"Jake, dear! You remember Dusk?" Jean stood up to hug him. But Jake could only muster a small greeting, quickly shifting his gaze away from the brown blonde. You sick fuck, how dare you come here and think you can act like nothing happened? She continued to glare as Jake socialized with his parents, telling his dad about some short stories from his previous shift. Both Jean and Gene commended and thanked him for bringing Dusk in, claiming they were having a great time, albeit Dusk was getting pretty antsy. "We were just telling her about the Cleanse, and how she's our newest key," Jean explained.

"Newest key, huh? So, that means we can call off the search for Jennifer?" Jake asked. "We'll still have to keep tabs on her, but she's not our main concern anymore," Gene answered. "I hate to cut this reunion short, but I need to talk to Jake," Dusk interrupted. Jake made eye contact with her. But quickly looked away once he caught a glimpse of the smoldering rage growing in her eyes. "Well, whatever you need to say, you can say it in front of us, sweetheart," Jean smiled. "No, I need to speak to him. Alone," Dusk insisted.

The couple looked at each other a bit wary, looking back to their son who tried to tell them he'd be fine. "Alright, if you must. But don't be too long! We've still got a lot to discuss about The Cleanse," Jean stated. "Yes, the Cleanse!" Dusk smiled sheepishly as she stood up. As she and Jake walked past a few tables, Dusk tightly grabbed his wrist leading him towards the bathrooms. Slamming the women's door open, Dusk threw him inside and locked the door so no one else could get in.

"Listen Dusk, I know you're upset-" But Jake's pleas for mercy were met with a harsh backhanded slap across the face. "What the hell, Jake?!" She growled. "How could you do this to me? A bottle over the head? You could've killed me!" Jake flinched, backing away until his back hit the cold tiled wall and he slid onto the ground. "I... I didn't want to do it!" Jake protested. "Oh really? Because it seemed pretty intentional to me!" Dusk scoffed. "Let me guess, this was all part of your mama and papa's grand plan? Kidnap me and perform their weird little brainwashing?"

"I had to! They told me to; I didn't have a choice!" He nodded. "There's always a choice, Jake! You could've said no! You could've walked away!" The young man said nothing, the guilt and the thought of possibly ending her life for the sake of serving his insane parents was starting to eat away at him. This woman was the only person in his small and isolated bubble who understood him, who trusted him, and now he had scattered it to the winds.

"I'm sorry... really really sorry," He pleaded, hoping for some small semblance of forgiveness. "I don't understand. I thought we were friends," Dusk shook her head in disgust. "We are, well I wanted us to be. But my parents, you don't understand what they're like," Jake's voice grew quiet. "I know exactly what they're like. Complete lunatics with a doomsday complex! You're a grown man, Jake. You have to think for yourself, instead of them!" Dusk bit. "I don't have a choice," He repeated, the words sounding hollow and rehearsed. "I don't have anyone else, Dusk. No one but them,"

The phoenix's rage faltered for a moment, replaced by a flicker of some small semblance of attempted understanding. He looked so lost, so utterly dependent on this group, unable to properly communicate his wants, his desires. "What about Jaime?" She inquired, remembering the mention of her during Jean and Gene's daydream. Maybe she could be the one person to break through to him. "Doesn't she mean something to you?"

Jake's face twisted in a painful grimace. "Jaime's no help," he muttered, his voice cracked with emotion. "She's dead," The words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. "Dead? How?" Dusk inquired, trying to keep her composure. "It doesn't matter, none of it matters anymore," The brown blonde took a deep breath, even if Jake's traumatic past was true, and his sister truly did suffer such a horrific fate, she couldn't let him, nor the rest of the Keepers distract her.

"Look, Jake. I don't know what kind of hold your parents have on you, but you need to get out. And you need to let me go," She turned on her heel and walked towards the door. "You can't leave! They won't let you! You don't understand what's at stake!" Jake protested. "What's at stake is mine and my family's lives! I'm not gonna sit here and let them manipulate me into destroying the world!" But as Dusk unlocked the door, it swung open, revealing Gene and Jean had been listening in and waiting. 

"Going somewhere, Dusk?" Jean asked, her voice laced with an unsettling sweetness. "You people are fucking crazy!" Dusk answered, trying to push past them, but Gene shoved her back into the bathroom before reaching into his coat, pulling out a revolver, and aimed it at Dusk's chest. "We were so nice to you," Jean shook her head in disappointment. "We took you out for lunch," "And gave you ginger tea!" Gene added sourly. They slightly stepped to the side, and a few Keepers piled into the room, tightly grabbing Dusk's wrists and put them behind her back. 

"Let me go!" Dusk struggled, trying her hardest to ignite a fireball, or better yet, grab one of their wrists and burn a handprint into it so that the pain would force them to let her go. But it was no use, right when she needed her the most, her inner phoenix ignored her cries for help. "You have no idea what I'm capable of!" Dusk threatened. Jean chuckled dryly, before bending down to her level. "Oh, we have a very good idea, Dusk. That's why you're here,"

"I am not your puppet! And I NEVER will be! And I will not let you use me to unleash your twisted vision on the world," As the Keeper's grip on her wrists grew increasingly tighter, all Dusk could think about was her baby, innocent and vulnerable they were to these lunatics. If The Keepers were willing to use her to activate this cleanse, they were likely willing to take the baby as well. 

"You have no choice, Dusk. The Cleanse is coming, whether you like it or not. And you will be a part of it," Jean's voice hardened. Her soft and friendly eyes grew cold and calculated. "Boys, I think our guest is getting a little hot-tempered, take her to the freezer!" Gene commanded. "Get your hands off me!" Dusk continued to struggle as The Keepers obeyed their leaders and dragged her out of the bathroom, leading her into the kitchen, towards the metal freezer, slamming the door shut behind her.

Jake watched the men drag her away, his face a mask of conflicted emotions. And the regret only continued to consume him. Maybe Dusk was right, there was always another choice. "Oh dear, that looks like it hurts, I'll get you some ice," Jean pointed to her son's bruise. "Thanks, Mom," He replied quietly as she planted a kiss on his temple.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Klaus's body shivered with the aftershocks of the unwanted possession, his mind still reeling as he remembered the feeling of powerlessness. It almost reminded him of the old Ben, how he longed to possess his body back in the 60s. But that was different, that was his brother. This was a random ghost, of whom he had no prior knowledge or existence until his first appointment. Shortly after Loretta left, Klaus had two more customers. Fortunately for him, neither of them wanted him to be possessed. Instead, they just simply asked for answers from their deceased loved one. Asking how they died. Did they suffer any pain? Were they safe? The typical questions that slip their way into grieving minds.

He couldn't have been more grateful that the day was finally done, as he lay back on his bed, wads of cash lying on his chest. The door once again opened, as Quinn stopped by to pick up the cash. "A thousand dollars in one day? You know, at this rate, I'm gonna have that debt paid off in no time! No time at all!" Klaus plastered a fake smile. And even Quinn for the briefest moment was pleased that his little plan worked out so well. "That's what you think!" Quinn scoffed, snatching the cash away.

"That's for food, for rent, for supplies," Quinn ticked off as he thoroughly counted the money, splitting the cost. "Are you kidding me?" Klaus whined. "What do you think? Sage grows on trees?" Quinn asked rhetorically. "Fuck..." Klaus whispered. With all these added costs, I'm gonna be out of here in ten years. This is worse than prison! "Dom's cut, Pirate's cut, my cut, and that is for the party favors we went through last night," Quinn continued. Pocketing the money, Quinn left one fifty-dollar bill out and grabbed a small packet of drugs with his free hand. "What's it gonna be, my little star?" Quinn asked.

Having no other choice, Klaus reluctantly reached for the small packet and slipped it into his pocket. "That's what I thought," Quinn nodded. "Pace yourself, you've got a busy night ahead of you," Klaus's eyes widened with surprise but softened as he remembered how much of a harsh son of a bitch Quinn was. Of course he'd never let Klaus rest. He'd keep working until he was a worn-out puppy. As Quinn left the room, Klaus flopped back onto the bed, grabbing his wedding ring that rested on the bedside table.

A simple silver band, certainly not a traditional choice, but then again, he was never traditional to begin with. Through the lamp's reflected light, he read the inscription on the inside, reading. D + K, always and forever. Poor Dusky, she must be worried sick about me. Slowly, Klaus brought the ring to his lips, kissing the cool metal before slipping it back on, feeling a little closer to her despite their distance. I'll get out here soon, love. One way or another. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Dusk pounded and screamed at the metal door, looking through the small window into the kitchen. She had been at this for about an hour now, and with the increasing drop in temperature, things were not getting any easier. She needed to find a way to escape, but as she searched through all the nooks and crannies of the freezer, there was no other way out. The only way out was through that door. But no matter what Gene and Jean's plan was, she would not give in. She'd fight her way out if she had to.

When her legs were on the verge of giving out, she sat on the icy stone floor, trying as best she could to warm herself up, and maybe break out of there. But her fireballs continued to flicker in and out like a lighter low on fluid. And burning her way was proving more and more to be a difficult task. Even her battles with Dahlia were not as difficult as this. Then again, none of their battles ever took place inside a freezer. Finally, she heard footsteps approach the door, and the giant metal handle squeaked loudly as Bea stepped into the doorway. 

While not intentional, a breath of relief escaped Dusk's lips as she felt the small semblance of warmth escaping into the room. "Mr. and Mrs. Thibedeau would like to know if you've calmed down yet," Bea spoke emotionlessly. Dusk could only glare at her, wanting to turn her into ash right then and there. "They're making a mistake keeping me in here," She growled. "They just want to ensure your safety and duty to The Keepers," Bea replied.

By turning me into a frozen popsicle? Yeah, that makes a lot of sense! "Oh well, another hour for you to come to your senses," Bea slammed the door shut just as Dusk was about to charge towards and push her way out. But she tripped on a small gap in the concrete, causing her to faceplant onto the floor. "Goddamn you, Keepers! Goddamn you, Jake!" She cursed.

Outside of the freezer, the restaurant was buzzing with more Keepers who started to take refuge and go over their plans for the apocalypse. But of course, with a slight change in plans, they had to start from scratch, especially since they believed Dusk was a much more powerful force compared to Jennifer. Gene, Jean, and Jake sat back at their table, both men watching quietly as Jean wrote on her notepad, carefully and meticulously planning their next move. Suddenly, a hand touched her shoulder, pulling her out of her focus.

"Any updates? Is she willing to comply?" Jean questioned, turning to Bea. "No ma'am, she's still just as resistant. We also have no reports on the other girl, but we're sending a team to investigate," Bea answered. "No matter. Sooner or later, that phoenix will be working for us," "Top marks, Bea," Gene nodded in approval, gaining a small smile out of the girl. "Was there something else?" Jean inquired, noticing her prolonged stance. "Um, somebody is asking to see you," Bea added.

"Name?" "He wouldn't say," Bea explained. "And you let him in?" Gene squinted. "He... he knew the code phrase," Bea reasoned. Gene and Jean looked at each other, both hesitant to let someone who claimed to be a Keeper in. But without a name, red flags started waving in front of their faces, particularly Jean. The last thing she needed was for some undercover cop to sneak in and try and shut them down. Not when they were so close to restoring the original timeline. "Bring him over," Gene instructed. "Dad..." Jake warned.

"It'll be fine. Give him five minutes, and we'll send him on his way," Gene assured, turning back to his wife. "Bea's doing her best," But Jean was having none of it. "Don't you defend her! She's beginning to get reckless, and I don't like reckless," She whispered. About a minute later, Bea returned, the strange man following right behind. His glasses were balanced on the bridge of his nose, his beard neatly trimmed, and his hands were tucked into his coat pockets. "Can we help you?" Gene asked as the man's gaze shifted between the three Thibedeau's.

"I very much hope so. Denny Muntz, Red Deer Chapter," Denny pulled up his coat sleeve, revealing the Keeper's tattoo. But with a name finally put to a face, Gene squinted with suspicion. "Never heard of it," "Well, we're small. But I assure you, we are all true believers," Denny elaborated. "You've helped so many people find the truth, Jean. May... may I call you Jean?" "No, you may not!" Jake snapped. "Jakey! Don't be rude," Jean scolded. "Of course you can, Mr. Muntz. Please have a seat,"

"Oh, thank you," Denny slightly smiled, squeezing past Jean's chair to sit in the empty seat beside her. Even with Jean's invitation, Gene and Jake couldn't help but feel very uncomfortable with Denny's presence. The Keepers were all about action with very little room for talk, so a so-called member randomly striking up a conversation with the founders, was more than a little suspicious. "State your business here," Gene stated coldly. "I want to... discuss the missing girl," Denny replied.

"Well, there's very little room for discussion there. She's no longer our top prior-" But before Gene could finish his sentence, Jean cut him off, plastering a fake smile on her face. "Are you hungry, Mr. Muntz? Because they have a hell of a chicken sandwich here," she questioned. "I could eat, Jean," Denny nodded in agreement. But as he and Jean continued to awkwardly laugh like they were old friends catching up on the good old days, Gene's suspicions only continued to grow, and while Jake couldn't show it, he knew a storm was brewing. Dusk's words continued to echo in his head.

" I don't know what kind of hold your parents have on you, but you need to get out,"

~~~~~~~~~

"Come on, damn you! Open up!" Klaus muttered to himself, trying his hardest to pick the lock on one of the windows. Every few seconds or so, he'd stop and look behind just to make sure Quinn hadn't made his half-hourly rounds, but then Klaus would have to start all over again. He had balanced himself, standing in the center of a small-rounded table that rested against the wall. And aside from the possibility of another death at Quinn's hands, the lock was almost impenetrable, it seemed like even the smallest of hairpins couldn't unlock it.

 "Shit..." He quickly got off the table and straightened his attire as Quinn reappeared, with Loretta in toe. "The lady is back for more," Quinn smirked. "Oh, hello," Klaus slowly greeted, trying to act as if they were just old friends catching up over a late-night drink. "Look at you, stacking up repeating customers already," The biker nodded in approval. Klaus and Loretta took their seats at the table, grabbing each other's hands. "So... more Dick?" Klaus questioned, already knowing the answer.

"Yes please," Loretta knowingly smiled, shrugging off her coat as it fell right behind her. Taking a deep breath, Klaus closed his eyes, reaching through the great beyond in search of the old man. "Our beloved Richardo, come back for round two. Commune with us once more," He called out. The lights flickered behind Klaus, and his body shuddered as Dick found his way back to the real world, taking over Klaus's body once more. 

"Oh, I knew you couldn't stay away, baby," Dick chuckled. Loretta climbed on top of his lap, leaning in as if she were about to kiss him, but just as her lips were about to meet his, she backhanded Dick, knocking him on top of the pillows behind his head. "What's gotten into you?" Dick heartily chuckled, so high on lust that he couldn't see the anger in Loretta's eyes. "Shut your mouth! Where's the money, Richard?" She demanded. "What? What money?" Dick looked bewildered.

"Don't play dumb with me. I checked the safe deposit box, it's gone," Loretta leaned in closer, her breath sending chills down his spine. As Dick was about to continue denying everything, Loretta grabbed him harshly, making Dick gasp in pain as Loretta knew exactly the right spot to get him to listen. "You know, for 20 years, I stood by and watched you squander our money to dice and hussies!" Loretta hissed. "And I will be damned if I let you take it to the grave. WHERE IS IT?!"

But rather than answer and be released from his continued world of pain, a dark chuckle escaped the old man's lips as he looked straight into his wife's eyes. "I'll never tell you, you heartless whore," As Loretta once again grabbed him harder, Klaus's body heaved and his head threw back, seeing a brief vision of a dog running along a racetrack, along with a bang of thunder and a golden dog statue on top of a giant slab of stone, with Thunderbolt engraved into it.

As Klaus was pulled back to reality, Loretta slowly pulled away, seeing the shock in Klaus's eyes as his mouth started moving but no words came out. "Dick? Dick?" Loretta shook him. Klaus slowly looked at her, whispering that Dick was gone. "Can you... p-please, unhand my treasures?" He groaned. Loretta released her grip, and stood up, tossing her hair behind her. "Well, that was a waste. I'm not paying for that," She sighed. "I know. I know where he hid the money," Klaus stammered, making Loretta stop in her tracks.

"And I'll tell you, but first you gotta get me the hell out of here," With the subject of money, Loretta slowly walked towards him, telling him to start talking, as if she was considering his deal. "The brooch," Klaus stated, his gaze shifting to her coat and the bright blue oval attached to it. "Give me the brooch, and I'll tell you the location," He clarified. Suddenly, the door pounded, and with it, so did Klaus's heart. He figured he had about ten seconds before Quinn walked back in. And upon hearing his voice, he was growing suspicious of the silence.

"It's the First National Bank of Zurich," Klaus whispered, keeping his gaze locked on the door. "Passcode?" Loretta asked, fumbling around to unclasp the brooch. "Brooch first," Klaus pointed. The second Loretta slipped it into his hand, Klaus leaned in closer, whispering that the password was Thunderbolt. "He always loved that damn dog more than me," Loretta scoffed just as the door rattled open, and Klaus hid the brooch behind his back. "That was pretty fast," Quinn commented.

"It was quite good," Loretta smiled. "See you next time," "Toodle-oo," Klaus waved goodbye, watching as she slipped past Quinn and went out the door. "Cha-ching," Klaus whispered, smirking at Quinn. With another nod, Quinn locked the door. And the moment Klaus heard the footsteps fade down the hallway, he immediately went back to the window, carefully climbing on top of the table. Klaus pried the pin out, sliding into the keyhole slowly turning it in each direction. "Come to Mama," He whispered.

Finally, with a satisfying click, the lock opened, and Klaus struggled to hold back his relief. "Sweet delicious Jesus, you bitch!" He kissed the brooch before pulling himself up to the window and sliding through it back into the alleyway. It was nearing midnight when Klaus finally made it to the pet cemetery. Armed with only a flashlight and shovel, he passed the multiple headstones, keeping a sharp eye out for the golden dog.

Halfway through his search, he finally stumbled upon Thunderbolt's grave, and he eagerly began digging up the mutt's grave. With the end of December nearing, digging into the ground was like digging into a block of ice. It was tiring and time-consuming, and Klaus debated on backing out halfway through. But the thought of how much money could be under his feet pushed him to keep going. Goddamn you, Thunderbolt. 

After what felt like an eternity of digging, Klaus reached the bottom of the grave, his shovel tapping the top of Thunderbolt's coffin. "Bingo!" But to his surprise, there wasn't a dog's corpse inside the box, but rather a large black duffle bag full of stacks of hundred-dollar bills. "Oh my god, thank you, thank you, Thunderbolt!" Klaus laughed with glee. But as he popped his head out of the grave, he was greeted with the shadow of Loretta, as well as two men pointing their guns at him.

"Surprise," Loretta crossed her arms. "How- How did you-" Klaus stuttered. "Richard never trusted banks, sweetie. And I knew you were fibbing. So, I waited until you got yourself free, and I followed you here," the widow answered. "Well, you are right on time. Very, very punctual. How about we call it a 50/50 split? I mean, that seems pretty fair to me," Klaus offered, reaching into the bag for one of the stacks. But Loretta reached into her coat and pulled out a gun of her own in response. "I'm more than happy to just take my finder's fee, slash digging-for-several hours fee, and be on my merry way, alright?"

"How about I shoot you in the face?" Loretta waved her gun around, trying to find the perfect spot to fire. "Just... I could probably get down to, uh... 0%. I could probably live with that" the junkie sighed, reluctantly putting the stack back. "Just take it," But as Klaus was about to hand the bag over, another car pulled into the cemetery, and with a few members of the biker gang trailing behind him, Quinn also managed to track Klaus's location. "Always good to keep a rat around, 'cause they sniff out the cheese," Quinn spoke.

"Okay, back up. This is my estate," Loretta pointed her gun at the gang, ready to defend herself and that money. "That's what you think," Quinn laughed sourly. "Run out of people to pimp? What are you doing?" Loretta squinted past the harsh glow of the headlights. "Funny lady. You find that gun in a Cracker Jack box?" The biker taunted. "Had to bring your big boys with you?" Loretta bit back.

I was not expecting a graveyard showdown on Christmas Eve, but I don't want any part of this! Cradling the money bag like an infant baby, he crouched back inside the grave hiding from the gunfire that was potentially about to ensue. "That's right. How about I put a hole in your jacket?" Quinn cocked back his gun. "Try it," Loretta dared. A split second later, gunfire pierced through the night, and Klaus covered his ears as the sound threatened to blow out his eardrums. And as it suddenly began, everything went eerily quiet.

Klaus looked back at the world above, wondering if it was safe to come out. But as neither Loretta nor the Bikers approached the grave, he figured maybe they all shot and killed themselves over this bag of money. And just as he suspected, everyone was lying on the ground, blood dripping out of their mouths and onto the dirt. The junkie struggled to climb out of the shallow grave, his grip on the bag tighter than ever before. But just as he was about to pull himself out, Quinn woke up, his hand also gripping the bag.

"Quinn! Thank God you're alive!" Klaus pretended to be shocked and relieved, but it was little consolation to the roughed-up biker. "I guess you finally found a way to pay that debt off," Quinn strained, prying it out of Klaus's grasp. "So, we're even now? Can you give me a hand, please?" The junkie inquired. "You want a hand? Well, here's your fucking hand," Quinn punched him square in the face, knocking him back into the coffin, the lid slamming shut on top of him.

"Fucking tweaker,"