despite my skepticism, I invited her in. She began to speak, offering solutions to my problems. At that point, I was desperate," Valerie continued.

"She had been watching me, witnessing my determination to save my family. She made me a promise - that if I joined the commission, my parents would receive enough money to save everything. I agreed, knowing I'd do anything for my family," Valerie explained, her tone showing a mixture of regret and resolve.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that," Scarlett offered sympathetically, her heart aching for Valerie's past struggles.

"I hated my time at the commission. God knows I've tried everything to break free from it. I hated the violence, the killing," Valerie confessed, her voice trembling with emotion.

"You can still hate me. I probably deserve it. But you also deserved an explanation," Valerie sighed, her vulnerability laid bare.

"I could never hate you, Val. Sure, I was upset, but I couldn't hate you," Scarlett confessed softly, her forgiveness extending from a place of understanding and love.

"I'm not here to betray your brother. I don't want to, because I share the same feelings that he does," Valerie assured, her words genuine. "Will you forgive me?" she pleaded.

"Well...I'm still upset you lied, but I understand why you did it. So yes, I forgive you," Scarlett finally replied, her heart feeling lighter with each word.

Valerie's smile mirrored Scarlett's own, and in a moment of spontaneous affection, their lips met in a kiss that spoke volumes of unspoken apologies.

It felt like a return to normalcy, a moment of comfort during the chaos of their lives. As they embraced each other, Scarlett couldn't help but smile.

"What?" Valerie chuckled, breaking the kiss.

"Nothing, I just...I love you," Scarlett confessed, her voice filled with sincerity.

Valerie's smile widened, her eyes shining with affection. "Was hoping you'd say that," she replied before they lost themselves in another kiss, the weight of the past momentarily forgotten in the warmth of their embrace

Suddenly, a knock echoed through the room, causing the girls to turn towards the door. They turned to see Five standing at the door, with Klaus wearing a mischievous grin beside him.

"Come on, you two. You can resume making out once we've saved the world," Five quipped, a hint of amusement in his voice.

The girls exchanged smiles before rising from the bed and exiting the room. "Like the four of us?" Scarlett asked, her tone laced with confusion.

"Not ideally, but I'll work with what I've got," Five replied with a shrug.

As they made their way into the hallway, Diego appeared and hurried into his room. "Where've you been?" Scarlett asked, curious.

"Jail," Diego answered bluntly, earning a nonchalant nod from Scarlett. "Checks out," she remarked dryly.

"It's a long story. Where's Luther?" Diego asked, scanning the faces of his siblings.

"Haven't seen him since breakfast," Five admitted, his brow furrowing with concern. "Yeah, two days until the world ends, and he picks a great time to drop off the grid," Klaus added with a sigh.

"Shit. Allison is in danger," Diego exclaimed, his words making the siblings look at each other with worried looks.

__

The five of them eventually tracked down Luther at a bar, a sight that struck Scarlett as odd considering Luther's liked lecturing his siblings on the consequences of drinking.

"I told you he'd be here," Diego remarked.

"Trying a little hair of the dog, are we? Hmm?" Klaus teased as they approached Luther.

"Leave me alone," Luther grumbled as Diego settled onto a nearby stool. "Give us a minute," he requested, his tone wanting no argument.

"Okay, come on. Maybe they'll brood each other to death," Scarlett suggested, ushering the others to a quieter corner of the bar.

"So...what did me and Five walk in on?" Klaus asked Scarlett with a grin, his curiosity evident.

"Nothing," Scarlett replied, though she couldn't suppress a small smile.

"Scarlett Anastasia Hargreeves, do not lie to your older brother," Klaus lectured playfully, raising an eyebrow from Scarlett.

"We were born on the same day," Scarlett countered with a laugh. "Yeah, but I was born on the 11th hour," Klaus retorted.

"We all were, Klaus," Scarlett corrected with a chuckle. "You're such an dingus."

"Are you happy?" Klaus asked, his gaze flickering towards Valerie, who stood nearby.

Scarlett glanced at Valerie and felt a warmth spread through her chest. "Yeah, I am now that she's back in my life," she confessed with a smile.

"Good," Klaus replied, returning her smile with genuine warmth.

"You should have led with that!" Luther suddenly exclaimed, standing up abruptly. "Jesus Christ," he muttered before making a quick exit while the others followed him.

__

They drove towards Harold Jenkins's house in desperate hope of finding Allison and Vanya. Scarlett gripped the steering wheel tightly as Valerie sat beside her in the passenger seat. In the back, the boys exchanged anxious glances, their anticipation evident.

"Hey, can you go any faster?" Luther leaned forward, his urgency evident in his voice.

"Ask me again, and I'll burn you," Scarlett retorted sharply, her eyes fixed on the road ahead. Luther sank back into his seat.

As they pulled into the driveway of a secluded cabin, adrenaline surged through their veins as they walked towards the eerie house. Luther swung the door open, and their worst fears were realized as their eyes fell upon Allison's body sprawled on the floor, her body drenched in blood, her throat gruesomely slit open.

"Allison! No!" Luther's anguished cry echoed through the silent air as he rushed to her side, his heart shattering with each step. The siblings crowded around him, their shock and grief overwhelming.

Scarlett gasped, a hand flying to her mouth in horror at the sight before her. Valerie moved closer, offering silent support and comfort as Scarlett struggled to process the devastating scene unfolding before her eyes.

"We have to get her back to the academy," Scarlett choked out, her voice trembling with emotion. "Now, come on. Get her in the car."

With grim determination, they lifted Allison's lifeless body and carefully placed her in the backseat, Luther cradling her in his arms as Scarlett took the wheel once more. Her foot pressed down on the accelerator as she started to speed home. Despite the tension and annoyance that often simmered between them, Scarlett knew one thing for certain - she couldn't bear to lose another sibling. Not now. Not ever.

END OF CHAPTER