Chapter Thirty Seven:

All he could see was black, it felt as if they had been falling for ages and he was worried his grip would slip.

Then he blinked, opening his eyes to a new world that looked awfully familiar.

Five blinked, looking around with wide eyes. He was by myself, quickly recognizing his surroundings to be Griddy's Donut's.

"Thank you."

He turned to see— himself? Someone who looked just like him, sitting at the counter, now taking a big bite from a white jelly donut. His eyes were focused on the back corner, and when Five followed the gaze it landed on a girl sitting in a corner booth.

She was slouched over the table, a blue pen in her hand as it traced over her palm. Hair covered her face like a blanket, then a hand came up and swiped it away and his eyes widened at Lotus who went back to doodling.

A lump formed in his throat— Where was he?

"Two coffees and a sandwich!" A women called out, charging towards him and— threw him?

"What in the hell?" He muttered, brows furrowing.

Another figure rushed past him, and he watched as the identical version of himself walked over to the corner booth and slid into the seat across from Lotus.

He followed, standing at the end of the table and watched, not knowing what else to do.

She was still writing on her hand, a curtain of hair once again falling onto her face.

"You can get ink poisoning from that." The other Five said, tapping the edge of the table.

Lotus looked up, pursing her lips. She capped the pen, rolling it towards him. Blue stars danced along her palm and up her arm, some small and some oddly large.

"Here."

"What?"

She smiled, "Take it. So I don't do it again."

He picked it up, balancing it between two fingers.

"It's a habit, you see." She continued, watching him stare at the pen. "I do it when I'm bored but sitting here alone is better than being home—" there was a pause, as if she was realizing what she had said. "Anyways— I'm Lotus."

Five blinked, "I-I'm Five."

"Five?" She questioned, "Like the number?"

Standing at the table, watching this odd exchange Five wondered what this was. Why was he seeing this? This had never happened, he knew that. But this was a different version of him, one that wasn't so closed off and always angry. And Lotus seemed to be more open, less shy than when they actually met. She looked younger, if that was even possible with freckles dotting her nose, accompanied by what looked like a setting sunburn. He suppressed a smile, remembering the same words she had said to him when he revealed his name.

"Yes." The other Five replied, placing the pen onto the table. "Like the number."

"Do you want a different name?"

A look of confusion crossed his face, and then Lotus's eyes widened. "That sounded rude— that's not what I meant—"

"It's ok." He nodded, "I like Five."

"What about Simon?"

He snorted, the real him snorted at this familiar conversation. Remembering every detail, every terrible name she laughed out because she thought it was funny.

"Do I look like a Simon?"

"No." She shook her head, "More like an Aiden."

"Really?"

"No."

His lips quirked up, "You look like a Lotus."

"You've only just met me." Her head went to the side, "Before you knew my name I would've looked like any of them."

She leaned back, giving him a look he couldn't decipher. She was like Lotus and not, he studied her from the end of the table continuing to watch himself and Lotus interact. He couldn't help to listen and watch, to see how differently they both acted.

"Are you from here?"

Lotus chuckled, "I know you see me in here all the time."

"What?"

"You always sit on the bar stools." She nodded her head at the counter, where the discarded jelly donut sat on a white plate. "I always wonder if you're staring at me but I never know. We're you?"

Five blinked slowly, looking everywhere but her. It seemed he hadn't planned to talk to her today, and was still reeling from his decision.

"Sometimes." He told her, "Yes. But I stare at everyone."

She clicked her tongue, "Mhm."

"I do!"

The door chimed, and footsteps raced towards the corner booth. Five jumped out of the way as two kids yelled his name and flung themselves into the booth beside him. Well, the other him.

"We've been looking all over for you!" A young Allison shouted hitting his shoulder, "Vanya wanted to come too but father said she needs quiet time."

"You shouldn't just leave the house without telling one of us." A small, normal sized Luther spoke up from beside her. "What if we couldn't find you?"

The door chimed again followed by a string of curse words, "Did you try to leave me two blocks away!" Klaus marched up to the booth, giving Lotus a wave before glaring down at the others. "I managed to get rid of Diego—"

"Who's she?" Luther's voice cut in, raising a finger at Lotus.

"A friend." Five replied with a smile, "Her name's Lotus."

Another chime, but when he looked to the door he saw his father. Mr Hargreeves stood in the doorway, staring directly at him.

"It's been years." A cane clicked on the ground as he walked towards him, and Five backed away from the booth of happy kids towards the far wall. "I was right. You got lost in time, didn't you."

Five blinked, "Maybe."

"You see where not listening to me got you?" The cane kept getting louder with every step, and for once in his very long life Five felt anxious and panicked. "Gone. Off the face of the earth."

Then he was gone, and so was the donut shop. He was in a long dark hallway, metal doors wide open with a large figure taking up most of the opening. He wandered closer, recognizing Luther and when he slipped past him he saw Allison standing in front of a metal box. Expect, when she moved away he spotted Vanya and he knew exactly where he was.

The gun fired, and he lunged for her. But the bullet still hit her, going directly threw him like nothing. Allison's face slipped away and Lotus swayed. Five dived for her but she collapsed anyways.

But this time Klaus wasn't there to get her, to bring her up to the main level where he had found her. Instead Luther tossed the gun aside and strode away, locking the doors behind him.

Instead, Lotus's chest gave one last heave before falling still in a pool or her own blood. Her eyes wide, dull and lifeless.

Five knelt there beside her, hands hitting the ground that should've touched her.

"What is going on?" He mumbled, falling backwards just as the floor beneath him gave way and he was falling once again in that dark abyss— but the hands gripping his told him he was right back where he needed to be.

••••

lol idk what this chapter is but i missed writing about them so now this exists while we patiently wait for season two

anyways have a nice life

byeee