"We will see who's more stubborn then." The other replied, his glare at the approaching tentacles almost predatory.

There was no way Five was going to lose his grip on Ben, who knew what could happen if they let go. Learning about his death through Vanya's book and later talking to her about it had hurt enough, it was one of the things he wouldn't be able to chance.

Before.

Now? here? It that was their chance he was going to take it, no matter what happened. Ben was always one of the best of them, certainly a much better person Five ever was, and if he could salvage even the smaller part of him, it would all have been worth it.

"Hold on tight." It's was easier to space jump than time travel, he could do it more quickly and without calculations but this time still took him a few seconds. Not enough for the monster to catch up on them but it has been really close. As reality finally rippled around them, a tentacle reached out, curled viciously....and wrapped around no one.

Blinking back into their our world left Five fighting back tears. The bright colors that assaulted his eyes made it clear they were in the right place, finally, but they also made his headache and vision blur. The surprised voices of the rest of his family sounded distant, right now he could only care about one thing. The still too tight grip of Ben's very solid, very alive, hand in his own.

With a relief he hadn't know in decades, Five's lips curled into a sincere smile and then he passed out.