THE THREE OF THEM, LUTHER, ELLIANA AND FIVE, WALKED DOWN THE STREETS OF DALLAS ON THE VOYAGE TO THE PUB. Elliana had her arms crossed over her chest as a light gust of wind blew through her brown curly hair and moved towards the people behind her.

The leaves moved quickly on the ground as she tried her best to step on every crispy or dead leaf. That's why she was behind Five and Luther, not in front of them. Five complained it to be annoying and getting in their way, so she was demoted to walk behind them. 

As they reached the bar, Luther turned around and faced Five who was taking in breaths and blowing them out like a woman going into labor. Luther had a bracing look and placed his huge hands onto his brothers smaller shoulders.

"Are you okay?"

Five took a few breaths. "Yeah, sure, fine—why? Don't I look okay?"

Luther opened his mouth then closed it straight shut and look to Elliana for help and she shook her head. "Yeah—no. No, you don't."

Elliana sighed. "You look crazy, Five. You look like a proper day release."

Five huffed. "I'm fine. Okay?" He shook his head and moved passed Luther and tried to go towards the door. "Let's get this over with."

As he was so close to the door handle, Luther pushed him back. "Yeah, let's take a few breaths first, okay?" He breathed in, "In, two, three four—" then exhaled, "Out, two, three, four—" Elliana scoffed. "Now, repeat—"

"What are you?" Elliana blurted. "A yoga instructor?" She huffed. "This isn't going to work. Five's nerves are getting to the best of him, so the safest bet is to just . . . wing it."

She pushed Luther towards the door, and he opened it quickly. Five followed behind him and Elliana soon after. As they entered passing by two grown men, the three were now in the main setting of the pub.

"Well, there I am," said Five as he looked at the bar.

The three moved their heads simultaneously around the corner to see an older man with gray hair and a matching-colored mustache. He was dressed nicely, wearing a black suit with a white showing undershirt collar as well as matching black pants and dress shoes.

He leaned slightly over the counter as he held a gold pen in his grasp, fiddling with it as he jotted something down in a small notebook that could've been held comfortably in his front pocket. A half cup of Guinness sat in front of him as she moved her eyes down to below him and saw the briefcase and another case sitting on the right side of him.

"Why don't we just grab the briefcase and run?" questioned Luther.

"Wow, Luther," said Elliana. "I think that's the first smart minded thing I've ever heard you say. Excellent job, you're learning!" she congratulated him with a smile.

Five glared at the girl. "I would never let that happen—"

"Actually, I think that you would. Well—not really allow, but you wouldn't be able to stop us. I mean, look at that posture—" Luther and Five looked at the older man. "He needs to have support from his hand because his back is aching so much—"

"Hush, Elliana!" Five shouted leading the girl to press her lips together. "We're trained to guard these briefcases with our lives."

"Right." nodded Luther.

"Plus, it's the inherent paradox where this gets tricky," told Five. "I'm endangering my existence just being in the room with myself."

"Huh . . . What do you mean?" Luther asked quite confused.

"Luther, try to keep up. If old me doesn't travel back to 2019 like he's supposed to, the whole thing unravels itself. I cease to exist. You got me?"

"I get you—"

"No, you don't." Elliana shook her head and Luther violently shushed her.

"So, our best chance is to talk with him, to reason with him." Luther hummed in agreement as Five was speaking. "He'll understand. Trust me. I know myself better than, uh . . . better than I know myself." he itched his neck.

Luther's eyes went wide, and he pointed to Fives neck. "You just itched your neck," he tattled.

"Yeah," agreed Elliana. "Isn't that stage two of the psycho thingy?"

Luther nodded. "Yeah. That's stage two of paradox psychosis."

"No, I didn't," he was quick to deny. "I didn't itch my neck."

"Liar!" the girl hissed. "Denial is stage one."

"I am fine," he leaned in closely towards the girl. "Okay?"

She blinked. "Your breath smells like coffee, so please move out of my vicinity of air passage now."

Five rolled his eyes and started to get himself together. As he did that, a man around his late twenties, early thirties came up to the three. Luther and Five eyed him as he crossed his arms. "Can we help you?" Five spoke.

"No, but she can," he said and looked at Elliana. "You need to get out. Your kind isn't—"

"Allowed here," she finished. "Yeah, yeah, yeah—" she began to turn around.

Luther pulled her back towards the two of them. "No, no, no. See, uh, she's our . . . "

"—sister," finished Five.

"Yeah, our sister. So, if we stay here, so does she." nodded Luther.

The man with the name tag that read Greg scoffed as he looked from Luther to Elliana then back at Luther. "She's your sister? Really? You must think I'm as dumb as a cow, don't you?" he spoke with a heavy country accent.

Elliana sighed. "Luther, it's fine." she looked at him. "I'll just be outside. Gone through this too many times that the outcome's become predictable." she turned her heal and left the pub. She walked to the other side of the establishment and sat down on a bench that was shielded from the sun by a huge tree.

She took a deep breath out, propped her elbow onto the side arm rest and placed her cheek onto her palm. She watched as people walked by, some having children, some just with each other. She watched as kids ran by with each other, playing games, and holding balloons that a vendor was handing out for the coming by parade.

She watched as cars drove by and stopped at the stop light and waited for it to turn green. As she dazed out into the world, a woman sat next to her. As Elliana kept her distance, another woman sat next to the earlier one. Making a fist with her hand that her cheek rested on and placing her chin atop of it, she sighed.

"Such lovely weather, huh?" her voice cracked.

The two woman looked at each other then nodded.

Elliana stayed silent until she let out shaky breath, looking down to the concrete.

"I'm sorry . . . I must—"

"No, you don't, hon—"

"Yes—" she interrupted Mary. "I do. I have to keep you safe, and by doing that, I have to leave."

Mary slid closer to her and placed a hand on her exposed on the rested on her thigh. "We will be safe. We are safe. With you or not, we will always be safe. You never changed our chances."

Elliana shook her head. "Please, just—just let me keep you safe. Who knows who will come after you? After Debbie or Shirley? We messed up, big time. Our leaving won't have any danger on you. I promise."

"Sweet cakes, please don't go," Bonnie said as she leaned down in front of the girl, placing a hand on her knee.

She had tears in her eyes.

They both did.

"We want you to stay here . . . " Bonnie nodded.

"You're our daughter," they both spoke.

"The closest thing we have to one." Mary sniffed.

"I'm sorry, I really am." Elliana took a breath. "But I have to keep you safe." She took Bonnie's hand. "I have to keep everyone that I've made a good connection here safe."

Bonnie put her head down and Mary took a deep breath, sniffling as she nodded.

"Will you at least visit if you can? Please?"

Elliana nodded. "Oh, one-hundred percent. I won't ever forget you guys. That's why I took the photos."

"Thank you for leaving a few in the letter, too. We appreciate it." smiled Bonnie as she held her wife's hand.

Mary smiled. "We really do."

"But promise us this: You will keep being the brightest you are, no matter how hard life gets—you keep going and you be the best you can be."

Elliana nodded at Bonnie's statement. "I promise."

"And please continue to kick-ass with those weird "siblings" of yours." Mary chuckled.

Elliana did too. "I will."

With one last family hug, the two women placed a kiss on her forehead and then went on their way to watch Kennedy come into Dallas.

Just as they turned the corner and out of sight, Elliana put her face into her hands and began to let the tears that she held back so dearly fall. She kept her sobs quiet so that bypassers and spectators wouldn't stop and ask why.

As she got herself together and wiped her tears off her hands, she heard a door open to her left. Out came Luther, older Five and teen Five.

The two Fives glared at each other as they fixed their jackets and looked into their own souls. Luther on the other hand was a bit uncomfortable from the confrontation that happened a few moments prior. As Luther looked to the left side then the right, his eyes landed on the girl.

"Come on," Luther announced to her. "We're about to make our way to the grassy knoll."

She nodded and wiped her hands on her jeans, taking off the tears and invisible dust as she now stood beside Luther.

"Who're you?" Older Five questioned the girl.

Elliana looked up from the floor. "Your worst nightmare." she smiled kindly.

"O . . . Kay—" Elliana soon interrupted.

"Five, I thought you said you handsome at any age?" Five lifted an eyebrow at her. "Lying to yourself isn't good for you, I hope you know."

Five moved towards her. "Yeah? Well, neither is crying on a bench in public."

She scoffed. "The only reason I was crying was because I want to keep the people I love and care for safe. Which means leaving. And guess whose smart idea it was for this? Oh, yes yours." Elliana met eyes with him. "I mean, me being here is your fault too—"

"You know what? I'm sick and tired of you two arguing!" Luther shouted to the two teens as they were now glaring into each other's eyes. "From this point on, you two are going to get along with each other."

The two rolled their eyes.

"Oh, you think I'm joking?" He began to take off his belt.

"Oh, hell no!" Elliana moved behind Five. "What is this? A porno?"

Luther scrunched his face and moved one of Fives and Elliana's wrists next to each other and began to wrap the belt around their wrists. This then connected them together, and if one moved, they both did.

Luther stepped back and looked at his masterpiece. "Beautiful, isn't it?" he smiled to the older Five.

"Yep. Just the punishment they need," agreed the old man.

"I will end you," seethed Five.

"Don't get tight, small child." Older Five glared. "Now, let's get on our way. Shall we?" he smiled.