Chapter Text
Allison heard the doorbell ring and walked downstairs, confused. Ray wasn't supposed to be back from work for a few more hours, and Claire's school didn't get out for another 20 minutes. Even then, her bus usually took upwards of an hour to get back since she was one of the last stops of the usual route, so unless something happened, neither of them should be back yet. Still, maybe Ray had ordered a package that needed to be signed or something along those lines. She should at least spare the delivery person the decency of answering.
As she opened the door, she was swiftly met with the fact that Ray had not in fact ordered a package, and the short man standing before her was an all too familiar face. "Viktor?" she asked, feeling a barrage of emotions and thoughts rage through her mind as she saw him. It was almost hard to stay pissed at him when he was trembling and avoiding her gaze, the set of his jaw registering as how he was when they had all reunited at dad's funeral and his anxiety was at its worst.
"Please, just let me say what I need to say before you send me away" he pleaded, his voice shaking. Allison realized with sudden horror that he was scared of her, much like he'd been back at that cabin when she'd tried to rumor him again and he attacked her out of fear. "My powers are gone, and I don't..." he continued, taking a deep breath. "I don't know if it's different for you, but just- I can't hurt you now, so please just-"
"Okay" the woman cut him off. He spared her a glance, just so he could read her expression. She still didn't seem thrilled at his presence, but the cold-blooded expression she'd had back when she was reading him the Riot Act was nowhere to be found. "What is it?"
"Um..." Viktor swallowed, rubbing a thumb over his knuckles in an attempt to soothe himself. He noted in the back of his mind to get back on anxiety meds as soon as possible. "I'm sorry" he started- That seemed like the safest way to trudge forward in this conversation. "For not telling you about Harlan. Honestly, there were so many other things on my mind that it didn't even register as something I should do- That doesn't make it okay, though. Um..." he took a deep breath again. "But, I do think you owe me an apology"
...
"Come inside, Viktor"