• WEDNESDAY •
* 1963 *
I never realized how many times I came close to death and didn't even care.
So, so, many times I came face to face with the good old grim reaper. The bank, the apocalypse, many times on the job with the Commission, a billion times in 2019, and a billion times here in Dallas. And I never worried. I never seemed to care.
But my biggest fear was always losing someone I cared about.
Like Allison, or Vanya, Klaus or Diego, hell, even Luther. And I think we all know who I was the most scared of losing. It's pretty apparent that I was terrified of losing Five. I always knew that one day, eventually, we'd both die, but I guess I hoped that I would be first. And I know, God, I know, that's so selfish of me. Let Five see myself die so I don't have to see him do the same thing.
So I guess I got what I deserved. Everyone says that karma's a bitch.
The first person to get shot was Diego. He fell to the ground in a heap of blood and limbs. I cried out as Luther and Allison were shot as well, some of their blood splattering onto my legs. Klaus fell to his death next and Vanya was in quick succession. The real icing on the cake though was how I watched Five collapse to the ground beside me before hot, searing white pain tore through my body.
I barely had time to register that I was bleeding out on the ground. I grunted, looking towards the entrance of the barn to spot who had shot all of us.
The Handler, I thought weakly. Of course.
"Five," I croaked, looking over at my lover. His eyes were glued wide open, mouth open in shock. It took me a second to register that he wasn't moving. "Five," I said again.
He gasped, looking up at me suddenly. His breaths were shallow, barely there. I smiled softly, but it was quickly gone when Five wheezed. I knew, I fucking knew, that with his very last breath, Five used it to tell me, "Wednesday, you have always been more than just a dream to me."
He fell limp, eyes closed peacefully, face turned towards me. "Five?" I whispered. And, despite the pain that accompanied the action, I reached out to feel his pulse.
You can't really do that if there's no pulse to feel in the first place.
A choked up sob left my mouth. Blood bubbled up in my throat, spilling down the side of my cheek. Five's wedding ring was bloodied from where it had landed on top of his gunshot wound, right over his stomach.
When I looked around at the rest of the Hargreeves, I only made myself want to cry more. Allison and Luther were laying motionless on the ground, a small hole in the middle of Luther's forehead. Vanya was buried in the hay, so I couldn't see her face. Klaus's hair had fallen over his face, but his hands were sprawled outwards, his familiar Hello and Goodbye tattoos facing upwards.
"Diego no!" Lila looked around at all of us in horror before she stepped towards the Handler. "It's true what Five and Wednesday said, isn't it?"
"Darling," The Handler pouted, her voice still stern. "I need to know that we can get past this, be a happy family again, hm?"
"They're my real family," Lila whispered, twisting her knife in her hands. I could tell that what she said next took a lot of effort to ask. "Do you even love me?"
No response came from the Handler. There was a short pause before Lila shouted out, lunging forwards to stab the Handler. She was quickly stopped when the Handler shot her in the stomach and she fell to the ground. I panted softly, watching at the Handler leaned over Lila's body. "Que sera, sera."
I saw her turn towards me, a smile on her face as she leaned over my body. "Oh, good! You're still alive. Lucky you. You got to see how this all played out."
The Handler held out her semi-automatic, pointing it right in the middle of my eyes. I braced myself for impact, thinking that every breath would be my last breath when, suddenly, a rain of gunshots flew through the Handler. Her gun clattered to the floor, along with the Handler herself.
The one who shot was the final Swede. He was standing by the entrance when he slowly walked over towards me. He pointed his gun at me and (very cliche, I know) I began to remember certain...memories.
...
"This doesn't have to be the end. We use my ability to time travel. But this time, I'm not going to only take Wednesday with me. I'll take all of you with me," Five said, glancing around at his siblings on the empty stage.
...
"Listen," Luther whirled around, pointing an accusing finger at Five's chest, "You're the geniuses who said we should jump, right? You're the ones who got us stuck here."
...
"Maybe your appetite is disproportionate to the size of your abilities," Reginald offered his advice. "Start small. Seconds, not decades."
...
Flashes of traveling from 1963 to 2019 and 2019 to 1963 again. Only for it to fail both times in some way or another.
...
I let out another pant before balling my hands into fists. The sound of energy thrumming around me sounded out in the otherwise quiet barn. The blue light enveloped me as I watched things begin to rewind.
Swede's gun lowered and he walked backwards towards the barn door again. The Handler shot up from where she had fallen, as did Lila. As all this happened around me, I found myself standing up, pushing through the last 30-or-so seconds. As I walked towards the side of the entrance to the barn, Five stood up beside me, the rest of the Hargreeves siblings shooting upwards as well beside me. The blood retracted from where it had splattered. I pushed through just long enough to where, when I finally blinked, I was right beside the barn door.
"I know that we can be your family, if you just let us." Everyone was still alive, watching Diego intently. Five didn't even notice that I had moved. I quickly patted my chest, searching for gunshot wounds and finding none.
The Handler had no chance against me. The second she stepped into the barn I had wrenched the gun from her grip, twisting it to face her. She held up her hands in defense as everyone turned to look at me. I briefly saw Klaus do a comedic karate chop gesture with his hands. (i did it! i did it! no one is dead, oh God!)
"It's true, isn't it?" Lila piped up. "What Five and Wednesday said? Answer me! Is it true?"
The Handler opened her mouth to speak, but was quickly cut off when the Swede appeared from no where, shooting her multiple times in the chest area. She collapsed to the ground just like she did a few seconds ago. Lila glanced around at all of us before rushing forwards for the case.
"The case!" Luther screamed, attempting to go after her. Diego quickly got in his way, causing him and his brother to tumble to the ground as Lila blinked away to God-knows-where (more like when).
The Swede and I both turned to each other, our guns trained on the other, when I slowly dropped mine to the ground. "Enough."
"Enough," The Swede whispered back after a short pause, dropping his gun to the hay and exiting the barn without looking back.
"I almost had her," Luther snapped at Diego, looking down at him from where they lay. "Why the hell did you stop me?"
Diego's eyes were wide but truthful as he replied, "Because...I love her."
"Wen," Five breathes out, rushing to my side. He placed his hands on my shoulders and my head and my waist, almost as if trying to make sure I was real. "What the hell happened? Why are you crying?"
It was only then that I really did realize—I was crying. Everything that had happened in the two weeks poured themselves out into a few, small, controlled tears that escaped the corners of my eyes. Five insistently wiped at each one that fell, his hands cupping my face.
"How did you know-"
"About the Handler?" I cut him off. "Oh, no big deal. I just saw you guys die."
Five's confusion merely doubled, his fingers still thumbing away at each small tears that fell. "What?"
"Never mind," I sniffled, leaning forwards to pull Five into a much, much, needed hug. I buried my head into his shoulder, shaking gently as he held me close to him. I could smell him, the gunpowder and coffee and just a tad bit of sweat and blood since he had just fought Lila. He had a small bruise on his neck from where she had almost choked him to death, and I felt the impulsive need to kiss it.
When I did that, Five pulled my head back long enough to press a kiss to my forehead. The tears had already stopped (I guess I just didn't have that many in me), but when I looked up I realized that the rest of Five's (oh, fuck it. the Hargreeves are my siblings, too)—I mean, our—siblings had crawled downstairs to help Harlan and Sissy.
"Are you okay?" Five asked me.
I smiled at him gently, beginning to tug him towards the hatch, and I found that I wasn't really lying when I said, "Never been better."
•
don't talk to me i'm soft.
anyway, i'm not bout to get too sappy right now but uh all you guys need to know is that i'm currently sobbing like a baby while writing this because guess what? next chapter is the last chapter.
haha yeah, i'm gonna cry too.
anyway, love y'all loads!
-maya💛