As Dusk, Klaus, and the others walked into the banquet hall for the reception, they watched as Luther and Sloane had their first dance, holding one another as Teenage Dream echoed throughout the venue. Clouds of smoke came from the nearby fog machines, further adding a hint of romance to the scene. "Beautiful, isn't it?" the raven asked, breaking her gaze to look at her lover. "Yeah, it is," Klaus nodded, still grinning at the married couple.

"This is officially worse than the apocalypse," Five muttered. To this, Dusk bumped his side with her elbow, catching his attention. "Oh lighten up, old-timer. It's not sooo bad," his twin chuckled. Out of the corner of the time traveler's eye, he watched Victoria as she grabbed a glass of champagne, a sense of longing forming within him. It wasn't until she left, he went to grab himself a drink, hearing the plan recite itself in his head.

He ripped off the gold foil covering the cork of the bottle, and as he poured himself the light gold substance, he watched as Diego and Lila danced together, as well as Dusk and Klaus. I really hope this works out. "I forgot you were a good dancer, Klausy!" Dusk smiled as he spun her around, their dance moves not quite synching to the beat. But it didn't matter, they were having fun and they were together after what felt like centuries of being apart. That was all she cared about.

After the slow dance, they all sat down at different tables, helping themselves to the various kinds of food and alcohol at their disposal. As Dusk grabbed her plate and piled some fruit and pieces of lamb and vegetables, she and Victoria engaged in conversation. "I'll admit, this wedding is kinda cool. But if you ask me, I'm still living for that drama we caused at your ex's wedding," the redhead whispered.

"Yeah, but this time is different. Luther's not a cheat. The guy's spent most of his life trapped on the moon. It's nice to see him finally find someone who loves him," Dusk said as she glanced at the ape-man and gravity girl giggling and occasionally smooching. "Bah, love is overrated. No offense to you and your man. But why should I fall in love with someone when they have the chance to hurt you later on?" Five didn't mean to hurt you on purpose, Vic. Should this plan work out, you'll see it.  

While his girlfriend was occupied, Klaus took the time to sneak over to Five, who was busy snacking and drinking away. "Cinco! Mi Hermano!" he called out as he took a seat next to him. Five looked up from his plate, "What do you want?" "Listen to me, Dad is upstairs right now with a plan to save everything. So, why don't you and I pop up to the suite for a little chitchat? Ten minutes at the most!"

Five squinted at the junkie, questioning why he was being all Frick and Frack with their old man. But Klaus explained that Reginald was like a turtle. He may have a rough exterior but was cute and wrinkly on the inside. "Klaus, listen to me. Old dogs like me and him never change. He has never had our best interests at heart. My only plans for tonight are to get me and Victoria on good terms again and get fucked up beyond all recognition,"

Klaus bit back a sigh, part of him knowing that Five would be tough to convince. As he stood up to walk away, the time traveler grabbed the sleeve of his suit. "And one last thing, I may be trapped in a teenage body, but that doesn't mean I can't kick your ass if you do anything to hurt my sister," He whispered, the tone sending a few chills down Klaus's spine. 

"Don't worry, dude. I wouldn't dare hurt her!" Klaus swore. "Good. Because if you do, I'll chase you around with an axe for all eternity," Aww, protective brother! Both cute and terrifying... Klaus thought as he walked away from the table, going over to Luther and Sloane.

~~~~~~~

Right after Klaus left her brother by his lonesome, Dusk walked over to one of the empty seats, setting her plates and drink down. "Everything alright?" she asked as she watched Five take a shot of whiskey. "Yeah, I'm fine," he insisted, but Dusk knew something was off just by his nervous expression and the amount of sweat gathering at the top of his forehead. "Five, we may not have been twins for that long, but I don't need an instinct to know your nervous,"

Five swiped the white-clothed napkin from under her utensils, patting away the sweat as pieces of his black hair clung to it. He was so desperate to hide his anxiety, but he couldn't hold it in any longer. Of course, he didn't want to make a spectacle out of it, but Dusk was his only confidant at the moment. "Alright, you caught me. The truth is, I'm scared of this not working out. What if she stabs me the moment I approach her?" Knowing Victoria and her hatred towards him, Dusk thought she was more likely to make the pain slow and agonizing so he could feel how heartbroken she was. Although, the opposite was also a possibility.

"Victoria might be a tough cookie to crack, but I think with just the right number of romantic gestures, she'll see you're not so bad," the phoenix said, trying to keep things on the bright side. "Now, when was the last time you danced?" Five squinted in thought, trying to remember the last time he danced. "Well... there was one time with Victoria," He answered, a tiny smile at the corner of his lips. Ooo! Keep going, spill more tea! The time traveler continued, saying that the Commission had thrown a formal party, and during the event, he and Victoria danced the tango.

It took everything within Dusk not to swoon at the thought of it happening again at the wedding, but she remained quiet and composed. "My only question is, how am I supposed to convince her to dance with me?" Five questioned, leaning in close so only Dusk could hear. Before Dusk could open her mouth and respond, the sounds of murmurs and scoffs caught her attention. And as she turned around, she saw Reginald walking in on the reception. What the hell is he doing here?

They all watched as he continued towards the buffet and grabbed a plate before going back to their conversations. The raven slightly shook her head as she went back to answering Five's question. "Don't even worry. I got you covered there," she winked. Five looked hesitant, wondering what she was going to do. Calm down, Five. This is your sister; you can trust her. Right?

~~~~~~~

"Hey, Ben-ihana and Snowflower! Don't hit me!" Klaus chuckled as he sat next to the Sparrows, who were staring down at their empty platters. "Shut up, weirdo," Dahlia grumbled, resting her head in her hand. The junkie paid no further mind to the Icy Sparrow, turning his attention to his not-so-long-lost friend. "Benny, I know we ain't exactly been best buds in this timeline, but I have a mission for you!"

Ben looked up from his plate and turned towards him. But instead of talking things out, the squid boy just burped in his face. "Twelve people... There are only twelve people left," Ben slurred. Okay, drunk Ben clearly likes numbers and shrimp. "You couldn't even invite me to the stupid bachelor party!" Klaus leaned closed, rubbing a hand down Ben's back. "Have we finally flicked off bad Benny's hard candy shell?" Number Four spoke in a tiny baby voice.

"Why don't you like me?" Ben whined. "Because you're a huge puckering asshole who'll save himself before anyone else!" Dahlia spoke up, interrupting their conversation. Klaus just looked up and gave her the squinty eyes. "What? It's the truth!" she rolled her eyes, picking up her plate and moving to another table. "She's right, I am the ass. No wonder you like the old Ben." "Yeah, we love the other Ben," Klaus nodded.

"What was so special about him?" Sparrow Two inquired. Klaus took in a breath, explaining that the Umbrella Ben was a know-it-all, a scold, a tiny dark cloud on a perfect sunny day. To this timeline's Ben, all of those descriptions sounded so negative. "They might be bad. But they all looked great on him!" Klaus chuckled as he drank from his glass. "Okay, you know what? I am so much better than that other Ben! I was Number One twice, and Dad doesn't give a shit! He was too busy hanging out with you!"

"Aw, I think you're trying a little too hard. Look around, no one's polishing their boots or pressing their tights. We're a complete shitshow! And our Ben, my Ben was just that kind of a disaster, and that made him ridiculously easy to love," Deep down, Klaus hoped that it would be enough to convince him that everything wasn't so bad. And with the slightest nod, it looked like Ben seemed to understand. But maybe in his drunken mind, Klaus said something completely distorted that sounded completely different.

"So, how about having a little fun later, yeah? Maybe it'll cheer up your mood!" Klaus patted his head before skipping away like a happy bunny.