The Boy and The Psycho

Changes

"Hazel, whatever you came here to say, I suggest you make it quick, before he comes round." Five says and he guides me back to our seat.

"I left my partner, quit the Commission, came to volunteer."

"For what?" I ask him as I pick up my drink and take a sip.

"To help stop the apocalypse."

Five chuckles as he sips his drink. "Hm."

"What on earth could be so funny to you right now?" Hazel asks.

"Before I answer that, why do you wanna help us?" Five asks him.

"Let's just say I have a vested interest in a doughnut shop."

"Well, I hate to break it to you, pal, but you're a day late and a dollar short. The fast that you're here right now means, without a shadow of a doubt, that the apocalypse is over."

"Really? How do you know?"

"The mark is dead. Found him this morning." I explain to him.

"You were the last known unknown left in the equation." Five adds.

Hazel chuckles. "Shit. Really?"

"Mm-hmm. And if you're out, then Hellrider ain't riding." Five says as he sets his cup down.

"Oh!" Hazel takes a deep breath.

"All right." He begins laughing and picks up his drink I made him and takes a seat beside Five.

He exhales and gulps down his drink.

"Oh!" He says as he sets his empty glass onto the counter.

"So now what?" He asks.

"You know, to be honest, I don't know. I've been chasing this thing for so long, I... I never really thought about the day after. I don't know." Five says.

"What about you?" I ask Hazel.

"I'm done with all this madness. Time to start over. You two should too."

"That's easier said than done." Five says taking another drink from his glass.

"It doesn't have to be hard. I mean, think about it like this. If you never time traveled, you never got caught up with the Handler, what would've happened?"

"I would have moved away and married Fiona, had a kid, and had a normal life. It would have been nice to be a normal person with a normal childhood and... and an even more normal life." Five explains as he stares into my eyes.

I smile and pull Five in for a long kiss tasting the alcohol on his lips. We pull apart and lean our foreheads together while staring into each other's eyes.

"Well, there you go. Now you can grow up." Hazel says pulling us away from our moment together.

"Good luck." Hazel gets up from his stool and begins to leave.

"Hazel. One more thing before you go." I stop Hazel in his tracks.

"Shoot." Hazel says as he looks at me.

"Which one of you was the trigger man for Detective Patch?" I ask.

"Trigger woman."

I sigh. "Huh. That's too bad. That gun could have cleared my brother's name."

"Well, today's your lucky day, missy." Hazel pulls two guns from his belt.

"Take 'em both. I'm done with this life."