MIDAS ⇾ THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY

~ XX ~

The steady beeping of a monitor pierced Alexis' thoughts. She squinted slightly as her eyes registered the light. The room was bright and clean, sun streaming in through a window somewhere. She was definitely lying down, but somewhere soft. She noticed the other people near her. It was Diego... and Allison. She smiled, and she watched their faces light up as they realised she was awake. She coughed slightly as she realised something.

"Wait, what happened?" she asked quietly. "Did we... stop it? The apocalypse?"

Diego sighed.

"Five thinks so. That's how it seems, anyways."

"Okay" she said slowly. "What happened, then?"

Allison held up her notepad.

YOU

"The metal," Diego added. "It absorbed Vanya's energy."

Alexis raised her eyebrows.

"It worked? Sometimes I amaze myself."

She coughed again, her chest painful. Diego looked at her.

"Lex, we couldn't find a pulse for ages... you were barely breathing."

She looked at Allison, whose face was full of fresh tears. Alexis tried to lift her head off the pillow, but placed it back down quickly as her head swam.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to...do that."

She stopped. Diego squeezed her shoulder briefly.

"If you hadn't, we would've all been dead by now," he said bluntly.

Allison smacked him, with an annoyed look. Alexis looked properly at the room she was in.

"You took me to the hospital," she realised. "Did they ask questions?"

Diego swallowed.

"Yeah. We don't know how it happened, okay? You just suddenly collapsed. Heart attack, maybe?"

Alexis smiled.

"It's all the cholesterol," she laughed weakly.

She sat forward involuntarily as she realised something. Allison quickly rose to lay her gently back in the bed as she blanched, breathing heavily.

"What about Vanya?" she managed. "Is she okay?"

The others nodded, and Alexis sighed in relief.

"Where is she? Is she here too?" she asked. "Can I see her?"

"Five and the others took her back to her apartment. She would've raised too many questions."

"Have you seen her yet?" she said to Allison.

Allison swallowed and shook her head.

"But you stayed here with me? You should've gone to see her!"

Diego looked slightly uncomfortable, and stood up to leave. Alexis watched him go, then looked back to Allison.

"Seriously, Al. How long have you been waiting?"

She scribbled something.

NOT LONG

Alexis saw she was still in the same clothes from the concert hall. She frowned, and looked out the window. It was daytime, so she must've been unconscious for a little while.

"We need to go, then."

Allison shook her head, looking at Alexis pointedly.

"I'd be fine," Alexis said defensively.

Allison raised her eyebrows. She handed Alexis something. It was a letter.

"This feels like something out of Pride and Prejudice," said Alexis, looking down at it. "God, your handwriting is neat."

The other woman smiled gently. She nodded for Alexis to continue reading.

Alexis,

I wish I could talk to you properly. There are so many things I want to tell you, but I can't express them through words. Maybe soon I'll be able to, but until then, letters are the best I can do.

"As soon as you can talk, we can have that conversation," said Alexis.

Allison smiled.

You scared me, Alexis. I thought you were dead. We all did. I thought that you would be gone from my life forever. Still, meeting you was one of the best things that has happened to me in years . You make me feel safe. That hasn't happened in a long time.

Alexis looked up at her, then back down.

I want to spend my time with you, Alexis. I want you to meet Claire. I understand if you aren't ready, or if you don't want to. That's okay - it would be moving fast, and I get it.

I just want you to be okay.

Allison

Alexis smiled at Allison.

"Is this a love letter?"

Allison stood up. She leaned over the bed to Alexis, and they drew closer. Alexis' heart began to race as their lips met. She still couldn't lift her head off the pillow, but Allison didn't seem to mind. For a second, Alexis forgot the events of the last few days, as she moved a hand onto Allison's face. She smelt like jasmine, and her skin was soft and warm. Time seemed to slow, as Alexis thought only of her. It was bliss, until:

"Damn," came Diego's voice from across the room.

They broke apart quickly, both turning red. Allison looked at the floor, but Alexis grinned at him, a little guiltily. He raised his eyebrows at her, but didn't seem particularly shocked.

"It's all good, Allison," he said reassuringly.

Alexis grinned at the other woman, whose face broke into a sheepish smile.

The doctors came to see Alexis multiple times throughout the day. She still felt very weak, and she couldn't help worrying that she wouldn't be able to shake the fragility. Diego flitted in and out, splitting his time between the hospital and Vanya's place. He didn't bring much news, except that Vanya was still unconscious, and everyone else was okay. Allison stayed, for the most part, and seemed reasonably content. Alexis wished she would go and at least see Vanya, but she continued to stubbornly refuse. The day passed quite quickly, with Alexis periodically falling asleep. She didn't enjoy hospitals, but she had no choice - they wanted to observe her, so she couldn't leave.

The room had darkened considerably by the time she was discharged. None of the doctors seemed particularly happy with this - but as Alexis couldn't tell them anything they would believe, they had to assume it was a one-off. Her bag in one hand, which Diego had brought earlier, she signed the discharge papers. Holding onto Allison for support, they left, and hailed a taxi.

By the time they reached Vanya's place, Alexis was exhausted, and she had barely moved. She held onto Allison's arm as they walked up the stairs. Diego answered the door, and Alexis could see the others inside.

"Is she okay?" she asked.

Luther nodded, and Diego pointed to another room.

"She's in there."

A/N

chapter 20? damn. I'm surprised I got this far. 

-peregrine.