#fluffl

As much as he wanted to follow her, he knew to give her space. He fell into a restless sleep though, and when he woke, only Henry was in the apartment.

Killian asked where his mother was, but Henry shrugged in response and said something about chasing a lead.

By the time Emma made it back to the apartment, Killian was finishing up dinner.

She smiled, kissed him hello, but there was a tightness in her face.

A tightness that made him tell her after dinner had been put away and they were sitting on the roof that he wouldn't push it.

"But whatever it is, you know you can talk to me," Killian added.

Emma leaned into his chest. "I know."

But she didn't share whatever it was.

With no work waiting for him, they lingered longer than usual as they cuddled against each other on the roof. He asked a bit more about Thanksgiving. She told him of a parade with balloons as big as buildings. How people lined up outside of stores in the cold, all attempting to find the best deals to start their Christmas shopping.

She had to also explain what Christmas was.

Halfway through, Killian was happy to announce that there was a similar holiday celebrated in the Enchanted Forest, better known as Winter's Solstice.

Emma's face brightened. "Well, yeah, that celebration is tied into Christmas a little too. At least, I think it is?"

And though they lingered longer than usual on the roof, it wasn't too long actually. His body was protesting from the restless nap he had that morning.

In the apartment, Henry was in the living room, watching TV. Before Killian could let Emma know it was all right, to let him enjoy a late night as well, she was sending Henry off to bed.

"It's not even midnight yet," Henry said, the tiniest hint of a whine in his voice.

"No arguments. Killian's ready for bed."

"Love, it's all right. He can stay up longer," Killian said gently, but loud enough for Henry to hear as well to let him know he was on his side.

Which then prompted Henry to throw in his own comment. "I mean...he could just sleep in your room?"

Killian and Emma froze.

Henry's face turned red, and Killian could tell he was struggling not to scrunch his face up in disgust. "You two are dating and...I...he's already living here, Mom and...ugh, please don't make me say it..."

"Right," Emma quickly cut in. "Um..." But she seemed to be at a loss for words too.

Making Killian say something that he hoped would smooth over this awkward situation.

"I have upheld our agreement, lad."

Judging by Henry's quick look of disgust, it did not help the situation.

"What agreement?" Emma asked, looking at Killian with a small frown.

"Ah, well, I-"

"Ugh, please don't!" Henry exclaimed. "This is already weird enough as it is."

Emma laughed. "All right, all right. Don't stay up too late though." Then she threaded her fingers through Killian's and gently led him to her room.

It was something that was never questioned again, with Killian moving his few belongings into Emma's room from out of the living room.

The light that had been steadily flickering in Emma's eyes was shining now every time she looked at Killian.

But in the moments when she wasn't, when she thought no one was looking at her, Killian could see a darkness shadow that light.

Darkness of a Lost Girl.

Thanksgiving came and went with little fanfare in the apartment. Just as Emma said, they watched movies and had leftover Chinese, no matter how much Killian offered to cook a fresh meal for them.

"It's tradition!" Henry exclaimed as he tossed popcorn at Killian when he made the suggestion.

Emma laughed, picking up the thrown popcorn from where it had landed on Killian's chest and popped it into her mouth.

Except the laugh didn't reach her eyes.

And Killian knew it was because what Henry had said wasn't true.

It was only from memories that Regina gave him.

Which made him wonder how Emma actually spent this holiday before.

Alone.

The following day, Henry knocked on their bedroom door repeatedly until they finally came out and he insisted they go ice skating.

Killian obliged, informing them he had learned from a court official of Arrendelle after agreeing not to burn his ship down.

Emma had been across the room, staring at him with wide eyes and making motions behind Henry for him to stop talking.

Except Killian hadn't seen her, and now Henry was staring at him with a strange look.

Killian swallowed hard. "Um, well, I mean..."

But then Henry rolled his eyes and shook his head. "God, you're so weird sometimes," he said before focusing on getting his coat and gloves on.

They left for the ice-skating rink, Emma giving him a quick reminder about not mentioning things from the Enchanted Forest around Henry.

He apologized, then promptly bit his tongue. Because he could feel frustrated words bubbling inside of him of how it was beginning to feel as if Emma didn't want Henry remembering.

Killian left it be though as they got on a bus to head to the ice-skating rink.

Walking through the city the day after Thanksgiving, Killian could feel a slight shift in the air. Almost as if there was a hint of magic.

Perhaps this Christmas holiday was the closest this realm ever got to magic.

But just as the air around him shifted, he could sense a shift in Emma. He had noticed it as Thanksgiving approached, and now it seemed as if it had only grown.

A distance she was starting to create.

It worried him.

So much so that he had stopped keeping his eyes on Henry.

Until he found him early one morning, staring at a pile of papers.

It was the weekend, and he had actually planned on sleeping in.

Instead, he woke up at five with a parched throat.

He quietly left the bedroom, doing his best not to make any sound that might wake Emma.

Killian had been so quiet, he ended up startling Henry, who was sitting at the dining table.

"Henry? What are you doing up?"

Henry jumped, grabbing the papers he had spread out on the table, crumpling them in his fists. "Um, nothing, just...forgot some homework I had."

There had been a piece of paper that had fallen to the floor.

Killian bent down to grab it, feeling a chill that didn't come from the weather outside fill his bones.

Her name was scrawled all over it again.

Regina Mills

There was another word added in.

Storybook.

Killian looked at Henry, seeing fear written all over his face.

"What's happening to me?" Henry asked in a way that reminded him of the scared boy they had looked for in Neverland.

Killian pulled out a chair and sat in front of Henry. "Do you remember why you wrote this?"

Henry shook his head. "No. I swear I don't. I just...it's like a nightmare and I can never remember what it is, but somehow I just know it's the same one."

"And you're sure you can't remember anything?"

"Am I supposed to?"

Killian didn't know what to say.

He knew what Emma would tell him to say.

He also knew what would be the right thing to say.

Killian did neither, instead pulling Henry into a hug and whispering that everything was going to be okay.

The boy that was quickly becoming a young man, clung onto Killian.

When Henry finally composed himself, he gathered all the papers and stuffed them into a folder, then made Killian promise not to tell his mom.

"I don't want to worry her. Especially not with Christmas coming up," he said, then took a long pause.

Long enough that Killian actually thought he was done, beginning to make his way to the kitchen for that glass of water.

"She becomes different during Christmas," Henry continued. "Not like in a bad way, but just...she gets sad. And I know she tries and hide it from me, but I'm older and see it now and...it's only ever been the two of us, and before she had me, she was completely alone. I don't think she's ever had good Christmas memories."

"Well, I'm here now. And I'm not saying that she hasn't made good Christmas memories with you, but that I can help to make sure she isn't too sad."

Henry gave a nod, and Killian could see the young man in him again.

For a moment, he reminded him of Baelfire.

Before Killian had failed him and before he turned into the kind of man that did what he did.

It felt like he had his work cut out for him, keeping an eye on Henry and Emma.

Trying to make Emma smile, while making sure Henry didn't leave any notes behind after one of his sleepwalking spells.

It wasn't helping that the sleepwalking was starting to become a more common occurrence.

At one point, he was afraid Emma had found them out.

She asked Henry one evening over dinner what he was doing up so late last night.

"What?" Henry asked, his spoon of beef stew stopping mid-air.

"Yeah, wasn't that you last night?" Emma asked.

Killian looked at Henry and Henry stared right back at him with panicked eyes.

"Ah, sorry about that, love. That was me. I forgot to grab a scarf when I left for work. Didn't realize I was being so loud."

Emma barely shrugged in response, glancing at her phone as it pinged and she grumbled something about an impatient client, the subject already far from her mind.

As Christmas neared, more and more Emma became distant, not just with him, but with Henry too.

Her smiles were more forced, movie nights together weren't met with the same enthusiasm, and sometimes days would pass before either of them heard her laugh.

But it was during their moments on the roof that Killian could clearly see how much she had withdrawn into herself. The roof had become a sort of haven for them both. A place where their guards could be let down completely, even if she still kept walls in place. It was where they could be affectionate and not have to worry about Henry being grossed out by them.

A week before Christmas, she brought her own blanket to wrap herself in. She wouldn't even let her shoulder brush against him.

He couldn't help himself. The question fell from his lips before he even truly consider it. "Are you okay?"

Her body tensed for a moment and Killian was already flinching, ready for her snap.

Instead, her shoulders fell, and she looked down. "I'm trying," she whispered.

He moved slowly, making sure she saw his movements, giving her the chance to pull away if that's what she wanted to do.

She didn't.

It wasn't the hug he wanted to give her, but he did place his hand over hers, squeezing it and rubbing some warmth into her cold skin.

She let him.

Killian considered it a win.

A step forward.

Then two steps back.

They bought a Christmas tree the day Henry was officially on winter break. A small thing that looked like it would topple over with the lightest of breeze, but Henry loved it.

He dubbed it their very own 'Charlie Brown Christmas Tree.'

Whoever that was.

After buying the tree, they also went to the store to buy ornaments, because the ones they had collected over the years were lost to the fire.

At least, that's what the memories Regina had given them had been.

Now, only Henry believed that.

They bought a couple boxes of plain glass ornaments, and the rest were caricatures or random items.

Henry had even found one of a yellow buggy.

"Look, Mom!" he exclaimed as he proudly held it up. "We have to get it! It's a sign!"

Emma's smile was tight as she nodded at Henry and allowed him to put it in their cart.

The shopping trip done, they headed back to the apartment to decorate the small tree.

"I think this might be the only thing Mom likes about this holiday," Henry whispered while Emma went to change into something comfier. He grabbed scissors to cut the netting around the tree. "She always loved pulling out the ornaments we used to have. I don't know why though. They were just those quick craft ornaments that I made in school."

Killian tried his best to smile, but he couldn't stop thinking of the fact that those memories were fabricated. Henry never brought home ornaments from school. They never decorated a tree together.

In fact, this might not even be Emma's favorite part of the holiday.

He made up some excuse to go check on Emma, leaving Henry alone to trim the tree and start putting up the lights.

She was sitting on the floor, back to the wall and knees to her chest.

She was crying.

Or had been at least.

The moment she heard the door open, she quickly wiped her face and moved to stand up. "Sorry, I just-"

"Emma, please." Killian knelt in front of her, grabbing her hand. "You don't have to hide from me. Please, Emma, let me in."

Her eyes welled with even more tears. Killian thought that maybe this was finally it.

She was finally going to let him in completely.

"Mom! I think we need to get more lights!"

Whatever she had been about to say was cut off by Henry's call. The wall was firmly back in place as Emma pulled her hand from his, mumbling that she needed to check on her son.

There were movie nights with hot chocolate. An outing to go ice skating again. Last minute shopping trips. Emma finishing up a final case for the year and Killian going into the fish market one last time until the new year.

And though she tried to hide it, Emma was only getting progressively worse.

"I don't know what else we can do," Henry said, dipping his spoon in and out of his hot chocolate.

They were at the diner. The original plan had been to go to the gym after Emma kicked them out of the apartment because she needed to wrap presents.

It didn't pass either of their observation her red-rimmed eyes.

But Killian said it would do them both good to go to the gym. Punch out the stress. Henry insisted it would be closed since it was Christmas Eve.

When they stood in front of the closed gym, Henry snickered and said he wished he had made a bet of it.

So, they headed towards the diner where they were currently waiting for their food and Henry was mixing the whipped cream into his hot chocolate.

"There's just something really different about this year and I think it's because of the fire," Henry continued, his brows furrowed in thought. "But she wasn't like this last year and the fire had just happened then and...I don't know. Do you know what's going on with her?"

Killian lightly blew on his coffee. "Sorry, lad. She hasn't told me anything."

Which wasn't a lie.

Emma really hadn't told him anything.

But Killian didn't tell Henry he was almost positive he knew what this was about.

After all those years of searching, Emma had found her parents. She learned who she was and where she came from.

And yet, she was still away from all of it, celebrating this important holiday alone.

Killian mentally shook his head.

No, she wasn't alone.

She had her son and Killian.

A dark thought entered his mind though.

That even though she had them, it still wasn't enough.

He wasn't enough.

A plate of food was placed in front of him and Henry, pulling him out of his thoughts.

They ate, Killian doing everything he could to steer the conversation to things that wouldn't distress Henry so much.

It was hard, considering how much the lad cared for his mother.

When they were finally summoned back to the apartment once Emma was finished, Killian smiled as he saw Emma smiling without it seeming forced.

And who wouldn't be able to smile at Henry's excitement at seeing the presents under the tree.

He might be growing by the day into a young man, but Killian doubted his child-like wonder would ever disappear.

Even though they had lunch only a few hours ago, Killian still went into the kitchen to start pulling out the ingredients needed for dinner.

Fish soup. His favorite.

But just as he was placing the frozen fish into water to thaw, Henry was demanding he exit the kitchen as he pulled out three boxes with what looked like oddly shaped cookies.

Henry shook the boxes as he set them on the table. "Nope, Christmas Eve is for gingerbread houses and boxed mac and cheese."

Killian scrunched up his nose. He had a taste of this boxed mac and cheese and could do without eating it again for the rest of his life.

He refrained from making any comments though when he heard Emma laugh, teasing him about his 'refined tastes'.

It was the first time they heard her laugh all week.

Killian grumbled, finding it incredibly difficult to not smile. "It's not my fault I've traveled to all these exotic places that has only expanded my palette. And I hate to say it, but of all the places I've been too, this particular realm has the strangest food."

Henry scoffed. "Fancy taste buds and fancy words from the fancy boy."

Emma actually snorted.

Killian and Henry exchanged a quick look. Both of them smiling widely.

The evening passed quickly, no matter how much Killian wanted to linger in the mood it brought.

Emma was actually happy.

They decorated their gingerbread houses with a ridiculous amount of candy and frosting. While Killian was reassured multiple times that it wasn't a competition, Henry still declared his own creation the winner.

Emma made the mac and cheese, having it ready by the time Henry had gotten the popcorn and milkduds ready for their Christmas movie marathon.

These movies were older, but Killian was still captivated. They watched a man who might not have accomplished his dreams but had found himself a family and community who loved him, only realizing this after an angel showed him what could have been.

Another movie of a man and women working side by side in a little shop who seemed to hate each other, yet in a surprising twist of fate, were pen pals who were falling in love without realizing just who exactly the other person was.

The last movie was of singing animal puppets that Henry insisted weren't puppets but were actually 'muppets'. Ghost muppets were involved as they worked to change the heart of a bitter old man.

Once the end credits for the movie played, Henry sat up, rubbing his eyes and yawning. "We're sleeping here tonight, right?"

Emma yawned as she stretched and nodded. "Go grab some blankets and pillows."

"Let me guess," Killian said as he brushed back some of Emma's hair. "Another tradition?"

Emma smiled. "Henry loves his Christmas traditions."

The smile faded though, and Killian saw the exact moment her mind wandered to other things.

To curses and storybooks, magic and memories that weren't true.

Killian pressed a kiss to her forehead. "We're here. We're together."

She leaned into him and Killian couldn't see her face anymore.

It took Henry two trips to bring out all the blankets. It might have taken him longer if Killian hadn't gotten up and helped him.

"She's doing really good, isn't she?" Henry said as he piled blankets into Killian's waiting arms. His eyes were tired, but Killian could see them shining with renewed hope.

The eyes of the Truest Believer.

Killian smiled. "Aye, I believe she is."

While Killian had quickly grown accustomed to sleeping in an actual bed now, he was okay with spending the night in the living room again. Emma took the couch, while he and Henry took the floor. He fell asleep with Emma's dangling fingers brushing against his own.

It was a slow start the following morning.

Well, more like afternoon, by the time they actually got up.

Henry was the one rushing them along though, even being the one to prepare breakfast.

Even if it was only cereal.

But it was an established rule that no presents would be open until everyone had brushed their teeth and they had eaten some kind of breakfast.

Despite Killian's protest that what they had shouldn't be considered breakfast.

An hour later, he and Emma were sitting on the couch as Henry started opening presents.

It was a meager pile of presents, the majority going to Henry.

Killian wondered how different this holiday would look like if the rest of the royal family were here.

He quickly dispelled that thought, knowing it would be written all over his face and Emma didn't need that kind of reminder.

Not when she was having one of her best days since the holiday season began.

Emma had bought Henry a couple of new video games, some books, and clothes. Killian had bought him a pair of boxing gloves, which Henry was more excited about than Killian thought he'd be.

Henry handed them both gifts that he bought with his own money for them.

For Emma, he bought her a necklace with a swan charm.

For Killian, he bought him a ship in a glass bottle.

"Wow, Henry, where did you find that?" Emma asked, as she stared at the bottle in amazement.

Killian was amazed as well, words failing him.

Because there was something about the ship stuck inside this tiny, glass bottle, the intricate details of it...

It almost reminded Killian of the Jolly Roger.

Henry just grinned. "No way am I revealing my sources."

"Thank you, lad. This is...this is incredible," Killian said.

When Henry turned his attention back to his games, Emma gave Killian his present.

It was a picture of a small sailboat.

"Ah, thank you, Swan. I'll be sure and get it a frame for it," Killian said with a smile.

Emma snorted a little. "It's not for that. It's just so that you can see it."

Killian nodded slowly. "Which I do."

"And then, when the weather's nice, we can go and take it out for a spin."

Killian's eyes shot up. "Are you telling me you bought this?"

Emma quickly shook her head. "No, I don't think I'd ever want to buy a boat in the city. Do you know how much it costs to rent a space for it down at the docks? No, this is just something we rent for the weekend. Which I already have. We just need to pick a date."

The gift made much more sense. Killian even smiled as he kissed Emma. "It'll be wonderful to be out on the water again." He shifted on the sofa, reaching to pull out his gift for her from behind his back. "And it'll pair nicely with my gift to you."

Emma carefully opened the box and brought a hand to her mouth. "Killian, it's...this is beautiful."

It was a telescope. One that he had engraved with a buttercup.

She kissed him. "Thank you. I love it."

There were hugs and wishes of Merry Christmas. Killian insisted on making his fish soup, ignoring the way Emma and Henry scrunched up their noses. But when the meal was prepared, neither had any protests.

They watched more Christmas movies and hardly moved from the nest they had made in the living room.

And as the day came close to an end, Killian couldn't help thinking that this was what it felt like to have a family.

He and Emma went to their bedroom while Henry stayed up in the living room, playing video games and promising Emma to go to bed at a decent hour.

Slowly and quietly, their bodies came together. And when it was over, Killian held Emma in his arms as they drifted off to sleep.

They had made it through Christmas. Emma had been happy. Killian had assumed things would get back to normal.

But the day after Christmas, Emma didn't get out of bed.

She mumbled complaints of a headache and an upset stomach. She turned down Killian's offers to go to the nearest apothecary for some medicine or to even bring a doctor to her.

"That's not how it works here," she said, face half buried in her pillow. "Home visits are for the rich and you just go to CVS or something for the medicine."

"Well, I'll go to this CVS. I'll bring Henry along since I'm sure he's more familiar with this realms medicine.

"No, it's fine. You two go out. Have fun. I'll get over it."

She didn't.

The next day was the same. And the following, the following after that.

On the fourth day, he woke to her crying.

He couldn't help his question, of if she was fine.

She quickly wiped her face, getting out of bed. She mumbled yes, then locked herself in the bathroom.

Killian waited for a few minutes, seeing if perhaps he could finally get her to talk.

She didn't leave the bathroom.

Instead, Killian left the bedroom, finding Henry sitting in the living room, eating a bowl of cereal as he watched TV.

He asked Henry if he had any plans with his friends today.

Because maybe if Henry wasn't in the apartment, then Emma would more freely speak her thoughts and feelings.

Henry shook his head in response though, his eyes never leaving the TV.

Killian did his best to figure out a way to get Henry out of the apartment as he prepared a cup of coffee for Emma.

Henry solved the problem for him though when he announced he would be heading to the library.

"School project?" Killian asked, already forming plans in his mind of how he would get Emma to talk now that Henry would be gone.

Henry shook his head, wrapping his scarf around him before pulling on his coat. "No, I..." He looked at the closed door of the bedroom Emma had yet to emerge from. "You have to talk to her. I don't think she wants me to hear anything."

"You're a good lad. And an even better son."

The encouragement didn't bring so much as a small quirk of the lips to Henry's face. He just gave a nod, before heading out of the apartment, saying he'd be gone for a few hours.

The moment Henry left, Killian headed back down the hallway and stopped at the closed door to their bedroom.

It was time to pull Emma out of this fog, reminding her again that she wasn't alone. She had Henry. She had Killian.

“She’s so cute!” Jimin squeals, waking up some of the other boys, who all proceed to turn to look at you. Now, you were hiding your red face in Yoongi’s chest, his laughter making you even more embarrassed. Yoongi wrapped his arms tighter around you, a large gummy smile on his lips.

“Stop you guys. Our baby is blushing.” Yoongi’s words make everyone laugh. You feel another set of arms around you, pulling you away from Yoongi and into another lap. The same hands cup your cheeks, tilting your head up to look at them. You see Jin, his eyes wide with mischief and love as he looks over your red face.

“Awwww, you are so cute!” He exclaims before bringing your head forward, kissing your cheeks, nose, chin, forehead, and anywhere else he could reach. You squealed as you tried to remove his grip. Your little fight caused everyone else to pick up the laughter, Taehyung pulling you from Jin and scolding him, a large grin on his face as he tries to defend your honor.

Soon enough, you end up in Hobi’s arms, his back rested against the edge of the nest as the two of you watch your mates enter a wrestling match to ‘defend your honor’ as Taehyung put it.

The warmth of his arms wrapped around you is enticing, your comfort optimized as he sinks into the edge of the nest. You couldn’t help but look up at him, watching his face as he laughs at his younger mates now wrestling for you, not even recognizing that you had already been taken by someone else.

Hobi’s features, while not always relaxed, were light as he watched over everyone. It isn’t often that you are able to just be with Hobi, not when he has been working to keep you and every other hybrid safe from danger. You are hoping, now that Red is gone, you may be able to spend more time with your quiet mate, to become more familiar with his love.

“What are you staring at bubs?” You can hear Hobi’s voice, but you just can’t seem to form any words in your mind, completely entranced by him.

“I think our baby is lost in your presence Hobi.” Yoongi speaks, his sight set on the two of you, not interested in the shenanigans of the younger ones.

Hobi begins to trace his fingers down your cheek, trialing towards your shoulder and back. Your eyes are glossy as you watch him, seemingly unaware of your own disassociation. He can’t help but also admire you, and the marks that taint your skin.

When he first saw Namjoon holding onto you, the alpha taking control and growling at anyone who dared to come near, he knew he was too late to prevent anything. But once you were up close, in Yoongi’s arms as he brought you to the emergency vehicles, his jaw dropped at the dark bruises covering your neck and cheek, fingerprints visible against your skin.

Having you in his arms, safe and sound, wipes his worries away, almost making him forget about the news he received that morning while everyone was asleep. His chief had called, saying that they had found something disturbing in one of the drawers in the room you were kept in.

After hearing what was found, he couldn’t believe it, well actually he could. He knew the lengths Red was willing to go to have you back in his arms, he just was distraught for you that you had to see those photos. To have you think that they were dead, he couldn’t imagine what you had to be going through now.

“Wait! Jungkook stop biting my ear! Hobi has her!” Taehyung shouted, pointing a finger at the two of you at the edge of the nest. You feel Hobi tighten his grip on you, your mind now distracted by the terrible two trying to climb over everyone to get to you.

You squeal as hands grip your ankles, trying to pull you out of Hobi’s arms. Laughter ringing throughout the room as you grip onto Hobi, playing into the two’s game.

-*-*-

Unfortunately, by the time dinner rolled around, the older boys knew they had to tell you about the court case. Kim Dongmin’s lawyers have filed a case against you for defamation and falsifying a crime scene. Yet, the lawyers have not gone after Yoongi for murder, something that irks the boys deeply. Namjoon couldn’t believe that his company was trying to go after you, even after all that you went through and the previous cases of hybrid endangerment against Red.

So, at dinner, the boys knew they couldn’t drag it out any longer, knowing you need to be prepared for the court hearing coming up. Jin was able to barter the lawyers for an unbiased judge, not liking the original judge that the lawyers had picked to hear the case.

However, no one wanted to bring it up to you, causing dinner to be an anxious affair. You were distracted by so many different things; Namjoon’s leg shaking, Yoongi’s intense stare, even Jin was acting off, picking at his nails. Hobi seemed to be the only one who wasn’t acting any different than normal. Their body language was making you nervous, wondering if you had done something wrong.

You weren’t the only one noticing the weird actions the older boys were doing. Jimin seemed to shrink lower into his seat with every jolt of the table caused by Namjoon’s shaking. Jungkook and Taehyung had their eyes locked onto Jin whose fingers were now picked to nothing, the sides of his fingers beginning to bleed.

Taehyung is the one to break the atmosphere, slamming his hands down on the table causing everyone to jump.

“Okay can someone tell us,” He gestured to the four of you, “what the heck is going on? I haven’t seen Jin hyung pick at his fingers since Jungkook and I decided to roll around in the mud and slipped, knocking over his favorite vase.”

You were silent the entire time, just watching the boys look at each other, trying to figure out what is worth saying. Finally, they all looked towards you, sympathetic looks being sent your way as they put their silverware down.

“Y/N, baby, we have something to tell you.” Namjoon spoke first, his words soft as to not startle you.

“When you were in the hospital, before you woke up, Kim Dongmin’s lawyers showed up at your room, with papers in hand.” Your eyes widened at his words, fear beginning to fill your veins as you questioned why they showed up.

“Basically, these stupid men want to charge you with defamation and falsifying a crime to cover up Dongmin’s crimes. They want to frame you as the assailant and make sure that no negative feelings are held when it comes to Dongmin’s company.” Yoongi interrupted Namjoon, wishing to just rip the band-aid off and tell you what’s going on.  The last thing you needed after everything that happened, was to listen to someone sugarcoat things for you.

“They brought papers subjecting you to appear in court this week.” You couldn’t understand what you were feeling, let alone thinking right now. Slowly putting down your fork, you sat back in your chair, eyes struggling to blink away the onslaught of tears building up.

“I don’t understand, why would they do that? Isn’t there enough evidence of what he did to me?” You look at Namjoon, eyebrows raised as you wait for him to speak.

“The thing is, they don’t care. If Dongmin is convicted of his crimes, even post-mortem, the company is to be sold and they won’t have any assets. They will lose their cashflow. If they are able to market him as the victim, and get the jury to believe them,” Namjoon shakes his head, rumbles heard from his chest as he tries not to growl. “I can’t even think about what will happen.”

“So I have to go to court and prove my innocence to a bunch of humans who probably hate hybrids?” You ask, almost not wanting to hear the answer.

“No, love. I managed to get a judge who is unbiased and specializes in hybrid court cases. There is no way you are not going to win this case. I promise you. We will also be in the room with you, okay?” Jin reassures you, moving to you and picking you up before walking back to his seat and holding you in his lap.

“That’s right, all of your mates are going to be in the room, cheering you on and making sure those stupid men don’t cause any more trouble for you.” Jimin smiles at you from his seat, eyes appearing closed as he watches you nod your head.

Your confidence has grown since you had mated with Yoongi, everyone had noticed it. You felt more at ease with them, and now felt more comfortable with affection, giving and receiving. You had no problem coming to them when you were needing affection, often stealing one of them away to cuddle in your nest. It was nice to see that this hadn’t changed after your kidnapping.

-*-*-

The past couple of days was spent listening to Namjoon and Hobi, talking about how the court proceeding is going to go, what happens in the room, and everything you need to remember for when you are on the stand.

Yoongi was sure that the barely healed bruises on your neck and cheek were good evidence for your case and thought they shouldn’t be covered up with makeup for the proceeding. 

The bruises would show how Dongmin acted towards you and show the intent to harm. The rape kit done by Jin, the reports from when they first found you and took you to the hospital, and investigation done by Hobi’s group held a lot of evidence in your favor. And as far as they knew, there was no evidence against you.

 Despite the preparations made, you were not ready to do this. You were currently burrowed in the blankets you received from Jimin as a courting gift. The closet was the perfect size for your burrow, helping to keep you safe from your not so nice mates.

“Baby, please come out. We can’t miss the court hearing.” You vaguely hear Jin’s voice through the layers of blankets surrounding you.

“Kitten, nothing is going to happen to you while we are there. They won’t be able to touch you.” Yoongi reassured, hoping you would make some kind of movement from within your burrow. When you didn’t, he sighed and looked towards Jimin who in turn nodded before moving closer to the closet entrance.          

“Baby, can I come in? It’s me, Jimin.” Your head shot up at the sound of your fellow omega, his voice soothing and comforting. You know he would never hurt you, that he would always be there for you.

You move slowly, pushing away the blankets until you could see Jimin, his head peaking in through the door to the closet. Jimin watched you, not showing any indication of you not wanting him, so he moves slowly joining you in your little burrow.

“Baby, what’s going through your mind, hmm?” He whispers, moving to cup your cheek and turn your head to face him. You lean into his touch, needing his reassurance right now.

“I’m scared.” You whisper back. His eyes soften at. Your words, bringing you in closer to him.

“Why are you scared baby?”

“I don’t want them to take me away.” You finally look away from him, instead laying your head against his chest.

“No one is going to take you away from us. Jin hyung will be next to you the entire time, okay? Remember, we talked about this.” His reassurance helped because you had forgotten about that. Jin, as your human “owner” was to remain by your side the entire time, as the law still considered you as “less-than-human”.

“You are completely innocent in everything. The judge will see that, as well as the jury. These lawyers don’t know what’s coming.” His voice held conviction as he spoke, something you were not used to hearing from your gentle Jimin. 

You couldn’t help but believe him, his words helping you to calm down and move slowly out of your burrow, Jimin following close behind you.

When you got out of the burrow, you saw the rest of your mates sitting on the floor, waiting for you to come out. As you did, you saw the soft smiles they held, smiles of reassurance.

“Are you ready, baby?” You look at Jin, his eyes warm and his hand held out for you to hold. You nod, letting him help you off the ground and pull you into a hug.

“I promise I will be by your side the entire time.” He kissed the side of your head before moving to the door, your hand still in his grasp. You were halfway down the hallway when Jin yelled.

“If you losers want to make sure our baby comes back home, I would make sure I get into the car!” Footsteps could be heard as you and Jin walked down the stairs, a giggle leaving your lips as your mates race down the stairs, passed you and out the door, arguing over who got to sit next to you in the van.

“Don’t worry baby, you are my buddy for the day.” Jin’s teasing voice made you feel reassured about today’s events. As long as you had him by your side, you knew you would be safe.

-*-*-

“Okay. Now, you are going to go in there, be the sweet and innocent person you are, and show those damn lawyers that you are not to be messed with!” Jungkook spoke as he looked over you, pushing your hair away from your face and flattening down the jacket you wore. He was nervous, and it showed.

“Okay Jungkook, you are going to make her even more nervous than she already is.” Yoongi spoke, placing his hands on Jungkook’s shoulders and pulling him into his chest.

A ring could be heard throughout the room you were in, followed by several more indicating the time. Your hands became sweaty as you realized that it was time to go into the courtroom. You looked to Jin, who was already walking forward and taking your hands in his.

The boys left the room, heading towards the courtroom to make sure they got the front row seat behind you. Seeing the anxiety in you, Jin cupped your cheeks, making sure you were completely focused on him and nothing else.

“I will be with you the entire time. The boys will be right behind us. The lawyers have nothing on you, and we have plenty of evidence to convict Kim Dongmin of everything. Nothing will happen to you, okay?” He kissed your forehead, keeping his lips there for a couple of seconds.

Pulling back, he watches as you nod, eyes still closed, breathing in his scent. The calming scent of cherry blossoms was enough to reassure you.

“Okay, we need to make our way to the courtroom. We don’t need to give the judge any reason to be upset.” You nod, letting Jin pull you out of the room and to the courtroom where you would be fighting your innocence.

Walking into the room, you notice the huge amount of people in the stands, voices talking back and forth discussing the case they were about to witness. Making your way past the rows of people, you see your mates at the front row, standing and waiting for you. 

Their smiles gave you a boost in confidence. You held Jin’s hand tighter as he opens the small door to the front of the room, where the proceeding will take place.

Jin pulled out your chair for you, sitting to your right as you both waited for the judge to enter through the door on the back wall. You could hear a door open form behind you, causing you to turn your head and see the two lawyers make their way to the other unoccupied table in the front of the room. Their eyes locked with yours, smirks growing on their face as they saw you sitting next to Jin.

“Don’t even worry about them, baby. They are just trying to make you nervous, hoping you will slip up.” Jin whispered, leaning into you. You didn’t respond, eyes locked on your lap. You felt frozen, all of the scents in the room almost becoming too much to handle. 

You scrunched your nose, trying to block out everything when the door in front of you opened, the judge walking in and up to his seat in the front of the room.

“All Rise.” A loud voice booms throughout the room, the man in uniform telling everyone in the room to rise as the judge sits in his seat. You stand up, almost knocking over the chair as you stood.

“You may sit.” The judge speaks, waving his hand to motion everyone to be back in their seats. With a reassuring nod from Jin, you sit back down in your seat, hands clenched in your lap.

“To be honest here, I am not sure why we are holding this proceeding.” The judge spoke up, his head never looking up as he read something on his desk. You head shot up confusion evident on your face at the judge’s words.

“In my eyes, there is no need for a hearing. Based off all of the evidence provided to me this morning, it seems to me that Ms. Kim here,” He gestured to you, “is innocent on all charges.”

This caused outrage from the lawyers who stood up.

“Objection, Your Honor!” The taller one spoke, causing the man in uniform to take a step forward.

“Our evidence brought to you gave substantial evidence over Ms. Kim’s crimes. She should not be allowed to continue her life with what she has done against Kim Dongmin. Her vicious ways will continue.” His words cause even more outrage, Yoongi standing up in anger at the words used against you. He was about to jump the barrier separating the men from him when the judge spoke again.

“And what evidence is that Mr. Lee? The evidence that you and your companion created in order to frame Ms. Kim? Or the evidence that your employer was going to use to frame the death of Ms. Kims mates?” The lawyers froze in their place, as well as the entire room.

“Uh, Your Honor?” The man you know knew as Mr. Lee was stunned, his voice a little shaky in disbelief as he spoke. “I’m not sure what you are talking about?”

“Mr. Lee, a previous employee of Mr. Kim came to me this morning, before this proceeding, and had a long talk with me, giving me access to all of Mr. Kim’s documents and personal effects, including providing me with access to a nice hidden room within his office at Red Rose Enterprises.” The judges words made the lawyers visibly nervous, their scents spiking and turning rotten.

“And in that hidden room, hundreds of pictures were plastered on the walls, as well as different sexual instruments. These pictures included Ms. Kim, of sexual nature and of seemingly innocent nature.” Your heart dropped from your chest as the Judge spoke.

You didn’t know about any of this and were unsure of when he was able to take pictures of you. The growls of your mates could be heard from behind you, their scents also spiking, but in anger. You couldn’t focus on anything besides the sound of your breathing, or lack thereof. You were trying hard not to freak out.

“Now Mr. Lee and Mr. An, given that this is a bench trial, given the nature of this trial, I will be giving the conviction.” The two slowly sat back down in their seats, visibly defeated, and now being watched by the man in uniform who stood behind them. The judge now turned to you, his expression becoming gentle as he looked at you and your mates.

“Now, Ms. Kim, I am sorry that this trial even had to happen, but I promise something good is going to come out of it.” He smiled, almost resembling that of a grandfather looking down at his grandchild. Grabbing a hold of his gavel, he stood from his seat.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I hereby find the defendant not guilty of all charges. I also grant Ms. Kim all of Mr. Kim Dongmin’s assets, including his homes, and his company, Red Rose Enterprises, seeing as no one was appointed as heir to his fortune, nor does he have any family members.” Shock was evident as the judge spoke, no one knowing what to say.

“Mr. Lee and Mr. An, I hereby sentence you to life in prison for obstruction of justice, accessory to murder, defamation, as well as stalking, kidnapping, and perjury. Jung, if you please.” Before your eyes, the man in uniform proceeded to handcuff the two lawyers and bring them through a door in the back.

Everything around you seemed to move faster than you could comprehend. Nothing made sense. Why would this man give you all of Red’s things, his company, his house? Who was the man who provided all of this evidence? Why would they do that, if they worked for him?

Your thoughts were racing as you sat in your chair, unable to move. Namjoon’s dimples were on full display as he heard the judge’s verdict. He couldn’t believe that this had happened. He was sure that these lawyers had something up their sleeve, but it seemed that fate was on their side today. He looked towards you, only to see that you were still in your seat, eyes locked on the table in front of you.

“Y/N, baby, are you okay?” He asked, stepping over the small door separating the two of you and kneeling by your side. He took your hands in his own, before reaching up and cupping your cheek in his hand.

“Hey baby. You are okay.” He whispered repeatedly, seeing your glazed over eyes, your pupils large. He sat with you until your eyes came back into focus, your sweet doe eyes looking down at him. He smiled at you.

“Welcome back baby.” He moved closer, bringing your intertwined hands up to his lips, kissing them. He stroked your hair out of your face, soft smile resting on his lips. Seeing movement behind you, he noticed the rest of his pack coming towards the two of you, large smiles in their faces.

Jungkook rushed forward, grabbing you from Namjoon, picking you up in his arms and twirling you around. His laughter was contagious as he spun you around.

“I told you that you would kick their butts!” Jungkook almost yelled as he placed you back on the ground. His bunny grin made your own appear, your cheeks hurting as you match Jungkook’s energy. Suddenly, his grin fades as he looks behind you.

 You turn around only to find the judge standing behind you, his own features showing fondness as he looks at you and your mates. Namjoon steps in front of you, protecting you from the unknown man.

“Hello Your Honor. Is there something you need?” Namjoon was calm as he spoke, his voice showing the authority he held over his pack.

“No young sir. I just wanted to introduce someone to young Ms. Kim here.” His words have you confused. Who would he need to introduce you to?

“Come with me please.” The judge turned around and walked to the door he came out of earlier. You looked at Namjoon, who just held your hand and walked with you, following behind the judge as he walked into his office.

Your nerves were all over the place, squeezing tightly onto Namjoon’s hand. The rest of the pack was walking closely behind you, close enough to move you behind them in case of any danger.  As you approach the door, the judge pauses, turning around to face you as he opens the door.

“He is inside Ms. Kim.” The judge gestures for you to walk in. Slowly, putting one foot in front of the other, you begin to make you way to the open door, only to pause when the smell of citrus hits you.

The boys are in shock as you run through the door, into the arms of another man. Jungkook especially becomes jealous, moving forward to tear the two of you apart. However, once he sees your tears, and the tightness in which you held onto the man, he pauses.

“Y/N?”

You pause in your reunion, releasing your grasp around the man in front of you. Turning around to your mates, the grin on your face doesn’t seem to fade, only growing larger.

“Mates, this is Dr. Kim Hyuk. Hyuk, these are my mates.” You introduce the men, bringing your old friend over, Hyuk shaking your packs hands.

“Dr. Hyuk was my only other friend at the Little Fox, besides Areum.” At this, your mates seemed to realize the situation. Namjoon walked forward, moving to grasp onto Hyuk’s hand, shaking it warmly.

“It is nice to finally meet the man who is one of the reasons why we were able to meet our mate.”

“I’m sorry, but I thought everyone at the Little Fox was killed in that fire?” Jimin spoke up, hiding slightly behind Taehyung, the unfamiliar Alpha making him slightly uncomfortable.

“I wasn’t at the Little Fox that day. I had an urgent accident I had to attend to at the hospital I work at. I was distraught when I heard about the fire, and when I showed up the police station to talk to them about the fire, I was stopped by some man who knew me. He had brought me to the Red Rose Enterprise office and brought me into the CEO’s office. As soon as I saw my brother, I knew what he had done.” His words caused you to pause, pulling away from his slightly only to be pushed behind Namjoon and Yoongi.

“I was able to gather evidence from his office while he was absent and found his hidden room. I took pictures of everything and made copies of all the documents he had on you guys. Once I had everything, I brought it to Judge Park, knowing I couldn’t let Dongmin hurt you any longer, even from the dead.”

“He is right, Mr. Kim here met with me this morning, and showed me everything, and he also signed over everything to you As the last living Kim, everything belonged to him, and now, belongs to you.” Judge Park spoke up from behind you.

“Why would you sign over everything to my mate?” Yoongi questioned, his tone disbelieving as he looked Hyuk up and down, assessing for any threats.

“After everything my brother has down, it is the least I could do. I’ve spent years making sure that she was safe, and now, I know I can leave that with you. I want to make sure that anything you and your pack could ever need, will be provided with my brother’s fortune.” Yoongi smirked at that, catching the hidden malice under Hyuk’s words.

“Plus, I want to see his company do something good for once, instead as a front for the dark and malicious acts he was really committing. I want to see my family’s company do something good for once.”

With that, Hyuk moved forward, bringing you in for one last hug before walking out of the room, leaving you shocked and slightly frozen from everything.

“I—I can’t believe it.” You managed to get out, not even noticing that Judge Park was also no longer in the room. It was just you and your mates now alone in the room.

“I can’t believe that he actually signed over everything to you.”

“How are we supposed to handle everything, Jin? None of us know anything about running a company?”

“Did he say houses? As in, plural?”

“Okay, everyone! Please, stop speaking all at once. As of now, this pack owns a lot of property and assets, courtesy of our lovely omega over there. Now, I believe that all of the decisions about the Kim’s property should be made by Y/N.” Jin spoke up, before turning to you, stood leaning back against Taehyung’s chest.

“Now baby, you don’t need to make any decision now—”

“I don’t want any of his houses. I want them gone.” You interrupted Jin, knowing exactly what you didn’t want.

 “Okay, baby, that’s fine. We can sell those properties.” Jin replied back.

“What about the company Kim owned?” Namjoon spoke up from behind Yoongi.

“Ummm,” You thought hard, knowing what you wanted to do, but now how to say it to your mates without them freaking out. You wanted to keep the company. Something Hyuk said had stuck out to you, making you think. He wanted his family’s company to do something good for once. And you knew what he meant by that.

“Babygirl, what’s on your mind?” Jimin whispered in your ear, a parallel to what happened earlier in your burrow.

“I, uhm, I want to keep the company, and I know what I want to do with it.” You spoke up, full of confidence as your mates looked at you befuddled, a smile growing on your face as you looked at them.

It was a popular point of contingent between you and most of your other friends. Mikey was an asshole. You knew this; they knew this, but what they didn't understand was, why was he an asshole to everyone but you?

Most of the time, the girls you were friends with or hung out with at parties loved to talk shit about Mikey, yet all of them had gone to bed with him at one point or another. Mikey was a big joker. He teased and pranked. If there was something someone didn't like, he pounced on it. It also didn't help that Mikey took nothing seriously.

He was a button pusher. And a horn dog and openly flirted with every girl in the room, but from Freshmen year - he became your one constant. He made sure you ate. No one bothered you. When you were going down a rabbit hole studying too hard, he was the one who pulled you out.

Sometimes, the things he said or did resonated with a part of you that you never talked about. He'd gotten into college and totally reinvented himself. Whoever he was before, Mikey wasn't that anymore. You wanted to be someone different from the fat girl who never seemed to be good at anything other than getting good grades, but you did not know how to go about it. You liked your body. Maybe you were ahead of your time in thinking but, it was the only body you were going to get and you didn’t think you looked terrible either. You were just fluffy and round in some nice places. Particularly your bottom half. The one thing Mikey never did was make cracks about your weight.

You tried to tell people there was more to him, that he was actually a lot smarter than he let on, not book smart, of course - but Mikey knew how to distract a store clerk when you were starving and didn't have any money. He knew how to pick a lock and how to disable an alarm system. Mikey knew /things/. One reason you felt like Mikey didn't treat you the way he did others, mostly girls, was because when you met, he'd done all the same things to you. He found an obnoxious nickname that was vaguely inappropriate and completely misogynistic. One of the first times he was in your dorm, he openly snooped through all of your things and asked, "So, where have you got your vibrator stashed?"

You laughed at him and told him he'd never find it. It drove him crazy when he didn't and maybe that earned you some kind of Clever Girl points. He never found it because you didn't have one. When Mikey figured that out, he bought you a Silver Bullet with a little remote control. "It's waterproof. You can use it in the shower." He'd said, wiggling his brows.

Mikey didn’t know it, but you wound up never using it, but to satisfy his curiosity whenever he snooped through your things again, you left it in a purple sock in your underwear drawer and it wasn’t difficult to blush scarlet red whenever Mikey mentioned it with a smug smile. You couldn’t tell him you were a virgin and no matter how much you wanted to try it; you were mortified with the embarrassment of doing so.

But none of the things he did to other girls that made them freak out worked on you. You didn't lash out at him for flirting with you and then flirting with another girl right in front of you. You didn't whine or yell at him for calling you an annoying nickname you hated. If he belched or farted or just did something gross… it didn't get a reaction. One day, while the two of you were in the quad, Mikey had grabbed some sandwiches and you were eating one while he and a group of friends kicked a hacky sack around. Between eating and studying, you'd look up and watch them play. Then, the hacky sack went rogue as you were taking a drink of your strawberry fizz and the drink split down the white shirt you had on. Instead of getting mad, you just sighed, looking at the giant stain.

"You're a kick ass chic you know that Munchkin?" Mike asked as you looked around in your bag for some napkins or a tissue. You glanced at him, waiting for the zinger, but it never came. He just looked at you. That cocky little grin hinted at his lips that he was staring at your bra through your shirt.

"With great tits, right?" You asked smirking.

"With fuckin' amazing tits." He shucked his jacket and grabbed the back of his shirt, yanking it over his head and held it out to you. "Here, I'm ditching my next class...you can wear mine."

The rest of the day, you kept plucking the neck of the shirt up to your nose and inhaling. He smelled so good. Like a mixture of orange and a musk or something. It was kind of warm and spicy, but not overwhelming. From that day, the annoying nicknames turned into a shortened down version of your name with some kind of cutesy tag at the end. He didn't flirt with you anymore, but he definitely didn't shy from displays of affection. If you liked something, Mikey randomly brought it to you. He'd come with pizza when you didn't text back all day and he knew you were studying, would swap out the redbulls you were pounding with water. He gave you a rose and your favorite candy bar on valentine’s day. You listened to music together and argued about what the lyrics meant, watched Netflix on your laptop crammed onto your twin size bed. After that day, Mikey was totally different with you.

So, when someone came knocking at your door at two AM, you knew who it was. It was Friday night. Scrambling out of your bed, you went to the door quickly, cracking it open. At first, in the dim hall light, you were blind until you saw nothing but a white blood-stained t-shirt and your eyes soared up.

"Mike, what the hell happened to you?"

"Hey sweet cheeks, I didn't wake you, did I?"

He was obviously drunk. This was nothing new, but he rarely showed up with a bloody nose. Pulling him inside, you closed the door before flipping the overhead light on and Mikey grunted, his hand reaching out and flicking it back out. "Fuck, my head hurts, babe…no lights, okay?"

"Michael, what happened to your face?"

You could still see him; you kept your desk lamp on at night because you didn't enjoy stumping your toe when you had to go pee in the middle of the night.

"I gotta crash," he said, ignoring your question again. He shed his zip up hoodie and then his shirt. Toeing his shoes off before he bent down and grabbed you clumsily, duck waddling to the bed. "Night nighttime, shhh."

Your back hit the mattress hard as Mikey flopped over you, pulling you into his chest like a teddy bear he'd had since he was four.