"You sure you don't need us to come in with you?" Dusk asked, pulling into a parking spot about twenty feet from the sidewalk. "It's just a quick grab. I'll be fine," Victoria assured, unbuckling her seatbelt and stepping out of the car. Diego's van pulled into the empty lot right next to them, and as the passenger doors slowly slid open, the siblings stepped out for some air, Dusk and Dahlia included. "Give me five minutes. I know where it is," The redhead then dashed up the concrete steps into the building.

Strangely, the cold December air was comforting as the morning sun beamed down on them. Dusk had never been a fan of the cold weather, but as she leaned up against the shell of the van, it awakened her senses, sending chills down her spine. A reminder that even with her altered phoenix, she was still human. "I'm curious. Why hasn't she carried that staff since you joined the CIA?" She looked over at Five. "Regulations. The boss said her carrying a staff around could give away our positions. Not to mention, they had us do extensive gun training," Five explained.

"It just doesn't seem like her to so easily leave it hanging around," Dahlia folded her arms across her chest. The twins looked back at her, equal confusion and surprise equally spreading across their faces. "What's up with her?" Five whispered. "I honestly don't know..." Dusk whispered back. Dahlia could sense the tension in the air and looked back at them. "What?" She questioned. "Nothing, you're just being awfully nice with Vic," Five noted. The icy blonde raised a brow, asking if there was a problem with it. "No, but you do realize just because you're being nice now, it doesn't mean she's gonna be the same way with you, right?" Dusk spoke.

"I'm just trying to be a better person!" Dahlia reasoned. "Look, we all got off on the wrong foot. But like I told Dusk last night, six years of isolation changes a person," Some of the siblings did try to understand where Dahlia was coming from, but of course, there were a few who were still wary of her. "No offense, Dahlia. But just because you're being nice now, doesn't change the fact you were an asshole," Allison stated. Dahlia looked at Number Three incredulously, her eyes scanned the rest of the group. Dahlia, keep your cool... Dusk silently spoke, hoping the former Sparrow could see the reassurance in her eyes.

But the hurt soon formed into anger. "I'm not that same cold-hearted Sparrow! Yes, I'll stand right here and acknowledge that I did some really shitty things! But that doesn't mean I'm not capable of change!" Her gaze landed on Viktor, who rubbed at the back of his neck and looked down at the ground. "Viktor, you remember when I came up to Nova Scotia for your grand opening and made you that winter coat?" Viktor slowly nodded his head but didn't say anything. "Luther, I invited you and your buddies to come model for me in London! You stole the show with your dance moves!"

"Well, I wouldn't say that..." Luther awkwardly chuckled. "Don't be so modest! The Brits are still talking about the famous crab dance!" Dahlia patted his shoulder. Luther's face flushed with the combination of the stinging cold air and flattery. But as he caught wind of Allison's stern expression, his smile fell. "Come on, does no one else remember the things I've done for you all?" Out of all the siblings, Dusk was the only one who nodded her head, and it further stirred the intensity of Dahlia's emotions. The icy blonde scoffed and shook her head, retreating to Dusk's car. "GODDAMN IT!" She shrieked just before closing the door.

 "I'm gonna go talk to her..." Dusk sighed, the awkwardness was becoming too much for her to bear. "You sure that's a good idea?" Diego inquired. "Is there a better option?" Dusk looked over her shoulder. And as she was met with silence, she walked back to the car opening the passenger door. "Get the fuck out of here!" Dahlia hissed. "It's me!" Dusk held her hands up in surrender. Dahlia looked away from the window, sure enough seeing it was her frenemy. "Oh sorry, come on in," She patted the seat next to her.

Dusk slid into the backseat, making sure to shut the door behind her. Below the surface of makeup and glamour, Dahlia's scars and flaws were still visible. "Can you believe this shit, Dusk? For six years, I've tried to prove myself, and they all act like they've got amnesia! I knew Allison would have a stick up her ass, but Luther and Viktor? At least they try to see the good in everyone!" Dahlia sighed. "I know, some of them hold too much of a grudge. But you can't just expect them to forget about the past," Dusk nodded.

Unconsciously, Dahlia slid down in her seat, her head resting on Dusk's shoulder. The brown blonde slipped a hand around the small of Dahlia's back, letting the silence settle over them. "It's times like this I wish Sloane was still here," The Sparrow admitted. "But I'm glad I have you," A warm fuzzy feeling developed in Dusk's chest, even though they weren't even close to being besties, it was nice to have someone else she shared a temper with. "Me too," Dusk whispered. A smile slowly returned to Dahlia's face, and as she looked up at the phoenix, she snuggled deeper into her chest. "I don't know what to do anymore, how can I possibly prove myself now?" Dahlia asked.

Just as Dusk was about to answer, a loud bang pierced the air, and immediately they scrambled out of the car. And just as they met back up with the group, they saw Victoria dashing across the street with her staff in hand, tears streaming down her face. Without hesitation, Five, Lila, and Dusk bolted over to her, and Victoria wrapped herself tightly in Five's embrace. "Vic, what's wrong?" Dusk walked closer to her, but Victoria flinched and buried her face in Five's neck.

⚠ TW ⚠ (If you're easily triggered by attempted SA, please skip these next two paragraphs)

"Vicky, it's okay. We're here with you," Lila reassured her, trying to calm the redhead's tears. "Babe, what happened in there?" Five asked, his voice full of desperation. "H-H-he..." Victoria stuttered, trying to explain, but her tears overpowered her voice, and she let out another choked sob. "It's okay, take your time, Vic," Dusk whispered. "He... he tried t-to... touch me!" the redhead sniffed. Instantly, the three siblings' blood began to boil. "Who did it?" Dusk gritted her teeth, her heartbeat ringing in her ears. The name of her best friend's would-be attacker was muffled into Five's suit, and they couldn't hear who it was. But as Victoria pulled her head away, she finally had enough courage to repeat his name.

"It was Derek!"

It was like a switch had been flicked on, and in an instant, Dusk, Five, and Lila's powers activated, and the rest of the group instantly ran over, knowing something was about to go down. "I'm gonna FUCKING kill him!" Five growled. "Not if I get to him first!" Dusk's voice grew threatening and vengeful. "No! No! No! No!" Victoria ran after the three of them, just as they started charging towards the building.  But just as they reached the top of the steps about to burst through those doors, Victoria pushed herself up against them, stopping them in their tracks.

"Stop! Please, don't do this!" Victoria pleaded. "Why not?! He tried to assault you!" Dusk's eyes turned back to normal upon seeing the fear in her best friend's eyes. "I know! Just... please don't..." She embraced Five tightly once again, her grip on him growing tighter with every second she held onto him, fearing that if she let go, she'd be facing that monster again. "If this little shitbird thinks he can get away with hurting my sister! He's out of his damn mind!" Lila snapped. As the rage inside him started to fade, but didn't entirely leave, Five wrapped his arms around his girlfriend, his voice growing softer than ever before.

"Mi amor, va a estar bien. Estoy aquí contigo," He whispered, cradling her head. Victoria slowly looked up at him, seeing the undying love for her deep within his eyes. He didn't have to say it out loud, deep down she knew. She was a rare and precious gemstone, and he'd protect her with his life. "Te quiero, Cinco," Victoria whispered back, briefly shifting to her sister and best friend. "Thank you for being here..." Five tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, before embracing her once more, not wanting to let go until she told him to.

As they made their way back to the group, Dusk couldn't help but turn around, sensing that someone was watching them. And peering from one of the second-story windows, she saw the smug smile on a young man's face. That has to be Derek! It must be! It took every ounce of restraint within her not to burst through that window and rip his limbs from his body. But remembering Victoria's pleas for them to just get back on the road, she continued walking, not taking her eyes off the window as she swiftly moved her hand across her neck, signaling his demise if they were ever to cross paths. 

~~~~~~~~~

Hardly anyone spoke a word as they all tried to get back to the task at hand, preparing for the road trip to New Grumpson. As Dusk, Dahlia, and Victoria headed back to the car, Five cleared his throat just as Victoria was about to get in. "I can ride along if you want me to," Five spoke softly. "I think I'll be okay. I just... need to get my mind off it," Victoria whispered. The time traveler nodded slowly. Whether she was boiling with rage or dealing with immense pain, he usually knew when she needed to be left alone. But this time around, it was hard to leave her.

"Hey, V. How are you feeling?" Klaus walked over, a sad smile on his lips. "I'm fine," Victoria sighed. "Don't worry about me," "Well, you're technically my sis-in-law, so it's kinda my job to worry!" Klaus slightly chuckled before reaching into his bag and handing her some tissues and a mini candy bar. The redhead couldn't help the smile, who would've thought even with his germaphobia, he still wanted to make sure she was okay? "Thanks!" She quickly pecked Five's cheek before hopping back into the car. As Dusk turned on the ignition, and Klaus and Five got back into the van, the two vehicles pulled up next to each other, Dusk and Diego both rolling down their windows.

"So, what's the plan? Just keep driving until we hit the town?" Dusk asked. "Sounds about right. If y'all don't need to pull over and take a piss!" He joked. Dusk squinted in response, and both Dahlia and Victoria simultaneously flipped him off. "Now, that was uncalled for!" Diego muttered. "Your face is uncalled for!" Dahlia glared. "Babe! Are you sure it's not too late for me to join you guys?" Klaus called out through the slightly cracked open window next to Allison. "It's getting kinda cramped in here!"

Dusk smiled sheepishly before hitting the gas, and the three women smiled and waved 'bye-bye' as they turned onto the main road. "Did you see the looks on their faces?" Victoria cackled as she rolled up her window. "I swear, the look on Ben's face! Priceless!" Dahlia chortled. Dusk smiled mischievously, her free hand going to the radio as she turned the music back on.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Woo! First mission back, baby!" Diego cheered, banging the roof with his fist in excitement. But rather than joining their brother's excitement, the others groaned and covered their ears as the splitting headaches and churning of their stomachs took hold. "Why are you so loud?!" Five flinched, feeling as if there was a ticking time bomb in his head. "Woohoo!" Lila clapped, slipping her sunglasses over her face. "Hell yes! LET'S GO KILL THIS BITCH!" Ben grinned. The van went dead silent as everyone slowly turned back to him confused. "This is a rescue mission!" Allison clarified. Ben wiped the sweat forming on his face as he slowly remembered the deal from the night before.

"Right. Yeah, sorry," He apologized before sliding down in his seat, seemingly hiding from the embarrassment. "We just gotta catch up with them," Diego muttered to himself as he pulled onto the road, keeping an eye out for Dusk's Corolla. The Kraken flicked on the CD player, and as music filled the car, so did the annoying song that the siblings were forced to listen to at every family holiday.

"Baby shark doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo! Baby shark doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo! Baby shark doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo- baby shark!" It embedded those repeated lyrics into everyone's heads. While they could tolerate it for the first two times it repeated itself, and by the third play, everyone was tired of it. "God! Could you please turn that off?" Viktor sighed. "I can't, it's stuck on a loop," Diego answered. The siblings rolled their eyes, trying to dissociate and block out the noise. An hour into the trip, the torture only continued, not only were everyone's ears on the verge of bleeding, but the gurgling of their stomachs threatened to make the trip even more tortuous. 

Four hours in, and the combined gurgling only grew louder and louder, and they all tried their best to suppress the urge to throw up and their frustration with the endless noise was about to push them off the edge. "Diego! Will you change that song?!" Luther yelled. "I CAN'T!" Diego snapped, before turning his focus back on the road. As if things couldn't get any worse, Klaus reached into his bag and pulled out a small green bottle and screwed the top. "Oh god, that smell rancid!" Lila covered her mouth. "What? You don't like my kale-kiwi-carrot-cabbage kombucha?" Klaus looked hurt. "It's good for the soul and great for the bowels!"

"Diego... maybe pull over?" Five groaned, his breathing growing heavy. "Can't, we're making good time!" Diego shook his head. "Okay, well I'm gonna hurl!" Five warned. "Can you pull over? I have to pee!" Lila spoke up. "You don't want a sippy of this potent elixir? It's so good!" Klaus shoved the drink in Five's face. "Heads up, here!" Diego reached below him, grabbing an empty bottle of orange juice. "Oh no!" Lila shook her head. "You know what it is! Use it!" "Not the pee bottle!" His wife insisted. Diego tossed the empty bottle behind his seat. Lila tossed the bottle in another direction, and the siblings played a disgusting game of hot potato as the bottle fell into their laps and then were tossed in another direction.

"Pull over man!" Five demanded. "We're sticking the itinerary!" Diego declared. "Five, open the window," Luther gagged from the trunk. "Open it!" Five's hand went to the crank on the side of the door, but with one turn, the handle broke off. "What the- did you just break the window, man?!" Diego leaned over to Five's seat and made the van veer slightly off the road. The siblings shifted in their seats, their heads practically resting on each other's laps. "Hey, you just spilled my kombucha!" Klaus whined. 

Lila and Allison lurched forward in their seats, vomit covering the floor. Klaus screamed as he quickly shifted, keeping his feet off the ground as his siblings continued to vomit all around him. "This is a fucking nightmare!" He quivered in fear, taking deep breaths through his paper bag, hoping this was all just a bad dream. But unfortunately, it wasn't. The vomiting only continued, and soon that all too familiar reverberating noise filled the metal enclosure and with a burst of energy from Viktor's chest the windows shattered glass onto the road, cracking the windshield.  

Finally, the ear-piercing music stopped, and Diego finally pulled off to the side of the road. "Son of a bitch!" He caught his breath as the smell of vomit and kombucha lingered. "Alright, enough! Okay?" He turned the key, shutting off the ignition, and turned around. "No more fighting! And no more puking, alright? And no... no more powers! Not until we get to Maine! We'll get there and find this girl!" Diego requested. "After that, we'll go back to our regular lives! Are we clear?" Diego was met only with silence and glares, and he repeated himself, his tone sterner than before. "Yes..." The siblings nodded in agreement. Diego's stomach then started grumbling as he vomited into the back, making Allison, Klaus, and Lila flinch. "Wipe?" Diego requested.

"We're out of baby wipes..." Lila sighed, but Klaus eagerly reached into his bag and handed him a tissue. "Here you go! I gotcha, buddy!" Diego took the wipe from his hands before exiting the van, slamming the door shut behind him as he walked off. "Where's he going?" Klaus questioned. "What are we supposed to do? Turn around?" Allison inquired. "No, we've come this far. It's only another 13 hours to New Grumpson," Luther answered. Thirteen hours left of being packed like sardines. The mere thought of it made everyone groan and grumble.

The loud blaring of music and singing came from outside, making all of them look out the busted windows. And a few seconds later, Dusk, Dahlia, and Victoria pulled up next to them, their windows slowly rolling down. "What's up?" Dusk smirked. "Where the hell have you guys been?" Allison glared. "Oh you know, just chilling," Dahlia grinned. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

One Hour Earlier...

Dusk & Victoria: I want your love, and I want your revenge!

Dahlia: You and me could write a bad romance!

Victoria: I want your love, and all your lover's revenge!

All: You and me could write a bad romance!
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh

Dusk: Want your bad romance!

Dahlia & Victoria: Caught in a bad romance

Dusk: Want your bad romance!



Dahlia: Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh!

Victoria: Want your bad romance!

Dusk & Dahlia: Caught in a bad romance!


All: Ra-ra-ah-ah-ah
Roma, Roma-ma
Gaga, "Ooh la-la"
Want your bad romance!

"That song never gets old!" Dusk hooted with laughter. "You're right about that!" Dahlia panted, catching her breath. "How do you think the boys are handling it back there?" Victoria asked, taking a sip from her water bottle. "If I know Ben, he's probably getting on everybody's last nerve asking if we made it yet," Dahlia answered. "Or god forbid Klaus opens up a bottle of that nasty kombucha!" Dusk shook her head. "Ugh, you don't have to remind me! That tasted like Clorox!" Victoria cringed at the thought of even trying it again.

"Not that this hasn't been fun, because it has, but how far are we from this place?" Dahlia questioned. As Dusk pulled to a stoplight, she looked at the GPS, estimating they still had a long way to go. "Jeez, I'm still surprised Five took that guy's deal," Dahlia inhaled sharply. "Well, he did it to get the Marigold back, which looking back on it, might not have been the best idea," Dusk reasoned. She turned up the volume just a smidge of the radio, just as an unfamiliar song started playing. "Coming up on 96.9, we've got a song from a new artist just making her way into stardom with her debut album, Ashes and Embers earlier this year!" the female host announced.

No way! Dusk's jaw nearly hit the floor. They can't possibly be talking about me, are they? "Selling over 100,000 copies across the country, let's see what she has to offer! This is High Heels by Dusk Hargreeves!" The male host's enthusiasm echoed throughout the car. "I don't think I've heard this one!" Dahlia nodded her head to the beat, "Is this off the album?" "Nope! This is a little sneak peek at my next album!" Dusk smiled.

https://youtu.be/GrAPXi_oYZM

Now, you don't know what you don't have 'til it's gone
Looked through your phone like I should have all along

You've been a bad motherfucker
These pictures of these bitches I don't know
I'm goin' out and never, ever coming home



I put my high heels on, walk right out the door
Best believe I'ma leave, don't need you no more
Put my black dress on, boy, you done me wrong
Leave the keys, burn the sheets and then move along



I'ma look damn good for all of your friends
Don't cry when you see me again
I put my high heels on

Now you don't know, what you don't have
'Til it's walking in some red stilettos
Talking to some handsome devils



Jealous? Well, you should be
It's a feeling I know all too well
Our chance at heaven, shot to hell



You bad motherfucker
These pictures of these bitches, oh no no
Without me, boy, you'll always feel alone



I put my high heels on, walk right out the door
Best believe I'ma leave, don't need you no more
Put my black dress on, boy, you done me wrong
Leave the keys, burn the sheets and then move along



I'ma look damn good for all of your friends
Don't cry when you see me again
I put my high heels on, walk right out the door
Best believe I'ma leave, don't need you no more



Now, you don't know what you don't have
No, you don't know what you don't have until it's gone



I put my high heels on, walk right out the door
Best believe I'ma leave, don't need you no more
Put my black dress on, boy, you done me wrong
Leave the keys, burn the sheets and then move along



I'ma look damn good for all of your friends
Don't cry when you see me again
I put my high heels on, walk right out the door
Best believe I'ma leave, don't need you no more



Put my black dress on, boy, you done me wrong
Leave the keys, burn the sheets and then move along
I'ma look damn good for all of your friends
Don't cry when you see me again!


I put my high heels on...

"Shut your mouth! You wrote that?!" Victoria gaped. Dusk was grinning from ear to ear as the blonde and redhead shifted in their seats, eyes wider than saucers. "Surprise!" Dusk smiled. "No way! Girlie!" Dahlia gripped the back of her seat. "There ain't no way you made it to 96.9! That's super hard to get your song played there!" She blinked furiously. "I know that! I sent them a couple of my songs, but I never heard back," Dusk nodded.

"But now they played one! And it's a freaking banger!" Victoria squealed. "Stop, you're going to make me blush!" Dusk's cheeks were indeed turning pink with flattery. "So wait, is this gonna be on the next album?" Dahlia inquired. "I wanted this to be one of the lead singles, and if all goes well, I'll hopefully have the album finished come February!" Dusk confirmed. Even as the next song played on the radio, the three women's excitement continued to linger in the car, and the shock slowly started to wear off. 

Three songs and one commercial break later, they carried on, singing along to all the greatest hits, not caring if anyone in the next lane heard them. As they made a right, they could see the faint glimpse of a van pulled to the side of the road. And just as they suspected, it was Diego's van, and the windows seemingly had been busted out. Dusk's boot pressed against the brake, slowly pulling up next to them. 

"What's up?" Dusk smirked as they rolled down their windows. "Where the hell have you guys been?" Allison glared. "Oh you know, just chilling," Dahlia grinned.  "Ugh! I can smell that puke from here!" Victoria fanned the air. Klaus looked up from his paper bag, seeing his wife, not a trace of sickness on her face. How was that even possible? If everyone who took the marigold-spiked shot got sick, why wasn't she, Dahlia, or Victoria sick as well? "Y'all look like you got run over by a dump truck!" Victoria chuckled. "Haha, very funny!" Ben rolled his eyes. 

"Dusky, please! Let me ride along with you! I can't deal with these people anymore!" Klaus pleaded. "Vic, come on!" Five begged. "Sorry honey, but I'm not gonna be spending my Christmas cleaning the puke out of my car!" Dusk shrugged. "We'll see y'all in New Grumpson!" Dahlia waved. "Girls, wait!" Klaus struggled to unbuckle his seatbelt, but by the time he made it out of the van, the girls had already taken off again.

~~~~~~~~~~

Day turned into night, as the road trip grew more and more boring. The siblings' stomachs growled with hunger, and not even the left juice packets and graham crackers from Grace's party were enough to satisfy them. Dahlia, Dusk, and Victoria on the other hand were having the time of their lives, still focused on their mission, but didn't hesitate to stop at the nearest gas station and grab a few burgers for dinner. As Dusk started to get drowsy, Victoria took over driving while Dusk caught some z's, and as it was approaching midnight, Dahlia could see the tiredness in Vic's eyes. "I can take over if you want," Dahlia offered. "I got it, it's fine," Victoria responded curtly, glaring at her through the mirror.

Meanwhile, back in the van, Diego slapped himself silly, trying to keep himself awake. There was no way, he was going to stop now. Not when they were so close. The siblings had all fallen asleep, and nothing but the rustling of the plastic-covered windows could be heard in the calm cold night. The only ones left awake were him and Five. "I think Victoria's cheating on you," Diego whispered. The sleepiness in Five's eyes faded as he slowly turned towards Diego. "She goes places at night," Diego added.

 Five blinked in surprise and confused, too tired to deal with any more drama. "You're crazy, she's not cheating on me," He scoffed. "Clearly she is, Five! Unless she flirts with every other guy besides you," Diego sighed. "What are you talking about?" Five questioned. "Last night, I saw her. She was in some cafe with a guy. Some Greek-looking son of a bitch with a creepy mustache," his brother explained. "The mustache was creepy?" Five raised a brow. "Oh yeah, sleazy as hell. Just pencil-thin, you know what I mean?"

"Diego, whatever this is, trust me... she's not cheating on me. I know her, she could never do that," Five assured. "We've been together for six years, live in a nice house. Only an idiot throws that away, and Victoria is no idiot," "So, am I just supposed to ignore it? Act like nothing happened?" Diego questioned. "That would be correct. Bury it. Deep. Cover that shit with concrete," Five confirmed. Diego took a deep and slow breath in, slowly digesting his brother's words. "If you say so, man. But we gotta look out for each other," he said. "I know you'd do the same for me,"