GUYS FIVE!!!

KLAUS MIND WAS RACING, a mess of thoughts and anxieties, but he had to do this. He had to try, if only to make sense of the madness surrounding them.

But then, in the middle of his concentration, there was a loud

SNAP!

Klaus flinched. He didn't even have to look up to know it was Sunny with her camera, snapping away happily as if there wasn't anything serious going on. She was always taking pictures lately, a habit that Klaus usually found adorable—except for right now.

"Come on now, Reggie," Klaus muttered to the urn, trying to refocus. "Any time now, please."

SNAP!

The sharp click of a camera shutter rang out, cutting through the quiet room. Klaus flinched but tried to keep his focus. "Clear thoughts," he whispered to himself, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Daddy! Look at this picture I just took!" Sunny's bright voice called out as she bounded over to him, holding her camera up proudly. Her excitement was infectious, but Klaus couldn't afford to be distracted right now. Not when he was this close.

He glanced at the photo, forcing a smile. "Oh, very cool, Bunny," he said quickly, his mind already drifting back to the task at hand.

SNAP!

That sound again. It was grating, pulling him out of his thoughts every time. He could feel his irritation building, but he tried to keep it in check. He needed to focus. He needed to clear his mind and reach out. He narrowed his eyes on the urn again, almost willing his father's spirit to appear. "I just need to sober up!" he muttered to himself, lightly slapping his face as if that would help clear his thoughts.

SNAP!

This time, Klaus couldn't hide the tension that was tightening his chest. He clenched his teeth, trying to breathe through the irritation, but it wasn't working. The snapping was driving him nuts, each one like a needle in his brain.

"Sunny, baby," he finally said, his voice strained but still gentle, "can you please take your pictures elsewhere? Or, I don't know, maybe just take a little break for now?"

Sunny looked up at him, her expression puzzled. "But why, Daddy? "

"Because daddy can't focus with all the...the..." Klaus tired to muster up a word. "the snapping!

Klaus instantly regretted the sharpness in his tone as soon as the words left his mouth. Sunny's face crumpled, her big eyes filling with hurt. Her lower lip quivered, and Klaus's heart sank. He reached out, trying to soften the blow.

"Hey, Bunny, I didn't mean to snap at you like that. I'm just trying to... do this thing, okay? It's not you, I promise," he said, his voice gentler now, but the damage was done.

Sunny ran down the hall, her little heart pounding in her chest. She hated when Daddy got mad at her, even if it wasn't really her fault. She didn't understand what was so important about that urn; she just wanted to show him her pictures. She loved taking pictures, especially of her dad, and she thought he'd be happy to see them. But instead, he'd yelled at her, and now she just wanted to hide.

She rounded a corner and skidded to a stop, nearly bumping into someone. She looked up, her eyes widening as she realized who it was. Diego. He was standing there, leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest, looking as intimidating as ever. Sunny felt a shiver of fear run down her spine. She remembered the stories Klaus had told her about Uncle Diego—how he was the best with knives, how he never missed a target. And now here he was, towering over her.

Diego raised an eyebrow as he noticed the little girl standing in front of him, clearly startled. Seeing her standing there, looking so small and scared, something softened in him.

"Hey," he said, his voice gentler than usual, though still rough around the edges. "What's got you all spooked?"

Sunny bit her lip, her eyes darting to the knives strapped to his belt. She couldn't help but be fascinated by them, even though they scared her. "I... I was just... taking pictures," she mumbled, barely loud enough for him to hear.

Diego's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked down at her, but then he caught sight of the camera clutched tightly in her hands. He sighed, realizing what must have happened. "Your dad got mad, huh?"

Sunny nodded, her eyes still wide and a little wary. She didn't know what to say, so she just stared at his knives, her curiosity getting the better of her despite her fear.

Diego noticed where her gaze was fixed and couldn't help but smile a little. "You like knives, kid?"

Sunny shook her head quickly, then paused, considering. "Maybe... but they're scary."

Diego chuckled softly. "Yeah, they can be. But they're not so bad when you know how to use them." He crouched down so he was more on her level, taking one of the smaller knives from his belt. He held it up, letting her see it up close. "Wanna see a trick?"

Sunny hesitated, her eyes flicking between the knife and Diego's face. But then, curiosity won out, and she nodded slowly.

Diego grinned and held the knife in front of him, his fingers moving with practiced ease. With a quick flick of his wrist, he sent the knife spinning in the air, and it landed perfectly back in his hand. Sunny's eyes went wide with amazement.

"Whoa," she breathed, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

Diego gave her a wink. "Pretty cool, huh? It's all about control. You've got to be really careful with knives—never use them unless you know what you're doing. And never, ever point them at someone unless you mean business."

Sunny nodded seriously, her fear of Diego slowly melting away. "You're really good at that," she said softly.

Diego smirked, slipping the knife back into its sheath. "Been doing it a long time, kid. You wanna try?" He held out his hand, but Sunny shook her head, her eyes still wide.

"N-no, thank you," she stammered, taking a step back.

Diego chuckled again. "That's probably for the best. You stick to your camera, okay? Much safer."

Sunny nodded, feeling a little better now that she'd seen Diego wasn't so scary after all. She glanced back down the hall, where her dad was still trying to talk to his father's urn. She sighed, feeling the sadness well up inside her again. "Daddy was mad at me," she whispered, her voice trembling.

Diego frowned, looking down at her with a mix of sympathy and understanding. He knew how it felt to have Klaus lose his temper, even if it wasn't directed at him. "Hey, don't worry about it. Your dad... he's just got a lot on his mind right now. Probably. It's not your fault."

Sunny looked up at him with big, sad eyes. "I'm sorry about your dad," she said softly, her voice full of genuine sympathy.

"Let's not talk about that, want some ice cream or something?"

"Mmhm."

Sunny had decided a while ago that she really liked her uncle Diego. Sure, he was a little rough around the edges, kind of grumpy, and wasn't exactly friendly to a lot of people, but not to her. No, Uncle Diego had always been different with her. He let her hang around, never shooed her away, and even ruffled her hair sometimes, which was a big deal to a six-year-old. It was like he had a secret soft spot for her that no one else got to see. She liked that. It made her feel special.

Sunny sat on the front steps of the Academy, dangling her feet, staring at the pavement, humming softly. Everything had been pretty calm today—too calm. With a family like hers, that usually meant something big was about to happen. She could feel it, like the way her tummy sometimes fluttered when something weird was about to go down.

Then, as if on cue, a loud noise echoed through the courtyard. A strange crackling sound, like something between thunder and breaking glass, split the air, and Sunny's head shot up.

"What was that?" she muttered to herself, already hopping up from the steps and racing outside. Her heart pounded in her chest. She wasn't scared, not really, but more curious. Sunny was always curious, and she hated being left out when weird stuff happened.

As she rounded the corner, she saw it: a glowing blue blob of light, like a shimmering bubble of energy. It was swirling in the air, crackling with power, and at its center was an old man, who seemed to be struggling against the energy. The air around him crackled with tension, making Sunny's hair stand up a little. She'd never seen anything like it. She felt a knot of fear tighten in her stomach.

"What is it?" Vanya shouted from the other side of the courtyard.

"Don't get too close!" Allison warned, her voice tight with concern.

"Yeah, no shit," Diego muttered, stepping forward instinctively to protect everyone. Especially Sunny.

Sunny, wide-eyed and full of curiosity, tried to edge a little closer, wanting a better look. But before she could get more than a step forward, Diego's hand shot out and pushed her back, his palm flat against her chest. "Stay back, Sunny," he said firmly, his voice leaving no room for argument.

Sunny's breath hitched slightly. She wasn't used to being told to stay out of things, especially by Diego. "What is it?" she asked again, her voice small but demanding an answer.

Luther, standing tall and brooding like he always did, squinted at the anomaly. "It looks like some sort of temporal anomaly. Either that or a mini black hole, one of the two," he said, his face serious.

Sunny's brow furrowed. Temporal what now? She had no idea what a temporal anomaly was, but it didn't sound good. And a black hole? Weren't those the things that sucked up everything around them? She wasn't sure, but either way, it sounded bad. Definitely bad, she thought.

Diego scoffed at Luther, his lips pulling into a smirk. "Pretty big difference there, Paul Bunyan."

Sunny turned and slapped Diego lightly on the arm, trying to scold him with her best serious voice. "Not nice, Uncle Diego!"

"Sorry, Sunny," he said, smiling just a little, though his hand remained firm on her shoulder. She noticed he hadn't let go of her yet, his grip protective and strong.

Her eyes stayed glued to the strange blue light. It was mesmerizing in a way, like she wanted to step closer even though she knew she shouldn't. But before she could move, she heard a familiar voice—one she knew anywhere.

"Out of the way!" Klaus came barreling out of the house, running straight toward the anomaly with something in his hands. Sunny's heart leaped in her chest. Her dad was always doing something ridiculous, but this...this was different.

"Dad!" she shouted, but he was already too far ahead to hear her.

Klaus launched a fire extinguisher at the swirling blue mass, and for a second, Sunny thought maybe—just maybe—it would work.

It didn't.

"What is that gonna do?" Allison asked, crossing her arms.

Sunny put her hand to her face, exasperated. Her dad was an idiot sometimes.

"I don't know!" Klaus waved his arms around dramatically. "Do you have a better idea?"

Before anyone could answer, the blue anomaly crackled loudly, sending a surge of energy across the courtyard. Sunny's heart leaped into her throat, and she instinctively broke free from Diego's grip, rushing forward to grab her dad's arm. "Dad!" she shouted, yanking him back with all the strength her little body could muster.

Diego, realizing how dangerous the situation was, lunged after her. "Sunny!" he barked, pulling both Klaus and Sunny behind him in one swift motion. He stood in front of them, his back straight, his arms out, ready to shield them from whatever was coming.

"Everyone get behind me!" Luther ordered, his deep voice booming over the crackling noise.

Sunny was clinging to Klaus now, her little fingers gripping his jacket tightly. Diego, trying to stay tough, glanced over at Luther. "Yeah, get behind us," he added, clearly wanting to feel important.

Sunny barely registered his words, too focused on the growing noise and the fear gnawing at her chest. Her dad was trembling too, but of course, Klaus wasn't about to admit he was scared. "I vote for running!" he yelled, his arms flailing once again. "C'mon!"

Then, as if the universe had decided to crank up the weirdness factor, the anomaly seemed to collapse in on itself, and with a sudden burst, a boy flew out from the center of the light. He hit the ground with a thud, rolling a few feet before stopping. Sunny stared in shock. The boy couldn't have been older than thirteen or fourteen, his face scrunched up in pain as he lay on the ground.

Klaus squinted, his head tilting as he walked toward the kid. "Does anyone else see little Number Five, or is that just me?" he asked, turning back to the others with wide eyes.

Sunny rolled her eyes and scoffed. "I'm pretty sure we all see him, Dad."

The boy groaned as he slowly pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. "Shit," he muttered under his breath, looking around at the confused faces surrounding him

LITTLE NUMBER FIVE was now making a sandwich, and Sunny couldn't stop staring at him. She perched on the edge of the table, her feet dangling as she watched him move around the kitchen. It was so strange—he looked like a kid, maybe a couple of years older than her, but everything about him screamed "grown-up." The way he talked, the way he moved. It was like he was an old man stuck in a kid's body. And to be honest, it was freaking her out a little.

She tugged on her sleeve, trying to figure him out, her mind buzzing with questions. Why was he so grumpy? And why did he keep talking like that? It was like he was mad at the sandwich he was making.

"So, are we gonna talk about what happened?" Luther broke the silence, his deep voice pulling Sunny's attention away from Five's weird sandwich-making.

Five didn't answer at first. He just kept focusing on spreading mustard on the bread until he finally responded in his gruff, no-nonsense voice, "Who's the kid?"

"Klaus' kid, Sunny," Luther said, glancing down at her. She gave a little wave, even though Five didn't seem all that interested in waving back.

Five glanced up from his two slices of bread, his eyes locking on Sunny with an expression that made her squirm a little. It wasn't mean, just...curious. Like he was trying to figure out what she was all about. "Ah. I have a niece," he said flatly, as if that explained everything. "Would you like a sandwich also?"

Sunny stared at him for a second. His voice was so monotone, like a robot or something. It made her a little uncomfortable, to be honest. She looked at the sandwich and wrinkled her nose. Something told her that taking a sandwich from him would be weird, and she wasn't in the mood for weird right now. She shook her head, deciding that she didn't trust sandwiches from time-traveling, grumpy kids today.

"Well," Five shrugged, completely unbothered. "Suit yourself."

Luther abruptly stood up, breaking the uneasy tension. "It's been 17 years," he said, his voice full of that big-brother disappointment he always seemed to have.

Five scoffed, his eyes narrowing as he wiped his hands on a towel. "It's been a lot longer than that." Before anyone could say anything, he teleported across the room, grabbing something from a counter without moving his legs.

Sunny's jaw dropped. "What—?" she whispered, her little brain trying to figure out how he did that. People weren't supposed to just poof like that. It was like magic, but scarier.

Luther rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed by the teleporting. "I haven't missed that," he muttered under his breath.

"Where'd ya go?" Diego asked, leaning against the table.

"The future. It's shut, by the way," Five said, now back to making his sandwich as if teleporting across the room was no big deal.

"Called it," Klaus chimed in from behind Sunny, throwing his hands up in dramatic victory. Sunny looked back at him, shaking her head. Her dad always had something to say, even when it didn't make sense.

Diego snorted. "I should've listened to the old man," he said, pulling out something from the fridge. "You know, jumping through space is one thing, jumping through time is a toss of the dice."

For a second, everything went quiet again, the weight of Five's words settling in. That was until Five noticed Klaus was wearing a skirt.

"Nice dress," Five commented dryly, not even looking up from his sandwich.

"Oh, well, danke!" Klaus replied. Sunny giggled at him, though she didn't totally get what was funny.

Vanya, though, wasn't so easily distracted. She jumped back into the conversation, trying to steer it toward answers. "Wait, how did you get back?" she asked, her voice filled with the same confusion that everyone else was feeling.

Five took a deep breath, clearly already annoyed by the questions. "In the end, I had to project my consciousness forward into a suspended quantum state version of myself that exists across every possible instance of time," he explained, as if that made perfect sense.

Sunny blinked, her head tilting to the side. "Huh?" she asked, her small voice cutting through the room. Whatever Five said made zero sense to her. How could someone exist across all of time? She was only six—time to her was just bedtime, lunchtime, and playtime.

"That makes no sense," Diego added, crossing his arms.

"Well, it would if you were smarter," Five shot back, completely unfazed. "And the kid is only dumb because, well, she's a kid. She might grow up to be some genius, you never know."

Diego bristled at being called dumb, standing up like he was ready to take a swing at Five, but Luther quickly stepped in, throwing an arm across his chest. Sunny just watched, wide-eyed, wondering if Diego was really going to punch someone the same size as her.

"How long were you there?" Luther asked, trying to de-escalate the situation.

"Forty-five years. Give or take," Five answered, like it was nothing.

Sunny's eyebrows shot up. "So what are you saying? That you're 58?" Luther asked, clearly as confused as everyone else.

"You don't look 58," Sunny piped up, fidgeting with the sleeve of her jacket. She couldn't imagine anyone being that old. 58 was ancient!

"Well," Five began with a sigh, his eyes flicking toward her. "You don't either, kid."

Sunny frowned, her nose wrinkling in confusion. "Uh... that's 'cuz I'm six."

Five gave a small, annoyed sigh, clearly irritated that she didn't get the joke. "My consciousness is 58. Apparently, my body is 13 again."

"Wait, how does that even work?" Vanya asked, but Five wasn't paying attention anymore. He was talking to himself now, his eyes drifting off.

"Delores kept saying the equations were off. Bet she's laughing right now," he mumbled, more to himself than to anyone else.

"Delores?" Vanya questioned, looking more lost by the second.

Five ignored her, picking up a nearby newspaper. His eyes scanned the front page, and his expression darkened as he read the headline: Reginald Hargreeves, Dead.

Sunny watched him, feeling a little shiver run down her spine. She had never met Reginald, but from everything she'd heard, he wasn't exactly the warm and fuzzy grandpa type.

"Guess I missed the funeral," Five said, his voice flat as he folded the paper back up.

"How did you know about that?" Luther asked, looking suspicious.

Five didn't even look at him. "What part of the future do you not understand?" he asked, sarcasm dripping from his words. His eyes flicked back to the paper. "Heart failure, huh?"

"Yeah," Diego confirmed, leaning back in his chair.

"No," Luther immediately said, cutting him off.

Sunny's eyes darted between them, trying to figure out what they were really saying. Something wasn't adding up.

"Nice to see nothing's changed," Five said with a small, bitter smile. He clicked his tongue, clearly done with the conversation.

"That's it? That's all you have to say?" Allison asked, her arms crossed as she stared at Five with disbelief.

Five gave a little shrug as he walked off. "What else is there to say? The circle of life."