DAVE AND KLAUS WILL NEVER NOT MAKE ME CRY. Saddest storyline in tua I fear.

SUNNY WOKE UP ALONE, the sunlight streaming through the window casting long shadows across the floor. She rubbed her eyes and glanced around the room, expecting to see her dad sprawled on the on the floor with some half-empty bottle in hand, but the apartment was eerily quiet. Klaus wasn't anywhere in sight. Usually, he was the first person she saw in the morning, no matter what state he was in. There was always some sort of chaotic noise that filled the space—his loud, off-key singing, the clinking of glasses, or his endless talking to ghosts only he could see. But today, there was nothing.

Sunny threw on a pair of old sweats and slipped out of her room, a frown pulling at her lips. "Dad?" she called out, her voice echoing in the stillness of the hallway. No response. The living room was empty, and so was his bedroom—his bed unmade and empty bottles strewn on the floor. Sunny's heart began to race, a familiar tightness creeping into her chest. She knew her dad was unpredictable, but he always made sure to leave some sign of where he was going, even if it was just a hastily scribbled note on the fridge. Today, there was nothing.

Sunny's mind ran through all the worst possibilities. He was probably off on another bender, lost in his own world, but the nagging fear that something had gone horribly wrong refused to let her rest. She tried calling his phone, but it went straight to voicemail. She even called Ben, hoping that maybe he would have seen Klaus somewhere, but of course, there was no answer.

Hours ticked by with no sign of him, and Sunny felt the crushing weight of dread sink deeper into her bones. She waited, pacing back and forth, her stomach twisting in knots as the day turned into night, and still, Klaus was nowhere to be found.

The next morning, Sunny was sitting on the steps outside the mansion, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, eyes fixed on the street. She hadn't slept at all, too worried about where her dad might be. Just as she was about to give up and head back inside, she saw a figure stumbling down the sidewalk, moving with a familiar disjointed sway. She squinted against the bright morning light, and her heart leapt into her throat when she realized it was Klaus.

But something was different. His clothes were torn and dirty, his once vibrant, mismatched outfit now replaced with a green, sleeveless army vest that hung loosely on his thin frame. His hair was messy, dirt and dried blood smudged across his face, and his eyes were sunken, haunted. Sunny's breath caught in her throat when she noticed his hands—they were covered in blood, some of it smeared across his arms like war paint. But it wasn't just his disheveled appearance that stunned her; there was something else—a small, dark tattoo on his forearm that hadn't been there before.

"Dad?" Sunny whispered, her voice trembling as she stood up, her blanket falling to the ground. She took a tentative step forward, unsure if she was seeing things. "Dad, what—what happened to you?"

Klaus looked up at her, his expression softening the moment their eyes met. He was battered and bruised, but there was a flicker of something familiar in his gaze—a mix of relief and overwhelming sadness that Sunny hadn't seen before. His face crumpled as he approached her, and without warning, he pulled her into a tight embrace, his arms wrapping around her like he was afraid she might disappear.

And then there was the tattoo. Sunny didn't recognize it, but the tattoo was new, something he didn't have before. She blinked, trying to piece together what she was seeing, but it felt like a nightmare. Klaus looked like he'd been through hell and back, and for a second, she wasn't even sure it was him.

"Dad?" Sunny's voice was small, trembling as she took a hesitant step forward. Klaus looked up, his eyes meeting hers, and suddenly, all the tension seemed to drain from his face. He rushed towards her, pulling her into his arms so tightly that it knocked the breath out of her.

She could feel the damp fabric of his vest against her cheek, the cold rain still clinging to his skin, and the sticky warmth of the blood on his hands. It smeared across her clothes, but she didn't care. All that mattered was that he was here, holding her, real and solid.

Klaus clung to her like she was his lifeline, his breath ragged and uneven as he buried his face in her hair. His body shook with silent sobs, and Sunny could feel the wetness of his tears mixing with the rain. He was holding her so tight that it almost hurt, like he was afraid she might slip away if he let go even for a second. She had never seen him like this—so broken, so vulnerable, and it scared her.

"Why are you crying?" Sunny asked, her voice muffled against his chest. She pulled back just enough to look at him, her brow furrowing as she glanced down at his arm, at the tattoo. "And where did you get that?"

Klaus cupped her face with his trembling hands, his thumbs brushing against her cheeks and leaving smudges of blood on her skin. His eyes were red-rimmed and filled with a depth of sorrow that Sunny couldn't quite comprehend. He looked at her like he was seeing a ghost, like she was something he thought he'd lost forever.

"I missed you," Klaus choked out, his voice breaking. "I missed you so much, kid." He ran his fingers through her hair, pulling her closer again, as if he couldn't get close enough. "Ten months, Sunny. It was ten months without you."

Sunny blinked, confusion washing over her. "What do you mean? You were just here yesterday..."

But Klaus just shook his head, unable to explain the whirlwind of time and loss he'd endured. He didn't know how to tell her that he'd been ripped away, thrown back into a war he never wanted to remember, into the arms of a love he never thought he'd lose again. He didn't know how to tell her that he'd watched Dave die, that he'd held him in his arms as the life drained out of him, that he'd spent every moment since trying to claw his way back to Sunny, desperate to see her face one more time.

Klaus pulled back slightly, brushing the hair out of Sunny's eyes as he studied her, trying to memorize every detail. "You don't get it, do you?" he whispered, his voice tinged with something close to awe. "You're all I thought about, kid. Every day, every second...I just wanted to get back to you. And oh god...Dave..."

Sunny didn't know what to say. She reached up, her fingers tracing the edge of the tattoo. "Who's Dave?" she asked softly.

Klaus's eyes flickered with pain, and he glanced down at the tattoo, swallowing hard. "He was...he was someone I loved. Someone I lost. But you—" He cupped her face again, his gaze intense and full of something Sunny couldn't quite place. "I won't lose you, okay? Not ever."

KLAUS HAD TOLD SUNNY, very seriously, not to go anywhere while he took his bath. He'd looked so freaked out, like really freaked out, which made her feel all funny inside. She just nodded, sitting there on the couch, not sure what else to do. She hugged her knees to her chest, watching him disappear down the hallway toward the bathroom.

The door closed, and now it was just Sunny and the sound of running water.

And then it was quiet. Too quiet.

Sunny picked up her crayons and her sketchpad, figuring she'd draw something to pass the time. Maybe a unicorn or a tree. No, a dragon! Yeah, a dragon! She wasn't sure why, but drawing helped when she felt all weird, like her stomach was full of butterflies.

She was halfway through drawing the dragon's wings when—

"Hello, Sunny," a voice suddenly said.

Sunny yelped, almost dropping her crayon. She whipped her head around and saw him—Five. The guy who looked like a kid but definitely wasn't. He was standing there with his hands behind his back, looking at her all serious-like. She squinted at him, feeling her heart thump a little faster.

He always made her nervous. He looked like one of the kids at her school but talked like a grandpa. It was weird.

"Hi," she mumbled, hugging her sketchpad to her chest.

"So, Klaus mini, I see you've been keeping busy," Five said, looking at her like he'd cracked a joke. But... Sunny wasn't laughing. Or smiling.

Her nose scrunched up. "That's not my name! My name's Sunny."

"Ah, right." Five waved his hand like it wasn't important. "Sunny. My bad."

She stared at him, feeling annoyed. People always got her name wrong. How hard was it to remember 'Sunny'? It wasn't even a hard name!

Five walked over, glancing down at her sketchpad. He stared at it for a second, then raised an eyebrow. "Are you... drawing?"

Sunny nodded proudly, even though she knew she wasn't the best at it. "Yeah! It's a dragon. See? It's got wings and fire!"

Five blinked, tilting his head like he was trying to figure it out. "Huh. Well, not to crush your dreams, but... you really don't know how to draw, do you?"

Sunny's face turned red, and her heart started thumping faster again, but not because she was scared this time. She was mad. "Hey! I do too know how to draw!" She held up the sketchpad in his face, jabbing her finger at the dragon. "See? It's right here!"

Five leaned back, unbothered by her frustration. He just stared at the drawing like it was the most confusing thing he'd ever seen. "Mhm. Sure. If that's a dragon, I'm a professional ballerina."

Sunny huffed, crossing her arms. "You're mean."

Five shrugged, unbothered. "I'm just honest."

She glared at him for a second, then her curiosity got the best of her. She frowned and leaned forward, squinting at him like she was trying to figure him out. "Are you really fifty-eight?"

Five glanced at her, then gave a small nod. "Yeah. In my head, anyway."

Sunny's eyes widened. She couldn't believe it. "You don't look fifty-eight. You look... like you're twelve."

Five let out a dry chuckle, shaking his head. "Yeah, it's a long story. Time travel, quantum physics, paradoxes—you wouldn't get it."

"I'm not dumb!" Sunny shot back, sitting up straighter. "I could get it if you told me!"

Five smirked, like he was thinking about how much trouble he'd get into if he tried explaining it to her. "Okay, sure. Let's see... imagine you're in a really big library with every book ever written, and you can pick any one you want."

Sunny's eyes lit up. She liked books. "Yeah! Okay!"

"But," Five added, "you can only pick one book, and if you pick the wrong one, the whole library collapses, and everything explodes."

Sunny's face scrunched up in confusion. "What? That doesn't make any sense. Why would a library explode?"

Five sighed, rubbing his temple like he was regretting even starting this conversation. "Exactly. That's time travel."

Sunny sat there for a moment, thinking really hard. "So... you're saying time travel is like picking the wrong book and making everything explode?"

Five glanced at her, half-impressed. "More or less."

Sunny grinned, feeling like she'd just solved a riddle. "See? I told you I'm not dumb."

Five didn't say anything for a moment. He just looked at her, then shook his head with a small smirk. "Yeah, well, maybe you're not as dumb as I thought."

"Hey!" she shouted, but she couldn't help the little giggle that slipped out after. He was still mean, but at least he wasn't boring.

Just then, they both heard the sound of Klaus calling from the bathroom. "Sunny? Are you still there?"

Sunny jumped up from her spot on the couch, looking at Five. "Don't tell him we talked, okay?"

Five raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"Because! He thinks I stayed out of trouble."

Five chuckled. "Whatever you say, kid." He turned on his heel and disappeared just as quickly as he'd arrived, leaving Sunny alone again, staring at her half-finished dragon.

She shook her head and picked up her crayon again, muttering under her breath. "I do know how to draw..."

SUNNY SAY IN the backseat of Diego's car, her legs swinging back and forth as the car hummed along. She had her crayons and her drawing pad, but mostly, she was just watching her dad up front. Klaus was leaning against the window, staring out like there was something super interesting on the other side. Except he wasn't really looking at anything. He was just... quiet. Which was weird. Way too quiet. She could see him sipping from a bottle every now and then, and she wasn't sure what to do.

"How we doing back there, Sunny?" Diego asked, glancing at her through the rearview mirror.

"I'm okay. I drew a dragon," she said, holding up the picture like it was a big deal. Because it was. She was really proud of it, even though Five said it was bad.

Diego grinned at her in the mirror. "A dragon, huh? That's pretty cool, kiddo."

Sunny smiled, her little legs still swinging. She liked Diego. He was nice, and he always talked to her like she was a big kid, not a baby.

Then Diego looked over at Klaus, who hadn't said a word the whole drive. "You okay?"

Klaus didn't answer. He just took another swig from his bottle, his head resting against the window. Sunny watched him, frowning a little. Usually, her dad was never this quiet. He always had something to say, or he'd be singing or making jokes that didn't make any sense. This was different.

"Wow," Diego said, trying to keep things light. "This is a first. My brother Klaus is silent. Last time you were this quiet, we were twelve. Ran down the stairs wearing Grace's heels, tripped over, and broke your jaw. How long was it wired shut again?"

"Eight weeks," Klaus finally muttered, his voice all raspy and low.

"Eight glorious weeks of bliss," Diego teased, chuckling like he was trying to make Klaus laugh.

But Klaus didn't laugh. He didn't even smile. "Just drop us off here," Klaus said suddenly, looking out the window at some building Sunny didn't recognize.

Sunny blinked, confused. "Where are we, Daddy?" She didn't know why he wanted to stop here, but she got out of the car anyway when Klaus did. Before she left, she handed the dragon drawing to Diego. "You can keep this," she said, her voice all serious. "Five said it's bad, but I think you'll like it."

There was a big smile on her face. Diego smiled back at her, and that made her feel good. "I think it's amazing," he said.

Her grin got even bigger as she hopped out of the car, trying to keep up with her dad. "You sure you're okay, man?" Diego called out after Klaus, but he didn't answer.

Sunny reached up to grab her dad's hand as they walked. His hand felt cold and a little shaky. She squeezed it gently. "You okay, Daddy?" she asked, looking up at him with big, concerned eyes.

For a minute, Klaus didn't say anything, like he was too far away to hear her. But eventually, he sighed and nodded. "Just a lot of things on my mind, Sunny-Bear," he said, his voice tired and sad. She didn't like that voice. Not at all.

They walked into the building, and the second they were inside, Klaus made a beeline for the bar. Sunny followed, looking around nervously. She'd never been in a place like this before. There were a lot of old men, and it smelled weird. Not like home. Not like anywhere she liked.

"Daddy," she whispered, tugging on his sleeve, "I don't think I'm supposed to be in here."

Klaus looked down at her, giving her one of those smiles that didn't reach his eyes. "Sunny-Bear, Daddy needs some quiet time." His voice was all soft, but it didn't make her feel any better.

She stuck close to him as he stumbled around the bar, following him until they stopped in front of a picture on the wall. It was of some old guys in uniforms. Her dad stared at it for a long time, his fingers tracing over the faces in the picture like he knew them. Sunny tilted her head, trying to figure out what he was thinking.

Then Klaus said something that made her blink. "Hey, Dave," he whispered to the picture, his voice all shaky and quiet.

Sunny frowned. Dave? Who was Dave? Was he one of the guys in the picture? She didn't know, but it made her feel even more confused when she saw her dad's face crumple. He looked so sad. He pulled out a little badge from his pocket and kissed it, and that's when Sunny knew he was thinking about something really, really sad.

"Daddy...?" she asked softly, not sure what to say.

Before Klaus could answer, Diego came up behind them. He put a hand on Klaus's shoulder, and Sunny saw her dad flinch a little, like he didn't want to be touched. "Just go away, please," Klaus muttered, his voice all low and broken.

"Not until you talk to me," Diego said, his hand still on Klaus's shoulder, not letting go.

Klaus turned around, his eyes red and tired. "Is that... a threat?" he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You threatening me?"

Before Diego could answer, some old guy from across the room barked out, sounding all grumpy. "Hey guys. It's for vets only. No kids either."

Sunny swallowed nervously, looking up at her dad. He was already getting that look in his eyes. That look he got when things were about to get messy.

"I am a vet," Klaus shot back, not even looking at the guy.

The guy didn't believe him. "Really? Where'd you serve?"

"None of your business," Klaus snapped.

Sunny tugged on his sleeve again. "Daddy... be nice," she whispered, not wanting things to get worse. She really didn't want to see her dad get punched today.

But the old guy didn't back down. "You got balls comin' in here, pretending you're one of us," he said, stepping forward.

Oh no. Her dad was definitely going to get punched.

But before anything could happen, Diego stepped between them. "Slow down, Marine," he said, holding up his hands. "My brother's just had a few too many. Let's all call it a day, and go our own way."

Then he tossed the car keys at Sunny. "Go wait in the car," he said firmly.

Sunny caught the keys and ran out the door as fast as her little legs could carry her. All she could think about was how much she wanted her dad to be okay, even though he didn't seem okay at all.