The cold air suffocated those that mourned the loss of Vanya Hargreeves.

Allison let a tear stream down her flushed cheeks as she felt a firm hand upon her shoulder. She looked up seeing Luther's smiling face. She jerked away from his touch. She could feel the throbbing in her throat return, painfully.

Five limped his way over to the grave and silently gave his condolences. He didn't want it to end in her death. He never wanted anyone to die. He just wanted her to be free from the pain she inflicted upon herself and the world. Now she was free.

Allison cleared her sore throat and stepped up to the grave. "She really loved music. It was the only thing that really understood her. The faces she would make, and how happy she felt when she played." Allison whispered in a horse voice. Her eyes showed signs of deep reminiscence.

Allison set her violin in Vanya's grave and wiped away her tears.

Five shoved his small, prepubescent hands in his pockets.
"She took one for the team." He acknowledged.

"Took one for the team?" Diego asked, sarcastically. "She was murdered." He stated.

"The correct term is, 'sacrificed'. And it was for the safety of the ENTIRE world, she knew that and acknowledged it." Five replied.
"That doesn't mean it hurt her any less." Allison whispered, obviously attempting to sound angry.

"Well, it happened the way it happened. It was her life, or billions of others. We had to be prepared and we were. Just like Luther said." Five snapped, cocking his head with a cheeky smile.

"You little shit!" Diego yelled and started walking towards Five, but found himself being pushed back by Luther. "Not now." Luther warned, hand on Diego's muscular chest.
Five let his countenace soften and looked towards the grave that was in the ground, about to be crushed by pounds of dirt.
"I am gravely sympathetic towards her death. This wasn't a part of my plan. But it happened, and that's just how it is." Five said.

"Can't you change it?" Allison asked, walking towards him.
"Change it?" Five questioned.
"Yeah, go back in time and fix it?" She hoped.

Five shook his head and walked over to Delores who was wearing a black shirt and black hat for the funeral. She was sitting in a chair over by the corner, and he knew better than to leave her alone for too long.

"What? Why not?" Allison pressed, chasing him to Delores's direction.

Five picked Delores up and caressed her head. "If I did that there would be an apocalypse. No matter what, as long as she's alive the world will die." Five said.

"But we can help her, tell her we love her!" Allison raised her voice regretfully, feeling a sharp pain shoot through her neck and head.
"We could. But in the end, fate is fate. Dear old Daddy wasn't afraid of her for no reason." Five gave a solemn look. She was really a ticking time bomb. As long as she lived, no one else would. It was simple, yet so frustrating.

He corrugated his eyebrows and looked at them all. "You know, instead of blaming me, you should take a look in the mirror. The damn book she wrote that pissed you all off for some reason? She was proud of that, as you guys should have been. The first time she does something independently and she gets ridiculed for it. That's why she's a bomb." He made sure to look at each member with his sharp bold eyes, and stomped away back into the house.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"They just don't understand, Delores." Five ranted, pacing back and forth with a bottle of moonshine in his hand.
"Of course I want her back!" He looked in her direction. "How could you say that?" He paused and thought. "Okay, okay. You're right." He said in defeat. "No, no. I get it. You're always right, Delores." He put a hand up in defense.

"Five?" Allison asked aloud, hearing Five's voice. She knew he was talking to Delores. Luther followed behind her, watching the scene as well. They all kind of felt bad for him. Talking to Delores as if she were real, feeling like that's the only thing you have. He must've been or is so lonely.

Five turned around to face the two, taking another sip of his alcoholic beverage.
"Who're you talking to?" She slowly eased up close to him.

"Delores." He gestured to his beautiful lady on the couch.
"You know she doesn't talk right?" She asked with a small laugh.

"She's just shy. She also gets really jealous when I'm around other females." He paused in remembrance. "30 years and she still doesn't trust me." He shook his head. "But I still love her." He smiled.

Allison looked at him in scrutiny, wondering how mentally unstable this boy/man really is.
"No, Five. Really. She can't talk. She's not real." Allison didn't know if he was going to be upset hearing this or not.

"Why isn't she real? She's real enough for me." Five sounded a little startled at her perseverance with this topic.

"Five-" Allison was cut off by Luther's hand on her shoulder indicating that it was a sensative subject and she needed to stop.
"I'm sorry." Allison shook her head.

Five smiled. "You know. You people complain so much about being alone, being in so much bullshit all the time. You don't know the half of it. You're all so oblivious to everything and you all think your problems are the worst.
Delores is all I have. She's been there for me through everything. When I was alone in the future, when I came back, when I was too weak to continue. None of you have been there or cared enough about anyone but yourselves to stop and think about how other people feel. Which is exactly why Vanya was the way she was." He ranted and threw his bottle behind him.
He picked up Delores and walked away from the two.
"He's right." Allison whispered. "No, he's not. He's just mad right now." Luther reassured. "No. He's right." Allison didn't look at Luther and stood up making a dramatic leave.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Delores, you know I love you. Stop saying that." Five sighed and put a hand over his face.
"You're driving me crazy!" He whisper yelled. "No, no, no. Delores, I didn't mean it." He gave a sympathetic look.

"You're the only woman for me, Delores." He smiled and rubbed her head. A soft knock was heard at the door.

"Five?" Asked a voice. Five turned and saw Diego standing in the door. "Family meeting." He said sternly, obviously still upset at Five.
"Can't you see I'm in an argument right now!" Five snapped.
"Delores, calm down!" He yelled, but then widened his eyes.
"Oh, no. I'm sorry Delores, don't cry. I didn't mean it, I'm just a little irritated." He slammed down on his knees and cupped her face in his hands. "Don't be upset. I hate it when you're upset." He whined.
"Fine! Be that way then!" He yanks away from her and walked towards Diego. "Family meeting it is." He smiled and pushed past him.

Diego stood there wide eyed. He knew the mannequin was important to him, but didn't think it was this serious. This was just weird. Five really was a psycho. He walked over to Delores and bent down, staring into her painted on eyes. He felt like they were looking into his soul. How could he have any type of romantic feelings for this creepy thing? He shivered at the thought and reached out a finger to poke it on the head. He touched it and immediately jumped back at the contact. This thing was creepy as hell. He slowly backed away and walked fastly out of the door and down the stairs.

Five flew down on the couch with his flexible body. "I remember when I couldn't do things like that, when my body was old and cramping. Sometimes I'm glad I'm 13 again." He smiled widely and threw his legs on the couch to get comfy.
"We have some things to talk about." Luther stated loudly. He knew how to project his voice when he wanted to.

"Proceed." Five said. "With EVERYONE." Said Luther, eyeballing every member of the family.

"Vanya is gone, but so is the apocalypse. We need to move on, and try to be better than before. We need to LIVE. We need to help each other. There are some issues that haven't been brought into the light and they need to be. Like," he paused. "Five's fear of being alone again and weird a attachment to an inanimate object. Or Klaus's drug addiction and why he even uses. We haven't been the best family, we haven't been there much for each other, but here is where it starts. Now. We couldn't help Vanya, but we can help each other." He looked at each unsure eye in the family.

"Okay, that's enough for me." Five said. He stood up about to transport himself elsewhere. "Five. You said it yourself. We have been pretty selfish." Luther said.
"It's great that you're looking into your self centered flaws, but that has nothing to do with me."
Luther smiled and began walking up stairs to Five's bedroom. He laid eyes on Delores and wrapped his big hands around her.

He returned down the stairs and made eye contact with Five as he swung Delores around his back and in view. "Do you want her to die?" Luther warned.

"You are such an asshole." Five glared. "Put her down. Now. " Five gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.
"No. Stay and talk and I'll let her go." Luther cocked his head.

Five sat back down eyeballing Luther's every move. "Give her back." Five said.
Luther set her down and gave a sympathetic look.
"We're a family, Five. We just want to start acting like it again." His voice softened.

"That's got nothing to do with me."
"You came back to save us for a reason, I know you care." Luther said.

He was right. Of course Five cared. He was just a cranky 58 year old who hadn't had his daily cup of coffee yet.
"Fine. Proceed." He said in defeat. He could escape if he wanted. He's defeated terrorists and assassins far more dangerous than any of his other siblings. Except Vanya of course.
"Why do you talk to Delores?" Diego asked. It wasn't out of anything but genuine curiosity. The thing was creepy.

"Because she's the only woman who understands me." He stated.
"None of you idiots could even comprehend the level of superiority she brings." He crossed his arms and stared at the wall.

"Or, 45 years alone did some damage on that wacko brain of yours." Diego commented.

"This has nothing to do with my isolation or my mental state. My brain might not have been properly advanced in the subject of love or my teenage years, and isolation might do wicked things to the brain, but that doesn't decrease my knowledge in reality. She's the only one that makes me feel less alone. Simple as that." Five crossed his leg over the other and gave a crooked smile. Usually he wouldn't he so open about his feelings on things, but he'd do anything to get Delores and leave this place.

"Tell them the things you told me about your past." Luther said.

"Is that a command, number one?" He asked, cockily.

"Yes." Luther said.
"I was a hitman. The best. My former employer was The Handler. She hired me to be an assassin and I had a 5 year contract, but I broke it to prevent the apocalypse. She came to me and offered me a job and I was so desperate that I said yes. Anything was better than spending the rest of my years in that place. I killed so many people. But what they didn't know is I was plotting a plan the entire time. Before I had to shoot John F. Kennedy, I created a portal and found my way back here. She told me it was fate, that it was inevitable. The world was destined to die. But I changed it. She didn't care that I broke the contract, she didn't want me to stop it. I had to leave Delores behind, but I found her again." He looks in her direction.

"It's become sort of a game, the Handler and I. To sort of...one up each other, I suppose. To out do one another, to surprise each other." He smiled remembering her. "She's such a cunt." He said.

"YOU killed John F. Kennedy?" Allison asked in surprise.
"Of course not. I said BEFORE. You guys should listen more. I left before I had to." He said.

"An assassin?" Diego asked in surprise. He was impressed.

"Highly appreciated assassin, might I add." Five corrected.

"Damn." Diego rubbed his chin in thought.

"Did you kill anyone important?"
Klaus asked, jumping up in question.

"Irrelevant. Any other last bit of privacy you guys would like to shred apart?" His sarcastic tone drenched every word.

Everyone was silent for a moment. The noise in the room had been kidnapped and replaced with an unavoidable silence.
"Did you ever fuck her?" Klaus chimed in.

"What?" Five felt an uncomfortable feeling arise in his stomach.

"Delores. I mean." He scoffed,"you must've gotten horny at one point, right?"

Five's eyes widened in horror.
"I fail to understand how that's any of your business. To answer your question, no. I didn't FUCK her." He spat.

Klaus began in a fit of laughter.
"He totally did!" He accused Five and began pointing at him.

"I did not." He defended and slapped his finger away.
Klaus made a skeptical face.
"Then, why do you look so suspicious?"

Five corrugated his eyebrows and sighed. "I don't. "

Klaus scooted closer to him.
"Are you a virgin?"

Five stopped looking at the wall and looked down at his small hands. "No." He said in a low voice.

"No?" Klaus made an 'O' face and put his hands to his mouth. "Oohh." He squealed. "I love gossip! Spill the tea, girl." Klaus said.

Five blinked slowly and twiddled his fingers. "Again. Irrelevant." He avoided the question.
"No,no,no. Finish the answer!" Klaus pushed.

"I never started the answer." He replied lazily. He was getting bored with this. If he ever told them who it was, they would laugh.

"Oh come on, bud. You can tell your big ole brother. I'm a reliable source." He creepily smiled.

Five raised an eyebrow and looked him up and down. "Highly doubtful." He said.
Klaus opened his mouth widely in shock. "I'm completely, UTTERLY flabbergasted. To think. My little bitty wee brother doesn't trust ME. The thought hurts. It hurts right," he put his hand over his heart. "Here." He finished, blinking dramatically.

"You thought right for once." Five concluded.
"Come on. Pweeaassee?" Klaus scooted closer to his face.
Five slapped his face. "Ow! What the fuck man!" Klaus yelled.
"Butt out." Five said.

"Oh come on! Just tell me!"
"Guys! You're missing the point of this meeting!" Luther's loud voice boomed.

"He started it and I wanna hear the rest!" Klaus ignored Luther's protests and pestered Five some more.

"You're going to drive him away, Klaus." Luther said.

"Correct." Five agreed.
"Okay, okay. Can I guess?" He hoped, batting his eyes.

"You won't guess it." Five smiled, sarcastically.

"Try me." He 'hmm'd' for a moment and spoke, "Okay, so it's NOT Delores?" He meant it as a statement, but asked it instead.

"I'm not telling you who it is, Klaus." Five said.

"Okay, I'll take that as a no." He tapped his chin. "How old were you when it happened?" Klaus asked.

"58." He responded bitterly.

"58? Damn. Isn't Delores jealous?" Klaus touched her bald head and rubbed it. "Shame. On. Him." Klaus mocked to her face.

"Stop touching her, asshole. We talked about it." Five began tapping his foot uncontrollably, obviously getting irritated.

"Must've been someone older then, huh?" He paused. "Was it someone you worked with perhaps?" He tapped his chin.
Five flinched at the mention of his employer and mentally slapped himself.
"Oh?" Klaus laughed. "Did I...strike a cord?" Five was silent and Klaus took that as a yes. "Oh! I did! Who was it? The woman you were talking about that offered you a job?" He asked. Five looked at him and rolled his eyes.

"Yes! It was, wasn't it? Damn, I'm good." He seemed pretty satisfied with himself.
"Can we move on?" Five interrupted his laughing session.

"I'm good now." Klaus raised his hands up in defense at Luther's glare.

"Okay. Now that that's out of the way-"
"Can I just ask? If you two fucked, why did she try to kill you? What happened?" Klaus interrupted and ignored the Luther. He sassily propped his head up on his hand and his other hand on his hip.

Five sighed and shifted away from Klaus. "My relationship with her is a very complicated one. You kids wouldn't understand." He said.

"Oh, come on grandpa." Klaus punched his arm playfully.
"I did what I had to do. The reason I was the best was because I was so selfish and I did things without mercy. I didn't stop to think about how wrong it was. I thought about the plan only." Five huffed loudly.

"What did you do?" That intrigued not only Klaus this time, but everyone in the house.

"I seduced her. Then I dumped her when I left my contract. I got advantages from using her, she didn't suspect it. I one upped her. Then, when I left she probably would've just recruited me again or made a deal with me had I not have done that to her, especially due to my extraordinary skills in assassination. She never wanted me to work for her again. She wanted to use me like I used her. She wanted me to let the world end and let you all die."

"Damn! Five, you are a lady killer!"
"Holy shit!" They all laughed at him. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Allison laughed.

"I did many things. Many unfortunate things to get back to you guys. You should be grateful." He advised.

"We are." They agreed.

TBC...