Third Floor Common Room, Sunday Afternoon

[noonedecidesmyfate]

Belle had been in the company of a young girl since yesterday morning. A girl who was by all appearances Belle's daughter.

"I come in here often to read," Belle said. "When I'm hoping for company or for something to nibble on. There's nearly always food even if no one is around to cook it. There's always tea." That was very important.

"Would you like some tea, Collette?"

The girl nodded politely as she took in her new surroundings. Was she simply looking around or was she looking for possible threats and escape routes? Why not both!

[Open common room is open, naturally!]

Comments

[apocalypsehow]

There were children all around the island. And Five wasn't interested in any of it.

But the perils of plot had him walk right into the common room with a child therein. And Belle, of course.

"Yours?"

[notnumbered]

"You know perfectly well that she's my mother," Collette told him. "Honestly."

Were you worried yet, Five? You should be worried.

[apocalypsehow]

"And just how would I know that?" Five asked, showing that he was very much his father's son.

[notnumbered]

"I'm sure," Collette said sweetly, "if you think about it you'll be able to figure it out. You're smart. Usually."

Oh dear.

[apocalypsehow]

"I'm speaking to the grown ups in the room," Five replied. Because he'd do that to anyone under the age of 25, really.

[notnumbered]

"You don't look very grown-up," Collette told him. "Isn't my mother older than you are right now?"

Well. Technically. If you looked at it one way.

[apocalypsehow]

"No," Five said like she'd said something utterly ridiculous. "I'm older than everyone in this dorm."

[notnumbered]

"Only on the inside," Collette pointed out. "You're younger on the outside because you didn't learn how to time-travel properly before you tried it."

Belle, who knew exactly who this child belonged to, was thoroughly enjoying this exchange.

[apocalypsehow]

"That doesn't matter." Of course Five would have this argument with an actual child.

[notnumbered]

"Of course it matters," Collette told him with an eyeroll. "You know how important precision is!"

[apocalypsehow]

"And you are not being precise in the slightest!" Because Five was correct. Always. Even when he was wrong.

[notnumbered]

"Neither are you! You're just saying things that aren't in the least bit true even though you know better. Or you ought too. Perhaps you're still too young to know better."

Yes, Five, a literal child was telling you you were too young to know better.

[apocalypsehow]

"I don't have time for you," Five informed the kid, rolling his eyes.

[notnumbered]

"That's hardly an appropriate thing to say to your daughter, Number Five Hargreeves!"

Ooh, dropping that bombshell and full name in the same sentence.

[apocalypsehow]

"Good thing I don't have a daughter, child," he shot back.

[notnumbered]

"Who do you think I belong to?" Collette asked with another roll of her eyes.

"Yes, who do you think her father is?" Belle wanted to know.

And you know Collette had a copy of her birth certificate on her somewhere for just such an occasion.

[apocalypsehow]

"I asked!" And clearly Belle was just enjoying the moment. Rude.

[notnumbered]

"I just told you and you seem to not believe me," Collette said. "So why did you even ask?"

Belle was definitely enjoying this.

[apocalypsehow]

"Because it seems thoroughly unlikely to happen!" Really now, he was the least likely parent of his sibling group.

[noonedecidesmyfate]

"The weekend we were both older, we had a son," Belle reminded him. "I'm sure you haven't forgotten that weekend."

[apocalypsehow]

"And you would have kept a child from me?" That's where he was lost. Because c'mon now.

[noonedecidesmyfate]

"It sounds like she kept two," Collette sniffed. "Do try and keep up!"

"Why on earth wouldn't I?" Belle asked. "You are such a fool sometimes."

In one universe she married a disco lizard and had his kid!

[apocalypsehow]

"Two?" That felt like far too many to bring into this shit show of a world.

[notnumbered]

"Not at once," Collette told him. "And it might not even be this version of Mother. You of all people ought to be familiar with the idea of different timelines. I'm clearly here now and you're clearly the same Father I know even if you are very skinny with very silly socks."