Problem Solvers

chi vivrà vedrà

Chapter 1: February 2023

Chapter by andtheny

Chapter Text

Ben was reading in the kitchen when he heard Five's voice.

Immediately, his heart started racing. He sprang up out of his chair to go looking, but then he paused.

What if it was just in his head? Wishful thinking?

It had been five months since Five disappeared. No, almost six.

Six months since both Five's disappeared.

So Ben stood still, listening carefully. He heard footsteps above his head, then a crash like something had broken.

Then Five's voice again.

"-thought... knew when..." Five was saying.

Ben could barely make it out, but it didn't matter. He started running.

There was a woman's voice too. Ben didn't recognize it. But it didn't matter.

It didn't matter because Five was somewhere in the house. Ben just needed to find him, find them, before they left again.

So he ran to the second floor and paused again on the landing. He couldn't hear them anymore. They must have been directly above the kitchen.

It took him a second to work out which room that would be.

Diego's old room!

Breathing heavily now, Ben ran down the hallway. Before he could reach the room, the door opened and a young man in a black suit and tie stepped out.

Ben stopped running.

This man... wasn't Five.

Except... he sort of was. The man was too tall, too old, to be Five... but. He had Five's face. He had Five's sheepish smile.

Five cleared his throat. "Hello."

His voice was slightly deeper than Five's.

"Hello?" Ben echoed in disbelief.

"Yes. Hello," Five said. He briefly glowed blue all over, then winced. "I am very sorry about the... the mix up. There seems to-"

"Wait!" Ben said, heart still racing, he felt his hands shaking as he struggled to hold himself still and quiet and calm.

It was important not to scare Five away. It was important to get all the facts straight.

No matter how badly Ben wanted to reach out and just grab him.

Five glowed blue again.

"Wait," Ben said, more calmly. "Hold on, hold on. Please. Just... what did I say to you? To make you re-wind?"

Five stared at him, looking almost... confused? He opened his mouth... then closed it.

Ben slowly inched closer and realized that Five wasn't just taller than he used to be... he was also taller than Ben himself, now.

"How old are you, Five?" Ben said. Best guess, Five looked like he was in his late teens. Or maybe they were the same age now?

Five glowed blue again and Ben tried not to panic.

"I see," Five said. "You've met... listen, there's no need to be alarmed. We just-"

"Oh, just kiss and hug already," the unfamiliar woman was poking her head out of Klaus's room. She had a British accent, and a mocking smile on her face. "C'mon boys. It's a family reunion!"