STEPFORD FIVE.

“So are we all just totally fine with the fact that my mother spontaneously combusted? Everyone seems way too calm with everything that’s just happened.”

“Something tells me y’all wouldn’t care if I did.”

“So you’re gaslightin’ me now?”

@stepfrdfive​

“Hey, guys.”

Nate tried to not sound horribly awkward, but the words still came out sounding strained. There was a lopsided smile stretched across his face as he waved to the five of them, and he chuckled nervously as his hand fell back to his side.

He was here for Esme, of course. There were five telepaths in the room that would be able to sense that pretty quickly, but that wouldn’t be hard for anyone to guess. From the moment he arrived back in this timeline, people knew she would be one of the first people he searched for. It was intimidating walking himself into the White Palace, and he knew what he was in for by purposefully placing himself dead center among all the sisters— but it was worth it.

After clearing his throat, Nate took a few steps into the room. “I heard what happened. And I don’t want to be a bother..” His gaze finally landed on Esme, expression soft. With how she was feeling, he wasn’t sure if this visit would be a welcome one. If she sent him away, he would accept it. He just really hoped she wouldn’t. “But I had to come see how you were doing.”

They’re broken. As loathe as they are to admit it, the diamond exterior of the Stepford Cuckoo’s has been chipped. It’s Esme’s fault, Phoebe has asserted during the bad moments. The others are quick to shoot down that kind of talk. We’re are the Five-in-One, they remind her. We are never alone. Being never alone means that they suffer together. In all fairness, there’s no other way that they would want it. No matter how excruciating life may be, to watch a sister suffer alone would be worse.

Time tore them into their own people before they merged back into one. Gone are the days of dyed hair and different outfits. Esme and Sophie had missed all that anyway. All they know is the pale hair straightened into a flat curtain, the matching robes of black and white. Yes, they are the Five-in-One. That’s how they’re meant to be. Romance has thrown a wrench into that. First it was Esme falling for Cable, then Phoebe and Quire. Cable returned to the past and Phoebe concealed her paramour. Esme wept, Phoebe thrived. Now, Esme weeps no more.

“Hello, Cable.” Four voices ring as one. Sophie, Phoebe, Irma and Celeste form a protective huddle around Esme. She stands in the center of her sisters, eyes trained on the floor.

You’re a bother, thinks Sophie. Most definitely a bother, Irma agrees. But Esme loooooooves him, Phoebe teases. Celeste just laughs.

“let’s be honest, what we’re you expecting to happen?” a shrug, as he takes a seat on a nearby stool, “i don’t know how thrilled they’d be if we had more of a disagreement in here.”

Stephen couldn’t help his sigh, his head nodding slightly as she described some of their symptoms. Of course he knew what was happening, he’d be blind if he didn’t. The spell was half-baked. The people who were trapped in there might be wearing their own faces now, but their minds were split in two. It was a complete disaster, but he tried to focus on the net positive of having them back at all. “I understand that it’s probably very disorienting for you all. Believe me, I do,” Some mornings he woke up to Clea cooking a full family style breakfast for children that never existed in the first place. “But we’re doing everything we can to find a solution. That’s the best I can offer you. If you want to take some more urgent steps, maybe try contacting Ripley Ryan. Or maybe you can take the easy way out and get one of your friends to snap your necks so Krakoa can resurrect you. I don’t know.” Maybe that sounded harsh, but Stephen’s patience was wearing thin. 

as much as he really wanted to see where things would go from here, common sense kicked in and warned warren to stand down, to quit pushing for the sake of pushing. wings quickly folded inward, the sudden gust of air generated by the motion ruffling five sets of blonde locks. “just forget it.”

“Are you asking me to help you because it looks good, or because you actually need my help?”

Daisy eyed the girl in front of her as they sat in the infirmary along with some leftover stragglers from the town. Most of the others had already been checked, and Daisy was waiting on Roz’s evaluation to be finished now that she was awake and mostly patched up. The plural word usage was a little confusing, but she decided not to comment on that and just focused on the rest. “I can’t imagine they would be. Especially since their homicide plan didn’t exactly get to pan out.”

“And is there a reason the five of you decided to come visit my office today?”

“We sit on the board of the Hellfire Trading Company —“ “— and we need to keep a human lawyer on as counsel.” “It looks good for optics.”

Actually, Rachel hated when people made things about her. It was why this conversation was already driving her up the wall as she rolled her eyes again and raised her eyebrows at the five of them. Five, not four now. “I heard things have been different since you’ve been back, Esme.” This time she was directing her comment to Esme and Esme alone in the center of them all. 

Stephen stared down at the mutant in front of him, keeping his stance firm as she stepped towards him and went on a tangent about her sisters. It was certainly useful information, but the tension in the air was there after what the mutants had done in the town. Or tried to do, at least. “Unwell how?”

“It was one time.” He looks sullen, serious. “So you can laugh, one time, but then it’s time to drop it.” 

They ignore him entirely. It’s three sisters who stand before the supposed leader of the X-Men. Sophie’s stayed behind with Esme. Although all Five sisters share the hive mind, the two of  them know acutely what it’s like to die and lose time. Phoebe, Irma and Celeste are the survivors. They’re the ones standing there with disdain on their lips. 

“Ah. That’s right.” Max looked between them. “I’m honored to be on your radar. At least, that seems to where this conversation is leaning. Correct me if I’m wrong.”

An orange portal leading to the Sanctum dissipated behind Stephen as he turned around and faced the person in front of him. “This better be important. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but reality is still falling apart.” The bags that had plagued his eyes for the past few months were gone now, which was an improvement, but things were far from fine.

“I am not here to listen to your whining. The Avengers must deal with the consequences of their own actions in Pleasant Hill. I want no part of it.”