< November 15th 1963 >
It was just another day of work for Kate as she slaved away in the kitchen. She was happy that she was able to get a job because for a woman in the sixties, there weren't many options, especially because of her skin tone. As much as she hated being hidden away and her work being complimented to the wrong person, she needed the money otherwise she wouldn't be able to live in this world. The sixties were an interesting place, the clothes were unique and the hairstyles were different; she tried her best to fit in but there was always a part of her that wondered where the others were. Allison had been very clear that she didn't want to leave this time, that she was happy here and she had moved on from her siblings but Kate couldn't, she hoped that they were all safe.
Little did she know that someone from her future was going to walk straight into the diner that she worked at, looking for her. Five wiped down his blazer as he pulled open the door and entered the rather crowded diner. There were people at booths, tucking into the baked goods and rows of people at the counter, waiting for their chance to try the famous foods. The owner was more than proud of his diner, taking pride in the compliments that he received and moved around the room with a confident stride. Five slipped into the last empty space at the counter and placed his elbows on the counter, waiting to be served.
It didn't take long for the man to stop in front of him, holding a notepad and smiling widely. "What can I get for you, young man?"
"What's the special today?"
"Classic cinnamon rolls, Chefs own recipe."
"I'll take a dozen." He sends a slightly terrifying smile to the man, watching as he dashed into the kitchen to grab a plate of the cinnamon rolls. It wasn't long before the plate was placed in front of him, Five tucked in and as soon as he placed the first into his mouth; he groaned in delight. Not only was the food delicious but he knew exactly who had cooked them. "Excuse me, is there any chance I could talk to the chef? I want to give my praise in person."
The man looked uncomfortable with the young boy's questions as he answered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Unfortunately, chef doesn't leave the kitchen. He's a very private person, doesn't like to be disturbed."
"No problem, I'll just head back there myself." Five shrugged as he slid off the stool and the waiter didn't seem to understand what was happening as the boy clicked his fingers and disappeared into thin air.
He had never seen anything like it before and part of him wondered if he had just imagined the boy in the diner as none of the other customers looked worried, he ran a hand over his face and shook his head. "What?"
Five was more than satisfied to see the person that he had been looking for hovering over the oven. He clapped his hands together and cheered. "I knew it!"
"Jesus Christ!" Kate squeaked, not ready for someone to interrupt her in the kitchen as she was hardly ever disturbed. It took her a moment to get her breath back, her hand placed over her chest to calm down her heart rate before her eyes widened and she recognised the boy that stood in her kitchen. "Wait, Five? Is it really you?"
"In the flesh."
"How did you find me?"
"Come on, I'd know these baked goods anywhere." He grinned, picking up a donut from the nearest plate and taking a large bite out of it, he spoke with the crumbs falling out of his mouth. "You're forgetting how many things you baked for us back in 2019, they're exceptional and I don't hand out compliments very often."
"Well, thanks." She said quietly, taking her newest bake out of the oven before it burned as she wasn't watching it as closely as usual. "It's not often that I get compliments."
His brows furrowed, pointing over his shoulder where the doors led to the diner. "What do you mean? Everyone is raving about your food."
"That's because they don't know who's making it." Kate answered, rubbing her hands down her apron so that the flour wouldn't stick to her skin. "David takes credit for everything; he owns this place and makes everyone think the chef is a man."
"That's terrible, why do you let him do that? Last time I checked you were a badass." As much as she wished that she could stand up for herself, if she placed one toe out of line then she would lose her job and she wouldn't be able to survive in this timeline. She would lose everything, so that meant that she put up with their bullshit, no matter how much she hated it. "Yeah, well, last time you saw me we were in 2019. The 60's is a completely different ball game, especially for someone like me."
"Forget about that, today is your lucky day."
"I have a feeling that you're being sarcastic."
"You'd be correct." He paused, smirking his usual smirk which was never a good thing. "The end of the world is coming."
Kate rolled her eyes at him, thinking that he was just messing with her because she knew this information. "I know, but we have plenty of time before the whole apocalypse thing happens. We're in the 60's, we have decades left."
"No, you don't understand, we've brought the apocalypse with us. In ten days, there's going to be a nuclear explosion which ends the world." Once again, he stopped for dramatic effect, feeling that it was necessary to admit that this time, he had no clues about how it happened or how to stop it from happening. "And I have no idea how to stop it."
"This sounds oddly familiar." Kate sighed, taking her hair out of the tight bun and letting it hang over her shoulders. "So, have you found the other recruits?"
Five wrung his hands together in front of him, knowing that he probably should have found his siblings first but he had no leads and the only one so far had led him to this diner. "You're actually the first one. I was hoping that you'd help me track the others down."
"Well, you're lucky that you found me first because I'm already one step ahead of you." She smiled, excited to finally show off the work that she had been doing to someone who cared and removed her apron, throwing it onto a pile on the ground.
"What are you doing?" Five asked, raising an eyebrow because he didn't understand what she was doing in such a rush.
"If it's the end of the world then I don't need my job anymore." She smiled widely, opening the back door for them to leave. She felt liberated as she stepped out of that place for the last time because as much as she loved baking, she hadn't loved being hidden away. "Come on, we need to leave before anyone notices."
Kate led the way back to her apartment; she had been embarrassed of it before because it was rather small and not really her taste but she had worked hard for it and was proud of what she had achieved. Besides, she was showing Five something important and it happened to be inside her apartment, something that he really needed and she was the only one that could help him. It made her feel powerful and important, something that she hadn't felt in a long time. She unlocked the door and allowed him to step inside first, Five glanced around the main room which served as a kitchen, dining room and lounge. He couldn't help but notice the very old-fashioned flowery wallpaper and the couch with the same matching print.
"Nice place." He acknowledged as she hung up her coat on the back of the door. "A bit more feminine than what I'd expected Diego to approve of but you always wore the pants in that relationship."
"Diego?" She repeated, her eyebrows furrowed before she realised that Five hadn't spoken to any of his siblings; he had no idea what had happened since the end of the world in 2019. "Shit, I forgot that you have no idea. Five, I haven't seen Diego since the end of the world. When I was zapped here, I didn't know if I'd ever see any of you again."
"But you said that you were one step ahead of me? What did that mean?"
Just as he asked the question, she pulled open the door to her broom cupboard and he felt everything answered by what was inside. There seemed to be some kind of shrine upon first glance but when he stepped closer, realised that this was information about his entire family. There was a map of Dallas stuck onto the wall with notes and newspaper clippings pinned around the edges. Pictures of his family in black and white form, things highlighted and scribbles where Kate had quickly made notes about things that she had heard. He couldn't believe that she had been this worried about his family, checking up on them and even trying to track him down as he saw the many notes that had question marks beside his name. His heart warmed slightly for the girl, feeling bad that she had been zapped here alone because it seemed that none of the others cared as much as she did.
"I got my job at the café, started renting this place and then used my spare time to track down everyone else." She explained, noticing his surprised expression and frowned. "What? My sister was a detective, remember? It's in my blood."
"So, you know where everyone is, why didn't you get everyone together?" He questioned, folding his arms over his chest and watching her intently; ready to work out if she was being completely honest or if he was trusting the wrong person.
"Things are more complicated than that. Klaus started a cult and has travelled the world with his teachings, even now, I have no idea what country he's in or what he's doing. Luther got into underground boxing and as much as I'd love to hunt him down, that kind of thing is super shady and I'm not comfortable getting involved in Mob work during the 60's."
He shrugged at her answer. "Understandable."
"Allison got married to a Civil Rights Protester, I actually bumped into her not long after I was zapped here. She works at a local salon and seems to be happy, she really got into local politics. Then there's Vanya, she is the odd one out, I haven't found anything about her. It's like she dropped off the face of the earth."
"And that leaves lover-boy." Five added, trying to find his brother on the map and took down the picture of Diego which had been pinned to the map. "What has brother dearest been up to?"
"Diego tried to play the hero and got himself arrested, the cops found him armed with dozens of knives and he was sent to a Psychiatric Hospital where he's resided ever since."
"Right now, he seems like our best chance. Do you know which hospital he's in?" Kate nodded, turning to her bookcase and rummaging through the random bits of paper until she found the address of the hospital. "Yeah, I have the details."
"So, if you know where he is, why haven't you visited?" He pondered, wondering whether this hospital was one to worry about or if there was a deeper reason why she hadn't been in touch with his siblings.
"Five, we're in a different time right now." She explained, feeling herself getting upset about the thought of Diego being cooped up somewhere that wasn't safe. "I tried to visit him as soon as he was admitted, but the guards told me if I ever came back then they would have me locked up for harassment. Just because of my skin colour."
"That's disgusting."
"That's the 60's." She sighed, before trying to look more hopeful. "But hey, maybe they'll have other ideas if you're with me?"
"Then what are we waiting for?" He tried to lighten the mood, sensing that Kate was getting upset because her boyfriend was hidden in a hospital that could be doing him more bad than good. "Let's get my brother out of the loony jail."
⚔️⚔️⚔️
They travelled to the institution where Diego had been held for the last few months, Kate had sometimes walked past the building and wondered whether this time she would have the chance to visit him. She had tried many times when he first got arrested but didn't get past the front desk because of the way that she looked. She hoped this time, with Five beside her, they would have better luck. They had a plan and somehow, their plans usually worked in their favour. Her eyes glanced at the gloomy looking sign for Holbrook Sanatorium and for a second, she stopped walking; Five knew that this was a big moment for her but he didn't have time for emotions. He reached out for her hand and dragged her inside, ready to convince the guards of their story.
"Miss Patch, you're back again." The man behind the desk looked at them through his small glasses that were perched on the end of his nose; he almost scoffed at her. "Weren't we clear last time you arrived what would happen if you ever came back?"
Kate gulped, not too happy with his threats as she knew what men were capable of, especially during this period. "Yes sir, perfectly clear. But I'm not here to see anyone, I'm taking care of Master Hargreeves. He's visiting his brother and as his Nanny, I have to supervise him during every activity."
"Nanny, huh? Isn't he a little old for a Nanny?"
"I'm thirteen." Five piped up, hating that he was playing up to his appearance but he had no other choice. If they wanted to get inside then their story had to be believable. "And my father is very high up in the world, we wouldn't want anything bad said about this establishment, would we?"
"Of course not, Master Hargreeves." He tried to paint a smile on his face but looked rather forced, flicking through his records. "What patient are you visiting?"
"My brother, he goes by Diego."
"Yes, you may come inside." He gestured to the door and as the two began walking towards it, he put his hand out to stop Kate. "Miss Patch, you may wait out here."
"She comes with me." Five paused, raising an eyebrow to the receptionist and acting as innocent as a thirteen boy could be. "Unless that's a problem for you?"
"No problem, plenty of room for both of you. I'll let Diego know that he has visitors."
Kate couldn't believe that their plan had actually worked and she was very grateful that Five had appeared that day so that she could see Diego; although she wasn't too pleased about the news of the end of the world. They were taken to a small visiting room with two chairs for them to sit in and one on the other side of the table for Diego, the table being there to separate them. Five wasn't too worried about seeing his brother and acted rather bored as they waited but Kate was nervous and couldn't stop her hands from shaking, her head lifting every time she heard footsteps outside the door. Eventually she realised that they were just from the corridor but stood up abruptly when the door opened and revealed a shaggy looking Diego.
"Katy?" Diego was more than shocked with his visitor, his eyes glued to the girl that stood in front of him. A part of him had accepted that he would never see her again but now that they were in front of each other, he didn't know what to say or do. His heart hammered against his chest and the guard had to push him slightly to get him to take another step forward.
"Diego."
"You look good." She gulped, also not being able to take her eyes off him. She was worried that if she looked away or blinked then he would disappear and this would have all been a dream. "You do too."
"Well, this is uncomfortable. You could cut the tension with a knife, quick reminder, I'm here too so please refrain from any of that." Five interrupted their moment by making a sarcastic comment which turned the attention onto him. Diego slid into the seat opposite his brother, his eyebrow raised as if he was seeing a ghost. "Five?"
"Hey Diego. You look good in white."
"About time you showed up." Diego snapped to his brother, refusing to look at Kate as she also sat back down because he couldn't quite believe that she was there either.
"How did you know I'd be back?" Five raised his eyebrow, propping his elbows on the desk between them.
"Because that's the kind of shit you pull." He said through gritted teeth, then asked. "Have you talked to the others?"
"We're working on that." Kate answered this time, adding quietly. "I'm glad you're okay."
"Okay? I'm far from okay."
"You're alive. That means you're okay in my books." She said, this time more hostile because she wasn't too happy with his tone towards her. It wasn't her fault that he had been stupid and got locked up in this place, he should have tried to blend in instead of sticking out. Then maybe things would have been different, for both of them.
"How long have you been here?" Five asked, changing the topic because he could tell that the couple were not getting along as well as they did before being zapped into the sixties.
"Seventy-five days. Landed in the alley behind Commerce and Knox, what about you?"
"I got here this morning." Kate wrung her hands together and placed them on the table, trying to lower her voice so that the guards couldn't hear what they were talking about. "I've been here since August. But I think the others have been here a lot longer."
"Why would you say that?"
"I mean, Klaus has a cult and Allison got married. Those are not things that happen overnight."
"How did you find me?"
"That's thanks to your incredibly smart girlfriend." Five gave her a tight-lipped smile before explaining for his brother who had no idea what they were talking about. "Whilst the rest of you have been running around like headless chickens, she has kept her head down and worked. Had a broom cupboard full of information about all of you – except Vanya."
"Really?" Diego raised his eyebrows, out of all the strange things that could have been the answer, he hadn't been expecting that. He didn't realise that Kate cared so much about them all but now it was obvious that she would do anything for them.
"I didn't have much else to do. Spent my free time hoping that I could find everyone and bring them back together." She explained before gesturing to him. "You weren't particularly hard to track down after I saw your face in the newspaper."
Five recalled the article that had been pinned on the map. "Page 16. Disturbed man with multiple knives arrested outside 1026 N. Beckley. That's Lee Harvey Oswald's house. Care to explain?"
"Let's just say Dallas Law Enforcement has not been supportive of my attempt to stop the assassination of John F Kennedy."
"Because it hasn't happened yet."
"And it's not going to happen." Diego snapped, his teeth gritting together. Kate didn't seem as convinced and wondered whether something like that could cause the end of the world. "Diego, won't stopping a major event like that effect the timeline that we've been reminded several times not to effect? JFK has to be assassinated otherwise the timeline changes and that could have detrimental effects, right?"
"Something like that." Five nodded, glad that someone else understood the meaning of time because it seemed that he was usually the only one.
"Look, I've been shaving down the bars in my room. Another day or two and I'll be out of this place, then I'm going to stop Oswald and save the president." Diego leaned across the table and whispered so that only they could hear his plan. "You want in, say the word."
"Listen to me very closely, you gibbering moron." Five spat at his brother, warning him. "You are not going to do a goddamn thing."
"Why not?"
"Because we have to stop the apocalypse."
"No shit." He scoffed, leaning back in his seat. "But that doesn't happen for another 60 years."
"Not that apocalypse, this is a new one. It followed us; I've seen it." Five explained, pausing between each fact to show the severity of the situation. "Nuclear war, Diego, in ten days."
Diego starts laughing loudly which took them both by surprise because they hadn't expected that reaction. "And I'm the one they locked up, huh?"
"Why are you laughing, he's serious?" Kate narrowed her eyes at him, wanting nothing more than to slap him around the head but she knew that the guard wouldn't be too happy with violence and she could get herself locked in here for that behaviour. "Fine, I'll play along. What causes it?"
"I don't know." Five answered before taking the moment to insult his brother again for the plot that he was creating in his head. "Maybe some loony-tuned asshole with a hero complex tried to save the president and screwed everything up."
"So, you're saying it worked? I saved the President? I knew I could do it!" Kate almost hit her head against the table and huffed. "This is pointless, we have more hope getting through to Klaus and that's saying something."
"I'll help you-"
"Thank God." Five muttered before Diego finished his sentence. "-after I save the President and then you swing us back a few decades so I can slit Hitler's throat off with a butter knife."
"This is why you don't have any friends and I still don't understand what Katy sees in you. You know what? Guard!" Five gets his attention and gestures to Diego. "My brother is plotting an escape. The bars of his room have been shaved down."
"Piece of shit!" Diego yells as he jumps across the table and tries to grab Five but the guard reaches forward to pull him back. "No, Five! Katy! Katy, help me!"
"Look, this is for your own good, Diego."
"Sorry, Diego, this is for your own good." Kate agreed with Five, standing up from the chair. "He is a very sick man; we only pray that he gets the help he so desperately needs. Come, Master Hargreeves, your parents are expecting you home."
The two left the hospital immediately, knowing that that was not how they wanted that meeting to go. Kate groaned loudly as she hated that they had even attempted to talk to Diego when he was obviously mentally unstable, she ran her hands through her hair as they walked down the street. "Well, that was a waste of time."
"No, no, no, Katy. That was important." Five reassured her, knowing that she was worried about Diego as well as the end of the world; he tried to take her mind off him with something else. "We'll need him, eventually. But right now, I need to focus on a different brother, so, where can I find Luther?"
a/n: updates will probably be slow on this story because it's my uni exam period 😅 -lizzie ⭐️
date published: 15/01/22