"How?  Was I to know?  I'm not strong. I should have saved you. Oh, I hope you know. That you're my home, but now I'm lost. So lost."
**Special Chapter Song: Forest Fire by Brighton**

A 13-year old Esme was sitting beside Diego on his bed as she let out small cries as he dabbed her cut on her hand with a wet towel.

"I know. I'm sorry Esme." He apologized as he hated seeing his sister in pain.

He looked at the deep cut on her hand and finally put pressure on it, making her let out another cry.

"I'm sorry." He apologized once again.

"I thought they were supposed to be your friends?" He questioned, as he meant her demons.

"Not all of them. Some don't like being told what to do."  She told him, sniffling a bit.

Diego shook his head sadly and rested her injured hand on his leg, while he kept the pressure on it.

Esme gripped his arm tightly, telling him not to put anymore pressure on it.

"Maybe we should get Mom."  Diego looked at her and she shook her head.

"No. Because she'll tell dad and I don't want him to know."  She told him quickly, and he nodded his head, understanding.

The door than swung open revealing Vanya.  Both of the siblings looked away from each other and than at the door.

"What do you want Vanya?"  Diego asked a bit harshly, accidentally putting more pressure on Esme's wound, making her let out a small cry.

"I'm sorry Esme."  Diego apologized for the third time. He rubbed her shoulder a bit with his free hand, than glancing at Vanya before back to Esme's hand.

"Leave Vanya!  Can't you see I'm taking care of Esme?" 

With that said, Vanya made her way out of the room.

"Vanya stop!"  Esme shouted as she stood in front of her.

"Get out of my way Esme."  Vanya looked at her a bit disgusted as the ceiling behind her started to fall apart.

"Why are you doing this?"  Esme questioned and Vanya scoffed.

"Why?  Luther locked me up and you all kept me in there!  I'm done being the one left out of everything."  Vanya went to walk another way, but Esme stopped her, standing in front of her once more.

This time. Little innocent, sweet Esme did something that she never did before.  Instead of always putting her siblings first, making sure they were alright.  She put herself first.  She decided to say what she actually wanted to say.

"Fuck you."

Esme's words made Vanya look at her a bit shocked.

"You don't know how many times I wished to be like you.  The pain that all of us went through on each mission."  She stepped closer to Vanya.

"We all watched Ben die.  We got tattoos at a young age that hurt like hell, and I've suffered with my ability my whole life!"  She shouted.

"The things that our 'father' did to me was pure torture!  And to top it all off my best friend sacrificed himself for me so I could get out of Purgatory and come back home. Two fucking years in that place!" She breathed out heavily as she finally stopped ranting. The two sisters looking in each other's eyes.

"Just because you weren't special then..." Esme started as the ceiling started to break apart once again.

"Doesn't mean you can throw this giant tantrum, because dad didn't love you!" He didn't love any of us so grow the fu-" Esme didn't have to finish as Vanya let out a cry and shoved Esme all the way across the hall, letting her tumble down the stairs.

Esme let out a groan and rolled on her side when she made it to the ground.

"I hate stairs."  She hissed.

Esme day in her knees and pushed off of the floor until a pair of arms helped her up.

"Are you alright?"  Klaus asked as he looked her over.

"I'm fine. Just pissed Vanya off."  She told him.

"We have to get out of here. This whole place is going to collapse!"  Diego shouted over the noise.

The three siblings quickly made their way out of the academy.  The three looked up at the building and saw Grace in the window.

"Mom!"  Diego and Esme shouted.

"Mom get out of there!"  Diego shouted as Grace kissed her hand and waved to them with a sad smile.

"No!  Mom!  I'm going after her!"  Diego yelled and went to run back inside but both Klaus and Esme grabbed onto him.

"Diego you can't."  Klaus told him as the building collapsed making the siblings back up, covering themselves.

When the noise finally settled down they looked at the ruble.

"I never thought I would say this, but I miss that damn academy already." Esme spoke up as she stepped over the ruble.

"Mom!  Mom!"  Diego shouted as he began to move some of the ruble away.

Esme turned to her brother sadly, she loved Mom, but she knew she was gone.

"Klaus, Esme, help me search."  Diego turned to the two siblings.

"No. Just stop. Stop it."  Klaus went over to him, trying to pull him away.

"Let me go. What are you doing?"  Diego shouted as Klaus pulled him to his feet.

"She's gone. She's gone."  Klaus told him softly as Esme looked at her brothers a couple feet away.

Ben, who was beside her looked to his brothers than to Esme.  He gave his sister a sad smile as he grabbed her hand, surprising Ben, his hand didn't go through her.

Esme let out a small gasp as she felt someone grab her hand, her eyes looked to the ground as she felt something familiar about the sudden grip in her hand.

She moved her head over looking into thin air, but for Ben, she was looking right at him.

"Ben?"  Esme asked in almost in a whisper. 

Ben smiled and let out a small laugh.

"Yes."  He nodded, he knew she couldn't see him, but this was all he needed.

Esme moved away when Luther and Allison came to the scene. Ben smiling as he watched her leave.

"Vanya killed him."  Luther spoke up.

"She wouldn't."  Esme looked to Luther.

"He did. I saw it."  He looked to the small girl as she wrapped her arms around herself, trying to find some comfort. 

"Guys!"  Everyone turned to the source of the noise, Five.

"The apocalypse it's still on."  Five held up a newspaper and Esme groaned a bit.

"I thought we fixed it."  She turned her head slightly to him.

"So did I.  I was wrong."  He started.

Esme walked a couple feet away from everyone, looking out into the street as the siblings began to talk amongst themselves.

"I should've stayed in Purgatory."  She mumbled to herself.

"You wouldn't of lasted."  A voice spoke a couple feet away from her.

Esme turned her head to the figure than her eyes shifted to the ground.

"Hello, Meg." Esme greeted, no emotion in her voice.

"If Iyla wasn't there you wouldn't of lasted the first night." Meg stepped closer to her.

"Because of me, Iyla is dead." Esme said, looking back to Meg.

"A thousand year old Daro."  Meg stuffed her hands into her leather jacket, standing beside Esme.  The two looking out into the street.

"He's a trickster.  They trick everyone."

The sound of a helicopter filled Esme's ears as a light shined down on them, the wind blowing through her white hair, she looked to where Meg was and saw she was gone.

"Esme. Let's go."  Klaus grabbed her arm softly as he began to pull her, the two hurrying away from the academy.

"Where are we going?"  She questioned.

"Super Star."

~~~

Esme sat in a seat as her elbows were propped on her legs, her head resting on her hands as she watched the kids bowl.

"I want that cake."  She said, as she looked at the white frosted cake.

"Esme. Stop thinking about cake. This is serious."  Luther told her as she let out a small growl.  Yes. A growl.

"Look, I hate to say this but everyone needs to prepare."  Luther looked to them.

"For what?"  Diego questioned.

"To do whatever it takes to stop Vanya."

After Luther said that Allison slapped him with her notepad making Esme grin.

"We may not have a choice, Allison."

"Bullshit." Diego stated.

"There's always options." Esme spoke up and Luther turned his head to her.

"Like what?"

"I don't know." She hummed, looking at the ceiling, not wanting to be apart of the conversation anymore.

Klaus started to go through the newspaper, looking at it as Luther stood up.

"Look, whatever we decide to do, we need to find Vanya and fast. She could be anywhere." He stated.

"Or...here. Look at this." Klaus got out of his seat, showing the newspaper as everyone huddled around him to look.

"That's right. Her concert is tonight." Diego said.

"Hello." The siblings turned their heads and saw an employee with a fake smile clearly on her face.

"Hi?" Esme questioned as she scrunched her eyebrows a bit to the woman.

"I hate to intrude, but my manager says if you're not gonna bowl, you gotta leave." She shrugged and turned to leave while the manager at the counter angrily put a pair of shoes on the counter.

"Whose turn is it?" Diego questioned.

"Oh, for..." before Luther could finish and grab a bowling bowl, Esme beat him to it.

"I'll go." She said happily and grabbed a blue ball and swung it back and forth a bit.

She threw it really hard...like too hard and a bit too high. The bowl flew into the air and hit the ceiling, making it break a bit.

"Oh, shit." Klaus let out a laugh and covered his mouth with his hands as a piece of concrete fell on one of the lanes.

The siblings looked at Esme shocked while Esme watched the bowling ball go into the gutter. She cocked her head to the side and pursed her lips.

"I'll stick with Wii bowling" She said and no one answered.

Luckily for them the manager didn't see and the party going on a few lanes down just ignored them.

"Uh, you know guys. Maybe I can help." Esme heard Klaus, she barley heard them talking earlier as she was zoning out a bit.

"Now is not the time." Luther groaned.

"No. Let him finish...he saved my life today." Diego told everyone.

Klaus stood up from his chair while Ben gave Klaus a look.

"Really?" He questioned his brother, since he was the one that clearly saved Diego.

"Is that true?" Luther asked.

"Yeah. Yeah. I took credit for it...but...the real hero is Ben." Klaus explained.

Esme instantly looked up, looking at Klaus while everyone seemed to question him.

"Today. He punched me in the face and earlier at the house, he was the one that saved Bens life, not me." Klaus paced around a bit.

"You're unbelievable Klaus." Luther shook his head.

"He's right." Esme spoke up, all of the siblings looked to her.

"Thank you." Klaus gestured to his sister.

"I felt him. After the Academy was destroyed I felt someone grab my hand. No one was beside me." She explained as Luther and the others still didn't look convinced.

"What? You want proof? Is that it?" Klaus asked as he went over and picked up a bowling ball.

"Alright. I'll give you proof." Klaus swing the ball a bit.

"It's showtime, baby." Five immediately switched chairs to get out of the way as Klaus went to throw the ball.

"Catch." He said and the ball flew through the air, Ben ready to catch it, but went right through him. It banged against the floor as it started to roll away.

"Is there anyway to silence that voice in your head that screams out I want to be the center of attention?" Luther asked, trying to keep his anger down.

"Is there anyway to make you nicer?" Esme fired back.

Ever since that night in the academy where she faced Vanya and confronted her. Letting all of her emotions out, she feels different. She no longer wants to always put her siblings needs and feelings first. It's Esme's turn to finally be first.

"You know. I liked you a whole lot better before you got laid!"  Klaus fought back and Luther's face turned to terror while Esme started laughing her ass off.

"Holy shit." She shook her head as she sat back down next to Five while Klaus was trying to find an excuse, but made it worse.

"Allison, Wait."  Luther called out as she walked away from the scene, Luther following after her.

"Excuse me, it's my son Kenny's birthday today and...uh, wouldn't your son be happier playing with kids his own age.  Assuming it's okay with your two dads."  A lady explained, holding her son close to her. 

Esme's eyes went wide as she looked to Diego and Klaus who were sitting next to each other.  She held in her laughter while Five glared at the woman.

"I would rather chew off my own foot."  He hissed as the woman looked shocked.

"Sorry, he's going through puberty."  She told the woman who grabbed her son and quickly made her way back to the party.

Five stood up from his seat and made his way a couple lanes down while Klaus and Diego started talking.

Esme leaned her head back a bit and tilted her head just in time to see Five teleport to god knows where.  She turned her head back so she was facing the ceiling and closed her eyes.

"Five left."  She told the two siblings who replied in an irritated groan.

~~~

"Is that all you got?"  Diego stepped closer to Luther, grabbing Esme's attention as she was waking up from a nap.

"Look, you want to be Number 1, Fine, but you're going to have to get us on the same page because right now, we're all over the place."

Esme hissed in pain as her neck was all stiff and she rubbed her neck, sitting up slowly, before making her way over to the group.

"You're right.  We need a plan."  Luther nodded.

"Esme!  Esme!"  She heard a voice shout, except she was the only one that heard it.

"Get out of there!"  She heard it again and when she turned her head to where she heard the voice, she saw people with masks and guns.

"Everybody Get down!"  She shouted as bullets flew out of the guns, the siblings taking cover.

"Who the hell are these guys?!"  Luther shouted as the bullets flew over where the siblings were hiding.

Esme immediately put her arms over her head, shielding herself, while Diego wrapped his arms around the girl, protecting her even more.

"Maybe they're here for Kenny's birthday!"  Klaus yelled while covering his ears from the noise.

"No, I'm pretty sure they're here for us."  Esme shouted as the bullets continued to fly their way.

Diego gently pushed Esme between him and Luther as he grabbed two of his knives and through them at two of the shooters.

The lights suddenly went off as the party lights started to flash and the music playing loudly.

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y, hey!

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y, hey!

Keep on dancing to the rock and roll!

Luther grabbed a bowling ball and through it where the shooters were at while Esme started to crawl over to where Allison and Klaus were at.

On Saturday night.

Saturday night.

Klaus carefully grabbed the cake and Esme went over to him.

"Not the cake!" She shouted and stuffed her hand, grabbing a chunk before Klaus threw it at a shooters face.

Dancin' to the rhythm

With our heart and soul

On Saturday night, Saturday night.

"Oh, my god it's chocolate." Esme moaned as she shoved the rest of the cake in her mouth. A shooter got closer to where she was at and she easily kicked them in the shin, and slammed a bowling ball over their mask, knocking them out.

Esme shrugged as she wiped her hand that was covered with cake on the persons uniform.

"That was good cake." She nodded.

I, I, I, I, I just can't wait

"They're blocking the exit!" Klaus shouted from next to Esme.

"What do we do Luther?" Esme looked over to Diego and Luther.

On the ol' rock and roll

Allison pointed to the lanes as Esme cocked her head to the side a bit.

"The lanes. Let's go!" Luther shouted and all of the siblings quickly got up, and started to run.

Saturday night, Saturday night.

Each of the siblings continued to run as they all ran on separate lanes, dunking once and awhile, hoping the bullets wouldn't get them.

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y, hey!

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y, hey!

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y, hey!

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y, hey!

Esme quickly jumped on her stomach, sliding through the pins and crawled out where her siblings were, all of them running out of the door.

Once the siblings were out of harms way and in front of the theatre that Vanya was at. Esme breathed out heavily as she was trailing behind Klaus.

"You hear the music? It's started." Diego turned around to the group.

"Do you honestly think she's going to listen? After everything that's happened?" Luther questioned.

"I have to agree with Luther on this one." Esme nodded her head head, gesturing over to him.

"We don't have time for this." Klaus said.

Luther just gave a small nod to Allison as she made her way in the theatre.

"You're using her as a distraction, aren't you?" Diego asked.

"It's our best chance to incapacitate Vanya." Luther told him.

"I agree with this. Vanya is being a bitch at the moment." Esme hissed.

"Good for you Esme, you're starting to stand up for yourself, speaking your mind." Diego nodded in approval of her new actions.

"Hey, has your hair always had some black in it?" Klaus pointed as Esme grabbed some of her hair.

"No." She said a bit confused as she looked at it.

"What the hell?" She whispered to herself.

"So, uh. What's the plan?" Klaus asked as he followed behind the three.

"Yeah. You're the lookout." Luther told him.

"The lookout?" Klaus asked in disbelief, before the three siblings left the room.

The music continued to play as Esme stood next to Luther backstage.

With a nod Luther and Esme ran on stage after Vanya, Diego doing the same.  Vanya angrily took her bow away and used her powers against her siblings.

Diego and Luther flew backwards while Esme stood her ground, Vanya's powers doing nothing to her. Vanya looked angry and confused of why it didn't work on Esme.

What only Esme could see and no one else was...Lucifer standing in front of Esme, protecting her.

"I thought you said she didn't have any powers?"  Lucifer questioned as everyone started to scream from what Vanya did.

"And I thought you said you would be by my side at all times?"  Esme smirked a bit.

"I'm here aren't I?"  He gestured with his arms.

Vanya continued to play as the audience started to run away. Esme quickly jumped off the stage, getting to her siblings, Lucifer by her side.

"Esme get down!"  Diego shouted as Esme turned her head, just in time for Vanya to send a blast her way, Lucifer not be able to stop it.

Esme flew back, hitting a row of chairs.  Her three siblings couldn't see where she was at.

"Esme, you alright?"  Lucifer shouted to her.

A pale hand gripped a seat in front of the row Esme crashed in, Esme pulled herself up as she looked angrily towards Vanya.  Her white color hair slowly turning all black.

"Now I'm angry."  She hissed.

"Yes, Esme!  Way to take in the dark side."  Lucifer clapped happily.

Gunshots started to fire their way once more, making Esme quickly hide behind a chair.

"Where the hell is Klaus?  He's supposed to be our lookout?"  Diego asked.

"Yeah. You're surprised?"  Luther asked sarcastically as Five quickly teleported a couple feet away from Esme.

"What's with all the lollygagging?"

"Five!  Get down!"  Esme and Luther shouted as bullets went his way, making him quickly duck down behind a chair.

A couple screams went off as a shooter flew off a balcony, landing on the ground. 

"What's that?"  Diego asked.

"Lucifer."  Esme told him as Lucifer quickly came over to Esme.

"There's a lot in here, but I'm sure if I-"  he stopped talking as he saw one of the shooters painting something on the wall and his usual smirk dropped.

"Oh..." 

"Son of a bitch-"

The shooter pressed its bloody hand to the symbol, making Lucifer disappear.

"It's gone!"  The shooter called out to the others.

"Shit."  Esme hissed as she watched Lucifer disappear. 

"Where did he go?"  Five called to Esme since he didn't hear any more screams.

"Hell!" 

"Well...we're screwed."  Five commented.

Five than looked down the aisle and saw the shooters coming down. 

"Yep. We are."  He said.

"Guys!  It's Cha-Cha!  It's Cha-Cha!"  Klaus shouted as he jumped over the stairs.

"Klaus, get down!"  Luther shouted as Klaus dropped to the floor when the shooters started to shoot at him.

Esme heard screaming and soon the gunshots died down.  She slowly stood up as she saw Ben.  She looked around and saw the shocked look on their faces.

Not only did Klaus do something he never thought he could do, but he was right about Ben being there the whole time.

Esme smiled as she saw Ben taking out the shooters.

"I knew it."  Was all she said.

Everyone quickly grouped up as Diego slowly came back to them.

"Oh, welcome back.  Where were you?"  Luther asked.

"Honoring a memory."  Diego said simply.

Esme smiled and patted Klaus on the back for what he did than turned to Luther.

"When did your hair turn black?"  Klaus questioned.

"New power thing I guess."  She shrugged.

"We all in?" 

Allison and Esme didn't say anything.  Luther took that as the cue of them sitting out.  While he told everyone their spots.  Esme went over to a dead shooter and grabbed a pistol from its pocket.

Esme quickly headed backstage while her siblings ran after Vanya, but ended up failing as she used her powers to lift them in the air, slowly sucking their years away from them.

Esme slowly made her way behind Vanya and held the pistol at the back of her head.

Esme took deep breaths.  Didn't take her long to decide for what she was going to do.

Because she already made her decision...

She placed her finger on the trigger and was about to pull it, when Allison quickly grabbed Esme's arm moving it passed Vanya's head.

The bullet shot next to Vanya's ear making her let everyone drop to the ground, a bright flash came out of Vanya's chest before she fell into Allison's arms.

Esme didn't say anything as she still held the gun in her hand, she looked slightly over to Allison and Vanya, before the other siblings huddled around Allison and Vanya, Esme standing to the side.

"Is she alive?"  Luther asked and Allison nodded her head.

"Oh, thank god."  Klaus sighed in relief.

"We saved the world."  Lucifer said in relief.

"You should've let me shoot her."  Esme spoke.  The siblings looking up at her.

"Esme."  Luther scolded her.

Esme looked at the open ceiling, seeing what was coming.

"Look."  She told them and she dropped the gun, letting it fall against the floor.

"We didn't stop anything."  Esme told them emotionlessly.  They failed. She failed, and now everyone is going to die.

"If only Sir Reginald could see us now...The Umbrella Academy.  A total failure."  Diego muttered.

"At least we're together till then end, as a family."  Luther said.

"This doesn't have to be the end."  Five turned to them.

"What?"  Esme asked confused.

"I think I have a way out of here, but you guys have to trust me on this." Five looked at them.

"Yeah.  I don't think so." 

"No."

Diego, Klaus, and Luther said at the same time.

"Well then, I guess we better accept our fate. Because in less than a minute, we're all going to be vaporized."  Five told them.

"What's your idea, then?"  Diego turned back to him.

"We use my ability to time travel, but this time I take you with me."

"You can do that?"  Diego asked.

"I don't know. I've never tried it before."

"What's the worst that could happen?"  Diego looked to his other siblings while Esme let out a small laugh at his comment.

"You're looking at it. A 58 year old man inside a child's body so there's that."  Five scoffed.

"Oh. What the hell, I'm in."  Diego nodded.

"Yeah. Whatever I'm in."  Klaus agreed.

"Me too."  Luther said.

"Allison, Esme?"  He asked as Allison nodded her head.

"Why not?"  Esme shrugged.

"What about Ben?"  She looked to Klaus with a smile.

"Yeah. He's in."  Klaus nodded to her.

"Ok. Great. Luther. Grab Vanya."  Five instructed.

"Wait. Should we even be taking her? She's the cause of the apocalypse right?" Luther questioned as he picked her up in his arms and Esme had to agree with him.

"Yeah. Like, taking a bomb with us?" Esme chimed in.

"Vanya will always be the cause, unless we take her with us." Five said.

Esme thought for a moment before they huddled in a small circle and grabbed each other's hands. Esme grabbed Klaus and Diego's hands tightly as Five tried to teleport them out of there.

A blue type of shield appeared above them as it blinded them a bit, wind blowing at their faces.

"It's working!" Luther shouted as the shield began to grow bigger.

"Hold on! It's gonna get messy!" Five yelled as the siblings looked around a bit.

All of them looking the same age as Five now. Esme's black hair flew in her face as she squeezed her brothers hands tightly.

Esme felt it working and she felt relief wash over herself.

She closed her eyes, waiting for whatever the other side held for her...

**damn. That took me forever to write. Thank you for reading and see you all next year in 2020 for season 2!**