Grand Theft (The Umbrella Academy)

CHAPTER FIFTY: Me-eting

The trio walked into the living room where Connor and Haddock were sipping their coffees and talking. "Hey, where are you guys heading?" Haddock asked while playing with Connor's fingers.

"To go meet Five's younger self in the timeline," Fleur responded without hesitating in her unyielding step. Connor choked on her drink. A line appeared on Fleur's forehead in question. "What?"

Connor cleared her throat. "Fleur, you can't go. I strongly advise a different plan altogether actually."

She scoffed. "Like hecketh I can't." But curiosity got the better of her and she stopped. "Why?"

She rubbed her thumb on her mug. "Because we're there," she murmured into the cup.

"Why are we there?"

There was a pause and Haddock shifted in his chair to better face her. "Why were you in '63, Consy?"

She talked slowly as if dragging out the words would put off their reactions. "It was my first year there... with the Commission..."

"Yeah. And?" Hadd ushered the story along with a wave of his hand.

"The Handler felt I was... "stable enough" to go without a partner. Lila hated me at the time. Hadd was away on a mission of his own and they were really the only matches for me if I got... like that again."

"Yeah. And?" Hadd urged again.

"And I was assigned to assassinate Kennedy because Five failed... Also to...  assassinate Number Five... I obviously didn't." Connor gestured to Five who shrugged with a nod. "Instead I decided to, um, pay him a visit while I was in town. Disguised of course."

Five furrowed his eyebrows in thought of who she might've been. "Morgan?" Five asked but in an unsure tone. She nodded. He lowered his head and sighed when understanding of the memory struck him. "I was drinking a Captain Morgan."

"We're not too great at picking names on the spot, are we?" A smile tinted Fleur's face. Connor shrugged.

"So, um, what, uh, happened between you two, or do I want to know?" Haddock asked warily.

"Well if you don't then I still do. What happened?" Fleur demanded.

"Nothing. We just talked as we'll see in a bit when we go get that briefcase." Five gently tugged his lady towards the door.

"Yeahh, Fleur, still wouldn't advise you going," Connor encouraged once again.

Fleur scoffed. "Why? I have to deal with you twenty-four seven. What's the difference? The side effects are bearable in different forms."

"The difference is that you're meeting yourself. Year one. She has no partner to keep her in check. There's the paradox. Not to mention that you'll be showing up with a second Five and as luck has it, your stories are different. Something somehow changed the timeline. Changed you. So, I'm a being out of time."

"The moment I speak she'll think I'm an imposter," Fleur softly uttered.

"Shit," Five exhaled.

"Bingo. You got lucky meeting me at the age you did." Connor took a sip of her coffee. Fleur still didn't seem like backing down. "She's had tons more training than you—Academy and Commission. You're dead meat if you go."

Fleur tapped her foot and looked at Five for reassurance on one decision or the other, but his expression didn't change. This was her decision. She took a breath to settle the nerves jumping inside her. "I'll lay low." The group started their way out.

Connor stood up from her seat. "Fleur, if you flip her switch, you better damn well know how to flip it back," she snapped with much more ferocity. "This is my life too that you're meddling with." Fleur took another rigid breath and closed the door behind the three.