Everyone wants to make sure a little kid's birthday party is the best one ever. But ever since Diego and Lila became parents to three children, there was always some mishap or miscommunication that caused boatloads of stress. And it didn't help when they were constantly surrounded by children screaming for no reason at all. This time was no different. Lila stressed about every little thing, from the timing of the party to making sure the younger kids didn't accidentally kill each other.

"What are you doing?" Lila questioned her husband as he finished placing the candles atop Grace's birthday cake. "Cake," Diego gestured as if it wasn't obvious enough. "We haven't even done the pinata!" She sighed, adjusting her grip on the cardboard animal. "Pinata first, then cake! What the hell is wrong with you?" She blew past him as Diego plucked out the candles. The stress of his oldest daughter's birthday was starting to bring on a splitting migraine. "Excuse you! Pardon you!" Lila swore she could see a glimpse of red hair approaching them in the crowd.

"Oh thank god, you're here!" Lila sighed when she saw Five and Victoria, quickly embracing them. "Is everything okay?" Victoria asked, patting her shoulder. "So much to do in such little time!" Lila panted as if she just returned from a long run. "If you could help me hang up the pinata, Vic, that would be great!" She looked towards the redhead. "Sure, anything else?" Victoria questioned. Lila nodded and turned her attention to Five. "There's some juice boxes in the trunk, can you and Diego bring them in?"

With a slight nod, Five followed Diego out to the van, each carrying a box into the party. When it came to catching up with his family, Diego would mainly vent about problems with work. And after making sure Lila and Victoria weren't around to hear him complain, the occasional frustrations with raising three young children also crept in. "The money's decent, and I make my own hours, so there's that. But my team supervisor is a real dickhead. He's always riding the stick," Diego explained as they set the boxes on a nearby table. "Yeah, that seems tough," Five responded sympathetically.

"Most importantly, it's just a waste of my God-given talents," Diego continued. "Hey, when do you think I'll be hearing back from the agency?" Five reached into the cooler and grabbed a beer, only catching half of Diego's question as he cracked it open and took a much-needed sip. "Sorry?" He questioned. "The CIA, bro. You gave them my resume, right?" Diego repeated, lowering his voice. "Yeah, right. That's heading up the ladder as we speak," Five assured. Diego excitedly patted Five's back as he cut open one of the boxes.

"That's what I'm talking about! You and Vic told 'em I know multiple disciplines? Hand-to-hand, Karate, Aikido, Hapkido, Krav Maga, Jujitsu, Muay Thai, Kendo, Sambo-" "Diego, I let them know. I told them," Five cut him off. From the other side of the party, Diego watched as Lila and Victoria were struggling to hang the pinata. If the world hadn't been reset, Victoria could've easily used her powers to set it up. But those days were long behind her, and learning to live without her powers was like a toddler learning to walk for the first time.

"Okay, this thing is supposed to be at least three feet off the ground," Victoria huffed, glancing down as she carefully stepped onto the ladder. "Well, I'd say it's about one and a half right now," Lila squinted as the redhead tugged at the rope with all her might. "You guys need any help?" Diego questioned as he walked over to them. "I think we're good, darling," Lila assured as Victoria finally managed to get it at the right height, wrapping it tightly around the overhanging metal pole.

Upon closer inspection, Diego noticed there was something off about the pinata. No candy was falling out, no compartments were left open. But rather, there seemed to be a design flaw. "You said you were on the west side this morning?" He turned his focus back to Lila. "Yeah, I dropped off the kids, and I picked up the pinata, so what?" Lila asked. "So, this is an east-side pinata," Diego stated. "Excuse me?" Lila rolled her eyes as her husband went on to explain it was clearly an east-side pinata with the difference in the craftsmanship and the fringe.

"Why does it matter? You wanted a pinata, so she got the pinata! Who cares if it's east or west or whatever the hell direction it is?" Victoria stepped in, feeling the growing tension within her sister. "I care, cause these things-" "Just..." Lila took a deep breath and tried to compose herself, not wanting to cause a scene and embarrass herself. "We need more soda, so can you hurry up and grab it?" She asked. Biting back a sigh of his own, Diego complied and went back to the van to grab more drinks.

"Dios mío," Victoria murmured, taking the final step off the ladder. "Why don't you sit down for a second? Give yourself a break?" "I don't know, Vic. I really shouldn't..." But before Lila could finish her sentence, Victoria led her to an empty table and even with all the children's excitement going on around them, Lila did start to feel some of the weight come off her shoulders. "You know, I've really missed you," she broke the silence between them. "I've tried calling you, but I figured you were busy," Victoria rested her hand against the side of her head. "You have no idea. Dance classes, daycare, school, book club. Not to mention all the cleaning I have to get done before they get home," Lila sighed.

"At least you have your family to help," Victoria pointed out. "Yeah, but. I feel like they're always judging me. Like I'm not being the parent I should be," Lila admitted. "Them being around is nice and all, but you're the only real family I have," Victoria's face slowly fell as she recalled the last image of her parents, lying on the ground, blood pooling from their mouths and their lifeless eyes staring back at her. No matter how hard she tried to push that memory to the back of her mind, it always managed to come back and haunt her.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything," Lila muttered, seeing the look of pain in the redhead's eyes. "It's okay, I'm okay," Victoria snapped out of it, regaining her composure. "Aside from all the stress, it's nice to finally see everyone again," Lila slightly smiled. "Yeah, we haven't seen each other since Dusk and Klaus' wedding," Victoria nodded, a hint of nostalgia in her eyes. "Time flies," "You're telling me!" Lila chuckled. "Feels like yesterday I popped out Grace and now look at her... she's six!" Lila couldn't help but glance over to the ball pit, where the little girl popped out from the sea of color.

"Hi, Mommy! Hi, Auntie Vic!" Grace shouted, waving at them. Victoria and Lila waved back at her before Grace started throwing balls at the other kids. "So, how are things on your end?" Lila inquired. "I've been good, busy definitely. Work's been... you know how it is," Victoria answered. "And the old timer?" Lila questioned. "Nose buried deep in work most of the time. But relationship-wise, I'd say things are really looking up," A tiny smirk started to form on the edge of Lila's lips. A smile she thought faded away years ago. "Oh no, what are you plotting?" Victoria playfully rolled her eyes. "Nothing!" Lila responded, her tone unconvincing. "Don't play games with me, Lila. I know that look means trouble!" The redhead insisted. "Just wondering, you and the little shitheel have been together for years now, and y'all haven't been talking about marriage?" Lila raised a brow.

Not this again... Victoria had been dreading that question for the longest time, having been asked it more times than she could count. At every reunion without fail, someone had to ask. But it wasn't just them, but some of her and Five's closest coworkers. "It does cross my mind from time to time, but I think we're both comfortable where we're at right now," Victoria confessed, her cheeks tinged with pink. "We just prefer taking it slow, I guess," "Slow?" Lila chuckled. "I thought because you're so madly in love with him, you'd take the big plunge sooner. Sooner than Diego and I did, anyway,"

Victoria slightly smiled and shook her head, remembering how fast Diego and Lila rushed into marriage. Mainly because they both wanted Grace to be born into a family that had two loving and married parents waiting for her, but Lila couldn't deny the fact that mixed with her love for Diego, there was also just a tiny hint of lust. And Dusk and Klaus, how could she forget? Those two had their own demons and inner conflicts with this new timeline, and yet they still found their way to each other, even if there were still some boundaries between them.

"If it happens, it happens," Victoria shrugged. "Either way, Five and I are still happy together," Lila smiled and nodded, reaching over to tuck of Vic's hair behind her ear. "And that's all that matters to me," She whispered. "Okay, enough of the sappy stuff. We've got lots more to do!" Lila reached over to the small stack of party hats and placed a red cone on top of Victoria's head. Grabbing Lila's hand, the two women stood up and went to check on the rest of the party preparations, wanting nothing but the best for little Grace.

~~~~~~~~~

"And... we survived another one! Congratulations everybody!" Klaus clapped as Allison pulled into the parking lot of the Lil Monkey's Play Place. "Alright, Claire. Please call me before you go to bed," Allison looked into the back seat as Dusk and Claire started to unbuckle their seatbelts. Claire nodded in acknowledgment before following her aunt out of the car. "Why don't you come on in? Just for one little slice of cake?" Klaus tried to persuade Allison. "We've already talked about this. Nobody wants me in there. Dusk doesn't even want anything to do with me," Allison whispered.

"That's not true," Klaus rubbed her shoulder reassuringly. "It is! I know we have our differences, but it's also been six years. I don't know what I have to say or do to make things right with her. Right with everyone for that matter!" Allison vented. "It'll be awkward at first, but eventually it won't be so bad," Klaus advised. Allison took a deep breath and sighed, conflict rising within her. "Listen, I have lines I need to learn. I'll pass," Allison declined. With a reluctant sigh, Klaus took off his safety cap and slipped it into his satchel.

"Well, I'll tell everybody you said hello," Klaus smiled sadly as he hopped out of the car, following his niece and wife into the building. As they walked past the entrance hall and towards the ball pit, Klaus started his ramblings to Claire about one's sense of security while out and about. "...in a panic, you can't get to, so that's the new thing I'm trying out. Hey whoa, hold your horses!" Klaus pulled Claire back as she was about to set her present on the gift table, and Klaus tucked his and Dusk's birthday gifts under his arm. "Just wait for your Uncle Klaus to get settled in because right now, it feels like he's about to hyperventilate,"

His hand went to his side, feeling as if he had forgotten something. "Hey, did I forget to pack my little brown bag?" he questioned, rummaging through his satchel before either Claire or Dusk had the chance to respond. "Klausy, you're fine!" the brown blonde insisted. "It's just a six-year-old's birthday party," Klaus closed his eyes and nodded. "You're right, Dusky. You're always right," He nodded. "Claire! Aunt Dusk!" Grace ran over to them, and Dusk bent down to hug her. "Hey, birthday girl!" Dusk smiled. Grace flashed her aunt a big grin before taking Claire's arm and dragging her towards the ball pit.

"Dusk, can you put this on the table?" Klaus handed his wife the presents. "Sure, I'll be right back," she answered, blowing him an air kiss before walking towards the table. "And don't touch anything sharp!" He called out to her, but Dusk waved it off, claiming she'd be fine. But Klaus still kept a close on her, his fingers slipping back into the satchel and into the box of Band-Aids just in case. After making sure his wife was okay, he took another moment to calm his nerves.

"Klaus?" Another voice called out to him, making him look up to see Luther, Ben, Dahlia, and Five staring at him. "Hey, buddy! Good to see ya!" Luther smiled, arms widening to hug him. But Klaus again put his hands up, stopping Luther in his tracks. "Sorry. Don't touch, spasibo," Klaus shook his head. "Right, yeah, of course," Luther nodded, remembering how more cautious he grew since their last meeting. "What's up with him?" Dahlia questioned Five. "He is a germaphobe now and extremely sober," Five briefly explained. "Hi Klaus,"

Klaus's eyes widened at the sight of the icy couple, it felt like forever since he last saw Ben and his girlfriend. "Benjamin! Dahlia!" He gaped. "Klaus," Ben nodded curtly. "Hi," Dahlia acknowledged. "How... when did you get out?" the germaphobe questioned. "About an hour ago, but I'm strongly considering robbing a bank to get back in," Ben responded before walking off to grab himself a beer. "Don't mind him, he's just grumpy," Dahlia watched her boyfriend until she was sure he was out of earshot.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Excuse me, careful buddy!" Dusk maneuvered her way around the kids who were chasing each other down the aisle, smacking one another with balloon animals. "Hey, Vic!" Dusk embraced her best friend when she finally reached the table. "Hey, you! How was the show?" Victoria asked. "It went better than I expected. A lot of people showed up, some wanted pictures and autographs," Dusk smiled. "Well, it sure sounds like you've made a big name for yourself," the redhead smiled. "Well, I wouldn't say that..." Dusk reasoned.

"But still, not everyone can make a successful first album, but you did just that! And I'm proud of you," Victoria assured. Dusk smiled in appreciation. For the first time in a long time, someone was there to celebrate her triumph rather than belittle her and make her feel like she could've done better. "I'll toast to that," Dusk lifted her cup of soda, and the redhead did the same clinking them together before they took a sip. Even though they lived together, there were times when it felt like Dusk and Victoria hadn't seen each other in years, but every time they spared a second of free time away from their men, it was just like the early days of their friendship. Nothing but laughter, food, and some bonding time.

"I'm telling you; nobody wants me here! Please, Lila, you don't understand!" Dusk's ears perked up at the sound of that voice. Allison? I thought she went back home. She turned around in her seat, and sure enough Allison was huddled up close to Lila, hoping that nobody would recognize her. "Trust me, you're fine," Lila turned towards her, her arms full of soda. The conversations between the rest of the Hargreeves came to a screeching halt as one by one, they all turned to look at her. Some of them glared, while others whispered to each other, murmuring why Allison finally decided to show up.

"She thinks she can show her face around here after what she did? She's the reason we're all powerless," Victoria growled, still harboring some resentment from that night. "Just give her a second," Dusk put a hand on her shoulder. "This was a mistake..." Allison's eyes wandered amongst their siblings. You think? "You're right, this is incredibly awkward," Lila admitted, slipping Allison's keys back to her and leaving her to her own devices. Surprisingly, Luther was eager to strike up a conversation with her, an awkward one, but still a conversation, nevertheless.

How Luther could even speak to her after what she did to him, Dusk had no clue. But she knew if she were in Luther's place, she'd stay as far away from her as possible. Just seeing them together, made her feel sick to her stomach as her mind was once again plagued with nightmares. "This is none of your business. Now, piss off!" "It is my business when you try to take advantage of my brother!" Dusk could feel her stomach start to bubble, like a raging volcano on the brink of explosion.

But even as the nightmares started to fade, she could still feel the knot in her stomach, threatening to turn her insides out. "Whoa, Dusk. Are you okay?" Victoria asked, watching as the color in Dusk's face began to fade in and out. "Just, give me a moment. I'll be alright," Dusk held up a hand, trying to regain her composure. "Are you sure? Do you need any water or maybe I can snag you a bag of chips?" Victoria double-checked, hating the idea of seeing her best friend suffer. "Water would be nice," Dusk nodded. Without hesitation, Victoria swiftly grabbed a small bottle of water before returning to their table.

Not long after, Dusk finally started to feel better. And just in the nick of time, as Lila announced it was time for the kids to crack open the pinata.

~~~~~~~~~

"So, she set up this whole timeline, she stole her daughter from another one," Klaus seemed to make good conversation with Lila's family. With all the gossip going on around the family about Allison, the in-laws, were rather intrigued to know what had happened. And while it was still a touchy subject for most of the family, Klaus was the only one who volunteered to fill them in. "Oh, and then there's Luther," the germaphobe pointed to where Luther was talking to Dahlia. "Luther used to be part gorilla, and now he's an exotic dancer,"

Lila's family 'oh'd' as they looked in Luther's direction. "Who was the one who was hanging in prison?" Lila's mother questioned. "That would be Ben, my boyfriend," Dahlia answered. "Got involved in the world of crypto despite me advising him it wasn't a good idea. But you know, he never listens to anyone," As the in-laws turned to look back at Klaus they were confused, having never known about Dahlia's existence. "And who's the really screwed up one, yeah?" one of Lila's aunties asked.

Klaus blinked a few times, having a hard time figuring out which sibling they were referring to. "You know, the thieving, cheating addict?" Lila's mother chimed in. "Oh, um. That would be me," Klaus's face fell. And while he couldn't understand what Lila's family were whispering to each other about, deep down he had a gut feeling that it wasn't good. If he could go back and time and erase the hell, he put not only Dusk through, but as well as Five and Victoria, he would've. But no matter how much he tried to change, it seemed like everyone only saw the bad side of him. A side of him he hoped he buried a long time ago.

"Klaus?" Five called out to him, pulling the germaphobe out of his dark thoughts. "Five, how's it going?" Klaus slightly smiled. But Five could sense the sadness buried underneath. "Hey, don't worry about what they're saying over there," Five gestured to Lila's family as they continued to laugh and carry on with all the family gossip. "I know three years of sobriety haven't been the easiest for you, but I want you to know that I'm proud of you,"

Klaus's eyes widened upon hearing that. He couldn't have misheard him, could he? "Yo-you're actually pro-ud of me?" He stumbled over his words. "Of course, you've made every effort to try and get better," Five nodded. "That takes some guts," As his brother continued talking, the corners of Klaus's lips tilted, knowing that there really was somebody out there besides his wife who was cheering him on. "Thanks, Five,"

Five held out his cup as a toast, and he and Klaus clinked their cups together before taking a sip of their drinks. With a loud whistle from Diego, the majority of the kids stopped playing and looked to where he and Lila were standing. "Alright kids, who's ready to smash the pinata?" Lila announced, holding up the bright and colorful stick. Immediately, all the children started jumping up and down, screaming with joy as they lined up for their turn.

Grace eagerly took the stick from her mother's hands and Diego started spinning the young girl around, counting to six while the rest of the family cheered her on. "Go get 'em, Grace!" Victoria clapped. "You got this!" Dusk cheered. The young girl wasted no time in beating at the pinata, determination filling her eyes the harder she beat at it. "Harder!" Diego encouraged, and Grace did just that, beating at it harder and harder, but the pinata remained intact. "Alright, that's enough. Good job!" Diego clapped as Grace ran over and gave him a high-five.

"Come here, birthday girl!" Victoria out her arms and Grace soared into them. And as one by one, the guests got a turn at beating the pinata not a single one was able to bust it open. "Wow, they really can't break that thing, huh?" Luther stared at it, finding it oddly strange. "East side pinatas are notorious for their difficulty," Diego explained. "Well, screw this. I'm starving!" Luther stormed towards the pinata, grabbing onto it just as the next kid was about to take a hit. "Out of the way, kid! I'll hit you, son of a bitch!" Luther growled.

Punch after punch, kick after kick, the glued-on googly eyes were locked onto Luther's eyes, taunting him. But this only made him even angrier and more desperate. "That's it!" He snarled, sinking his teeth into its neck, and the kids started screaming in horror, even as the adults tried to intervene and shield their eyes. While Luther was unfastening it from the rope, he failed to take notice of Lila and Diego coming around with Grace's birthday cake and as Luther was about to land another punch, he accidentally threw the pinata in the air and knocked the cake onto the floor. The pinata came crashing down, finally bursting open on top of the mess.

Little Grace immediately started crying, and Dusk, Victoria, and Allison all bent down to comfort her. "It's okay, sweetie," Dusk patted the little girl's back. "My cake!" Grace wailed, burying her face into Victoria's chest. "Ay, dulce ángel," the redhead whispered, picking her up by her torso. "What is wrong with you?" Diego yanked the pinata out of Luther's hands. "I got it open," Luther remarked. As an argument was starting to brew between the two brothers, the kids and their parents decided to scatter, while some of the Hargreeves chipped and helped clean the mess.

"Why is it that every time the family meets up, something goes wrong?" Dusk sighed deeply. "Cause we're the most dysfunctional family in town. No matter how much we try to deny it," Dahlia slouched in her seat. Whether it be a wedding, a funeral, or even a child's birthday party, someone or something always had to screw everything up.

"Yep, it sure is good to be back," Dusk grumbled.