Watching Luther and Diego argue back and forth over Diego's lack of parenting was like watching the most uninteresting episode of a tv show on repeat. No matter what it was the two were arguing about, it made everyone watching roll their eyes and turn their heads as they tried to block out the sound. They had given up on separating the two a long time ago, as it would only result in a breakout brawl. And the last thing they needed was to get kicked out of the hotel for destruction of property.

Eventually, Diego walked off in a huff as he went to discipline Stanley. While the drama was ensuing, Five slowly crept out of the room and went down the hall to the Oasis and Spa. The only ones left were Astrid, Allison, Viktor, Klaus, and Luther. Breaking the ominous silence, they returned to the topic Astrid had brought up previously, the disappearing citizens. "Let me get this straight. You were walking down the street and you saw a wave of blue light. And then a second later, the wave comes back taking everyone off the street?" Allison recapped as she poured herself a shot of Tennessee Whiskey. "Yes Allison, I've explained that at least three times," the Shadow Girl sighed, bending over the pool table as she covered her exhausted face.

"Well now that you mention it, people aren't the only ones who have gone missing," Viktor spoke up. "Really? What else?" Astrid questioned. "A shit ton of cows!" Klaus spoke up, setting an opened leather journal on his chest. "Not to mention, Chet's dog. I saw him whistling and calling out for him at breakfast," Luther added. As the missing animals and persons kept tallying up, all Astrid could do was think about what Five had said, how everything was supposed to be back to normal although with a few differences.

Everywhere we go, there's always a new problem. Whoever's taking these people... has to be bigger than an average doomsday or apocalypse. "Marcus was supposed to meet up with us earlier, but he never showed," Allison tilted her head back as she stood next to Viktor. "Do you think this grandfather thing ate Marcus?" Luther inquired. "Wait, what grandfather thing? Is there some angry supernatural grandpa out there?" Astrid cut in, still not entirely brought up to speed.

"No, there's no actual grandpa. At least I don't think," Luther approached the distraught-looking Klaus, gently prying the booklet from his hands as he groaned in protest, his face drooping into one of depression. The Ape-man flipped through the pages and set it in front of Astrid, revealing the photos of seven women, each with a headline talking about their unexpected deaths. "These are our mothers, they're all dead. They all died on the same day, October 1st, 1989,"

"But that's our birthday. How could they die the day we were born?" Astrid's eyebrows quirked with confusion. "That's the thing. They died right before they could give birth to us," Luther answered. If we weren't born, how come we exist here? Luther slowly nodded at her question. Even though she didn't verbally say it, the look on her face spelled it out perfectly. "According to Five, when we jumped here, we created a time paradox. And it's called "The Grandfather Paradox," Number One recapped.

The Shadow Girl stood there for a moment, her mind continuing to comprehend this new situation. But even with the explanation, there were so many questions, but they all had access to were very few answers. "And now, because of this paradox, the Sparrow psychopaths think we took their Number One. We're never gonna get the briefcase back," Allison exhaled a frustrated breath. It all seemed hopeless, not only were the Sparrows after them, except for Astrid's secret lover, but now a grandfather paradox was taking people with every wave of light.

"Hang on, what if... What if we just told them the truth? Marcus is gone, and maybe we're partially responsible," Viktor suggested. "That'll go over well, they'll throw us a party," Allison scoffed. "I wonder what kind of parties they throw," Luther wondered. Trust me, Luther. You wouldn't want to be stuck in a room with a threatening Ben. I doubt he's fun at parties. Astrid internally rolled her eyes.

"Guys, Marcus was ready to give us back the briefcase. If the rest of his family are even half as open-minded, maybe we can come to an agreement, get it back," Viktor assured. "Yeah, let's do that! Allison and I can try to negotiate with them, and Viktor and Astrid can stay here," The Ape-man volunteered. Allison slowly squinted at him before drinking the last of her shot, setting it down on the pool table. "Fine. In the morning, we'll head out,"

Luther and Allison went to the elevator and to their rooms to settle for the night. But with the news they had just received about the grandfather paradox, it was unlikely that any of them would be able to get any sleep. "So, you said you wanted to talk to me about something?" Astrid questioned as she and Viktor sat down. "Yeah. I was gonna tell you earlier, but you were being held captive so I couldn't. It's about me..." Number Seven said, taking a deep breath. "I see you changed your hair. I like it!" Astrid pointed out.

A small smile etched onto his face, Astrid's words making it a little easier for him to come forward with the news he was going to give her. "It's not just the hair that's changed. In a way, I'm changing as well, I finally figured out who I am," Astrid lightly squeezed his hand, encouraging him to go on. Viktor inhaled a shaking breath as his eyes connected with his sister's. "I'm trans," he stated. Astrid's jaw dropped, never did it ever cross her mind that her brother had an inner conflict with his true identity.

"I-Is that okay?" Viktor questioned. "Of course it's okay! Come here!" Astrid smiled before warmly embracing him. Though they hardly spent much time together as kids, Astrid cared about him and did her best to include him in the family functions and tried to negotiate with the old man on Viktor coming on missions. But thanks to his stubbornness, and the constant belittling and degrading of Viktor having nothing special about him, Astrid's efforts fell on deaf ears. But this wasn't about the asshole, it was about her brother.

"What do you prefer to be called by?" Astrid questioned as they pulled apart. "Viktor, with a k instead of a c," He responded, relieved to know that everyone close to him was aware of this journey he was taking. "I'm so proud of you, Viktor. No matter what happens, I will always be there for you," Astrid gently rubbed his shoulder, flashing her most genuine smile.

~~~~~~~

Staring deep into the darkness of her room, Sloane's heart pounded as she couldn't stop thinking about Astrid. It consumed her every thought at every waking moment, making it impossible for her to sleep. She flipped onto her side, trying to convince herself that if she thought about her just long enough, she might appear in the bed next to her, sound asleep. But to her disappointment, the other side remained empty. What I wouldn't give to have her here right now...

Though she had read numerous stories about characters falling in love and dreamt of sharing kisses under the Eiffel Tower with her significant other, she never expected to fall in love so quickly. She thought it would take months, maybe even years of being free to find her soulmate. But the moment she laid eyes on the breathtaking blonde Umbrella, she knew then and there she was the one. A touch of the strawberry and coconut scent of Astrid's shampoo lingered in the closed room, only increasing Sloane's daydreams.

Everything about Astrid was perfect. Her tiny smirk, the daring look in her eyes whenever Ben threatened her, and even the tricks she pulled with her shadows left Sloane speechless. She wanted to shout her love from the rooftops, but if the rest of the Sparrows were to find out, Ben would surely mount Astrid's head on a spike. He may have been a prick to most of the people he came into contact with, but Sloane knew Ben had a somewhat protective side when it came to her happiness. It didn't excuse him for the way he treated others, though. No matter how hard he tried to justify it.

Quiet as a mouse, Sloane climbed out of bed and walked back to the closed windows. Pulling back the curtains, she looked back into the alleyway where she snuck Astrid into her room. The memory of it almost reminded her of Romeo and Juliet, and the balcony scene where Romeo professed his undying love for his enemy. But despite the way the story ended, Sloane hoped that she would live happily ever after with her Juliet.

Past the brick and damp walls surrounding her, she looked up into the black night sky, watching the twinkling sea of stars. There were more than she had ever seen before. And for a moment, she could've sworn she saw a shooting star or two. But her 2 AM thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of chatter coming from Fei's room. With curiosity, she walked over to the wall that bumped both of their rooms together, pressing an ear to it. The conversation was quite muffled, but after a while, she could hear them more clearly, especially the low growl in Ben's voice.

"You know I respect Marcus, and that I would do anything for him, right?" Ben questioned Fei. "Of course," Fei affirmed. "But we've been numbers Two and Three for far too long, Fei. With Marcus gone, it's moving day," Ben smirked. What the hell is going through his mind? Marcus is not a useless person, he's our brother! Sloane's jaw dropped at his words. Her eyes widened when she heard Fei admit that change could be good. It was clear to Sloane that her sister was becoming more and more brainwashed by Ben's views.

"Think about it. You and me center stage, taking things to the next level," Ben smirked at the thought of the new Sparrow Academy. "So, how do we handle the Umbrella situation?" Fei inquired. "If they bring Marcus back, then so be it. But if they don't, then we have some decisions to make," Sloane's gut wrenched at her brother's last sentence. Whenever he said that it usually meant someone was going to die. He can't hurt Astrid. I won't let him! Sloane internally vowed.

With adrenaline pumping through her veins, she paced back and forth across her room, trying to come up with a way to sneak out and warn her girlfriend of the danger coming their way. After about five minutes of pacing, Sloane jumped at the sound of someone knocking on her door. Slowly approaching it, she creaked it open and peered out to see a tired-looking Jayme, strands of her black hair sticking out in tiny frizz balls. "You know you have really loud footsteps, right? I can hear you from the ceiling in my room," Jayme squinted.

"Sorry, Jay. I didn't mean to wake you," Sloane apologized. "What are you even doing up this late anyway? Usually, you're one of the first to fall asleep," Jayme questioned. "Oh, I must've been buried in my book," Sloane acted surprised, quickly pulling a random book off of her desk and showing it. Jayme muttered unintelligibly under her breath before walking back to the staircase. As she closed the door behind her, Sloane sighed with relief that her lie had worked.

Now, back to finding a way to warn Astrid.