𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 ~ 𝘚𝘭𝘰𝘢𝘯𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘴

~ 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙏𝙬𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙮 𝙎𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣: 𝘼𝙞𝙢 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙈𝙮 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩, 𝙂𝙤 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝘽𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙 ~

Sloane stared out the window of the honeymoon suite, hearing the rumbles and growls of the kugelblitz from outside the window. Many of the Hargreeves considered it a ticking time bomb, but for Sloane, it was like a sleeping beast that could awaken at any moment and end the world in the blink of an eye. She tried not to think about her impending doom while Astrid sat on the bed in silence, still pondering whether or not they should stay or risk their lives to reset the universe. "Can you say something, please?" Sloane pleaded. "What else is there to say?" Astrid questioned. "We have to make a choice, and no matter what we choose, its going to affect everybody else," Astrid covered her face.

"I'm scared, Trid. What if we go into Oblivion, and I lose you? Or the other way around?" Sloane sniffed. "I can't live like that," Hearing the sorrow and sadness in her wife's voice made a lump form in Astrid's throat. "Hey, come here," Astrid patted the bed. Without hesitation, Sloane sat at Astrid's side, resting her head against her shoulder as she felt the tears run down her cheeks. "Listen, I can't lose you either, Sloane. Do I wish we had more time to be married? Absolutely. Do I want to have a future with you? 100 percent, I do. But we have no idea what's on the other side with that guardian. I'd rather know we're both safe in each other's arms than go through the unthinkable," Astrid admitted as she ran her fingers through Sloane's hair.

"I want that too," Sloane nodded, wiping her tears. "So... we're voting to stay?" She double-checked. Astrid nodded, confirming that was the best decision for them. Astrid swallowed the lump like a bitter pill and kissed Sloane's cheek. "I'm gonna head to the wine cellar," Sloane left the room, her footsteps echoing down the hall. Left alone with her thoughts, Astrid pulled back the curtains and sat in one of the white fluffy chairs. As she started to settle back in, she heard footsteps enter the room, but instead of Sloane returning with the finest wine she could get her hands on, it was Five.

"Hey," he stepped into the room, digging his hands into his pockets. "Hey, how long do we have left?" Astrid asked. "A couple of hours. Could be more, could be less," Five responded. "Where's Sloane?" he asked. "Raiding the wine cellar for our end-of-the-world party," Astrid sadly smiled. 
"So I guess you guys know which way you're voting," The time traveler said, taking the empty seat across from her. "You know you're more than welcome to join us, right?" Astrid spoke. "I'm still on the fence on that one. I saw something last night that I was not supposed to see," Five explained.

"Was it Diego and Lila? I saw them doing it on the stairs last night," Astrid inquired. "No, I saw Dad. He was in his room with someone, making some deal," Five clarified. "And before you ask, I don't know what the deal was or who it was with. Everything is a blur," "It wasn't me or Sloane. We were busy doing other things last night," Astrid chuckled. "Yeah, I get it, Triddy. Thank you. Everyone was boning last night," Five cringed. 

Astrid's face contorted with confusion, trying to recall if either Five or Ben hooked up with someone last night. "I remember hearing you screaming while running down the hall," Astrid remembered. "Focus, please," Five snapped her out of it. "That story about the bells? There's something Dad's not telling us. Think about it. When has the old man ever been straight with us?" Five asked. "I don't know. He was always ruthless in our performance reviews," Astrid shrugged. "He always gave me five stars," Five muttered. "Really?" Astrid's brow quirked up. "Look, I'm old enough to trust my instinct, and it's telling me this is a trap," Five warned. "Just some food for thought,"

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