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❛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘ. ᴘᴀʀᴋᴇʀ ᴇғғᴇᴄᴛ​​​​​​​​​​. ❜ ° . ༄
- ͙۪۪˚   ▎❛ 𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 ❜   ▎˚ ͙۪۪̥◌
»»————- ꒰ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇᴠᴇʀ
 ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴀ ᴍᴀɴ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴍᴇ? ꒱


❝ YOU IN THE MOONLIGHT /
WITH YOUR SLEEPY EYES [. . . ]
/ WHEN I WALKED INTO YOUR
HOUSE / I KNEW I'D NEVER
WANT TO LEAVE ❞

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The greenhouse and cottage were just as cozy as Alexa had remembered, if not a little worse for wear. There was water damage on the roof, overgrown ivy crawling up the sides and other occurrences of disrepair. Five had insisted on doing a complete check to make sure it wouldn't collapse on them as soon as they stepped foot inside. After finding a few problems― but not enough to deter them― he declared it safe enough to live in. Then, Alexa got what she considered was a very good idea.

"Stand back," she told him, gently pushing on his chest to put distance between him and the house.

He eyed her cautiously but complied. "What are you planning?"

"You'll see," was the only cryptic response he received.

Then, he watched as she went up to the building and leaned against it, pressing her entire body against the wood paneling. Alexa closed her eyes and reached for the warmth within her— the compassion that came with her powers. She began to glow gold, faintly at first, then stronger. She let the light wash over the house so that the damage caused by time and neglect healed. While it wouldn't get rid of the overgrowth or potential vermin, the structure of the house was as good as new.

When she stepped back, she stumbled a bit and Five leapt forward to steady her. She put a hand to her head, feeling slightly woozy from the sudden exertion of her abilities after only using them to heal injuries. "Whoa." It was over quickly thanks to her regenerative ability and she straightened, feeling pleased. "There. I figured since I could fix Diego's car, a house would be no big deal. I'm just out of practice."

The brunet shook his head in fond exasperation at what she considered sound reasoning. "Well, at least you can do plenty of training now that we'll be settled."

She glanced behind them to the forest that stopped just far enough away to give the cottage a front yard. "Do you think I could heal trees?"

"I don't think you're a necromancer, Lexa. You do have limits, you know," he replied.

"Okay, yeah, I don't think I am, either. I was thinking more like trees that were still alive but damaged. Maybe I could practice on them." Her expression became thoughtful. "Maybe when we get back I'll become the world's best vet or something. If I can heal anything, shouldn't I use it to help people?"

Five's expression softened as he looked at her fondly because of course her first thought would be to protect others. He was concerned about what people would do once they found out she had Jesus-like powers, but he kept his thoughts to himself for the time being. "Let's focus on one thing at a time, yeah? I want to see if this place still has running water."

Thankfully it was easy to convince her to abandon that particular topic and her eyes lit up at the thought. "If there is, I bet I just repaired the pipes! Oh, come on!"

She grabbed his hand and pulled him enthusiastically into the house, to his amusement. During their short tour, they found the bedroom to be in pretty decent shape and, after checking the mattress for any severe damage, they discovered that, to their delight, there was running water.

"They must have a well system out back," Five reasoned.

Alexa huffed at his logical train of thought. "That's what you're focusing on? We just discovered a place a with clean clothes and you're interested in the plumbing?"

"Well, the bed looks pretty nice, too," he allowed cheekily.

The blonde felt her face warm and a little ping of thrill zip through her; it had been so long since they'd done anything besides sleep when it was actually time to. . . sleep. She bit her lip and looked at him shyly. "You'd. . . want to?"

"Is that where your mind goes?" he teased her. "I was just saying that it would be a nice change from the floor."

"Uh-huh," she replied, unconvinced. "You'd have to remember to pull out, though."

He gave her a faux-affronted look. "I'm great at pulling out! You don't see any spawn running around here, do you?"

Alexa raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest. "Mm-hmm. Great at it, huh?"

Five took a slow step toward her, the mischievous glint in his eye making her pulse quicken. "You're questioning my expertise when you've had firsthand experience?" he asked lowly.

"I'm just saying," she replied with mock innocence, backing up slightly, "there's a difference between theory and practice."

His hand slipped to her waist, catching her so she couldn't move away, pulling her close until she was flush against him. She could feel the warmth of his body seeping into hers and it still wasn't close enough. His green eyes were full of heated passion and when he spoke next, his voice came out huskier than before. "Well, it has been too long; maybe I need to refresh your memory." He paused for effect, his lips brushing hers as he spoke, voice full of playful intensity. "Who's the daddy here?"

Alexa froze for a moment, then burst out laughing. She rested her hands on his chest, shaking her head. "You are," she whispered, her breath warm against his skin.

Before he could respond, she closed the gap between them, pulling him into a searing kiss.

He realized that his words were more true than he'd intended; in a perfect world without powers, without their family being in danger, without their father, this was exactly the kind of life Alexa would be happy with.

☂︎ ☂︎ ☂︎

A week came and went and neither Alexa nor Five were ready to face the desolate subway again, so they agreed to put it off. Another week passed. Then a month. Soon enough, they'd fallen into a comfortable routine with no intention of returning to their days of constant travel again. They had plenty of fresh water (there was, in fact, a well out back) and enough food if they planned ahead; strawberries could be replanted and their traps worked with steady efficiency. But, most of all, they were happy. Five was reminded of this almost everyday when he woke to see his girlfriend glowing next to him, even in her sleep. If she was content, then he saw no reason to disrupt their peace— they both needed a break.

These past few months with her had been even better than the six years they'd lived together in this timeline; they didn't have the pressure of money, jobs, family or anything else— it was just them. He got to see her everyday and spend almost every minute with her, except when they both went out to collect supplies. He felt as if he were now truly making up for the fifteen years he'd been absent from her life.

Alexa enjoyed organizing the house to make it a home and taking care of the garden. Five had been right (but then again, he often was); this life was for her. She loved searching the house to find what she needed, as if it were a scavenger hunt. One day, to her amazement, she'd found paints— watercolors, which wasn't her usual medium, but she'd been delighted by the discovery. She'd rushed down the stairs from where she'd been searching through what she guessed was the office to where Five had been finding strawberries for dinner. Her eyes were bright with excitement and the golden light from her powers shimmered around her with greater intensity than usual.

"Five!" the blonde called, her voice brimming with joy as she nearly skipped over to him.

Five looked up from the table where he was working, a small smirk already tugging at his lips. "Find something interesting?"

"I found paints!" she exclaimed, holding them up like a prized treasure. "Can you believe it? I haven't painted in forever."

He chuckled softly, brushing his hands off on a cloth. "I can't believe you've gone this long without painting. I'm surprised you didn't start smearing berries on the walls out of desperation."

"I thought about it," she told him with faux-seriousness. Then, her tone lightened as she admitted, "I've missed this so much, Fi. I didn't even realize I had until now."

Her excitement was contagious and he found himself smiling as he watched her buzz around the room, already making plans for where to set up. "I don't think I've seen you paint since I left," he commented, recalling the one minute of downtime they'd had where she'd sat between his legs on the edge of the world while she sketched the Kugelblitz.

She sent him a small smile, not wanting to dwell on the unhappy past, and moved to the small wooden table, shoving some of the strawberries out of her way. She began to arrange the paints and paper, her movements quick and precise despite her obvious excitement. Before long, she had settled in with the natural light streaming through the window and casting warm, golden rays over her workspace. Five, who had returned to sorting the fruit, couldn't help sneak glances at her— and finally caught her staring at him outright.

"What?" he asked, a smirk creeping onto his face.

"Nothing," Alexa replied, biting her lip as she dipped a brush into the water jar she'd set up. Her golden light shone faintly around her, matching the hues of the sunset outside. "I just needed to look at you for reference."

"For reference, huh?" he teased her, leaning back slightly and crossing his arms. His sweater— her favorite soft, dark green one— fit him too well for her peace of mind and she struggled to keep her focus on the canvas.

She shook her head at him and let her brush glide over the paper, not deigning to give him a response.

☂︎ ☂︎ ☂︎

On a mild autumn afternoon, Alexa knelt in the overgrown garden out back. She'd spent the week cleaning it up in the hopes it would be ready for the spring and had found some time-damaged plants. Deciding that was a good place as any to focus on practicing her powers on living things, she started with a sapling that had been hidden by the larger plants around it. She breathed deeply, her palms glowing faintly as a warmth spread through her chest and down her arms. The sapling trembled. Its leaves unfurled, turning vibrant green. Tiny buds sprouted along its branches, promising future blooms.

Alexa sat back on her heels, brushing dirt from her hands on her sundress. "Not bad," she murmured, a grin tugging at her lips.

From the kitchen window, Five watched her with his arms crossed, a watering can dangling from one hand. His expression was caught somewhere between admiration and concern; this wasn't the first time she'd attempted to practice her powers, having found things around the house— like the record player— to try and fix. She grew more skilled every day, but seeing her practice only reminded him that they were living on borrowed time.

He opened the window to call out to her: "you know, you're starting to make the rest of this place look worse by comparison."

Alexa glanced up, shielding her eyes from the sun. "I'll just give it another dose of my miraculous fixing powers so it can keep up."

The brunet let out an amused exhale and stepped outside, his boots crunching on the gravel path. "How's the green thumb coming along? Saved any innocent daisies today?"

"Funny," she retorted as she stood, stepping back to admire her work. "I'm pretty sure we'll have a proper tree here in no time. I think I've got the hang of it now."

Five raised an eyebrow, nodding toward the vibrant sapling. "Good. Because depending on where our timeline stands when we get back, there won't be much time for practice. I still don't like it but if you're dead set on saving the world, I want you as prepared as possible."

The reminder hit like a stone in her chest; she'd gotten so used to this relaxed life she'd been living with Five that she'd willingly let her other responsibilities slip her mind. They were so happy here and she didn't want anything to take that away. She knew Five was far too practical to let something like happiness get in the way of the mission— if he ever found a way back, they'd take it right away— so, just like her misgivings in the subway, she decided it was best not to share her reluctance with him (despite his insistence that she not do that.) She was able to mask her unease with a playful smile. "Gee, thanks for the pep talk, coach."

He sighed, not wanting to be the one to make her smile falter. "I'm just saying. . . Don't get comfortable. As much as I'm enjoying my time here with you, this—" He gestured around them. "—isn't real life."

Alexa crossed her arms, her expression becoming understanding. "I know. But neither of us are ready to continue the search right now. Don't you think it's okay to take a break? Just for a little while?"

Five hesitated. Although he'd willingly avoided discussions about everything that awaited them back home so Alexa would only have to focus on survival, he hadn't forgotten what they would most likely have to face when they got back. The fear that he would potentially lose the woman he loved to another apocalypse wasn't something he could easily put out of his mind. Apparently, that wasn't the case for his girlfriend, who stood before him in a faded sundress with dirt under her nails and sunlight in her hair, who never had difficulty finding peace in small things. For a minute, he envied that part about her.

"Maybe," he admitted, his voice quieter. "But breaks don't last forever."

Alexa stepped closer, her fingers brushing his. "No, they don't. And when they end, we'll be ready to face whatever comes next."

The brunet allowed himself to relent to her perspective. As much of a pragmatic as he was, there was a little part of him that wanted to put himself first for once. He didn't say anything more, instead pulling her into a loose embrace

☂︎ ☂︎ ☂︎

A few days later, they were going about their usual chores to make sure their crops stayed alive. Remembering the stolen glances from her painting session, Alexa couldn't help but do so again; even after all this time, she didn't think she'd get used to seeing Five so often— and especially when he was so happy. There was a faint, almost constant upturn of his lips, his expression open and unguarded for the first time in what felt like forever. She was entirely willing to do whatever it took to make him genuinely smile, even if it meant he'd scold her for wasting supplies. She tossed a strawberry in his direction, which hit his arm and tumbled to the floor.

He pretended to ignore her, focused on watering the plants before him. His head was bent so that the longer strands of his hair fell into his eyes, hiding most of his face from view. She threw two more, each with worse aim than before. Eventually, his lips curled up into a reluctant smile as he finally turned towards her. "If you keep this up, we're not gonna have strawberries when the snow comes."

"So we'll eat snow," she replied smartly, approaching him slowly as she tossed the last few strawberries she was holding at him. Since she'd been concentrating on his reaction more than her footing, she didn't watch where she was putting her feet. She stumbled, tripping over something they'd left lying on the floor.

Five responded quickly and caught her as she all but fell into his arms. When they straightened, Alexa found that they were much closer than necessary, their noses nearly brushing. Her gaze flicked down to his lips. She tilted her head just as he lowered his, closing the distance between them. The kiss was soft at first and she could feel the love her poured into it. She savored the feeling of his lips on hers as his hand came up to cradle the back of her head. As his tongue slipped past her lips to roll against hers in just the way she liked, she pulled away just long enough to breathe out, "bedroom."

His grip tightened on her and they disappeared in a flash of purple, abandoning their tasks for later.

☂︎ ☂︎ ☂︎

Sometime in the middle of their sixth year, Alexa had busied herself by redoing the inventory to see how many canned goods they had left. While she was cleaning out the cupboards, she came across a prized artifact that they'd missed on their initial search. Beaming at her success, she waited until Five had come home from checking the traps to present it to him before dinner. Now, he held the small jar of instant coffee like it was a treasure, his fingers brushing over the worn label. His eyes stayed fixed on it as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Where did you find this?" he asked, his voice quieter than usual.

Alexa grinned, jumping up on the countertop to let her legs swing against the lower cabinets. "In the back of the pantry behind a stack of cans I didn't even know we had. Guess whoever lived here before us had good taste."

Five nodded, his jaw tightening as he stared at the jar. He didn't say anything right away, but his expression softened in a way Alexa rarely saw.

"Wow," she said, her grin widening mischievously. "Are you going to cry over coffee? You're more emotional over caffeine than any time we were reunited."

Five's head shot up, and he gave her the kind of sharp, pointed look he reserved for when she was being particularly annoying. "I'm not going to cry," he shot back, but his voice cracked just slightly on the last word.

Her teasing laugh filled the room with its usual brightness, her glow illuminating the space around them. "Sure, sure," she said. "You're just getting all misty-eyed because of the dust. Admit it."

Five exhaled sharply, almost a laugh, and set the coffee jar down carefully on the table. "Don't flatter yourself, Lexa."

"Too late." She leaned forward, elbows on her knees, and smirked at him. "But seriously, I'm glad you like it. Thought you could use a pick-me-up."

Five glanced at her, something unspoken passing between them. He didn't say thank you— he rarely did, not in words— but the way he reached out and lightly squeezed her hand before letting go said everything.

"You're ridiculous," he muttered, pulling the coffee jar toward him again as if afraid she'd take it back.

"And you're welcome," she replied, leaning back against the wall comfortably.

The quiet crackle of the fire filled the space as they fell silent. Alexa watched Five busy himself with opening the jar and measuring out coffee grounds like it was a scientific procedure with a satisfied smile.

☂︎ ☂︎ ☂︎

During the winter, there wasn't much to do except check their traps and ensure they were stocked up on firewood. The one downside of the house was that it seemingly had no insulation, but that hardly phased them; Alexa's regenerative ability kept her body warmer than average and she acted like a human heater for her boyfriend. Because of this, once their duties were done, the rest of the day often found them curled up in front of the fireplace to keep warm. To keep them entertained, Five read aloud from the numerous books the house had, which often led to the blonde falling asleep against him. She couldn't help it; his voice was just so soothing and comforting that it put her to sleep almost instantly.

Although his nightmares had gotten better over time, Five did occasionally still have insomnia-filled nights, mostly out of habit now. He would stay awake into the late hours of darkness, reading by the light of both the dying fire and his softly-glowing girlfriend. The weight of her presence against his side kept his mind from slipping to unpleasant places, instead drifting to the ring he still had yet to give her. While he'd promised himself that he would give her a proper proposal, he couldn't help but think that maybe now, in this almost-paradise, it was the right time.

These thoughts only became more prevalent as he watched over her sleeping form, which was bathed in the moonlight that shone down from the nearby window, turning her golden light silver. After too many nights like this with her by his side, all he wanted to do was make sure that she was his forever (but not in a creepy-possessive way.) So, he put his book aside and began to plan a makeshift proposal that she could look back on just as happily as if it had been the real thing. It didn't take him long to figure things out so, a few nights later, he gently nudged her awake.

She blinked up at him blearily, her gaze still filled with sleep. ". . .Fi?"

"Wake up," he told her gently. "I have a surprise for you."

Alexa rubbed her eyes so she was slightly but the quiet intensity in his expression kept her silent as she looked up at him in confusion. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes," she replied without hesitation, though there was an edge of both disbelief that he needed confirmation and confusion as to why he'd asked.

The definitiveness in her answer took him aback and he needed a second to get his thoughts together again. Then, he came around behind her and she felt the soft fabric of his tie cover her eyes as he knotted it behind her head. The unexpectedness of this event was waking her up quickly and she couldn't hide her smirk as her boyfriend helped her to her feet. "Is this some kinky-weird shit you're into?"

He let out a quiet chuckle as he led her by the hand towards the greenhouse. "Not this time, but I'd be happy to explore it if you want."

"Of course you would, you dirty old man," she retorted lightly, poking him in the arm as best she could without being able to see. 

When they were standing inside of the adjacent room, Five took off the blindfold. The blonde's eyes went wide at the sight before her: he'd seemingly found every single candle the house possessed and had placed them around on the long tables, filling the room with light. The record player fixed a while ago played a soft instrumental melody. Through the large, glass panels, she could see snow falling outside on top of the thick blanket that was already there. He'd even cleaned up the conservatory so the middle was free of the usual half-finished projects that they left out. But, the first thing that came to her mind was the excessive use of supplies— Five was rubbing off on her, it seemed. "Fi, the candles— we need to save them—"

"Don't worry about it," he reassured her, for once taking the carefree stance that was usually her area. He came to stand in front of her and took both of her hands in his. "I know I said it wouldn't be a decade, so I'm sorry I made you wait so long for this. I meant to do it about six Christmases ago, but I didn't know we'd be facing another apocalypse." Five took a deep breath, his fingers tightening slightly around Alexa's hands as he prepared to continue, stepping out of his comfort zone to try and express his feelings properly. "You've been by my side through every insane, impossible thing this world— or time itself— has thrown at us. You've held me together when I was falling apart and you showed me what it's like to actually feel. . . alive when I couldn't see anything past saving the world."

Alexa stared at him, her eyes remaining wide as she listened to his uncharacteristically heartfelt words. Five released one of her hands and reached into the pocket of his blazer, and it was now that her sleepy mind realized he'd put his suit on— minus his tie, of course. From it, he pulled out a small, carefully preserved velvet box. He flipped it open, revealing a modest yet beautifully crafted ring. The band was gold, delicate but sturdy, with a single emerald that caught the flickering candlelight and refracted it into soft rainbows (she had always said that her favorite color was green.)

"I've waited far too long to do this, and I'll admit— this isn't the perfect setting I imagined. But then again, nothing about us has ever been perfect, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. So, here I am, Alexa. Asking you, finally. . ." He knelt down on one knee, his gaze never leaving hers. His voice, so often laced with sarcasm or exasperation, was now filled with raw emotion. "Will you marry me?"

For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath. Alexa blinked, her glowing skin flickering brighter in response to her rapidly beating heart. Then, she let out a shaky laugh, tears slipping down her cheeks even as a grin broke out across her face.

"Yes," she whispered, her voice choked but filled with so much affection it made Five's own breath catch. "Of course I'll marry you. Took you long enough."

Relief and joy flooded his features as he slipped the ring onto her finger, his usually steady hands trembling just slightly. Unable to wait until he stood properly, Alexa flung herself onto the floor with him and tackled him in a hug that left them both laughing breathlessly. Her hands found purchase on his face, which she maneuvered to be able to press frantic, affectionate kisses on his cheeks, forehead and lips. Her radiant energy made the space seem even brighter, her joy so tangible it felt like it was wrapping around him as tightly as her arms were. He managed to free one hand just long enough to brush her hair back from her glowing face, letting her have enough time to look at him in wonder. "You're so full of surprises, Fi. How did you even manage to pull this off?"

He tilted his head, his lips quirking into that signature half-smile of his, and replied, "I aim to please."

☂︎ ☂︎ ☂︎

Her excitement over his proposal carried them through the next few days. Alexa couldn't stop staring at her ring and watching the light reflect off the gem. Five was going to be her husband! That thought alone made her more excited for the future than anything else had in a long time. She wanted to get married to him as soon as possible, but there were a few things they had to deal with first: the apocalypse, of course, whenever they got home, and the actual planning of the event. Since they had a good amount of free time on their hands now, she decided to broach the subject to streamline the process for when they got back.

It was early evening and they'd just finished dinner. Since it was the dead of winter, it had been dark outside for a long time already. The glow of the candlelight reflected in the window, bathing the cramped kitchen in warm, golden hues. They lingered at the table, their arms stretched out over the surface so their clasped hands could rest on the solid wood.

"So," she began after a prolonged period of comfortable silence, "I was thinking we could take advantage of the time we have and start planning the wedding— as best we can, at least. I'm thinking that figuring out the wedding party will be easy. I mean, since our entire social circle consists of our family; it's not like we have a lot of options."

Five gave her a fond, amused look. "You're excited enough about marrying me to start planning now? I don't even see why we need to plan; we could elope for all I care."

"Of course I'm excited about it," she huffed. "You're going to be my husband."

His face softened at the title and he gave her one of his genuine smiles— an expression that was becoming more frequent the longer they lived at the cottage, especially ever since he'd proposed. "I like the sound of that. You're going to be my wife."

"At least we already got the last name thing taken care of," she pointed out jokingly, though her face flushed at hearing Five use the word 'wife' to describe her. "I'll take yours and you take mine. How does that sound?"

The brunet let out a quiet chuckle and shook his head. "Way to point out the most controversial part of our relationship, Love."

"Yeah, yeah," Alexa brushed off his criticism. "Anyway, we are so not eloping. I've waited too long for this to just have it over and done with. I'm not getting married without our family there."

He seemed a little disappointed by that, as if he'd wanted them to be married right then. "Are you sure?"

"Oh, stop it. You know you miss them," she chided him, her words faltering as she felt her own pang of loss at the family she hadn't seen for years.

"Debatable," Five replied, though his tone lacked conviction, too.

Neither of them mentioned the sudden heaviness in the room and Alexa quickly moved on, hoping to diffuse it. "So, who's going to be in the wedding party?"

"I guess we're scraping the bottom of the barrel," he quipped.

She rolled her eyes at his comment and offered her first suggestion. "Well, Klaus has to officiate. We saw how good he was at Sloane and Deianira's wedding. No one else would be more. . . entertaining."

Five's eyebrows lifted. "Your definition of entertaining is very different than mine."

"That's because you don't have one," she countered. "You wouldn't know entertaining if it came out and danced the cancan with a fruit bowl for a hat."

"Fine," he allowed, only mildly taking offense at her words— and was determined to prove her wrong. "Klaus can officiate. But don't come crying to me when he starts rambling about spiritual unions and astral planes mid-ceremony."

"I think I'd survive," the blonde retorted. Then, she offered: "and Gracie can be the flower girl. She'd love it."

"That works," Five agreed.

"Ronnie can be the ring bearer," Alexa added.

Five hesitated, frowning at this proposition. "You really trust a four-year-old with the most important objects in our ceremony?"

"Of course! He's responsible! And adorable," she argued. "No one's going to care if he messes up as long as he's cute about it."

"Alright, Ronnie gets the job. What about Viktor?"

Alexa's face lit up. "Oh, Viktor's my best man."

Five blinked. "Your best man?"

"Yeah, why not?" she said innocently. "We're breaking gender norms here."

"You do get a maid of honor, you know," he reminded her.

She crossed her arms, pouting. "Maybe I don't want one. Maybe I want Viktor."

"Well, that's too bad," he told her matter-of-factly. "Because Viktor is going to be my best man."

"What?" Alexa gasped, scandalized. "You can't just call dibs on him!"

"I think I just did," Five shot back, smirking at her annoyed expression.

The blonde made a disgruntled noise as she slumped in her chair. "Unbelievable. Who's supposed to be my best man, then?"

"I guess if you're so set on not having a maid of honor, you could ask Diego," the brunet said.

She glanced away, avoiding his gaze as her expression became thoughtful. "No, I want him for something else."

"What, a bouncer for the afterparty?"

She shook her head. "It's a surprise."

"Alright, what about Luther?" he suggested.

That made her laugh, knowing just as well as he did their brother's inclination for being overly emotional at these kinds of events. "You know he's going to start crying before he even gets to the speech. He'd be a mess."

Five sighed as he realized that she was right. "I guess it's only fair to take Viktor off the table, then."

The playful debate tapered off, leaving them in a reflective silence. Alexa looked down at her hands, twisting the engagement ring he'd given her.

"I miss them," she finally let herself say aloud.

He didn't answer immediately, but his silence was telling. Then, in a voice so soft that it would've been easy to miss if there was any other noise in the room, he confessed, "I. . . suppose it's been a little quiet around here, huh?" Speaking a bit more loudly, he continued, "we could start the search again. We'll find a way back this time. Together."

She smiled, squeezing his hand. "Together."

And just like that, their prolonged period of rest turned into renewed determination. They'd spent so long trying to get home. Maybe this time, knowing what waited for them would finally help them succeed.