It's finally here! The big revelation that I'm sure all of you saw coming! It's a little longer than the other chapters, but I think it could be worth it as we take a trip down memory lane with Five. Also, the layout of this one will be a little different. You'll see why. Please, let me know what you think.

"Remind me why we are in Italy when the note clearly said she would be in Vienna."

Diego rolled his eyes, one hand gently on her back as he allowed Lila to pass ahead of him through the throngs of people. "Because if we hadn't followed him, he'd left on his own and we would all be stuck chasing both him and the Handler," he said for the eleventh time, "And since the Handler is looking for Five, you're more likely to get to her if you come with us than you are if you left." It was far warmer in Verona than it had been in Vienna, for which Diego was grateful. He didn't love the amount of people they'd been pushing through in the hour since they'd arrived, but he was at least not freezing his ass off anymore. "I thought women were supposed to love this bullshit," he continued teasingly, "I mean, Romeo and Juliet, Italy being one of the top honeymoon destinations in the world, fine wine."

"Romeo and Juliet die in the end and I'm a pint kind of girl," Lila retorted, weaving in and out of the crowd in a desperate attempt to keep up with the others, "So unless you're suggesting that we're on a honeymoon, I don't see the appeal." Looking back, she laughed. Diego's face was as red as it could possibly get. Too easy. He was easier to ruffle than his brothers and that made the whole ally thing so much more fun. Five usually had a biting remark ready at all times, and from what she could tell from the one with the eyeliner and the leather jacket one, they were far too preoccupied with driving one another crazy for her to even have to try. Gorilla Boy was, quite frankly, huge and terrifying and not worth it. "Don't worry, Stabby, I'm a classy girl," she stated, "You'd have to at least kiss me before I marry you."

Ahead of them, Five made a turn so sharp that had the rest of them turning back as they walked right past him. He stood in the courtyard of Casa di Giulietta. Juliet's House, a tourist trap based on William Shakespeare's famous story of star-crossed lovers. Fuck. He'd loved her. His head was pounding. He'd loved her. Around him, lovestruck fools and Shakespeare buffs shuffled past him. Behind him, his siblings were calling his name. All the memories were coming back. Needing confirmation, physical affirmation that he wasn't insane, he pushed forward. He shoved through the masses, heading for the gate with the locks. He'd loved her. As though it had happened just the day before, he remembered where they had hung the lock. He dove for it, seeing the engraved initials. His and hers. Fuck, his head was hurting. He couldn't breathe.

Bewildered, Allison watched her brother's numb expression. There was something in his eyes. An agony unlike any she'd ever witnessed before. She blinked several times when he suddenly moved away from the packed courtyard, sweeping past them without as much as a glance in their direction. If Luther, who was larger than everyone, hadn't immediately followed Five, they would've lost him in the crowd. Grabbing Vanya and Ben's hands she followed. Klaus barely caught Vanya and Diego followed quickly with Lila.

They caught up to Five on an empty side street, where he was clutching at his hair, hyperventilating. Vanya reached out for him. He flinched away. Goddamnit, every little sound was like a blow to the head. He couldn't breathe. Why couldn't he breathe? Where was the world going? It wasn't supposed to get dark for several more hours.

Diego barely had time to rush forward and soften Five's fall, all of them calling their brother's name as he crumpled.

When he opened his eyes, he stood in the hallway with the entrances again. The one at the end of the hall reminded him of the trips he'd taken to Machu Picchu. A beautifully preserved stone wall with simple gaps for windows and doorways. He reached out, fingertips lingering against the cool surface as he stepped through. A blinding light then…

He leaned against the wall, watching with a smile on his face as the girl he vowed to marry one day spun around. Her eyes were wide, eager to take in every single detail. "Are you going to walk around or just keep standing there," he asked dryly, "We don't have forever, you know?"

She turned to him, high cheekbones tinged red with excitement. "I know, I promise," she replied happily, "I just can't believe I finally get to see it!" She grabbed him by the hand, tugging him along as she told him everything and anything she could recall reading about the history of the abandoned city. "When the Spanish colonized South America, they never discovered Machu Picchu, which was an Incan city, leaving it untouched to be discovered many years later," she told him with a wide smile, "While no one is exactly sure, it is believed that the city was built circa 1440."

"Fascinating," he replied calmly, smirking when she glared playfully, "Absolutely fascinating."

Five blinked. She'd been so happy, so pleased to see all of the places around the world she'd never imagined ever being allowed to travel. A sharp feeling in his chest. He missed her. So much. Staring at the new door, he was blown away by the intricately painted hieroglyphs and images. Above the doors, the eye of Horus looked down at him. Protecting the memory behind them. He ran his fingers over the ornate pictures, as entranced with the ancient form of communication as he was with the girl who introduced him to it. He could feel the burning heat of Egypt through the painted images.

They stood between the giant statue's paws, looking up at the slowly deteriorating face. "Why would someone waste their time building something like this," he asked acerbically, "It's a pile of rock that serves absolutely no purpose." She looked at him, disappointment glittering in her eyes, and he felt a strong urge to punch himself. He hadn't meant to sound so… critical. It was hot, she was pretty, he wasn't thinking straight. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, nodding toward the Sphinx, "Tell me why they built it."

"They're not exactly sure," she replied, still frosty, "It's believed that the Sphinx was built to be the guardian of the Pharaoh Khafre's final resting place, which is pretty cool." She pointed to the three pyramids, lacking the enthusiasm she usually had when he took her to the sights around the world she'd always wanted to see. Turning back to the Sphinx, she smiled sadly. "It's pretty damaged and no one can really figure out why, though there are those who hypothesize that when it was dug out, it could no longer be preserved as it had been before."

He reached out to squeeze her hand. The gesture was enough to warm her brilliant smile back to life. "Any other knowledge you'd be willing to bestow?"

"The Great Pyramid contains this chamber where there's a sarcophagus that belonged to some pharaoh way back when."

His stomach clenched. She was a history geek, excited to see one of the historical wonders of the world, and he'd been a dick about it. Five found himself infinitely grateful for her knowledge of the landmarks, as it had saved his and his family's life since they left the future. He vowed to himself that if he saw her again… when he saw her again, he'd take her anywhere she wanted to go and not utter a word of complaint. If she was willing to put up with him, she deserved the world and then some.

No longer as cautious as he'd been during his previous visits to the strange hallway of his subconscious, he studied the doorway in front of him with a fond smile. He'd seen a lot of beautiful places at just thirteen. Because of her. She'd shown him the world. The particular entrance before him looked like the one he and his siblings had dived into to hide from the monks. Barely hesitating, he stepped through.

"I'm confused," he stated, "When was this built and why?"

She rolled her eyes. "Back when Angkor Wat was built, it was the height of the Khmer Empire, which didn't just include Cambodia but also parts of Vietnam and Laos," she told him patiently, "It started out as a temple in honor of the Hindu god Vishnu, but it became a Buddhist temple in its later days."

He nodded slowly and she laughed, patting his cheek sweetly. He held her gaze, hoping she could see what he wasn't ready to say out loud yet.

Unbelievable. He could've told her then. But he hadn't. And, considering how everything in his life was going, he might never get a chance to rectify that mistake. He still felt it. How couldn't he? He still remembered opening that first door, the one leading him to see himself finding Delores. He'd called her Sun. He'd projected his feelings onto a mannequin, while his subconscious protected those precious, priceless memories from being corrupted by the madness he obtained in the apocalypse. Fury boiled inside of him as he punched in front of him, knuckles crashing into slippery, moss-covered rock.

Five lay in the grass on his back, a comforting weight resting on his chest. He looked up. Sparkling, whiskey eyes gazed down at him, framed by long, dark lashes. They filled his entire vision, he was drowning in happiness and flecks of gold. Their noses touched. A laugh, genuine and joyful, reached his ears. His own. A gentle caress over his cheekbone. "I never want to leave this place."

"Me neither, but there are still so many places around the world to see."

His hands dove into tresses he couldn't see. His entire world was confined to the whiskey eyes above him. "I'll take you there," he vowed, "Wherever you want to go." Another laugh. His eyes closed as their foreheads met. He could feel her smile and it made him smile in turn. "Tell me about this place."

"Because we white folks have a tendency to ignore the real history of places, the Victoria Falls were named after Queen Victoria of Britain by David Livingstone, the first European to set eyes on it," she said, lips just barely fingers combing through his hair as she spoke, "It's pretty commonly called Mosi-oa-Tunya, which means The Smoke That Thunders."

The next entrance confused him. Following a logical order, he should've been looking at a door that led him to Ibiza. But the massive, mahogany double doors were smooth, polished, and decorated with gold, looking like they belonged to a mansion the likes of which not even Reginald Hargreeves would ever be able to afford. Frowning, he pushed them open.

He looked down at her, eyebrows raised. "Why are we not halfway across the world right now?" It wasn't that he was complaining. It was just odd to see her reading in front of the fire rather than jumping with excitement at the prospect of having him take them to some historical monument or beautiful place.

"I can't think of anywhere to go."

"Someone better call the national news channels," he teased.

She shook her head, an exasperated smile on her face. "I've always wanted to go to Ibiza," she said, not taking her eyes off of the words in front of her, "You know, to see if it's worth the hype." Shrugging, she turned the page. "No point in that since we're not actually old enough to get the full experience."

And, well, he couldn't argue with that.

That explained why he had no memories of visiting Ibiza. They'd never actually gone there. He couldn't help the grin on his face as he surveyed the door leading to his next trip down memory lane. He recognized it, remembered the flashback he'd gotten pushing it open in Douro. So he did it again, allowing himself to be swept into the warmth of remembrance.

"Explain to me why we're in Douro Valley, Portugal, a place known for wines we're not even old enough to drink."

"I just thought Douro sounded cool," she replied defensively, leading him along a path that took them away from the village they'd arrived in, "Speaking of, did you know that Douro has Portugal's highest wine classification?"

He shook his head, amused. He hadn't known that but wasn't surprised in the slightest that she had. The rolling hills around them, the view that got better the higher up they got… it was something. She gasped, running ahead of him into what appeared to be an abandoned winery. She opened the doors, eyes sparkling with delight.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Five looked around. It looked old and dusty, as though someone hadn't been there in years. He told his companion as much. Laughter followed his statement.

"It's a piece of a completely different culture, Five, the likes of which we might never see again."

He grinned, feeling a warm hand clasped in his own. "It is beautiful," he admitted, "And I just happen to know something else that fits that description." The fingers tangled with his tightened their grip.

"Five…"

"I mean it." Using the hand he held in his, he tugged her closer. That was his moment, he would absolutely tell her the truth about his feelings for her. Looking into her whiskey eyes… he couldn't.

Technically-older Five cursed his younger self. "You had so many chances to tell her," he scolded himself, "Why didn't you?" He didn't even need to think to know where he would be going next. The door to the diner was waiting for him. In a way, it was bittersweet. He didn't want to go back to reality, where the possibility of her being in danger because of him would become real. But if she was in danger because of him, he had to find her. His fingers barely touched the wooden surface before he was swept away.

Both of their desserts lay forgotten on the table as she gazed out the window while he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"Vienna," she said faintly, "My parents met here, and they got married here too."

Married in Vienna? To her? Not his worst plan. In fact, it might just be in the top three, just after defying his father by going to visit her even when he wasn't scheduled to and falling in love with her.

"Five?"

Warm, smooth fingertips traced over his cheekbone delicately, and he reached up to entangle her frail fingers with his. He turned his head, pressing the faintest of kisses to the inside of her wrist. "One day, we'll come back here," he whispered, "It'll just be us, you and me."

"It's just us now."

"And I never want that to change."

He remembered the way she looked at him. With startling clarity, Five understood that she'd heard what he'd said to her, that the underlying tones hadn't been hidden from her. She knew. He loved her. He wanted to marry her. He had to find her. The thought motivated him, had him moving toward the next entrance before it had even fully materialized. Verona would be the last stop on his path to consciousness. Once he woke up, he'd know where and when to go.

"I had no idea you were such a hopeless romantic," he said, "They weren't even real."

"I know that Romeo and Juliet weren't actually real people, Five," she retorted, the playful look in her eyes taking away from the tartness of her response, "But people desperately wanted to see where they supposedly lived so they came to Verona anyway, and that's how La Casa di Giulietta was created." She pulled him along farther into the courtyard. "See, they even added a balcony." With a mischievous smile, she turned back to him. In her free hand, she held a padlock, their initials engraved into the gold-colored metal. "Or don't you believe in love?"

He took the padlock from her, crouching down to click it into place on the gate among so many others. "You know I do," he whispered. He pulled her closer, their noses just barely touching. He knew that what he was about to do was something that would leave his siblings with enough ammunition to last several lifetimes. Fortunately, he thought she was worth it. "You're my Sun, you know," he said quietly, "Just as Juliet was Romeo's."

"Are you saying your world revolves around me," she asked, teasing and adoring, "Most people would say we're too young to feel so strongly."

He nodded. She was right. But he didn't care what most people thought. "O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do," he recited, "They pray; grant thou, lest faith turn to despair."

The softest of gasps slipped past her lips as she caught onto where he was going. "Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake." If she thought they'd been close before… it was nothing compared to how minimal space there was between them at that moment.

"Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take." The kiss was tentative, their faint brush of lips that of two people who were delving into territories they'd never explored before. He started to pull away, only for her to step closer, allowing just a little more pressure.

She looked up at him once they parted, whiskey boring into blue. "Deny thy father and refuse thy name; or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Lacroix."

It hit him how much like Shakespeare's written lovers they were. Though their parents got along, there was a reason Reginald Hargreeves had never allowed Five to visit her without supervision. Despite the man's close relationship with her father, Five knew his relationship with her would never be taken well.

With the feel of her lips against his still tingling, he could feel the dreamscape slip away.

His eyes flew open and he bolted upright with a gasp. "Vienna!" Five tried to stand, shaking off his siblings' attempts at keeping him down even though he was unlikely to get on his feet without help. He didn't have time for them to care. "We have to go to Vienna."

"We just came from Vienna," Lila exclaimed, "You're the one who insisted that we needed to come here, even though I have evidence that she was there when we were." She held the note out to him but he simply slapped it away. She glared at him and he glared right back.

"If you stopped thinking with your British brain, you'd know that Vienna 11/1/2002 means November 1, 2002, not January 11," he snapped, fighting down the panic building inside of him as he understood, painfully, what the Handler had found to hold against him, "Vienna doesn't mean the place, it means a person."

Vanya gasped, catching on as the name in the new context woke her own memories. "Vienna Lacroix," she breathed, "Dad was in business with her father, wasn't he?" Realization dawned on her siblings' faces. They all looked back at Five, who was pacing back and forth. "What does she have to do with all of this?"

"I was… am in love with her," he replied, preparing to open a vortex, "I traveled with her all over the world and I promised to meet with her on November 1, 2002, the day after her birthday." The swirling vortex of blue and white and grey appeared above them as his family and Lila grabbed hold of him and each other. "That's where the Handler will be waiting."