Morticia took a deep breath. The air around her felt stifling; she needed some space.
She swiftly turned to leave, walking past her brother, who remained at the entrance with a stunned look.
Vincent slowly stepped down completely, standing before the man he hadn’t seen in four years. Though he hated Klaus all these years, deep down, he still wanted to know the reason behind his actions.
Both friends stared at each other for a long moment.
“Why?” Vincent finally asked the question that had haunted him for years.
If Klaus didn’t have a good reason, he couldn’t promise he’d keep his cool.
“Katie was Void.”
Vincent’s jaw clenched as another heavy silence settled between them.
“Why are you telling me this now?” he asked, his voice sharp.
Klaus sighed. “I couldn’t. She would have killed you, Ava, and then Bunnie if I didn’t do what she said. I had to protect the people I love.”
“The people you love?” Vincent scoffed. “That sounds like a pretty joke to me.”
“Look, Vince, I didn’t have a choice… She had all three of you in her grasp.”
“For four years?” Vincent asked, his voice rising. Klaus paused, his jaw tightening as guilt flashed in his eyes.
“I trusted you with everything Klaus, but you made it clear that was dumb of me,” Vincent continued. “What took you so long? Why are you even here? I still don’t get it.” He stepped closer, his anger barely restrained.
Klaus sighed again. “It’s a long story.”
Vincent nodded slowly. “Let’s go have a drink. We’ve got a lot to talk about,” he said, walking away.
Klaus glanced back at the house once more before following Vincent.
–
“What was the noise about, dear?” Ava asked Morticia as she poured herself a cold glass of orange juice.
“Nothing,” Morticia replied.
“You were yelling at someone,” Ava said softly. “Was it Klaus?”
Morticia froze for a moment, then cast her mother a sidelong glance. “How did you know?”
“Instinct,” Ava shrugged. “Besides, he’s the only one who calls you Bunnie.”
“Was that why you came home?” Ava asked again, worries flashing in her gaze.
Morticia slowly shook her head. “I just missed home. That’s all,” she said with a genuine smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
Ava stepped closer and embraced her daughter tightly. “I love you, Morty.”
“I love you too, Mom,” Morticia whispered, hugging her back.
–
Vincent’s jaw clenched as Klaus finally explained everything to him. To be honest, he didn’t know what to think or feel.
Anger? Pain? Regret?
There were too many scars. Why was life so hard on them?
“My world is different now, Vince,” Klaus continued. “Being the Don of the Moore clan, I have a lot of enemies. So much blood on my hands. Even after I defeated Katie, I’ve had to sleep with one eye open because of the shadows lurking around me.
“I’m a distant relative of the Moores. They only respect me because of my influence and power. But now that the storm is slowly clearing, I couldn’t stop thinking about coming back. I was going to… I planned to… but then I crossed her path again.”
Vincent drank his beer to the last drop, his brow furrowed.
“I don’t know, Klaus,” Vincent mumbled. “Everything’s fucked up, with so many scars. My mom won’t go back into modeling-she’s living like a shadow, running a store instead. I can’t even dance anymore with all this chaos around me. I’m just a drunk, wandering through life. And Morticia…” He paused, taking a deep breath. “Morticia lost her smile the day you left.”
Klaus’s grip on his bottle tightened.
“What about your father?” Vincent asked.
Klaus’s eyes darkened, his fist clenching. “He’s dead. He died saving me when Katie tried to kill me.”
Vincent’s expression softened, tinged with pity. Klaus had lost both of his parents in this fight, he couldn’t imagine how hard that must had been.
“And Katie?”
“Not dead yet,” Klaus replied. Vincent gave him a sharp look. “My life’s been blank, Vince. Nothing makes sense anymore. I’ve been throwing all my frustration at her, and soon, she’ll be gone too.”
Vincent exhaled, leaning back in his seat.
“It’s going to take time, Klaus. The harm you caused isn’t something that can be mended in a day-especially with Morticia. You have no idea what she’s been through.”
Klaus tensed, his jaw tightening at the mention of Morticia. Her name alone was a dagger to his chest, a constant reminder of the life he had shattered. He ran a hand through his hair, leaning forward as if the weight of the conversation was physically pressing him down.
“I know,” Klaus said quietly, his voice thick with regret. “I think about her every damn day, Vincent. About the way I left… about the promises I broke.” He let out a hollow laugh, shaking his head. “She probably hates me now, doesn’t she?”
Vincent didn’t answer immediately, his gaze hardening. “Hate doesn’t even begin to cover it, Klaus. You were her world, and you destroyed it without a second thought. Do you even know what it’s like to watch your sister cry herself to sleep every night? To see her smile fade little by little until there was nothing left but anger and bitterness?” He leaned closer, his tone sharp. “She’s not the same girl you left behind.”
Klaus swallowed hard, guilt etched into every line of his face. “I know I don’t deserve her forgiveness. Or yours. But I’m here to make things right.”
“It won’t be that easy,” Vincent said coldly. “I get that you did what you did to protect us. I appreciate that… but right now, it’s not about what you did or why. It’s about what you left behind. You can’t just walk back into our lives and expect us to trust you again. Especially not Morticia. She’s hardened, closed off… because of you.”
Klaus nodded slowly, his throat tight as the truth of Vincent’s words sank in. “I don’t expect her to forgive me right away,” he admitted. “Hell, maybe she never will. But I’ll take whatever punishment she gives me, as long as it means I can be there for her again. I owe her that much.”
Vincent studied him, his expression unreadable. After a long pause, he finally said, “You’ve got a hell of a mountain to climb, Klaus. I can’t promise I’ll help you, and I definitely can’t promise Morticia will let you anywhere near her. But… if you’re serious about this, I won’t stand in your way.”
Klaus’s eyes flickered with a mix of hope and determination.
“Thank you,” Klaus muttered, his voice filled with genuine appreciation.
Vincent nodded, rising to his feet. “Goodnight, Klaus.”