𝐖𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 ━ five hargreeves

14│UNFORTUNATELY, I AM ALIVE

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❛ ᴡᴀsᴛᴇʟᴀɴᴅs ᴏғ ᴛɪᴍᴇ​​​​​​​​​​. ❜ ° . ༄
- ͙۪۪˚   ▎❛ 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 ❜   ▎˚ ͙۪۪̥◌
»»————- ꒰ ᴜɴғᴏʀᴛᴜɴᴀᴛᴇʟʏ,
ɪ ᴀᴍ ᴀʟɪᴠᴇ ꒱


❝ JESUS CHRIST, DID
I DIE AGAIN? ❞

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Chaos reigned in the Hargreeves' sitting room. Just as Dolores' body fell to the floor, Diego leapt up as he protested loudly over his sister's actions. The Sparrows' Dolores looked at her limp counterpart with wide eyes while Ben glanced behind him to see if the Dolores that he knew was still standing. Even Luther jumped to the brunette's immediate defense. The only ones who remained surprisingly unvocal were Five and Lila.

The boy slid off the couch so that he knelt next to the girl's body, deaf to his sibling's brewing argument with Allison. His lungs squeezed against his chest as the room seemed to close in until it was just the two of them. His hands shook badly as he pulled the girl into his lap and his fingers fumbled around her neck as he tried to find her pulse. A steadier, more sure hand entered his vision and two slender fingers pressed against Dolores' skin.

Upon seeing the boy's instant panic, Lila had sunk down to the floor next to him. Like she had with his one-hundred-year-old self, she remained calm as she searched for a sign of life. However, unlike several hours ago, her voice held more sympathy in it as she announced: "she's dead, Five. I'm. . . sorry."

He shook his head frantically, hardly able to breathe as he clutched his wife to him. "I-I. . . I can't. . ." I can't fail her again. "This was supposed to work. I didn't push her away. I changed the loop."

You'll. . . lose her. . . just like I did.

His own voice echoed in his ears, the old man's rasp taunting him from beyond the grave.

So you wouldn't try to reverse time for someone you love?

Dolores' question from long ago followed quickly after, washing over his derisive words as soothing as a balm. He'd answered negatively back then, having been in denial about his feelings for her. Now, he would respond yes. Yes, of course I would. Yes, yes, yes— a thousand times yes.

The scene from not even a week ago returned: of her body falling limp against his, his aid as he helped her to the floor— the grief that followed after that had threatened to drown him, just as it was doing now. But then— he'd reversed time. He'd brought his siblings back and just a few seconds had been enough. Allison had used her powers less than a minute ago—

Blue sparked around Five's hands as he curled them into fists.

I've already cheated death twice and lived to tell the tale, which is more than any of you have [. . .] I don't have any special tricks except for knowing someone who can reverse time.

Sometimes, he thought that Dolores had too much faith in him. How could she believe that his powers would work every time that he needed them to? Like now, when they flickered into life for a short amount of time but fizzled out before he could reverse time around her. Desperation seeped into his skin as he continued to fail— his mind was whirling with all the what-ifs: what if he couldn't bring her back? What if her death was permanent? What if, what if, what if. . .

"DAMN IT!"

The shout of frustration escaped his lips and he released his fists to wrap them around the girl. He pulled her cooling body closer to his, refusing to give her up even as he failed to save her. You'll lose her just like I did!