▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅
❛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘ. ᴘᴀʀᴋᴇʀ ᴇғғᴇᴄᴛ​​​​​​​​​​. ❜ ° . ༄
- ͙۪۪˚  ▎❛ 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐎𝐍𝐄 ❜   ▎˚ ͙۪۪̥◌
»»————- ꒰ ᴛᴏᴅᴀʏ ᴡᴀs ᴀ
ғᴀɪʀʏᴛᴀʟᴇ ꒱


❝ WELL, CAN YOU FEEL THIS
MAGIC IN THE AIR? / IT MUST'VE
BEEN THE WAY YOU KISSED ME ❞

▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅

Two weeks later

After a few days, it became clear that it was going to be awhile before Alexa woke up. The other Hargreeves convinced Five that it would be best to move her to a hospital, which had better tools to keep her stable. While he had to concede that this was true, he hated seeing her lying there in a hospital bed more than he had at home; she looked so much. . . weaker surrounded by white sheets and white tiles and white-painted walls. And, the worst part about it all, was that there was nothing he could do. At least if he had his old powers, he'd be able to rewind time if she took a turn for the worse. Now, all he could do was blink out of the room to get away— which was the last thing he wanted to do.

So, he had to content himself with sitting by her bedside day in and day out, refusing to move except when it was absolutely necessary. By the end of the first week, he'd begun to look as scruffy as he had when they'd been lost in time. He didn't sleep, he didn't eat, and he certainly didn't take care of himself; most of his time was spent staring off into space with his hand in hers, wondering what he could've done differently to have convinced her not to made the choice she had. (But, he knew, too, that the answer was nothing. She would've done it every single time if it meant saving their family— just like what he would've.)

The doctors called it a coma. They said that their results were inconclusive as to whether it would be possible for her to wake up. It was odd, they commented; she seemed perfectly healthy and her cells regenerated at an unusually rapid pace— she should be perfectly fine. What had caused the accident, again? 

The Hargreeves knew better. It was a testament to their newly improved familial bonds that she received a visit from at least one sibling almost every day. Even Allison came by, joined by Klaus, Ray and Claire.

While most of those visitors were welcomed, Allison held herself stiffly by the door, her usually confident posture uncharacteristically self-conscious. Five lifted his head from its bent position, pinning her with a trace of his traditional steely look. "You can come closer, you know. I'm not going to kick you out. She'd be happy you're here."

Allison took a deep breath and came over to stand on the other side of her sister's bed. "I owe her an apology," she said, her voice low. She didn't look at Five when she spoke, keeping her eyes on Alexa's peaceful face. "For a lot of things, really. I was never a good sister to her, and that was all she ever wanted."

Five nodded, not seeing a reason give the other woman any words of superficial comfort. "She'd forgive you."

"I know," the brunette said, her voice breaking slightly. "That's what makes it worse. She's always tried to reach out and I always kept her at arm's length. I didn't give her a chance to be my sister because. . . I was so focused on what I could control. If I couldn't Rumor her to like me or do my bidding, I. . . was afraid that she'd see who I really was and hate me for it. Some of those magazines were right, you know."

The room fell silent again, save for the soft hum of the machines monitoring Alexa's vitals. Allison's confession hung in the air, heavy but freeing.

"Look," Five said finally, his tone softer than before, though still tinged with his usual bluntness. "She doesn't hold grudges, not the way the rest of us do. If— when she wakes up, just. . . talk to her. It's not too late."

"I will," she promised.

--

"You need a shower, you smell like shit," Diego told him bluntly a few days later as he put a pile of clean clothes down next to him. Five looked only worse since the last time he'd seen his brother. While they'd had their fair share of altercations— especially recently— Diego certainly didn't want him dead. "She's not going to wake up and be happy to see you like this."

The brunet merely shook his head, his hand tightening around his fiancée's as if he were afraid that his brother would pull him away. His gaze remained fixed on the steady rise and fall of Alexa's chest. He could feel his brother's frustration bubbling, but he didn't have the energy to deal with it. His brother's words washed over him like background noise, unacknowledged but faintly present.

"Five," Diego said, his tone softening despite his irritation. "You can't do this to yourself. I know you think she needs you here every second, but she'd want you to take care of yourself too. Look, I don't—" He stopped, exhaling sharply. "I'm not gonna pretend I'm thrilled about you being with my sister. But she loves you. And you make her happy— when you're not being a stubborn asshole, anyway. So for her sake, clean yourself up. Get some sleep. Eat something that isn't coffee. Because she'll need you when she wakes up."

For a moment, Five said nothing. Then, he glanced down at Alexa's hand in his, his thumb brushing lightly against her knuckles. "If she wakes up," he said quietly, his voice cracking ever so slightly. It was the first admission of doubt he'd let slip since this whole ordeal had started.

Diego stepped closer, clapping a hand on his brother's shoulder. "She will. That's what she told Ben, and she wouldn't lie to us," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I'll be back tomorrow. And if you still look like death warmed over, I'm dragging your sorry ass out of here myself."

--

Luckily for Five's mental stability, it didn't take much longer for Alexa to wake up. She had stayed trapped in that blue world long after Ben had left until she'd gotten the bright idea to touch the golden sphere of light in front of her, too. For some reason, she thought it wouldn't work for her— and it hadn't, in a sense. Instead of returning to the real world, she found herself in a completely bare room, save for a window that she suspected let in artificial sunlight. And the reason she suspected this was because she was staring right at the painting of the blue world rather than being inside of it.

It had taken her leaving the room behind for her to realize that she was in the old academy. Not exactly as it was— there were even more paintings than what her father had put up in real life, let alone pieces she'd never painted before. She explored the space and it had taken her longer than she would've liked to admit for her to grasp that she was looking at her own memories. Once she understood that, she'd rewatched her favorite times with Five before he'd left and moments from after he'd come back, unaware of how much time was passing outside of her mind.

Finally, she had reached the front door of the academy and took one last, lingering look around. She knew, instinctively, that it would be the last time she ever saw the place where she'd grown up— a closure, of sorts. Then, she pushed open the heavy door to be faced with the scene at the hospital: herself lying, still, in a single bed with the monitor beeping steadily next to her. Five sat on her other side, his hand in hers while his other propped his head up, his eyes closed in reluctant rest. Her expression softened as she took him in, with his rumpled clothes that she knew he probably hated and several days' growth of beard on his worn face (he was probably the only person in the world who could look worried even in sleep.)

She wanted, more than anything, to have her recovery be what woke him up. Before she knew it, she felt herself settling back down in her body as if she'd never left, her lungs taking in the first purposeful breath of air they'd had in a long time. Her eyes fluttered open and flicked to the corner of the room where the academy door had been— it was gone, and Five was next to her.

"Five?"

He jerked awake at the unexpected sound. When he realized what was happening, relief broke out over his face, then joy before he leapt out of the chair to scramble towards her bed, his lips finding purchase on the first part of her skin he could find as he pressed kisses against her face as he muttered 'oh, God,' in disbelief. Her laugh had a tired sound to it and her arms felt heavy after lying still for so long, but she managed to pull him close as he buried his face in her hair. She felt his entire body shudder against hers and she let him have few moments where they both pretended he wasn't crying.

When he was finally able to speak again, she felt his breath warm against her ear. "I didn't leave you."

Alexa reached up to brush her fingers fondly through his— admittedly dirty— hair; although she hadn't been aware of anything until this minute, she knew this was true without a doubt. "I know."

"I love you," he added, his hold on her tightening. "I'm-I'm sorry I almost let you go believing that I didn't."

"Fi," she murmured, "I never thought that for a second."

☂︎ ☂︎ ☂︎

The doctors declared her perfect recovery a miracle, the more humorous of the professionals even going so far as to call her the eighth wonder of the world. She was only in the hospital for a day after that for routine check-ups before they let her go, reminding her to take it easy for a few days just in case. After conceding to their wishes for as long as she had the patience for, she insisted that she was ready to move on with things. There had been an enthusiastic and chaotic reunion with her siblings, which turned into an evening of partying— and the unfortunate discovery that her cells regenerated fast enough that she couldn't get drunk (though it was fun to outdrink Luther for a change.) What followed that was a tender if not sloppy night of lovemaking with a very drunk Five.

Once the celebrations were over, Alexa dutifully returned to the CIA to tie up loose ends there and see how Derek was doing with the new management— and to invite him to the wedding. He was thrilled for her, of course, if not stressed from all of the upheaval. He asked if she would be his partner in running the place, but she flat-out refused, saying that she couldn't stand the suit-and-tie life. But, she added, she did know someone who was great at being in charge— she thought that Five would enjoy the position more.

While she'd wanted to keep him in retirement for as long as possible, she knew he'd been going stir crazy before everything had happened and nothing had made him happier than their time toughing it out in the subway. She didn't think he was necessarily cut out with taking orders from higher ups— that's what he was trying to get away from after being with the Commission for so long— but ordering people around and yelling about their incompetence? That sounded right up his alley. When she suggested it to her fiancé, he told her he'd think about it (which basically meant yes.)

The last loose end she had to tie up before launching into full wedding planning mode was Ben's reunion with Sloane and Deianira. She approached him about it again once the craziness had settled down somewhat.

"What do you think?" she asked, the phone held against her ear by her shoulder while she was making dinner one night.

Ben was in a much better place these days, less angry overall— he and Jennifer were even working things out as they tried to decide whether they wanted to be a couple or not. Jennifer had discovered that she no longer had her prophetic abilities— or powers of any kind— once the shock of things wore off; it seemed the Alexa had healed her of the Durango entirely, to her relief— but the Marigold was alive and well in all of the Hargreeves.

"I'm. . . not as against it as I was," he replied slowly as he gave it more consideration this time. "It would be nice to see them again." Then, more softly, he added (in a very un-Sparrow-Ben-like way), "do. . . do you think they'd want to see me?"

"Of course!" came Alexa's immediate response. "I know that if I had lost my brother to time and space, I'd do anything to get him back again."

He thought about how she kind of had, even if her relationship with Five wasn't a sibling bond at all. "Why do you think they haven't reached out?"

"I'm sure there are lots of reasons," she reassured him. "One thing I learned about all the Keeper stuff was that their memories of the different timelines were all jumbled. Maybe theirs got messed up, too, and they forgot they had a brother."

Eventually, Ben decided that yes, he did want to see Sloane and Deianira again. Even if they didn't want to be family, he would at least know that they were okay. So, the three of them— Luther was included since he'd started the search— took a trip to New York City when they knew the women would be home for a bit. Ben had hesitated in front of their door for the longest time before he finally knocked. His breath caught in his throat when Sloane appeared, her expression brightening at the sight of him. She didn't give him time to say anything before she turned to look over her shoulder as she shouted, "Nira! Nira! It's Ben!"

Then, she threw her arms around him rather tearfully as he stood uncertainly within them. Deianira joined them shortly, looking just as she always had with her wild mane of dark, curly hair and dressed in a sharp suit. Her brown eyes didn't exactly light up the way Sloane's had, but she smirked more fondly than usual at her brother as punched him none-too-gently. "Took you long enough, Ben-er-ino. Were you waiting for a personal invitation?"

He winced at the hit and tried to subtly rub the pain away, not even bothering to protest the nickname like he normally did. Sloane took them on a very enthusiastic tour of the townhouse, stopping at different intervals to give him another hug as she apologized profusely for not reaching out. "We only just got our memories back, you know. We didn't even remember each other— it was like fate brought us together! But it was— what, two weeks ago, Nira?— that all the missing pieces fell into place. We of course looked you up right away, but the last thing we heard was that you'd gone to jail. Jail, Ben! What were you thinking? Anyway, we didn't know where to find you—"

The Asian man couldn't hide the small smile he wore as he listened to his sister ramble her apologies, any doubt about them not wanting to be family vanishing from his mind. Deianira let Sloane continue her tirade as they walked around the second floor; she fell into step with her brother and watched him with the sharp eyes he remembered so well. "Something's different about you."

"Is it?" he tried to play it off as if it were nothing, but Deia had been the sibling he was closest to, so she knew him the best out of anyone.

"You're. . ." she paused, searching for the right word. "Not quite our Ben anymore, are you?" She wrinkled her nose, if not in a playful way. "You're too nice now."

"Shut up," he retorted. "I am not nice." Then, he sighed. "But, I think you're right." Without further preamble, he continued, "the world was supposed to end, you know. Two weeks ago— because of me. Well, and another girl, but I was a part of it, too. Alexa saved me— us— everyone— but. . . when she repaired the timelines, she. . . recalibrated me with the other Ben, I guess— to fix the anomaly. He's part of who I am now."

Deianira didn't say anything for a long time, not until they'd returned to the kitchen and Sloane prepared drinks for them. Then, she groaned. "Great. So that means I have another brother? Don't I have enough already?"

He chuckled and returned her punch from earlier. Just as he expected, she glared at him (he was very grateful that she didn't have her powers.) "You're lucky there's witnesses around."

"Like that would stop you," he quipped. "Face it— I'm not the only one who's gotten softer around here."

She pointed at him threateningly. "You take that back!"

"Nira, please don't kill the brother we just reunited with!" Sloane appeared by their side and gave her wife a stern look. They pointed accusingly at each other.

"He called me soft!"

"She called me nice!"

"Well, then by all means." Her 'go ahead' gesture could not have been interpreted as anything other than sarcastic.

But, that didn't stop the brunette's expression from becoming hopeful. "Really?"

"No."

☂︎ ☂︎ ☂︎

They left Ben to visit with his sisters for a little while so they could catch up, with Alexa telling him firmly that he better not be the cause of another apocalypse without her around to mitigate it. Once Deianira and Sloane learned about the upcoming wedding, they both insisted on gifting the blonde a present. With the Romani woman's pull in court, they were able to gain ownership of the condemned Hargreeves' Home for Wayward Boys building. Then, all of the Hargreeves— including in-laws and children— gathered outside of it at a safe distance to watch a wrecking ball smash it to bits.

"You're not feeling any urges to heal that stinking shit pile are you, Al?" Diego asked as they walked down the street afterward, his arm slung around her shoulders.

"Not a one," she promised. "It got what it deserved; hopefully something better will be built in its place."

"Yeah, preferably something that doesn't traumatize children under the tyranny of an emotionless alien bastard," he agreed.

Alexa let out a small huff of laughter. "That really narrows it down, huh?" They fell into a comfortable silence for a little bit while she gathered enough courage to ask something that she'd been putting off; now was as good a time as any, especially with the wedding coming up in the spring. "Go-go?"

"Hmm?"

They came to a stop as she faced him, letting the rest of their family pull ahead. Her blue eyes held a surprising amount of seriousness in them that made Diego become more alert. She reached up to tug her hair and that clued him in on the nerves she was feeling, which confused him. "There's. . . there's something I've been wanting to ask you."

Diego tilted his head, his brow furrowing as he studied Alexa's anxious demeanor. She wasn't usually this hesitant, even when dealing with heavy family matters. He gently nudged her with his elbow, offering a faint smirk. "Spit it out, Al. What's got you all twisted up?"

She took a deep breath, glancing down at her feet for a moment before meeting his gaze again. "So. . . you know. . . the, uh, wedding, right?" she began, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her jacket.

Diego rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I remember. Hard to miss with Five acting like more of an arrogant prick than usual."

Alexa shook her head in exasperation but didn't respond to the jab. She currently had more important things to think about than defending her fiancé, so she forged ahead, her words tumbling out before she could second-guess herself. "I-I was wondering if you'd. . . if you'd walk me down the aisle?"

For a moment, Diego simply stared at her, his expression unreadable. Alexa's heart sank, and she rushed to fill the silence, her words coming faster the longer he didn't say anything. "I mean, I know you don't exactly approve of me marrying Five, and I get it, okay? But it would mean a lot to me to have you there, to have you be the one who— who gives me away, you know? You're my big brother, Diego. Or, well, I'm technically older than you, I think— time travel, am I right?— but you're the closest thing I've ever had to a dad, and I sure as hell would never ask our actual dad—"

"Alexa." Diego's voice cut through her rambling, soft but firm.

She stopped, biting her lip as she looked up at him.

He swallowed hard as he processed her words. "You really want me to do that?" he asked, almost tentatively.

"Of course I do," she said earnestly. "You're my first choice."

Diego blinked rapidly, and Alexa suddenly realized his eyes were glistening. He glanced away, clearing his throat, but when he spoke again, his voice had a slight tremor to it, and the stutter he'd worked so hard to overcome slipped back in. "I—I'd be h-honored, Al. R-really."

Her heart swelled with relief and affection, and she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Thank you, Go-go. You have no idea how much this means to me."

He hugged her back, his grip firm and protective. He regained his composure quickly, his normal speech returning. "Hell yeah, I'll be there," Diego said, pulling back to look at her, his expression becoming fierce and determined. "And I'll make sure that little bastard knows he's got me to deal with if he screws this up."

Alexa smiled, wiping at her eyes. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

☂︎ ☂︎ ☂︎

Over the next few months, Five and Alexa finalized the plans for their ceremony, which would just include everyone with their last name plus Derek. While they were on the same page for almost everything— something small, with a focus on the party part, nothing too extravagant— some concessions did have to be made. Because Alexa wanted a spring wedding, she also wanted it to be outside— something that Five wasn't particularly thrilled about. So, she conceded and said that they didn't have to exchange vows (which he would find terribly embarrassing in front of their siblings.)

Five absolutely did not want to dance, but Alexa claimed that a first dance was definitely necessary, so she promised that she would run song choices by him for approval. Music turned out to be the sticking point. While he agreed with her idea of asking Viktor to play the wedding march on the violin, their tastes in first dance songs were very different.

"No, no, no, no. . ." the brunet muttered as he crossed off her most recent list of suggestions.

Alexa watched him with increasing frustration before she snatched the paper back. "You don't even know half of these songs! How can you tell that you won't like them? I mean, look at this!" She pointed wildly to the list. "You crossed off Me Without You— which is literally us, by the way— and I Think They Call This Love— it has love in the title!— You even said no to Elvis Presley! He's a classic for the first dance! What do you have against Elvis?"

"Nothing; I'm sure the guy was great," he replied sarcastically. "I'm just not going to be dancing to some candy-ass song in front of our siblings. Now here, take a look at what I've come up with and tell me that I didn't hit the nail on the head."

Five slid a piece of paper across the table to her, leaning back with an air of smug satisfaction. Alexa snatched it up and scanned the list, her eyes narrowing with each title. "Honey? I Can't Get Started? You Are The Reason?" Her voice rose with incredulity. "Five, these are devastating. Do you want people crying at our wedding because they think we're doomed?"

He shrugged. "They're emotional. Reflective. Honest. Perfectly suited to two people who've been through hell together and came out the other side."

"Perfectly suited for a playlist of 'Songs to Cry To in the Shower,' maybe," the blonde countered, her voice rising. "But not for our wedding. This is supposed to be happy, Five. Romantic! Not tragic."

"I'm not picking something vapid just to make everyone else happy," he shot back.

"Well," she snapped, the paper in her hand crumpling slightly as her fingers tightened around it, "since you're so concerned about what everyone else thinks, I can assure you that no one wants to watch the newlyweds slow dance to a song about a breakup or existential dread!"

He opened his mouth to argue, but Alexa held up a hand, silencing him. "You know what? I'm calling Viktor. We need to ask him about the wedding march anyway; maybe you'll listen to reason if it comes from him."

She got up from the table without another word and went over to the phone to dial his number. The line clicked, and Viktor's voice came through. "'Alexa? Everything okay?'"

"Yes, everything's fine. Except Five wants us to dance to the saddest songs ever written, and I'm losing my mind. So, I need your help."

"'My help?'" Viktor sounded confused.

"Yeah. I need backup here, but I also called for something else." She paused, knowing he probably wouldn't be too thrilled by her suggestion. "I. . . um, wanted you to play the violin as I walked down the aisle. I know you haven't done it for years and there's a lot of bad memories associated with it, so there's no pressure or anything, but it would really mean a lot if you did. You still have some time if you need to think about it. But. . . uh, that's what I wanted to ask."

There was a long pause. "'Lexi. . . I don't know. I mean, I haven't played in a while and like you said, the violin and I don't exactly have the best history.'"

"Well, will you at least consider it? Otherwise Five and I will just end up in another fight about music," she pleaded.

Another pause, then a quiet sigh. "'Okay. Fine. I'll. . . see if there's a violin I can afford. We'll start there.'"

"You're the best," Alexa told him gratefully. "Anyway, back to my original reason for calling— Five's being impossible. He keeps vetoing every reasonable suggestion I make. Then he turns around and hands me this list of the saddest ballads that make it sound like we're either breaking up or reflecting on the end of the world. It's a wedding, Viktor! Not a funeral."

Although she couldn't see him, she was pretty sure the brunet was smiling in amusement at her predicament. "'Yeah, that sounds like him.'"

"I don't know how to make him budge," she complained, dropping onto the couch with a dramatic sigh. Five looked over at her from where he still sat at the table, with an unbearably superior expression on his face as though he imagined that Viktor was siding with him. "He's going to keep digging his heels in until I throw out the whole first dance idea ('you know I will' was her fiancé's comment on that) and that's not happening. It's one of the few things I really care about."

"'Then don't let him win,'" Viktor said simply.

"Easier said than done."

"'Maybe you need to change your approach,'" he suggested. "'Have you talked to Luther? He's been working on recovering his record collection. He might have something that you both like.'"

Alexa's eyes lit up. "Viktor, you're a genius!" She paused, then dropped her voice and covered her mouth with her hand so that Five couldn't hear her as she whispered into the phone: "hey, wanna be my best man? You're already great at solving problems!"

"'Sorry, Lexi. I'd love to but Five already asked me to be his and I said yes.'"

The blonde's head jerked towards the brunet as her eyes widened with betrayal. "You traitor!"

"What?" he asked, understandably confused since he had no idea what she was accusing him of.

"You asked Viktor to be your best man even though we both agreed he was off limits!" she exclaimed, shooting to her feet in outrage.

He shrugged. "Oh, that. I called dibs, remember? You don't seriously expect me to pick between Dumb and Dumber, do you?"

"There's Ben!" Then, she addressed her brother again and rapidly said, "thanks for the suggestion Vik, and I won't hold your best-man-ship against you, you didn't know. Love you, bye!"

After she hung up, she put her hands on her hips and pinned the brunet with an indignant look. "Care to explain?"

"I wanted Viktor, so I asked him. How did you find out about that anyway?" he questioned her, remaining infuriatingly calm.

That made her become flustered and she tried to brush him off. "That's-that's not important! You were the one who went back on our agreement!"

"But you just asked him now, didn't you, and he had to tell you no," he guessed, appearing more smug than ever. "Seems like we both broke the pact, so we're even."

She stared at him speechlessly for a second before she burst out: "no, we're not! I'm not going to put anymore songs by you. Whatever decision I make will be final, and you're going to be happy about it, so there."

☂︎ ☂︎ ☂︎

Alexa thought it would be the pinnacle of poetic justice if they got married on April first, so that's what they did. The date was significant to them in not only that it had been the end of the world twice, but it also represented the metaphorical 'end of the world'— and the new one that they would start together. Plus, it would be warm enough for their outdoor wedding. The day of brought forth lots of nerves (but mostly from excitement) for both parties, with Diego threatening to murder Five if he got cold feet. But, soon enough, the moment came where she was standing at the other end of the aisle while Viktor— tentatively at first before he regained his confidence— played his violin.

She wore a simple white lace dress that stopped just above her feet; it had no train or extra embellishments and she didn't even have a veil. Instead, a crown of Marigolds rested in a circlet on top of her golden hair, which went well with glow that her powers gave her as her happiness spilled out and into the world. She didn't wear shoes, either, in defiance of the six years the CIA had forced her to wear heels. She'd relented and had decided to go with a maid of honor, having asked Sloane in a return favor of when she'd held the position. Diego stood by her side as he prepared to walk her down the petal-filled aisle, Gracie having already gone ahead of them.

Five stood at the altar, his usual stoic mask completely shattered. His lips parted slightly as he saw her, his eyes wide, as though the sheer beauty of her walking toward him had stolen the air from his lungs. He looked at her like she was the only thing that existed in the world, like every step she took was a miracle unfolding in front of him. Alexa's own nerves melted away the moment her gaze locked with his. She saw awe, adoration, and an almost disbelieving joy in his eyes, and it steadied her steps. His feelings were the same as hers: neither of them could believe that this was really happening.

Behind him, Klaus stood with an uncharacteristically sincere smile, though there was still a mischievous twinkle in his eye. His suit was an explosion of color, as if he'd raided an entire rainbow and refused to pick just one. To Five's right, Viktor gave him a small, supportive nod, his violin resting in his hands as he stepped back to join the others.

Klaus cleared his throat dramatically. "Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone else, we're gathered here today to witness the union of two people who would probably never have been attracted to each other if they hadn't grown up in the same house. I mean, Lexi is so out of Five's league, am I right?"

There was a smattering of laughter and the brunet aimed a sharp kick to his brother's shin in retribution. "I think that if I draw this out too long, our afterparty will be a funeral instead, so I just have a few questions to ask. Five, will you take my wonderful, amazing, Jesus-like baby sister to be your wife?"

"Yes. I do. Absolutely." He seemed to have a hard time remembering exactly what phrase he was supposed to use, which Alexa found endearing.

"Also, just so the small print is extra-clear, you are aware that if you are more of an asshole than usual or hurt her in any way, you are subject to being murdered by one or more parties?"

"Fine, yes, I'm aware," he huffed, his grip on her hands tightening slightly as if grounding himself to keep from shaking sense into his brother.

Klaus beamed and clapped his hands. "Wonderful! Now for you, my sister-who-can-do-no-wrong, do you, for some reason, take this grumpy old gremlin to be your husband? I mean, if you need to be checked in anywhere, just say the word."

She laughed at his dramatic additions and nodded, her voice coming out choked as she agreed, "I do."

Viktor had to lower his head slightly as he stepped forward to present the rings in order to avoid looking at the blonde directly, her power burning ever-brighter around her. Five took Alexa's ring first and slipped it onto her finger, his hands steady despite the tremble of overwhelming emotion in his chest. After Alexa did the same to him, Klaus continued with the same playful flourish. "By the power vested in me by absolutely no one important— take that, you little girl on a bike— I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may—"

Five didn't wait for him to finish. He leaned in, cupping Alexa's face with one hand and pressing his lips to hers in a kiss so full of love and promise that even Klaus was momentarily speechless. Some of their brothers— though they didn't see exactly who— wolf-whistled (it was probably Diego who booed.) When they parted, their brother let out a triumphant cheer and gestured to the tent that had been set up nearby. "And now it's time to party, people!" 

Despite his obvious happiness, that didn't stop Five from sighing at the prospect of being forced to dance. "Here we go."

"You don't have to act like you're going to the gallows," Alexa grumbled as she tugged him towards the dance floor. "You'll like what I have planned, I promise."

The rest of their family gathered around the edges of the makeshift floor to watch as the brunet positioned himself into a proper slow dance position. He didn't recognize the first strains of music immediately, he just dutifully began to sway her like he was supposed to. Alexa watched his face closely, waiting with great anticipation for the moment when the awareness hit him. It didn't happen until the lyrics started up.

"Children, behave"
That's what they say when we're together
"And watch how you play"
They don't understand. . .

He pulled back from where his forehead had been resting against hers so he could meet her gaze with his own. "This is the song you went with?"

"Do you like it?" she asked; now it was her turn to look unbearably smug, her blue eyes lighting up with delight at her own ingenious.

And so we're running just as fast as we can
Holding on to one another's hand

She pulled away from him, to his confusion. Five felt more than a little silly for standing in the middle of the dance floor by himself, but it wasn't for long. Alexa grabbed Luther's hands and pulled him onto the dance floor before she directed him toward Sarah, who flushed as he scooped her effortlessly into his arms and all but tossed her into the air.

"Come on, big guy!" Alexa called out, gesturing for the others to join.

Gracie squealed in excitement and darted onto the dance floor, tugging Diego along by his fingers. "You promised!" she reminded him.

Trying to get away into the night
And then you put your arms around me
As we tumble to the ground and then you say

"I did, didn't I?" he sighed but let her drag him forward. Lila followed with a playful eye roll, scooping up Ronnie to do a mini-waltz with him as she joined the group.

Coco, clinging to Klaus's leg, cheered as she felt the enthusiasm more than understood it. "Dance! Dance!"

"Well, if the boss insists!" Klaus said dramatically, hoisting her onto his hip and spinning her around as she giggled uncontrollably.

The lyrics swelled as the entire family spilled onto the dance floor.

"Trying to get away into the night and then you put your arms around me and we tumble to the ground, and then you say I THINK WE'RE ALONE NOW!" Multiple discordant voices joined in with the song, growing louder by the end of the chorus.

Alexa sang with them, grabbing Deianira and Sloane as they hovered near the edge. "Come on, you two! No hiding in the corner!"

Deianira groaned, but Sloane gave her an encouraging nudge. "It's our sister's big family moment. Don't ruin it."

"I hate that you're right," the brunette muttered but allowed herself to be dragged into the growing circle.

The group now fully united, Alexa returned to her husband, wrapping her arms around his neck again. The chaos swirled around them as their family laughed, stumbled, and sang off-key. Yet, in the center of it all, Five held Alexa close, their movements slower and more deliberate than the rest.

Look at the way
We gotta hide what we're doing
'Cause what would they say
If they ever knew

"Fine," he admitted quietly in a voice that only she could hear. "This wasn't. . . the worst. Did you plan it this way so I would suffer less?"

She beamed brilliantly at him, the glow of her powers no longer just centered around her person but undulating outwards in soft waves, filling the tent— and beyond— with warm golden light. "Well, you missed the last few family group dances. I thought it was only right to make it up to you. But, I have to give all the credit to Luther— it was his idea."

"Then it's the only time that monkey's braincells have ever made an appearance," he commented— which was high praise, coming from him. His eyes never left her, filled with the same fondness that she'd been seeing more often ever since their time living at the cottage— a look that suited him well, she thought. He pulled her close again so that she could rest her head on his shoulder and wrap her arms around his waist. With a little smile that she couldn't see, he dipped his head so his lips could brush against her ear. "So, wife, what do you say that tonight we start practicing for those children you want?"

Alexa pulled back once more to stare at him with the biggest, brightest smile he had probably ever seen on her face and it was reflected in her eyes as she gazed up at him with the same love she'd always had for him. "Really?"

I think we're alone now
The beating of our hearts is the only sound
I think we're alone now
There doesn't seem to be anyone around
I think we're alone now

☂︎ ☂︎ ☂︎

That night, when six o'clock rolled around, there was not a single piece of bad news to report. After delivering this message, the anchor concluded with the same note they had every evening since the Cleanse had restored the proper timeline: "we may never know the heroes who saved the world from utter destruction, but if you're out there, we give you our deepest gratitude. You have changed our lives for the better in ways we may never fully comprehend. Wherever you are, know that you are loved and your sacrifice is appreciated. Thank you and goodnight."

A/n: while I liked TUA's idea of using I Think We're Alone Now as a closing song (especially the other version, as if that timeline didn't have Tiffany singing it), the context they placed it in was absolutely atrocious, so this is how I think it should've ended. We didn't get a family dance scene this season (Five never got to dance with his siblings, either), which is a crime— and I like the additional poetic justice of the show opening with a funeral and ending with a wedding (as a call back to the first episode's title.)

But, with this chapter, my TUA era has officially ended. It's definitely bittersweet as it's the only show that has ever consumed me entirely. I waited for it a week before s1 even aired and thought about it every day during that long, painful gap between s2 and 3. I've had count downs to each new season, even if it was more than 100 days away. It's also the only show I've ever written more than one book for and would probably come back to once I've had a break from it. (Plus I completely redid my aesthetic in Five's honor, which just goes to show how much I love him.)

The Benjamin Button Effect was the first book I've ever written to completion. I always think it's ironic that I care more about this series than I do about Wastelands of Time, and yet that book is more popular. In my opinion, this is one of my more underrated works and I wish it got more traction— especially when I was first writing it. But, I am grateful for the following it does have and it's been nice to watch it grow. 

Thank you all for your support over the years. I definitely have other ideas for TUA (Five-romance) ffs, so I don't think I'll ever say goodbye to TUA permanently, but a break is well deserved. I hope you will check out my other works to entertain you in the meantime!

Goodbye for now, and happy reading!