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❛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘ. ᴘᴀʀᴋᴇʀ ᴇғғᴇᴄᴛ​​​​​​​​​​. ❜ ° . ༄
- ͙۪۪˚   ▎❛ 𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 ❜   ▎˚ ͙۪۪̥◌
»»————- ꒰ ʏᴏᴜ ɢᴇᴛ ᴀ ғɪᴠᴇ,
ɪ ɢᴇᴛ ᴀ ғɪᴠᴇ, ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴏɴᴇ ɢᴇᴛs
ᴀ ғɪᴠᴇ ꒱


❝ I HAD A DREAM LIKE
 THIS ONCE, I THINK ❞

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Like they had agreed, Five and Alexa took daily trips on the subway as they resumed the search for their timeline, though with less frequency than before. They were never very hopeful with each new timeline they explored and it was easier to curb their disappointment when they knew what to expect; it was less wearing than their initial scouring. They expected this journey to be like all the others: an uneventful (or an extremely close call) dead end. As such, they were relaxed as the train moved them steadily along the rails.

Alexa leaned her head on Five's shoulder while he sat next to her, his legs spread casually as his fingers played with hers. Her left hand remained free so that she could flex it under the fluorescent light of the subway to watch the gems on her engagement ring sparkle. She, of course, had not said yes to Five's proposal simply because of the jewelry, but it was because of that knowledge she allowed herself to enjoy it so. She still couldn't quite believe that Five had proposed to her; a part of her had thought that she would have to be the one to ask. She was more than pleased that this hadn't been the case and she loved him even more for it.

His eyes caught the movement of her hand and he let out a soft huff of laughter. "You're like a magpie with that thing."

She shifted her head so she could look up at him and saw the amusement in his gaze. The blonde smiled in response and hugged his arm tighter. "Can you blame me?" Alexa said with a playful pout. "It's beautiful, and you picked it. I never thought you'd be one for jewelry."

Five smirked, his fingers still tracing hers. "I wouldn't call myself a connoisseur, but even I know a decent ring when I see one. Besides, I wanted something that. . . suited you."

Alexa's cheeks warmed, a small, pleased smile playing at her lips as she sat up straighter. "Well, you did a damn good job. I mean, I wouldn't have cared if you proposed with a paperclip, but this—" She lifted her hand again, the light catching the facets of the stones. "This is perfect."

The tilt of Five's lips softened into something more genuine as he glanced down at her. "It's fitting. You deserve something exceptional."

Her heart skipped a beat at the uncharacteristic tenderness in his tone. His softer side was a rare treat normally, but she realized it had been coming out more and more since they'd made a home of the strawberry cottage. She hoped that, whenever they did find their timeline, it was here to stay. "Exceptional, huh? Big words for someone who used to think romance was a waste of time."

The brunet sighed, regretting now more than ever the outlook he'd had when he'd been younger. "I didn't know any better. Back then, I thought everything was about being the best and proving myself. Romance didn't fit into that equation. It only took losing everything to make me reevaluate what was most important."

He noticed then the soft, golden glow that emanated from the girl next to him, just as it always did now when she was happy. And, just like the first time, he admired how the light seemed to envelop her in warmth, as if her outer appearance could finally match her inner soul. Five didn't think he'd ever tire of the way Alexa glowed when her emotions bubbled over, especially since her happiness was often tied to their shared moments. It was like watching a star come to life, right next to him, and knowing it was burning for him.

His gaze lingered on her a little too long, enough for Alexa to notice and give him a curious if not self-conscious look. "What?"

Five gave a small shake of his head and leaned back against the subway bench, letting out a soft sigh. "It's nothing," he replied. "Just thinking how unfair it is."

She frowned, confused. "Unfair? What's unfair?"

"That glow of yours," he admitted, gesturing faintly to the warm shimmer radiating from her skin. "It's distracting. How's a guy supposed to focus when his fiancée looks like she's single-handedly lighting up the entire subway car?"

Most of his sentence were lost on her as her attention caught on a single word. "Fiancée," she repeated, testing the term out loud again as if it was still a new and wondrous thing.

"Yeah," he agreed, suddenly registering the word he'd used. His expression softened as he repeated more emphatically, "my fiancée."

He squeezed her hand and leaned over to press a kiss to her temple. That simple action alone caused Alexa's glow to intensify, casting golden light on the industrial interior of the train, seeming to relieve its harsh design. As he settled back into his seat, the train slid to a stop and its doors opened onto one of the many look-alike platforms that they'd seen before. But, at the same time, it was different. Five squinted as he saw an unexpectedly familiar figure move on the other side of the windows. He'd. . . already been there? That couldn't be right.

Alexa recognized the person, too, and jumped to her feet at the same time he did. They hastily followed the other version of himself, who paid them no mind as he hurried down the steps. She glanced at her fiancé (fiancé!) worriedly. He caught her look and gave her a slight shake of his head in response. No, he wasn't feeling any signs of Paradox Psychosis— which was concerning in and of itself. Wanting to get more answers, he tried to get the other man to slow down by calling out, "hey, wait!"

He didn't wait. (Of course not, because he never listened to anyone.) When they turned the corner and came down the last few steps, their eyes were met with a vastly different color palette than anything they'd seen before. Warm oranges, reds and yellows stood out from the stark white of the subway tile. A sign reading Max's Delicatessen was illuminated above the door, which the other Five disappeared through. Five and Alexa shared a bemused look— after all, multiple copies of himself was nothing new to them— and followed.

The bell chimed merrily at their entrance, causing the diner's occupants to turn towards them. It would've been startling to anyone after being used to just each other for the last seven years to see a room full of people— let alone people who were exactly the same as the man next to her. Her eyes widened at the sight and, after addressing her initial, lingering concern for her Five's Paradox Psychosis (which he didn't seem to have), she let herself enjoy the sight before her. It felt like she'd walked straight into heaven as every single Five turned to look at them, their eyes landing on her.

Her golden glow was lost amongst the warm orangey light of the deli, but she could feel the light heat of it on her skin. Her expression became a little dazed as she preened under their attention. "I had a dream like this once, I think," she breathed out, awed.

Five glanced at her, confused by her change in tone. "Was it a good dream?" She didn't answer, but he could tell by blissed-out look what it would be. He smirked and straightened, tucking his hands into his pockets confidently. "Yeah, it was."

The Five from earlier didn't let them take in the sight long, calling out to him: "hey, you! Over here."

Alexa felt the Fives' gazes follow her as she and her fiancé made their way to his table. They sat down opposite him as he took a sip of coffee from his mug as he sat down. Her Five's eyes travelled over his counterparts. "What is this place?"

"It's a gas station," booth-Five snarked. "The hell does it look like? It's a deli." His tone became friendlier as he turned his focus on the blonde, a soft smile appearing on his face. "It's good to see you, Lexa."

She blinked, having been so lost in her. . . daydreams that she'd forgotten she could interact with the other Fives. "Oh! Um, it's good too see you, too. Uh, all of you? Or is it still just one since you're the same person?"

His lips quirked up in amusement at her fumbling. "I'm glad there's one consistent thing among all these timelines."

As another Five came over bearing three sandwiches and mugs, her fiancé moved his hand to rest it— rather possessively, she noticed— on her leg, causing her to feel more than a little smug. "Coffee," the waiter-Five announced as he placed the items on the table. "And pastramis. Bon a petit."

He sent her a smile as well, his green eyes warm as he gazed at her for a moment longer than necessary. Booth-Five gave a pointed cough and he started, tucking the serving tray under his arm. "Right. I'll. . . be around, if you need anything." He said this specifically to the blonde, indicating he didn't care what the other versions of himself wanted.

The brunet slipped away, though it did nothing to lessen the gawking she felt. And— okay, it had been nice at first, but she could feel the embarrassment of being the center of attention creeping under her skin. Leaning forward, she hissed, "why are they all staring?"

Booth-Five's smile became sympathetic. "It's been a long time since any of us have seen. . . anyone besides us. And a lot of these guys have lost their Lexa in one way or another, so seeing you again. . . well, you're the only version of yourself to make it here."

"Oh," she breathed out, this time in a more empathetic way. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," he reassured her.

She frowned, looking around at all the Fives who'd ended up there. "Theoretically, it is."

Trying to bring the attention back to himself, her Five picked up the mug in front of him to take a sip. The movement made the other Five shake his head in warning. "Oh, you're not gonna like that."

He put it back down with a sigh, but it had done the trick and booth-Five went back to business. "So I take it you figured out the subway system by now."

"Alternate versions of the same moment in time?" he offered.

"That is correct," the other Five said through a mouthful of Pastrami. "You'd be surprised how long it took some of the Fives to figure that out. We're all you from alternate timelines. Most of us here have given up trying to fix the problem."

"The problem?" Alexa repeated.

Once again, booth-Five's attitude changed completely when he spoke to her instead of himself. "The broken timeline, Love." (Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her fiancé's jaw tighten and the look in his eyes harden as his other self used his nickname for her. She gently placed her hand on top of his and gave it a squeeze, trying to reassure him.) "There's only supposed to be one."

"So what made there be so many?" she asked. "And why is that a bad thing?"

He nodded in approval at her questions, pride entering his eyes. "Does this seem right to you, Lexa?" He replied, waving a hand to the other versions of himself (who had thankfully eased up on their staring.) "There's only supposed to be one, true timeline, because in all the others, things go wrong. Very wrong. Apocalypse wrong."

"Okay," her Five conceded, "so what shattered the original timeline?"

The other man pointed at him as he corrected, "not 'what.' 'Who.' And I will give you three guesses to figure it out."

Over by the counter, one of the Fives tapped the service bell and called out, "we did!"

Exasperated, booth-Five turned to him with a tired sigh. "Why you always gotta wreck shit, brisket-Five?"

The brunet— apparently deemed 'brisket-Five— gave a sarcastic shrug of his shoulders before he turned back to his task. "Well, he's not wrong. One perfect timeline, and the moment we come into existence. . . boom! Shattered to an infinite number of alternate timelines in an infinite loop of time as we try and save the world. . . How many times was it again?"

The Five behind them who'd been reading the newspaper lowered it momentarily to answer, "one hundred forty-five thousand, four hundred twelve."

Alexa let out a shocked breath. "That's a lot."

"He's like Rain Man, that one. He loves numbers," booth-Five told them. He waved to the walls around them, which were filled with pictures of horrifying destruction. "Oh, by the way, check out the artwork. It's all the different ways we've made our universe go kaboom. Gold star for consistency, am I right?"

Her Five leaned forward, his free hand clenching into a determined fist. "We need to fix this."

"Oh, trust me. We've tried," the other man said dismissively, taking a sip from his coffee. Then he grimaced at the taste. Alexa wondered why he drank it if he didn't like it. "That's why one of us created the Commission—"

"With my help!" she exclaimed, surprised that the other Fives knew of that Five.

"Yes," booth-Five acknowledged with a dip of his head. "He thought that using your protective abilities would keep the timelines together, like glue to the space-time continuum. But, as you probably know, that didn't work. The other guys here all tried something similar; they all thought that you were the answer to the problem."

She straightened, Abigail's words coming back to her as clearly as if she'd spoken them yesterday. "I am! I'm supposed to temper the apocalypse— or, well, the Cleanse in this timeline. But. . . are you saying it's never worked?"

"Not permanently," he stated heavily. "Something always went wrong. Usually. . ." He trailed off and swallowed, his throat working. "Usually you burned up from over-using your powers. Either your protective abilities became stretched too thin and you became so defenseless that even the common cold. . . well, you know. . . and whatever protection was in place faded with you. Or you became so lost in your ability to heal that you became one with the universe, but it was never enough to stop the apocalypse fully. The timeline needs you existing in it to keep the balance."

Alexa's breath hitched as the weight of the revelations sank in. Her gaze darted between her Five and booth-Five, her hand gripping her fiancé's as if he were the only one who could keep her tethered. "So I. . . I'm the key to all of this, but I've failed every time?"

Booth-Five softened, his expression uncharacteristically gentle. "You haven't failed. The universe keeps stacking the odds against you. Against us. But your timeline. . . this one is different."

"How?" her Five asked, his voice steely, his protectiveness unmistakable. "What's so special about this timeline?"

Booth-Five leaned back, folding his arms as his sharp green eyes locked on Alexa. "This is the only timeline where she has both her abilities intact—healing and protection. It's the only timeline where they coexist in a way that hasn't destroyed her yet."

"But the protective ability— it's gone," Alexa protested. "We lost our powers when the universe reset and only got them back by drinking the Marigold. Mine came back as healing abilities and-and that's it."

The other man shook his head. "Not gone. Buried. Your healing instinct took precedence but protection is as much a part of you as breathing. It's there— waiting. And we need it."

Her Five's jaw clenched as he turned toward her. Even after all this time, he had difficulty accepting what Abigail— and now himself— had told them. "No. We don't need to risk her like this. We'll find another way."

"There is no other way," booth-Five countered sharply, the edge of desperation creeping into his voice. "Look, I've been stuck in this deli for God-knows-how-long, watching timelines collapse over and over. Every version of us has tried and failed, but this— you two— are the only ones who stand a chance. You have her, and she has the potential to do what none of the others could. That's why you need this."

He reached into his coat and pulled out a weathered notebook, its cover scrawled with equations, sketches, and hurried annotations. The pages were dog-eared and stained, a testament to its long and arduous creation. Booth-Five slid it across the table to his other self.

"What is this?" her Five asked, picking it up cautiously.

"The equations to navigate the subway correctly," the brunet explained. "Every twist, turn, and leap you'll need to make to return to your timeline. I've been holding onto it in case I ever ran into a version of us that could actually pull this off."

Alexa stared at the notebook like it was a loaded weapon. "And you think we can?"

"I know you can," booth-Five said firmly. "You just need to trust each other— and yourselves."

Her Five didn't look convinced. He opened the notebook, flipping through its pages, his lips tightening as his eyes scanned the complex formulas. "And what happens when we get back? When Lexa tries to access the protective abilities you're so sure she still has? What then?"

Booth-Five hesitated, then answered quietly, "then you fight like hell to make it stick. To make her stick. And maybe— just maybe— you'll be the version of us that finally saves the world."

The silence between them was heavy, punctuated only by the faint clink of plates and muffled voices from the other Fives in the deli. Alexa's hand found her Five's, her touch grounding him even as her own fingers trembled.

"I'll do it," she said resolutely. "If there's even a chance we can fix this. . . if it means we can finally have a future together, I'll do whatever it takes."

She felt her fiancé's grip on her fingers tighten as he muttered, "that's what I'm afraid of."

When they left the diner, Five was in a noticeably worse mood than when they'd found it. He scowled at the clean, white tile as they made their way back to the train, though he kept his hand in hers to reassure her that he wasn't mad at her— just the fate that had been decided for her. To try and make him feel better, Alexa sent him a teasing smile as her eyes sparkled mischievously. "Hey, saving the world again wasn't supposed to be on your Becoming an Underage, Common Citizen Experience in this Timeline list!"

"That's still not how you spell bucket," he retorted distractedly, not really listening as his mind whirled to try and come up with something— anything— else besides risking his fiancée.

"Shut up— do you know how hard it was to find a 'k' word that would've made the acronym make sense? I think I should be rewarded for all of my hard work," she continued conversationally, her casual tone belying the true intentions behind her next statement. "You know, finding an acronym to fit bucket and saving the world— both of which are obviously on the same importance level. Do you think we could honeymoon here as your gift to me?"

"Honeymoon?" he echoed, still only half-paying attention to her.

"Yeah," she replied with a grin. "How would you feel about an open marriage? Or would it really be open if you were sharing me with yourself?"

By now, he'd caught on to her gist and his ears burned red as he glared half-heartedly at her. "Lexa, please! Don't finish that thought."

Alexa laughed, the sound out of place compared to the oppressive weight of their conversation in the diner. "What? You're telling me that wasn't at least a little fun for you? Having an entire room of yous obsessed with me? I mean, I'm flattered. Your ego must've been through the roof."

Five stopped walking, turning to face her fully, his hand still holding hers. His green eyes narrowed, though there was a spark of reluctant amusement in them. "Flattered? Lexa, they were staring at you like you were a steak thrown to a pack of starving wolves."

She raised an eyebrow, more amused than anything else. "I don't know. . . isn't that kind of romantic? A whole multiverse of you, and I still pick this one."

His scowl softened at her words, but he still shook his head, muttering, "you're impossible."

"And yet you're still in love with me," she quipped, leaning in closer.

He sighed dramatically, the corner of his mouth twitching into a smirk despite himself. "Unfortunately for me, yes. Although if you keep talking about sharing you with myself, I might start rethinking my life choices."

She laughed again, her voice cutting through the tense air between them like sunlight through storm clouds. "Oh, don't act like it wouldn't boost your already huge ego to see me fawning over all your alternates."

Five groaned and started walking again, tugging her along with him. "You're lucky I tolerate you."

"Oh, please," she teased, easily keeping pace with him. "You more than tolerate me. Admit it— part of you was jealous of yourself."

His hand tightened around hers, and his lips pressed into a thin line as his ears reddened again. "I am not dignifying that with an answer."

Alexa beamed, leaning her head against his shoulder as they walked. "I love you, too."

Five sighed, his tension ebbing slightly at her words, though his mind remained troubled. He glanced down at her, his voice softer now. "You really would do anything for us, wouldn't you?"

Her steps slowed and she turned to face him, her expression earnest. "I would, Fi. But I need you to trust me to handle this. Trust that we can figure it out together."

His jaw clenched as he searched her face, his emotions warring between his fear for her and his faith in her strength. Finally, he nodded, his voice low but firm. "Together."

A small, reassuring smile tugged at her lips as she threaded her fingers through his. "Now, let's go figure out how to fix this timeline so we can argue about my hypothetical Five-harem later." She paused with mock thoughtfulness as if considering something serious. Then, she remarked, "I really do have a type, don't I?"

He let out a strangled groan, but the corners of his mouth twitched upward. "God help me, Lexa."

She grinned, pulling him along. "Oh, come on. You love it."

☂︎ ☂︎ ☂︎

It felt surreal to be back in their normal life. After years of just trains and each other, crowds and cars set Alexa on edge like they hadn't before. She gripped Five's hand tightly as they returned to their apartment, which seemed so shabby and barren compared to the quaint cottage they'd been living in— she missed it already. Still, it was nice to take a shower with a plentiful supply of hot water and clean clothes that didn't have to be hemmed. 

Unfortunately, her attempt at cheering him up didn't last. He was tense and on edge once more as they took a cab to Diego's, where they were supposed to be having Christmas dinner. (Five hadn't wanted to go, but Alexa had pestered him, insisting that she'd missed their family and he had, too, even if he wouldn't admit it. Plus, they could use the time to work together as a team to figure out the Cleanse business.) They didn't know what had changed in their time away nor how many hours (or days or years) had passed, but Five was pretty certain it was only the first option and they hadn't been gone long. 

They both stood in front of the door for a minute without knocking, preparing to go inside and face their family. Alexa squeezed her fiancé's hand anxiously, causing him to give her a concerned look. "What's wrong, Lexa?"

She stared at the solid, wood panel before them. "It's been seven years for us, Fi. How are we supposed to interact with them like everything's normal? What if they're not happy about. . . this?" She waved her hand with the engagement ring on it.

"It doesn't matter, okay?" he replied fiercely, an undercurrent of anger making its reappearance. "They don't know what it was like for us. If they're not happy about it, then that's their problem. They should just be glad you insisted on them being at the wedding, otherwise they would've missed everything."

The blonde felt heat rush to her face despite her conflicted feelings; it was easy for her to become flustered whenever Five brought up their future, more permanent plans. "You promise?"

He squeezed her hand in response. "Yeah. Promise."

As if he'd sensed them waiting outside, Diego opened the door then and his expression brightened at the sight of his siblings. "You're back!"

"We are," Five remarked with his usual unconcerned tone, though Alexa was pretty sure she detect a hint of relief underneath.

She didn't dwell on her theory for too long and instead launched herself at her brother with a cry of, "Diego!"

Her arms tightened around him and she felt the telltale sting of tears behind her eyes and in her nose. He was understandably surprised by her enthusiastic greeting, but hugged her in return with what was probably more warmth than she'd felt from him in years. He patted her back comfortingly as he leveled an accusing look on the brunet for her emotional state. "What did you do?"

"Nothing," the other man snapped, bristling at the allegation.

"It's not his fault, Go-go," Alexa insisted, though her voice was muffled from where her face was pressed against his chest. "I'm just really happy to see you."

"Uh-huh," Diego said, not quite convinced, but he let it go for the time being. "Come inside, we were just about to sit down. Take off your shoes," he added as he pried himself free from his sister.

As they did what he told them, Gracie spotted her favorite aunt in the hallway with a cheer of, "Auntie Al's here!"

The blonde hastily kicked off her remaining shoe and caught her niece in a tight hug, her first stifled sob breaking free. Grace was exactly the same as she'd last seen her, full of bubbly happiness that came from having just celebrated her birthday.

"Okay, you can let go now, Auntie Al." She released the younger girl and gave her a watery smile, which her niece noticed with a frown. "Why are you crying?"

"I just missed you a lot," she explained, her words coming out choked.

The brunette laughed. "But you just saw me! You must've really missed me."

"Yeah, I did," Alexa admitted, rising to stand again.

She went over to hug Luther, too, who seemed surprised by the desperation in her hold. He patted her head in a gesture that was unexpectedly paternal. "We've gotta talk about what happened at the CIA."

Alexa lifted her head to look up at him, at first in confusion as she'd completely forgotten about the coup she'd staged. "Oh! You can tell me after dinner, okay?"

He gave her a smile and nodded as Lila and Sarah entered the room, the latter carrying one of the dishes for their meal in her hands. She made a beeline towards her sister-in-law and the brunette startled at the sudden hug since she wasn't normally one for touchy-feely greetings. "Hello. Oh, hi. Uh. . ."

Diego suspiciously watched his sister reunite with their family in a far more expressive way than was common even for Alexa. He knew something was up, but Five clearly wasn't going to be telling him anything as he, too, observed the blonde's interactions with a soft-if-not-guilty expression, which hardened the moment he caught his brother looking at him. Klaus, Allison and Claire arrived not long after, preventing him from grilling the couple like he wanted to. More greetings were exchanged, but seven years was still not enough time for Alexa to approach her sister without hesitation, so she merely smiled at the other woman rather than hug her.

"I'm hungry!" Klaus declared, shoving between them to get to the dining table. "Are you hungry? Because I could eat a horse!"

"Yeah, man," the second Hargreeves agreed as he scooped Gracie into his arms. "Let's eat."

☂︎ ☂︎ ☂︎

After dinner, the siblings went over to the living room and took up all of the available seats. Diego and Lila sat together, seeming to be in a better place than when Five and Alexa had left them. The couples took the couch with Allison sitting awkwardly on Luther's other side. Klaus and the kids made themselves comfortable on the floor, the latter of whom watched the Nutcracker on the TV. There were only two people noticeably missing: Viktor and Ben, which Luther was the one to comment about.

"Hey, has anyone heard from Viktor?" he asked.

Klaus had grabbed some of the sugar cookies Sarah had made and was chowing down on them, causing him to speak through a full mouth: "maybe he found Ben and Jennifer."

"Surely he would've called, left a message," Allison pointed out.

"So we all struck out?" the fourth Hargreeves wondered, still chewing. "God, what a bunch of losers."

Luther sat up straighter, beaming happily as his wife squeezed his hand. "Well, not entirely."

He leaned over her to fist bump Diego with his other one. "Yeah."

As he settled back into his seat, he clasped his sister's shoulder proudly. "Our new leader made the right call."

This, of course, prompted quite the reaction.

Klaus nearly choked on his cookie, coughing dramatically before theatrically thumping his chest. "Wait, what? Alexa's the leader now?!" He broke into a wide grin. "Well, color me surprised! And impressed! Our dear little Lexi running the show. Oh, I love this!"

Diego nudged Lila, who was also just finding out the news. "What do you think? Al leading this circus?"

Lila snorted, sipping her wine. "Better her than you, darling."

"Hey!"

"I'm serious," the brunette continued, smirking at Diego's mock-insulted expression. "She's got a better head on her shoulders. No offense."

"Offense definitely taken," Diego muttered, though there was a trace of a grin tugging at his lips.

Allison, meanwhile, stiffened. "Her?" she snapped, her voice sharp. "Are you serious, Luther? What happened to putting things to a vote? I thought this family was a democracy."

"You're welcome to do so, but you'd be the only one against it, Allison," Five retorted. He'd been silent through most of their meal and, even now, his voice was quiet— but it still held enough authority that she fell into a sulky silence and glared instead.

Luther remained unphased by his siblings' responses and he merely nodded firmly. "Yes, I am serious. Alexa was the one who discovered that the Keepers infiltrated the CIA and ran an undercover operation to find out more. It turns out Gene and Jean have a bigger movement than what we've seen. Then, she sent me and Diego in to expose them. I'm pleased to report that our mission was a success— though not without the loss of some clothes," he admitted sheepishly, "and your friend— what's-his-name— is working on getting things back under control. That says great leadership to me."

"Derek," the blonde provided, her face flushing under all of the attention that she wasn't used to receiving— positive attention at that. Before she could even think about stopping it, her skin burst to life with its golden glow, luminous even amongst the Christmas lights, as the familiar warmth settled in her chest that came from the good times she spent with her family.

Since he'd been paying close attention to his sister all night, Diego noticed this right away. He sat up, pulling his arm from where it had been draped around his wife. "That's new."

Although she was tempted to shrink into the couch and hide, Alexa knew that's not what a leader would do. Instead, she stood so that her siblings could see her better. "Actually, it's something I've been able to do ever since I've gotten these powers. It happens the most when I'm happy."

Diego leaned forward to inspect the glow radiating from his sister. "So, what? You're like a human nightlight now?"

"More like a human firefly," Klaus quipped from the floor, grinning. "Adorable and bioluminescent."

Her face warmed further at her brother's teasing and she cleared her throat to get back on topic. "It's been occurring more often these past. . . seven years," she finished, bracing herself for the oncoming torrent. She met Five's gaze, and looked both annoyed (though not much, since their siblings would've found out eventually, anyway) and prepared for the impact of their revelation.

"Seven years?"

"Whoa, didn't see that one coming!"

"You don't look a day over six years!" (That, of course, was Klaus.)

"How the hell is that possible?"

"I knew you did something!" (Diego, directed at Five.)

"We didn't plan to be gone for that long," she began, her voice steady. "It was an accident. Five and I were trying to use his time-traveling subway to stop the Cleanse from ever happening in the first place. But it's a maze of time and space with constantly shifting routes and even seven years wasn't enough time to understand how it worked. We would've never gotten home if it wasn't for the fact that we ran into alternate versions of himself in a deli— don't ask— and they had the right calculations."

The room fell silent as Alexa's words sank in, her siblings processing the magnitude of her story. They'd been through enough crazy things that this wasn't much of a stretch of the imagination, but it was still a lot to take in. Diego was the first to break the silence as his anger flared, making him rise to his feet as he whirled on his brother. "So, let me get this straight," he said, pointing a finger at Five. "You dragged her into your messed-up time-traveling labyrinth and kept her stuck there for seven years?!"

Five had been coiled up like a spring ever since talking to the other version of himself, just waiting to lash out at something— someone— and met his brother's accusation readily. "Dragged her? It was her idea in the first place. If anything, she dragged me." His tone was cool, a sharp contrast to Diego's heated voice. "But either way, she came willingly because, unlike you, she actually understood the stakes."

The blonde's skin prickled and, for the first time, she thought that maybe booth-Five had been right: her protective instincts had never really left and they'd always been right under the surface. Her gaze fell on her niblings, who were still glued to the TV— but she knew they could hear the adults. She thought about Gracie, who was always hyper-aware of causing unnecessary distress because of seeing her parents fight so much. With that in mind, she let the two men argue unsupervised for a minute so she could bend down and murmur in Claire's ear, "Claire, could you take the kids out of the room, please?"

Her niece pulled her eyes away from the movie and started to protest— she was comfortable right here with Gracie on her lap— but her ears picked up her uncles' heated voices and she saw the distress in her aunt's eyes. She nodded, agreeing without argument. The brunette jiggled her younger cousin to get her attention. "C'mon, Gracie. Let's take a break and go look for your Christmas presents! Maybe your mom and dad got you a nutcracker that will turn into a handsome prince!"

The girl acquiesced with a giggle and willingly bounced up from her seat, already pulling her cousin with her. Claire scooped up Ronnie— who was always the clingiest of them— and the two girls plus Brad quickly followed after her. Relieved that the kids wouldn't have to watch their family argue on Christmas, Alexa turned back to the disagreement, which had escalated in the few minutes her attention had been diverted. Klaus had taken her unoccupied seat on the couch and her siblings were watching the altercation as if it were the most interesting drama in the world, while Sarah was trying to stay out of it entirely.

Diego's voice rose sharply as he squared off with his brother. "She trusted you, Five! She trusted you with her life, and you—"

"—and I brought her back alive," Five interrupted, his tone deadly calm. His icy demeanor only served to stoke Diego's fury further.

"You don't get it, do you?" the brunet shot back, stepping closer to the other man. "You don't just drag people you care about into your mess—especially not her!"

He straightened, his expression darkening as his own temper flared. "You gonna do something about it, fuckface?"

"Maybe I will!" Diego growled, his hands balling into fists as he took another step forward.

Alexa hurried to intervene, stepping between them before her brother could do something reckless. She placed a firm hand on Diego's chest, halting his advance. "Diego, enough."

"No, it's okay," her fiancé said, in a tone that wasn't the least bit reassuring. "He's been wanting to have a go at me since we started going out. Well, let it all out then, Diego. They say it isn't healthy to bottle up your emotions."

Diego's jaw clenched as he glared at Five over the blonde's head. But before he could reply, his gaze shifted downward as he caught a glint on her hand. His scowl deepened as realization dawned. He reached out, catching her hand in his to get a better look at her engagement ring. "What's this thing on your finger?" he asked, his voice low but sharp.

Alexa hesitated, her stomach knotting. She opened her mouth to explain, but before she could, Diego's eyes widened in realization. "You're engaged? To him?" He gestured wildly toward Five as though the idea was incomprehensible.

The brunet, of course, didn't miss a beat. "It's called an engagement ring. I thought even you would know that, Diego."

Diego's face darkened. His anger, which had been focused entirely on Five, now felt like a storm threatening to explode. "You're engaged?" His voice rose in disbelief. "When did this happen?"

"Yes, Diego," Alexa said firmly, drawing his gaze to hers. "And I said yes. We were gone for seven—"

Their siblings observing the spectacle from the couch let out expressive reactions. Klaus gasped and clapped his hands and squealed 'ooh, congrats!' Luther's mouth dropped open in shock as his eyes widened. Allison's face scrunched up in confusion as if she couldn't tell why either of her siblings would want to be with the other. Lila raised her wine glass in a toast of celebration. Sarah's gaze remained resolutely on the TV; she'd never experienced so many Hargreeves altogether and their confrontational dynamic made her nervous due to her. . . previous experiences with Bradley's bio father.

"You don't deserve her," Diego spat at Five, his voice trembling with rage as he spoke over his sister. "You hear me? You don't deserve anything about her."

At that, all the fight seemed to leave Five. His shoulders slumped, and for the first time during the argument, his eyes softened. When he spoke, his voice was low, almost a whisper, but it carried the weight of his sincerity. "Don't you think I don't know that?" he said, his gaze steady on Diego. "I know better than anyone that she's too good for me. I try every day of my life to be worthy of her."

Diego faltered, most of his fury deflating like a popped balloon. In the ensuing silence, Sarah could hear the news report that had interrupted the Nutcracker properly for the first time. She nudged her husband to regain his awareness. Speaking quietly so as to not draw attention to herself, she pointed out, "hey, isn't that your brother? The one you picked up from prison?"

Luther leaned forward to peer at his brother's mugshot in alarm. "Oh, we gotta go."

A/n: okay, I know Alexa 'needing to be in the timeline for it to be safe' is way Deadpool and Wolverine, marvel-Jesus vibes but in my defense, I had this idea even before that movie came out so I thought of it first 🤣. I was gonna go a different route pre-s4 with Alexa actually dying in the end, but since the final season was so sucky, as a 'f you' to Netflix, she gets a happy ending. But either way she was going to be pivotal to the plot and I wasn't about to change it because Marvel copied me 🤣🤣

As for Five and Diego's argument, I know it was super unnecessary in the show but I'm the weird person that found Five calling Diego a 'fuckface' really hot so I wanted to keep it. But (hopefully) I gave it better context than an instigator for useless drama.