They were in the kitchen again, Five desperately searching for some coffee. Klaus had recently joined them (with an electric guitar for some reason) but he didn't seem to be in the mood for playing or talking. So he and Elizabeth quietly sat at the table, both sunk into their own thoughts. Allison came in, asking for Vanya. "Oh, she's gone." Klaus answered. "That's unfortunate." Five said, to what Allison agreed and Elizabeth looked at her husband, questioning if he had really meant his sister already going home.

"An entire square block. 42 bedrooms, 19 bathrooms; but no, not a single drop of coffee." He then growled and Elizabeth had to suppress a smile. She should have known. If there was one fault Five had (aside from his ego higher than the Mount Everest) it was his addiction to coffee. And it had already been hours since his last cup. "Dad hated caffeine." Allison said, making a face like this quirk should have been well known to her brother. "Well, he hated children, too, and he had plenty of us." Klaus sniggered, then suddenly stopped. The siblings looked at each other, the atmosphere awkward. Then Fives gaze flit to Elizabeth. "We're taking the car." He said and Elizabeth stood up. It seemed like their break was over.

"Where are you going?" Klaus asked curiously. Five only glared at at his brother, annoyed. "What do you care?" He asked, his tone challenging. After so many years of only having to justify himself to his wife, the prospect of now having to constantly do it with his family again was unnerving. He was a grown man, damn it. The oldest of them now, even.

The silence continued for a few more beats, then Elizabeth intervened. "Only for a cup of coffee." she smiled, looking at the empty container on the table. Her gaze shifted to Five, who rolled with his eyes. "Do you even know how to drive?" Allison asked and now Five was really annoyed. Questioning his abilities was a big no-no. "I know how to do everything." He huffed, grabbing Elizabeths hand and they were gone.

They reappeared in the car of, what she assumed, Reginald Hargreeves, Five in the drivers seat. He immediately stuck in the key he had grabbed from his father's study some time before, igniting the engine and smoothly maneuvering out of the driveway. After a few moments threading the car into the traffic he looked over to his wife; having felt her intent gaze upon him. Her face, it seemed, couldn't decide if it wanted to show amusement or annoyance and now was stuck with something in between. This expression was actually quite funny and, in his opinion, very endearing. "What?" He chuckled. She sighed.

"First of, it's hilarious how you look behind the steering wheel with your current 13 year old self." She said while buckling herself. She looked at him again, now more serious. "Second, all this huffing and puffing between you and your siblings could be avoided if you simply told them the truth: that we need their help to stop the apocalypse from happening in eight days."

He came to a halt before a red traffic light. "They wouldn't listen. Not now." He said, staring through the windshield at the light. He turned his head to her. "You saw how they are today: too immersed into their own problems. One more broken and dumb than the other. If we tell them now, everyone of them at once, they won't believe us."

She thought about it. What she had seen today did seem that way. "Okay, so what do we do then? At some point we have to tell them because I don't think we can stop the apocalypse alone." The traffic light turned green. "First, we get some coffee, because I really-" He stopped when he saw Elizabeths head whip around. She stared out of her window, focusing on something outside they had just drove by. It was a house. Her house.

He felt guilt heavily crash into his chest and laid a hand on her thigh, lightly squeezing. "I promise you, Liz," He said, his eyes focused on the traffic. "The moment we know we definitely prevented the apocalypse I personally search for your family, explain to them what happened and apologize for everything I did to you. But right now-"

"Right now is not a good time." She interrupted him. She took his hand on her thigh, intertwining their fingers. "I know. Telling them won't do any good. They wouldn't be able to do anything anyway, just being worried. I just sometimes wonder..."

Back then, on the first day they had landed in the apocalypse, they had seen many corpses. The city had been full of them, as the apocalypse had seemingly happened only a day or so before. They had found the corpses of most of Fives family, though older now. Seen other people, adults and children alike, their dead bodies half buried under rubble. But they hadn't found her family when they had scoured the remnants of her own house. Of course, that could mean there just wasn't anything left of them after whatever event had, seemingly, extinguished the human race. Maybe they just hadn't been at home when it had happened.

Or they hadn't been in the city anymore... What had happened to her parents and little brother?

She squeezed his hand. "And there is nothing to forgive anymore, not from me. You know that, Five. I'm okay now with how it all turned out and I love you. I'm glad I was with you." The car slowly came to a halt and he lifted their entwined hands, kissing the back of hers. Then he looked into her eyes, pressing her hand on his cheek. "I know. And I accept it."

A smile bloomed on her lips. For outsiders this answer might seem funny; but for them, for Elizabeth, it was way more intimate than a simple "I love you too" could ever be. Because she had to work hard to make him accept her love and say so.

He let go of her hand and got out of the car, Elizabeth following. They stood across the street of a doughnut shop: Griddy's. "Whoa," Elizabeth exclaimed. "That brings back memories." She giggled. "I spent so much time here as a child." Five smirked. "You weren't the only one." He put a hand on the small of her back and together they went to the entrance. A man stepping out held open the door for them. "Thank you." Elizabeth mumbled while they walked in.

They sat down at the counter and Elizabeth looked around in wonder. It still looked like she remembered it. "I wonder if Agnes still owns the place." she asked right as Five rang the bell before them. An older man walked in, sitting down beside Five. Her husband discreetly eyed him up and down, then sighed. Dishes could be heard clattering in the kitchen.

A waitress in a pink uniform entered the room and Elizabeth perked up a little. She was older now, obviously, but it really was Agnes. "Sorry, sink was clogged." She sighed and then chuckled. She whipped out a notepad and a pen. "So, what'll it be?" She asked the older looking man. "Uh, give me a chocolate éclair." He answered.

"Mm-hmm. Sure." She mumbled while writing the order down. Then she turned to Five and Elizabeth, her gaze lingering momentarily on the girl. "Can I get the kids a glass of milk or something?" She asked the man, who she obviously thought was their guardian. Elizabeth cringed inwardly, but she couldn't fault Agnes for mistaking them for kids. After all, they did look like ones.

Five scoffed. "The kids want coffee. One black. One with milk and sugar." Agnes stared at him, not sure how to take that order that was seemingly unexpected for her. Her gaze switched to the older man again, uncomfortably chuckling "cute kid". The man who was, of course, not their father or anything, didn't know what to say. Agnes' gaze slowly wandered over to the 'kids' again and Elizabeth smiled reassuringly. When Five didn't do the same she discreetly put her hand on his thigh under the counter and he broke into a big smile - the fake, creepy one. More inward cringing on Elizabeths part.

Agnes muttered "okay" and was about to turn around when she suddenly asked Elizabeth "Do I know you?". Elizabeths face momentarily froze in shock, but when she felt Fives Hand on hers on his thigh she quickly recovered. "Ehm, no." She slowly shook her head. "I... I've never been here before." She felt terrible having to lie to Agnes, who she had considered as somewhat as a friend 45 years ago (or 17 years in this timeline), but it was better this way. Less dangerous for her. Agnes looked at her like she was not quite believing it, but then muttered another "okay".

She walked over to the coffee machine, preparing two cups. Elizabeth sighed and Five squeezed her hand again, but she gave him a look that told him "I'm okay". He then turned his head to the man sitting on his other side. "Don't remember this place being such a shithole." He sighed and Elizabeth gave him a glare he didn't see. "I used to come here as a kid. Used to sneak out with my brothers and sisters and eat doughnuts till we puked." His head turned back to Elizabeth, giving her a tender gaze that immediately stopped her glare. "Even saw my wife here for the first time." Her eyes went big and Five gave her a quick, tiny smile, then turned to the man again. "Simpler times, huh?"

The man looked between them, very obviously confused and weirded out. "Eh, I suppose." He answered after a few seconds. Agnes returned with two cups of coffee and the éclair. Handing them the coffees she also put down a couple packs of sugar and a small can of milk before them, then handed the man his ordered dessert.

Five immediately took his cup. The man took out a bill, saying "I got theirs." while handing it to the waitress, who then walked away into a back room. Five looked at him, uttering a "thanks". Then he looked at the clothes the man was wearing. The logo on his vest, to be exact. 'Ishmael's Towing 24 hour service' it read. Five put his cup back down on the counter, not having drunk anything. "You must know your way around the city." He concluded. The man looked at him surprised. "I hope so." He answered then. "I've been driving it for 20 years."

"Good. I need an address."

.

.

A few minutes later they had the address for the Gimbel Brothers department store and the man walked out. "Why did you ask him for that address?" Elizabeth asked, some annoyance evident in her voice. "Are you missing Delores that much?" She began ripping open the sugar packs, emptying them into her coffee one by one and Five chuckled. "Of course I would like to see her again." He put away the slip of paper with the address on it. "But I also noticed how you're wobbling around in those shoes." He pointed at Grace' pumps she was currently wearing. "They hurt your feet. You need new shoes, maybe some clothes that actually fit you. The department store was just the first address I could think of."

Elizabeth stopped the ripping, her eyes widening in shock. She was indeed not used to walk in high heels, but had hoped that she was able to conceal it. A task she had seemingly failed at. She blushed a little. "Do I look that awkward?" She mumbled embarrassed and Five clicked his tongue. He leaned over, giving her soft kiss on the lips. "You always look beautiful." He said and then chuckled. "Even when you're hobbling around like a three legged dog." She huffed and lightly slapped his shoulder.

Five raised his cup to his mouth to finally take a sip when the door behind them was opened. Elizabeth turned around slightly and then sighed, hoping that whatever Agnes was doing right now in the back room would take her at least another couple minutes. "How did they find us that fast?" She whispered, asking herself more than she did Five.

The guys gathered in a semicircle behind them, their guns trained at her husband only. They underestimated her. People always did. And that suited her just fine. "Hm. That was fast." Five muttered, not even looking at them. "I thought we'd have more time before they found us." Elizabeth grabbed her cup with hot coffee, humming her agreement.

The leader, a big, dark skinned guy, looked between them. "Okay. So let's all be professional about this, yeah?" He 'suggested'. "On your feet and come with us. They want to talk." Five stared at his cup. "We've got nothing to say." The guy intensified his stare, adjusting the finger on the gun trigger. "It doesn't have to go this way. You think I want to shoot kids? Go home with that on my conscience?"

"Well, I wouldn't worry about that." Five sighed, giving Elizabeth a look through the corner of his eyes. She slightly nodded her head. "You won't be going home."

Elizabeth whipped around and threw the hot coffee in her cup in the guys' face, who screamed in shock and pain. The next moment Five had teleported on his back, thrusting a butter knife into his jugular. The guy hit the floor, rapidly bleeding out, his gun going off on its own; shooting out the ceiling lights and making the place suddenly turn dark. Everyone crouched down and Elizabeth took shelter behind the counter, hoping no one had seen her in the chaos.

She quickly took off her shoes. She was more silent without the constant clicking of the heels. The other men looked around, their guns at the ready. A few broken lights blinked rapidly. Five appeared on a table at one end of the shop.

"Hey, assholes!" He shouted and they all whipped around, pointing and firing at the place he had just been at. But, of course, he was long gone. Elizabeth grabbed a big, sharp looking knife laying near the coffee machine and sneaked out of her hiding place, crouched low and staying in the shadows.

Five appeared outside the entrance door, knocking at the glass. The nearest guy turned around, having heard the knock, and Five greeted him good naturally, two fingers on his forehead. The next moment the guys' head was yanked back by his hair, Elizabeth slicing open his throat from behind in one swift, practiced movement. His blood splashed on the door and he gurgled. Then he was dead.

The men turned to her, but she had returned into the shadows, already back at the counter. One man spotted her and cocked his gun. But her husband appeared behind him, throwing (what she assumed) his tie around his neck and forced him back on a table, his head hanging down it. He pulled until he heard something cracking, having broken his neck.

When he saw Elizabeth give a signal through the corner of his eyes he immediately grabbed a pencil from the table next to him, thrusting it into the most private parts of the man that had sneaked up on him while he had been busy with his colleague. Even Elizabeth cringed at that.

A man that had approached the counter she was hiding behind again got distracted by that and she grabbed a plate, throwing it at him hard. He was hit at the head and went down. Five yanked the pencil out of the guys family jewels and instead slammed it into his left eye socket. He groaned and then went silent. Elizabeth looked around.

Only one man was left- no, two. The man hit by the plate had already recovered. They both pointed their guns at her, standing right between them, and Five ran to her, yanking her into a portal. Not a moment too late, because the next one both of them fired; though now hitting each other instead. They hit the floor and the couple reappeared.

Five unhurriedly went over to the corpse of the guy who still had his tie around his neck and unwrapped it, taking it back. While he went through the process of tying it around his own neck again Elizabeth noticed one of the guys that had just pointed their guns at her was still alive. Breathing heavily and very obviously in extreme pain.

Elizabeth sighed and went over to him. She hated it when they didn't die immediately. They killed people for a living, but that didn't mean she liked to see their victims suffering. She crouched above him and took his head, whispering a heartfelt "sorry". She quickly yanked his head to one side, breaking his neck. He was dead immediately. Then she went to get her shoes.

Five sat down at the counter, taking the knife she had killed one of the man with before and positioned it above his arm. Elizabeth dropped the shoes and grabbed his hand. "Five, what the hell!" She shouted. "What are you doing!?" He let her hold his hand, but didn't let go of the knife.

With his chin he pointed at the little machine next to him. It had a green, shining display with a point showing on it. "That's how they found us." It took a moment, but then she understood. "She has implanted a tracker into you." She mumbled, horrified. Of course, she knew that The Commission was no organization of saints. But that went too far even for them. Field agents were not tracked. Not like this.

"Why didn't you tell me!" She demanded and then stilled, immediately patting down her own arms. "Have I one in me as well?" Five sighed, turned around and pulled her to him, between his legs. "Liz, calm down." He soothed her. "The tracker was one condition that hag had put down on us. I accepted her implanting one into me but told her I would kill her slow and painfully if she even so much as laid a hand on you."

He cupped her cheek, his thumb slowly stroking. "She agreed because we are always together anyway. I never told you because you would do nothing but worry. I honestly also forgot about it pretty soon." He shrugged his shoulders and then looked around. "That is, until now." Elizabeth pouted. "Of course I would have worried!" she huffed and then took the knife from his hand. "Let me do it?" He looked at her. "Are you sure?" She nodded her head, determination clearly on her face.

He laid his arm back on the counter and she got to work. He groaned in pain, blood slowly seeping out of the fresh cut and her heart was weeping in sympathy for her husband. With every groan of his she hated that ugly, stupid hag a little bit more than already before.

Finally the tracker was out and she handed it to him, kissing his bleeding arm and then putting a towel on the wound. It hadn't been as deep as she had feared, but it would probably leave a scar. "You will let me sew that the moment I get a chance, you hear me mister?" She demanded and he chuckled. "Anything for you, Liz."

She put on her shoes and they went out, Elizabeth muttering "Poor Agnes. I wish we could help her clean up and deal with the police." Outside Five dropped the tracker in a puddle and readjusted his tie. They entered the car, Elizabeth immediately buckling herself. "Where to?" She then asked. Five started the car. "Vanya."

/

AN:

eriszun:

You kinda startled me when you already commented on my last chapter half an hour after posting it, haha. In a good way, I mean thanks for being such an avid reader and also leaving such nice comments :)

zZSweet-JasmineZz:

I'm glad that you loved it! But did Elizabeth notice Five crushing on her? We shall see ;) though I'm honestly not sure. The current Liz most likely would, as she is a 58 year old lady with lots of experience, especially regarding her own husband. But as a normal teenager who didn't know him personally? I know that I was pretty oblivious regarding love in my early teens so I'm still figuring that out as I write. It remains to be seen and I hope the result will satisfy you no matter how it turns out

RubyGemGreen:

Thanks for your comment and welcome to my FF! I hope I'm able to continue to have you like this story :)

So, how did you like the chapter, everyone? The fight scene at the end was difficult to write because, as I said, Elizabeth has no superpowers (and I promise it will stay that way) but I also want her to be able to fight for herself and not just be some kind of 'damsel in distress'. I hope it turned out somewhat okay and believable after several rewrites. Next chapter will probably start at Vanyas, but maybe I squeeze another episode about their past in between first... or I do both. Depends on how much I can write about that. Stay tuned, my awesome readers!

Lulu