Chapter Text
It started innocently enough.
Lila called him one day out of the blue, which she had never done before. She had his number, of course, they all did—but the only one of his family members who ever called him regularly was Luther, who called him once a week, like clockwork. Five had a separate text chain with Viktor—neither of them was particularly good at texting, or at communicating in general, so the thread mostly consisted of random photos or videos the two sent back and forth, of things Five thought Viktor might like, or things that otherwise made him think of his brother, and vice versa.
Allison never called anyone. She felt understandably awkward about the events that had led to them becoming stranded in this timeline. Five wished she’d get over it—she was always the sibling most likely to make an effort, and he would rather have heard from her than not. He felt far too uncomfortable to reach out to her himself, however. Klaus had never managed to own a phone for longer than a week, and Diego had never been the texting type. Ben was practically a stranger in this timeline.
So this was altogether unexpected.
“Lila?” Five greeted her warily.
“I need you to pick up Grace.”
“What? Why?”
Five had never picked up Grace before. He knew where she went to school, of course (and had conducted an in-depth background check of every employee, contractor, and person who might ever be even vaguely in the vicinity of the school before her first day), but that was just good sense. He hardly spent any time with Grace or, indeed, with any of his siblings or their respective offspring.
“Because,” Lila sounded frazzled. “The twins have the day off, and I promised to take them to this group thing with some of their school friends.....but it’s a long drive away.....and Diego can’t take off work....”
“Don’t you have about a million family members in this timeline? Why are you calling me?” Even as he asked, Five had already started putting on his shoes.
“I do, but they all have their own lives, and jobs, and honestly....” Five waited, but Lila didn’t finish her sentence.
Five just sighed. “Alright, I’ll go pick up Grace. I’m not a babysitter, though, she’s just going to have to sit in my apartment until you’re home and I can drop her off.”
“Thank you, Five. Seriously, you’re a lifesaver. Her school’s address is—”
“I know where Grace goes to school,” Five cut her off.
“.....How?”
Shit. Maybe it wasn’t normal, for him to know that. Five had long since lost track of what level of surveillance of one’ s own family was considered typical.
“I.....may have done a background check on all her teachers when you and Diego told us where she was going.”
A pause. Then Lila laughed, a long, full-throated laugh. Five’s shoulders, which he hadn’t realized he had tensed in anticipation of her reaction, relaxed.
“Oh, Five. Never change.”
The teacher on duty eyed Five with some suspicion when he said he was there to pick up Grace Hargreeves.
“I’m her uncle. I guess maybe Lila forgot to call.”
The teacher didn’t seem any more convinced. Which.....fair enough. Five didn’t exactly look like her uncle, and that was assuming one got past the fact that, age-wise, he looked more like her older brother. Luckily, Grace’s eyes lit up as soon as she saw him.
“Uncle Five!” She ran up to him, hugging one leg enthusiastically.
“Hi, Grace.”
“Lemme just go get my backpack. Then we can go.”
“Ok.”
The teacher still looked slightly unsure, but just then, her cell phone rang. Still keeping one wary eye on Five, she answered. Her volume was turned up loud enough that Five could hear Lila’s distinctive accent, although not exactly what she was saying.
“I see. Yes, he’s here now. Yes, got it. Thanks for calling.” The teacher hung up.
Five extended his hands in the universal see, it’s fine gesture. The teacher just frowned at him.
“That was Mrs. Hargreeves. You’ve been added to the list of approved adults to pick up Grace.”
“Wonderful.”
The teacher ignored his evident sarcasm.
Grace came bounding over, backpack slung over one shoulder, her lunchbox in the other hand.
“Ready, Uncle Five!”
“Ok, kiddo. Let’s go.”
The car ride back to Five’s apartment was uneventful. He’d let Grace sit in the front seat, which he wasn’t sure was even legal at her age. But whatever, it’s not like he had a car seat he could stick her in. Surely it was safer for her to sit in the front, where he could keep a better eye on her in case anything happened? He might not be able to blink her away from sudden danger in this timeline, but his reflexes were still faster than the average.
When they walked into his apartment, Grace slipped her shoes off right by the door. They looked comically small next to Five’s—a pair of bright red sneakers next to his neat row of practical boots and loafers. After, she made a beeline for the dining room table, shrugging off her book bag and plopping it on the chair next to her.
She seemed to be waiting for something.
Five had no idea what children of Grace’s age were even supposed to do after school. He had a vague notion of homework—when he was her age, he had been foraging for non-expired tin cans and trying not to inhale too much smoke, so their experiences were bound to vary a bit.
“Um.....do you want something to eat?”
“Yes, please!”
Well, that was helpful.
Five opened the cupboard. He had.....bread, peanut butter, and marshmallows. And also, for some reason that Five couldn’t recall, a jar of pickles. No milk, which Five thought might be the appropriate beverage to accompany a small child’s after school snack. Sighing, Five set to work making her a sandwich.
He set the sandwich in front of her, along with a glass of water, and watched in bemusement as she carefully tore the crusts off, before devouring the rest of the sandwich.
“Would you.....like more?” She seemed hungry. Five didn’t think it was normal to eat that fast. Or maybe it was? He had tried to eat everything slowly for a very long time, to prolong the sensation and to increase the likelihood that he would feel full. Also because in the apocalypse, eating slowly had just been common sense, in case the food was rancid or had glass or insects or, well, it was just a good idea, was the point. But maybe, Five realized watching his niece, years of the apocalypse had actually just made him a really, really slow eater.
“No, thank you,” said Grace. She then turned and started taking things out of her backpack—a notebook, several textbooks, a folder, a zippered pouch that she opened and Five realized was full of pencils. She opened one of the books and one of the notebooks, selected a pencil, and proceeded to get started on what Five could only assume was, indeed, homework.
“Ok....well, let me know if you need anything,” Five offered, somewhat lamely.
Grace just nodded distractedly. Five pushed his chair back from the table and started to clean up the kitchen, idly nibbling on Grace’s abandoned sandwich crusts as he did so. No point letting the food go to waste.
Five realized Lila hadn’t actually given him a time that she would be done. He supposed he would just wait for her call, but he wished she had given him a little more guidance. Was he expected to get Grace dinner? What did she like to eat? He would need to go to the grocery store, most likely. Or order take-out. His first substantial interaction with his niece in six years could not be serving her peanut butter and marshmallow sandwiches for multiple meals.
Eyeing the clock, Five decided to wait until 5:30 pm. If Lila didn’t call before then, he would make more detailed preparations for sustenance. Satisfied with this plan, he settled down at the kitchen table opposite Grace, opening one of his own books. Every once and a while, he would glance up and check to see how Grace was doing, but otherwise he remained absorbed in his own work.
Lila called at a quarter past. Five was surprised to realize the time had passed quickly—he hardly noticed so many hours had gone by.
“Ok,” Lila sounded out of breath. “You can bring her home now.”
Five opened his mouth to respond, but Lila had been distracted by something on the other end. He heard her calling to someone, most likely one of the twins.
Five made the executive decision to hang up. Then he reached across the table, gently tapping on the back of Grace’s hand.
“That was your mom. She says I can drop you off now.”
Grace nodded, and started packing her various books and notebooks and pencils back away in her bag. Five wondered what she’d thought of the afternoon, if anything at all. Maybe this didn’t register as the seismic interruption in her routine that it did in his.
As they were walking out the door, Grace turned to him and said, apropos of nothing, “Your house smells nice.”
“....Thank you.”
“Like....old books, and coffee. And chalk. And....something else. I don’t know what, exactly.”
“That....sounds about right.”
Lila answered the door with her head turned behind her, shouting something in Punjabi over her shoulder. She was wearing a pair of well-worn jeans, and an old sweatshirt that had seen better days. Her hair was pulled up in a messy knot atop her head, and there was a speck of something—maybe flour?—on her cheek.
“Oh, hey, Five. Thanks for picking her up.” Lila stooped to drop a casual kiss on Grace’s head. “Hello, darling. Did you behave for your uncle?”
Grace didn’t answer, already running to greet the twins. Five answered for her. “She was perfectly well-behaved. Although I don’t think her teacher really believed I was her uncle.”
Lila rolled her eyes. “That’s Miss Applebaum. She’s one of those teachers who gets overinvested in all her students’ home lives...come in, come in....not that that’s not nice and all, I’m sure she’s lovely. But sometimes it’s just a little...much, you know?”
Five stepped across the threshold, feeling awkward and out of place in Lila and Diego’s cozy abode. But Lila tugged his arm, pulling him into the kitchen.
“Come on, I’ll make you a cup of coffee. You still like it, right?”
Five nodded, taking a seat at the breakfast island as Lila busied herself filling the pot with water.
“So, how are things? How’s life?”
“It’s.....good.” Five wasn’t sure how to describe his life, exactly. His family was alive and well. That was all he had ever wanted, really. What more was there to say?
But Lila seemed like she was waiting for more.
“It’s....quiet.” That was true.
Lila threw him a look. “How’s settling into life as a professor? A bit of a transition for you, isn’t it?”
Five shrugged. It had been an adjustment, it was true, but after years of chasing the apocalypse, he found he enjoyed the quiet life of an academic. He taught a handful of classes (all various topics in advanced physics), was well-respected by his colleagues, if not exactly friendly with any of them, and had plenty of time for his own research and pursuits. And if he sometimes missed his family, if he wished that they were all a little closer....well, at the end of the day, his family was safe. Alive. He could live his quiet life alone. It suited him.
“Being a professor is fine. How about you? How are things here?”
“Constant chaos.” As if to underline her point, one of the twins (Five could never tell them apart), ran into the room just then, scissors clutched in one hand. “Frankie, no....NO! We....do not....run...with scissors!”
In a move that would make any former Commission agent proud, Lila intercepted the scissors, flipping them in the air so they snapped shut, before catching them securely by the handle. She then switched them so she was gripping the (now closed) blades, dropping them neatly into a nearby drawer, safely out of reach.
“You get in the PTA with moves like that?” Five joked.
Lila grinned at him. “The PTA would be so lucky.”
She poured him a cup of coffee, sliding it across the table to him.
Five took a sip, enjoying the familiar taste of the warm beverage. “Aren’t you going to have a cup?”
He saw her eyes drift to the sink, and the pile of dirty dishes heaped therein. Then she met his eyes.
“Oh, alright. Just one cup.”
Sitting across from him, Five was able to examine Lila more closely. Her hair was limp and looked like it hadn’t been washed in a few days, and there were dark circles under her eyes. More than that, though, she seemed.....exhausted. Like the energy had just been sapped out of her. Lila had always seemed bursting with life, to an almost terrifying degree. He found the contrast slightly jarring, and maybe a little concerning, although he of all people knew that Lila could take care of herself.
“Are you....alright?” Five asked cautiously.
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I don’t know. You just seem a little....tired.”
Lila laughed, but it sounded slightly shrill to Five’s ears. “Welcome to motherhood.”
Five eyed her, unsure what to say. Comforting people had never been his strong suit, but that’s what it seemed like Lila needed. Comfort, or reassurance. If Five was a different sort of person, maybe he’d know what to do, what to say, to make Lila feel better.
“Alright, well. Let me know if you.....need anything.”
Lila stared at Five as if she’d never seen him before. Eventually—
“Thank you. I appreciate it.”
Five, feeling awkward, took another sip of coffee, draining his cup.
“Thank you for the coffee,” he said, standing up. “I’ll get out of your way now.” He rinsed the cup in the sink, before placing it on the dish rack to dry.
Lila watched him, a slightly strange expression on her face that Five couldn’t place. It had gone away by the time she walked him to the door.
“Thanks again. For picking up Grace.”
“Anytime.”
Lila called him again the next week.
“Hey, can you do me a solid and pick up Grace again? I just have a million errands to run today, and Diego is working and my parents are sick.....”
This time, Miss Applebaum let Grace go with Five right away, although not without giving him an obvious once-over. Clearly, she still didn’t believe he was her uncle.
Just like last time, Five made Grace a peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich. He sat with her at the dining room table while she did her homework. And then, when Lila called, he took her home.
The third time Lila called was less than a week later.
“Did it ever occur to you,” Five groused. “That when I told you ‘anytime’, I didn’t actually mean it?”
But he was already grabbing his keys.
By the time October rolled around, Five and Grace had established a well-worn routine. Five had stocked up on child-appropriate (he thought) groceries, including milk, and had established a list of her preferences in his head (sliced apples, yes—kiwi, not so much).
Grace had also started to tell Five about her day, and to ask him for help on her homework. Although they hit a couple of stumbling blocks early on when Five had tried to answer a question about how long it would take to travel a certain distance with variables accounting for potential inclimate weather and unwitting pedestrians, eventually they got into a rhythm, as Five became more aware of what type of answers her fourth grade teachers were looking for.
Whenever Five went to drop her off, Lila would make him a cup of coffee, and they would sit and talk for the time it took him to finish it. Diego was seldom ever home, due to his punishing work schedule. And though Lila’s parents sometimes popped in and out, they mostly kept to themselves, or spent their energy fussing over one or another of the children.
Five knew Lila had a lot to do, and that she only had him stay for coffee as a thank you for helping to watch Grace, so he tried not to take up too much of her time. He knew a pity invite when he saw it. But he liked the company. Five interacted with plenty of people through his job, but no one who actually knew him, at least not like Lila did.
It was comforting, in a strange way....sometimes, in this new life of his, Five’s old life, his time in the apocalyptic wasteland, and the effort it took to prevent it, seemed to fade into gray, and he wondered whether he’d imagined the whole thing. Maybe he was going mad. But Lila reminded him that it had been real.
Five hadn’t even realized he needed that.
“So, have you spoken to any of the others lately?”
Five and Lila were in Lila’s kitchen, sipping coffee after Five had dropped Grace off.
“I speak with Luther once a week, and Viktor and I text sometimes.”
“Ah, Luther calls me, too. What day of the week does he call you?”
“Friday, of course.”
Lila laughed.
“Does he call you separately, or do you speak to him on Tuesday, after Diego?”
“Tuesdays, after Diego. It’s not really talking so much as me shouting over Diego’s shoulder, to be honest.”
Five snorted.
“....heard from Allison?”
“Not a word. You?”
“No-p-e,” Lila popped the p. “I kinda wish she would just call and get on with it already, you know? Like I won’t bring it up if she doesn’t. I just kind of liked having someone for girl talk who wasn’t, like, going to put me in a mental institution.”
Five didn’t say anything to that. He also wished Allison would call. Yeah, what she’d done had been kind of shitty, but she was his sister, and he missed her.
Not that he would ever admit that, to Lila or to anyone else.
Lila tilted her head. “Do you ever talk with Diego?”
Five glanced up at her from under his hair—it was growing steadily longer, she’d noticed. She wondered if he just didn’t both to get it cut, or if he was growing it out on purpose.
“What exactly would I talk to Diego about?”
Lila shrugged. “I don’t know. Your jobs? Your lives? Crime statistics in the greater metropolitan area?”
“Fuck off.”
“I’m serious! Talk to him about whatever. What do siblings normally talk about?”
“What do you and Diego talk about?” Five countered.
Lila’s mouth snapped shut. “I....the kids. School. Work. My parents. I don’t know, lots of things.”
Five just took another sip of coffee, staring at her over the rim of the cup. Lila fidgeted slightly; she felt uncomfortable under his gaze, suddenly overly conscious of every movement. “Look, that’s not the point. Why don’t you reach out to him?”
“Why don’t you tell him to reach out to me, if it’s so important to you?”
Lila opened her mouth to respond, snappily, no doubt, when her parents entered. They lived in the detached guest house, but they often neglected to knock, something that Diego railed to Lila about to no end.
“Hello, hello! Oh, Five is here!”
“Hi Mum.” Lila gave her a tight-mouthed smile. Having her parents alive was lovely—but sometimes (like now) they could have the worst timing. Lila had come to enjoy her chats with Five—they were the best part of her day, really. She found herself missing them over the weekends, when Grace didn’t have to go to school and so Five didn’t have to pick her up.
Her mum switched to Punjabi, asking a string of questions about Grace, the twins, the school play on Friday, questions that Lila herself only vaguely had the answers to, making her feel like a horrible mother. Perhaps sensing her frustration, her mother eventually puttered off to check on the twins, who were doubtless up to some activity that would stain the carpet (if Lila was lucky—the worst had probably been when Coco dared Frankie to jump out the window, breaking both the window and several tree branches in the process).
Lila turned back around to face Five, forgetting momentarily that they had been in the middle of a sort-of argument.
“Well, I better get going.” Five shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Oh. Ok.” Lila felt strangely disappointed.
Smiling slightly, Five nodded goodbye, closing the door carefully behind him. Lila blew out a breath, turning back to the kitchen.
It was only then that she noticed the dishes, freshly washed and gleaming, lined up neatly on the dish rack to dry.
Lila laughed. Sneaky little bastard! He must have washed the dishes while she had been distracted by her mum.
Sneaky....and also kind of sweet.
Shaking her head, Lila took one last look at the perfectly piled pots and pans, before heading off to tackle the next item on her never ending to-do list.
It was a rainy day when Lila decided that, instead of calling Five to have him drop Grace off, she would swing by his apartment to pick her up.
It had been an unexpectedly good day—the twins had behaved at their piano lesson, there had been no line at the grocery store, and her mother had volunteered to make dinner tonight. She suddenly had some free time on her hands, so she figured, why not?
And ok, she was a little nosy about Five’s apartment. Grace seemed to like spending time there. She’d given Lila the saddest look when Lila said Five couldn’t pick her up for a week because of work, as he had been traveling for some academic conference or another. When Lila, curious, had picked her brain a little about what exactly it was about Five’s place she liked so much, her daughter had just shrugged.
“There are lots of books,” said Grace. “And it smells nice.”
Lila guessed that was as good an answer as any.
When Five opened the door, he looked surprised.
“Knock, knock.” Lila stepped confidently over the threshold. The first thing she noticed was the smell—Grace had been right, it was nice. Like a library, mixed with a coffee shop, and something else, a scent familiar to Lila.....gunpowder. And chalk.
Lila smiled.
“Well, old man?” She grinned at Five expectantly. “Where’s my coffee?”
Five huffed. “You didn’t tell me you were coming. I didn’t make extra.”
Lila opened her mouth to respond, but Five beat her to it, turning around and snatching a ceramic mug from the table, shoving it in her hand.
“Here. You can have mine. I’ll make more.”
Lila accepted the cup from him automatically. She took a sip, reveling in the warmth of the drink. It was December, and quite cold out.
“We’re only just getting around to a snack now. Usually we have it right after she gets out of school, but today we had to stop by the library to check out some books for Grace’s history paper.” Five’s tone sounded slightly defensive. Lila wondered if he was actually worried she would think he was neglecting Grace, or something. Surely not? Hell, Lila barely remembered to feed her own kids some days.
“That’s fine,” Lila assured him.
Five’s shoulders relaxed, and Lila smiled to herself slightly, hiding it behind another sip of coffee. Who knew Five could be such a worry wart about something as small as an after school snack?
And then, “You took her to the library?”
Five rolled his eyes. “That is typically where one goes to conduct research.”
Lila trailed after Five to the kitchen, which was as meticulously clean and organized as the rest of his apartment. There was not a speck of dust anywhere. Lila frowned, mentally contrasting it with her own disaster zone of a kitchen at home.
She watched as Five took out a loaf of pre-sliced bread, a jar of peanut butter, and a bag of marshmallows. His movements as he assembled the sandwich were practiced, assured. When he was done, he carefully cut the crusts off the sandwich, placing them in a separate bowl, and neatly sliced the sandwich into triangles. Then, he took the sandwich on a plate to where Grace was waiting at the dining room table, along with a sliced apple in a small bowl, and a glass of milk.
Lila settled down next to Five at the table. He’d taken the bowl with the abandoned crusts for himself, and was nibbling a piece with his fresh cup of coffee.
She fought to keep her lips from twitching. The whole sequence spoke of an ingrained ritual, one which Lila couldn’t help but find entirely endearing. Five didn’t seem to notice her amusement, or if he did, he didn’t comment. He merely paged through the journal in front of him. Lila tilted her head so she could read the title: Physical Review Letters.
Pfft, boring.
“So, old man, how’s it going these days? Anything interesting?”
“You know. Same old, same old.”
Lila leaned her face on her hand, watching him carefully. He was growing up, she realized, with some surprise. Of course, he was older than her, and always had been, but.....physically, his body was catching up. Even though she saw him more often these days, she hadn’t really noticed until now. He was no longer the mouthy thirteen year old in knee socks that she remembered.
“Hmm....yeah....” Lila thought about her own “same old, same old.” These days, her life seemed like an endless list of tasks that had to be completed, errands to be run, only to get to the end of the day—or the week, or the month, or the year—and find that they all repeated again. Forever and ever.
“Alright, different question—anyone interesting?” Lila arched her eyebrows suggestively. “Any fellow professors stir up any....fellow feeling?”
Five snorted. He took another sip of coffee.
“Or perhaps....any co-eds?”
“Please, Lila,” Five scoffed. “I would never.”
“Really?” Lila pushed. “An unusually young professor, like yourself? I’m sure you’re the stuff of many an overeager freshman girl’s daydreams.”
“I teach juniors and seniors.”
“Not the point. Come on, you’re not seriously telling me there’s not some bright young thing who always comes to your office hours, and always has a question for you, or a paper for you to read....”
“I assign problem sets, not papers.”
“Whatever! You know the type, some eager beaver, overachieving, very pretty....” Lila noticed, with no small bit of delight, that the tips of Five’s ears were turning red.
“So there is a girl!”
“There is not. I would never romantically involve myself with one of my students.”
“Ha! But one of them wants to romantically involve herself with you.”
Five said nothing, just took another sip of his coffee.
Lila laughed.
“Lighten up, old man. You know I’m just teasing you. But seriously though, I’m sure you could find someone age-appropriate, if you really tried. Got to put yourself out there!”
“Hmm. And why, exactly, are you so gung-ho about this?”
It was a good question. And Lila didn’t have an answer, except she felt a weird desire to know the details of Five’s personal life. He was such a unique individual—she would be curious to meet whoever he found interesting enough to have a relationship with. Whoever it was, she would have to be something else.
“Because,” Lila punched him, none too lightly, on the shoulder. “As your loving sister-in-law, it is my duty to ensure that you are properly married off by the time you’re, oh, no less than thirty. And also, my mother has been asking.”
Five flicked his eyes towards her. In this new timeline, Five had a very courteous, if somewhat formal, relationship with her parents. They, for their part, adored him—the brilliant physicist, fluent in Punjabi, who left a promising career with the CIA for a lifetime of academia, and at one of the country’s most prestigious universities, no less.
But Five always kept them at a bit of an arm’s length; Lila imagined it must be somewhat discomfiting for him to be faced on a regular basis with two of his victims from a former life.
“And why does your mother care?”
“Oh, she wants to set you up with one of my cousins.”
Five spewed coffee back into his cup.
Ha! A reaction, finally!
“What....why, why would she want to do that?”
“Oh, I dunno, maybe because you’re the only single member of the family?”
“Klaus, Viktor, Ben—all single.”
“Klaus was in and out of rehab until he became an anxiety-riddled germophobe, Viktor lives in Canada, and Ben was, up until recently, in jail....I should’ve clarified, you’re the only eligible single member of the family—my mother’s words, not mine.”
“I’m a time-traveling former assassin who killed her in another life—I am the last person that should be on your mother’s list of eligible bachelors.”
“Yeah, well, she doesn’t know that.”
Five opted not to respond, instead taking another sip of coffee.
“....So?”
“So, I am not in any way suitable to have a romantic relationship with anyone.”
“Oh, come on. Be serious.”
“No, Lila, you be serious. I am a 64-year-old man trapped inside a twenty year old’s body. I spent the vast majority of my life in a world devoid of other human beings. I have no social skills, not to mention no conception of how to be a caring or nurturing partner to anyone. I am the absolute last person who has any business getting into a relationship. With anyone.”
Lila watched Five carefully. He had stood up from his seat during this little speech, washing his coffee cup with a vigor that bordered on aggression, avoiding meeting her eyes the entire time. His shoulders were tensed, the way Lila had started to notice they would get whenever Five was feeling particularly defensive about something.
“You actually believe that, don’t you?”
Surprised, Five glanced up at her, meeting her eyes.
“You actually believe that you can’t care for anyone?”
Five’s eyes darted to the side and back, but it was enough of an answer for Lila.
“Five!” Lila blinked several times in rapid succession, trying to process her thoughts. The look on Five’s face, the clear resignation, was what finally snapped her out of it. “You have spent every day of the last five months picking my daughter up after school and making her peanut butter and marshmallow sandwiches! You help her with her homework, you even started buying milk specifically for her to drink—don’t even try to tell me that you drink it, too, because I know you don’t put it in your coffee, which is literally the only beverage I have ever seen you consume that is not alcohol. You help her with her homework; you even took her to that god-awful ice dancing show when neither Diego nor I could get tickets. You have run background checks on all of her teachers, anyone who might even come into contact with her, and I imagine you’ve done the same for everyone else in the family? You literally turned back time so that you could save your siblings from the apocalypse—and you have watched over them when they ended up in this new timeline. Five, your idea of caring for people might be a little, well, overkill, if we’re going to be completely honest here, but you definitely are a caring, loving person, and you deserve someone who will care about you and love you in return.”
Five just stared at her. She seemed to have completely rendered him at a loss for words.
Finally, he cleared his throat awkwardly.
“I....ah....that’s very nice of you to say.” His voice sounded strained.
“Oh, for chrissake, come here, old man.” Lila closed the distance between them, wrapping him in a tight hug. First the signature tensing, followed by Five relaxing into it. She felt his arms around her, hesitant, unsure.
Returning her embrace.
Lila dreamed of Five that night.
In her dream, they were back at the Hotel Oblivion, and they were fighting.
Dream Five ducked and dodged around Lila—she would land a punch, and then he would land one, an exchange of blows like a dance.
At some point, he tripped her, or she slipped—Lila remembered the floor had been slippery, from the bath—and then the two were on the ground, her arms pinned to the ground.
Green eyes laughing down at her.
“Got you.”
She woke up, sweaty and restless, with the sheets tangled around her legs. Glancing at the clock on the bedside table, she saw the digital display read 4 am. Only a couple of hours until she had to be up to start getting things ready for the kids.
Staring at the ceiling, Lila tried to catch her breath.
It didn’t mean anything. She had been to see Five today, for the first time in a while (not that long, really, she saw him pretty often now that he was helping take care of Grace, but that was beside the point), and it had stirred up old memories.
And they had that conversation about all the things Five had done for his family, for the people he loved. Lila had just been a friend, when he clearly needed to hear it.
That was it. That was all.