The Rules: Book Five

by msami

Summary:

Three of the seven have married, with plans for the last four to follow suit. Will they make it without the world knowing their true relationship or will it all come crashing down?

Chapter 1

Hello readers!

I know, I know, here we are.   After long deliberation, I broke Book Four into 2 books.  lol! 

Here we go!

 

If you haven't read the first four, now is a good time, so just save or follow this book and when you are done with the first four you can dive into this one.

https://www.pinterest.com/mskimami/ INTERESTED IN A VISUAL FOR THE CHARACTERS? CHECK OUT MY PINTEREST PAGE. Just for Fun!

As always:

If you don't care for language, mature content, smut, reverse harem, or poly relationships...these stories are not for you. :) But, if you read the first four you'll be fine, you're all in at this point!

If you find glaring mistakes as you read, please shoot me a message and I'll correct them. Even after reading, and re-reading I'm sure I've missed a few.

Tags may be added as I go.

Ami is pronounced Ah-me.

Cross-posted on Wattpad & Spotify playlist associated with some chapters.

The only thing I own is the story, as BTS are just actors in this story. They do not represent BTS in real life.

Every situation and conversation is fictional, with that, ENJOY!

Thanks and see you soon!

 

Chapter 2

END OF BOOK FOUR

Back in Korea.

Jang, the man who had been hired to dig up dirt on Suki and her group, was frustrated. As many resources he had at his fingertips, as dirty as they were, he was coming up with dead ends. He knew where he needed to go, and he was careful not to cross into territory he would have a hard time getting out of. He had seen it happen before with other underground organizations when they wandered too far out of their boundaries. It wasn't Suki who was the problem. It was Su. More specifically, Su's family. He was going to need some leverage if he was going to press further, and he wasn't exactly sure he wanted to...but still...the challenge and allure were there. He picked up his phone and made a call.

Across the ocean, at a concert in Brazil, the man saw his phone light up. He moved to a quieter space, shutting the door behind him and muffling the music a little more. "Hello?"

"Hey, we need to talk. Are you SURE you want to push the issue with this chick?"

"What?"

"You already KNOW who she is, so out her online. Isn't that her thing? Ruin that for her and her fans, and let it be. The biggest outcome for minimal risk." He stood at his office window and gazed out over the city.

"Jang, this is personal. I need to know she messed with the wrong person. She needs to pay for what she put me and my family through!" He paced around the room as they spoke. "Wait, are you having problems finding information?"

"Yes and no. We know who her people are and about them, but that's a little more public information. You know who she is, so I'm not putting energy into that. You wanted to know where she lived, who she hung out with, her schedule, and all those details that aren't public knowledge." He paused for a moment before continuing. "All our 'conventional' roads were blocked."

"Blocked?" He stopped pacing, "By who? How?"

Jang continued. "Now, blocked doesn't mean there isn't a detour, but this detour comes with considerable risk. Beware of falling rocks if you will...and to be clear, I don't care to be snuffed out by a falling rock this early in life."

"What the fuck are you saying?"

"I'm saying it's not impossible, but you better be 100% sure you want to take this road. Consider it a road without cell service. If you get into trouble you can't call for help, you're on your own. I'm going to protect myself. I'm not coming to save you. I don't know you."

"Jesus fuck. You make everything so dramatic."

"KIJA. You better be fucking sure. This isn't cleaning up a drunken night in college. I'm giving you my professional opinion here. If I push down this path I have no loyalties to you. I'm taking a huge risk, and you need to understand that. I'm NOT the biggest fish in this sea."

"Then WHY are you giving me the option?!" Kija was exasperated, this wasn't the call he was expecting.

Jang smiled, "Because where there is a risk, there is an opportunity for success, to grow, to become more. It's never been done, but that doesn't mean it CAN'T be done. I'm not going to lie. I find it intriguing if a dent can be made."

Kija paused, thinking about what he was being told. "So, if you aren't the biggest fish, who is? Maybe I need to go talk to them."

"You can't."

"And why is that?"

He smirked, "That's who you may be up against."

There was silence on the line. "I'm...sorry...up against who????"

"That information is on a need-to-know basis, and you don't need to know yet. But what I need to know is how sure you are about this. To be clear, I don't give these options to other clients, but we have a history, so I thought I would give you the courtesy of having a choice." Jang took a sip of his whiskey as he sat down, putting his feet on his desk. "You want information so you can make her life hell. If you aren't willing to take the easy, safe path laid out before you, this is your other option. That or let it go altogether."

Kija scoffed, "Well, I'm not walking away from this."

"Well, then, it sounds like you made your choice."

 

THE RULES: BOOK FIVE

"So, now what happens?" Kija could hear the roar of the audience. Jackson's concert was almost over.

"Now I need a little planning time. This is going to be a delicate operation, but if I can pull it off." Jang grinned, "When will you be back in the country? We need to have a meeting."

"Um, two weeks? Things will be wrapped up about then. You want to meet?"

Jang got up and started ruffling through some papers."Yup. Call me when you get back. I have a few things to do on my end, and then we can make a plan."

 

Somewhere over the Atlantic on the way to Los Angeles.

"Hey, mind if I join you?" Su looked up and saw Ami smiling down at him. He scooted over so she could take his spot. "Not at all. How were your last few days?"

"Really good. It was nice to get away. How about you? Was the rest of your stay nice?" Ami sat down as he helped pull a blanket over her lap. Quiet and calm, the best vacations always are. So, tell me, how are you feeling about LA? What do you need from me?"

She gave him a sincere smile. "Su, I don't need anything more from you. You give way too much. I'm glad everyone is coming with us, though. It keeps me a little more grounded."

"Your boys weren't about ready to have you run off without them. To be fair, I'm not either." He leaned over and said quietly. "You know how I like to hover."

Ami let out a little laugh, "I'm glad you do. Tae said we're going to have a meeting when we get settled in."

"We are. The plan is to land and get you all to the hotel. Pak and I need to talk to the team we had flown over, and then we'll talk about the week. Your Vogue shoot isn't for a couple of days, so there's time to sleep the travel off."

He watched her take a deep breath, letting it out slowly, "Everything should be fine." Su took her hand and gently started pressing between her thumb and index finger. She relaxed and focused on what he was doing as his voice stayed calm and unwavering.

"Pak said that you two are feeling ready to get back out there. Is that true?"

"Yes," she said, mesmerized by how his massaging her hand had such a calming effect on her. I hate feeling like I'm forced into hiding more than I am. I want to feel like I did before Paris, as Suki and as myself, to feel strong again. I have to get my head back in the game; it's all mental."

Su was glad she was talking. It helped him understand where she was in her head. She had always been a strong person and not a girl that needed saving from herself. If anything, Su and Pak had work to keep up with her sometimes.

"It's frustrating to want to push forward and return to my normal, but for my brain to randomly throw me back a few steps. I don't want to live in that headspace. Jae feels the same way."

"You know, you need to let yourself feel that, though, so you can work through it." Su said softly, "You can't force these feelings to the side."

"What if I morph them into pent-up rage and save it for a rainy day to unleash like a psychotic banshee." She said calmly, then formed a smirk.

"God, you give me anxiety." Su sighed as she looked over and grinned. "Sorry. I'm just venting."

"No, I get it. Venting is good." Su took ahold of her other hand and did the same, squeezing between her thumb and pointer finger.

"Why does that feel so good?" Su gave her a little smile, "It's a pressure point for releasing stress. Does it help?"

"Yes."  She zoned out for a moment before she asked, "Su.  How do you know all this stuff?"

"It's my job to know this stuff."  He said quietly.  He felt her relax a little more as they sat together and talked. "So listen, this trip to LA is pretty tight and clean. I've got members from our team already there getting things ready. Byun is at the hotel waiting for us, making sure there's no funny business with the rooms. We have drivers ready for us when we land. Your boys are just as anxious, but everyone agrees this step needs to happen. It opens doors for you all in the future. If you or Jae need anything else while we are there, you only need to ask."

Ami nodded, "Thank you. I don't think there will ever be a good time, but it's time to pull the bandaid off and move forward. I'm ready."

 

Vogue in New York.

"Andrea!" Anna called out as her assistant scurried through with a stack of files to review.

"Has the meeting been moved with Gucci?"

"Yes, it's tomorrow at 9:00." The assistant put down the reports on the edge of her desk as Anna picked up the first one and flung it open. "Any movement with Suki's people agreeing to Wendy and Jae?"

"No. Sorry. They're holding fast," the assistant said gingerly, knowing that was going to be a problem for her boss. She watched Anna sigh and look up at her. "I want all three of them. Do you know how many magazines that would sell?"

"Ms. Wintour, Marketing feels Suki alone will be wildly popular if the other two are there or not." She tried to appease her boss.

"Pfft." Anna waved her hand, shooing the girl out of the room then sat back and considered her options. She was rarely told she couldn't have what she wanted, but this situation was a little more delicate. "Andrea! Get me Liz on the phone!" She called out to her assistants.

Across town.

Liz was knee-deep trying to put out fires when her phone rang. "Christ, what now.." she muttered, "Hello?"

"I have Anna Wintour on the line. Please hold," Anna's assistant said as Liz waited for them to be connected. "Liz? Anna. How are you?"

"Hello! I'm surprised to hear from you, honestly. What can I do for you?" She hadn't been expecting a call from Vogue.

"Liz, I need to talk to Wendy. Is she around?"

Now she was really confused. "Wendy? No, she unfortunately doesn't work here anymore."

Anna paced slowly around her office, "Oh? Where is she working now?"

Liz sighed, "I have no idea, but I need her back. May I ask how you know her?"

"We met at a meeting. I have some follow-up questions for her."

"Ahh, of course you did." She must have met her when Suki was in town, Liz thought. "You know, I heard through the grapevine you're trying to land Suki for your cover, you and everyone else. Best of luck, that's a hard nut to crack."

Anna smirked, "Is it now?"

"Is that why you want Wendy?" Anna didn't answer, so she continued, "Friendly word of advice. If you want Suki, don't go through her friends."

"Is that a fact?"

"Yes. Hard fact."

"Sounds like you know from experience."

Liz sat back in her chair and sighed, knowing she couldn't discuss Wendy's departure. "Anna. Truly. If you want Suki, you have to play the game, and the game is not playing the game...as much as that goes against how things are done."

Anna stopped to think for a moment. Rarely would someone share the truth without needing something in return. She had known Liz for a long time, she didn't always take the straight-and-narrow path, but that's why she was also successful. Still, she had heard similar rumblings, so maybe she wasn't trying to throw her off. "I'll take that under advisement. So, Wendy, you don't know how I can find her?"

"Nope, sorry. We haven't had anyone call for references. Maybe she went back home to England?"

"How about a phone number, then?" Anna said, making her way back to her desk to find a pen.

"Anna." Liz rubbed her face.

"Liz, you sound like you're busy. What can I help with? Surely, there is something Vogue can do for you." Anna smiled as she waited for Liz's response. It wouldn't take long; it never did when Vogue offered assistance.

Liz squeezed the bridge of her nose as she considered the offer. The day after Wendy left Liz's company, she got a call from a Hybe representative. They informed her they didn't appreciate her motives towards Suki or her friends. Liz was informed that if it was ever discovered she meddled again, they would take action. That kind of exposure wouldn't be the kind she wanted, but the chance to have Vogues' help would come in handy.

"Okay, listen. You didn't get it from me. If it gets out I gave it to you I'm liable..." Surely other people had Wendy's number.  How could it be tracked back to her?

Anna scribbled it down, satisfied she had at least that to start with. "Thank you, Liz. Let Andrea know what you need, and we'll see what we can do. As always, nice working with you."

 

Los Angeles.

The flight was uneventful. Everyone slept, relaxed, or talked as they made their way to LA. Su met with Pak, Choi, and Quon, catching them up so they were on the same page when they landed. He had 20 guys from their team fly over to make sure things were set up for both groups. Twenty guys allowed Su to have security at his disposal 24 hours a day if they needed it.

Hobi had contacted the company and had Wardrobe send over clothes for the guys, while they preferred to buy for Ami and Jae. If they needed anything special, they would be able to find it easily in LA.

The plane rolled on the tarmac of the private airport not far from Beverly Hills. Yoongi peeked outside and saw three blacked-out SUVs pull up and park, driven by members of Su's team. He pulled the window cover down as everyone started to stand.

"Ok, gang, Everyone ready?" Su stood up and smiled. "The SUVs are waiting with one of our drivers. Pak and Quon are riding with the girls, while Choi and I are riding in the other two cars with the rest of you boys." They all looked over to Choi as he winked with a nod. Su did and didn't trust people outside their tight circle. He implicitly trusted Choi, Quon, and Pak, and he needed one of them in each of the cars while they traveled.

"Girls, we are going to load you first and then the guys. Remember, when we are outside the hotel or plane, we need to stay professional. If there is a long-lens camera somewhere, we don't need to give them anything to work with, yes?" He watched everyone acknowledge as Jin gave Ami one more hug.

The guys stood to the side as Ami and Jae made their way to the front of the plane, with Pak following. While everyone felt the nerves of the situation, no one was going to give in and show it. They all wanted to be together for trips like this, which meant this needed to happen regardless of outside unknown pressures. For as long as they had been talking about being at this point, it seemed like it had come too fast now that it was here. "See you at the hotel, girls. There should be fun things waiting for us when we get there." Jimin smiled as they passed by.

"See you in a few minutes." Ami squeezed his hand, and he pulled her over for a quick kiss. "I fucking love you."

"Love you too." She whispered back. They watched her pull her hood up on her jacket and slip her sunglasses on as she made her way to the front of the plane. It didn't matter that it was two in the morning. She always kept her glasses on if she was with people outside their immediate group. Even with the security teams, she always stayed professional. Su and Quon smiled at her as she nodded and took Jae's hand. "Ready." She said as she let out a big breath.

"See you soon, guys!" Jae called out as they followed Su and Quon out the door. Pak looked back at the guys and waved. "We'll see you at the hotel."

It wasn't long before all three SUVs were driving down the freeway together. Su had Choi ride with Jimin, Jungkook, and Yoongi, and he rode with Namjoon, Jin, Hobi, and Tae. Su was in the lead car while the girls' car was in the middle, with Choi bringing up the rear. Sandwiching the girls between the two cars was Choi's idea.

Ami and Jae sat in the back and talked among themselves as they zipped down the road. One of the reasons they left Italy at the hour they did was the guys wanted to land in the middle of the night. It felt safer to sneak in under the cloak of darkness before the news broke and they were all in town.

"Su, are we checked in already?" Namjoon asked as they led the group down the road.

"Yup. We're all ready to go. Don't worry about the bags we'll have them brought up." He turned and looked back at them. "How are you guys doing?"

"Good. Anxious to get there, that's all." Hobi looked out the window as he felt Tae reach over and squeeze his hand. Traveling like this again reminded them of when they were caravanning in Paris.

"We won't be long. Look out the window. We're being escorted by six more of our security members." Su smiled as they looked at the cars around them. It wasn't busy at that hour, but their group was traveling in a pack of nine down the highway.

"It's like a Presidential Motorcade," Jin murmured.

They all looked at Su as he turned to face them. "Gentlemen, I give zero fucks how many cars we need. That bullshit that happened in Paris isn't happening again. Understand?" Namjoon, Jin, Hobi, and Tae all stared at Su as their jaws dropped. Su had a look in his eye that told them he was done playing. "I understand this is a huge step for you all. Everyone is feeling the stress. Ami and Jae want to get back to how they felt before Paris, we all do, we have to build everyone's confidence back up, yes?" He was going to do everything in his power for them. Then, his serious look soon morphed into a smile. "Anyway, Hobi announced Pak as mayor last week. I thought it was only fitting." Su cracked a joke, trying to break the tension. "It's going to be a good week."

 

The Maybourne Beverly Hills Hotel wasn't one they had stayed in before. Su wanted to stay somewhere new instead of their usual accommodations when they were in town. Fans and the press knew where they normally stayed, and they wanted to take that out of the equation for this trip. The hotel also offered a private entrance with elevators that would take them right to the ninth floor. This feature alone was the deciding factor in their hotel stay this time.

"Wow." Ami and Jae murmured as Pak opened the door to their room. Once again, it looked more like an apartment than a hotel.

"Byun!" Jae smiled as they saw him sitting at the table waiting for them. Byun had joined Suki's team with Choi but didn't travel with the group as often. He helped Pak with individual security for Jae when they needed more coverage. He was among the few who knew Ami's identity, although that's as much as Ami shared with him.

"Hello, travelers. How was your fight?" He stood up, gathering his things.

"Long but good. Thanks for coming." Ami smiled as she took her coat off and laid it over the chair. As Pak and Byun talked, Jae and Ami wandered off to explore their new surroundings. "Good to see you. Any problems?" They shook hands as Pak walked him out, closing the door behind them so they could talk in the hall.

"Nope. Pretty quiet for three am, as it should be. All the deliveries came without a hitch, and they're in the spare bedroom."

"Great. Su wants a meeting with the entire team at six am. He wants everyone on the same page before it drops both of these two groups are in town for their schedules."

"What time is the drop?" Byun looked at his watch.

"Noon." Both guys looked over as the elevator opened, and Quon came out, pulling a rack full of luggage. Quon and Byun exchanged head nods as Byun opened the door for him so he didn't have to wrestle a door handle.

"I'll let the rest know. See you in a bit."

A few minutes later, the girls heard Kook call out, "Ami!" She wandered out of one of the bedrooms, "Hey you." She smiled as he leaned down and kissed her lip. He threaded his hands in hers, "Come on. You aren't staying here," he mumbled in her ear. Kook grabbed her jacket and purse as he walked her towards the door.

"What?" She laughed as she looked back at Pak and Quon, who was grinning as he pulled her out the door. Namjoon was standing in the open door directly across the hallway as she was pulled inside. Before shutting the door, he grinned at Pak, "We'll be ready for the meeting when you are. Give us a call." Pak gave him a thumbs-up as he closed their door as well.

Just then, Jae wandered out of the bedroom, "Did Ami just leave?"

"She was relocated. Not enough room in this suite." Pak chuckled.

***

Jungkook was hugging and squeezing her as the others were getting settled. "Hi, Little Bird. How was your car ride?"

"Uneventful. Perfect." She hugged him back. "Am I staying here with you all?"

"Yes. Su needed you to come up with Pak because Byun was waiting for you. We know he's out of the loop on us, but this is where you are staying." Ami felt Joon's hand slowly slip under her shirt and around her stomach, holding her from behind. "Dove." He said in a low, quiet voice.

"Oh god," she whispered.

"Later Dove. Let's show you around." Namjoon took her hand, and they walked around the huge four-bedroom residence. It was pretty standard for them, giant apartments nestled inside a hotel. "We have room service, of course, but also a full kitchen. Jin made a list of snacks and treats, and the hotel already stocked it for us. He made the same request for Pak, Choi, Quon, and Su's room. They are here on the same floor as us, while the rest of the team is one floor below." Namjoon walked her around and explained the setup. While they wandered in and out of rooms, whoever was there stopped, kissed her, and then let Joon continue his tour.

"Where am I staying then?" she smiled as they finally reached the last room.

"You, my Dove, are staying in this room. It doesn't need to be said who you are sleeping with will change nightly. I'm sure you will find the arrangement satisfactory." Ami giggled as they walked around the room then looked back at Joon, "It does satisfy me. Will you?"

"Will I what, Dove." His look changed instantly into a dark smolder.

"Satisfy me." Her eyes were locked on his, not backing down from his stare.

"I'm sure that can be arranged."

"Arrange it then." She flicked her eyes up and down his body and watched him shudder. "The door."

Namjoon's brain was racing as he did what he was told. "No one else?"

"Did I ask for anyone else?" He heard her reply. "Oh fuck." Joon whispered as he closed the door and hit the lock. He turned around to see her stripping down to her black bra and panties. "Clothes." She said simply, "How much time do we have before the meeting?"

"How much time do you think you need?" Joon teased as she shot him a fiery look. Ami walked over as he waited for her. His shirt was in his hand while he stood there in his jeans almost as a challenge. One last attempt for dominance before she melted him with her eyes. She looked up at him as she undid his belt. "How much time?"

Joon groaned, "Um, Su is meeting with the team around six." Her hands worked slowly as he pulled his belt out and let it fall. "Then he wants to meet with us around nine. That gives everyone time to rest...fuck." he murmured as she slid her hands inside his waistband and pushed his pants over his hips.

"Only six hours then?  I guess that will work," she smirked as he saw his eyes pop out of his head.

 

8:30 AM, 5 ½ hours later.

"Joon. Ami. Meeting in 30 mintues." Hobi knocked on the door and then made himself comfortable on the large couches. Everyone had spent the last hours unpacking, napping, and unwinding from the trip. It was a good break before they jumped into an unknown week.

"They've been in there a while." Jimin had settled in the living room a while ago, napping off and on in the corner of the couch.

"Joon's been ready to throw her against the wall for a solid week. Hopefully, he didn't overdo it. She has things she needs to be ready for this week. We all need to have our A game on," Hobi murmured.

Just then, the door opened, and a disheveled Namjoon staggered out. He was freshly showered but had a permanently happy, glazed look on his face. "Hey, guys." he wandered over to the kitchen and downed a glass of water as he rummaged for something to eat.

"What the fuck...did you leave her?" Hobi and Jimin jumped up to check on Ami when she strolled out. She had showered, changed into comfy clothes, and looked well-rested. "Hey, boys," she said sweetly as she wandered over and gave them both kisses on their confused faces.

"Oh. She's just fine." Namjoon grinned as he shoved a bagel in his mouth. "I, on the other hand, feel like I've been sucked dry." He poured another glass of water and a cup of coffee. Hobi and Jimin both looked at her wide-eyed as she shrugged, "Well. Fair enough, you were Joonie."

Hobi walked over to her, putting his hands on her hips as she instinctively draped her arms around his neck. "Love." He said sweetly, "I'm not sure what you did to poor Joon, but I hope to be on the receiving end someday soon."

"You will." She said simply.

"Did you rest at all?"

"Yes."

"Can I make you some food?" He kissed her cheek as she nodded. Come on, Love." Hobi walked her over to the kitchen while Namjoon wandered over to Jimin, grinning.

"Jesus. What the hell did my wife do to you?" he shook his head as Joon flopped down in an oversized chair.

"What didn't she do." He took a long drink of coffee as the other five guys made their way to join them. Eventually, Ami and Hobi joined as they all sat together in the living room.

"God, it feels like it's been forever we've all been together like this." Tae smiled.

"We were only gone for a few days." Jin chortled.

"No. I mean us. ONLY us. Not Jae, Pak, Su, or the rest. Just us eight. Even when we aren't traveling, having all eight at home for any amount of time is rare without constant guests. It's nice, that's all I'm saying."

"It's nice we can be us." Kook smiled.

"Well, maybe when we get home, we need to carve out time in our schedules to make sure we have more uninterrupted time." Yoongi took a sip of coffee, and everyone agreed. "Now, Joon. Why do you look like you were hit hard by the good-time bus?"

"She was in a mood," Jimin smirked, and everyone instantly smiled. They LOVED it when she was in a mood.

"Were you now?" Yoongi looked her over.

"Maybe."

"No maybes about it." Joon winked. "She paid me back for a few things."

"Oh? Hope you still have some paybacks for me." Jungkook smiled but was a little jealous he missed out. 

"I have enough for everyone, don't worry." Ami snuggled into Hobi's side. The group talked and spent much-needed quality time together until they heard a knock on the door. Jin jumped up and let Su and Pak in. "No Jae?" Jin asked as he closed and locked the door behind them. "Nope, I let her sleep. I'll catch her up later."

Su and Pak rested a little, then met with the team early to get everyone up to speed. Now, it was time to do the same with them. "This won't take long. You guys have the easy job." Su smiled at the group as they all chuckled. "So! Today at noon, the company and the Gala are going to drop that you are all in town and you boys will be attending. I'm sure there will be the usual excitement, rumblings, and such. You boys should expect that we'll have seven more guys with us when we go out. You may not see all of them, but they'll be there. The schedule is set, but if something comes up and you need to go anywhere, let me know, and we'll work it out. It's similar to when you tour." The guys all nodded, familiar and comfortable with how Su ran his crews for them.

"Now. Ami dear. You have a couple of days before your Vogue shoot. Are you still planning on tracking down Gaga?"

"If I don't, Wendy and Jae will kill me. I'll give her a call after the news drops." Ami felt Hobi hold her a little tighter.

"Let Pak know when and where. You girls are getting a few more guys when you go out, but overall, everything is similar to touring, give or take."

"Like the Presidential Motorcade?" Jin said as they watched Su shrug. "That's categorized under give-and-take. What other questions do you have?" He sat back and got comfortable. Pak watched all the guys shift as their postures changed just a little. They had questions.

"How many extra guys are you sending with the girls each time they go out?" Jimin started.

"Three on top of Pak, Choi, and Quon."

"Is the company also announcing her schedule?" Jungkook asked as others had the same question.

"Absolutely not." Su shook his head no.

"If she wants to meet up with others this week, how does that look?" Tae and the guys knew a few other people might be on her shortlist.

"Shouldn't be a problem, but if it is we'll adjust. We have a few places cherry-picked for easy places to meet up." Su had been having his guys do a lot of prep work before they arrived.

Ami sat quietly as her boys peppered Su and Pak with all sorts of questions. They asked everything she wondered about and some she hadn't thought of. The more she heard how prepared they were, the more relaxed she felt.  After the questions died down, Pak asked Ami, "So, what about you?  You've been unnaturally quiet in the question department."  Everyone smiled as they looked over to her.  "I think you guys covered it all.  I don't think I have anything else."

Su watched her carefully for her tells. After talking to her on the plane, he knew this week was going to be a push for her and that while she was up for the challenge, that didn't mean it might not take a toll. As of right now, though, she looked fine. "Ok. So do this for me. If some part of the plan gives you pause at any time this week, let Pak or me know. How does that sound." He gave her a wink as she nodded. "I can do that."

"Good. Ok then, group, that's all I have. Enjoy the rest of your day. We'll check in on you all later; otherwise, rest up. It's going to be a good week." Su wanted to reassure the group once more as he stood up. "Hey, Namjoon. Can I talk to you for a moment?" Su nodded toward the door. Joon pushed up out of the chair and followed as Pak asked Ami, "Do you want Jae to give you a shout when she's alive?"

"Mmm. Sure. Hobi and Jimin have been taunting us with what clothes they found for us. It would only be right to see what they picked." She grinned over at Jimin, and he nodded in approval.

"Sounds good. See you later."

Namjoon had followed Su to a quiet corner by the door before Su turned and looked him square in the face, "Are you sick? You look tired or off. Do you need to be seen?"

"What?" Namjoon looked shocked for a moment, then understood his question and smiled a little, "No, Su. I'm fine. Really. I just need a nap, that's all." Su stared at him for a moment longer, "Get some sleep. I'll check on you this afternoon, but I'm telling you, if you aren't looking better, I'll call someone to come check you out."

"Su, I'm good," Joon grinned. "I promise. But it's good to know you have all your bases covered."

"Ok," Su said reluctantly as he headed out the door.  Pak joined Joon a moment later, leaning in, "You know, I've seen this look before, but usually on her.  Nice to see it's not just one way."  Pak grinned as he followed Su out the door. Joon's face went from surprise to a shitty grin as he closed and locked the door behind them.

 

 

Chapter 3

Harry's last show in the Netherlands.

"Oh fuck." Wendy muttered as she sat up a little straighter while scrolling through her phone. She was perched backstage as Harry was in the middle of his last show before they were off again to a new city. The news of BTS and Suki arriving in California together had dropped, and her feed was inundated with speculation and opinions.

Wendy spent the next hour combing through news articles. She was deep down a rabbit hole when she felt someone put their hand on her head. They pushed it back, so she looked up at them. "Oy, Wendy."

"OH! Sorry, is it over?" She jumped down, shoving her phone in her pocket. Riggs looked her over, "Didn't you hear the fireworks? You good?"

"Riggs, we gotta move! They broke the barrier!" Someone called out as people were mobilizing quickly. Come on, Love, we need to go. I need you to ride with Harry." He grabbed her hand and pulled her over to a side-by-side Harry was being loaded into. Riggs all but tossed her in as staff was yelling instructions at each other.

"What? Wait!"

"Right behind you, Love. Go!" He yelled, and they took off. "Banger of a show, eh?" a sweaty Harry grinned as they accelerated.

"What the fuck is happening?" she asked as they whizzed down the tunnel. She turned around to see Riggs and a couple of other of his guys had climbed into a cart and started following. Just then, a horde of screaming fans ran into the tunnel where they had been and started to chase after them.

"OH, holy fuck." Wendy's eyes were huge as she looked over to Riggs, who wasn't too far back. He gave her a little wink as he tried to give her a reassuring look before turning around to look behind him.

"Did you enjoy the show?" Harry wiped his face with his sleeve as they started to distance themselves from the fans.

"Are you completely unphased by this?!" Wendy gripped the seat as they took a sharp corner. Harry reached over and held her arm so she wouldn't tumble out.

"Christ," Riggs mumbled as he watched her lean before the cart straightened out. Once everyone rounded the corner, the staff quickly pulled the security gates down. Harry and Wendy looked behind them to see them locking the gate, "See, all good." Harry smiled.

"What happened?" Wendy glanced at Riggs again before turning around.

"Part of the barrier was faulty. At least that's what it looked like from the stage. The crowd surged, and it went down. Hence, the fan tsunami back there. Don't worry, darling, it won't happen again. Riggs will see to that." They came to a stop right next to the blacked-out cars that were waiting to take them to the plane.

Harry hopped out as someone handed him a towel and his bag. Riggs pulled up next to them and jumped out as Wendy climbed out of the cart. "Come on, Love, we'll talk in the car." He put his hand on her back and guided her over, opening the door for her before she could reply. She climbed in one side as Harry climbed in the other. Riggs jumped in the passenger seat, and they were instantly off.

Harry toweled off as best he could, digging through his bag to find his jumper to slip over his stage clothes. As soon as they were clear of the stadium and well on their way, Riggs finally turned around and looked at them both. "Are we good? No one missing a finger?"

"Never better!" Harry grinned as he got situated. "The barrier gave way."

"We'll make sure that doesn't happen again...you good?" He was watching Wendy the whole time Harry was jib-jabbing.

"Yeah." She nodded.

"What were you so engrossed in at the show?" Riggs had been keeping an eye on her from afar and noticed the last hour or so she had been sucked into her phone.

"Oh. OH. Um, BTS and Suki announced they arrived in LA together. It's a thing." Harry now looked over at her as well as she said, "It's all over online."

"They announced it, or it was leaked?" Riggs asked.

"Announced. Official statement and everything. Vogue is now dropping clues she is there to meet with them. The Gala is putting out that BTS is attending. It's sort of everywhere in all capacities." She held eyes with Riggs as he nodded, then turned back around in his seat.

"Those are guys I would love to properly meet someday, and not at a party where you can't talk like at Annabel's." Harry sighed, "I was supposed to be at that Gala, but the tour dates are too tight."

"Oh...I forgot to tell you. I spoke to Mr. Su a few days ago. He said if the tour came to Korea, the guys would host you," Riggs said as he pulled out his phone and started scrolling through the news.

"STOP IT!" Harry yelled as everyone jumped.

"Jesus Christ, Harry!" Wendy whacked him as he sat there and grinned.

"We're going. That needs to happen! Wait, why were you talking to Mr. Su?" Harry glanced at Wendy, "Was he checking in to make sure you weren't being held against your will?"

"Yes, didn't you know I have him on speed dial for my health and well-being?" Wendy smirked as Riggs tried to withhold a smile, knowing that was more than a true statement. Harry's eyes got big as Riggs put him out of his misery. "We were talking security stuff. Don't worry, your pretty little head. But, with that conversation, an offer was extended to you. So, if you can make that schedule work..."

"Oh, it's going to fucking work. I'll call the company, and we'll get on the calendar." He grinned.

"You are such a bloody whore." Wendy shook her head as he leaned back and got comfortable, "Only when I need to be darling. Look. You're friends with the top of the top. I can't just call them up and say, hey, wanna go for drinks?"

"You don't think?" she smirked. "I don't know. Doesn't seem hard anymore. That's what Gaga did with me, and now look, you're traveling the world with me. Lucky twit." Wendy grinned as Harry's face morphed into shock. "I'm traveling with you?! Bloody wan..."

"Language." Riggs tried not to laugh from the front seat. Harry's face tried to stay mad, but his grin broke though. "OK then. I challenge you to call someone and ask them to go for drinks. You know what, I'll pick the person!" He pulled out his phone and searched through his list of names.

"That won't work!" she laughed. "No one knows who I am! You can't call someone I don't know! They'll think I'm a stalker!"

"OH nooo! It's so bloody easy! You just call and say, hey, wanna go for drinks? Doesn't seem so hard to me. Who shall it be?" Harry scrolled through his long list of names, looking for the perfect person.

"No drinks," Riggs said. "Dinner, but no drinks. Lunch would be better unless it's a girl, then dinner is fine."

"Riggs! You're going along with this!" He turned in his seat, smiled, then shrugged, "Might be fun."

"OH. Okay then. So, HOW do you two suggest I plan a date with this person? I'm never in one spot for more than a few days. How does next Friday sound? Oh no, sorry, I'm flying off to Australia...but I'll be back in your general area in the spring?!" They watched Riggs grab Harry's phone and start to scroll through names. "It's not a date, it's lunch," he smiled.

"We'll make it work." Harry grinned as he sat back, enjoying watching her squirm. "Just because you're traveling with me doesn't mean you can't leave and come back? You aren't bound to a contract, if you need to go, go. I'm going to need photo proof though that you held your end of the deal."

"What deal?!" She laughed. "No one is going to take my call! No one knows me! I'm not going to embarrass myself by begging to have dinner with someone to prove you wrong. I don't need to prove you wrong anyway because I'm right."

"She had a point," Riggs added from the front seat as he scrolled the names. "Most of these people wouldn't do it without some sort of introduction...and the rest I wouldn't allow."

Harry looked offended and scoffed, "Are you going to let him not 'allow' you to meet someone? Allow being the offending word here in this day and age. And who the hell would be on that list?!"

Riggs turned and showed him the contact information for a music producer he had worked with on his last album. "Oh." Harry nodded, "Fair point. I wouldn't allow that either. Total prick. Ok. I'm going to keep my eyes open, and we'll find the perfect person to ask. Don't you worry, darling." Harry grinned as he took his phone back from Riggs. Wendy rolled her eyes in protest as they whizzed down the highway.

It wasn't long before everyone was loaded on the plane, and they were taking off to the next stop on the tour. Wendy was sitting near the window as Riggs sat down next to her. "I know you want to kick my ass for agreeing with Harry, and we can have that conversation, but I have questions for you first. You ok? Kind of crazy ending to the show and all."

"Yeah, no kidding. I think I was more shocked Harry was so nonchalant about a swarm of fans trying to hunt him down." She reached over and ran her fingers through his.

"Well. He's done this a long time. He knows when to panic. He trusts his people." Riggs was glad she didn't seem too bothered about the entire ordeal. "So, tell me about your friends. What's going on?"

"They're your friends too." Wendy smiled as he shrugged a little, "Technically, by default, but fine, I'll take it. They're a solid bunch. Now, show me what's going on." Wendy took out her phone, and they read through the news about the two groups. "Have you spoken to her yet?" Riggs asked as they kept scrolling.

"No. This feels intense. Is it intense?" Wendy spoke quietly to keep their conversation between them. It wasn't only Harry and them on the plane. His staff flew with them.

"Those guys have a lot of protective fans. That's why they have the security they have. Suki has her crazy bunch as well. It's to be expected to a point. Look at Goldy Locks back there." He motioned toward Harry. "He gets photographed with someone, and the rumor mill shoots into overdrive. Real or not."

"I'm going to tell him you said that." She smirked.

"Go ahead. He knows I call him that, he won't care." Riggs laughed a little. "You should call her though, check in when we land. We have four nights in Athens then we are off to Australia for a few weeks." He looked over at her, then pulled her over for a quick kiss on the head. "There's going to be some dust, but it will settle. It always does."

"Yeah, I know. It's different to watch the dust storm when it's about people you know." She sighed and then changed the topic, "Now. We need to talk about this date you are trying to send me on."

He grinned, "It's not a date."

 

Back in Los Angeles.

The news had been released that BTS and Suki were traveling together and had arrived in Los Angeles. Some of the boys' schedules had been announced, but nothing solid on what Suki had planned. As usual, they stayed off their phones and the internet to not get sucked into the drama the media would drum up. It was something they told her long ago she needed to do for her mental health. They had learned that lesson the hard way when they were younger. Pak promised her if it was something she needed to know, he would tell her himself, which worked well so far.

She plopped herself on the couch next to Yoongi as Jungkook and Tae sat intertwined on the other couch. The television was on a movie that no one was watching. "Who are you texting?" Yoon smiled as she cozied up next to him.

"Gaga. I wanted to message her before she reads it in the media. How rude would that be." She smiled as he kissed her temple, and she set her phone down next to her.

"Maybe she'll want to take you out for dirty nachos," Tae murmured, half asleep under Jungkook's arm.

"I want dirty nachos." Kook moaned, "Those sound disgustingly good."

"What makes them dirty? Maybe we can order some." Yoon asked as he wrapped his arm around her, rubbing her shoulder with his thumb.

She shook her head, "They are best eaten in a bar after hours of drinking. They don't travel well, Yoon."

"You travel well though, and based on what Joon has shared, you are exceptionally dirty," he whispered in her ear. Just then, her phone rang. As she reached for it he put his hand over hers. "Let me. I'll decide if it's someone you need to talk to right now," he said softly. Now that the word was out, they wanted to make sure the drama didn't seep in more than necessary.

She handed him the phone without looking at who was calling. Tae and Kook both cracked an eye and glanced over from the couch as Yoon smiled, "Are you available for Gaga, honey?"

"Thank you, Yoon." She kissed him on the cheek, took the phone, and got up to wander somewhere quiet to take the call.

"Smart," Tae said as he got comfortable again.

"She doesn't need the extra shit." Yoongi watched her head out onto the balcony to talk but left the French doors cracked open a little. "I hope this week goes smoothly for her and everyone else." Yoongi got comfortable so he could watch her from where he sat.

"Hello?"

"Well, look who decided to make it to LA finally, it's about time." Gaga was more than excited to get a text from Suki. She had been hoping she would reach out when she came to town.

Ami laughed, "Sorry, it took a little longer than I thought. Bad traffic and all, are you in town?"

"I am actually. You caught me in a perfect window. Are you traveling alone, or are Jae and Wendy with you? I'm wondering so I know what to plan for us."

"Only Jae. No Wendy this time. What do you have in mind? I'm not going to lie, things are going to be tight on my end." Ami curled up in the corner of the patio couch.

"Tight timewise, or security-wise? I saw how they watched over you all in London." Gaga smiled. She was impressed by how everyone had handled the situation back at Annabel's with that guy who tried to impose. Her guys would have tossed him against the wall, causing more of a scene. She appreciated their stealth.

"Both, actually. You're going to hear about it sooner than later, but I'm traveling with the BTS boys. Officially, this time. So, there might be a little more drama around me being here. Their fans can be pretty intense."

"Mmm. Gotcha. So, let's make it easy. Do you and Jae want to come over for lunch this week?"

"To your house?"

"Sure. It makes it so much easier to talk rather than go out in public. Let me know what days you have, and we'll make it work." The two talked a while longer while Hobi, Jimin, and Jin joined the other three in the living room.

"Joon still sleeping?" Jin flopped down on the couch next to Yoongi.

"Haven't seen him for a few hours. I think she did a number on him. I wouldn't mind her doing a number on me." Yoongi smirked. "How was your honeymoon, speaking of doing numbers on people."

"Amazing. Wonderful. Honestly, I wish we could have stayed longer." he sighed. "Not buying it, by the way, she nixed it." He grinned. "Good place to visit, but I suppose it's a little more out of the way of our normal routes."

Jimin jumped in, "We need an island. Seriously. It was so nice to not worry about running into anyone else. Pak was super relaxed, which was rare to see. Minimal work for Choi and Quon. Ami was naked most of the time. It was perfect."

"Oh yes, I heard about your naked rules. Good rules, by the way." Jin smirked.

"Wait. What naked rules?" Jungkook said wide-eyed as everyone looked over to Jimin and Jin.

Jimin sat back and got comfortable, then started telling them about their rules for being naked as much as possible. On the beach, in the water, around the bungalow. If they weren't with people, they were naked. Everyone was shocked to hear Jin and Ami skinny-dipped on their honeymoon with the others so close by.

"Weren't you worried about Quon or Pak to come scrolling around the corner?" Hobi asked, baffled, how they got away with it or that Ami agreed to it at all.

"Oh, I gave them a heads up. They kept their distance." Jin grinned. "No one was scarred by our nudity. I'm not the one who is going to win that prize."

"I need to plan my honeymoon." Tae lamented, rubbing his face with his hands.

"Yes, you do." Jin and Jimin grinned at him as they all kept talking.

***

Ami's phone had been buzzing off and on for the last couple of hours. She had turned her phone over officially to Yoongi for monitoring. She let most of the calls go to voicemail to deal with later, except when Wendy called. They watched her trot off to the bedroom as she answered.

"Hey Wendy..." Ami started to say before she was cut off.

"Hey, yourself. You holding up ok?"

Ami paused, "Holding up?"

"Yeah, I mean, people online are losing their shit because you guys are traveling together. Traveling! Nothing else! The amount of nonsense people spew is insane. We made it to Athens by the way." Wendy and Riggs had arrived at the hotel and were getting settled in.

Ami wandered to her bedroom and shut the door. "Is it that bad? I've stayed off the internet most of the day," she said a little more quietly.

"It's not terrible, I guess. I've never personally known anyone in the papers like that. Riggs said it would die down soon. It's maddening how crazy people are being. I mean, come on, it's not like you're having a baby and don't know who the father is."

"Right. Right. That would be crazy." Ami sighed as she squeezed her eyes shut, grabbing the bridge of her nose. "So, how is Athens? Is the trip going okay?" She slowly paced around the room as Wendy recapped the show. Ami was half listening, then stopped in her tracks and focused on Wendy's great escape from the stadium.

"Holy shit. That's wild. Harry was unbothered?"

"Completely. Apparently, he has a line for when he freaks out, and that's not it." Wendy tossed herself back on the bed as Riggs glanced at her while unpacking his bag.

"What about your Viking? Was he bothered?"

"Totally. Not a happy Viking." Wendy looked over as she teased. Riggs smirked as he finished unpacking. "So, we're here for a few days, then off to Australia. What about you? How is LA? OH! Did you call Gaga yet? You better say yes." Wendy rolled to her side and got comfortable as Ami started telling her about her week. The Vogue shoot in a couple of days, lunch with Gaga and hopefully meeting up with a couple of other people if there was time.

"What about the Gala? Are you going with the guys?"

"No, I don't have a plan to. That's their deal on this trip. I'm here with them but laying low. No need to feed more drama to the masses." She looked up as she heard a knock on her door. Namjoon peaked in and whispered, "Pak wants you to go across the hall when you are done. No rush." She smiled and blew him a kiss as he winked and closed the door again.

For the rest of the conversation, Ami asked about her trip and travel plans. Wendy talked while her mind was wondering what was being said about her and the boys. As the two finally hung up, Ami promised Wendy to say hi to Gaga for her.

When she finally walked out of the bedroom, she was surprised to see Pak and Su both there. They had all been quietly talking as they waited for her. "Oh hey, I thought we were meeting across the hall." Ami shoved her phone in her pocket as Pak stood up, and Su stayed sitting. "We are. I thought you might want an escort. The halls are a labyrinth here." Pak cheesed as she glanced at Su, "Are you staying here?"

"I am. The boys and I are going to chat about the Gala while you girls talk about your plans, sound good?"

"Yeah, that works." She started to head to the door as Namjoon got up. "Hey, did you have a good chat?" He asked as he took her hand and walked her to where Pak was waiting by the door.

"I did. Is everything ok? Are you really just talking about the Gala?" Ami asked quietly as they made it to the door. Namjoon leaned down and kissed her gently, sensing her nerves. "We are. Dove, everything is fine." He gave her a long, strong hug, feeling her body relax as she took a breath. Before he let her go, he pulled her phone back out of her pocket, "I'll hold this for you." he said quietly, then nodded to Pak.

Quon was across the hall, waiting for them to open the door. As soon as Pak did, Quon opened his door wide and stepped out into the hall, making sure it was clear. Namjoon put Ami's hand in Pak's as Quon gave them both a nod. He quickly walked Ami across the hallway as Quon followed, closing the door behind them.

"Wow," Ami said wide-eyed as Pak turned and smiled. "Did you think we were going to let you wander across the hall all willy-nilly? You know us better than that. How's Wendy?"

"Hey! Ami! You must come in here!" They heard Jae call out.

"I'll fill you in later." She said quickly before she trotted off to see what Jae was up to.

Quon sat down with Choi on the couches as Pak grabbed a drink and joined them, "Su needs some time to talk to the guys. When the girls are done, we'll go over the plans for the week."

"Has she been online yet?" Choi asked quietly.

"No. The guys have been running interference. She's going to find out soon, though." Pak sighed. "I hope it doesn't stress her out too much."

"What the hell..." Ami stopped at the door of the room to find Jae flipping through racks of clothes. They were lining the walls and down the middle of the room. "Most of this was sent over by the company for the guys, so everything times seven," Jae called out before pulling dresses off the rack and holding them up for her to see. "But a lot of these are from Jimin and Hobi." Jae giggled as she put them back, and Ami started looking through it all.

"Good lord, we decided to come a few days ago. How did they get these all ordered and delivered so quickly." Ami started to flip through dresses, skirts, shirts, jeans, and shorts. Everything had high-end labels on them, from fancy to low-key. "Ohh...damn.'' She walked over to the corner of the room where there were easily twenty shoe boxes each waiting for them.

"We're going to need a cargo plane to get all this home!" She started peeking in the boxes of shoes, then turned to Jae and smiled, "Well, this is fun. I'm not going to lie." Jae giggled as she flipped through the racks. "Pak said anything we don't like to set aside, and they'll have it returned." As they continued to look through clothes, Jae automatically pulled out things she knew 'Suki' would wear in public.

"So, have you seen any news today?" Ami asked as she tried on shoes.

"Nope. I slept, then molded myself to the couch and enjoyed the silence. It's crazy that sometimes your vacations need vacations. I know this week is going to be interesting—fun, I hope. Kai's been on his phone texting with Su and the team, though." Jae glanced over at Ami, "Why? Have you?"

"No. Yoongi and Joon commandeered my phone. Which I was okay with until I spoke to Wendy. The news of me traveling with the boys is a thing." She set a pair of shoes off to the side and tried on another pair.

"Of course it is. The most popular, sexy, super group on the planet finally lets the world know they have a friend, who is a girl AND happens to be a super private mystery singer. The craziness of it all." She rolled her eyes, then thought for a moment, "What do you mean by 'thing'? What does that mean?" Jae kept rustling through the clothes.

"I don't know, but it's enough of a thing Wendy said, and I quote, It's maddening how crazy people are being. It's not like you're having a baby and don't know who the father is. Or something like that." Ami didn't look over at Jae but heard the clothes stop rustling.

Jae glanced over at her friend, mouth open and staring. "Ami. She doesn't know. If she knew about you all, I'm sure that isn't the comment she would have made."

"I know," Ami said a little more quietly. She knew she was right, but it still didn't mean it tugged at her heart with a little worry. "I know people are going to say shit. I've seen what they say about the guys for years. I know the fact I'm traveling with them the fans are going to drag me and them through it, whatever."

"Then what is it?"

Ami sighed, "I hope I can tell her someday about all of us. That's all. It's so nice to have this kind of openness." She pointed between herself and Jae. "It's really nice, and if she thinks it's weird I could be pregnant and not know who the father is..."

"It is!" Jae laughed, "Outside this group, it is! This isn't some alternate reality where everyone has multiple partners!" Ami stifled a laugh as she let out a heavy sigh. "You're right. I'll stop overthinking."

Jae watched her friend as she continued to try on shoes. "It will happen. We need some more girlie time with the guys around so she can see they are madly in love with you, and there's no other way. Because honestly, there is no other way." She said matter of factly. "You're wrong about one thing, though."

"I am?" Ami looked over at her, confused.

"Why are YOU traveling with them? Why aren't THEY traveling with YOU." Jae smirked. "It's all perspective, babe. This was your gig first. They wanted to tag along. They're traveling with you." Ami smiled a little, thinking over what she was saying.

"Jae. I honestly couldn't do any of this without you, you know that right?"

"Oh. I know." Jae replied in her sing-song tone. "We need each other." Ami smiled as she tried on another pair of shoes. "So, are you nervous at all about this week? Being in 'public' again like we are?"

"Honestly? I'm trying not to think about it. If I think about it too much, I will." She pulled out a gray off-the-shoulder top and held it up, "You're wearing this. What about you?"

"Same. Everyone is doing everything they can, and me rocking in the corner isn't going to help. Staying inside forever isn't a thing, so pushing through is the only option. What I really want is to punch someone in the face." Ami said plainly as Jae giggled, "I'll help you do it. Kai said there is a private gym on site. We should probably go before we head out into the world this week."

"Agreed." She smiled as she pushed a box of shoes to the side and tried on the next pair.

***

Su was across the hall, filling them in on the online conversations happening. "So. It's pretty much as expected. Everyone is excited you're in town. They're excited she's in town. Rampant speculation if she is going to show up at the Gala with you or at all. Word is the hotel you usually stay at is already seeing paparazzi and fans showing up outside. Nothing is currently leaking for this place as of now, so that's good." Su watched them all take the news in stride. "Has she been online at all?"

"No." Namjoon set her phone down on the table in front of them. "She knows when this kind of news hits we stay off for a while until it dies down."

"Good." Su nodded. "I personally don't care about what the media says but worry more if it's going to pull people out of the woodwork. So that's where my energy lies."

"Still no leads on who's behind Paris or New York, huh?" Hobi asked as they all watched as frustrated Su shook his head no.

"You need to know, though, that the rumblings of one of you hooking up with her are now officially fueled. Based on experience, we knew that was going to happen, though."

"What are the top three rumors?" Jungkook inquired. They all wanted to know.

Su sat back and thought for a moment. Of course they would ask that question, it's something they use to discuss. In their early days as a group, they wanted to know more in-depth about what was being said about them. They cared about everything their fans would say. Su would run down the top three things that were 'trending' until he realized it wasn't healthy for them to fixate like that. He put his foot down, and they had been better for it.

"We need to know, Su. We have interviews this week. We can't be blindsided," Namjoon said, wanting to know but not wanting to because he knew they all would be mad.

"Listen. We can have that conversation, but Pak isn't. It's all bullshit, and it's changing every moment."

"It's ok. We need to know." Yoongi shifted as they all waited. Su took a moment and then filled them in.

"Ok. One. She's dating one of you. Jungkook, you seem to be the favorite of the hour. Two, she has dated more than one person in the group, and a riff is forming because of it." He watched them all shake their heads in disgust but let him continue. "Three, you are all attending the Gala together. That's going to be where she announces who she's officially dating." He sat back and watched them all quietly react in the ways he expected.

Yoongi was looking off in the distance, stoic but pissed. Namjoon shook his head in disapproval, clenching his jaw. Jin had his arms crossed while Jimin held his head back, staring at the ceiling. Tae and Jungkook were staring at each other from across the couch, having an entire conversation with their eyes. While Hobi was staring right at Su with a look that would melt steel. Anyone else would be uncomfortable with Hobi's stare, but not Su.

"Listen. I know this stuff is going to bother you, but you've been through it before."

"We haven't been through it being married, though. That's what's different." Tae said quickly. "We knew this was going to happen, but it still sucks."

Su gave them an understanding look and sighed, "I know. I do. But you know how this feels. She doesn't, and I know we all worry about her dealing with the pressure these days. She has all of you who can help if anything comes up for her. Pak is going to give the girls a glossed-over version for now until things die down to a murmur. Vogue is in two days, you guys have interviews and usual schmoozy things planned. The Gala isn't until Friday, and then we'll head back home. I know you are feeling it all in here," he pointed to his chest. "But we all know that stuff is bullshit and needs to run its course. I want this week to go smoothly from a non-psychopath perspective. If we can get through the week without someone jumping out of the woodwork, then we can start rebuilding that trust."

"The trust with who?" Jungkook looked confused.

"The trust the girls feel in themselves. With all of this, I'm guessing Taehyung and Hoseok feel it, too." The group looked over at the two called out, nodding a little in agreement. The only way to rebuild that foundation is to continuously have things go as right as possible. There's going to be times they go sideways, but I hope we can get enough good things under our belt so it's not a total breakdown."

Su looked at all the guys as they sat quietly, thinking about what he was saying. He needed them to change their mindset. "Or. We do this trip as a one-and-done."

"What do you mean?" Jin frowned, confused.

"I mean, we know what they are going to say if you continue doing 'official' trips together or even casual stuff. If it's too much to deal with, we'll go back to the way it was." He sat back and watched them all now contemplate that option.

"How would we even do that?" Jimin asked as Su shrugged. "Limited joint engagements. No traveling together, and only seen at official events."

"No," Namjoon said firmly. We're not going back. We aren't ashamed of her. We aren't going to stop talking or looking at each other out in public anymore."

"I agree. It's been almost three years. It's been long enough." Yoongi spoke up. They were done hiding their friendship. That time was over. Su had a little smile on his face as they each went around the room and voiced the same feelings. This is what he needed from them. This is what she would need, them to band together as a force. Not letting the outside opinions and voices take up residence in their minds.

"Good. Now, with that being said, we aren't going to worry about the top three rumors moving forward anymore." He looked at Jungkook and nodded in agreement. "Like I told you years ago, giving energy to rumor and gossip we know is wrong is not worth your time and energy. It changes nothing except creating doubt. You wouldn't be anywhere close to where you are if you kept doing that. You're all above that. Yes?"

"Yes." they all said in response as they felt a sense of strength growing between them again. An impenetrable wall they would place her in the middle of to protect her at all costs.

"Good. Now, let's talk about the week's plans."

***

After thirty minutes of talking, going through clothes, and making a pile of decisions, the two joined Pak, Choi, and Quon again.

"Find some goodies in there?" Quon smiled as both girls sat down to join them all.

"Oh yes. Above and beyond, as usual. We are set for the next month at least." Ami sighed, "So. What's going on in the world? How insane is it? What do I need to know?"

Pak shrugged, "No worse than usual. You know there are always those fans who are delusional enough to think your boys belong to them. No one is good enough in their eyes. It's something we are watching, but we always watch that stuff."

"Are they calling for my head or something? Wendy seemed to think it was unhinged out there." Ami crossed her arms as she looked at all three men.

"It's always unhinged, but it's not at a change of plan level," Choi added. "The only big difference is Suki's name is wrapped up with theirs, which is to be expected. You're traveling with them officially this time."

"No. No." Jae interrupted, "They are here with her." Everyone looked over to Jae, confused for a moment. "They are here with her," she said again. "She was invited over for Vogue. They changed their plans to come along...they are here with her. That's the narrative." Ami smiled as Jae held her ground.

"Ok." Pak smiled. "You're right. I agree with you." They noticed Ami unphased by what Jae was saying which meant the girls already had a conversation. "What other questions do you have? Then we'll talk about the plan for the week."

The two sat for a moment longer, "So. It's the usual speculation bullshit I used to see when I worked with you for the boys then?"

Everyone looked at Pak as he nodded. "I promise. Regular bullshit. No one is calling for your...their heads." He caught himself as Jae nodded in approval of his word change. "In order of excitement," he held his hand up high over his head, "Holy shit, BTS is in town. Holy shit, Suki is here too. Oh my god, they are traveling together...insert fan screaming here." They smiled as he incrementally lowered his hand with each level. "Mass speculation of if you are showing up at the Gala because there is NO official news put out on that topic. Subset," He moved his hand to the side a little, "If you do go, will you walk with the boys? What are you wearing? Have you signed with Dior?"

"I'm not planning on going." she smiled as he continued.

"Sweet mother of tacos, are they forming a supergroup together? General absolute fucking nonsense." he swirled his hand lower to the bottom of the 'chart'. "And finally, are you all here to collab with the great Katy Perry."

"What?!" Both girls laughed.

"Oh, and you shaved your head," Quon added as both girls giggled in absolute disbelief.

"Right." Pak grinned, "I lied about Katy Perry, but the head-shaving rumor is true."

"It is not!" Jae about died as Ami yelled, "Why!!"

"Who knows?" Quon shrugged his shoulders as they watched them get back control of themselves.

Pak leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees as he said a little more calmly, "Ami. Besides the usual crap, there is nothing we are worried about from a security perspective. Ok?"

"Ok. Thank you."

 

After a while, the two groups rejoined, and the rest of the day was quiet and calm. Ami felt better after talking with Jae and her guys while the boys all felt more unified after they met with Su. Jae lounged on the couch with Ami over in the guy's room while Su and Pak had a private conversation, comparing notes from the two meetings.

"How did it go?" Su asked as Pak followed him into his suite. The two sat back in overstuffed chairs. They were tired, having not had a chance to rest since they landed in LA.

"Pretty well I think. The girls seemed in a better mood after we talked. Ami was concerned about what was being said about the guys, not so much about her. She chatted with Wendy earlier and Wendy filled her in a little." Su sighed as he listened to Pak. He shared what Jae said about the perspective of the guys traveling with her, not the other way around, which he really liked.

"Sounds like you three were able to get them to a pretty solid place easily. The guys were a little more of a challenge, rightfully so, but they pulled themselves together. It's probably good they aren't doing anything in the public eye together this week so they can all get their footing."

"It's got to be a lot of mixed feelings. I mean, this is what they and we've been protecting for years. Just acknowledging they even know each other, as easy as it should be, isn't." Pak rubbed his face and then settled into the seat more. "It's going to be fine. We'll get through the week and go back home. Ami and Jae are going to Gaga's house for lunch the day after the photo shoot. I can't say how happy I am Gaga offered to host."

"Yeah. Taehyung is mad they're busy so he can't tag along." Su smiled, "Is there anything else she wants to do this week?"

Pak thought for a moment, "Maybe. Jae told me Ed Sheeran wants her to sing a song with him. He's in town playing at Sofi." Su looked over at him, a little more concerned about how that would work. "He wants her to sing at the show?"

"No. I think he just wants to meet up, record, and mess around from what I've been told."

"Oh, that would be good for her." Su took a deep breath as he finally let his body relax a little bit more. I think I need to sleep for a few minutes." He crossed his arms, then leaned back and relaxed into the chair. Pak's eyes were already closed, and both men crashed out hard.

 

Mexico City, Mexico

Jackson Wang's Tour arrived that evening, getting settled in for a few days of shows. Kija was online, and it wasn't hard to miss the news that BTS and Suki had arrived in LA. He fired off a text to Jang in Korea.

Hey. Did you see the news? They are in LA, and I'm down in Mexico City. I can get to LA if you need me to.

Kija's phone instantly rang, "Jang. Did you see..."

"Are you a complete fucking idiot? Why the hell are you texting me this? You understand you are leaving a paper trail, right?" Jang growled into the phone. "Stop texting me. Call me when you return to Korea, and we'll meet, like I said! Until then, don't do anything. I don't care if they stroll right in front of you. NOTHING. Do you hear me?!  We are doing it MY way now!" Jang hung up on Kija, missing the days when you could slam the phone down on someone. Angrily pushing the End Call button didn't have the same oomph.

Meanwhile, Kija stood speechless, listening to silence on the end of his phone. "What the hell?"

***

As expected, by the end of the second day of being in town, the manic rumors started to die out. The focus became more realistic with talk about BTS appearing at the Gala. It helped it was confirmed Suki was there to meet with Vogue, it gave fans a direction to focus their energy.

The company put out a statement nonchalantly admitting the two groups were friends and had been for a long time. It made sense they would be traveling together. While they never made it a practice to comment on their talents' personal lives, they acknowledged it in a way without it feeling like a giant 'CALM THE FUCK DOWN PEOPLE' slap to fans. Everyone was glad to see it seemed to help.

***

It was the morning of day three, and Kook felt Ami roll over and snuggle into his body. He put his arms around her, pulling her closer. "Morning, baby. How did you sleep?"

"Hard." She tried to stretch but Kook restricted her until she wiggled enough that he loosened up. "I'm sore from my workout yesterday, but god, it felt good." Su and Pak had taken the girls to the gym and let them do whatever they needed, they had full reign of the space.

"Good. I'm glad. It means you worked hard." He sighed as he ran his hands over her body. "Tae is up, and everyone is starting to get ready. We have our first round of media nonsense today. Are you excited for your Vogue shoot?"

Ami opened her eyes, blinking with the morning light coming in as she thought. "I am. I'm ready. Seems a little crazy. Too bad you can't come along." She ran her hand over his waist and around his back.

"Mm. Want me to see if we can arrange it?"

"No. You can't. I already checked with Pak. Your adoring fans need you." she gave him a sleepy smile as he wrinkled his nose. "Fine." He stared at her face as he examined every part of it. He had it memorized by heart but still loved staring at her. "Baby. We need to get up. I'm not going to be responsible for the makeup department having to cover all the hickeys I'm going to leave on your body."

She giggled and started to roll away as he slowly swung his legs over the side of the bed. He sat up and took a deep breath as she looked back at him, grabbing her robe. She watched as he stood up, the muscles in his back moving as he twisted and stretched. "God, you're fucking hot." She grinned as he turned and smiled back. "You better scoot out of here or else. Three... two..."

Ami ran for the bedroom door, laughing as she flung it up and almost crashed into Hobi. "What are we doing?" he smiled as she laughed and trotted to the kitchen. Just then, Kook walked out as he was putting a t-shirt on over his head. "She's preserving her skin from marks before her photoshoot." Kook grinned.

"Ohh. God."

"When we get back to Korea! Promise!" she called out as she grabbed a plate of food Jin had ordered from room service.

"We're going to hold you to that," Hobi licked his lips as he and Kook exchanged knowing looks. "We're going to need minders for sure."

 

 

Chapter 4

Wendy was hanging off to the side of the room as Harry was getting ready for his second show in Athens. Tomorrow, they were heading off to Australia. As beautiful as Greece was, she was excited to be somewhere for more than a few days. Harry had planned four weeks Down Under, with a lot of that time planned for downtime between shows. This gave his crew time to explore if they wanted, and Wendy was ready for it.

She had been keeping an eye on the online banter surrounding her friends, and just as Riggs had said, the frenzy was starting to die down. She was baffled by how intense the fans could be in supporting their friendship and how delusional some were. She appreciated how serious they all were about keeping their connection with her out of the media.

Wendy smiled as a call came through. It was her friend Emmett, who lived in LA. "Hello?"

"Don't hello me! Are you here in the States with your friend? If you are and didn't call, we're going to have words." He grinned. Emmett and Miles had also seen the excitement online that Suki was in the States and had questions.

Wendy laughed, "No, actually. I'm not. I'm in Greece at the moment."

"Oh, of course you are." Emmett scoffed. "On holiday, I assume."

"No. Well, kind of, I suppose. What are you guys up to?" She looked over to see Riggs watching her from across the room with a little smile. She blew him a kiss and got comfortable on the couch.

"Nothing major."

Miles took the phone from Emmett's hand. "Actually, to be honest, if you were here, we were going to make you introduce us to your friend."

"Oh, were you now?" she scoffed. You would be sorely disappointed. That's not going to happen."

"Why! Are you ashamed of us!" He joked.

"Always." She teased back. "She's pretty damn busy. Why do you want to meet her anyway?"

Miles shrugged. "Listen. She's friends with you, so she must be fun. Mental but fun."

"Oh, thank you very much. You're friends with me. What does that say about you two?" she quipped back.

"We met you when we were younger, so we didn't know any better. We're grandfathered in." Miles grinned. "OK, but honestly, we were wondering if you were in town. Your friend is all over the news. It's not hard to miss." He finally said a little more seriously. "We're giving you shit about meeting her, by the way."

She sighed, "No, I know. I've been watching it, too. It's crazy to read about when you know the people involved."

Miles thought for a moment, "Is the big guy with you still?"

"You mean Riggs? Yes, he's here." Riggs watched her look over to him again and smile as he started making his way to her.

"He seems pretty solid, by the way, and not physically, although I mean, he is—beast of a man and all."

Wendy grinned, "He is. He really is, in all the ways."

"Bloody hell," Miles murmured. Anyway, I'm just saying I'm glad he's keeping an eye on you. If you do make it to our neck of the world, though, we expect a call and a meet-and-greet." He jabbed one last time.

Riggs sat down next to her. She reached over, and he took her hand. "Don't worry. I'll let you know if I hit your quarter of the planet. Tell Emmett bye for me."

"Will do. Talk to you soon."

"Who was that?" Riggs asked as she hung up and shoved the phone in her pocket.

"Miles and Emmett. They were calling to see if I had snuck into California without telling them." She signed as she leaned over on his shoulder. "They were joking about wanting a meet and greet with my friend. They've been watching the news."

Riggs thought for a moment as he stroked her hand, "So, you don't think they're serious?"

"No. It's not possible anyway," she said quietly. "They went to school together, and I can't guarantee they wouldn't figure it out if they were face to face. I don't think they're the kind of guys who would keep their mouths shut if they knew that piece of information."

Riggs put his arm around her and pulled her into him. "Are you concerned they may blab to others that they have a friend who is friends with her? I can make a call."

Wendy looked up at him, surprised. "Do I think they would use me in a pseudo game of Seven Degrees of Kevin Bacon? No. I don't think they would do that." She sat up a little straighter as they kept eye contact. Riggs had his doubts, but he always had doubts about almost everyone except her. He would never tell her, but he was worried about Harry using her to get closer to BTS or Suki. He knew that's not how it started, but in this industry, a lot of it was who you know, and that group was hard to get to know. She was his in. Although the guys had invited Harry to hang out, if he did make it to Korea, they wouldn't have done that without Wendy being in the mix. Who's to say they would follow through if Wendy weren't part of it anymore?

He finally softened his expression and kissed her nose, "OK. If you're sure, then it's not a thing." Wendy frowned, so he pushed his finger right between her eyes and her furrowed brow. "If you aren't worried, then I won't worry. I like those guys. Next time we are in Cali we'll all have to go out. We'll make them show us the town." She finally smiled a little as he got up, pulling her with him. "Come on. Let's go find something to eat."

 

Photoshoot Day.

The guys left early for their first day of interviews. Soon after they left, the girls headed downtown to the LA Vogue offices

"Are you excited?" Jae asked as she watched her friend nod. "I kind of am. I'm not going to lie it doesn't seem real. I still feel like an imposter sometimes."

"I get that. Today is going to be so fun, though." Jae grinned. " Can I be honest with you?"

Ami looked over as Jae leaned closer and said quietly, "I'm kind of glad it's you and not me."

"What? Seriously? This is completely up your alley, though. The glamor of it all." Ami grinned as Jae scrunched up her nose and shook her head a little. "I know, and I'm super excited to see it all in action. I can't wait. It's a big deal for you. I'm happy for you. You've worked hard and deserve all of it." Pak and Choi listened to them talk as they zipped down the freeway.

The two cars pulled up outside the LA Vogue offices. Ami and Jae talked quietly, reading and getting prepared for her interview. Vogue had sent a list of questions they wanted to ask her a few days earlier per her request. She had spent the last couple of days getting ready and back in the right headspace after her wedding to Jin. While she had her concerns, she was glad she felt pretty good about today. It helped that the guys came to LA with her. They kept her grounded and were so confident that it helped keep her from floating off in her thoughts.

"I can't wait to see what the stylist picked out for you." Jae smiled as Ami nodded, feeling ready for the day. "Wait here," Pak said as he and Choi stepped out of the car. Quon, Byun, and two other security members pulled up and joined them. Pak spoke to everyone for about thirty seconds before they all nodded and then turned back towards the girls' car.

"Ladies. Ready for some glamor?" Pak grinned as he opened the door for Ami to get out. "Ready as we'll ever be." Ami let out a short breath and a smile. "It's going to be a fun day." He winked.

Almost immediately, a Vogue representative ran out to join them. He was a younger man, grinning and excited to be chosen to welcome the group. "Welcome! Suki, so glad you made it!" He reached out, and they shook hands, "Glad to be here, this is my assistant Jae." She motioned to her as he grinned and shook her hand as well.

"Amazing to meet you both. My name is Gavin. I'm your Vogue liaison for the day. If you have any issues or need anything, let me know." He smiled at them as he took stock of the group. "Quite the crew." The two girls had six semi-serious men with them.

"This is Mr. Pak," Ami introduced him as they started walking towards the building's doors. He's the one of this group to talk to if you have questions." She smiled as they shook hands on their walk and then looked over her shoulder as two of the team members stayed back. "They are staying with the cars," Pak said quietly as she nodded. Choi, Quon, and Byun were following behind.

Gavin opened the door for them, "Sounds good. So! The plan is to meet the team. We'll get the interview out of the way. Then, wardrobe, hair, and makeup, then off to take photos. How does that sound?" They were clipping along through the building as they spoke.

"That works for me." She smiled as she glanced over at Jae. She was staring at everything as they moved through the corridors. "This is so cool," she whispered.

Gavin led them up to a set of large double doors and pushed them open dramatically as they all filed through. He turned and grinned, "Here we are!"

"Wow," Ami murmured. People were busy finishing up and getting ready for the shoot. Lighting, cameras, wardrobe, all of it. She had done photo shoots before but through her company. This was the first time with something of this magnitude and on this scale. Pak motioned for Choi, Quon, and Byun to stand over to the side as Gavin started to do the introductions with the Creative Director and Photographer. Their job wasn't to watch the girls as much as the people in the room.

As Ami was meeting people, Jae wandered over to the racks of clothes they had waiting for her. Choi slowly walked over to join her. "Quite the selection," He said quietly as she glanced at the racks.

"This is all Dior," Jae murmured in Korean as she smiled at the wardrobe girls.

"Is that bad?"

"No, just curious. Dior has been wanting to partner with her."

"Is that something she is interested in?" He watched as she carefully ran her fingers through the material.

"Maybe. She's not as much of a fashionista as others want her to be. She likes it, but you know her." She smirked. She wanted to say the 'boys' but knew better when in mixed company, even in Korean. Just then, the wardrobe girls straightened up a little as the Director walked over with Suki, talking about his vision for the shoot.

Jae walked over next to Ami as Choi stood next to Pak. They watched Jae step up and talk quietly in Ami's ear as they showed her options. Ami relied heavily on Jae's opinion regarding this level of fashion. She was, at heart, a t-shirt, jeans, and comfortable clothes kind of girl. She liked dressing up, but when it came to this level, she liked a second set of eyes and trusted Jae. It helped keep her from overthinking.

They agreed on a few different looks when the Director turned and smiled at Jae, "And now you." He waved his hand, and another rack of clothes was pushed over. Ami and Jae looked confused. "Wait, I'm not..." Jae started to say when her guys saw Ami wave Pak over."Director. I know there was talk about wanting to include Jae, but we made that clear this isn't the shoot for that."

Pak walked quickly over as the Director smiled. "No, I know it was discussed, but after seeing the two of you together, it would be so amazing. The camera would love you both." Pak looked between everyone when Ami turned to him. "He wants Jae in it. They have clothes for her. Is this a Ko thing?"

"What? Not that I know of, want me to find out?" Pak took out his phone to place a call as the confused Director now looked between them all.

"Please call Ko. I want to talk to him now. Director, you said it was discussed. Who was that with?" The Director looked over to Gavin and motioned for him to make a call. He had instructions to try to push this narrative and, if he got any pushback, to call up to the main office upstairs.

Jae glanced over to Quon still standing to the side, giving them a less-than-impressed look. "What is going on?" Quon muttered as they watched both camps now making phone calls.

The Director tried to give her a reassuring smile again now waiting for backup. "Suki, I was under the impression it was still an option, not completely off the table. We weren't sure who you would have with you today, so we have everything to accommodate whoever you brought..."

"Suki." Pak held out his phone, and she took it without breaking eye contact with the Director. "One moment, please. I need to speak to my company, and then we can continue this conversation." She took the phone and walked off to a corner of the room to talk. Pak put his hand on Jae's back to walk her back to the guys while the Director turned and started talking to his staff.

"What's going on?" Choi asked as the two joined them again. "They want Jae in the shoot. she's talking to Ko right now. Choi, call Su for me and let him know there may be a problem."

"They're calling someone. Gavin made a call," Quon said quietly to Pak. "They were ready for this pushback."

"Awesome." Pak sighed. "You good?" he whispered to Jae.

"Yeah."

***

"Director Ko?"

"Hi Suki, what's going on?"

"Did you agree to Jae being in the shoot? You need to tell me the truth because they said the option was still on the table. I don't want to go off on the wrong person, and I'm about ready to."

"What? No. They were told it was just you."

"Then why do they have extra racks of clothes for whomever I brought with me today? They were ready." Ami paced slowly back and forth, frustrated they were back at this sticking point.

"Suki. Ami. I swear, it's not from this side. I spoke to them myself." Just then, the double doors swung open, and everyone turned to see a smiling Anna Wintour saunter into the room.

Ami paused for a moment before she pulled herself together, "I'll call you back. Anna is here."

"No. Hand me to one of your guys. Keep me on the line if you need me. This is not from our side." Ko said quickly as she walked over and handed the phone to Choi, "Ko wants to stay on."

"Suki! Jae! It's so good to see you both again. How are things going?" She smiled, walking over to meet the group as the Creative Director joined them again.

"I'm surprised to see you. I didn't realize you were going to be in town." Suki smiled, interested to see where this was going now. If Ko was being truthful, then this was on Vogue's end, and Anna's presence made that more plausible.

"Well, I like to visit our LA offices from time to time, and knowing this shoot was scheduled, I made it a point to be here." Anna turned and looked at the Director, "How are things going?"

"Um, good. Yeah, we have Suki ready, and we're discussing Jae's involvement today."

"Oh! Have you agreed then?" Anna smiled at both the girls as Ami tried to remain calm. Freaking out on Anna Wintour wasn't going to be a viable option in any timeline. She had to remember that it was all business.

Her team watched her smile but could tell she wasn't amused. "Anna. There seems to be a miscommunication..."

"Come. Let's talk. We can figure this out." Anna reached out and ushered her to a quiet spot away from the group. Strength in numbers was real, and breaking a person away from their group was the fastest way to get what she wanted.

"Hat," Pak called out seriously to her as she walked across the room.

"I patched Su in. They are both on," Choi said as he returned the phone.

"Hey Su, Director Ko. So this isn't us, right? Anna is here and now trying to get her to crack. They called her down the moment they got pushback from our side, so they were ready." Pak and Su could hear Ko smirk through the phone, "She won't crack, and no, this is not us. I told them it was only her."

"You know she has trust issues with you now after scheduling this without talking to her. The timing isn't great. We have enough things we are trying to keep at a manageable level. She needs to feel she has the 110% backing of her company so she can stand up to curve balls like this. She's strong, but it takes a toll." Su said as the group watched Anna and Ami talk.

Ko sighed, "Yeah, I get that. When she gets back to Korea we can sit down and have a long talk. But, from a business standpoint, we need her to do this shoot. Everything is in motion for her next album to come out, and this magazine is a huge part of the launch. Now, Vogue shouldn't be pushing this issue, but they are, and I get it. From a business standpoint, I get it. They must really want this story if Anna made herself available like this." Her team watched Pak sigh as he kept his eyes on Ami across the room. He reached over with his free hand and gently pulled Jae a little closer to him.

Su was with the guys as they were finishing up their third interview of the morning. He knew no one was going to sacrifice Jae like that to the masses, there needed to be another solution.

The boys stood up to take a break before their next interview. They wandered over to see Su having a very serious conversation. Namjoon gave him the, 'What's going on?' look as they heard him say, "Hold on, I need to fill the guys in."

"What's happening?" Tae frowned as Su motioned them closer, and everyone gathered around. "I have Pak and Ko on the phone. Anna Wintour is there right now, trying to convince her to let Jae do the shoot with her. This wasn't planned on our end." Su watched all their faces instantly harden.

"Nope," Hobi said immediately. "Let's go. Now. That's now how this is going to happen."

"God damn it," Jin growled.

"Tell them we are on our way." Jungkook and the others started gathering their stuff. Su pointed at the security he had brought with them, indicating they were getting ready to go. "Pak, send me your location. The guys aren't going to let this happen. Director, these last interviews need to be rescheduled."

"I'll take care of it." They could hear Ko starting to yell at his secretary to make some calls.

Su looked down at the address Pak sent him, "We're not too far. Don't let them know we are coming. You can tell Ami, but let's leave Vogue out of the loop if that's how they want to play."

***

"Suki. I hope you understand what a fantastic opportunity this is for you and Jae." Anna said with the same level of calm and control Ami gave back.

"Oh, I do. I appreciate the opportunity, but I know you've seen the media the last few days. I signed up for that level of fire, but my friends have not. So I'm sure you understand my position right now."

Anna listened. She had seen the media but knew it was the perfect time for a shoot like this. They could piggyback on the frenzy. People were dying for information, and they would eat this up. There wasn't more she could want; it was set up perfectly.

"I understand that, but I think you need to think of the bigger picture here. The more exposure you get, the more people will want to look into you. Who are you? Why is there this heightened interest? So they look you up and listen to your music. More listeners, more fans, it grows from there. It's a win-win." They watched her shift, put her hands behind her back, and squeeze them into fists before relaxing them again.

"Ug." Jae signed and turned to Pak. "What if I do it? People know who I am already. It's not like I'm at Wendy's level of hiding."

"It's the principle at this point. They were told it was only her and are trying to backdoor you in. You know that doesn't fly regardless of who it is." Pak said quietly. "If this were always the plan, that would be fine, but it wasn't. You even said in the car you were glad it was her, not you. Not this time. The guys are on their way. When they heard this was happening they dropped everything. They aren't happy." He whispered.

"Anna. I'm aware you don't know what goes on behind the scenes on my end. I also understand your viewpoint, but I'm uncomfortable shooting with Jae. So, we can do the shoot with me, or if this doesn't fit your vision, we can cancel it before we waste more time and money. You're call."

"You would walk away from this?" Anna looked surprised.

"If it's not in the mutual best interest, then yes."

The two stood there, stoic and unflinching. Rarely did Anna work with someone who wouldn't end up budging at least a little. She respected that, but it still annoyed her not to get what she wanted. As much as she would rather pull the shoot to prove a point, it was a stupid move with all the press around her right now. Either way, the issue would sell out, and that was ultimately the goal.

Anna conceded with a little smile but wasn't happy. "Suki. Why don't you go get ready. We're happy to do with shoot with you. But think about it while the day goes on. We have everything ready for Jae. Even at the end of the day, we could do a few shots. Nothing major, just for fun." As she turned, Anna slipped in the last part, and they started walking back to the group.

Anna gave a look at hair and makeup, and they jumped back into action, escorting Suki back to a little room to get ready. "Baby, stay with the guys. Quon, come with me." Pak and Quon followed Ami to fill her in.

***

The caravan of boys and their team whipped through LA, making their way to the head offices downtown. Namjoon had Ko on speakerphone as they made their way.

"Explain to me how this is happening?" He was not happy. No one was.

"Namjoon, Vogue knew it was only her, they're playing the game. They want all three of them for the sake of sales. We know this. It's nothing new, but..."

"You should never have pushed and agreed to this in the first place! You're the one who put her in this position. Don't you understand the pressure she feels already with trying to fly below the radar?! She keeps her friends insanely close, and very few know the real her! Even her best friends don't know everything, and you want to push her to publicly expose them to the world?! Are you insane?" Everyone in the van was quiet as they let him rant.

"Namjoon. I'm not pushing the issue!" Ko started to get frustrated. "From a business standpoint, I've been VERY flexible in regards to how she does things. Part of that is because of you seven, but part of it is because of her! We've let her manage and have a say in her career in ways we never let other new artists have! Yes, I pushed the issue originally, but it was on the table in New York. She said she would think about it." Ko took a breath and spoke a little calmer. "Vogue is a huge opportunity for her at this stage of her career, you understand that. Of course they want her friends involved, like you said, there is very little leaked about that part of her life. You seven have decided to take that on by announcing to the world you all are friends. Don't you think that's all people are going to want to talk about now??

"Oh, we're aware. We did interviews all morning, and the topic of our friendship was 70% of the interview, but we knew how to handle it. We aren't denying that any longer, but we won't let Jae or anyone else be forced to jump in that pool." Joon rubbed his forehead as they heard Ko sigh.

"You know people pull this shit all the time. It's nothing new in this business. Just because it's her doesn't mean you can go in there guns blazing, you don't think that won't put more of a spotlight on you? This isn't some little podunk company. This is Vogue, and they'll run with whatever they think they can get away with. Namjoon, her career needs this right now. It's huge for her, and yes, I know you've told me she could walk away and not care about music, but I think she cares a little, don't you? Do you think she would put up with any of this if she didn't care a little?"

There was silence on both ends for a time as everyone took a breath.

"Look. I don't know what she is to you, Namjoon. It's more than friends, though. I'm not stupid." Everyone, including Su, glanced back at him. "But I also know you can't run in there like a jealous boyfriend because Vogue will run with that. The general feeling is fans are happy you all have finally shared the BTS and Suki connection. Let's not feed them too much too fast."

"Director, I don't ever plan on feeding our fans anything about my personal life, whether it was her or anyone else. None of us will ever do that." Joon put his head back on the seat and looked at the ceiling of the car.

Ko felt like he had talked him down off the ledge, "OK. So don't give them more to run with. Drop in. Schooze. You were in the area and wanted to say hi and watch the fun, but take a breath. This isn't that little company in New York that was trying to make trouble that we can push around with a phone call. This is Vogue."

 

Back at the photoshoot.

"So. First things first, the guys are on their way," Pak said quietly in Korean as they were getting ready for the interview.

"What? Why?" She looked between Pak and Quon.

"Because of what they tried to pull. They aren't happy."

"They don't think I can manage? I told her it was me or no shoot at all, and she agreed on me."

"Trust issues. You know them." Pak winked. "I think they want to make sure everything stays on track—no more hiccups."

"You don't think Anna won't love having them here more?"

"I think that might be the point." Quon handed her a candy, "Eat that."

Quon and Pak stayed and watched the interview. Vogue asked all the questions she was expecting and a couple of extra at the end she was but wasn't. Of course, they were going to ask about BTS; how could they not after the last few days of the media frenzy? Pak and Quon listened to her answer questions unphased and with humor. She found humor always seemed to keep tensions down and quickly transition to the next topic. As soon as the interview was over, they escorted her to hair and make-up.

It wasn't too much longer before Pak got a text from Su. "Gavin!" He waved him over. "What can I do for you?"

"Hey, some friends showed up and are out front. Can you run out and show them where we are?"

Gavin looked confused, "Um, typically, this is a closed set..."

"You'll want to let them back, promise." Pak smiled.

"Um. Ok." A confused Gavin headed out to see who had arrived and hopefully not get reamed out by Anna. It wasn't long before they saw Anna's assistant take a call and whisper something quickly in her ear. "What?" she said, standing and turning towards the door, as Gavin now was escorting a smiling BTS into the room. Jae felt a wave of relief seeing the guys walk in; it felt like the cavalry had arrived.

"Ms. Wintour, BTS is here." Gavin tried to keep his composure but failed completely because he was so excited. He was a huge fan.

"Gentlemen!" She grinned, "What are you doing here!" She walked over to greet them as Su peeled off to talk to Pak. This was the boys' arena, and they knew how to play the game well.

"We finished our day early and thought we would come cheer on our friend for her first major shoot. I hope that's okay. We can sit in the corner." Namjoon smiled, as they could tell Anna was more than thrilled to have them there. "Nonsense! You're welcome anytime! She's getting dressed, and we are about ready to start. Come, let me show you what we have planned."

"You guys got here fast." Jae let out a sigh as Su joined them.

"Well. They were motivated." Su winked. "Jae, why don't you and Choi go let her know we're here." The two headed over to the dressing area as Su and Pak spoke amongst themselves.

"How pissed are they?" Pak whispered.

"They've calmed down some. They'll be good. Namjoon and Ko had a much-needed conversation on the way here. Ko knows there is something between him and her, FYI." Pak shot a surprised look at Su. "Well, I should say he strongly suspects Namjoon didn't deny it."

"Is that going to be a problem?" Pak frowned.

"No, I don't think so. How are things here?"

Pak sighed, "Well, besides them trying to convince Jae to jump in at the last moment, it seems like a normal shoot."

"Good. Let's hope it stays that way."

***

Choi stood outside the door as Jae watched her friend finish getting ready. "You look really good," she beamed as they put the final touch on her first look. Then, two stylists walked out, leaving them alone to talk.

"Thanks. How are you feeling about all this? Do you feel like I'm pushing you out of an opportunity?" Ami had been worried that her friend might be changing her mind about being in the shoot. Jae walked over and hugged her, "No. Not this time. Really. Now, come on, everyone is waiting for you to come out and be a Vogue cover girl. Are you ready? Do you have all your hats on?" Jae grinned. Ami took a deep breath as she slipped her new Dior sunglasses on and nodded. Jae took her arm as they started walking. "Oh, and the boys are here dripping in their swagger. I can't wait to soak it all in."

"Fuck." Jimin muttered as they all looked over as a stunningly dressed Ami walked over smiling at the group. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, you know. We were in the area and thought we would pop by." Jin wanted to swoon at his wife but held it together.

"So you're here to cause trouble," she teased as she glanced at Su. He was deep in conversation with Pak.

"They're no trouble at all. Ready to get started?" Anna smiled as the photographer took her over to the set. Yoongi walked over with her while the guys stood back out of the way so as not to be a distraction. "Hey, we aren't here to stress you out. Do you want us to leave?"

"No. Please stay. Thanks for coming." She couldn't look him in the eyes because she didn't think she could keep her face from giving it all away, sunglasses or not.

"OK. We'll be in the corner. Have fun, remember, it's all fun. Oh, and you look fucking amazing." Yoongi said quietly for only her to hear before he turned and wandered back to the group.

"Hey Jae, how are you doing?" Namjoon smiled as Anna's staff brought over seats for everyone. He sat next to her, and Jin sat on her other side.

"I'm surprised to see you guys. Glad to see you, but surprised." Jin leaned over towards her, "Jae. We told you in London we won't stand behind the door anymore and let someone mess with you two. We mean it. It's not an option."

Jae's eyes got big, and her jaw dropped as they heard the photographer take over and start the shoot.

 

The shoot went flawlessly. Hobi and Jimin pulled Jae off to the side, where they had a better view, and talked quietly about the clothes and process. The guys had been through hundreds of these, but it was the first one Jae had seen or been a part of. She loved talking to them about fashion. Their depth of knowledge about all this was impressive. She soaked it up.

Ami was nervous at first, but the photographer had a great way of getting her to relax and enjoy the process. She didn't realize how relieved she would feel after the guys came. She could let go of thinking about how to keep Anna from sneaking Jae into the project and what trap door was next. It's what she needed.

"Pak, how was the interview?" Tae asked quietly as he and Kook stood with him.

"The interview was fine. The questions were as you would expect, and she handled them all great. She gave them enough to run with but nothing that would cause issues down the road." Pak looked at his watch. "We should be getting done soon, then we're heading back to the hotel. I'm sure there will be much to discuss once we talk more freely." He looked over as Jae had taken a few steps away from Hobi and Jimin to take a call.

After a couple of minutes, she rejoined them. "Who was that?" Jimin whispered.

"Dior. They want her to stop by the store on Rodeo Drive sometime this week. They have something for her." She looked at them both with shock and excitement.

"Why?" Hobi smiled as she shrugged. I don't know. I told them I would call with a day and time. They're closing down the store for her. Did you guys do this?" She looked between them as they both shook their heads. "It's not us. Promise." Hobi added quickly.

"Dior wants her." Jimin grinned. He looked over to see Kook walking over and up behind Jae, then leaned down in her ear. "Your Kai needs you." Jae sucked in a breath as Jungkook whispered in her ear. Her arms broke out in goosebumps as she turned around and stared at him, eyes huge. "You need to rein that shit in. Save that for her and your legions of fans. I'm not available for melting into the floor."

Kook tried not to laugh. "Sorry. I wasn't trying to mess with you. Truly. Kai has a question." He took a step back and pointed over to where he was. Pak motioned her over with his head. "Sorry, Jae," he said again as she did a little shake on her way back to Pak, Tae, and the rest of the guys.

Kook looked at Hobi and Jimin, who were now staring at him. "Dude, Ami WILL kill you..." He put his hands up in defense."Honestly. I was trying to be quiet. I didn't mean for it to come out that way." He looked over to Pak and mouthed 'Sorry' and then did a quick bow.

"So many questions," Pak smirked as Jae got to him. "Why is Kook mouthing apologies to me?"

"We can talk about that later." She was trying not to laugh and keep it together, knowing they would never do anything like that on purpose. She was surprised though it got the reaction it did out of her, damn Kook.

"Ok. Who was that call then?" Pak gently touched her hip for a moment.

"OH. We need to make plans for this week." She grinned.

 

The shoot was almost over, and Namjoon walked over and sat down next to Anna. She was watching the pictures posted on the screens as they were taken.

"How do they look?"

"Fantastic. I wouldn't expect less." Anna repositioned in her seat a little so she faced him, crossing her legs and leaning back. Namjoon, we've known each other for a few years, so tell me, why is there pushback on Jae? Wendy, I understand. She's not part of her team, but Jae is. She's not necessarily a secret."

"The timing isn't right."

"I beg to differ. People want to know about her and her life. The timing is perfect for a story like that. Maybe she doesn't want to share the spotlight." Anna was trying to figure out why someone wouldn't jump at something like this. It seemed like it would be a slam dunk.

Namjoon shook his head, "That's not her, and to assume differently is ignorant. She's not going to throw her friends under the bus for more followers. She would do anything for them and would enjoy doing something like this, knowing they would love this experience. But the timing isn't right. It's not only Suki saying no to Jae being a part of this." He pointed back to the entire group off to the side as Anna glanced over his shoulder. "It's absolutely everyone over there, including myself, saying no. Not this time."

Anna looked a little shocked, "Oh."

"That's why we are here. We understand your desire to push this issue, but it's not the right time, Anna." Namjoon's voice was calm and unwavering. She instantly understood that it wasn't Suki she would have to convince, but now all of BTS and their teams. They came for this reason, not to observe the shoot but to make sure she didn't talk Jae into it.

"Ok." Anna smiled, getting comfortable in her seat again, "But, when the time comes, we want the cover. We want that exclusive."

Namjoon finally smiled back. "Don't push the Jae and Wendy issue anymore. If you do, we won't ever let that shoot happen."

"YOU won't let her? Do you speak for her?" She was taken aback. In her years of knowing him, she had never had this kind of conversation with him.

"No," he said unphased, "But we stand with her and her friends because they are our friends. That shoot will need to benefit both sides for it to be agreed to."

Anna smiled, "I like this side of you, Namjoon. I don't like I'm not getting what I want right now, but I get it. Fine. Vogue will back off of Jae and Wendy, but I want something in return. Before you leave today, let's do a photo together—BTS, Suki, and myself."

"Will it go in the magazine?" he thought for a moment as he looked over at Ami. They were about done.

"No. Social media only." She said.

Namjoon took a moment so it looked like he was considering it. They had talked about options on the car ride over, and Ko told them if they needed to play the BTS card to play it. BTS as a group was a currency, and as much as the guys hated it, it also provided them with their lifestyle. Any photo now of them and her together would be ravaged, and they knew it. Vogue knew it. They also knew a picture of Anna Wintour standing with them all would solidify them to the public. It wasn't a stunt. Their friendship was the real deal.

"Ok. If Suki agrees, we will do that. But you can't post the photo until next week. That gives us time to get home before that frenzy happens."

"Agreed." Anna grinned. A win was a win, even if it wasn't exactly what she started out wanting. They shook hands, and Namjoon got up and walked over to fill the guys in.

Soon, the shoot was over, and Ami was getting changed. "That was amazing. You looked so good." Jae swooned as she helped gather her things.

"Thanks. It was fun, but I'm glad it's over. I'm ready for lunch!" She let out a big sigh, feeling good about being back in her clothes.

"Knock knock." They heard Su call out before Jae opened the door to see Su and Pak standing there. "Hey, come on in. I'm almost done." Ami said as she started to slip her shoes on.

"Have you told her yet?" Pak smiled as Jae shook her head no.

"Tell me what?" She stopped, standing there with one shoe on and the other in her hand.

Su walked over and offered his arm so she could steady herself as she slipped on her other shoe. "Couple of things. First of all, you did a great job. Second, Namjoon had a serious talk with Anna, and she has agreed to back off the Jae and Wendy cover campaign."

"Really?"

"Yup, and to keep the waters calm and everyone happy because there is a balance, BTS has agreed to take a picture with you and Anna for their social media. They won't post it until next week after we're gone." They all watched Ami stop and think for a moment before nodding, "OK. That's something we've done before. Why not post until next week?"

"It's a strong win for Vogue to post a picture of you all together after the news dropped a few days ago. They're the first to get THAT shot, and there's a race out there to get it." Pak reached over and held the back of Jae's shirt. "So, they'll get that picture and back off Jae and Wendy until YOU are ready to do it. That's the agreement."

"AND! Dior wants you to stop by the store sometime this week! They called while you were being glamourous and said to let them know when you want to come. They're shutting the store down for you!"

"What? Really?" Ami looked shocked. She wasn't expecting that.

"Yes, well, the boys seem to think they have something for you." Su smiled as he draped her coat over his arm, "but we can talk about that back at the hotel. If you're ready, let's take this picture and get out of here." Ami slipped her sunglasses on and walked out with Jae by her side. Su and Pak followed behind, both glad this morning was about over.

"Suki. Wonderful job. Thank you for coming today." Anna watched Jae peel off with Pak and Su to stand off to the side while Suki joined Anna and BTS.

"Thank you for having me. Hopefully, these gate crashers didn't cause too much trouble." She grinned as all her boys smiled back at her. "I hear we are doing a picture?"

"Yes!" Anna clapped her hands, and her staff flew into action. "I know you are all busy. Let's get this done so we can get you out the door." Anna stood next to Suki while BTS took their position on the two women. Hobi was standing behind Ami. He gently rested his hand on her lower back and felt her lean slightly into him. The photographer took a quick series of photos before Anna turned and smiled at the group.

"Gentlemen, it's always good to see you. Suki, thank you. Amazing job today. I see great things for you. Let's do this again soon." And with that, Anna's assistants were both instantly next to her as she said her goodbyes. "Ms. Wintour, I have Christian holding for you," one of the assistants said. "Enjoy your week in LA, if you would excuse me." The eight watched Anna walk out with her assistants in tow.

"Wow." Ami finally let out a large sigh as she turned to look at her boys. They smiled sweetly at her for a moment before pulling themselves together.

"Ok. Let's go." Namjoon looked over towards Su and gave him a nod. Gavin watched the crew gather for a moment as Su helped Suki with her jacket. Jae brought a bag with her, and Choi took it from her to carry to the car. Within a minute, they were all heading down the corridor together. Jimin and Tae, with Gavin in the lead, while Namjoon, Suki, and Yoongi were next. Behind them were Jungkook, Jae, Hobi, and Jin. Su, Pak, Choi, Quon, and Byun brought up the rear. They were quite the sight walking through the halls of the Vogue building.

They all stopped at the doors as Su and his crew walked around them and out to meet their cars. "Thank you for all your assistance today. It was great to meet you." Suki smiled at Gavin as he had his last fan-boy moments with Suki and BTS.

"Pleasure was all mine." He grinned. "Oh, and great job today."

"Thank you." She said again as Pak opened the door and nodded at the guys. Yoongi put his hand on her back for a moment as they all walked out, down the stairs, and into the awaiting cars.

Gavin watched them drive away when one of Anna's assistants walked up to him. "She wants to see you." Gavin looked surprised as he followed the assistant up the elevator to a large office. Anna was standing looking out the windows.

"Gavin. Which one do you think it is?" Anna asked without looking over at him.

"Which one who?" He looked over his shoulder as the assistant closed the door and stood against the wall.

"Of BTS. Which one do you think is with her." She turned and looked at him as he looked surprised at the question. "Oh, come on, Gavin. Those boys all but ran over here as soon as we pushed for Jae to be involved. So, which one do you think is with Jae? I know you are a major fan of all of them. Why do you think I chose you to help today?"

"Um, actually, I think I've read Jae is with one of the security guys. That's what has been reported anyway." Gavin looked over at the assistant, who quickly glanced at him and then back at her phone, looking at emails.

Anna stared back out the window, "OK. So, if it's not Jae, then someone must be with Suki."

"Ms. Wintour," Gavin paused. I think they are just friends. I mean, there are always rumors, but up until a few days ago, they wouldn't even admit they were friend-friends. This photo you all took together is going to be huge."

She turned again and looked at him, "So, you didn't notice or see anything that would have given them away today? No one stole a glance or did anything out of the normal after I left?"

Gavin thought back. He saw Hobi touch her back when they did the photos, but when they left, she was walking with Namjoon and Yoongi. He should tell her about Hobi but was also a true fan of them all. Anna wanted this information for her gain, and honestly, it could have been nothing. He shook his head, "No. I didn't see anything. Sorry, Ms. Wintour."

 

Chapter 5

"I'm going to change, then I'll be over," Jae said as Pak swiped the keycard for her and opened the door. "Choi. Quon. Stay with her until we come over, please, or the guys get back." Pak nodded over to the guys' room.

"They aren't right behind us?" Ami asked as Quon swiped the keycard.

"They stopped to pick up food. Come on." Choi smiled as he held the door open for her and everyone went into their suites, shutting the doors behind them.

"OH. My. God! It feels sooo good to be done with that!" Ami dropped her stuff on the table and went to grab some water. "Do you guys need anything?"

"No, we're good. We're going to order some food in a bit. Minus them trying to suck Jae in, it seemed to go pretty well." Quon walked over and stood with her in the kitchen as Choi did a quick look throughout the suite. Nothing seemed out of place.

"Yeah, I think so." Ami took a long drink of water as Choi came back out and joined them. "All clear?"

"Oh yes." He grinned, "Housekeeping took care of the killer dust bunnies."

"I would hope so at the prices I'm sure they are paying a night. I'm going to change. How far out do you think the guys are?"

"Um, maybe 5-10 minutes. Su had the food ordered before we left, and the place was on the route home. They won't be long." Quon sat back in a chair as they watched her head to her room and close the door.

Not five minutes later, Pak and Jae walked in with the boys and Su. They were carrying armfuls of bags from In and Out Burger. "She's changing." Choi pointed to the door as both he and Quon got up to leave.

"Where are you going? Sit. I'm hungry, you have to be too." Jungkook smiled as he handed them both bags of food. "Really? Thanks." Quon grinned as they helped them unload everything onto the counter. Hobi set his bags down, walked to her bedroom, knocked on the door, and then slipped in.

"We're going to all talk about the morning, and then the rest of the day is off. The guys canceled their afternoon stuff, and the girls are done for the day. They want you two to stay for the chat before everyone settles in." Su said to both of them as they unloaded the bags.

"Yeah, sure. No problem." Choi nodded. "Everything ok?"

"I think so. The guys wanted you both to be here. I think they have something to ask."

***

Ami had changed and was scrubbing the makeup off her face. "Hey Hobi. I thought I heard you guys come in." She smiled as he ran his hands around her sides and held her. He kissed her neck sweetly as she leaned into him.

"Hey, Love. You did a great job today. We're sorry they pushed like they did."

Ami turned around and draped her arms around his neck, staring into his eyes. "It's ok. She wasn't going to get what she wanted, not today. I'm really glad you guys came. It felt good to have you there. I didn't have to worry as much."

He kissed her lips sweetly, "Do you know how amazing it feels not to have to hide with you in public?"

"I do." She smiled as he kissed her nose.

"Come on, we have food. We need to eat, and we're all going to talk. Then we have the rest of the day together. We canceled the rest of today."

"Really? Wanna nap with me?" Ami watched his eyes sparkle, "Oh hell ya. I'm sure I'm not the only one. Come on, Lovie."

Ami and Hobi walked out to join the rest of them as they heard Jae exclaim, "OH MY GOD. What are these burgers!" She took another bite of a huge In and Out burger as Namjoon brought one over for Ami and Hobi.

"Hi, Dove." He kissed her cheek, "Eat something. It's been a morning for everyone."

"Thanks, Joonie." She smiled as she took her food and sat down next to Jae.

"Ami. I swear. I don't know what magic is in these burgers, but I need them in my life!"

"You're going to make yourself sick." Ami laughed as she joined her. Su and Pak watched her sit back, take a bite, and let out a long sigh. Yoongi reached over and rubbed his thumb over her leg as she leaned over on him. Everyone was famished as they ate and talked a little before they got into the stress of the day.

"So, just so everyone is on the same page, the rest of the day is free. We have a private bungalow on the pool deck, so that's an option, but unless something comes up, I think we're good here." Su watched everyone nod in approval. "All we have left this week is Gaga tomorrow for the girls and the Gala in a couple of days for the boys unless you want to go."

Ami shook her head no, "I'm fine not going. Honestly."

"It might be fun to go together. If you change your mind, we can make it work." Jimin ran his fingers through her hair as she looked up at him and scrunched her face before taking another bite.

"I heard Dior wants you to swing by this week. What do you think that's about?" Tae shoved some fries in his mouth as everyone looked over at her.

"Oh god, I don't know. When are we going to do that?" She looked over to Pak and Su.

"Let's talk about that later. There's time. They are on our schedule for that, not the other way around. If it doesn't work, they can come to you." Pak smiled, giving her a little relief from feeling any extra pressure.

"Yeah, that sounds good." They talked a little more before everyone started to finish up. Jin, Tae, and Hobi stood up to gather the burger wrappers from people as Namjoon started the conversation.

"So, I spoke to Ko on the way to you today. He was very adamant that this was all on Vogue's end. How do you feel about it? What do you think?" He sat back in his seat as they looked at Ami and Jae.

Ami curled her legs up under her and leaned into Yoongi as he put his arm around her. "I get the same feeling. Why else would Anna be there today? They had a plan in place if we said no. I had half a mind to walk and leave them with nothing, but Ko said it was wrapped into the new album release."

"We would have supported you if you walked," Jungkook said calmly.

"I know." She sighed, "But I have to pick my battles."

"No, you don't. You shouldn't have to pick your battles. If people are trying to jack you around, you should feel ok walking." Yoongi petted her hair sweetly and then kissed her forehead.

"I do. You guys don't have to, but I still do. People NEED you guys to put them on the map. They don't NEED me the same way. Suki's longevity isn't the same as BTS's, so I need to still play the game. You did Vogue a huge favor by agreeing to take that picture today."

"Today was a huge win for them. A picture with all of you together is massive right now. I'm not sure you guys realize that." Su looked at the group. "The fact you gave them that for a verbal agreement from Anna to back off Jae and Wendy was a solid move."

"I don't have any interest in their offer, by the way." Jae finally added to the conversation. "Don't get me wrong, how amazing would that be, but not that way. I don't need that." Pak pulled Jae into him as she sighed.

"You would have to come to me and tell me you wanted to do it for that to happen," Ami said firmly. "Today's shoot was 100% work-related. They aren't doing this out of the kindness of their hearts or doing me a favor. Even if we wanted to do a shoot like that, Vogue would not be my first choice anymore."

"On top of Jae wanting to, we would all have to agree to that shoot." Jin pointed at the entire room, "All of us. That includes Choi and Quon." He looked over at them as the rest of them did.

"Us? Why?" Choi and Quon both looked surprised.

"Because you guys are the only ones here not emotionally compromised. You understand the dynamic," Jin said as the rest of the boys smiled. "Ami would agree if Jae changed her mind. We know Ami might be able to talk us into anything given her special skillset, and Pak would do whatever is needed to make Jae happy. That means giving in."

"Hey!" Pak laughed as Ami and Jae grinned.

"Su, well...Su could put his foot down, but he and Ami are thick as thieves, so we have to assume there is a 1% margin of error there," Su smirked as Jin kept going. "So, you two are our fail-safe. In this instance or anything that comes up in the future, if either of you gets the 'ick' about something any of us are doing, you need to speak up. You're outside our 'bubble' but close enough to see things we may have emotional blinders on to. So what do you think? Can you guys help us with that if it becomes an issue?"

The group looked at the two guys, who sat there with their mouths open for a moment before closing them.

"So you're saying we could put the kibosh on an entire plan if we don't like it?" Quon asked as he looked over at Su and Pak.

"They're asking you to speak up if something seems off so we can take a step back and reevaluate. Jin isn't wrong. One percent is one percent." Su looked at Ami with a smile. "Back-up plans and all."

"It's another layer of protection," Jimin added. "Su and Pak do that a lot for us already, but we want to make sure they have a net. You are the net."

"We can't ask anyone else. Byun knows we're all good friends but he doesn't know this side." Hobi pointed at Ami and her boys. "He's great and solid, but this is as far as we want that level of information to go within our organization."

"Ko admitted to me that he thinks Ami and I have something between us, and I didn't exactly discount him." Namjoon looked over at her as her eyes got big. "He does? He finally said that out loud?"

"Yup, and that's okay. Joon was always going to be that person to the public if we had anything to say about it." Yoongi had his arm around her and rubbed her shoulder with his thumb. "He reinforced to him that we would never share our private lives with the public, and we won't."

Tae looked back at Choi and Quon, "So what do you think? Is that something you feel comfortable doing? We know you are technically for the girls, but we think you get us all well enough to toss a flag if you see or feel something isn't right."

The group looked at the two men, who now understood what they were asking. They were the closest to the group when understanding the entire dynamic. They needed more than just muscle; they needed people who bought into them completely. This request was coming from the guys, not Ami, Pak, or Su.

"Yeah, absolutely." Choi smiled, and Quon agreed. Namjoon stood up, and the rest of the boys followed, walking over to thank them.

"Good," Pak mumbled quietly. The group spoke for a few more minutes before Choi and Quon said their goodbyes and headed back to their room.  Su got up, walked over to Ami, and quietly said, "Let's go talk outside." Yoongi helped push her up, and they headed out to the balcony. "Pak." Su glanced over at him as he gave Jae a quick kiss. "Be right back, stay here, please." Pak caught a glance with Jimin and Jungkook, they both took his queue and started to talk to her about the fashion from the day.

Su watched Pak close the door before he turned to her. "I want to talk to you first out here without the hoard because sometimes it's too many cooks in the kitchen."

"OK?" She said as they all took seats on the patio.

"Today was the first major public event in a while, and although it ended fine enough, it wasn't without stress. We need to know how you are feeling in here." Su pointed to his head as she sighed and sat back.

"You don't want Jae here for this talk?"

"We'll talk to her," Pak smiled. We know you well enough to know you'll put up a front for any of them. We need to know how today went for you so we know if we need to change anything. This is between us, by the way."

"You aren't going to run and tell them? I know my status is free for sharing." She smirked.

"No. You can tell them, but otherwise, this is strictly between us. Seriously." Su poked her knee as she relented a little.

"Ok. Um. Today was unexpected, but I didn't feel bulldozed. I knew you were there for us." She looked at Pak. "But all the pressure dropped off when the guys came. It was the BTS clout that only they could bring. Does that make sense?"

"It does." Su and Pak smiled.

She paused, and they let her think. "I know I could have walked. I know you would have pulled me if you felt you needed to. No one could force me to do the shoot, but..." She paused again.

"You kind of like your job." Su smiled as she nodded.

"I do." She said with a groan. "I like making music. I like meeting people and doing things I would never be given the opportunity to do. I wouldn't do it without them or any of you honestly. I know sometimes the game has to be played."

"Ok. That's good. Ko and the guys know that this means a lot to you. Why else would you put up with any of this?"

"So what are you guys worried about? I don't understand?" She looked between them.

Pak sighed, "We know you and Jae have a different mental load you manage. You more than Jae. Choi and Quon felt you were your solid self, the same Ami they expected. It wasn't until you got back here we saw you let go and relax we could tell how much you were keeping it together."

"I don't think I was a mess or anything." She frowned.

"No, you weren't a mess. You said you felt better when the guys got there, so maybe that's what we need to have happen for a while. One or more of them come with you to make sure people stay in their lane for events like today anyway."

Ami's jaw dropped, "You don't think that won't be a scandal? The news will never die down if we are ALWAYS together in public now."

"It doesn't matter." Su shook his head. "The word is out. That's not going to change, and they aren't willing to let people try and take advantage of you like that anymore. They packed up as soon as I told them today, and we left."

Ami sat up a little bit in her seat, "You said the picture we took today was a huge deal. Now you are saying if they're roaming around with me, it won't be a problem?"

"I'm saying. We want to help carry whatever load we can. I know the boys want that, too. What they pulled today was over the top. If Vogue is willing to do that, then others will as well. They're going to pull it with you, not them." Su pointed back towards the suite. "So, if it's going to make some things run smoothly until you return to ultimate fighting form, we need to consider it. It's an option. There are always options."

Ami smirked, "Ultimate fighting form?"

Su leaned back a little, "Well, you know."

"So. Question. Why is this between us? I'm not divulging anything shocking. Why now?"

Su looked over for Pak to take the lead. "Jae has mentioned to me, more than a few times, how she thinks it's "total crap" Su and I report back to them about everything." Ami smiled a little. "She thinks that, professionally, we need boundaries unless something is a true problem. Sooo, we talked to the guys, and everyone has agreed that even though they love you fiercely and are uber obsessed with you...and Su's your dad... and I'M your best friend beside Jae AND Choi, and Quon's job is to literally protect you." Ami started laughing. "That MAYBE we can keep professional things professional and personal things personal."

The two watched her giggle.

"No one likes it, by the way." Pak added as he leaned back and crossed his arms, "But everyone understands if you need a little more of that."

She knew exactly what they were talking about. She and Jae had spoken about it numerous times. "Ok. How about this. I'll let you know if I have something I prefer not to be put on the Daily Ami Report, you guys circulate. They wanted to fight you because we kept that whole Director Park thing from them." She waved her hand in the air. "We can't have that happen again."

Su smiled. "I think that's fair. So, we can let them know you're good? If there are any big things coming up, we may send the goon squad seven with you to keep people in line." He stood up and held out his hands. She took them, and he pulled her up.

"You aren't the goon squad?" she grinned.

"Oh, I am, but only when I need to be," he said calmly.

Pak smirked, "He's saving his goon-ness for bigger things."

Ami stopped at the door before they headed back inside and looked up at Su with a questionable look. He put his hands on her shoulders and sighed.

"Ami. Dear. I'm going to figure out who's fucking with you, Jae, and the guys. That's a promise. Even if they slink off into the void, I'll find them. Of all the things you worry about, don't worry about that. That's mine to take care of."

The guys were inside talking to Jae when they saw the trio standing outside the doors on the patio. Su was talking when they saw her hug him tightly. Su hugged her back as Pak looked in at the guys and gave them a subtle thumbs up and nod. They all smiled and went back to what they were doing before the trio walked back inside.

That evening Ami crawled into bed as Tae and Jungkook joined her, it was their night together. "Oh my god, what a day. A good day, but a day." She moaned as she felt Kook scoot up behind her. He kissed her neck as she relaxed into his arms. "I've wanted this all day."

Tae was stripping down and turning off the light. "Wife, you looked amazing today."

"Thanks, I'm really glad you guys came." She yawned as Tae joined them. Ami felt them intertwined around her until they were all settled in.

"Well, we weren't going to allow them to push you two around. I don't even want people to try," Kook said between kisses up and down her neck.

"It's all part of the game," she murmured before starting to doze off.

"No, honey. Game time is over." Tae's lips hovered over hers for a split second, then gently pressed into hers. Kook listened to them kiss for a moment before Tae slowly pulled off her lips.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"For what?" Kook said, nuzzled in her ear.

"For everything—for all of it—for everything you do for Jae and me, for Pak and Su, for whatever meeting you guys had today to help put me in the headspace and keep me grounded. I feel really good."

"Who said we had a meeting?" Tae smiled and kissed her face.

"Oh, you had a meeting," she said quietly. "And I'm glad you did."

"You feel good?" Kook tightened the hug he had her in.

"I do. I feel really good like a little of the fog has lifted, I've missed this feeling."

 

The next morning.

"AMI! WE NEED TO GO! GAGA IS WAITING FOR US!" Jae came bounding in the suite with Pak in tow.

"Good morning to you too, Jae. She's just finishing up." Jimin chuckled as he, Jin, and Yoongi looked up from the table. They watched her look around and mumble something. "Perfect." She grinned, then scampered to Ami's room, knocked, and let herself in.

"What was she doing?" Namjoon looked confused at Pak as he helped himself to some coffee.

"Counting you." He poured his coffee, turned around, and leaned against the counter. "If she can put eyes on seven of you here, then she has a lower chance of walking in on her and someone in there."

"Um, there should be a zero chance." Hobi chortled as he sipped his coffee. Pak grinned, "Christ, I would hope so. Anyway! Choi and Quon are on their way up, and we're meeting Byun and the rest in the parking garage. Gaga's house then home, fun times for all."

"How many guys are you taking with you?" Jin asked.

"Quon and I with the girls. Choi drives one car with a guy, and Byun drives another with a guy. Your standard six guys for two girls ratio. Gaga's place is solid. Su reached out to her team and they've been very helpful with answering his questions.. I mean it's Gaga, she's going to be pretty secure, but you know, trust issues." Pak then lowered his voice so the girls wouldn't hear, "Really, it's the travel portion we worry about. We don't want another experience like London to happen. I wouldn't be surprised if Su has some other undercover guys following us."

"Good," Said Yoongi as he stood up to get more coffee. It sounds like the only safer way is to helicopter in."

Pak took a sip, "Gaga doesn't have a helipad."

They all stopped and stared at him as Pak continued. "Oh, he looked into it. It was an option. It was Quon's idea. Are you guys sticking close today?"

"Wait. You looked into flying them in?" Tae said, surprised and grateful they would go that far in-depth into their planning.

Pak looked around the room and could tell how appreciative they were. He nodded, and before he knew it, Jungkook was walking over and giving him an unexpected bear hug.

***

Ami was finishing getting dressed as Jae was all but hovering in excitement.

"Are you sure we don't have to dress nicer? I mean, are jeans ok?"

"Jae. Wendy said not to make a big deal of it. She's super low-key. We can keep our ball gowns at home." Ami laughed as she put on some minimal jewelry.

"Fiiiiiine. Oh, I forgot to tell you. Your boyfriend made a pass at me yesterday at the shoot." She smirked as Ami paused, then turned slowly to lock eyes with her.

"I'm sorry. What?"

Jae had a full grin. "I was minding my business talking to Hobi and Jimin when Jungkook snuck up behind me and whispered in my ear."

She was standing there speechless, mouth open and squinting at Jae. Ami's memory was blasting back to the day before, literally everyone was there. Kook would never hit on Jae, let alone in front of Su, Pak, or the other guys, without being murdered.

Jae finally watched her friend break from her hard stare as she started to smirk. "Oh, did he? Pray tell, what did your bias wrecker whisper in your ear?" She went back to putting her necklace on.

"Ex-bias wrecker." She laughed. "No. Kia needed me. Stupid man with his deep whisper voice. I told him he needed to reign that shit in and keep it for you." Jae shook like she had done the day before as Ami started laughing.

"OH. I know that voice. You know who you don't want whispering in your ear is Yoongi. He makes me drop to my knees." She grinned as Jae threw up her hands and covered her ears. "AMI! I swear!"

Namjoon and Jin were sitting near the bedroom door and could hear the girls muffled laughter.

Ami finished getting ready then turned and leaned against the counter, "Kai doesn't do that for you? He should, it's a lot of fun."

"Listen." Jae tried to put up a strong front, she didn't give in that easily. "Kai does plenty. It still doesn't erase the fact that your Jungkook used his stupid BTS voice on me. That voice is for his fans and you." Both girls stood there smiling at each other.

"Ok." Ami said calmly, "Let's talk to him about his choices." She walked over to the bedroom door.

"Wait? Now? In front of everyone?" Jae was now starting to sound nervous. Namjoon and Jin heard the door open and turned to see Ami standing in the doorway. Her eyes quickly found Jungkook hugging a surprised Pak. Namjoon saw her lick her lips and say to sweetly, "Jeon Jungkook. A word."

Pak wasn't sure what happened, but he saw all the boys whip their heads around. He could feel Kook's body freeze a little, let him go and turn. "Babe?"

Ami said nothing but turned and walked back into the bedroom. Pak watched the boys all look back at Kook, now semi-amused, as he looked a little more nervous. He walked into the bedroom, and before the door shut, the group heard Ami call out, "Hoseok. Jimin." The two men got up, trotted in behind Kook, and shut the door.

All the guys started to chuckle. "What was that?" Pak asked slowly as they all got comfortable again in the chairs and couches.

"Kook's in trouble." Yoongi smiled, sipping his coffee.

Pak was super confused, "But not Hobi and Jimin?"

"Pak, I know you and Su worry about us being too much for her. Well, sometimes you should worry about the other way around." Namjoon smiled as Pak saw all the guys nod in agreement.

"Do I need to be in there?" Pak asked cautiously.

"No. Ami will take care of it."

***

"Babe?" Kook asked again as Jimin shut the door behind him. Hobi looked over at Jae, but she didn't look like she knew what was happening. Jimin and Hobi went to stand next to her.

Ami was slipping on her shoes as she looked up at Kook.

"Darling. Did you use your sexy voice on Jae? You know there is a rule." She said in a sweet tone that wasn't as sweet as it sounded.

His eyes got big. "OH. Fuck. Babe, I didn't mean to..." Ami cut him off and pointed to Jae. Kook immediately turned to her. "Jae. I am SO sorry if I made you uncomfortable. Honestly, we were all so pissed that Vogue was pulling shit with both of you...I didn't mean to. I'm so sorry."

Jae stood there shocked, trying to figure out what was happening. Hobi decided to help explain. "So, on that first day we met you, and you came over to the house, Ami made a rule that we weren't allowed to flirt with you. She was slamming you with a lot of information, and you were meeting us for the first time." They all looked at Ami as she nodded in agreement. "I think you understand that we only want her and her us. WE know you only want your Kai. Remember on that first morning after you stayed? We were talking in the kitchen, and Ami whacked Jimin in the head as she walked by?"

"That hurt, by the way." Jimin chuckled.

"It's the same thing. Jimin was crossing the line." Hobi grinned as they all looked back at Jungkook. "We take a lot of liberties, but we also have some hard lines. That's one of hers."

"You've seen them in action when they are working, and they can lay on the charm pretty thick. It's effective in getting a reaction out of people." Ami's tone was less domineering and more calm, they were all now having a real conversation.

Jimin added in a little softer tone, "We all know there has to be a balance in our relationship. A balance with us 8, then a balance with you, Pak and Su as our family, then Pak and Su in their work rolls. We never want our core relationship to bleed over and make any of you uncomfortable in that way. We know you won't take our shit. We also know your Kai will get in line and kick our ass behind her." Jimin pointed at Ami.

"I never really thought he was flirting with me." Jae looked between them all and then at Kook. "You took me by surprise, that's all. Look. I'm not going to lie. I'm not blind. When you guys are in work mode like you were in at Vogue." She paused as they all smiled. "NOT blind. Ami used to tell me it's fun to watch you guys flip over into that head space, and I would have to agree. If I'm being truthful, it's a really...safe...feeling to know you all have my back. I'm super comfortable with you guys without feeling like you are trying to expand your harem."

"It's not a harem." Ami grinned.

"The fuck it's not." Jae giggled. "I'm good, though."

Hobi and Jimin gave Jae a quick squeeze before heading back out to the living room. They left the door open as they joined the other group. Kook walked over to Jae one last time. "I am sorry. I'll try to be more mindful when we are in those situations in the future."

"Just don't whisper in my ear, we'll be good." She reached up and hugged him, and he gave her a huge hug back.

"Done." He felt relieved as he set her back down.

"Now, Gaga is waiting. Shall we go?" Ami walked over, grabbed Jae's arm, and they walked out, with Kook following behind.

"Everyone good?" Pak glanced between the two girls. They both looked happy.

"Yup! We're ready to go."

Chapter 6

The caravan rolled down the freeway towards Malibu on a perfectly blue California day. Once they were steadily on their way, Quon piped up. "I have a question."

"I have a LOT Of questions." Pak shook his head as he checked the traffic on his phone.

"Lots of questions, huh?" Ami smirked. They watched Pak turn and look back at both girls. "Yes. But now isn't the time. Quon?"

"So, you rarely take your sunglasses off in front of others. It's sort of your mystique." He continued.

"Correct." Ami grinned.

"Are you taking them off in front of Gaga?" He glanced at her through the rearview mirror. "I mean, I know you're still Suki outside your group, but you rarely take those off in front of others. Just curious."

"I was planning on taking them off when we got inside. It would be rude, I think, to hang out at her house just us three and keep them on. I don't think this warrants that level of secrecy."

"Does that feel weird?" Pak asked simply.

"It feels more normal, but maybe a little weird. I can hide a little more behind them, I guess. I don't think I need to hide in her kitchen, though."

"I get that. You two need a little more 'normal' in your daily lives." Pak turned back in his seat and focused again on his traffic app.

"This isn't normal?" Jae giggled.

"No." They heard both Quon and Pak reply in unison, making the girls laugh. Pak turned around again and smiled, "It's your normal, though, and that's all that matters. Good question, Quon. I half wondered the same thing."  It took about an hour of driving before they were turning into a highly gated community.

"Damn," Jae murmured as they drove slowly through the upscale development. Before they pulled down a long private drive Pak turned around and handed a gift bag back to them.

"What is this?" Jae asked as they both looked inside the bag.

"Shmancy Italian olive oil. Su thought you might want to bring a gift to Gaga, so he had it picked up while we were in Italy."

"He did? I didn't know that." Ami smiled and looked at the bottle before returning it to the bag.

Pak shrugged, "Well, you were a little preoccupied in Italy. He didn't know if you would meet up or not. If not, he would give it to Jin."

"He was going to regift it?" Jae giggled.

"That was super nice of him. I need to thank him for this and about a million other things." She sighed. "So! Are you dropping us off and running away? Are you all six staying? Are you hiding in a bush outside? What's the plan?"

"I have dibs on the bush!" Quon called out as both the girls grinned.

"No. We'll drop you off, and then we'll be nearby. You can text whenever you are ready. Su vetted her place himself. You're good. How does that sound?" Pak looked between the two as they both nodded.

"That works for me."

"I'm so excited." Jae bounced in her seat a little as they turned into the gated drive lined with tall privacy bushes. In no time, they were pulling up and parking outside the huge home. Quon and Pak got out and opened the doors for the girls, who all but scrambled out of the car in excitement. It had been a long time since they had visited anyone's place for fun. They were ready for some normalcy, even if it was Gaga's level of normalcy.

As Ami came around the car to meet with Jae, they heard Gaga call out to them, "Well, look who finally decided to show up." They all looked up and saw her smiling while she came out to greet them. She was dressed comfortably in shorts and a t-shirt.

"Hey there! We finally made it. Thanks for having us over," Ami smiled as the three met on the sidewalk.

"Well, after this week's news, I'm glad we are meeting here." She leaned in, "I've been in a similar spot, no need to give those paps more than they deserve. Hi Jae. Great to see you again."

"Hi!" Jae beamed.

"Oh! I remember you from Annabell's." Gaga looked past the group and up at a surprised but super happy Quon. They had left quite the impression on her at the party, the way they all had moved and watched the group without making a scene.

"I don't think you've properly met. This is Mr. Quon and Mr. Pak. They were both with us in London, along with Mr. Choi." She pointed to the car that had pulled up behind them. Choi gave a little wave.

"Well, hello, gentlemen. It's nice to see you all again. Are you staying for lunch as well?"

"Oh no, not this time. Thank you, though." Pak said in a friendly but more professional work tone. "Girls, text me when you are ready, and we'll be here within three minutes. Have fun."

"Thanks guys." Ami and Jae nodded and followed Gaga inside. As soon as the door closed, Pak turned to his team, "Alright. Hopefully, they will be busy for a few hours and get some good girl time. Byun, Choi, follow us. We're going up the road."

Gaga led them into her house. "I'm so glad you reached out. It's nice to have guests."

"We're glad the schedules cooperated," Jae asked as she scanned the huge open floor plan room.

"Wow, you have a beautiful home." Ami set down her purse and Jae watched Gaga grin as she took her sunglasses off.

"Well, thank you. You know, I don't know if I've ever seen you without your glasses on." Gaga took a few steps closer as she locked eyes with her, drinking in her features. "Stunning."

Jae's eyes got big as she watched Ami break into a little smile. "Well...thanks."

"Not many people have seen her without her glasses, she doesn't take them off in mixed company... we brought you a gift." She held out the bag as Gaga turned her attention to Jae. "You did? You didn't have to do that." She was now staring at Jae and murmured, "God damn..."

Jae shot a look at Ami, who was now trying not to laugh, "Stephanie. She's not gay, and she's taken."

Gaga whipped her head around, "OH shit! No! I'm so sorry! Your skin is AMAZING! That's what I was talking about!" Ami and Jae started to laugh as Gaga tripped over her words apologizing to them both.

"Jesus. I'm sorry. What did you bring me?" They watched her pull out the gift, still flustered. "OH my god, this is the best! You can only get this in Italy! Thank you!"

"You're very welcome. We really appreciate you inviting us here and not out in the world right now, even if it was your secret desire to bring us here to hit on us." Ami laughed as Gaga groaned, then squared up with a smirk. Ladies, you would KNOW if I was hitting on you. Come on. Lunch is ready. Let's take it outside and enjoy the nice weather. We can talk out there."

 

Back at the hotel.

The boys talked while Su sat at the kitchen table, computer open, randomly scribbling in a notebook.

"I can't believe she's hanging out with Gaga!" Tae moaned. I've wanted to collaborate with her forever."

Jin smirked, "You know her. She'll probably have a song cut with her by the end of the day." Tae groaned, rubbed his hands through his hair, and got up to find something to drink.

Su looked at his phone, and a text came through, "They made it. Pak said there were no problems." He went back to his computer when he heard Jungkook, "Good. Now that stress is over, and the girls aren't here, we need to talk with you." He looked up from his computer at the seven men who were now staring at him.

"Oh, yeah, Okay. What's on your collective minds?" He got up, walked over, and made himself comfortable in a chair with the group.

"Is there anything new we need to know about us and Ami in the media?" Yoongi started the conversation.

"No. Nothing unexpected, but holding steady with interest. It's going to be a topic for a long time. With the Gala coming up, the question people are dying to know is, will you all show up together? People are losing their minds about it."

"I want her to come with us. It felt amazing being with her at her Vogue shoot." Jin sighed.

"Speaking of that, do you think Anna will be put out if she goes with you to the Gala? Vogue won't have that "first" picture in the media. Does that concern you at all?" Su enjoyed watching them all scoff.

"I didn't promise she would have the first group shot. She agreed to her laying off Jae and Wendy, and in doing so, we took a picture with her. She implied she wanted the first cover of the girls if there was one. This isn't a cover. After what they pulled, I don't fucking care." They could all hear the restraint in Namjoon's voice.

"Good. Neither do I," Su said bluntly. If Vogue decides to push again after your conversation, there will be recourse. Either way, we're ready if Ami changes her mind and does the Gala." He reassured the group. "So, what else?"

"Jimin and I would like to go with her to Dior."

"We all want to go, let's be clear." Jungkook grinned, "But Jimin and Hobi won the rock-paper-scissors war this time."

"I almost won," Jin murmured.

"You always pick the same thing! When you get down to the final four, you always go for paper. You're very predictable." Namjoon smirked as he felt Hobi and Jimin both whack him. "Don't tell him!"

"ANYWAY. I want those three to travel together in one car, not split between two." Kook continued.

"We all want that." Yoongi nonchalantly put his arm over the back of the couch behind Jimin, giving him a subtle poke in the back of the shoulder. Jimin refocused back on the conversation. "We also want you to go with them, along with Pak and the regular crew. We'll stay here. You can station a couple of guys at our door if you wish. We won't leave. It'll be their first time traveling together like that, and we would feel better if you were there with them."

Su looked at the group as Hobi and Jimin settled back in. "I would prefer to do that before the Gala happens. If necessary, I want to keep the option open for us to leave directly afterward. Like we did in London."

"So, you three would need to go out tonight or tomorrow morning." Yoongi looked over at Hobi and Jimin.

"I think Jae should stay with you at the hotel for that trip." Su stared off, thinking about logistics. I would feel better about focusing on three than four. I don't want extra distractions out in the public spotlight."

Namjoon cocked his head to the side, "Is Jae a distraction for Pak?"

"No," Su said firmly. "Absolutely not. What I mean is I know what to expect from you and her." Then he smiled, "But Jae and Ami together can shift the energy. I know you guys are going to focus on her while we'll keep an eye on the group as a whole. I prefer to keep it smaller."

"So you're doing it for our sake." Jimin grinned as everyone else joined him.

"Well. I'm just saying, for your first real trip out like this together, let's keep Jae out of the media line of sight for a bit more."

"OH." They all replied, shocked back into the reality of the situation.

Su sat back, crossing his arms, "Look. She's not unknown. She's out there, but after this week's announcement with you all...let's not toss her out there unless we need to." He could feel them all prickle up a little. Jungkook leaned over, resting his elbows on his knees, "Su. Is she being drug through the media, too?"

He paused a little, choosing his words wisely, "Let's just say none of us are off limits right now."

 

A few hours later.

Back at Gaga's house, the three girls were deep in conversation. They had covered so many topics, and having a normal conversation with someone who understood the industry felt good.

"So, can I tell you how fun running into Wendy in New York was? She's a blast. Is she coming out to see you two while you are in the States?" Gaga topped off the girl's ice teas.

"She's in Australia right now," Jae said, pulling out her phone and starting to look for a picture. "Last I heard, she was hugging a koala bear and trying to avoid killer spiders. Where is it? Here!" Jae turned her phone around and held up a picture of Wendy and Riggs with koalas, grinning from ear to ear.

Gaga leaned forward, studying the pictures, "Cuuuuute! Hey, is that Riggs? Harry's guy?" She looked confused for a moment at the smiling couple, then back to Ami.

"Yup. They're a thing. Wendy is traveling with Harry's tour right now."

"He's a hell of a thing...so she's not working with Liz?" Gaga leaned back in her seat as Jae noticed Ami pause before replying. "No, she's taking a break and seeing the world. Great way to see the world, in my opinion." Ami smiled and sipped her tea.

"I spoke to Harry last week, and he never said a word about Wendy traveling with them. I'm surprised he didn't say anything. We talked about you and the BTS boys. I would think Wendy's name would have come up."

"You talked about us? Why?" Ami grinned.

"Well. He was losing his shit over BTS inviting him to Korea. He's trying to make it work with his schedule, but it's proving difficult. He's dying to meet Jimin. Let that be a warning." Gaga grinned, "How long has she been roaming with Harry?"

"Um, gosh...I don't know...it was a couple of weeks after you took her out for dirty nachos in New York." Ami looked over to Jae, and she nodded in agreement.

"Dirty nachos? What?" Gaga laughed.

"That's what Wendy called them, the nachos you ate at the bar!" Jae giggled, "Apparently, they are only available late at night."

"Oh, well, that's true. God, they're good—greasy goodness after a long day out, no, but does Wendy have a plan for when she is returning?" Just then, Jae's phone buzzed. She pulled it out and smiled, "Can you two excuse me for a moment?"

"Who is it?" Ami called out as Jae trotted over to a corner of the yard.

"Don't worry about it!" Ami and Gaga watched as she answered and started slowly wandering around the grassy yard.

"You have good friends. It's nice you have her to help you with all this. It's hard to find someone you can trust for the work and personal side of things." Gaga said without taking her eyes off Jae.

"I wouldn't have signed if she hadn't agreed to help me. I knew I wouldn't be able to manage. We work hard but have a lot of fun, too."

"No, I see that. I have some good friends, but I don't think we could work together as I need. There would be hurt feelings somewhere along the way, and I don't want that. That's great you guys can find that balance."

"Balance is the perfect word." Just then, Jae walked back over, handing Ami the phone. "It's for you," she grinned. "Me? Sorry, be right back." Ami got up and looked at the caller ID as she took her place across the yard where Jae had been.

"Good news, I hope." Gaga watched Jae get comfortable again on the oversized outdoor couches.

"Not bad news at all. She shouldn't be long. I need to make a call though, I'm sorry but I need to be rude for a moment." Jae reached over and picked up Ami's phone.

"Hey, not at all. This is one part of the business I completely understand. You don't mind if I stay do you?" Gaga enjoyed watching how other groups operated. It was one of her guilty pleasures. Everyone had a little different system to get the same results. Of her minimal interaction with Suki and her group, she was impressed by what she had seen already and wanted to know more.

"Not at all." Jae grinned as she dialed and heard her Kai pick up on the other end.

***

"Hello?"

"Suki, this is Jessi." She fired off, "First question, are you still in LA?"

"I might be." She grinned.

"So am I! I'm at SoFi Stadium with Ed." Ami could hear a guitar playing in the background and then heard a male voice call out, "Hellllooooo!"

"Ed says hi, by the way. Second question. Are you going to the Gala tomorrow?"

"I'm not planning on it. Wait, are you?"

"Good! Then you can get your ass over here and record this song with us. If it sounds like we think it should, we're going to make a surprise appearance and sing it live tomorrow at his show!"

Jae and Gaga watched Ami drop her jaw, "I'm sorry, what? What are you talking about?" The phone rustled, and Ed got on the phone.

"Suki, it's Ed. That song I sent you before? Jessi's agreed to sing the third part. Now, cosmic forces have aligned and we're all in the same place at once. It's perfect! If you aren't busy, come down to SoFi. Let's mess around with it, and if you two agree, we can do something amazing tomorrow night. What do you think?"

Ami looked back over at Jae, and she saw her give her a shit grin as Jae dialed a number and started talking.

"Hi, Kai."

"Having fun, sweetheart?"

"Oh yes, we are about done, but we need to figure out some logistics. Can we get Su on the line with us, please?"

"Oh? Anything wrong?" Pak put her on speakerphone so he could dial Su in. He was sitting in the car with Quon, enjoying the California sun.

"No. Suki is being invited to SoFi to meet up with Jessi and Ed."

"Ed?" He questioned as Su looped in. "Su, Jae is on the line with us. The girls have a logistical question."

"Hi, Su. Suki is being invited to SoFi to meet up with Jessi and Ed Sheeran."

"When?"

"Um, now? Pretty much whenever we are done here, and I think we about done."

"May I ask why?" Jae heard Namjoon's voice. Su was on speakerphone with the boys.

"Ed's been barking up her tree to record with her. Jessi has agreed to sing with them, and Ed wants them to perform tomorrow at his concert—a surprise for the fans."

"What does she think?" Jungkook's voice rang through the phone.

"She's talking to them now. I can tell you she's been thinking about it, but timing has been a problem with her current schedule of events."

"And everyone is available now, got it. Can you give me a few minutes to talk to Pak, and we'll call you back?" Su said.

"Of course, thanks guys." Jae smiled and hung up as Ami joined the two again.

"Seriously." She plopped herself down as Jae laughed. "Listen! You NEED to do this. It's going to be AMAZING!"

"May I ask, what is going to be amazing?" Gaga loved watching them interact.

"Some people want to do a song with her, and they're in town now. It's the perfect time to meet up! We have the time before we go home."

"Yes, but we have to take into account the climate of the week." Ami sighed as she rested her elbow on the couch's armrest.

"The media shit." Gaga was caught up. "Well, are you meeting in a studio?"

"They want to meet at SoFi."

"OH. Ed wants to do a song with you?" Jae and Ami looked surprised. She guessed it right off the bat. "I know Ed's playing there this week, we chatted yesterday. Your voices would blend amazingly. So wait, who did you call then?" She pointed to Jae.

"Our guys for the logistics of making that run happen," Jae smirked as Ami shook her head. "Listen! Jessi AND Ed...at SoFi, no less! You aren't going to Gala tomorrow, so why not!"

"You aren't going to the Gala?" Gaga asked, surprised.

"I wasn't planning on it."

"Ok. Listen." Jae squared up with her. "You're choices are the following. One, to stay at the hotel tomorrow and bubble bath until you prune...which honestly, we can do anywhere in the world. Two, dress up and be fancy at a Gala, where everyone under the sun will be asking and snapping pictures of you and the guys." Ami wrinkled her nose at that option, "Or three, go surprise sing music in a massive stadium for a hot second and have fun!"

"I know what I would choose. Maybe I should come hang out with you." Gaga grinned as both girls smiled. Just then, Ami's phone rang. Jae went to answer, but Ami grabbed it out of her hands as Jae laughed.

"Su." Ami smiled.

"Am I on speaker?"

"No."

"Are you ready to end your visit, or would you like to offer to bring her with us to SoFi?"

"Define us?" She asked slowly.

Su smiled, "The boys and I will meet you there. Between Ed and Jessi, the security is tight at Sofi. I'm going to be honest, Tae is going to lose his mind if he doesn't get some Gaga time soon."

"Besides security stuff...what do the boys think about the situation?"

Su paused, "Do you need to hear the words?"

"Yes." She could hear the phone change hands for a moment.

"Ami. My love." Yoongi said into the phone. She tried not to melt in front of Gaga and Jae. "You can't let opportunities pass you by because of us. The only thing that matters is the safety aspect. Su and Pak are comfortable with it, so if it's something you want to do, let's do it. Jae seems to think it's important, and she's on your side. So, the question of the moment is, do you want to include Gaga in this romp, or would you prefer it just be us? Su wasn't wrong. Tae's about ready to jump out of his skin."

Ami grinned, "We can ask."

"Would you mind putting me on speakerphone?" Su had the phone back.

"Ok, we're all here." Ami flipped back to English as Gaga and Jae instantly leaned forward, closer to the phone.

"Miss Gaga, Ladies. Pak and the guys are on their way back to the house. We are set up to head to SoFi, Miss Gaga, if you would like to join we are happy to escort you with Suki and Jae. Your guys could meet us there, or if you prefer to come later, that's fine too."

Jae clapped her hands as she jumped up and went to wait for Kai by the door. She knew he would be pulling up any moment if they weren't here already.

"OH! Hell yes, I love spontaneous fun!" Gaga grinned. "I would love to come with you. I'll call my guy, Lucas, and let him know what's going on."

"Give him my number and have him give me a call. I'm happy to fill him in." Ami could hear the smile in his voice. "Thank you, Su."

"My pleasure. We'll see you soon."   Su hung up and looked at the guys.  "Give me ten minutes, and we can head out.  Pak's going to text when they leave.  Hopefully, we'll arrive about the same time."   He picked up his computer and notebook to drop them off in his room.  "Hey, Su, can I ask you a question?"  Kook followed him to the door to ask him privately, "So, we just talked about how you didn't want more people than necessary out together, but now we are all heading to SoFi?"

"SoFi is locked down and controlled. The streets of LA into a store are not.  SoFi is everyone's element.  I'm not worried about SoFi."  Su smiled, "Go get changed. Gaga will be there, and watching Tae's brain implode will be fun." 

 

Chapter 7

It wasn't long before the caravan of BTS members and their security pulled through the secure gates of SoFi.  Being inside the gates was one of the reasons Su was so comfortable with making this trip happen. Their two SUVs parked in private VIP spaces while their extra security detail stayed closer to the exterior gates.

"I always forget how big this place is,"  Kook said as they all climbed out and gathered together.  A representative had been assigned to lead them through the labyrinth. Before walking over, he waited for them to exit their cars and pull themselves together.

"Gentlemen.  Thanks for coming. If you will follow me, Jessi and Ed are this way."

"Thank you."  Namjoon smiled as Su watched the guys fall in line behind their escort. As he followed the group, he messaged Pak to let him know they had arrived.

"How far out are they?"  Yoongi had slipped back and took up pace with him.

"Hmm."  Su's phone dinged, and he smiled,  "They just landed so they won't be long."  Yoon looked at him, confused, "Landed?"  Their escort stepped to the side, saying, "They're through here."

"Hey guys! You came!" they all heard Jessi yell out over the microphone, filling the stadium with her voice. Ed and Jessi were on the stage, waiting for everyone to arrive. They got up and walked over to meet them, as Su stopped and stood off to the side.

"Hi Jessi, we heard you were in town.  How are you?"  Kook grinned as she sauntered over to the group.

"Hey yourself, Jeon Jung-kook.  I'm good! I got in yesterday, so I'm fighting jet lag, but you know."

"Nice to see you again, Ed.  Thanks for letting us crash your practice session."  Hobi grinned as everyone greeted each other.

"No worries, you guys are welcome anytime.  I was thrilled Jessi was able to get Suki to agree to come.  She's been so busy that it's been hard to pin her down a time that works."

"She is definitely hard to pin down. Glad she could find the time." Jin grinned and stepped forward to shake his hand.

Su watched BTS joke around with Jessi and Ed, catching up as they waited for the last three to arrive.

It wasn't long before they heard Jae's familiar cackle float into the space.  Yoongi and Kook were standing next to Tae and heard him suck in a breath as Ed called out. "There you are!  OH, you brought the rif raf with you today."  He joked as Gaga strolled along with Suki and Jae. Joon watched Pak, Choi, and Quon all stop and stand with Su, smiling and eager to check-in.

"Listen here. You interrupted a very lovely lunch, so I had to come along and see what you were up to." Gaga fired back, and Ed grinned. "Sorry, Love."

"You gonna ask her, or should I ask her for you?"  Jin whispered in Tae's ear.  "Shut up."  he hissed with a smile.  They all knew he was anxious to talk to Gaga.  This would be the first time they would have her real undivided attention. 

"Hi, I don't think we've met."  Gaga held out her hand as Jessi pulled her starstruck self together. "Well, hello, fellow East Coaster. Nice to finally meet you! If you know Suki, I'm sure you know BTS. They seem to be thick as thieves these days."  Jessi poked fun as Jimin caught Ami throwing a subtle look.

"Nice to see you again, Gaga."  Jin reached out first and shook Gaga's hand. "It looks like you all had fun today."  The boys looked at all three, but each lingered on Ami a little more before staying present in the moment.

"Boys, it's nice to see you all again. I'm glad we have more time to talk."

"Good to see you, too. "  Namjoon smiled as they all greeted her individually.  When it was Tae's turn, Jae and Ami watched the six step to the side so that Tae could have his moment.  He stepped forward, trying to keep the stupid grin on his face to a minimum.

"Gaga, great to see you again."  His voice wasn't as steady as it wavered a little in his excitement.

"Nice to see you again, V. Now you're someone I'm excited to talk to."  Gaga grinned.  They watched Tae's eyes get big as Jae nudged Ami to explain.

"V, I may have mentioned you were anxious to discuss your shared love of jazz. I hope you don't mind." Ami said seriously but had an undertone of teasing.

He flickered his eyes over to his wife.  "Not at all. I look forward to it. In fact, we should leave you three alone so you can sort out your new collaboration for the masses." He grinned, tossing the teasing back in her face. They saw her sport a big grin before Ed took the conversation back over.

After another moment of talking, the groups split up so Ed, Jessi, and Suki could get to work.

"Let's sit in the audience. We never get to do that."  Jimin walked over to the stairs as Gaga and the guys followed.  Jae paused, looking towards Pak, and for a split second, she wondered if she should stand with the team or go down and sit with the group.  Yoongi saw her hesitate, "Hey, come sit with me."

"Yeah, ok."  She turned and followed the group down to the floor seats.  Tae, Jungkook, Namjoon, Jimin, and Hobi sat near and around Gaga so they could talk to her.  Jin found a seat on the edge of the group, and Yoongi directed Jae next to him,  then sat down on her other side.

"You good?" He asked as Jin turned his attention to their conversation while the rest of the guys shmoozed with Gaga.

Jae looked surprised, "Yeah...why?"  Jin now leaned in a little to listen.

"You looked, I don't know, unsure for a moment.  Lunch went ok?"  Yoon cocked his head to the side as Jae relaxed.  "Oh yes.  It was amazing.  She made us lunch, can you believe that?  I'm so full, I don't think I could eat anything else today." She rubbed her stomach.

"Then why were you unsure?"  Jin asked again, not hearing a response to Yoon's statement.  She let out a sigh and then slipped to Korean,

"Because for a moment, I didn't know if I should go stand with them," she pointed toward their four men in the corner. "Or come down with you guys."

"Why?" They both asked, surprised.

"Well, that was a stereo moment." She rubbed her ears.

"Why wouldn't you be sure you should come sit with us?  Did someone say something?"  Namjoon heard Yoongi ask a little louder.  Without skipping a beat, he moved one seat down so he could listen while still being a part of the other group.  Jae saw Joon move out of the corner of her eye.

"Because this fun day has kind of transitioned into work, and usually for work, I'm over there with them," she gestured. "So, for a moment, my brain questioned whether I should step over there and let you mega stars all talk shop." There was a pause, and before they could say anything, she quickly added, "If you have a reply, it can't be in your stupid, sexy idol voices."

Yoongi and Jin grinned as Namjoon leaned over and tapped her on the shoulder.    Jae turned in her seat and looked back at him as he spoke to her calmly, "Jae.  We want you here with us. You're just as much our friend as she is.  We're very aware that announcing our connection to her also puts you in the spotlight. So, in the future, if your brain asks the question of where you 'should' be, know the right answer is wherever you feel most comfortable. If you need to put yourself in the middle of Quon, Choi, and your Kai, that's ok, but you are always welcome with us in any mixed company."

Jimin was now glancing between Tae and Gaga, talking about their musical heroes and the side conversation with Jae.

"No. I know, I do." She sighed. "Up until now, when we all were out together in public, the two camps stayed very separate. Even at Annabel's, we had rules. Now you've changed the rules, and I'm so glad for you all, but my first instinct is to be over there. That's why I paused, that's all."

Jimin looked over towards Su. He was standing in a circle, talking with Pak, Quon, and Choi.

"How was the flight?"  Su grinned as Pak gave a little chuckle.

"That's one way to save time in traffic: three hours in traffic or a 20-minute private hopper to LAX. That private airport worked perfectly. Thanks for having the SUVs waiting for us. Byun and the guys are heading back to the hotel in our cars from Gaga's."

"Well, I liked that idea better than fighting afternoon traffic.  That's also why I wanted as many team members here as I did.  Girls have fun?"

"Oh yes.  All three talked nonstop all the way here.  Gaga is impressed with you and the amount of detail and options we have ready at our fingertips.  She mentioned it more than once on our short ride over.  Beware of trying to be poached."  Pak teased.  "Quon needs to be careful, too.  She remembered him instantly when she saw him."

"A proper hamburger, Quon.  That's what I want.  That one from the other day was too good."  Choi pipped up.  "I could go for another hamburger." Pak agreed.

"Fine."  Su relented.

"Wait.  What are you guys talking about?"  A super confused Quon couldn't figure out how they jumped to food orders, not that he was ever put off by food.

"Did we fail to share that in your training?  It's a very important rule."  Pak tried to keep a straight face, then stepped forward as if he were going to share some huge universal secret.  Quon leaned in.

"If someone ever tries to poach you to come to work for them, you owe the crew dinner."

"What??!  What do you mean, crew??  Everyone?!"

"No, just us three," Su said matter of fact.

"But we get to pick the dinner."  Choi grinned. The three all enjoyed watching Quon process how ridiculous that sounded.

"Whose idea was this?"

"Mine,"  Su said plainly as he straightened his sleeves. "What? Are you surprised?"

"Frankly, yes!"

"You know, I like to have fun, much to people's opinions."  Su now smiled and crossed his arms as Quon continued to process.  He finally said slowly, "So.  What I'm hearing is if someone asks me to jump ship, I owe you food?"

"Pretty much."  Choi shrugged. "Seems only fair for the potential mental distress of finding your replacement."

"But even if I'm not leaving..." Quon said slowly.

"Correct." Su grinned.

"Right...right.  Sure."  He finally cracked a smile.  "OK then.  Noted."

"Good!  So, Su, did you know Jessi was in town?"  Pak glanced at the three in the middle of the stage.

"No, I didn't know she was coming.  How do you feel about her singing here tomorrow?"

"We could handle it because we've done stadiums and shows a million times with the guys.  This is in our wheelhouse. I don't think she would be here if she weren't interested in doing it."  Pak became a little more serious as he thought about what tomorrow would look like.  

Su continued. "So, the boys and I had a good talk today.  Long story short, they want Hobi and Jimin to go with her to Dior if she goes.  Now that this may happen," He gestured towards the stage, "I want to leave right after the Gala, and this is over.  We need to let things die down a little after this week, and I would prefer to do that at home.  They all need to be home, and you guys need a break too."  He looked at Choi and Quon.  "Oh, and I want Jae to stay with the guys at the hotel if they go to Dior."

Choi and Quon watched Pak stare off, thinking for a moment.  Su leaned in and said quietly, "Pak, you've seen the shit online.  Let's keep her out of the spotlight with them unless it's work-related for now.  It'll die down, but everything is fresh, and after tomorrow, we need some time for things to settle."

Pak took a big breath and let it out, "Yeah.  I agree.  Ok."

"I know you don't like to leave her behind, but..."

"No. Su. I agree with you. I appreciate you speaking up because you're right. I want her with me all the time. I need your outside perspective, and I have no problem leaving her with the guys."

Choi and Quon were listening but also taking in the scale of SoFi.  "Can you imagine this place full?"  Quon leaned over and asked quietly.  Choi smiled, "The guys have played here. It's mindblowing."

Jimin watched them talk and then looked at Ami, Ed, and Jessi sitting on stage together. They were all looking at their phones as Ed had sent them the lyrics and their parts for the song. They discussed what Ed had in mind and played around with their parts before they tried it with the mics.

"I think this song is going to be fire with all three of us. Let me sing it first, and then we'll try our version.  Sound good?"  Ed was excited and jumped up before the two could respond.  He ran over to his guitar and started talking on the mic to his crew to get things started.  Everyone perked up, waiting for the show.

Gaga leaned over to ask Tae, "Will she keep her sunglasses on?"

"Mm. There are too many crew members, different staff members, and random people around. She'll keep them on."

 

"When did you get into town?"  Suki looked at Jessi.

"Fuck that.  Haven't YOU all made quite the news this week!  Christ, you guys can keep fucking secret."  She shook her head as Ami laughed.  "Yeah, well, I'm sure you can understand why."

"Oh no.  I know why.  I would've done the same, especially with those men. They're deliciously dangerous."  Jessi smirked as she looked down at the guys.  Some were focused on Ed, while Tae and Gaga were engulfed in conversation. Yoongi was talking to Jae, but Jimin was watching Ami and Jessi talk.  He met eyes with Jessi and gave a little nod hello.

"Fucking Jimin." She said under her breath before looking back at Suki.  Ami was used to people gawking over her boys, but it always hit her a little harder when they were sitting in front of her.  This wasn't Korea, and Jessi had let her guard down in regard to manners being in LA.

"So, even with all the bullshit out there this week, you still want to do this?  You're probably going to be drug into it online...or maybe that's what you want.  Is it?"  Suki asked.  Jimin watched Ami cock her head to the side with her question. "Kim Namjoon." He said quietly.  Namjoon didn't move but flipped his eyes up to the stage to the girls.

"Pak."  Choi caught the same head tilt while Pak and Su discussed Dior's options.  They both looked over to them on stage as Quon looked down at the guys in the seats.  "Namjoon and Jimin see it."

Just then, Ed spoke over the mic.  "OK, lads.  Well, lads and ladies...ladies and lads!  I'll sing first, then we'll try it all together.  Yes?  Right?  Let's go!" Ed started live-looping and building the song from scratch before starting with the lyrics.

"Jesus."  Tae and Jungkook said in awe as they realized how he was creating his song.   "You haven't seen him before?  He's amazing."  Gaga smiled, sat back, and got ready for their private show.   Ed's voice filled the stadium as he started the song.

Jessi leaned over, "You know, Suki.  I like you.  You don't beat around the bush, and it's refreshing.   Actually, Ed called me a while ago about doing this song with him, and we hoped you would join us.  When the news came out that you were in LA, and Ed was already here, we took a chance to make this happen.  Am I sad I could be lumped into the drama news with you and the boys this week?  Not really.  I'll admit that.  Did we plan to do it NOW because of your little announcement?  No.  But, from a selfish perspective, anytime I can be lumped into the same air you all breathe, I'll take it."

Everyone who watched their interaction saw her give an approving smile. "You know.  I believe you.  Thanks for being honest with me."

"It's the New Yorker in me. A lot of people don't appreciate it."  Jessi shrugged.  "Fuck it's nice to talk to another city girl that gets it.  I love Korea, but the rules are madding sometimes."

"It's the Londoner me."  Ami leaned back on her hands and crossed her ankles as Ed fired into the next verse.  Su and his guys all relaxed seeing her lean back, while Joon and Jimin weren't sure.  They were never quick to stand down for her.

"I can't imagine singing to a full crowd in here. To be honest, this is also one of the reasons I pushed you out of hiding right now.  This is an opportunity to sing to 70,000 fans.  I know the chances of me doing my tour here are slim. I recognize that."  Suki looked over at her as she gazed out into the stadium.   "The boys and Gaga down there have done it, but I haven't.  You've done it. So, when Ed called, I jumped on a plane, hoping it would happen."

"I haven't done a tour." She said, surprised.

"No, but you sang in a stadium like this before you signed.  I was at that show where those boys baited you out to come out and sing."

"You were?!  I didn't know that!"

"Yeah, so I told myself if there were ever a chance to sing at something this size, I would take it."  Then Jessi smiled, "I'm excited Ed asked me at all.  I was fucking thrilled this opportunity presented itself.  I don't have BTS giving me an instant fanbase."

"I never assumed or relied on that," Suki said quickly.

"And I'm not saying that to be a dick.  Don't get me wrong, I've seen your hard work.  We've been at the same schmoozy events, but with friends like yours, you didn't have to be. You were so fucking smart to distance yourself from the public with them like you did, especially if you're as good of friends as people say you are."

"What are they saying?"

Jessi frowned, "Surely you've seen."

Ami shook her head, "I haven't been online all week.  I knew it was going to be a shit show, so I've stayed away."  Just then, Ed finished up, and the audience of nine clapped their hands and hyped him up as if the stadium was full.

"Thank you," Ed beamed, then turned back to Suki and Jessi.  "Wanna give it a go?"

The girls got to their feet, "Hell ya!"  Jessi beamed.  One of Ed's staff walked by Su with two mics, "May I."  Su smiled as the man handed the mics over so he could deliver them.

"Who's that?"  Gaga leaned over to Hobi as they looked up to see Su walking out onstage.

"That's Su.  He's the head of our security."

"OH.  That's Su?"  She was intrigued as the guys started razzing him.

"Sing us something!"  Jin yelled as everyone started making suggestions. Su put the mic up to his mouth and took a big breath. Everyone paused, expecting him to belt a line, but instead, he smiled and simply said, "No."

"Oh, he's fun."  Gaga grinned. "How long has he been with your group?"

"We've been with him from the beginning."  Hobi smiled as the guys continued to yell and edge him on, knowing he wouldn't entertain them any longer.

"Interesting."

"What is?" Hobi looked over at her.

"You and Suki both talk about your teams as if you are with them, not they with you."

"Because that's how it is.  No one can do what they do."  Hobi said sincerely.

"Oh, come on..."  Gaga started when Hobi cut her off. "No. No one."

Su passed off one mic to Jessi as she was heading towards Ed while Ami stayed and waited for him.

"I think this is for you," he smiled as she took her mic. "Thanks."

Su took a step so her back was to the audience.  Reaching up, he lowered her sunglasses enough to see her eyes.  "You good? Jessi isn't in danger of a flying kick to the face or anything, is she?  If so, I'll have Kook put her on his list. Quon saw you tilt your head."  She smiled, "No.  I'm good.  We had an honest talk, that's all."

"Yeah?"  He paused before adjusting her glasses on her face again.  "Just to let you know, Namjoon and Jimin are staring us down pretty hard. You might need to give them a 'stand down' cue, or they may march up here."

Just then, Ed and Jessi started playing with the music.  Ami nodded as he leaned in, "Do you want to do all this?  If not, I'll take you out of here right now.  Pak can bring the guys back."

"No.  Su, I think I'm good.  Thank you."  She reached over and squeezed his arm.  "Can we talk later, though?  I have some questions."

"I'm sure you do. Let's talk back at the hotel." Su smiled and gave a little bow, making her laugh at his sudden professional manners.  The guys watched her playfully punch his arm as he feigned shock as he staggered back across the stage.  He took three steps before straightening up and walking back towards Pak with a smile.

As Ami walked over to join the other two on stage, she finally glanced down at the nine in the audience.  She smiled as she saw Yoongi give her a subtle wink while Jin scanned her body up and down. Jae had moved and was sitting next to Gaga, and they were back into a full chat.  Hobi, Tae, and Kook were all yelling song requests as Jimin and Namjoon watched her more seriously.  She gave them a little thumbs up as Ed started looping his song again, and the real rehearsal began.

A few hours later.

The trio had practiced hard, working out the kinks and figuring out the flow. After they were done, they came down and joined their audience of nine.

"It sounds great. So, tomorrow night is a go, then?" Tae smiled as he handed Ami his water.

"Fuck yes, it's a go!" Jessi interjected, and Ami nodded in agreement as she drank a long drink.

"I'm so excited! It's going to be amazing. Thanks again for agreeing, ladies. I know you gentlemen are going to the Gala tomorrow. What about you, Gaga?  Wanna come to the show?" Ed sunk into a seat to join the group.

"Sorry, Ed, dear. I'm flying out tomorrow. Next time." She smiled. They talked for a bit longer before Pak walked over and whispered in Namjoon's ear, "We need to wrap this up. Word just leaked that you're here, and we would like to get you all out before it gets messy."

"BTS here or Suki here? "

"All."

Namjoon stood up, "Ed, I'm sorry, but we need to go. Thanks again for letting us crash your sound check. Best of luck at tomorrow's show. Sorry, we can't be here." Pak walked around and stood next to Ami as he motioned for Jae to get up and get ready.

"Everything ok?" Ed asked as he saw everyone start to mobilize. Ami looked over and saw Su, Choi, and Quon looking serious and ready to go. Su winked and tapped his watch, giving her the signal it was time.

Joon smiled as the rest of the boys stood up, understanding that when Su or Pak said it was time, it was time. "Sorry. Word on the street is we're here, so we need to get going. Pak, are we taking Gaga with us?"

"Lucas is here," she jumped in before Pak could reply. I'll go with my guys. Ladies, it was so good to hang out with you today. Thanks for giving me a call." Gaga leaned over and hugged them as they all started moving towards the stage to leave.

"It was really great. Thanks for feeding us." Ami smiled, "Next time, we'll host you."

"Sounds good, I would like that." Gaga agreed as they joined up with everyone's security waiting in the wings. They all divided up with their teams as they said their goodbyes. "Tae, call me, and let's do something soon!"

"Absolutely." He tried to reply without vibrating out of his skin. They all watched Gaga and her guys head out first.

"Jessi, nice to see you. Have fun tomorrow," Jimin said as Ami saw her give him the same smirk as earlier. She took a step forward, casually placing herself in her line of sight. "Jessi, thanks again for calling me. We'll see you tomorrow."

"Of course!" she said with a natural smile. "It was nice to see you all. Have a good rest of your trip!"

"See you tomorrow!"  Jae called out as they waved back.

Ami felt Su's hand on her back as everyone fell into formation, heading to the cars. "No throat punching today," he whispered.

"Keep her away from Jimin," Ami said in all seriousness. "Any of them, actually. If she's going to do that in front of me...for fuck's sake." She turned and looked at him as they walked. Su could feel her stare through her dark glasses.

"My absolute pleasure." He smirked as he stepped to the side, and Jungkook took his place, walking next to her with Jin on her other side. Jae was close behind, walking with Hobi and Namjoon, while Yoongi led the group with Pak and Quon. Tae and Jimin followed Jae, and Su and Choi were in the back.

"They have that down." Ed grinned as they watched them disappear around the long corridor.

Gaga was getting settled in her car when she saw them walk out. She watched them move effortlessly as Quon and Pak walked over, and each opened the door to the awaiting two blacked-out Yukon SUVs. Kook grabbed Ami's hand, "Come with us." He said as he pulled her into the car without hesitation. Jin, Yoongi, and Tae followed them as Quon shut the door and walked to the passenger side. Su stood back and watched as Namjoon took Jae's hand and pulled her into the second SUV with Hobi and Jimin. Pak shut the door and climbed into the driver's seat with Choi riding shotgun. Su did the same with Quon, and soon, they drove out of the VIP gates.

"Damn. They're all fucking hot." Gaga groaned.

"Who's hot?  The BTS guys?  I suppose if you like that flawless look."  Lucas grinned as they followed the group out of Sofi.

"All of them—the girls, the guys, their staff—that Mr Su. UUnnnnnggg! The way they work and move together, it's so seamless."  Lucas laughed as she struggled in the back seat. 

"Well, you've always been a slut for men in control."  He grinned.

"Not control, competence.  Competence is everything they do. They moved in sync without even talking to each other.  Today, everything was prepared when they showed up to bring us here.  How they move and flow together only adds to their appeal."

"Are you implying I'm not competent?"  He ribbed.

"No, no.  You are, but I won't fuck you or any of my staff. I won't mix business and pleasure."

"The grass isn't always greener on the other side." he looked back at her in the mirror.  "Anyway, what you are describing isn't competence, it's organization.  They're highly organized, but I think they are paid accordingly in more ways than one."

"What? What do you mean?" Her eyes got big, "Do you think they mix business and pleasure?"

"Maybe, I don't know. Look.  I did what you asked. I spoke to Quon and Choi for a good chunk of time.  We talked shop like usual.  Those two are on call 24/7 and seem completely unphased by it.  No one is unbothered by that sort of schedule.  People have friends, family, and lives outside work.  They have access to a huge staff. You would think they would at least rotate a little more."

Gaga thought for a moment as she looked out the window. "They have a lot of secrets. They can't have their core group rotating in and out."

"Doesn't everyone have secrets?"  Lucas smirked, "I tossed it out there if they were ever looking for another job to give me a call.  They didn't hesitate to politely decline.  They wouldn't even take my card.  They aren't budging.  Anyway, don't you think Suki would be pissed if her guys left her?"

"Of course, but business is business. This isn't personal.  Jobs come and go, and people like to know they have options whether they accept them or not."

"I get the feeling they don't look at their job as a job. That's the difference. There is something else there."  Lucas had been following the group onto the freeway. He didn't notice that Su's four extra cars joined them for the trip back to the hotel.

Su watched as his team positioned themselves around their two SUVs, one on each side, one in front and one behind.  As the car following behind pushed between Pak and Gaga's car he relaxed a little for their trip back.

"Jesus.  Fucking California drivers."  Lucas mumbled as he had to slow down a little so he didn't hit the car, not knowing it was part of their entourage.  It wasn't long before the freeway split, and Gaga went one way while the caravan went the other.

***

Ami was sitting in the back of the SUV with Kook and Yoongi.  Their hands rested and squeezed her thighs as Su led the caravan down the highway.  Kook looked out the window and noticed a few more of Su's men flanking them again as they traveled back to the hotel.  They were all happy and content riding together. Finally, traveling with each other, more or less in public. Not that Kook gave her a choice, pulling her into the SUV with him, but she didn't fight it either.

"Taaaae."  She said in a sing-song voice from the back of the car.

"Yes, darling?" He turned around and found her smiling sweetly at him.

"Did you and Gaga have a nice talk?"  She cooed.

"We did, thank you very much."  He cheesed back.

"It sounds like you're going to get a chance to collaborate with her?"  Ami squeezed her legs together a little as Kook ran his hand toward the inside of her thigh.

"We're going to talk and see what we can come up with.  I'm really excited." He sighed as he turned around and looked out the window.

"I'm glad. That's one of the reasons I asked her if she wanted to come with us.  I was hoping you guys would have a chance to talk."  She reached up and ran her nails down the back of his scalp and neck as goosebumps broke out on his arms.

"Did you have a nice visit today?  Jae seemed to have a good time."  Jin asked.

"You know, we did.  She's genuinely nice, and she made us lunch.  Oh, Su!  Thanks for the gift. She loved it. I'll put it on my list of IOUs I have for you."

"You're welcome," he called back from the front seat, not letting his eyes stray from the road. "What list?"

"What did Su do?" Yoongi pushed his hand deeper between her legs. She could feel the electricity from them both. Ami reached down and grabbed both of their hands, pulling them up and interlacing hers with theirs.  Both boys sighed and resigned to the PG ride back to the hotel.

"Just Su doing what he does best—taking care of me."  She squeezed their hands as they did the same.

"I thought that was our job,"  Kook whispered low in her ear.  Ami sucked in a little breath as the two squeezed her thighs again in tandem.

***

"So.  Looks like Quon and I owe burgers."  Choi said nonchalantly as they followed behind Su.

"Both of you?"  Pak grinned.  "Can't wait to hear about it."

Jae pulled her phone out of her pocket as she felt her phone buzz. "Who's that?" Joon asked as he looked over her shoulder.

"Um, Dior.  They want her to come by the store. They've been blowing up my phone."  She sighed. "Kai, we need to talk to Ami when we get to the hotel.  Dior wants an answer."

"Su and I talked about that.  He wants to talk to her when we get back.  Let him know what they are saying, ok?"

"Will do."

"Dior doesn't get to demand,"  Joon said quietly as he looked out the window.

Hobi turned around and got comfortable to talk to Jae. "Hey Jae, we wanted to let you know that Jimin and I are going with her when that trip happens.  We hope you understand."

"Both of you? Are you sure the store will be able to handle the two biggest fashionistas in the group?"  She poked fun as Jimin turned to face her with a semi-shocked look.  "What are you implying?"

"I'm not implying anything.  Dior will absolutely LOVE to see you two walk through the door."  She grinned. "So, you guys are diving all in with normal friendship things 99.9% of the world does without the intense public scrutiny.  How does that feel?"

"Amazing."  Joon smiled.  "We've been waiting for a long time.  To be out together and not pretend like it's all business all the time.  Like we don't actually 'know' each other.  It's been too fucking long."

 

Chapter 8

Su let out a long sigh as both SUVs arrived back at the hotel without issue. He worried more than he let on about getting this group from point A to point B. Even with all the staff, that unnerving feeling didn't let up until they safely arrived.

Before Ami climbed out of the car, Yoongi kissed her ear and then whispered, "I know you want to talk with Su. When you're done, I'll be waiting for you." She felt him squeeze her thigh one more time before it was his turn to climb out.

"Good god." She murmured as Kook chuckled. "It's not only him, Little Bird."

Just then, Su was at the car's door. "Ready?" He smiled as she took his hand, and he helped her out. Relaxed car ride or not, they still needed to get inside without giving onlookers anything extra to talk about. Su pulled her out and walked her over to Jae.

"Nice ride?" she grinned as Ami took her arm. "Dangerous ride," she said quietly. Jae laughed as everyone started heading to the elevators and up to the rooms. As Pak scanned the keycard to his room, Su did the same for the guys, and they all started filing in. "Dear, do you want to rest first and then talk? Or do you want to talk sooner rather than later?" he asked as she paused in the doorway for a moment.

Joon put his hands on her hips and kept her feet moving into the room, "Hey!"

"Su, give her fifteen minutes. I think sooner than later is a better plan." Joon pushed her into the room and gave her a playful pat on the butt, making her laugh out loud.

"I suspect it is. Fifteen minutes then." Su smiled as he shut the door behind them all.

Ami barely tossed her purse down before Hobi hugged her from behind. She could feel him growing hard as he pressed against her. "Love. You sounded amazing today."

"I'm surprised you noticed with you fawning over Gaga the entire time." She giggled as he reached up, grabbed her breasts, and squeezed before letting go. She turned around, giving him a shitty grin as he stared at her. "Do you think I want her?"

"No." she giggled as Namjoon took his place, pressing up against her back and holding her the same as Hobi had.

"Dove."

"Unnnng." She moaned, feeling her knees buckle a little.

"Do I need to tell Su she's going to need more time?" Tae grinned as they all enjoyed watching her melt.

"No. She needs to get her other obligations out of the way so we can occupy her time," Jungkook said from across the room, his tone making her eyes close. Jimin walked over and whispered in her ear, "Wife. What do you want to do?"

Joon could feel her breathing pick up before resting her head on Hobi's shoulder. "I really need to talk to Su first. Then...all of this, please." They all smiled as Jimin took her hand, walked her over to the table, and sat her down. Jin was putting snacks and water down in front of her as they all stood down, at least until she was done with her talk.

Su gave it twenty minutes before he knocked. Kook ran over and opened the door, "Long time no see. Come on in."

"Did she eat?" He asked quietly as he shut the door.

"She did. She's good." Kook smiled.

"Hey, Su. Do you want to go out to the balcony?" Ami called out as she came out of the bedroom. She had changed into more comfortable clothes, shorts, and one of their oversized t-shirts.

"We could do that, or we could go sit up by the pool. We still have that cabana, and it might be a nice change of pace. What do you think about that?" They all watched her ponder for a moment about that option. "The pool is quiet this time of day, and our spot is private regardless," Su added. He wanted a little more space so they could have this conversation.

"I think that sounds great. Honey, have a good talk, and we'll see you soon." Yoongi kissed her sweetly as she agreed. He took his hat off and pushed it firmly on her head as she smiled. "I won't lose this one."

"I know you won't." The boys watched Su give them a wink as she walked over to him. He opened the door to find an awaiting Quon. He had also changed his clothes, slipping on his vacation attire from when they flew off for Jimin's wedding: a Hawaiian shirt and shorts.

"Oh god." Ami laughed as Quon grinned. "What?!" She looked back at her surprised boys and rolled her eyes as she joined him in the hall. Before Su shut the door, he looked back at Yoongi, "Pak is across the hall. Call him if you need anything."

"Um, what was Quon wearing?" Kook broke into laughter as Jimin started explaining what Quon and Choi wore down to Tonga on the plane.

"So Quon, is this outfit now a staple when you pack for travel?" Ami grinned as they took the elevator up to the pool deck.

"Hey, you never know when lounging needs to happen." He said matter of fact.

"And you're coming up with us to lounge?"

"Well, Choi forgot his pool wear, so Quon seemed like the right guy for the job." Su shrugged as he handed her his sunglasses. "Here. It's bright outside." She slipped them on as the doors opened, and the sun flooded the elevator. "You aren't kidding."

She took Su's arm as they all exited the elevator and walked over to the cabana in the far corner of the pool deck. Quon peeled off and got comfortable in a lounge chair that overlooked the entire space as Su pulled the flowy curtain back for them.

"This is nice." She smiled as she got comfortable on one couch, and he sat on the other. "It really is. It's a pretty afternoon, and I thought this might be a good break before you are held up in the hotel room for the rest of the day." Ami smiled, knowing his words probably rang truer than he intended.

They sat quietly and relaxed in the warm breeze before getting into their conversation. Su needed it as much as she did. Ami eventually looked over at him and said, "What did you think of the song today?"

"You sound great. It's a fun song with all three of you. I think people will like it. Ed seems really excited. So tell me, why did Jessi get put on Kook's list today? " He watched her roll her eyes. "Oh, you know. Undressing Jimin with her eyes one too many times, while understandable, was not appreciated."

"Sure. Sure." He agreed.

"Su. I know I've stayed off the internet this week because it was going to be messy. Well, I think I need to know how messy it is."

"Why." He turned in his seat to face her, resting his arm over the back of the couch.

"Well. Jessi made a couple of comments, and I wonder if people think I'm doing this tomorrow because of the guys."

Su frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Well, I know people think I am where I am because of BTS."

"You kind of are," he said unphased but quickly elaborated when he saw her face. "Look. If you had put out your music without listing Yoongi as a producer, it might not have taken off as fast as it did. There are insanely talented people who post their music and art that get buried in the noise.  Their association with your music pushed you along faster. You had enough people who truly liked your sound after that first album to carry over and grow you further along. The boys haven't been tied to any of your other stuff. If they were, they kept their names off it. That's all you. You know this."

"Yeah, but I never banked on it. I never thought I would go this far. It was just for fun." she sighed.

"Yes, but here you are. So, if people want to be jealous and bitchy and think you road their coattails, let them. It shows their immaturity, they don't fucking know. You know the truth, the boys know the truth, and that's all that matters."

Ami stared at the pool through a crack in the fabric while it gently moved in the breeze.

"She also mentioned that people are saying we're more than friends."

"Again. You are."

Ami tried to stifle a smile as she rubbed her face and groaned.

"I'm not sure why this is bothering you. So far, it's all true." He grinned as she let out a long breath. "I guess I'm scared of getting up there tomorrow and people being pissed off at me."

"What, do you think the fans are going to black ocean you?" He watched her face scrunch up as she pulled her knees up a little tighter, "Fuck. Do you think that could happen?"

"No." he smiled. "Truthfully, no. Do you remember all the shit people would say about the guys when you worked for me?"

"Yeah."

"And you stopped reading it because it was bullshit, and it wasn't worth your time?"

"Yes." She smiled.

"It's more or less the same thing. Most of the noise is positive, and there are some delusional people who are just that—delusional. Look. I had the same conversation with your boys. They felt like they wanted to know, too, but it's not worth reading and the mental wear it causes. You're not going to change what you do because some internet warrior has an opinion halfway around the world, right? It's going to die down. It always does. Jackson or another group will take their shirt off, and everyone will shift focus." Ami laughed at the absurdity but the truth of that statement, but she'd seen it happen over and over.

Su smiled a sweet smile. "Ami. If there is something I think you need to know, Pak or I will tell you. Ok? Otherwise, you keep doing what you're doing."

"Sorry. Now that we're more public, it feels more personal. I guess I don't know how to respond to my peers when they talk about things I don't know anything about...and the things are about me and the boys."

Su put his hands behind his head and leaned back, thinking. "I get that. I can see how that could be unnerving. It's just not worth your energy to read all that crap. It changes nothing except your stress level."

She sighed, "Yeah."

They sat in peaceful quiet a little more before Su moved to the next topic. "So. Jae talked to me. Dior is dying for you to pop over. She said, and I quote, 'They are like blowing up my phone'."

Ami giggled, "How very valley girl of you."

"I'm just the messenger," he grinned. "Anyhoo, if that's something of interest, I think tomorrow morning at eight is a good time. I know tomorrow is a big day with your break-out debut with Ed and Jessi and the boys doing what they do best at the Gala. We're flying home tomorrow night, but the morning is quiet. It's easier to maneuver."

Ami thought for a moment, "Sure. Why not. Jae would love to come look at the fabulousness of it all."

"Jae's not going with us. It would be you, Hobi, and Jimin. They had a very formal rock-paper-scissors battle, and those two won. You know those battles are binding."

She looked over at Su, "She doesn't want to go? That's shocking."

"No. I'm sure she does. I pulled her for this one, and Pak agreed. Hobi and Jimin spoke to her on the way back to the hotel."

"What? Why?" Quon heard her say loudly from the cabana. "What do you mean you pulled her?"

"Ami," he said more calmly as she adjusted in her seat to face him. "When we were talking about logistics for Dior, I told Pak and the guys I wanted Jae to stay back this time. With that, they asked me to go with you." He watched a look of disbelief cross her face.

"Again. Why? You just told me that everything people are saying is on par for the course. There's nothing to see here. It's all fine! Now, you don't want Jae to go out with me? It's not even like we're by ourselves!"

"Maybe not for non-work related things, and just for a little bit."

She threw her hands up, "Su! Everything I do is work-related! I don't go anywhere that isn't work! Don't you think Dior is work?" She thought for a moment, then held her hand out, "Show me. I need context."

"Ami." He sighed.

"Su. No. Show me why I need to be on board with asking JAE of all people not to go out with me to a store that is shut down, just for us, with more security than god." She stared him down before he sighed and fished his phone out of his pocket. "Come here," he said. Ami got up and sat down next to him, trying to stay calm.

Before he opened his phone, he paused and said quietly. "Ami. Listen. First of all, I'm not asking Jae not to come. I'm telling her. I know you are frustrated. I know that this media drama is one of the reasons you eight kept private for so long, but here we are. The guys wouldn't take it back if given the option. I saw their faces on the drive home with you. They need some normalcy just as you do.

You've seen other groups drop news, and at first, there is a wide net cast by the media and fans, trying to grasp anything they can twist to their own advantage. You also know the only way to ride that out is to lay low for a bit and let things die down. We aren't putting out a statement. We aren't doing interviews to dispel rumors, true or not. It's business as usual, with the exception of safety, and that's my job. I will not put anyone in our group in a situation where I feel it's unnecessarily unsafe and that's physical or mental. You know this. Now, is a trip to Dior safe? Technically yes. But the net is cast, and I want to keep our friends out of getting unnecessarily wrapped up in it until things die down. That's all. The more we feed the media, the longer it takes. That's why we are flying directly home tomorrow night and settling in. Back to our normal until people see how horribly boring you all are, and they move on."

Ami took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and rested her head in her hands. Rubbing her back, he continued. "I can show you, but I don't want to. It's all bullshit, and it's only going to piss you off because it's about people you love. They're trying to bait us to come out and say something so everyone is fair game. The best response you can give someone like Jessi today is exactly what you said: you don't waste your time reading anything like that online. That's our official stance on this matter. Your boys are on board with that. They asked the same things you are asking, and I told them the same thing."

"I just don't like to be blindsided, Su."

"I know." He pulled her over, kissed her head, and put his arm around her. "I don't like it either. Unfortunately, this is part of the game, and we have the upper hand. Just remember that."

***

About an hour later, Kook heard the door open, and Ami snuck in alone.  "Heeeey.  How was your chat?  Did you give Su the slip?" 

"No, he and Quon went to rest. He said to check in later tonight."  She walked over and climbed on his lap, straddling him and draping her arms around his neck.  "I love that you wait for me when I'm gone." 

"Mmmmm.  Hi, Little Bird.  I will always wait for you."  He kissed her lips as he inhaled, "God, you smell good. You smell like sunshine."  She felt him grip her hips with his hands as he moved down her neck.  It didn't take long before she felt someone run their fingers through her hair, stopping at the base of her skull and lightly gripping a fist full of hair.  "Love."

"Hi Hobi." She moaned as Kook started pulling off her t-shirt. 

"Pants, Kook."  Hobi softly ordered as she felt him start to unbutton her jean shorts.   Two other sets of hands helped her to her feet as they stripped her, leaving her in her bra.  Kook stripped his pants and shirt off as well.  He sat back down as Namjoon and Yoongi helped her carefully climb back up on his lap, her eyes still closed.

"Dove?"

"Mmm?"  She melted a little more with Joon's voice in her left ear. 

"Would you like to fuck, Jungkook?"  Yoongi said into her right.

"Fuck."  Kook groaned as she opened her eyes.  Tae and Jimin were standing behind the couch, moving Kook's hands up behind him.  He grabbed both Jimin and Tae's hands in his as she smiled and crawled up him and slowly lowered herself down on his fast-growing cock.

They all smiled as both Ami and Kook moaned.  "Fuck him, wife."  Jin licked his lips as Namjoon and Yoongi joined him on the nearby couch to watch.  Hobi stayed, running his hand down her arms, then moving hers to match Kook's, up over her head, holding her hands in his. 

"OH MY GOD!"  Kook groaned as she smiled and started riding him. Neither was allowed to use their hands to touch each other. Kook could feel Jimin and Tae squeeze his hands. They were just as turned on as he was. 

"You know, she's going to be your wife next, and she's going to blow your mind."  Jin leaned over toward Yoongi.  

"If she does half of what she did to me the other day, she’s going to destroy you." Joon teased him.  Both Jin and Joon reached over and rested their hands high on the inside of his thighs. "Fuck." Yoongi whispered, his head falling back on the couch.  They weren't going to do anything except have their hands on him. He loved the mental game, and they knew exactly how to play it. 

As for Kook, it was all physical.  Feeling restrained and watching her ride him with Hobi holding her hands.  It was just the right amount of everything for everyone.  This event would have been very different if she hadn't gone with Su to talk.  They were all ready to fuck her into tomorrow, make her brain float away, and then care for her all night.  Given a moment to pull themselves together, they opted to save that for when they got home to Korea.  They still had one more day in California and decided it would be best if they didn't melt her brain completely.  This week had gone off without a hitch, and ending on a strong note was what everyone wanted more than anything.

***

Next door, Quon was stretched out, relaxing on the couch.  He had been sitting close enough to hear Su and Ami's conversation, replaying parts in his mind.   Su was so good with her.  She listened and trusted him with every fiber of her being.

"Oh hey, I didn't hear you get back. How did it go?  I completely passed out. " Choi walked in from one of the bedrooms and sat down across from him, trying to wake up.

"We went up to the cabana, and they talked for about an hour. It went as expected. Su's trying to keep her and the boys out of it and focused. So far, so good."

"Good."  Choi stretched. "Hopefully, tomorrow goes well, and then we can get them all home and settled for a while before Yoongi and Ami fly off. It will feel better when we are back in our stomping grounds."

Just then, they heard faint, muffled moans coming from the wall they shared with the guys and Ami. 

Choi calmly reached over, picked up the remote, and flipped on the TV. Quon sat up and looked confused for a moment.  "Is that..."

"I don't know."

Quon sat back now, smiling and pondering, "Do you ever wonder about the logistics of it all?"

"Logistics?  I try not to."  Choi shook his head, trying to keep his brain from wandering in that direction.

"You never wonder?  Honestly, and I mean this in the most non-creeper way possible, I think it's fascinating."  Quon smiled as he saw Choi give in and think for a moment.

"Listen.  I don't know how to fix combustible engines.  I'm not a mechanic. I can appreciate the complexity and beauty of all those parts coming together without having to understand how it actually works.  I'm just glad it does. Those guys are a lot different than who they were in the beginning.  They've grown, and if whatever they do behind closed doors makes them who they are today, then I really don't care."  He looked over and met his eyes with Quon, "I think about it this way.  I assume all of it, every scenario and combo, and allllll over the map.  If I'm fine with all of that, then it doesn't matter what the truth is.  I'm more concerned about the outcome produced."

"What do you mean outcome?"

"They figured out long ago what they needed to do to get ready for big days like tomorrow, let alone the added pressure from this trip and the media.  They need to be mentally ready, and I think it's more than a good breakfast and a nap.  As their security, we need them present and aware when we're out with them.  If they are stuck in their heads or distracted, that's when it gets tricky for us.   So, if I'm fine with whatever because it keeps them grounded, it's a win-win.  But I don't need to know."

 

The next morning.

At eight a.m., three cars pulled up promptly outside the Dior store on Rodeo Drive. It was a quiet morning on the famous street, as the stores usually didn't open until closer to ten.

Choi walked up to the store to hold the door open as Quon opened the car door. A very sophisticately dressed Hobi, Jimin, and Suki stepped out. "Ladies first." Jimin smiled as they let her lead the way. Su and Pak stood on opposite sides of the sidewalk and then followed them all in, leaving the rest of the security with the cars.

"Quon." Su nodded to the door as they walked in, so he stayed to watch the door. 

"Suki! How wonderful you could make it! My name is Sunny. I've been speaking to your assistant Jae all week. Will she be joining us?"

"No. I'm sorry, she was otherwise occupied this morning. As her proxy, Jimin and J-Hope have graciously agreed to accompany me." Ami motioned to her two beaming men. "Hope that's ok."

"Of course! Jimin, J-Hope, lovely to see you both again." They all shook hands and said hello before the meeting continued. Sunny escorted the trio deeper into the store.

"Thank you for meeting with me so early. It's been a busy week." Suki continued as Jimin and Hobi slowly fanned out, looking at what the store had to offer while still listening to the conversation.

"Not to worry, it happens all the time. So, we at Dior wanted to congratulate you on your photo shoot with Vogue. We've heard and seen nothing but marvelous things from Anna."

"Seen?"

"Of course, would you like to see some of the photos?" Sunny smiled.

"You have them already?" she stepped closer as the woman picked up an iPad and started flipping through screens. "They were sent over yesterday."

"She has the Vogue pictures," Ami called out to the boys, and they both dropped what they were looking at and walked over.

"That's interesting," Pak murmured as Su nudged him. "Go see."

Sunny smiled, "Here, look for yourself. They're amazing." She handed the iPad to Suki as Hobi, Jimin, and Pak looked over her shoulder while she flipped slowly through the photos.

"I don't even recognize myself."

"I do. That's how you look every day. Incredible," Jimin said softly. Pak watched her flip through the photos, then he wandered back to Su and gave him an impressed 'not bad' look.

Ami handed the iPad back to her, "Thank you. So, why did you want to see me? I assume not just to show me those."

"Suki, I'm actually the Creative Director for Dior. My job is to meet people we may want to partner with in the future. You came highly recommended by our Paris office. After watching you for a while and seeing how the shoot went earlier this week, it was time we met. I was hoping to meet Jae, but seeing you both is always good." She nodded to Jimin and Hobi.

"So, you're considering asking her to collaborate with Dior then?" Jimin was calm but eating it up. They had teased her for a long time that Dior wanted her. Ami could hear the glee in his voice.

"We are. We also wanted to offer one of these to you if you need one tonight. We hoped Dior could help." she waved her hand, and a rack of dresses was pushed over to them. "It's been reported your friends here are going to the Gala, but nothing about you. We reached out to your company, but they wouldn't confirm you were going. So, we took a chance and thought maybe you might need something if you did." Sunny smiled as the Hobi walked over and looked at each one as Suki held fast.

"I'm sorry, Sunny, I wasn't planning on going to the Gala. I actually have other plans."

"These aren't all for you," Hobi called out as he flipped through, noticing two distinct styles. They complimented each other but did not have the same vibe.

Sunny smiled, "No. They would be for you and Jae, actually."

"You wanted to dress Jae as well?" She said with surprise.

"Why?" Jimin asked as he walked over to look.

"Well, we were considering asking both of you to partner with us, not just you," she said with a coy smile.

"I'm sorry...you're thinking about asking BOTH of us?"

"Why? And I don't mean that disrespectfully towards Jae...but why?" Jimin turned and joined Ami's side.

"The same reason Vogue wants them," Hobi said as he left the rack and joined Ami's other side.

"This is why they are here," Su said quietly to Pak as he glanced over at him. Pak was a pretty expressive person but he was stoned face as they listened to the group talk.

"Well. Both of you are very fashionable in different ways, and you carry the brand well. A joint venture with two in the same campaign would be something new for us. Of course, we can discuss this in the future if we decide to go that route. It was just an idea." The three of them standing together as they were wasn't going unnoticed.

"But you wanted to dress us now, so you're dangling a carrot. I'm not a horse." Suki responded with a light-hearted yet stinging tone.

"God, I love it when she's on." Pak relaxed and took a breath.

Suki reached over and touched her arm, offering an olive branch. "Thank you for thinking of Jae and me for the Gala. But I do have other plans for tonight. I'm not able to attend. This all was very thoughtful, though. If that is something Dior wants to discuss at a later time, please reach out. Now, these two have a different reason they wanted to come with me today, they have money that's burning a hole in their pocket. Do they have time to shop?"

"Of course! Please! Let us know if we can help!" She waved her arm, and both boys immediately took that as a green flag and started seriously considering all the options.

Suki stayed behind for a moment next to Sunny. She scanned slowly around the store, looking at all the expensive clothes. Quon and Choi were by the door while Su and Pak were a little closer, pretending to be one with the leisurewear. "Thank you for sponsoring the photo shoot. The clothes were beautiful."

"You're welcome." They both watched her men look through the clothing. Jimin pulled things off and over his arm.

"One thing, though. I appreciate knowing beforehand when I'm showing up for an audition." She pointed at the rack of dresses. "That's premeditated for Jae and me. Offering to dress us to see what kind of response you will get from the public before investing is completely understandable from a business perspective. I get it."

Jimin and Hobi both flicked their eyes towards her as they spoke, yet kept looking through the racks.

"It's hard for me to agree to things when I feel blindsided." She turned and now faced Sunny. "Did you let Jae know this was your plan?"

"Well, no...but this wasn't intended for you to feel blindsided. People are usually excited for this kind of opportunity." They were both having a calm, professional conversation.

"Of course. A hundred percent. And if Dior officially offers it would be considered with the highest appreciation and consideration."

"Well, to tell you the truth, if you two agreed to go to the Gala tonight in any of our clothes, you would have a contract in your office by morning." She watched Suki smile. "Sorry, we can't accommodate you. Like I said, we have other plans."

Su and Pak started making their way over to the group. "Suki," Su said with a little smile. It was time to end this meeting. Ami had told them both before that if it was another Vogue ambush, to pull her.  While a little less pressure than what Vogue did, it was still the same. The two women continued their niceties as the boys finished up.

At the same time, Su and Pak were over it, Hobi was nudging Jimin as well, "Let's go." They both stopped shopping and walked over to the counter to pay.

Hobi felt Pak stand close to them, "You good? You looked less than impressed a few minutes ago." The shop girl rang up his selection, and Hobi swiped his card without even looking at the total as Pak sighed, "Yeah, I fear we have a new normal now, though. Nice to see her on her game." He reached up to take the bags as Hobi shooed his hand away with a smile. "I got it." He grabbed his two bags and went to stand with Ami.

"How was it?" Suki beamed as J-Hope held up his two bags and gave them a little shake.

"Dior never disappoints!" he added to their conversation as Jimin was having his items rung up.

"What do you think Jae's going to say after this? That's two major fashion icons fighting for her. Regardless of the how and why it's happening, it's still pretty huge." Jimin pulled out his wallet and dropped his Black Card on the counter as the girl finished ringing him up.

Pak sighed, "I don't know. I think that's going to be a conversation for back in Kore..." Pak paused, slapping his hand over the card, causing everyone to look. "Wrong card," he said with a smile as he palmed it and shoved it into his pocket.

Jimin was staring at him, completely confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Wrong card. Try again," he said quickly again, smiling at the equally confused shop girl.

"I only have one Black Card. What are you talking about?" Jimin looked down in his wallet and was shocked to see the card in question still there. He took it out and stared at it like a little kid who had just seen an up-close and personal magic trick.

"Oooookkkkkk. We'll use this one then." He said slowly as he tapped his card to pay.

"Thank you!" The cheery shop girl said as she handed him his bags. Pak grabbed them, antsy now to go, walking over with the awaiting chatty group.

"Is everything okay?" Su leaned over and asked as Jimin finally made it over and took his bags from Pak. "I don't know. What card was that?" Jimin asked, curious about what card he had pulled from the wallet. Pak looked over at Ami and said simply and calmly, "It's all good. He was trying to use a card that only offered airline perks."

Su felt Ami slowly reach back and grip the sleeve of his arm in her fist. She had to keep it together until they returned to the hotel. She knew a shit storm was going to come down on her from Pak and her boys. Jae, she had to get to Jae. She would be her ally in all this complete nonsense. "Fuuuuuuuuuuck." She said under her breath.

Su didn't know what the hell was happening, but Ami gripping his sleeve wasn't in any playbook. As calmly as he could, he said, "Suki, I'm sorry. We must get going. Boys. Now. "

"Thank you so much, Sunny. It was great to meet you. Thank you again for everything." Suki smiled as Su tried to keep himself from pulling her out of the store. "Yes, thank you so much." Jimin and Hobi grinned and finished out their smooshing duties.

"The pleasure is all mine, anytime," Sunny called out. "Oh wait! These are for you!" An assistant came running over with two gift bags. Choi walked over and graciously took them from her as Quon opened the door. "Thank you." He gave her a little bow and followed them out to the cars.

 

Once they were on their way, Su looked over at Pak. He was staring ahead, not taking his eyes off the road. Before he could speak up, Jimin did, "Pak. Let me see that card."

"Can someone explain what happened back there?" Su piped in.

"No." Ami and Pak said in unison.

"No?" Su looked at both of them, surprised. Su was rarely told no. Hobi and Jimin were equally as shocked.

"Wait. What happened?" Hobi now looked over at Ami, who was trying not to bust up laughing. She was firing off an SOS text to Jae to meet her in the guy's suite, and they were on their way.

"Wait, how do you know about this card?" Jimin looked at Ami as she shook her head and didn't add anything.

"No?" Su said again.

"Listen! We aren't talking about this until we get back to the hotel!" Pak said firmly, "And Su. With the absolute highest respect, please, for the love of god, don't ask me about it right now."

One awkward, long 25-minute drive back to the hotel later, the travelers opened the door to the suite to find Jae waiting with the other five guys. They were all lounging around, except Jae, who was perched in an oversized seat, waiting to see what the SOS could possibly be.

"Hey! How was the meeting!" Jin called out. They were all happy to see them return.

"What's with the looks?" Yoongi questioned as Hobi and Jimin set down their bags on the table. "Did something go down?"

"Something did. I have no clue what, though." Jimin turned around and looked at Ami.

As soon as she entered the suite, she beelined to Jae to tell her what had happened before they were called out.

"Hold it!" Pak yelled and pointed at the girls. "You two wait right there!"

Everyone froze as Su shut the door behind him. Pak turned his back to the group and started talking to him. "I'm going to tell you the bare minimum, and I need you to trust me. Please, for once, don't ask any questions." Pak started whispering to him. Su's eyes went from Ami over to Jimin as he quietly listened. Nodding every once in a while.

"What is happening?" Namjoon whispered to Kook. Everyone was confused.

They saw Pak take something out of his pocket, and they both looked it over. When Su realized what it was, his expression changed from shock to uncomfortable surprise and to trying to contain laughter. He tossed his hands up, hearing enough, and grinned at the group. "Good luck." And with that, he turned and went back to his room.

Pak locked the door behind him and slowly took off his jacket. "I swear to god, Ami." He gritted through his teeth.

"It wasn't my fault!" She couldn't hold it in and started laughing.

"Would someone like to explain what the fuck is actually happening?" Tae, along with everyone else, was looking between Ami and Pak.

"Jimin. I believe this is yours." Pak was ready to hand it to him when Ami yelled, "Wait! What about what happens on vacation, stays on vacation!"

"I think that rule is moot when your husband is trying to buy $45,000 worth of Dior with a points card." Pak shot back as he finished handing him the card. Jimin was staring at it. The front had an airplane on it, but he still looked confused. "I don't get it." All the boys were now crowded around Jimin, looking at it with him.

"OH HOLY SHIT!" Jae's hand flew over her mouth. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO."

"Turn it over." Ami snickered.

Jimin flipped it over, and it took him about 1.6 seconds to put it all together. "OH, MY GOD. YOU ACTUALLY MADE A CARD!?!"

At this point the girls completely broke down as Pak shook his head at them.

“What's this?" Hobi started smiling.

"I told you I would make one, and it's NOT a points card. Thank you very much." She grinned. 

"Wait! Wait. There's a card for that! You didn't tell me that! OH. I'm fucking getting a card." Jin said firmly as he sat back down on the couch.

"You guys joined the mile-high club? When!?" Jungkook stared between them with a look of fire and a little jealousy.

"Who cares about when! How could you keep this a secret?!" Tae yelled, "Wait, you knew too?!"

Jin tossed his hands up, "Hey, I just found out about this on our honeymoon. I was sworn by honeymoon secrecy." He made the motion of a cross over his heart, crossed his arms, and smiled.

"So wait. What happened at the store then? How did Pak have this?" Namjoon cracked a smile. "You knew what this was?" They all looked over at Pak as he rolled his eyes.

"Jimin wasn't paying attention and tossed that card down to pay." He pointed at it. "I swiped it before the shop girl saw." Jimin's face now reflected the horror of how that would have played out if Pak hadn't noticed. "Ami! How would I explain that?!"

"Hey! I didn't know it would take you this long to find it, let alone try to use it to buy things," she said between giggles.

"When did you do this?" Tae now held the card, flicking it between his fingers.

"Do you remember the day those two had their laughing fit that threw them into traction?" Pak pointed at the girls. Jae took a noticeable side step away from her. "Hey! Where are you going!" Ami cackled.

"I didn't make the cards." Jae grinned.

"Cards? Plural? How many cards are there?" Yoongi had been quiet, watching everyone's reactions to the secret they had let out of the bag. Pak shot Ami a look as she cleared her throat. "Listen. Assuming we would all get around to it, I made enough for all of you." She smiled at her boys, hoping to take the spotlight off Pak and Jae. "Jimin and I decided to keep it between us until the next person joined. It was kind of nice to have something not everyone knew about right away."

Jimin swiped the card from Tae's hands and pulled out his wallet.

"What are you doing? You're putting it back?" Kook asked, amused.

Jimin was grinning, "You bet your ass I am. I earned this card. You all can earn your own."

"Can you please not put it next to your other one? Shove it in a secret pocket or something." Pak called out.

"God, that's a loaded statement."  Hobi murmered.

"So. Are we the only five that weren't aware of this highly secretive club?" Namjoon looked around the room.

"Su knows now. Well, he gets the overall idea. I had to tell him something after Ami made him lose his mind at the store and all but yank her out of there."

"What?  Why?"  Yoongi looked back at her.

"I was trying not to freak out.  It was so fucking funny."  She grinned.

“Oh yes. Hilarious.” Pak rolled his eyes. 

Kook was thinking out loud, "So, Choi and Quon were with you guys on that flight.  Do they know about this?"

"NO."  Ami, Jimin, Jae, and Pak all said in unison.

"Well, I assume not."  Ami looked at Pak.

"I never told them. I didn't want to know with you two."  Pak plopped down onto the couch.

"Hey!"  Jae piped in, "If it weren't for those two, we wouldn't have..."  Everyone saw Pak give her a look before she shut up. A smile crept across everyone's faces as Namjoon wandered over to stand behind Ami, wrapping his arms around her shoulders so she could rest her chin on his forearm. "Naughty Dove." He whispered.

“You both have cards?”  Kook’s mouth was wide open now. 

Jae walked over and straddled Pak's lap, gazing into his face. "Kai, take your work hat off. Of all the people in the world, they aren't going to care," she said softly. "You acting like it's something bad."  She then whispered in his ear, "You weren't that upset when you earned your card."  She raked her nails through his scalp as he closed his eyes and relaxed. 

"That's why what happens on vacation stays on vacation."  Jimin grinned.  "Pak.  Thank you for saving my bacon today, and sorry it outed all this.  I owe you."

"It's fiiinne."  He groaned. 

"Is it?" Namjoon asked as everyone waited.

"Look.  It's strictly a work brain-vacation brain problem.  I wasn't expecting that part of our trip to be literally tossed on the counter today.   The headspace I get in when we go out...it was just a hard left.  That's all.  Then, I have Su asking questions in the car! I’m sorry, but I’m not sharing that with him."  Ami started giggling again as everyone else started smiling.

"He told Su no."  Hobi shared.

"Of fuck, for real?"  Jin's eyes got big.

"Yeah.  So you know, he loves that." Pak rubbed his eyes, "So I outed you two.  YOU TWO are taking one for the team."

“Well, as much as you deny it, you’re part of the team.”  Yoongi smiled. 

“See, baby.  Perks.”  Jae grinned as he leaned over and kissed her head.

Chapter 9

The day had already been busy, filled with Dior and an awkward group conversation that no one expected to have. As much as they wanted to, they couldn't sit around all day. There was still a lot to do. Soon, they were all standing in Pak and Jae's suite, ready to tackle the hoard of clothes they had brought to ship back home. Su had boxes sent up so the guys could get it packed, and then he would have it all brought down to some vans.

Pak stood to the side, amused at the task at hand. "This shouldn't take long with all of you. What's the plan?"

"We need to pull out what we are wearing for tonight and put that on this rack." Jin bossed. "Everything else we need to box up and stack by the door. Girls, do you want help, or do you want to pack yourselves?"

"Um, being that we seem to have almost as much as you seven for some unknown reason, help might be needed." Ami cheesed. "I think Hobi and Jimin should help us. They created this monster."

"Happy to." Hobi grinned as everyone grabbed boxes and started in. "What are you two wearing tonight anyway?"

"Oh, something simple, I think. Ed's a t-shirt and jeans guy. Jessi is always a little extra, but I don't want to out-dress anyone." She started flipping through the clothes, pulling a few things off that she would work.

"Oh no! You aren't dressing boring!" Jae called out from somewhere behind a rack of clothes.

"Simple isn't boring, you know! I'm not going out bedazzled to the ninth degree!"

"This." Jae pulled out the gray off-the-shoulder shirt she saw the first day and tossed it on the bed. "It's perfect for tonight."

The guys smiled as the girls bickered. Pak helped by moving boxes ready to be shipped to the living room as they worked. Namjoon and Yoongi pushed a rack of clothes the boys would wear that night back across the hall and everything dwindled down quickly until there was just what was left for Ami and Jae for that evening.

Everyone was sitting around the now emptied room when Su walked in with a smile. "Well, that didn't take too long. I'll have those boxes hauled off to the plane."

"Will it all fit?" Jae asked, surprised.

"They should fit under the plane. If not, I'll have them shipped. So, I just confirmed the rest of the day's plans with the whole team. Ready for the rundown?" After the morning revelations, Su wanted to ensure the guys and Ami felt there was zero weirdness from him. He knew they had been careful to keep that side of their private life with her separate from him and Pak over the years. Loving on her, yes. Overt bedroom stuff, no.

"Do you want all the details or high-level bullet points?" Everyone looked over to Ami to see what she wanted. She let out a sigh, "How about bullet points with details if you feel we need to know now vs. later." Hobi gave her a long, sweet kiss on her head.

Su smiled, "I can do that. Okay. We need to pack up because we won't return here tonight. Our bags are going straight to the plane. Boys, we are leaving around six. Girls, you're heading out around seven."

"What time does the concert start?" Yoon asked.

"It starts at seven, when they arrive everyone will be enjoying the show. So. Get in, Ami can razzle-dazzle them, then head straight to the plane. Boys, we will arrive shortly after, and then we will go home. Do not pass go, do not collect $200."

"Who are you taking along with the girls?" Hobi asked Pak as he playfully tugged her hair.

"Me, Choi, Quon, Byun, and six other guys. The rest of them will be with you seven. It's an all-call tonight. Everyone will be on deck." Pak smiled.

"Too bad we can't be there to see the show." Jimin pouted a little.

"You saw the show already, for two hours. It's going to be exactly the same." Ami snorted.

"No. Sofi is going to be full. It's not going to be exactly the same," Namjoon said, and all the guys smiled, knowing what he was saying was true. Jae looked over and saw Ami's eyes get big for a moment.

"It's going to be fine," Su said with a reassuring smile. He knew she was a little nervous about this event and truly hoped it would go off without a hitch.

The rest of the day was full of food, lounging, packing, and preparing for the evening events. Ami packed up and moved her stuff over to Jae and Pak's room to get ready. She wanted to get herself in the right headspace for performing and knew spending the afternoon with her boys would be distracting. Although Su and Pak kept telling her everything was fine, she still had that small bit of doubt that wouldn't go away until she went on stage and saw no one would throw tomatoes at her.

Ami and Jae were ready to go early, so they went out to sit and talk on Jae's balcony. They were waiting for the boys to come over and say bye before they took off for the Gala. "Ready to go home?" Ami smiled as they enjoyed the warm weather breeze.

"Yes and no. I mean this, all of this is fucking great...but I'm ready to be back in my own bed if anything. OH! How was Dior? I was going to ask you, but we had a level ten SOS we had to deal with." She grinned.

"UUUGGG! Jesus! Poor Pak. Poor SU!" Ami groaned.

"You know the plane ride home is going to be interesting," Jae smirked. "They ALL want that card now."

"That's not happening. Not this time." Ami said firmly.

"Well, you better sit in the front with Su then. That's the only way they'll back off now." Then Jae gasped and said overly dramatically, "What if Su sits in the back of the plane now!"

"Stop!" Ami cringed laughed as Jae giggled. "OK, new topic. Dior."

"Oh fuck. Right. Hang on, they gifted us something. Let me get the bags." Ami got up and trotted back inside to get the bags as she heard Jae yell after her, "THEY GAVE US GIFTS, AND YOU'RE JUST TELLING ME THIS NOW!"

"What's happening?" Pak smiled as he walked out of his room to see Ami jogging back out with the bags and heading back to the patio.

"Dior." She called back to him. Pak turned and walked back to finish getting ready while he let them be. He knew the conversation was going to happen at some point,

"This should have been what the SOS should have been about." Jae grinned as Ami handed her a bag and sat down again.

"We have something we need to discuss about Dior, but I kind of don't want to do that until we get home." They both pulled the beautiful tissue paper out of the gift bags and sat there stunned.

"Holy shit," Jae whispered as they pulled out Dior purses. "Ami. Why is Dior gifting us these? These are amazing." She started exploring every pocket and stitch. Ami stared at the bag, sitting it down on the table in front of her, staring at it.

Ami let out a sigh, knowing this conversation wasn't going to wait now until they got home. "Um, they are considering offering us a contract for Global Ambassadors."

"Who? You and Hobi? Jimin?" She finally took her eyes off the bag and looked at her friend.

"No. You and me. That's what they wanted to discuss. In fact, Sunny, the woman who's been in contact with you, is the Creative Director for Dior. She was excited to meet you today. We didn't know that's what they wanted. It shocked everyone, Su, your Kai, everyone." Ami looked over at Jae, who was now staring at her, mouth wide open. "I'm sorry. What? WHAT?!"

"So, they couldn't get information from the company about whether we were going to the Gala. That's why they were blowing up your phone. They wanted to dress us tonight, and if we accepted, they would offer us a contract tomorrow."

"What does that even mean?!" Jae's brain was exploding. "Wait. Wait. So, you're telling me that Dior isn't just courting you, but maybe me? WHY?!" Jae started nervously laughing. "Jesus, I don't know how to take that information. The adrenaline is dumping in my body. Is it good? Is it bad? What the fuck?! FUCK."

Ami cracked a little smile, "I know. I don't know."

"How did you leave it? I mean, it sounds like you all ran out of there after the great credit card debacle of the 21st century."

"Ummm. Well. I think I told her I appreciated a heads-up about putting me and you on the spot. It was a professional conversation. I told her we would fairly consider an offer if they chose to do that. I don't know. I think there's much to consider with any offer like that. I mean, I didn't grow up caring about this sort of stuff. I know you did. The boys like it, but that's their style. It's their brand. I get it. I'm flattered they are considering us to represent them, but I don't know what something like that MEANS."

"Yeah. Yeah." Jae sat back in her seat and tried to wrap her head around everything. She finally smiled and took a breath, "It's pretty fucking cool though."

"Yeah." Ami smiled.

Jae cocked her head to the side and thought for a moment, "What if we were their Global Ambassadors for their line of sunglasses? That seems like the perfect fit to me."

Pak was inside finishing getting ready when he heard the girls start to laugh hard, the kind of laughter that was going to require oxygen at some point. He shook his head as he heard a knock on his door and went to answer. It was Su.

"Hey there, come on in. They should be passing out here in a moment." He joked as Su closed the door behind him.

"They sound really good. I'm glad. Ami's been worried about tonight." Su smiled. "Here, I have something for you to show her tonight if she gets in her head." He pulled out his phone and shared some links to Pak's phone.

"She's nervous about her performance?" Pak's phone pinged, and he opened it to see what he had sent.

"No, about how she will be received after the week's news. So, if she starts to spiral, show her those. It should help. Come on." He smiled as he started to head out to the balcony. At this point, Jae and Ami were starting to recover when they saw Su and Pak walk out to join them.

"Hey. Damn, it's all blacks tonight, huh?" Ami barely got out between controlled breaths. Jae looked up to see Su and her Kai standing there, amused at the two of them. They were both wearing all black. Su wore a tailored black suit, while Pak wore a black button-down shirt with his sleeves rolled up. He would put on his jacket before they left.

Su winked. Ami knew that when their security was dressed in all black, it was also a visual for others. It sent a message. "Well, it's an important evening for everyone. Quon and Choi are bringing the boys over in a moment. We're about ready to head out. Are you two ready for a fun night?"

"I think we need to fix our makeup now, but yeah, I think we're ready." Ami calmed down a little and stood up, shoving her thumb into her left side, "UG. I have a stitch from laughing."

"Laughing that hard shouldn't take you two out like that." Su teased as he walked over, pulling her left arm up and over her head, making her stretch. "Breath." He said softly, "It's going to be a good night."

"What are those?" Kai asked as he walked over and pulled Jae up, gently wiping her laughing tears off her cheeks.

"Dior's gifts."

"Humm. How kind of them." He said, hoping to keep the sarcasm out of this voice. "Shall I pack them with the rest of the things, or are you using them tonight?"

"No. Not tonight." Jae smiled as she went up on her tiptoes and planted a little kiss on his lips. "You look hot." She mouthed to him as he smiled.

"Think you two can keep it together for a few hours until we all meet up on the plane?" Su watched her take a deep breath and then lowered her arm, resting his hands on her shoulders. She could feel his calming energy come over her.

"Any concerns for tonight?"

"None." Su smiled.

"Sorry about earlier today," she said quietly. Su pulled her in a little and said, "Don't worry. I have a solution." Ami's eyes got big, and they heard the door open to the suite before she could ask what he meant.

"Daaaaaaaaaaaamn," Jae called out as they all turned to see the boys file in, Choi and Quon following behind. They were all dressed in shades of black and gray with pops of white. Not matching but coordinating perfectly. Su gave her a wink and then stepped to the side.

"Pak, please cover your girlfriend's eyes for a moment," Jungkook smirked as Pak grinned, stood behind Jae, and put his hands over her eyes. "What! Why!" she laughed, trying to wiggle away to see. Ami started giggling as her boys all focused on her as they continued to walk to her. Su felt her waver for a moment, then stood tall, planted her feet, and didn't break eye contact with them.

"What's happening?!" Jae was now trying to pull Pak's hands away from her face.

"Pak, if you move your hands, we aren't responsible." Jae heard Namjoon say.

"It's not for you," Pak whispered in her ear. He started walking her back inside the suite, hands still over her eyes. Su followed, "Don't worry, Jae, it's not for me either." Su and Jin exchanged a glance as the three went back inside.

"Suki."

"J-Hope. Gentlemen." She stood her ground as she could feel the sex ooze from them. "You all look ready to hypnotize the world."

"And what about you? Do we hypnotize you?" Jimin looked her up and down as a little smile crossed her lips.

"Everyday."

Tae walked up and gently put his hands on her hips as they stared into each other's eyes, "Wife. I hope you have a fun evening. We'll see you on the plane in a few hours." He leaned down and kissed her softly, sending electricity through her body.

"I love it when you call me wife." She whispered, resting her forehead on his for a moment.

"Just wait until we all have that privilege," he said directly in her ear, giving her goosebumps.

The eight all talked for a moment as the other five waited for them inside.

"Jae, has Ami talked to you about Dior?" Su asked. She felt Kai put his hands on her hips and hold her close to him. His fingers found their way under her shirt to feel her skin.

"She gave me the run-down. Not gonna lie, my brain is a little explody."

"I'm sure it is." He looked up at Pak, who was less than impressed by the ordeal. "Well, I suppose we'll figure it out if they offer something. Until then, don't worry about it." That statement was more for Pak than Jae.

It wasn't long before Namjoon walked inside, holding her hand as the rest followed. They all had a sweet moment with her before they needed to leave.

"Rude!" Jae called out, crossing her arms in fake protest as they all smiled at her.

"I promised not to fuck with you, so you needed to leave," Jungkook said in what sounded like a deeper voice than usual. Everyone was putting on their armor tonight to meet the public. The boys and Ami were all mentally ready to withstand whatever would be tossed at them. They need to be. It was the same as their security teams, all dressed in black.

"You can't fuck with me." She challenged. Everyone's eyes shot over to Yoongi as he ran his tongue inside his cheek. "We need to go; I respect your boyfriend too much." He grinned, dying for the opportunity to melt her to prove a point. Everyone now was watching Pak, who was strongly contemplating the offer. "You know, if I didn't need her to be 100% present tonight, I might let you." He smiled.

"What!?" Jae scoffed.

"Maybe another time then," Yoon said, unphased.

Su took the opportunity to open the door. It was time to go. Ami turned to Yoongi before he followed them out, "I fucking love you." She whispered as he softened his gaze on her. "I love you too. Have a fun night."

"You too. Be safe."

 

At the Gala.

Not long after they left the hotel, they pulled up to The Museum of Contemporary Art. Su had some of this team already there waiting, as the rest came with them. They were slowly creeping along in the line, waiting for their turn to get out and walk the red carpet.

Su was watching his phone on the ride over, reading the constantly updated online feeds from the event.

"How does it look, Su?" Jin called up to him. They knew how he operated. They had done this a million times before.

"They're hungry for you guys to show up. The usual."

"Is there anything on where she is tonight?" Jungkook was careful not to say too much. They had a driver with them who, while part of their team, didn't know they were all together. Su checked his phone again.

"Um. A little. There are rumors, but nothing solid. They're still banking on her being here tonight."

"Good. So, how long are we staying? Can we show up, schmooze, write a check, and go?" Jin leaned over and looked out the window as they slowly rounded the corner. The wall of press looked larger than usual.

"No can do." Su turned and looked at them all. "We aren't leaving until they leave. I assume we'll be followed, and I want the girls safely on the plane before we show up. That being said, I assume you're going to be asked about her repeatedly tonight. What's your plan for that?"

Namjoon smiled, "Simple. She had other plans for tonight, which she does."

"Good." Su turned around as they were next in line to get out of the car and walk the carpet.

As soon as the car stopped, Su got out, and the flashes from the cameras went off. He paused for a moment and then opened the car door as all the guys climbed out of the large SUV. They usually didn't travel together to events, they would have traveled in two cars, but Su didn't want them split up—not this time.

"Jesus," Jimin murmured as they all climbed out to the intensive flashes. They straightened themselves up a little as the reporters and crowds screamed for their attention.

 

Back at the hotel room.

"I found them!" Ami turned up the TV, climbed into a chair, and grinned as she saw her boys exiting the car. If the boys were involved, there would be coverage. "God, they look good."

"They really know how to turn it on." Jae sat down with her, and they could hear all the screams from fans and reporters shouting questions at them. Quon and Choi walked over and joined them, not sure if this counted as keeping her off the media or not. Pak could hear the TV and walked out of the bedroom as Choi gave him an unsure look.

"Ami, I don't know if we need to watch this," Pak said, not taking his eyes off the TV.

"But this is something we always do." Ami looked over at him, "Why not?"

"I mean..." Pak paused.

"Pak. Either it's all fine and everything's good, nothing to see here...or it's a fucking wildfire out there. Either way, I'm going to watch them walk the carpet." She looked back at the TV. Now the pure joy of watching them waned a little as she sat there a little more somber.

Quon looked at Pak, who seemed genuinely saddened and conflicted for his friend. Ami watched for a few more moments, then stood up, turned the TV off, and tossed the remote down.

"Ami," Pak said more softly.

"It's fine. We're leaving in five minutes anyway. I need to finish getting ready anyway." She got up and went into the bedroom. Jae sighed and looked over at Kai. Before anyone could say anything Quon got up and followed her in. "Let me."

She looked up as Quon knocked on the open door and walked in. He walked over to the TV and turned it on. "What are you doing?" He didn't say anything but found the station with the guys and turned the volume all the way down.

"You like to watch them on the red carpet. We don't want you to hear all the bullshit the reporters and media want to spin about you all. So, this way, you can finish getting ready and watch." He sat down in a chair as she sat on the bed and watched the TV. The boys were smiling, waving, and posing as they made their way inside the venue. They watched their faces as they smiled and joked with each other, but occasionally, Ami could see a glance or look by one or more at the same time, reacting to something someone had said to them. Quon looked up and saw Pak join them in the doorway before he continued, "Ami. Some media outlets are fueling the wrong narrative, and the fans are reacting to what they are being fed. The company isn't going to go to battle over every misguided word. You and the guys aren't going to give time and energy to that. No one should. I don't care who you are. You can't throat punch everyone."

They continued to watch, and they could tell the guys were getting more annoyed but still smiling. Su was starting to move them up the carpet, but Ami could see the fire growing in their eyes from the comments being hurled at them.

***

"Where's Suki!?"

"Is she coming later?!"

"She's dating Jackson. How do you feel about that?!"

"Jungkook! Are you dating Suki?!"

"When is she going to reveal who she is?!"

"We heard she's sleeping around the group. Are you heartbroken?!"

"Yoongi! Is it true she used you to get a deal?! Are you crushed?!

"Why isn't she here?!"

"Where are you meeting her later?!"

"JIN! J-HOPE! V! RM! JIMIN!"

"GUYS! GUYS! GUYS! THIS WAY! OVER HERE! LOOK THIS WAY! HERE! HERE!"

"OH, come on, guys!!"

***

"They're getting pissed off." Pak came in and sat down next to her, watching the TV with them. They could all tell. They knew their expressions. He looked over at her and could see the frustration in her eyes. "You don't even know what they're saying, and you're getting mad. Ami. We've seen what's out there. Please believe me when I tell you I want nothing more than to punch them all in the face." He said with a little grit in his voice.

Ami looked at him and could see the pain and fire flicker in his eyes. It was the one thing she hadn't considered through all this, that Pak and Su had to navigate reading everything and then manage her and the guys. It finally clicked, it wasn't only her and the boys it was affecting, it was truly everyone. That lit a different kind of fire in her.

"Quon, please turn that off. Thank you." She stood up and turned, now standing in front of Pak. "I'm sorry I've been difficult."

"You haven't been difficult. You've been reacting to what's been thrown at you. You're trying to process everything on the heels of bullshit yet still live a normal life and get married...over and over and over." They watched her crack a little smile as he stood up. "As your friend, it sucks watching you all have to take on what you do. As your head of security, if we can take some pressure off, we will. This is one of the ways."

"I get it. Thank you." She gave Pak a big hug as he hugged her back. Then she smirked and called out, "Jae! I'm hugging your boyfriend!" Pak scoffed but didn't let go. "God, you make everything so weird sometimes." Quon started laughing as they heard Jae call back to her, "That's okay! Apparently, Yoongi wants to melt me or something!"

She looked up at Pak with a grin. "I won't let them—not Yoongi anyway."

"I'm not worried about it. Come on. Let's get you to a concert."

 

Sofi.

Suki's entourage entered the gates of Sofi around 7:45 pm. The concert was well underway as they parked in a similar spot as they had the day before. "Ready?" Jae grinned as Ami took a deep breath. "Yeah."

"Stay here, girls. Choi, come with me, please." Pak said as he hopped out of the front seat of the car. Choi turned off the car and joined him as they walked over and spoke to one of Ed's staff members. Soon, Quon and Byun joined them. Pak nodded as the staff member said something in his walkie-talkie and waved someone over to them.

"Damn," Ami said as two fancy golf carts pulled up next to her car.

"OH shit, this is going to be fun!" Jae said as Pak opened her door. Ed had just finished a song and the volume from the fans surprised her as she climbed out. Jae popped out after her, and they put the girls in the cart. Pak joined them as Quon, Byun, and Choi climbed in one behind them as they all took off.

"Jessi's here already. We're going to meet up with her," Pak said over his shoulder as they zipped through the underground tunnels in Sofi. Ami nodded as they made their way. She was excited to sing but still would feel better after it was all done.

A few moments later, Jessi turned and saw Suki and her group enter the room. "You made it!"

"Hey there, how's everything going?" Suki smiled as she took off her jacket. Jae took it from her, gave her a wink, and went to stand next to the side with Pak and the guys.

"Good! The place is packed, and it sounds like fire out there. I can't wait!" Jessi was so excited to finally sing in a venue like Sofi. Just then, there was a knock at the door, and a tech guy came in. He needed to get her set up with a mic pack. Pak walked over to help, but he also wanted to listen to their conversation. Su shared what Ami had said the day before about keeping Jessi away from the guys, so she didn't think she would mind him lurking a little.

"So, those boys actually went to the Gala tonight, huh?" Jessi leaned back and crossed her arms, smiling as Pak and the guy fitted the pack on her.

"They did. They are there now, I think."

"Mm. Are they going to show up later? I hope so." She grinned. Hanging out with them a little more casually the day before was amazing. She knew if they were there tonight in all their BTS glory, she would be wrapped up in it and that's something she always loved. She had her own clout, but the BTS clout was always on another level.

"Not that I'm aware of. Do you want to go through the song before we go out?" Ami was ready to change the subject. She wasn't interested in gossiping or girly talk with Jessi right now. She wanted to stay in her headspace.

"You don't want to be over there with them?" Choi said quietly to Jae. He saw her smile and shake her head. "No. This is work-work. Yesterday was fun, but today is work."

***

Su leaned over to Namjoon. "They arrived just fine. My guess is one more hour here, and then we can go."

"Thanks, Su." He smiled and turned back to the conversation with the Gala hosts.

"Su," Kook subtly motioned him over as he was heading back to his spot. He walked over and leaned in as Kook did the same. "Do we need to leave the same way we came in?" Su looked up at him, a little surprised. Kook didn't look worried but a little pissed off under the social niceties he had to put on. Su understood why, the gauntlet into the venue was pretty rough. "No. I'll find another way out for you guys." He reassured him as he moved to stand next to him.

"After that entrance, I think we'll write a check from now on. That was bullshit." Su didn't say anything, only nodded in agreement.

"Remember when you guys started out, and you would walk those carpets, and no one would give two glances? Those were the same assholes you wanted their attention from years ago. Now, we can make some different choices in the future to minimize those interactions. That's easy. Let me show you something." Su pulled out his phone as Yoongi and Jin wandered over to see what they were talking about.

"Everything ok?" Jin asked as Su nodded, pulling up some articles he had saved. He smiled and handed his phone to Kook. "Don't let that red carpet dampen all the positive out there." They all looked down as Kook slowly scrolled through the headlines, every one of them were supporting BTS, Suki, or the two together. Some were from major media outlets, and others were from fan sites, but all were in favor and had huge support for them. It was the same set of headlines he gave to Pak to show Ami if she needed it.

"It's been a raw week. We're leaving in about an hour, don't worry, I'll take care of getting you guys out of here." Kook handed his phone back. Su gave them a wink and walked off to make that happen.

"You good, Kook?" Yoon asked as they looked back at him.

"Yeah. I just wanted to punch more than a few of those guys on the carpet."

"I know. We'll talk about that when we all get back home. Come on. Let's get something to eat." Yoongi said as Jin put his arm around him walking him over to a waitress holding a tray of hors d'oeuvres.

Su walked the room and found his contact for the event. "John. Do you have a minute?" John was writing something down and handed it to a staff member when Su came up. "Of course. What can I do for you?" They shook hands, "BTS is going to need a different way to their cars in about an hour. What are the options?"

"They don't want to leave the way they came in?"

"No. That's not going to work." Su said plainly.

"Ummm." John thought for a moment, "Let me check something, and I'll come find you. I think we can make something work." Su gave him a little bow while John walked off to see what he could do for his A-list guests. It was his job to fix the problems that came up, and this was one he didn't want to get wrong.

***

It was about ten minutes before Suki and Jessi were going to pop out of the floor of the stage in front of thousands. They had warmed up, got directions from the crew, and were now standing under the stage, waiting anxiously. Jessi was on one side, while Ami and Pak were standing on the other.

"I've never popped out of the floor before." She leaned on the scaffolding as they talked.

"Aren't you all full of firsts this week. As soon as we leave, the guys will get ready to head out. Then it's wheels up and homeward." He leaned with her, trying to keep the conversation light and moving along.

"I think I'm ready." They heard the roar of the crowd as Ed finished a song. It was almost her turn.

"Jesus, it's loud." Ami looked up as if she was going to see through the flooring at the crowds.

"It's Sofi." He grinned. "Hey, I was thinking when we get home, we should call Wendy."

"Oh?"

"I know you and Jae want her to come out. We might want to get that in the calendar between all your extra circular activities." He grinned, and she gave a little laugh. "Oh god. Well, I guess that's something we can add to the list to talk about when we get home." He watched her play with her microphone a little and take a breath.

"Nervous?"

"Yes and no. I'll feel better once I get up there and there aren't any tomatoes being hurled my way."

"There will be no produce thrown. This is strictly a no-produce stadium. Promise." He reassured her. They talked a little more before the stage crew joined them again. Pak stepped back as they helped her get into place and pulled back the panel on the stage. He watched her get ready, shaking out the nerves a little as they flipped her mic on. She took a long, controlled breath, as she always did before performing.

"SOFI! ARE YOU READY FOR A SURPRISE!?" Ed called out to the crowd. Ami could feel the energy of the crowd cascade down from the hole onto her. She looked over at Pak, and he didn't need to see her eyes through her glasses to know they were huge. He gave a big smile, clapped his hands, and let out a long "WHOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" making her laugh and shake her head at his antics.

Ed started layering the music as he kept talking. "SOFI! Please welcome two amazing guests who have come from far away to help me with my next song!! SUKI AND JESSI!!!!" The lifts started rising as the two joined Ed on stage.

 

(Play on Spotify or YouTube!)

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7Hej9EwRclz3YzkN4OIvkw

 

Ami forced her nerves down as she sang the first line. Sofi was so big it didn't even look real, but it was the energy of the crowd that she could feel in her bones. She looked over at Jessi, who was having the time of her life, and with that, let every worry go. Jae, Quon, Choi, and Byun were all backstage, watching on a wall of monitors showing every angle as Pak stayed below, waiting for her to come back down the lift she was done.

The guys heard Jae squeal in delight as they all relaxed as they saw the response from the crowd they were hoping for. There was always a chance it wasn't going to go the way they wanted, especially after this week, but if this was the litmus test, it was a good one.

***

A bored paparazzi at the Gala was sitting outside, waiting to get shots of the celebrities as they left the venue. His phone buzzed as he took it out of his pocket. "Fuck. She's not coming." He groaned.

"Who?" Another guy asked who was waiting with him.

"That Suki chick. She's at Sofi." He thought for a moment and made a call to a colleague. "Hey! Suki is at Sofi. Yeah, right now, I guess. Can you get over there and follow her when she leaves? I'm stuck here waiting for BTS. Perfect. Thanks." He smiled, guessing they would probably meet up afterward. If they could get that shot of them together, that would be the cash cow they needed.

***

Inside the Gala, Su pulled Namjoon and Yoongi off to the side. "Watch." He smiled as they both looked down at his phone. Someone was live-streaming the concert. The volume was low, but they could see the excitement of the crowd and the three on stage. "Oh my god!" Namjoon whispered as they watched.

"They look good." Yoongi grinned.

***

The trio jumped around and hyped up the crowd for each other as everyone sang their parts. All her nerves were gone, and she allowed herself to enjoy the experience in full. The lights were so bright she couldn't see the full stadium, but occasionally, a spotlight would flood the seats, and she could get a glimpse of its vastness filled with people.

The song went fast and without flaws as they were soon done, and all took their bows to the electric crowd. "SOFI!! YOU'RE AMAZING!" Ed yelled out as he turned to both girls. "Thank you so much!" He gave them each a hug as they waved to everyone. "Thanks, Ed." Suki beamed, flipping her mic off and pulling her earpieces out so she could hear him and take in the room. "This was perfect."

"Pleasure is all mine!" He smiled. "Let's talk soon." Jessi waved and played to the crowd while walking back to her spot to be lowered back below the stage. Suki made her way as well, turned, and waved one more time as the lights went off and Ed was illuminated in a spotlight again for his next song.

The lights going off after she had been in the bright stage lights, coupled with her dark glasses, made it difficult for her to see, and she hoped she was in the right spot to be lowered down. The floor started to move, and Pak watched it come down, but she wasn't on it.

"Shit." He scrambled up onto the platform as it was moving and saw she was standing just inches away from the opening with her back to him. Just then, she took one step back into the void and felt herself fall backward.

***

Su, Namjoon, and Yoongi all froze. They could just make out her silhouette on stage, and it appeared that she had vanished.

Su said slowly, "Let me make a call." Joon and Yoongi's eyes were huge as they were trying to remain calm.

"That didn't look right," Yoon said nervously as Su quickly dialed Pak. He put the phone up to his ear and waited.

***

As she fell back, she instinctively threw her arms out, smacking her wrist on the side of the stage opening. "Fuuuck." She groaned, pulling her arm into her chest to hold it as she felt someone break her fall.

"HEY! You good?!" Pak had caught her as she fell backward, and they both now sat awkwardly under the stage. He had his arms around her and slowly started to let her go.

"God damn it." She groaned, pulling her glasses off with one hand tossing them down, and then holding her arm again.

"Talk to me," he said quickly as he maneuvered her off him and sat her against a support wall. The stage crew was now on the radio, calling for the venue medic.

"Give me a moment. I whacked it on the way down." She started taking deliberate, long breaths as Pak suddenly felt Choi at his side. Choi reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a baseball hat, "Did she hit her head?"

"No," Ami answered between exhales. Choi carefully put a hat on her and put her glasses in his pocket.

"You're good. Take a minute. Why are you breathing like that?" Pak watched her, concerned.

"You know when you hit something, and your brain tries to decide if you need to pass out or not? Well, did you know if you keep breathing, you won't pass out? If you have enough air, it's impossible." Ami had her eyes closed and her head back as she focused.

"That makes no sense." Pak felt Choi dig into his jacket pocket and pull out his phone. "It's ringing. It's Su." He handed it to him; Pak hadn't heard it ring. "Su?"

"You guys good? We were watching a live stream." Su asked as he made eye contact with the guys, trying not to overreact himself.

"Um. Maybe. She fell backward into the open stage, I caught her, but she whacked her arm on the way down. She's currently doing Lamaze breathing." That's all Su needed to hear. He covered the phone and mouthed, "Get the guys." Joon and Yoongi fanned out to collect the rest of them as Su stayed on the phone.

"Is it broken?" he asked quietly.

"Hey, can I see?" Pak asked gently as he reached over and carefully ran his hand down her arm, squeezing a little as he went. She finally opened her eyes to see a blurry Pak and Choi with her. She straightened it out slowly and moved it around. "I think I'm good." Pak held her hand and slowly rotated her arm back and forth.

"I think she's ok." Pak sighed.

"The medic is coming. Do you want these?" Choi asked, pulling her glasses back out of his pocket.

"Yeah, thanks." She took one final deep breath and slipped them on as the commotion of the staff made their way over to them.

"Su, we'll get her checked out and then we're out of here."

"Keep me on the line," he said as all seven now concerned men joined him. He put the phone down and filled them all in quickly. "Say your last goodbyes if you need to."

"We're done," Hobi said, and they all agreed.

"Ok. Follow me. We need to find John." Su looked out and found the man across the room. As he led the pack over to him, John looked up and smiled, pointing them to a door to meet him.

"Ready to go?" John smiled as they all nodded. "Follow me." He led the crew through the kitchen, where chefs and waitstaff were scurrying around with food and drinks. Su stayed on the phone with now Choi as they quickly walked down hallways and corridors until they found themselves at a door to the outside. There, across the lot, were their cars waiting for them.

"Thanks, John." Su smiled and shook his hand as they all thanked him while they walked out, then jogged across the lot to their awaiting cars.

"Su, she's good. We're up and heading out." Choi updated him as they slowly made their way through the underground stage and back to an awaiting Quon, Byun, and Jae.

"Is Pak ok?"

"I think so."

"What the hell happened?" Jae asked, astonished, as they made their way to them. Choi was on the phone, and Pak was hovering closely behind her.

"Fell in a hole. Whacked my arm." She grimaced and smiled as she tried to hold her composure. "Fucking hurt." She whispered as she showed Jae her large red welt just above her wrist.

"Jesus," Jae said, shocked.

"Yeah, oh, and the guys were watching on a livestream, so you know." She cringed a little as Jae said, "Oooh shit."

"Suki!!! That was amazing!" Jessi came running over, unaware of the under-the-stage drama that had just occurred.

"You sounded great; thanks for calling me." She smiled, and they all watched her slip her arm behind her back so as not to be assaulted by Jessi's huge hug bomb.

"OH MY GOD! We must do that again sometime!"

"We need to go. Suki?" Pak said quickly as he and Choi both stepped up and peeled her away from Jessi.

"We'll talk soon, yes?" she said back to Jessi as they escorted her without waiting for any more small talk to happen.  The girls all waved to each other as they left.

"Honey, I need you to ride with Quon and Byun to the cars." Pak looked back at Jae as she nodded and followed Quon to the second golf cart.

"Pak, I'm ok," Ami said as he helped her in and joined her on the other side. Choi took the front seat, and they took off. "Yeah, well, when you start doing weird breathing because you are trying not to pass out, you get a personal escort." He reached over and took her good hand, and looped it in the crook of his arm. "Do you want the ice pack?" he asked as they scooted down the corridors.

"Not until we get to the car. Thanks." She gave him a little smile as they zoomed. "On a bright note, I think it went well, until the end anyway."

He relaxed a little as they talked. Soon, they pulled up to the cars, and everyone climbed out.  They were going to help her, but she wanted to do it on her own.  She knew there was probably a video of her out there wiping out, so she didn't want pictures of her injured as well.

As soon as all the doors closed, Pak handed her a couple of ice packs. "Put those on," he said. She obliged, and then he handed her his phone with a smile. "They need a proof-of-life conversation."

"Heeeeey." She sighed as she heard all of them on speakerphone.

"Baby? What happened? Are you ok?" Yoongi asked as they finally pulled out of the parking lot.

"Yeah, I'm just a little bruised, but I'll live. How as the Gala?"

"Fuck the Gala. What happened?" Kook yelled from somewhere in the back of the SUV.

Ami sighed, "The bright stage lights turned off, and between that and my dark glasses, I thought I was in the right spot on the stage. It turns out I wasn't."

"Jesus." Yoongi groaned as they all silently reacted. "You could have really hurt yourself."

"I'm good. Promise." She tried to reassure them as she repositioned her ice packs. "Where are you guys?"

"We're just leaving," Su called out. "We'll arrive just a little after you all do."  Their cars pulled out and turned right, away from the venue and the soon-to-be-disappointed paparazzi.

 

Forty-five minutes later.

"Hey.  Did you get the shot?"

"No, I think she's gone already.  I don't think I made it in time.  What about you?"

"Fuckers left out the back. Oh well, we have them arriving.  That's good enough, I suppose."

***

The girls looked up and saw a train of well-dressed but concerned men board the plane.  Ami held her arm up and smiled.  "I survived!  Nothing broken!"

"Byun isn't here," Pak said quickly as they took stock of who was on board with them. "He and Quon are picking up burgers for the trip.  They should be back in about 15 minutes."

"Thanks."  Namjoon sighed as they all walked back to the girls. Byun's absence gave them time to check in with her and not worry about keeping up appearances.

"Let me see,"  Jimin said softly as he took her sleeve and pushed it up a little. "Just bruised."  She smiled as he leaned down and kissed her arm. 

"How do you feel about the show?" Jin asked as they all sat down around them, pulling off their ties, jackets, and clothes to get comfortable.

"Really good."  She sighed, completely happy about how it all turned out.

"She was amazing." Jae grinned. 

"Of course she was," Joon smiled. "Guys, let's get changed and ready for the flight. We have time to talk on our way home."

"Is Byun flying with us? I forgot to ask."  Ami looked up at Kook as he leaned over, kissing her lips sweetly.

"I don't know.  Let me see."  He turned and went back up the aisle.  They knew if he flew with them, they would have to be on their best behavior.  This trip had cracked the door open for them, and they weren't excited to spend the next 13 hours back in the friendship closet.

"Maybe he's flying on the other plane."  Tae pulled out his bag, rustling through for a change of clothes.

"What other plane?"  Jae asked as she and Ami looked confused.

"We rented a private flight for all the staff who flew over and helped this past week.  We thought that might be better than sticking them on a regular commercial flight.  Kind of a thank you for all their hard work."  Hobi walked to the back of the plane to change.

"An entire plane?"  Ami looked over and Joon, who winked at her.

"He's picking up food and taking it to the rest of the team. We'll meet them back in Korea."  Kook smiled.  "Quon will be back shortly, and then we'll head home." 

The guys all got changed and settled in, happy to all be back together in the comfort and safety of their plane.  It wasn't long before Quon was back with armloads of In and Out Burger bags. "YES!"  Jae cheered from the back as Quon, Choi, Yoongi, and Kook all got up to help him.

"Good lord, how many did you buy?"  Kook took a bunch of bags and started to pass them out.

"It's a long flight,"  Quon said innocently, then grinned. 

"Let me know how much we owe for this."  Yoongi smiled, helping pull stuff out of bags. 

"Oh no.  This is on Choi and I."  Quon smiled, "Our treat."

"Really? Are you sure?"  Yoongi looked between them as they both nodded in agreement. "Absolutely."

"Wow.  Thanks."  He smiled as Jae made her way over to Pak and sat down next to him.  She took a big bite into her burger and groaned.  "God, it's so good."  He gave her a kiss on the head as he settled in with her. 

It wasn't long before they were up in the air. Everyone was full and settled in for the long trip.  Su, Quon, and Choi were all sitting up front in their seats as they usually did.  A little further back Pak and Jae had a row together, then the peppering of boys and Ami filling out the middle and back.  Jin insisted on sitting next to his new bride, at least for the first part of the trip. 

Jae was in a full food coma when Pak watched Su stand up and open a compartment overhead.  Namjoon and Jimin quietly watched him as well as he pulled out a bag and russled around a little.  They saw him hand boxes to Quon and Choi, and then he unboxed something for himself.  Ami and Jin were now watching, curious about what he was doing.  He looked up and smiled at everyone, then slowly put on a pair of noise-cancelling headphones.  Su watched everyone's faces do the exact same thing. Their eyes got big as all of their jaws dropped, and they instantly realized WHY he and the other two were sporting the new expensive headsets.

"Oooh!  It's got Bluetooth! Thanks, Su!"  They all heard Quon exclaim as they were all three now wearing brand new expensive headsets.

"These are nice."  Choi fiddled with the settings.

"What?  Aren't these nice?"  Quon said loudly as he was doing the same.

"What?!"  Choi all but yelled back at him.

"Oh my god!"  Pak groaned, putting his head in his hands and laughing so hard that it woke Jae from her food coma. She looked around to see all the guys and Ami, beet red in the face, embarrassed and all laughing.

"What?" She looked around until she saw Su grinning at her with his headset on. Jae completely lost it.

***

Their plane landed on a beautiful morning back in Korea. The group slowly started to stir as they felt the plane slow down and park. Su looked out the window and grinned, "Guys, give me a moment, and then we'll head out." He opened the door and disappeared down the steps as everyone gathered their things.

Jungkook stood up and stretched a long, hard stretch." Oh my god, it feels so good to be home!" As he did, his shirt rose, and Ami couldn't resist running her fingers over his abs. Kook grinned and said quietly, "Little Bird, you better be careful." Yoongi ran his hand over her hips, pulling her gently back a step, giving them some space.

"Honey, taunt Kookie at home." He kissed her neck as she giggled and leaned back into him.

"I'm ready to toss myself on the couch for three days," Tae groaned as he reached over and took Ami's bag from her. "Care to join me?"

"I would love to join you."

Joon opened the shade on the window a crack, then closed it quickly. He leaned over to Jin with a now more excited look, "The cars are here."

"So?"

"No. The cars are here," Joon said again, this time with a little more emphasis as they stood up. Jin took a moment to understand. "Ooh," he grinned. It wasn't long before Su popped back in, holding the car keys.

"OK! Is everyone ready?" He grinned as he tossed Pak a key. "You take the girls. Boys, I think you know where you're going. Quon and Choi, if you could please drive the guys, I'm going with Pak."

While Su gave his instructions, Jae watched Joon and Jin whisper to the five other guys. "Wait. What is happening?" Jae squinted as Ami finally looked up and noticed they all had smirks. Everyone did. Quon, Choi, Pak, and Su included.

"Oh, Christ. What have you all done?" Ami's eyes got big as Yoongi pushed her up the aisle toward the front of the plane. Pak pulled Ami over with Jae so everyone could exit before them.

"See you at home." Jimin grinned as he walked out behind Quon and Choi. Each of her guys enjoyed seeing both girls completely confused. Namjoon was the last to pass them, leaning down and giving her a sweet kiss.

"What is going on?" She smiled as he shrugged and started to walk past her. She reached out and ran her hand down his arm to his hand. Joon hooked his fingers in hers and pulled her along out the door of the plane behind him.

Pak took Jae's hand, "Let's go."

When Namjoon reached the bottom of the stairs and passed Ami off to Su, "Enjoy your new ride." He grinned as he walked over to the two big, brand-new, blacked-out Cadillac SUVs the boys were standing next to.

"Where did those come from?" Ami stared as Su walked her over to her new Mercedes and opened the door for her. Jae was getting into the other side. "Holy shit!"

"Language!" Pak laughed as he closed the door behind her.

"Buckle up. It's fast." Su grinned as he shut the door. The girls heard their doors automatically lock.

"What the fuck." Ami said, completely shocked as they stared at the expensive interior. Pak jumped in the driver's seat, "This is going to be fun!" He grinned as he pushed the ignition button, and the car roared to life. Su climbed into the passenger side as they heard the front doors automatically lock.

"Pak. Where did these cars come from?" Ami asked as she saw Choi and Quon speed off across the airport tarmac towards the gates with the boys.

"Did Hybe get new cars?" Jae grinned as Pak took off following the boys.

"OH my god, this is so smoooooooth." Pak easily caught up to them, enjoying how the new car moved. Su turned and looked back at the girls. "I don't know if you've noticed, but your guys have upgraded our rides."

"You don't say. Wait. The boys did this?" Ami sat in disbelief as Pak slowed down to a more appropriate speed, and they all merged onto the highway.

"Oh fuck, this car is NICE." Jae squealed as Pak easily merged in and out of traffic.

"What do you think?" Su smiled.

"So, those SUVs and this is ours? Like, ours-ours?"

"Yup. They wanted something a little better for you and Jae when you roam around. Can't say that I mind at all." He winked at her as they flew down the road. Jae opened and explored every nook and cranny of the back seat, reporting everything she found as Ami ran her fingers over the texture of the leather seats and the finer details.

"This is really, really nice," Ami murmured. "Pak, did you know about this?"

"I may have heard a rumbling." He called back but kept focused on the road.

"I can't believe you kept this from us!" Jae was pushing buttons, finding the one that controlled the radio, and starting to flip through the stations. Ami wanted to protest but knew it was wasted breath at this point. Her boys were going to do whatever and spend whatever they wanted when it came to her. She learned that long ago.

"How does the car feel?" Su interrupted her thoughts as she looked over at him. Ami relaxed in her seat a little more and smiled. "It feels good."

"Oh my god!! Seat warmers!!"

 

Back at the house.

The boys were all piling out of their SUVs as Pak rolled up and parked. Kook trotted over and tried to open the door, but it was still locked.

"They won't unlock unless you push this button," Su said quietly as he hit the button on the dash, and they heard the doors click.

Kook pulled the heavy door open. "So, what do you think?" He grinned as Ami climbed out and surprised him with a big hug. Kook instantly wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"I love it. Thank you."

It didn't take long for the luggage they had with them to be brought in and dropped inside.  Next Su was pulling Pak and Jae's luggage out of Ami's new car and setting it off to the side as Choi was driving a new BMW out of the garage, pulling up next to Su.

"Um, who's car is that?" Jae questioned.

"Jesus, how many cars did you buy?" Ami looked up at Jin in disbelief.

"Oh, didn't we mention? That's Pak and Jae's new car." Jin said nonchalantly as he pulled Ami into his arms and held her, then whispered into her ear, "We bought it for Pak. It's his, not ours. That's a gift for him and Jae." Hobi and Jimin watched her face instantly beam as she snuggled back into Jin.

"I'm sorry. What?" Jae stared with her mouth wide open as Choi, Quon, and Su started loading the luggage in the back. "This is ours?"

"Well. Ours to use." Pak corrected her as he watched her brain slowly implode.

"It's not ours," Namjoon said calmly. Choi and Quon smirked, and Pak now looked confused, like Ami earlier in the ride. Everyone shrugged and shook their heads.

"No. I mean, it's for work." Pak looked at them for clarification.

"Pak. It's not ours. It's not the companies. It's yours." Yoongi said with equal calm.

"NO. No. Guys. You don't mean OURS-ours." Pak's brain was now trying not to explode. "This isn't an Oprah...You get a car! You get a car! Scenario." He stammered. He looked at Ami, who looked so happy. She shrugged, "Well, it's not mine. Mine's over there." Hobi started laughing.

"GUYS!" He yelled but didn't know what else to say, so he stood there with his hand over his mouth, staring at them.

Jimin walked over towards Jae. "Wanna check it out?" she squealed as Kook and Tae joined them to get in and touch all the buttons.

Pak was in shock. "So, when you asked me about what car you thought would be good for Jae and me to use..."

"Well. We wanted your input. It was your car." Hobi grinned.

"Fuck. This is too nice." He whispered, trying to keep the tears from welling up in his eyes. "Thank you." He choked out as they heard a short honk from the car, "Kai! Get in!" Jae yelled out. He whipped around with a full grin to find her in the driver's seat.

"Oh shit, NO!" He laughed and was about ready to run over when he turned back to the guys and gave them each a deep, respectful bow. "Thank you." They walked over to him as Namjoon pulled him up and gave him a hug, "Pak. The amount you do to keep her safe and what you do for us, there isn't a price we wouldn't pay."

"You better go before she figures out how to start the car." Jin laughed as they watched him run over. He pulled her out of the driver's seat and tossed her over his shoulder as she laughed. He walked her around to the passenger side and plopped her in as Su, Choi, and Quon all climbed in the back.

"Talk to you guys tomorrow. Bye, dear." Su smiled as they closed their doors. Pak grinned as he started the car and headed out of their drive. They all waved as they pulled away. As soon as they were out of the drive, Ami felt Jin pick her up and head inside with her. Their trip was finally over.

Chapter 10

The next week was quiet. No one wanted to go anywhere, which gave everyone some much-needed downtime. The days were filled with napping, eating, and enjoying hobbies they usually didn't have time for.

As expected, Vogue dropped the picture, fueling the flames but reinforcing their friendship and letting them know that they weren't hiding anymore. The Gala, while rough in the beginning, was well attended, and BTS showing up, of course, only gave it positive traction. Jessi and Suki's surprise performance with Ed was also well received, and fans were now spreading rumors that she would announce a major tour soon.

Ami lay by the pool, where she had been for the last few days, enjoying the sun, at least until Yoongi walked by and pulled her chair. "Hey, Yoon," she smiled, allowing him to slide her and her chair under an umbrella without protest.

"Honey." He sat down next to her, leaning back and closing his eyes.

"I'm excited to run off and get married to you." Ami smiled as he turned and looked at her. "I am, too. It won't be long now. The month will go fast, and then I'll take you away."

"Is it just us, or is everyone coming?" She pried for information. The guys held fast to her original request that they plan the weddings and details for her. Now that they were approaching the fourth wedding, she asked more questions.

"Just us this time." He smiled, closed his eyes, and relaxed. She knew he wasn't going to give her any more details that she absolutely needed at the moment.

***

Across town, Kija was walking into a building. Jackson's tour had ended, and they had returned home a few days before.  He was anxious to meet Jang face-to-face and get their little project underway.

After more research, Jang was ready to put more time and effort into this new project.  He knew he started off rough with Kija, and he didn't want him to back out before they got started, so he was going to have to change his demeanor a little to keep him on the hook.  Ultimately, he needed him for his plan to work.

"Come in!" Jang looked up and saw his old college acquaintance walk in. "There you are. Finally made it back from mending the aches and pains of the world's idols. Have a seat." He pointed to a chair.

"Yup. I got home a few days ago. Glad to finally be out of that shit show. It's been a while."  Both guys shook hands before sitting down.

"It's been a few years.  So, tell me. How does the top of their class med student, with so many prospects, find themselves playing staff medic for Jackson Wang of all people?" Kija looked at him surprised, "How do you know..."

"I always do my research."

"I don't think that matters," Kija scoffed, already annoyed as he watched Jang smirk.

"Okay, fine." He relented, "So, let's talk about this girl. I've been putting some things in place, but you need to fill me in on everything so we can make proper plans."

"What do you mean, everything?"

Jang sat back in his seat, folding his hands in his lap. "Who is she?  What's your real beef with her? Why her? What assets do we have at our disposal?"

"What do you mean, assets? How much more money..."

"Noooo. ASSETS. You knowing who this girl is, is an asset. We now have a mole in Hybe we can tap into. That's an asset. We need to put all our assets on the table to know what we can work with. Then, we can make a solid plan. Not this random bullshit you've been tossing at her that's made them lockdown."

"Hey, I had a plan..." He said defensively.

"No, you didn't. That's why you came to the professionals." He held his hands out as he grinned. "So, assets. Let's talk. I'll start." Jang pulled out a notebook and pen. "We have a contact now working inside Hybe. It wasn't easy to secure, but they have their ears and eyes open for anything we can use. One problem is you pushed them into lockdown mode, so we are basically starting at the beginning." He pulled out a fat folder and plopped it in front of him. Kija reached forward, picked it up, and looked through the papers.

"Those are details on everyone we can connect to your girl, including those BTS boys. I'm sure you've seen the headlines lately. It would explain her connection to this guy." He reached over and pointed at Su in the file.

"That's Mr. Su. He's someone I wouldn't mind knocking down a few pegs in all this. I've asked around about him, and the consistent response I get is that he's highly respected and not to be fucked with." Kija said as he skimmed details on everyone. In the file were Pak, Jae, Choi, Quon, and other known connections.

"Why him?" Jang was curious. He knew who he was but wasn't sure Kija really knew.

"He's the one who kicked my parents out of a funeral," he said, then looked up at Jang.

"I need more." Jang motioned with his hand.

Kija sighed. "My parent's lifelong friends were killed in an accident. They were devastated and went to the funeral in London. Those friends happened to be this girl's aunt and uncle. She was there, and when they went up to offer their condolences, Su was with her. He took it upon himself to have an intense conversation with them and then kicked them out.  You want to know WHY I'm working in the K-pop world? Because my parents came back and threatened to share what Su told them with the authorities.  Working for Jackson is kind of my penance. Dad knew a guy who knew a guy that was running Jackson's show, and they needed staff. Jackson is notorious for having a hard time keeping people. They didn't care that I had a promising career before me! Apparently, it's supposed to teach me something."

Jang listened, "Soooo. What do they know? What did Su tell them that made them flip on you now?"

"Nothing more than what you helped clean up in college, 'misunderstands' with some girls. They knew I had a lot of 'crazy' girl encounters but took offense to someone else knowing and calling them out.  But you know, I'm a disappointment. They've given me all these opportunities, blah, blah, blah."

"So, Su knows this about you?" Jang looked at him dumbfounded. "Christ, he's already looked into you. You have no idea, do you?" Jang rubbed his face in disbelief. "How are you still here?" he mumbled.

"What? Why am I here?"

"No. Okay, so asset , we know that they know your past. It's not good, but it's good to know." He scribbled something on the notepad. "You knew this girl was Suki. How did you figure that out?  That information is hard for even me to find."

"After my parents came back and chewed me out, I tried to find her, but she all but disappeared.  Any social media accounts had been closed or locked down. I couldn't find a thing. So, I decided to go back into her past and work my way back to the present, hopefully finding a friend or connection to her."

"What did you find?"

"When I was in London with Jackson, I hunted down and met her old high school ex-best friend. Luckily, she is very active on social media.  Made it pretty damn easy."  He said smugly.

"Does she know this girl moonlights as a singer?" He jotted something down.

"Yup. She's the one who told me about the secret life she was leading. She's tight-lipped about stuff unless she's drunk.  Desperate for attention." He smiled.

"Well, loosening those lips seems to be your forte." he shook his head. "So, this friend..."

"Ex-Friend." He corrected. "They do NOT like each other. Actually, she's been barking up my tree to call her back."

"Oh, you're still in contact with her?" Jang smiled. "Sounds like an asset to me."

"What do you mean?"

"You never know how people can help your cause. So. Let me get this straight." He leaned back and tapped his pen on the table. "You want to make this girl's life hell because Su 'disrespected' your parents and called you out."

"More or less."

"What's the more?  If you want me to help you, I need everything. I don't want to be blindsided in the middle of the road. That puts you and me in jeopardy."

Kija thought for a moment, "OK. Well, she and I did meet once. My parents and her aunt wanted to introduce us, you know, the ancient art of matchmaking and all. Let's just say it didn't go smoothly."

"How so? Oh wait, I can guess." 

Kija shrugged, "She had me falsely arrested for assault. The charges were dropped, though. They were completely bullshit. There isn't even a record of it happening. We made sure of that so it didn't hurt my professional standing. I walked away from that nut job, but after what happened at the funeral, it's on." Jang watched him as he recounted this side of the story.

"Records never go away." Jang finally said. "They get shuffled underneath some paperwork, but they're always there."

"No. We were assured they were tossed," he said adamantly.

"Ok. Ok." He held up his hands. "They were tossed. So, to make sure I understand the timeline. You were 'falsely' accused, and the charges were dropped. Your parents met Mr. Su, and now you're doing time with Jackson's group. You're also an asset, by the way. You've got special clearance for those music events." He jotted that down. "So, you messed with them; they locked down. You came to me to help get info on where she lives, etc., but we hit a roadblock. You still want to press forward. What's your end goal? What do you want from all this? Again, you could call her out, unmask her if you will, but you don't want to do that."  Jang didn't want to do that either.  He had bigger plans and needed him to be on board, whether he knew it or not.

"No. That's too easy.  This girl is different. She deserves more than that.  Ideally, I want to make her life hell for as long as possible."   Jang watched him stare off with a smirk, then looked back at him, "Now. I have some questions for you."

"Oh, do you."  Jang leaned back, interlocking his fingers behind his head.

"A couple of weeks ago, when you called me about the roadblocks you were having, you were being cryptic."

"Was I?"

"Yes.  Beware of falling rocks and roads without cell service and shit. What the fuck were you talking about?  You made it sound like we were going up the Korean Mafia.  It's just a girl.  I just want basic information on her so I, we, can make her life difficult."

Jang shrugged. The less Kija knew, the better, "I needed to know how committed you were to all this.  That's all.  As you know, my business comes with risks.  Stirring up the music business isn't usually where I concentrate my efforts. They have a LOT of resources at their disposal. I'm more of an extortion, money laundering, smuggling guy.  But I'm not opposed to opportunities like this to expand.  Sounds like we are both on the same page, so let's talk details." Jang got up and poured them both drinks.

"Your end goal can't be just fucking around and making her life hard. That's not worth my time, nor yours. Honestly, what you pulled off in London was impressive, but New York was a fluke. She basically walked into your arms, but what you learned from that encounter was how clamped down they became. Did you see their security in LA? The music companies, Hybe especially, don't take to people fucking with their 'property' lightly. The amount of money they have invested and the potential profits they bank on making off their 'investments' are why they have the security they do. So, whatever we plan, we need to make it count."

***

Joon was in his library when he looked up to see Ami walking in. "Hello, Dove. Did Yoongi finally pull you in from the pool?" He smiled as she walked over, kissed his lips, then perched herself on the corner of the couch next to him.

"He did. I'm not allowed to burn, you know." She smiled, "I came in to ask you a question."

"Of course." He reached, taking her hand in his.

"I have a meeting with Ko tomorrow. We need to discuss what happened in LA, and I would like you to come with me." Namjoon looked at her with a questioning look, then pulled her into his lap. He nuzzled into her neck, "Of course. Can I ask why?" He felt her wrap her arms around his neck as he gently kissed her neck.

"Well. Um. Jesus, you're distracting." She tried to focus as he started to work his way across her collarbone. Ami put her hands on the side of his head and pushed him back as he grinned.

"This is a serious conversation." She laughed a little as he pulled himself together for the moment. He moved her over next to him, taking her hand again. "Ok. I'm being good. You want us to come with you?"

"Joon. I just want you to come with me. I know everyone would come, but I want Ko to talk to me and not be worried about the mob jumping the table and beating him to a pulp." She watched him smile, "We wouldn't do that."

"Yes, you would."

"Yes, we would." He leaned over and kissed her head."What about Jin, though? It was his and your wedding that was interrupted.  Surely, he wants to be there."

"I already spoke to him about it.  He wants to come but admits he doesn't think he can hold it together like I need him to.  He suggested asking you.  Ko thinks we're already a thing, so it makes sense it would be you." She said a little more softly. Joon cocked his head and watched her expression for a moment. "Well, we are a thing. He's not wrong."

"We're all a thing." She played with his fingers as they sat together.

"Yes, we are." He pulled her back over in his lap, wrapping his arms around her and squeezing until she relaxed. She rested her head on his shoulder, not wanting to move for a long time.

***

That evening, Ami was working in her office. She had a lovely week of rest and relaxation at home but now wanted to prepare for her meeting tomorrow with Ko. She wasn't impressed with how Ko had scheduled Vogue and then how they tried to pressure her into letting Jae join in. Her phone rang, and she looked at the caller ID. The guys had returned her phone a few days prior as the calls had died down, and she was ready to take that back over. She was happy to see it was Wendy.

"Hello there! How goes the killer spiders?"

"OH, my god. It's a constant nightmare!" She laughed. "So, where in the world are you today?"

"Korea. We made it back. I could ask you the same question. Where are you? What are you up to?" Ami leaned back in her chair and slowly swiveled.

"Still Down Under." She said in a horrible Austrailian accent. "Harry's finished with his shows down here, so Riggs and I are traveling around to see the sights. It's so amazing, you should come down! We can play whack-a-mole with the spiders!"

Ami laughed, "Sorry. I would love to, but I have a meeting with my Director tomorrow, and the schedule is pretty full. But...how would you feel about coming to Korea sometime to hang out? Maybe if you need a break from tour life? Riggs is welcome, but I don't know what his schedule looks like. I'm sure we could meet all your security needs to his standards," she joked.

"Ooooo. Now that sounds dangerously fun! Will..." click.

"Hello? Hello?" Ami looked at her phone, and the call had dropped. She started to scroll through her contacts to call her back when the phone rang, and she automatically answered, laughing, "Spider attack?"

"Hello? What spiders? We can talk in English. That's fine with me." The voice on the other end was a man's voice.

Ami froze and looked at her phone.  The number wasn't a contact in her phone. "Who is this?" she finally asked, confused, flipping back to Korean.

"It's me!"

"Listen. I don't play these games. You can tell me who you are, or I'm hanging up." She looked up and saw Hobi and Kook walk in. They had been in the other room listening to her talk to Wendy. When they heard her tone change, they dropped what they were doing and came to see what was happening.

"Who is that?" Hobi whispered, concerned.

"I don't know." she mouthed.

"Hang up," Kook said, not being quiet at all.

"You don't know who I am?" the voice laughed, amused by the game he thought they were playing. Ami instantly hung up and tossed the phone on her desk, disgusted.

"I thought you were talking to Wendy?" Hobi took her phone and looked at the number, then pulled his phone out and called Su. As he dialed, he took it upon himself to block the number on her phone.

"I was. We got disconnected, and I thought it was her calling back. Apparently not." Kook took her hands and pulled her out of the chair. "Has that happened before?"

"No. I don't answer calls from people I don't know. But I thought it was Wendy calling me back. I answered before I really saw the number.  He wanted me to guess who it was. I hate those games."

Ami wrapped her arms around Kook, who had one arm on her back and one on the back of her head, holding her to him. He kissed the top of her head, leaving his lips on her.

Su picked up right before the second ring. "Hobi?"

"Su. I have a number I need you to track down. Someone called her." Hobi said quickly.

"Give it to me." He grabbed a pen and scratched the number down. "I need you to block that number until I can look into this."

"Already did."

"Ok. Can I talk to her, please?" He sighed as he sat down at his computer to do some sleuthing.

"Love, he wants to talk to you." Hobi held out the phone as Kook let her go, and she sat down on the couch. Hobi walked out to let the rest of the guys know what was going on.

"Hey, Su." Ami sighed.

"Hey, yourself. You good?"

"I'm good."

"Ok, can you tell me what happened?" He entered the number and searched online for who it may belong to.

"I was actually talking to Wendy first. We got disconnected, and I was going to call her back when this call rang first. I hit the accept button before realizing it wasn't her." She looked up as everyone joined her and Kook.

"What did they say?" Su asked as Ami put him on speaker.

"All the guys are here now, by the way. He said hi and acted like I should know who he was. I told him I don't play those guessing games and hung up on him." She looked up at her guys. Everyone looked very serious. Not mad at her, but at the situation.

"Ok. I'm going to put you on hold for a moment. I'll be right back."

"Thanks, Su," Jimin called out as they heard him click off for the moment.

Just then, her phone rang again. Hobi was still holding it as everyone looked over at him. "It's Wendy." He said, relieved as he answered and walked out of the room. "Hey, it's Hobi. Can she call you back in a moment?"

Jin and Yoongi walked over and sat beside her as everyone found spots. "What the hell, how did someone get your number?" Tae shook his head and crossed his arms.

"My number's out there. It's not that hard. I don't answer unknown calls. It was just a fluke." She let out a long breath as Jin put his arm around her. "It's ok. It's happened to all of us." Yoongi glanced up at Namjoon and subtly motioned toward the backyard. Joon knew what he was implying and replied with a little nod.

Su had put them on hold so he could look for the number online. Of course, it came back unknown. "OK, then." He picked up his phone and called the number. "Let's see who answers." The phone rang and rang before it cut out to a busy signal.

"Lovely." He mumbled before straightening up and reconnecting with the boys.

"OK, guys. I'm back."

"Su. Can you send a couple of guys to the house tonight?" Namjoon spoke up as Ami stared at him, surprised at his request. As long as they lived together, she had never heard them ASK. Su and Pak had made that call, but they hadn't asked, at least in front of her. Yoongi leaned over in her ear, "Honey, it's for everyone's safety tonight until Su has time to look into this."

"Yup. No problem. I was thinking the same thing. I'll have someone there in the next thirty minutes. Ami, I'll talk to you soon. No worries, guys." They hung up the phone as she piped up.

"Is this a little much for a random call?"

"No, it's not." Jimin said frankly as he got up, "I'm going to make sure the guest house is ready."

"We'll come with you." Kook and Jin got up to go with him.

"Tae, can you take Ami upstairs and help her get ready for bed?" Namjoon smiled and winked as Yoongi helped push her up off the couch. Tae took her hand and kissed it, "Come on, wife. Let's go shower."

"But, guys..." She tried to protest, but no one was having it. Hobi, Yoongi, and Namjoon waited for them to go upstairs, then closed the door to her office to talk.

"I feel better about those new cars now." Yoongi sighed. "So, do we get her a new phone number?"

"I don't know what good that's really going to do. The new one will get out eventually, as well. It's more of a pain in the ass to update everyone. " Hobi perched himself on the corner of the couch as they talked.

"It would be nice to be a little further from the city. It's starting to feel claustrophobic. Being in the Italian countryside felt nice like there was more room to breathe. Hey, tomorrow, when I'm with her at the meeting, why don't you guys check in with our builder. Maybe we can move the timeline up."

"I spoke to them today. They're actually ahead of schedule, but it's a big place, Joon. We aren't having dinky cabins built. We're still six months out, at least. We can always rent something temporary if we need to, but I think we should stay put for now. Su and Pak have this place dialed in and are busy enough. Vetting out a new rental space is going to spread them too thin. We're good here." Yoongi sighed. "I'm glad she asked you to go with her. What time are you leaving?"

"Early. Around seven. Ami wanted to get in and out before staff really arrived."

"Showing up with her tomorrow will reinforce with Ko and anyone else who sees you that you're 'together.' Especially after the news this last couple of weeks. Yoon and I have concerns."  Hobi crossed his arms and leaned back.

"Guys." Namjoon looked surprised as Yoongi stepped in, "I, we, don't want you to shoulder that alone right now.   Maybe down the line, but it's too soon. Too many eyes are watching. So, we'll come with you guys in the morning.  If she only wants you in the meeting with her, that's fine. We'll wait, but we don't think now is the time to put you in that kind of spotlight alone."

"Guest house looks good," Jimin reported as the three returned from the backyard.

"I put in a quick order to stock it. We need to keep it a little more emergency-ready for guests these days, I feel." Jin looked around the room. "Ami and Tae upstairs?"

"Yeah. I think we should head up and join them." Hobi said as he, Yoongi, and Joon got up to join the other three.  "Yoon and I are going with them tomorrow to the office, by the way."

"Oh? I thought she wanted just one of us at the meeting?" Jin looked between the three as they all started walking out the door.

"He can still do the meeting with her, but we aren't letting him be seen and singled out to take the heat right now as her 'boyfriend.'  Although I don't know how much he agrees."  Yoongi smiled as they all looked over at Joon.  They all talked as if he wasn't there, "Guys..."

"Maybe we should all go.  There's stuff we can work on, and that way, if we are needed, we can pop in."  Jimin jumped in. He liked the idea of them all going rather than just one of them.

"We'll have to let Su know. We'll need to split and take two cars then,"  Jin called out.

"Guys!"  Joon said again. They all stopped and looked at him.  "Do you have a comment or concern?" Hobi smiled a little as they watched his brain stop working momentarily. "Um, no.  I guess not."

"Kim Namjoon, you aren't doing this alone."  Jin put his hand on his shoulder as they all started walking upstairs. "Now, let's go tend to our wife and put you both in a proper headspace for tomorrow's meeting."

In under thirty minutes, Kook opened the front door. Standing there were Choi and Quon, who weren't giving off their usual jokey, laidback vibes.

"Hey guys, thanks for coming over." Kook let them in, then closed and made sure the door locked behind them.

"Absolutely. Su is over at Pak's working on stuff. They'll be over in the morning. Everyone good here?" Choi glanced around. The house was quiet.

"Yeah, everyone is upstairs. Ami thinks we're overreacting, but we would rather have you guys here until Su gives the all clear. It's just a weird time right now. We've been through this more times than we care to admit. " He walked them over to the back slider doors.

"Nope. That's why we're here." Quon reassured him. "Do you want one of us downstairs tonight or both out in the guest house?"

"Ami would lose her mind if you were in the house." He smiled, "I think we all feel better just having you on the property. The guest house is fine. Thanks again."

"No worries. Really. Get some sleep. We'll see you in the morning." Choi and Quon headed out back as Kook locked the glass doors and headed upstairs.

Ami and Tae had showered together and were walking out of the bathroom to find everyone except Kook getting comfortable. "Where's Kookie?"

"He'll be here in a moment. Come here, Dove." Joon smiled, pulling the sheets back for her to crawl in. Ami sighed, crawled over Joon, and wedged between him and Hobi. Everyone adjusted and got comfortable as she felt them encase her. Hobi kissed her face as Namjoon spooned her, holding her against him.

Kook slipped into the room, quickly stripping down to his shorts, and then took his place outside next to Tae. "Who's here?"

"Choi and Quon are in the guest house. Su and Pak will be there tomorrow. Everything's good." He let out a sigh, finally feeling he could relax. He wasn't feeling the stress of the call as much as his heightened overprotectiveness towards her.

"Is all this necessary? It was just a phone call." They heard her ask. She felt Joon pull her into him tightly as Hobi and her started into each other's eyes. "Love. It's very necessary. We've seen and been through a lot. Little things sometimes aren't so little, and when it comes to you, we won't ignore the smallest of things. It wasn't as big of a deal when we lived in the apartments. We had staff in the building most of the time. Now, with all of us a little more heavy in the news, we aren't going to take any chances. It's likely nothing, but we'll all sleep better knowing they're here tonight."

"You have a big meeting in the morning, Dove. Do you need to sleep, or..." Joon slipped his hand down between her legs. Hobi smiled, watching her eyes widen as she sucked in a breath. Everyone had been listening quietly to their conversation, but as soon as she let out a soft moan, they all were instantly ready.  They had all been hoping the night would lead to this.

In a fluid movement, Joon rolled onto his back, pulling her with him so she was now lying on top of him, her back along his body. He pushed her up, and she sat on his stomach. Hobi kneeled between their legs, running his hand down her body to her hip.

"Jimin, Yoon," Hobi said, as they were the next closest to them in the bed. They each smiled, taking their place at her side. Jin, Tae, and Kook moved closer to the group, making their presence known by rubbing someone's back or touching them.

Jimin leaned, resting his forehead on her temple, and spoke quietly in her ear. "Baby," She closed her eyes as hands moved, then positioned her so she was being placed down onto Joon. He could feel her warmth engulf his aching cock. They watched her breathing pick up as neither she nor Namjoon moved. All she was doing was sitting on him, which was the perfect sensation.

"Baby. Don't you understand, you own us? All of us. We’ll be married to you very soon and forever be yours. Everything we do, we do it for you, and we will do anything for you." Jimin's voice was quiet, but it had a little grit in it that made her body break into goosebumps.

Yoon pulled her chin lightly towards him, then engulfed her lips in his. Jin ran his hand up Jimin's back to his head, gripping a fist full of hair, and pulled his head back a little as he moaned.

Hobi was sucking on the base of her neck hard, not caring about tomorrow's meeting she had to attend. He was going to leave his mark on her, claiming her as the rest wanted to.

Namjoon forced himself to stay still. She was starting to rock, and as much as he wanted to grip her hips and fuck her, he waited. He watched Yoongi sucking her breath away with his mouth as Hobi latched onto her neck. Jin was behind Jimin, pulling his head back and sucking on his ear, making him lose his mind as Jimin had his hand on her breast. He squeezed harder as Jin pressed him on.

Yoongi reached up and started to lightly scratch his nails down her back, not hard, but enough to leave red marks.

"Oh god." Joon moaned as he flopped his head to the side to find Kook and Tae. They were crawling down to the bottom of the bed. Tae positioned himself around Hobi, grabbing his hair and pulling him off her neck. "You've marked my wife enough. She has to be seen tomorrow." He playful growled in Hobi's ear. Tae ran his hand up Hobi's body to his neck and held him. Kook smiled as he watched Hobi's eyes roll back in his head a little. "Come with us. We want to play with you."

"Jesus," Hobi muttered as the two men pulled his body away from the group and over to the side.

Jin released Jimin and took Hobi's place between her and Joon's legs. Yoongi finally let go of her red swollen lips as she gasped and tried to focus.  Jin was now sitting in front of her. He gently ran his fingers over her neck and collarbone where Hobi's marks were starting to show. The look in his eye was intoxicating as she felt the Jimin and Yoongi at her sides gently take her hands and pull them down, securing her onto Joon's now throbbing cock.

"Wife. He marked you." Jin licked his lips as she gave him a little smile, then moved her head to the other side, offering him fresh real estate to enjoy. Yoongi and Jimin leaned down, kissing her hands, and up her arms. Yoon was lightly bitting as he worked his way up. Not enough to break skin or leave a bruise, but the pressure of each bite made her lose her mind.

Namjoon couldn't wait any longer and started thrusting up into her, making her eyes flutter as he let out a much-needed groan. Jin reached up and gently but firmly grabbed her chin as she refocused on him. He could see her right on the edge of her brain floating off.

"Focus on me, wife," he cooed. "Don't float off. Make them work," he whispered. Ami struggled but held his gaze. He smirked as she reached over, took both Yoongi and Jimin in her hands, and started stroking.

"OH, FUUUUCK!" Yoongi groaned loudly as Jimin dropped his head and took short, fast breaths.

"Wife." Jin's voice sounded like velvet as he gripped her jaw more firmly, then moved his hand to the back of her head. Namjoon watched her bend over as she wrapped her mouth around Jin's cock and started sucking. "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh." He let out a long moan, thrusting harder but not allowing himself to finish. He didn't want it to stop. No one wanted it to stop.  Yoongi reached over and grabbed Jimin, pulling him towards him, then aggressively kissed him.  

Hobi, Tae, and Kook were all interwived right next to them. Kook was holding Hobi from behind as Tae was teasing him, edging him on. "Tae...I swear..." He got out between gasps, allowing himself to relax and enjoy the feeling of their bodies all together. Kook's strong arms around him felt so good. They were all eight needing this connection tonight. The week had been so relaxing following such a positive week in California. No matter what happened, this connection is what kept them focused and grounded. Knowing they could all be together like this, loving each other like this, was primal and at the base of who they were.

Joon couldn't hold back any longer as he felt her clench around him. He gripped her hips hard and thrust one more time, holding himself deep inside her, releasing everything he had. Yoongi and Jimin unlocked lips and pulled Ami back up off Jin as he quickly stroked himself and finished. She panted as both Jimin and Yoongi kissed her body, and she joined Namjoon and Jin in bliss.

Over the next few minutes, everyone joined them in a fuzzy state of happiness—intertwined together, relaxing, and content. "I need another shower," Ami muttered with a giggle. She was relaxing in Yoongi's arms as everyone took that cue to start rolling out of bed. Kook turned on the water as Jin pulled a big stack of towels out of the closet.

"Come on. Let's go shower so we can get some sleep. We have an early start." Yoongi said as he peppered her face with kisses.

As people rotated through the shower, the bedding was stripped, and fresh sheets, blankets, and pillows were slipped on. Everyone was in fuzzy heaven as they showered then returned to the now clean bed.  Ami took her place in the middle while Tae and Kook each took her sides, wrapped themselves around her.  Everyone else filled in the rest of the spaces, intertwining themselves, hands and legs everywhere.  

“Thank you, boys.” She sighed and drifted off as they did the same, one by one. 

***

The next morning, everyone was downstairs talking as Ami finished getting ready.  Jin made breakfast as Su and Pak walked up the back path from the guest house.  When they got there, they walked around back and spoke to Choi and Quon before coming up to the main house.   Yoongi opened the door for them, "Hey guys.  Ami's almost ready.  Come on in."

"No Jae today?"  Kook asked as they saw it was just the two.

"Nope.  Byun is taking her to her parents this morning."

"Wait. What?"  They all froze and stared at the two. "Why?" Pak put his hands up to calm the group, "Don't worry. Everything is fine. She's just going for the day and will be back this evening. It's been a while since she's been back, and her mom has been chomping to get her back."

The guys weren't buying it, and they could read it on their faces. "Is it that bad?" Tae asked quietly as he glanced upstairs where Ami was finishing getting ready.

"No. Guys. Seriously. She's just taking a day trip to see her mom. It's been something she's been wanting to do before we key back up into work next week. Today worked best all around." Pak looked them all in the eyes. "I was going to go with her today, but I'm needed here. It's ok, Ami knows, promise."

Su stepped in, "Are you all still wanting to head to the office this morning?"

"Um...Yeah...we need to talk about it."  Kook got out before Ami came trotting down the stairs.  "Morning!" Everyone looked over, smiled, and quickly shifted the mood.

"Good morning, yourself.  You look well rested."  Su smiled as Tae handed her a cup of hot coffee.

"I feel good.  Ready to have this conversation with Ko."  She looked at all her guys and noticed they were all dressed to go out.  "Why are we all looking fancy this morning?" She sipped her coffee.

Su and Pak glanced back at the guys, realizing they hadn't told her the plan yet. 

"We have some work to do, so we thought we would hitch a ride.  You two can have your meeting, and when you're done, we can all come back together."  Hobi explained. 

"That seems like a lot of movement for just a meeting."  Ami leaned back on the counter.  "Everyone needs to go?  What if I'm done quickly, and you all still need to work?"  She paused, "Are you guys worried about being home?"

"No." Jimin smiled. "We want to go for you and Namjoon. We don't want people to single you two out right now, so if some or all of us go, it's harder for rumors to establish on just one person."  They all watched her think as Joon reached over and took her hand.  "I understand what they are saying.  If it was you and anyone else, I would feel the same way. So, they want to come."

"We won't impose on your meeting unless you want us to," Kook added.

"It's a good idea." Su winked as she finally agreed, "OK. Give me 10 minutes, and I'll be ready." 

"We have time. Eat something first."  Jin handed her a plate, and she sat down at the counter. No one asked Su if he had figured out anything with that number. They assumed that if he hadn't offered any news, there was nothing to update them on. They all talked, finished eating, pulled themselves together, and headed out the door.

Chapter 11

Choi and Quon were waiting outside by the cars. Quon was going to drive Pak and Ami, while Choi would drive Su and the boys. Joon was originally going to ride with Ami, but now that everyone was going, Su wanted them to ride separately.

"Thanks for coming last night, Quon. I know the guys felt better having you here," Ami said as they drove towards the office.

"Didn't you feel better that we were there?" Quon called back as he enjoyed driving the new car. Pak turned in his seat to look back at her as they spoke.

"No. I did...I do. I guess I just didn't realize a phone call would mobilize everyone like they did. Did Su ever figure out anything?"

"No. He thinks the call was routed through some app, so their real number is hidden. As long as you don't answer those calls, you should be fine." Pak smiled.

"I usually don't. I was talking to Wendy...OH SHIT! I never called her back!" Ami grabbed her phone to send a text. "Can't believe I forgot. Oh. I gave her a formal invite to come visit sometime." She sent her message and tossed her phone back in her purse.

"Oh yeah?" Pak smiled. "That sounds dangerously fun. Jae will love it." He looked at the purse she had with her. "Not using the new Dior purse yet?" Ami smirked. "No. It's a lovely gift and all, but I have a feeling that it comes with strings attached.  I don't like other people pulling the strings."

Pak watched as she adjusted her shirt a little. "So, you weren't as worried as the boys about the call?"

"Pak, I get a few calls like that I don't answer. Some are legit and leave a message, and some don't. It was just a fluke. The boys freaked, though." She paused, "The guy didn't threaten me. He was playing a game I don't play, so I hung up." She shrugged, trying not to let the ordeal take root in her head. She wouldn't have given it a second thought, but they made it into a big deal. "The guys did all the worrying for me." She finally smiled.

Pak watched her shift her shirt again, then gave her a puzzled look.

"Yes?" She said with a coy smile.

"Nothing." He turned around as they zoomed toward the Hybe offices.

Five minutes before they arrived at the offices, Ami's phone rang. Pak looked back at her as she glanced at the phone before answering. "Hello?"

"Hey there! It's me! Don't hang up this time, will ya?" Ami looked confused as she looked back at the caller ID. It was the same voice as last night, but this time, it had a name attached she knew. "Jackson?"

Quon looked over at Pak, who was ready to jump into the backseat.

"Of course it's me! You know, hanging up on me last night was rude." He cheesed. "But I guess I'll forgive ya."

"You'll forgive me? Wait, you called me last night? Why didn't your phone number come up?"

"What? Ooohhh. Sorry. When I travel, I run my number through an app, so it's a fake number that shows up. Gotta be safe from the groupies, ya know." She could feel his grin through the phone.

"Give," Pak said firmly, holding his hand out as she handed over her phone to him.

"This is Mr. Pak, her head of security. Who is this?"

"Oh, Mr. Pak! This is Jackson Wang. How are you?"

"Jackson. Did you call her last night?" he said quickly.

"Well, I did, but she hung up on m..." Pak hung up and looked back at Ami. "This prick?! It was Jackson?!" Both Ami and Quon stared at him, mouth wide open. "Did you hang up on him?" Ami started laughing as he tossed her phone back in the seat with her, then pulled out his own to call Su.

"What the hell," Pak mumbled as Su picked up. "Hey. We can stand down. Last night's call was from Jackson Wang."

"How do you know?" Su said, looking back at the guys.

"He just called her again, and I confirmed."

"I'll take care of it!" Ami called out so Su could hear.

"She wants to take care of it." Pak sighed.

The guys saw Su relax a little, "OK. I'll let them know. See you in a few minutes." He turned back to the seven, waiting for whatever news he had. "It was Jackson who called her."

"WHAT?" They all said in unison. Su watched them all go from surprise and shock to pissed.

"I'm going to kill him," Yoongi mumbled. Namjoon took out his phone as Su called out, "She's going to take care of it."

"What do you mean?" He reluctantly paused.

"I mean, Pak said she wants to take care of it. You can't call him and chew him out, not yet anyway. Let her do what she wants." Su smirked. "He tossed us all into controlled chaos. She'll take care of it. Don't you want to watch? Anyway, she's about ready to go into a meeting with Ko. Let her have the high ground. It puts her in the right mindset."

"Mother fucking Jackson." Jimin sighed as he looked at Kook.  He stared hard out the window at nothing as they followed down the road. 

"Well, he's not allowed around her anymore if he's going to be a dick," Hobi said matter-of-factly.

"You know, she feels the same way about Jessi and you all." They all paused and looked confused. "What do you mean?" Tae asked.

"Jessi was less than secretive about her, um, desires about you seven, and Ami had enough. She's not allowed around any of you without me. I have my orders," Su said with a shrug as he turned back around in his seat. He could feel the mood of the car shift. Everyone was mad but felt relieved it was only Jackson.  The immediate feeling of urgency started to fade.

Soon, the two cars pulled into Hybe's underground parking. They all climbed out and gathered before going inside.

"Gentlemen." Ami smiled as they all grouped together. She could see how annoyed they were and trying to keep it together. "So. Jackson, huh? Better than the alternative, but Jesus." Hobi broke the ice.

"Have you talked to him yet?" Jin crossed his arms as they watched her take out her phone. "No. I was waiting for you.  I wanted to get my thoughts in order." She said simply. They heard the phone ring as she flipped it to speaker. It rang once before he picked it up. "SUKI! I swear." Jackson laughed, "What is it with you and your guys hanging up on people?"

"Jackson. Why do you feel it was necessary to call me through one of your apps? Do you think I'm one of your whores?" She said in a velvet tone. Everyone's eyes got huge, and their mouths dropped open as she continued. "Do you realize your phone call threw my entire security into overdrive?" She looked over to Pak and Su. "They were up all night trying to track down what psychopath had this number."

Jackson sat back, stunned. "What? I mean...what?"

"I mean, you called and tried to bait me into guessing who you are, Jackson. I don't do that shit. I'm not your groupie, so I don't know why you thought that was how to address me."

"Jesus. Suki... I..."

"I had security sleeping at my house." She said a little more firmly. "What the actual fuck? Would you like to explain before I block your number?" She took a breath as everyone enjoyed watching her rip into him.

"Wait! Wait! Suki. Listen. Yes, I called you but thought I was calling you from my regular phone number." He tried to explain.

"Fine, but when I asked who this was, you still wanted to play games," she said simply.

"Well, ok, but hear me out..."

"Jackson," she said firmly. "Why are you making excuses? Yes or no answers only from now on. Did you call me?"

Jackson paused and then did what he was told. "Yes."

"Did you try to bait me into a game that I clearly told you I don't play?" Her eyes were locked on Su. She needed a point of focus, as all eyes were on her.

"Yes."

"Are you going to do that again?"

"No."

Ami paused, "Jackson. You are a grown-ass man. You tout yourself as a gentleman. Act like one. What do you need to say now that you know all the trouble you have caused my team? Stop with the excuses."

"I'm so sorry. I won't let it happen again. It was clearly my mistake." He didn't stutter as he apologized. She finally looked at Pak, "Mr. Pak?"

"Apology accepted." Jackson heard him say.

"Mr. Su?" Ami smiled as he gave a little wink.

"I'm sorry, did you say Mr. Su?" Jackson asked but didn't hear Su's reply. Ami finally looked at her boys. Everyone looked like they wanted to throw her up against the wall. She knew they loved watching her work, and as much as they wanted to protect her from everything and everyone, they were glad she could hold her own.

"Jackson, I have a meeting, so we will have to talk another time." Ami finally smiled as Namjoon stepped forward. It was time for them to head inside and up to Ko's office.

"Wait! Before you go, the reason I was calling was to tell you I'm back from my tour. I wanted to set up our dinner. Remember in New York? You couldn't come to my after-party, so we made a date." Quon and Choi looked over to the guys, who were all instantly agitated at the thought of them going to dinner together. Ami held her hand up, watching them shift uncomfortably on their feet. "Jackson. That will be a topic for another time. Bye."

She quickly hung up as Yoongi spoke up. "That's not happening."

Ami teased, "But you all thought it was so funny he wanted a 'date' with me."

Pak stepped in, trying to keep the mood from swinging too far back the other way. "Boys, why don't you lead the way to the elevator? Suki and I will follow, yes?" Quon and Choi smiled as they inserted themselves into the group as well. 

Su held his arms out to herd them in the right direction. "Come on, guys. One crisis over, onto the next." He grinned and put his hand on Jungkook's shoulder. "Did he make your list?" Su asked quietly, knowing how much he and the others felt about people messing with her.

"He did." Kook sighed, and they headed inside the building.

***

Jackson was sitting on his couch, stunned, replaying the verbal lashing he had just received. People rarely put him in his place, but when they did, he liked it. "God damn." He ran his hand between his legs, feeling himself hard before getting up and walking to the bedroom to take care of his now-aching urge.

***

As Namjoon and Ami took the elevator up to Ko's office, the rest of the guys went to Yoongi's studio to talk, wait, and maybe try to work a little. Su and Pak went with Ami and Joon as representatives for both groups.

"Su says we have restrictions regarding Jessi." Joon smiled.

"Well, she has restrictions. You can meander as you wish. I trust you. I don't trust her." She smoothed out her clothes as they felt the elevator slow and come to a stop. As she adjusted her shirt, Joon caught a glimpse of the marks Hobi had left along her collarbone on her the night before. Pak and Su watched him move between them, quickly helping her adjust her shirt collar.

"God damn, Hobi," he quietly whispered, making nervous eye contact with her. The last thing he wanted anyone to see was the handiwork from last night. Not Ko, and definitely not Su or Pak.

The doors were about to open to the lobby, and he felt Su gently pull him back so people wouldn't see him helping her so intimately. "Joon." Pak took his place as she buttoned her top button so her shirt stayed closed. "You good?" Eyeing her, trying to figure out what just happened between the two of them.

"Yeah. I'm ready. Are you two going to stay with us during the meeting?"

"Do you want us in there with you?" Pak took a step, standing behind her, as Su was doing with Namjoon. Ami looked over, "What do you think?"

"Why don't you guys stay." Joon looked at her shirt again, making sure she was covered.  

"Good," Su said as the doors opened. Ko's secretary looked up and smiled at RM, and Suki walked out of the elevator. "Hello! He's expecting you." She got up to meet them and walked them to Ko's office.

"Nice to see you again." Suki smiled as the secretary opened the door, "Good to see you too. Director Ko? RM & Suki are here." Ko had come in extra early. He wanted time to get ready for their meeting, not knowing how it was going to go or who she was bringing with her. He was relieved to see only two of them walk in.

"Hey guys, come on in. Oh! Mr. Su, Mr. Pak. Of course, won't you both have a seat?" They nodded as they took a seat off to the side, and Namjoon pulled a chair out for her. "Thank you for meeting so early." Suki took off her sunglasses, setting them on the table as everyone settled in.

"Of course. It's been a while since we've been able to meet face-to-face. It was time, we have a lot to discuss." Everyone watched her agree, "Well, the floor is yours." She wanted him to lead the meeting.

Ko sat back in his chair and looked at both with a little smile. "So, shall we start with the elephant in the room?"

"Which one? I believe we have a herd to sort through today." RM got comfortable and folded his hands in his lap. Su and Pak watched their expressions as neither flinched. It was like watching a master class, and he loved it.

"Indeed. RM, you know your fans are going to completely unglue when word gets out you're with anyone. If it does turn out to be you," he gestured to Suki, "at least you're both under one label. Both of your teams can work together in tandem. We'll be able to manage the PR a lot easier, unlike a few years ago with you and Jessi." Ko got up and went to get water for everyone as Su and Pak watched Ami slowly turn and stare at Namjoon. He looked back at her and silently shook his head as Ko kept rambling about press, security, and messy idol relationships. Ami's brain was trying to process what Ko was saying as Joon kept mouthing 'NO' and shaking his head.

Su winced as Pak leaned over. "Namjoon and Jessi? It was before my time. Jesus." He groaned. They could feel the tension growing between them as Ko rambled on.

Su whispered back, "It was early in their career. They had their first taste of how fans reacted to any of them dating. They both agreed it was a quick fling and let it go. It was nothing more." They watched Ami reposition in her seat and turn her focus back to Ko as he brought bottles of water down and sat them down in front of them.

"I don't think she knew that," Pak sighed. Ami wished she had her glasses on. At least then, she could hide a little easier as her brain tried to process this new information.

"So, I'm just saying, if or when either of you decides to announce anything...whether it's between you two or someone else, let me know. That way, our guys can get in front of the news. Easier to be ahead of it than behind." Ko sat back down. "I'm surprised it's just you here, Namjoon. I half expected the entire group to walk through the door."

"They're downstairs." He smiled as Ko's eyes widened a little. "We've been more in the news the last couple of weeks. We thought it would be wise to travel together today, not to create more rumors focused on just one person."

"Sure. Sure." Ko said before shifting to the next topic. "So. Vogue. The photoshoot and article are amazing. You should be very proud of how it turned out; it's been received very well. Coupled with your LA appearances, I couldn't be happier." Ko smiled. "I'm sure you've seen the rumors. Your fans are expecting you to announce tour dates after the album drops next week. Your timing was perfect for singing with Ed and Jessi in LA."

"No. I haven't seen any of that." Suki said calmly. "I've tried to stay off the internet the past few weeks. That's an interesting theory."

"Well, it's not completely a theory." Ko grinned, "If your album does what we think it will, we are working on sending you out on a tour." He watched both their faces look back at him in complete surprise.

"When?" Joon asked, looking between her and Ko.

"Mm, you would leave in a couple of months."

"A COUPLE OF MONTHS!?!" They both replied. "For how long?" she quickly asked.

"Oh, well, being your first tour, it would be only maybe ten cities. A month-long, but depending on demand, more dates can be added." They watched her take out her phone as she flipped to her calendar. She scanned ahead, and there, in the middle of the potential tour, was time blocked off for her and Hobi's wedding. She handed the phone to Joon, then spoke to KO, "Director. You know there is time blocked off in the middle of this tour for personal reasons."

"Well, yes, we know that. I was hoping you could change your dates?"

"No. It won't be changed." She shook her head and then looked back at Pak and Su. They were both on their phones texting people. "Also, what am I going to do on tour? Stand there and sing at people? That's not exciting to watch. I'm not tour-worthy."

"What are you talking about? Of course, you are!" Ko smiled. "Look at all the impromptu concerts you have done with NO prepping! Can you imagine what it would be like if you actually prepared? Whenever you do one of your pop-up performances, you gain fans and followers.  You're crossing fanbases with such ease in part of your relationships with those artists. All the random things you have done have led you to this point. This is what we've been working towards." He emphasized enthusiastically.

Joon flipped through the calendar. Jae had also included the BTS events, and he could see they were scheduled before and after the wedding. He got up and walked over to talk to Su and Pak as Ami and Ko discussed more.

"Christ." He murmured as he stood with them. They were all staring at the calendars.

"You know, they won't lock the dates in until they see how her music lands with fans. You probably have some play with dates and locations. Maybe we can push a tour right before or after the wedding?" Su said quietly between them.

"Su, you know how much work goes into planning, and she's going to want to be intimately involved. She can't be gone before a tour starts." Joon rubbed his forehead, "and her being exhausted from traveling on tour and then right into a wedding isn't what we want for her either. Look at our schedule. I'm telling you right now, we won't be separated for a month or longer anymore."

"Is she locked into touring if the company wants that?" Pak asked as they both looked at Su.

"She left that part in her contract because she never thought it would ever come into play." Su sighed. "She takes it seriously but never thought her music would grow that big."

"But it doesn't HAVE to be right now or this tour. Maybe we can push it around a little. Ok, thanks, guys." Joon turned and walked back to join the two. Ami looked over at him as he sat down. As mad as she was at him a moment ago, she knew they were a united front for this. "So, here's what you need to consider." Namjoon started. "She's not going to travel for a month without the seven of us going with her. That's not an option. So, you need to consider that in your scheduling plans." Ko's mouth dropped, "All seven?"

"Yes, all seven. Su will be going with her, and where Su goes, we go," he said firmly.

"Why would Su be going?" Ko looked confused. "She has more security per capita, beside you seven, than our other artists. He looked up as Pak and Su now joined them at the table.

"Pak, can you call the guys up, please," Ami asked as he nodded. "This needs to be an all-hands meeting." She looked back at Ko, "This affects everyone, so they need to be here."

"Wait. How is this becoming such a big deal?" Ko questioned as Pak got up and went to wait for the guys by the elevator. He wanted to catch them up before they walked into the meeting.

"It's a big deal." Ami sighed. "I thought we were coming to talk about how you dropped the Vogue photoshoot on me last minute. Which still needs to be a conversation, but we need to sort this out first."

"Oh, on that note, we received something else for you to consider." Ko pulled an envelope out and handed it to her. Joon leaned over, seeing the name 'Suki' in fancy scroll printed across the envelope. She pulled out the papers, and they glanced over them before passing them over to Su.  It was the offer from Dior, but she had no capacity to think about it at the moment.

Su didn't look at them either but put them back in the envelope and set it on the table. Ko watched, surprised; he thought she would be more excited. Just then, Pak and the rest of BTS walked in, finding places to sit and join the conversation. He had given them a quick rundown of what had developed. Choi and Quon followed, taking the seats off to the side where Pak and Su had been sitting.

"I don't understand. Everything an artist works hard to accomplish comes so easily for you. You naturally walk into it, and then when you get to this level, it is almost like you're annoyed these opportunities are being offered to you." Ko sat back, baffled.

"She works hard. Don't dismiss that." Pak jumped in and said as he sat down with the group.

"You think all this is easy for me?"

"I think you need to solve the Vogue issue first," Su said calmly. "That's why you're here, then we can move forward. There are too many elephants in the room now, and we need to thin the herd. Foundations." He said as he looked at her. She nodded and refocused her brain on one problem at a time. They all saw her sit up straighter, looking back at Ko. He was looking at the group, ending on Su and Pak. Something felt different, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Listen. Here are my concerns." Ami started as he refocused on her. "One. You tried to push my friends into the shoot. I thought you understood the bubble I live in. Tossing them into the pages of Vogue doesn't seem to fit the bubble model. So, my question is, why?"

Ko took a breath, "That was Vogue's request. I wanted to give you the final say in the matter."

"No." Yoongi couldn't sit and listen to this. "You knew they offered that in New York, and she held back. You had that conversation with her, and she thought you understood why that wasn't a great plan. You were pushing as much as they were. Your job is to be a roadblock for her, and you should've never let it get past that point."

"My job? Oh, you're telling me what my job is now?" He adjusted in his seat.

Tae jumped in. "Vogue didn't take your 'no' very seriously, and they continued to push. Now you've created a bigger problem."

"I have? Really. How so?"

"We don't trust people aren't going to try and blindside her with shit. You did it with the shoot. Vogue did it to the point of Anna being on-site to push the agenda. So, we've decided to take matters into our own hands." Yoongi said way too calmly. "Some or all of us will be going with her to events to make sure people stay in line."

Ko rubbed his face in disbelief as Ami sat and listened. Pak and Su watched her closely as Ko continued. "So, what, you guys are her bodyguards now? She has those! The schedule doesn't allow you to flitter between your obligations and follow her around, scowling at people doing their JOB. They want the best story they can squeeze from you. You boys have done your time and now have the luxury to name your price and choose your projects. She's still new and wildly desired in part because of who she is and her connection to you seven! I'm sorry, but people are going to push, and you can't be there for every uncomfortable moment!" Ko paused for a moment, "Guys. I get it. You're all friends or whatever, but we've already adjusted for your 'breaks'. The schedule is too tight for this."

"We're not all just friends." Jin stared hard at the Director as Su, Pak, and Namjoon all shot out of their seats.

"Jin. Let's take a walk." Pak said quickly as Jin stood up. "We'll be in the studio," Jin gritted through his teeth as he walked out. Pak grabbed Quon as they left, closing the door behind them and leaving a stunned Ko with the group. He put his hands on the table, leaned forward, and stared at the rest of them. "What the actual fuck is happening." He looked around the table. It was the first time they had broken a little. Everyone was trying to remain serious, but he could tell a nerve was touched.

"This isn't the place or time for that conversation. I think we need to stay focused on the issues you all need to solve." Su made that statement for everyone in the room. He wanted to get the meeting back on track. He looked over at Ami, who was staring at the table, lost in her thoughts.

"Let's take a break for a moment," Kook said, standing up as the rest of BTS did the same. Joon was going to take her hand to help her, but she quickly moved it, standing up on her own and following the group to the corner of the room. Su went and sat down next to Ko.

"Mr. Su. Do you understand what is going on?"

"I do."

"Enlighten me, please."

"No." He said simply as Ko looked shocked at his easy response. "Director. Do you know how I came to be, as you tell me, the best at what I do?" Su looked over at him as Ko shook his head no. "Because I don't trust anyone. I assume all possibilities. Now, I do trust those boys, her, and her team, but that's it."

"You don't trust me?" Ko looked shocked.

"I admit, you were growing on me until you slapped her with the Vogue stuff. I've worked for you for a long time, so I've watched how you first managed the guys. You both grew together in this industry, but it wasn't until she joined the company you took a step outside your box. She has always been clear and transparent when it comes to working with you.  She trusted you and now isn't sure. They trusted you and absolutely don't now. You're asking questions they want to answer, but I won't let them. Not like this, and not here."

"Why not here?" Ko looked shocked.

"Because I don't trust this place isn't bugged, or someone isn't listening in that shouldn't be. Your old secretary and other Director saw to that. Remember, that's what you pay me for. You pay me to do what I do, which you think I'm the best at. So, I'm telling you, back off. We're all on the same side, so don't make a divide because I'll stand with them."

Ko's jaw dropped. He had never been addressed like that by him. Su was always very formal and stoic. This wasn't that.

"You're right. We have worked together for a long time, and this is honestly the first time I've seen you take a side like this. Why now? What has changed? Why are you so personally invested?" He watched him think for a moment before Su leaned closer, causing Ko to follow suit.

"She's my daughter. I'm personally invested." Su held eye contact with him as Ko sat back in his chair, eyes huge, as his hands both came up to cover his mouth.

***

"How are you doing?" Jimin asked her quietly. They all stood in the corner of the room while Su kept Ko busy. Ami turned and stared at Namjoon, "Do you want to explain what the fuck he was talking about?" She said in a quiet, intense tone. Everyone paused, staring at the two. They had no idea what she was talking about.

"Ami. It was right when we debuted. It was a fling, that's all." He tried to explain.

"Whoa, what's happening?" Kook said as their circle tightened around them.

"Before you guys got here, Ko was kind enough to let me know IF any of you were dating, someone in the company would be preferred. It would be better for the PR department, unlike how it went down with Joon and Jessi all those years ago." She quickly shared. "You didn't think to share that relationship with me over the past two weeks?!" She whisper-yelled at him.

"It wasn't a relationship." Joon tried to say.

"Out," Yoongi said as the group started pushing them out the door, "Down to the studio. This conversation isn't happening here. We'll reschedule this meeting. It's going hard in the wrong direction." Just then, they heard Ko say, "She's your daughter?!"

"SU." Hobi said loudly, "We're going down to Yoongi's studio!" Choi got up and followed them.

"Director Ko, we're going to finish this meeting for them," Su said. Neither moved as the group opened the door and left without saying anything else.

"It makes sense. She's so much like you," Ko mumbled.

Su sat back and crossed his arms. "Director. I'm telling you this so you can understand where my loyalty ultimately lies. It lies with her and the boys. I can tell you that I work harder now in some ways than I did in their earlier years because I'm not keeping them from self-destructing. I'm keeping them out of the media and the prying eyes of the world. They watch over her in ways I can't, so I'm going to do everything I can to make their lives go as smoothly as possible. So, no more backdoor bullshit. Help me help you. You made a deal with her to be upfront and transparent, and for that, she will do her very best, and it's paying off. Don't fuck that up by trying to play into Vogue's or anyone else's good graces."

"Jesus." Ko was still in shock with what Su had shared. Never in a million years would he guess that fun fact. "Ok. Um. Wait. Why did they leave?" He finally caught up and realized it was just him and Su in the room.

"They have some stuff to talk about. She came to discuss your actions with Vogue, and you upped the ante with a possible tour and Dior sponsorship. So, let's discuss all of that."

"Us?"

"Yes. Us." Su sat back as Ko started explaining what the company wanted.

***

Jin, Pak, and Quon saw the door open, and the group walked in. "Is the meeting over? Wait, what's happened?" Jin asked. Ami looked mad as everyone else filed in. Choi motioned for Quon to join him in the hallway.

"Ohhh. What is happening? Where's Su? Do you want me to leave?" Pak didn't walk out with Choi and Quon right away.

"What the hell, Joon!" Ami yelled as Quon quickly closed the door. Hobi walked over and whispered to Pak, "Su's talking to Ko. These two started going at it, so we hauled them down here."

"I should go," Pak said, still unsure.

"No. We might need a voice of reason. Please stay as her friend." Hobi looked at Pak as he nodded in agreement and sat back quietly.

"BABE. You know we dated people before we met you! You never wanted to know about any of our pasts!" Namjoon reached forward and took her hands. "Come on, Dove."

"Don't fucking Dove me!" She seethed as she ripped her hands back.

"Wait," Jimin said calmly as he placed himself between her and Joon. Jimin took her face in his hands and made her focus on him. "Ami." He said quietly. "Wife. Love of my life. Tell us, what is making you upset about this? You know we have pasts, but those are just that, the past." He stroked her cheeks with his thumbs as she stared at him. Tae walked up and put his hands on her hips as she felt him press her down, so her feet were firmly grounded on the floor. He rested his head on her shoulder as they felt her try to relax.

"I guess I assumed someone would give me a courtesy heads up I'm spending time and singing with someone you had a relationship with. The way she was talking about you all...and then this. I felt like you kept me in the dark, and then for Ko to nonchalantly toss it out there like it was such common knowledge." They saw her bottom lip tremble for a moment before she took a deep breath.

"Honey. Honestly. It happened over ten years ago. Joon and Jessi had a two-week fling and then called it off. It was a teenage, right place, right time scenario. Like summer camp. Nothing more." Ami looked past Jimin at Namjoon, standing quietly, watching them defuse her. He gave her a little smile as she continued to listen.

"I'm sorry no one said anything, but it feels like a lifetime ago.  We have such a working relationship with her now. It doesn't even feel like it happened." Tae kissed her head as Namjoon walked over and offered his hands to her again.  They watched her reach over and take them as Jimin and Tae walked over to stand next to Pak.

"Ami. I'm so sorry. What would you like us to do in the future? How would you like us to tell you if we find ourselves in a similar situation? You know us, we aren't in the business of being sneaky about stuff." She felt him run his thumbs over her hands before pulling them up and kissing them. His eyes were soft and kind as she worked through the news.

"Well. You kept the new cars from me." She finally said a little tongue-in-cheek.

Namjoon smiled, as did the rest of the guys. "True. But that was a gift. I'm talking about emotionally charged situations like this one. You know you are the only one we want. Anyone that came before is a ghost of a memory."

"I don't know." She leaned her forehead on his chest. "It completely took me off guard. We all have pasts, but I think it was how the information was delivered.  I don't know where to start on all this. Can you just, like, in the future, give me a hand signal or something so I know at least something happened between any of you and someone? I just don't want to learn about it nonchalantly from my boss."

"Yeah. We'll figure out someone." He kissed her forehead as they wrapped their arms around each other. The guys started talking as Pak leaned over to Hobi. "Well, that was less intense than the Yoongi-Ami-Su showdown of 2023."

"We have our own set of rules now if something like this happens." Hobi gave him a half smile as Pak looked at him surprised. "Pak. There are seven of us. She's going to get frustrated and pissed off at some point. We all deal with that. If something happens like it did today, we all step back and don't feed the fire like last time. Now, the guys might have a private talk between themselves later to hash it out, but our main priority is making sure she's not feeling singled out, ganged up on, or gaslit. We know she'll fight us, and now that she knows how to properly hit someone, we have to defuse the situation quickly." Hobi grinned.

Pak sighed. Moments like this, which they shared and allowed him to be a part of, reinforced to him how seriously they took their relationship with her.  As her friend and friend to all of them, he was grateful and happy they let him see this side.

Pak smiled, "Hey, I'm going to wait in the hall with the guys. Do you want me to send Su in when he comes down to talk?"

"No. Let's go home and have that conversation there." Tae said as Jimin nodded. "We'll let you know when we're ready to go."

"Sounds good. Just knock when you're ready." Pak walked over and slipped out the door, joining Choi and Quon in the hallway.

"Everything good?" Quon asked, concerned after the entrance they had made.

"A hundred percent." Pak took a seat and joined the two, waiting for Su and the group to be ready to go.

***

Namjoon was standing behind her, his arms wrapped around her shoulders as they all talked together.  "Christ.  That meeting was short and violent."  Jin sat down on the couch, running his hands over his face.  "I've never wanted to tell someone more that you're our wife and to shut the fuck up."    Joon could feel her sigh.

"To add to that, Dior sent an offer."  They all heard her say.

"What?!"  Everyone was surprised as Joon smiled, kissing her head.

"Yeah.  Su has the paperwork.  Ko handed it to me before you six came in.  I don't know.  There's so much to think about right now.  I need Jae back to help me figure stuff out.  She could feel Namjoon tighten his arms around her as Yoongi walked over and stood in front of her.  He stared into her eyes sweetly.

"Honey.  Why Jae?  Don't you think we are capable of helping?"

"I know you are, and you will.  But she looks at things from an outside perspective.  She doesn't share a bed with us.  She's emotionally invested, but not in the same way."  He watched her lips curve up in a little smile as Yoongi leaned in and kissed her gently.  As he pulled slowly away, she heard him say, "It's all going to work out.  It's going to be ok."

"So, do you feel like you need to have a further conversation about Vogue?"  Kook asked as they watched Yoongi sit back down in his producing chair.

"No.  Seems like a moot point now. Seems like we have bigger issues to discuss and deal with."  She leaned her head on Joon's bicep as he held her.  "I should go back upstairs."

"Su's handling it."  Tae smiled.  "He stayed behind.  Let's wait for him.  I don't know if you heard before we pushed you two out the door, but he told Ko you're his family."  They all smiled as Ami's jaw dropped.   "He did?"  Just then, there was a knock on the door.  Jimin opened it to see Su and the guys.  

"Is the coast clear?"  he glanced at the guys, then at her, and smiled. Pak had told them they had worked it out quickly, but seeing them with his own eyes always made him feel better.

"It is.  I think we have a lot to talk about."  Ami said as Joon finally released her from his arms. 

"Oh yes, we do. I told Ko we would talk and you would be in touch. Let's go back to the house and get comfortable." 

"Pak, when is Jae scheduled to be back? Ami would like her to be included in these conversations,"  Jimin asked as she slipped on her sunglasses and took Pak's arm. 

"Later tonight. I can call her, though, and she can come back early."

"No.  She's spending time with her family." Ami spoke up. "Let's talk first, and then I'll fill her in tomorrow."

"Are you sure?" Pak asked before they walked out. 

"Absolutely," she said firmly. "She doesn't need to come back for our drama."

"You know, you pay her to help you sort out your drama. She loves it," he teased as they walked down the hallway, with Choi and Quon following. Su held the guys back for a moment, giving the groups some space between departures. 

"How did the meeting go?"  Jin asked the question that was on everyone's mind.

"He's worried you're going to walk.  It's always been your number one threat.  Is it on the table?"  He glanced around the room.

"No.  I mean, I guess I don't know.  Walking now will fuck with her career, now that everyone knows we're truly connected. We all need to think about that more than ever now."  Hobi said what everyone had been feeling.  Walking away now would have bigger implications than before.   

"If she walks, we walk.  I think she's going to be the one holding that card now. Ko doesn't need to know that, though." Kook spoke up as they all thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

"Okay. That's good to know." Su smiled and looked at his watch. "Ready? Let's go home.

Chapter 12

"What," Jang answered his phone abruptly as he stood in a warehouse, overseeing stolen goods being transferred into an unmarked truck.

"Um. You wanted to know when either of those two groups showed up here at the office? Well, I just got here and saw them pulling out of the parking garage."

"Really." Jang pointed to some guys to put their boxes in a truck. "And."

"Well, I think they're driving new cars...at least I haven't seen them before."

"Did you get a good look at them? What were they driving?" Jang grabbed a scrap of paper, scribbled down some details, and hung up. He shoved the paper in his pocket before returning to yelling instructions at his lackeys.

***
"Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck FUUUUUCK." Ami groaned as they drove to the house. Pak looked back as she rubbed her face. "What a complete shit show of a morning. How...HOW, in 10 minutes, did it go from feeling like I had the upper hand to all this? A tour?! I can't do a tour!"

"Not in the middle of wedding season," Pak said calmly.

"EXACTLY! It's wedding season! Who tries to schedule tours in the middle of wedding season!" Ami let out a little laugh in the middle of her rant. "FUCK!"

Quon was driving and stayed quiet as Pak turned in his seat to give her his full attention.

"Dior wants us both, Pak. They want Jae and I." She looked over at him as he sighed. "I didn't read it all, but our names were on the papers they sent over. So, that's a thing."

"We don't have to deal with that now. That can be a tomorrow problem." He watched her pull on her shirt collar a little.

"And god damn fucking Jessi...did you know about them?" She questioned Pak as he shook his head, "It was news to me. I mean, I know the guys had flings before you slammed into their lives, but I didn't know about her specifically."

Quon's eyes got big as he listened. That must have been what she was yelling at Namjoon about.

"Well. We need a signal or something if I'm working with someone one of them has fucked." She said matter-of-factly.

"You want a hand signal? Like what?" Pak made a circle with one hand and pumped two fingers inside the circle like he was fucking it. Quon tried to keep from laughing as Pak watched her crack a little. "Ami. Was it a shitty way to find out your fiance had a prior entanglement with someone you already have a sour taste in your mouth about? Yes, yes, it was. What are you most upset about? That they had prior relationships? That you found out from Ko? That it was Jessi? I mean, I can let the team know you need that signal if they know of any old flames wandering your way. We can add it to the rule book."

"Jesus... STOP." She laughed, trying to lean forward to swat at him. Her seatbelt locked, keeping her from reaching him as Pak grinned, "That's a great safety feature." She groaned again, wresting with her seatbelt before stopping with a sigh, resigned to being trapped in her seat the rest of the trip.

"I'm going to whack you when we get home." She smiled.

"Yeah, I know. You didn't answer my question, though." She thought for a moment they rolled down the road. "I guess it was the surprise of being told it was Jessi, who I'm not happy with. The combo wasn't the best."

"I get that. I would feel the same way." He watched her settle a little more. "You and Joon seemed to work things out pretty smoothly, though. You aren't mad at him?" They both watched her shake her head no. "No, not mad. Disappointed I guess no one seemed to feel like it needed to be mentioned... but then again, maybe it didn't need to be. I don't know."

"Don't second-guess your feelings." Quon finally spoke up. After you feel all the feelings, which is what you are doing now, if disappointment is what is strongest for you, then that's what you need to tell them. Give it a little time, and then you can have a real conversation when everyone's emotions aren't running as high. I'm sure theirs are a little elevated as well."

They heard her take a deep breath and let it all out slowly. "Ok."

***

"Maybe we move my wedding. I don't really want to move it back, though. Maybe I should just do it when we get home today in the backyard." Hobi looked out the window as they followed Ami's car down the street.

"You're not changing your wedding date," Jin said firmly. "Your wedding won't be rushed or changed. It's your special day with her. You two need that."

"How can we send her out on tour for a month or more if we can't go with her?" Jimin looked over at Tae as he shook his head. "We aren't. We don't like it when she runs off with Jae and Pak for an evening. A world tour isn't going to fly."

"It's just talk right now." Kook said, "Maybe her record will flop, and they won't send her."

"That's the wrong attitude, Kook. How often have we had to leave her behind for work over the years? She never loves it, but she doesn't throw down and whine. She doesn't hope we fail, so we stay home with her." Yoongi said stoically as they traveled on.

"I know. I don't think now's the right time to divide up like that." Kook sighed as they watched the cars zip by.

Su and Choi looked at each other as the boys worked through their thoughts.

"Thanks for stepping up back there." Joon finally said. "I feel like such a shit. Unless Jessi came up and kissed me in front of her, what a horrible way to find that out. It's been so long, and it meant nothing ten years ago...I never crossed my mind it would matter now." Jimin was sitting next to him in the back of the SUV. He quietly reached over and took Joon's hand, "It could have been any of us. I guess now we know. I'm sure it wouldn't have felt so raw if Jessi and her hadn't just worked together like they had."

"Maybe we need to start transitioning out of music. Start focusing on other interests that give us the flexibility to support her with what she wants to pursue." Tae said from the second row.

"If it weren't going to have a negative impact on her right now, I would say yes. But we can't pull back without fans thinking she has something to do with it. She's not our Yoko." Hobi sighed.

"Maybe it doesn't need to be a full tour," Yoongi murmured as they turned into their gated development.

"I'm sure she will want to discuss it when we get home, but it doesn't need to be solved today. Yoongi, you and she are running off for your wedding in a few weeks. This stress doesn't need to be carried over into that." Jin spoke up. Joon usually stepped up and helped plot a path for the group when needed, but today wasn't a day he could be that for them.

Everyone talked as they made their way home except Jimin and Joon, who sat quietly in the back as they wove up the streets to their home.

***

Ami's car pulled into their driveway first. Quon and Pak climbed out as Ami tried to push her door open. "Jesus, these doors are heavy." Pak grabbed the door and helped her open it all the way. As she climbed out, he saw her collar slip to the side, showing Hobi's handy work from the night before.

"Holy shit." He said quietly. Ami felt him push back her collar a little more, then pull it closed as she stood up. She met his eyes with surprise as he glanced to see if the car with Su and the guys were pulling in yet. "Quon, give us a minute, will ya," he called out.

"No worries, I need to go get our stuff from the guest house," he said, not seeing Pak's interaction with her. They waited for him to walk around the side of the house towards the backyard before he spoke to her.

"Is this why you're dressed like a nun today?" he said quickly, feeling her hands replace his as she rebuttoned her collar. "Ami, this area has to be off-limits for that." He waved his hand in front of her from her chest up. "What if Ko sent you off to a photo shoot today? That's going to take days to dissipate."

"Pak...come on... it's not that bad..."

"It looks like a vampire attacked you." He finally slowed down and sighed as they both stared at each other. "I guess that explains the elevator. Su can't see that..."

"PAK." She finally smiled, taking him by his shoulders. "Stop. Work hats off. You've seen me in various stages of clothing. Nun to not so nun-like. You know I'm not usually prone to vampire bites. We've always been careful about that because, well, then this happens." She pushed her finger in the middle of his forehead as he scoffed. "Anyway, you and Jae haven't been so innocent at times."

He wrinkled his nose at her, "True, but she's not required to be available to the media and company at a moment's notice like you are."

"I know." Ami sighed, "Thanks for staying today in the studio."

"You're welcome. Come on. Let's go in and wait for the guys. I'm sure everyone wants to know what Su and Ko discussed while you guys were hashing things out." They walked up to the door, and Pak punched in the code; opening it for her, they both went inside to wait.

 

Just a few moments later, they both looked up at her seven as they were walking into the house.

"Heeeeeey." She called out from the couch as they filed in. She was surprised to see Namjoon walk straight over to her, pick her up, and give her a bear hug. She wrapped her arms and legs around him as he turned and sat in her spot.

"I'm really sorry." He whispered as she nuzzled into his neck. "I'm sorry, too. I know you have pasts. I have one. I shouldn't have reacted that way."

"Yes, you should have." He said quietly in her ear.

"Choi and Quon are heading out," Su said as he was the last to enter, closing the door behind him. Everyone found seats and got comfortable in the living room as Ami eventually untangled from Joon. His arm was still around her, holding her closely to him as Jin took to her other side. She reached over, and Jin took his hand in hers.

Su looked at the guys and settled on her. She looked a lot calmer than she did at the office. "Well, that was messy. Are you good?" he asked as they all looked at Ami.

"Yeah. For the important stuff, yes. I think so." Joon pulled her in and kissed her head as he met Su's eyes.

"How was the meeting?" Hobi asked the question everyone wanted to know.

"Well, like he said, they want to send you on tour depending on some upcoming factors." He smiled as he watched her groan. "Sorry, dear. You're very popular."

"I guess I don't understand how that can work with our current calendar." Ami sighed. "I mean, Yoon and I are supposed to leave in a few weeks, and then Hobi and I in a couple of months. The schedule is busy enough without planning a tour."

"What are you obligated to do with your contract?" Namjoon asked as he rubbed his thumb over her shoulder.

"If they want me to go, I have to go." Everyone looked at her. "I didn't fight that part too much during negotiations; I didn't think it would happen within two years." She sighed as everyone was quiet. "So, what else did he say?"

"He's confused why all of you want to go with her." He looked around the room. "He really thinks Namjoon and Ami are the only ones together, so you other six baffle him." Su saw Jin shift in his seat, running his tongue along the inside of his cheek, annoyed he couldn't claim that title with Ko.

"He knows you're my daughter." Su smiled at her, "So that's sidetracking his thoughts right now. He said it makes sense because we are so much alike." Ami giggled a little as Kook leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Did you tell him that to throw him off?"

"I told him that because it's true, and it helps the cause a little. He's getting too curious about this dynamic. Letting him in on that fun fact explains a lot to him. It buys some time." Su sat back and watched the group process.

"So, you outed yourself so he would back off all of us?" Namjoon said, flabbergasted, as the other guys stared in disbelief. Pak was the only one who looked over at Ami. She stared into the distance, thinking over the card Su had played with Ko and what that meant.

"I did. I know you guys can't tell your truth to the world," Su looked over at Jin, "But I can, and if that helps smooth out some questions, then it needs to be done."

"Yeah...yeah. I get it." Jin rubbed his face. Su could feel how frustrated he had been with their secret. Now that he was married to her, he wanted to tell everyone but couldn't. The ramifications were too great.

The group talked for a while longer until they needed a break. They had been talking in circles with no real solutions coming to mind. Pak was the first to stand up. "Group, I think I need to go home and rest. Jae comes home late tonight, and I know she'll want to talk about everything. I'll check in with you guys later, sound good?"

"I'll come with you." Su got up, and everyone followed suit. The meeting was over for now. There was a lot to think about and no real answers yet. Ami walked over and took Su's arm as she walked him and Pak to the door. "Thank you both."

"Sorry, it went sideways today. Jae will be over tomorrow. Oh, and I'll make sure I bring some spray over for that vampire problem you seem to have." Pak looked at her as she rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks." As Pak walked out to the car, Su stopped. "You have a vampire problem?"

"It's under control. Nothing to see here." She leaned in and gave him a hug. "Thank you."

"Of course. We'll figure it out. Go eat something, we'll talk later, ok?"

"Ok. Love you."

"Love you too." Su paused, "You good?"

"Yeah."

He pulled her back a little and looked into her eyes. "What are you thinking?"

"I don't know. Everything. Nothing. I think I need a nap."

"Yeah, I get that. Life of a superstar, huh? Don't worry, we'll figure it out." he said softly. "Hobi," he called out as he saw him walk to the door looking for her. "It's been a busy morning. Rest a while and call me later. Sound good?"

"Come on, Love." Hobi kissed her head as they walked back inside. Su waited until he heard the door click, then turned to join Pak in the car.

 

"Christ." Pak sighed as they headed out of the gates and down the road. "I don't know what you guys talked about on the way home, but Ami is all over the map...and fair enough! Take away the Jessi drama and Ko-Vogue crap, and you're left with time-consuming tour planning and weddings. Four more weddings."

"The guys know they have to be careful so fans don't blame her if they pull back, which means they might not be able to all travel with her." Su shared. "If she goes out on tour, they want me to go, but I don't think that's possible. The guys' schedules are full, and while I could be gone for a short time, a full month or more away, and feeling like I can keep those seven running smoothly, it's too much. Even I have limits."

"Yeah, I thought of that, too." They were both quiet for a while. "They aren't going to like that," Pak finally said.

"Yeah, I know." Su sighed. "How do you feel about running something like that for so long? I know you helped when the guys went on their tours, but you weren't the 'me' of the tour. I know you can do it, but it's an entirely different mindset. You'll need someone for Jae because your focus has to be on Ami and the tour as a whole. Granted, they'll probably be together 99% of the time, but still. Choi and Quon need to be dedicated to Ami if the girls are split."

"What about Byun?"

Su shrugged. "Maybe."

"Do you have someone else in mind I don't know about?" Pak looked over at Su as he kind of smiled. "What about Riggs?"

Pak's eyes bugged out, "You want to poach Riggs??!"

"I was thinking maybe borrow was a better word."

"Su."

"Hear me out. If Wendy came, then that would be an additional person for the girls to connect with in a non-work-related way for the trip. Riggs can handle Jae and Wendy with the rest of the team."

"Ok. Yes. I understand all that, but two things...well, maybe three. One, the guys won't let her wander for over a month without one or all of them. Two, Wendy and Riggs don't know about all of them together-together yet. In fact, Ami told me this morning she had just extended the invite for Wendy to come visit. You know the pressure she carries with that secret. Having Wendy around and then having to tow that line when she's already focused on work will be too much to manage. OH, and three, Riggs doesn't speak Korean. I don't know if you know this, but we speak it quite often." He smirked at Su and sighed.

"I don't know if the guys can go along as they wish. They can't pull out of the spotlight now without more rumors, and they don't want that for her or them. Maybe we can rotate the guys with her on a tour, one or two at a time. We might be able to work that between their schedule. One of Ko's concerns, and I'm shocked he considered it, was how much easier it would be to get her in and out of places than the identifiable seven."

"The security level does go down a little." Pak sighed as they pulled into Su's place and parked so they could keep talking. "Ok, so let's say one or two meet us on the road and take Wendy and Riggs out of the equation. Are you staying with the mob, then? You can't be in two places at once. If you stay back with the rest of the guys, who is managing the two traveling? Then, you also have the problem of staff seeing the guys with her. They all going out for a night and holding it together is one thing, but a month or longer on a very visible tour? Someone's going to slip. When she traveled with the guys in the past, before she did the Suki thing, she had a job. She had a purpose and reason to be there. She blended in. The guys can't blend in like that."

Su put his head back on the seat and closed his eyes, thinking over all the scenarios for a moment. Finally, he shook his head, "I don't know. Minus her not going on tour, I just don't know. "

The next morning.

"I WAS GONE FOR ONE DAY!" Jae called out as she and Pak entered the house the next morning.

"Hey, Jae. How was your visit with your parents?" Kook smiled as he shoved pancakes in his mouth. Tae and Jimin grabbed a couple of plates and dished them up as they made their way to the kitchen.

"It was good. Calmer than here, apparently. Although my mom made me help her clean out closets, otherwise, it was good." She shook her head and plopped herself on a stool next to Hobi as Pak joined them.

"Yeah, it was a day," Jin said as he leaned back against the counter as people ate.

"Any new thoughts yet?" Pak asked as he sipped his coffee.

"Not really. I think we are on the wait-and-see plan of what happens." Jin sighed.

"Where's Ami?" Jae looked around, seeing everyone except her friend.

"She's in her office waiting for you." Tae smiled as they all watched Jae get up, grab her plate of food, and head back to the office.  "Glad to have her back?"

"Oh yes, always."  Pak dove into his plate of breakfast as all the guys talked.

"Hey Jae." Ami smiled, happy to see her friend walk into her office and shut the door behind her.

"What the fuck happened yesterday? It's not a good sign everything goes to shit when I leave for 24 hours." She sat down on the couch and got comfortable to eat.

"Right? Fuck me." Ami sighed. "I don't want to do a tour, Jae."

"Jumping right into that topic, huh? Wait, first of all, I heard a vampire attacked you...let me see." Ami grinned and pulled her hair back to show her, "I was attacked by a Hobi. It's a lot better today, by the way. Joon has some magic cream that helps."

"Daaaaaaamn." Jae grinned as she took a bite of her pancakes. "Oh yes, Kai won't do that to me. He gets all nervous about that stuff."

"I'm shocked he told you! Seems to be the least of my issues." Ami sighed. "Now, back to my tour problem."

"Right. So. Is it a sure thing?"

"No but it sounds like it's highly likely. They're doing the logistics of it all. And if things keep going well, they want to send me out into the world. I'm not ready to be sent out into the world! Not like that."

"What do the guys think?" Jae took another bite and watched her friend slowly spin in her chair.

"Supportive, as usual."

"Horrible." Jae grinned.

Ami giggled, "Tragic. No. So, look. If they send me, it will be right before Hobi's and my wedding. I can't be busy with something of that scale and then have time to run off to get married. Also, the guys want to come with me. Tell me, HOW is that going to work? We might as well tell everyone we're together. The rumors are going to be insane."

"Yeah, it's hard to hide them in plain sight." Jae started thinking hard about the problem at hand. "So, the problems are timing and the boys?"

Ami thought for a moment, "Basically, yes. Those two small details and the fact I don't think I'm ready to anchor something like that. In the shows I've done, I'm basically crashing the party...the fans there aren't mine. I come in, sing, and leave. It's a little more scary to think about putting yourself out there and getting the true response through ticket sales."

"I get that. So, what's the solution?"

"Besides my new album tanking hard? I don't know. OH, did Kai tell you about Dior?"

"What about them?" Jae took her last bite and set her plate on the coffee table.

Ami stared at her, "He told you about my vampire problem but not Dior? Ohh, he's not happy."

"What?" Jae watched her friend smile. "They want both of us." Jae was speechless as Ami pulled open a drawer, took out the envelope, and tossed it at her. Jae slowly pulled out the offer and started reading over it. "What?"

"Yup. You and me, babe. Dior thinks we're worthy." Ami smiled as Jae looked over the paperwork and then stalled on the amount they wanted to pay each of them. "Five million...FIVE MILLION! AMI! ARE THEY INSANE?!!!"

The guys all heard Jae from the kitchen. "How do you feel about all that, Pak?" Hobi smiled as they watched Pak lean back and cross his arms. "They need to hold out for ten," he said flatly.

"Ten? Ruthless." Joon smiled.

"Ten. And that's for my pain and suffering. If Dior wants to throw Jae officially into her orbit, it has to be ten." The guys all stared at him. Pak wasn't joking around. They watched him start to try and say something but then stop, not wanting the girls to overhear him.

"Come on. Let's go down to the guest house," Jin said, as everyone understood and moved in unison.

"Wait, what?" he said, surprised, slowly getting up.

"You need to talk about this. Kook, tell the girls where we are going, will ya?" Yoongi pushed a confused Pak out the back door as Kook trotted to Ami's office. The girls looked up to a large Kook standing in the doorway. He was holding the top of the doorframe as he stretched a little. "Ladies, while you have girly talk, we boys are all heading down to the guest house for a secret man meeting." He cheesed.

"It's not very secret if you tell us." Ami laughed.

"Okay, then. Not-so-secret-man-meeting. I just wanted to tell you two so you don't worry. We have wedding things to discuss, you understand. Bye!" Kook closed the door as the two sat there surprised, then shrugged and started talking again.

"What did you tell them?" Tae asked as Kook caught up with them as they were already entering the guest house.

"I told them we were going to go talk weddings."

"You lied?"

Kook thought for a moment, "Hey Yoongi, do you still want your wedding just to be you two?"

"I do."

"There. I didn't lie." Kook said as he tossed himself in the oversized chair as everyone found spots. 

"Ok. Go," Namjoon said to Pak as he was still a little stunned at the sudden change of venue.

"Go?"

"Yes. Talk. You're concerned. We, of all people probably can understand your concerns. Talk through them. Maybe we can help, maybe we can't, but we can listen." They watched Pak take a deep breath and let it out before he started.

"This is going to sound shitty and really disjointed." He said as everyone waited and gave him space. "I think about the future, what Jae wants to pursue, and more importantly, WHERE that will be. I like how things are now because the girls are both together. I can herd them like cats. We're all tight, this group is tight, and it's safe and solid for everyone.

Jae is happy doing what she's doing with Ami, but that will change someday. Right? Like, Ami isn't going to sing forever, so what's Jae going to do? They can't be ladies that lunch. They're both are two smart for that. They aren't party girls, so that's not their lifestyle. And then I think about me and what I want. Guys, I LOVE my job. Love it, but I'll follow Jae anywhere, and that sucks." He sighed. "I worry about things like Dior and Vogue coming after her and opening doors. What if those doors open, and she fully steps through and wants to walk away? Or, what if those doors open and more shit comes in that goes out? I hate it for you guys, and I hate it for Ami. But that's the risk you accept when you do what you do. Jae hasn't received the blunt force of that shit. Su and I filter a LOT that's tossed at you seven, and Ami, you don't see it. We see it. Ami used to see it when she worked with Su, so she has a more grounded clue of what that looks like."

The room was silent as the guys all took in the stream of concern Pak was letting go of.

"I know why Ami's worried about a tour. Minus you guys going with her or not, or a wedding in the middle. It's a very real litmus test of her 'popularity,'" He air quoted. "If for some reason it doesn't do well or the fans have a bad taste in their mouth, the mental stress from that is VERY real. I know you understand that, but it's been a LONG time for you guys.  Look at what happened to Huyna this week! The backlash from her actions or inactions has canceled her tour and probably her career. Don't you think people finding out about you seven being married to her won't cause something similar for all of you? She's worried about it. I know we all worry about it, and I worry about Jae getting sucked into it."

Pak leaned back and closed his eyes for a moment. Letting everything out felt good, but hearing it out loud scared him as well. "So. I don't know. I want Jae to be happy and successful in whatever she jumps into, but I don't want this dynamic to change." He waved his hand in a circle around the room. "Jae is very comfortable in what she does because of this support system. I'm very comfortable in my job and personally because of this group. I don't want that to change."

"We would always support you two in any way, whatever you guys do," Jimin spoke up for the group, and everyone agreed. "But it would be devastating if you two moved on."

"So, that's not going to happen then," Yoongi said matter of fact. "Jae can expand her wings if she chooses, but you two are staying with us. That's all there is."

"Yoon." Tae smiled.

"I think we share the same concern for what the future holds for the girls. You're right. I don't think Ami wants to do music like this forever, and that means both girls will find something new to enjoy. Maybe we need to encourage them to pursue that path together?" Hobi was serious as he thought about everything Pak had said.

"Look, down the road, it might look and feel different. We might be on a different path, and you and Jae will need your space from all of us." Namjoon smiled. "That's okay. Things change over time. What's good now might not be good later."

"No," Yoongi said again. "Ami and Jae are best friends. They only have each other...minus all of us, of course...they need each other. NEED. So, that means you aren't wandering off permanently. Whether Ami still needs you professionally or not, she needs you personally. WE need you personally."

"Yoon. They aren't part of our harem." Kook poked fun, stealing Pak’s ongoing joke. 

Everyone grinned for a moment before Yoongi said firmly, "Yes, they fucking are. I'm sorry, Pak, but you are. You're both as emotionally tied to us as we are to you two. Just as Su is tied to Ami, we are all connected. You and Ami have something more. We all see that. It's a different kind of relationship, and we are so happy you do. And this isn't about sex. Sex is sex, but this is deeper. This is about love, respect, and not wanting to be apart.  We joke about it because it’s there, and that's why this topic carries so much weight.”

Everyone sat there shocked, thinking about what Yoongi was saying. He labeled it. Everything he said was true but he slapped a label on it.  They all looked at Pak and wondered how he would react. His eyes were big, and he had his hand over his mouth, starting at Yoongi.

"Oh. Fuck." Pak finally said quietly, "I think you're right."

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 13

Later that night, Pak and Jae were lying in bed together. Jae was recapping her day and discussing everything she and Ami worked on. He ran his hand over her hip, holding her as Jae talked. After a while, she noticed he wasn't listening.

"Hey, Kai. Is everything OK?" She rolled over and looked at him in the dimly lit room. He felt her run her hand down his arm and then take his hand.

"Yeah. It was, um, an eye-opening day, I suppose."

"Oh? When? During your secret-man-meeting?"

"What?" He frowned, confused, as she grinned.

"Kook came and told us you were going to a secret man-meeting to talk about weddings. Is everything OK?" She now worried that something was wrong with the wedding plans.

"OH. That's funny...no. Wedding stuff is all on schedule as far as I know."

"So what is it? Was it a bad eye-opening day or a good eye-opening day?" Jae reached up and played with his hair as he thought for a moment. "Good, I think. Yes, very good."

She giggled as he rolled her onto her back and positioned himself between her legs. He leaned down over her, resting on his forearms to look into her face. "The guys and I had a long, in-depth, real conversation about you girls. Not as BTS and Security, but as men who love their partners and have a strong understanding and appreciation for the situation we're all in."

"Oh, and what situation are we all in?" she grinned as he leaned in and started kissing her collarbone. "It means I finally concede we are truly part of their umbrella."

"Umbrella?" Jae squirmed as he nibbled on her ear.

"We thought it fit a little better than 'harem' because that word holds a different meaning, and that part will never change between all of us. You are only mine, and Ami is only theirs." He whispered in her ear and watched goosebumps break out across her body. He then pulled back and stared into her shocked face. "Wait, but all jokes aside, you actually agreed to be part of their harem?"

"Umbrella. Very-very different meaning, but yes." He started kissing down her front as she closed her eyes and let out a little moan. "I trust them to protect and care for you as much as they trust me with Ami. So, we're under the same umbrella." He stopped and looked up at her face as she opened her eyes and looked down at him.

Jae propped herself on her elbows to see him better, "So, what does that all mean? Is it different now?"

"No. Nothing's different." He smiled sweetly at her.

"So, how did..." She started to ask, but before she could get out her question, he crawled up her body and shoved his lips on hers, kissing her with intense passion. Jae quickly gave in and joined him, kissing, hugging, and groping each other.

Jae relaxed completely as she felt him make love to her, unlike he had before. Every time she came, it pushed him to keep going. He loved making each of her orgasms bigger than the last. He paid attention to every part of her, worshiping her as she ended in a smiling, exhausted mess. He laid beside her, trailing his fingertips over her sweaty body, "Jesus, Kai. That was different." She flopped her head to the side with a glazed smile.

"Good different, I hope."

Jae rolled, pressing her body against him as they wrapped in each other's arms, pushing her face into his neck. "Very good," she murmured before falling into a deep sleep. Pak listened to her breathe for a while, thinking over this conversation with the guys and then Jae. He smiled to himself as he closed his eyes. He did feel a little different. It was a sense of calm. Knowing seven other guys honestly had his and Jae's back released some stress he didn't realize he was holding onto. Nothing had changed except everything.

 

Back at the house.

Jimin and Jin sat outside, enjoying the night air, when Tae joined them. "Just the husbands I was looking for."

"Did our wife go to bed?" Jin smiled as they saw Tae nod. "Yup. Last I saw, Hobi had her over his shoulder with Kook in tow."

"I love calling her wife. I can't wait until we can all do that." Jimin sighed.

"Yoongi is ready. He's ready now. They all are." Jin smiled as he watched Namjoon join Yoongi in the living room through the window.

"So, gentlemen. As part of the married man club, I have a real conversation we need to have." Tae sat back, crossed his legs, and interlaced his fingers behind his head. "I think it's our duty as husbands to inform the new husband what the rules are for their wedding."

"In what way?" Jimin smiled, enjoying this new private club they were all a part of.

"Well, we have all made sure we held a line for our wife before the actual wedding. I think it's only fair to her that the rest do the same. While we all have our likes and styles, I think something must be said to keep some consistency," Tae paused, "I also worry about Yoongi truly letting go."

"He hasn't played that way for a long time, well before she joined us." Jin sat back, trying to remember the last time Yoon lost it in the bedroom. "He loves her hard. He's not going to do that to her."

"She's been pushing for that a little more, though. She wants us to be who we are in the bedroom, so I can see your concern." Jimin added, "It wasn't that long ago Yoon asked for a minder. I think he knows 'that Yoongi' would be too much for her. So, what do we do about that? Pak, as bonded as he is now with us, isn't going to be that for her. If anything, he would beat the shit out of Yoongi if she was hurt."

"Did she tell you about him finding Hobi's vampire bites on her neck?" Jin smiled, "He wasn't impressed."

"Is that why they were joking about that?" Tae smiled. "Fuck. He and Jae aren't saints."

"I think he's more worried from a job perspective. He's the one who's there with her for all the events. He knows what she's up against firsthand. Doing that to her, as much as we want to, can create more problems. I get it." Jin looked over at the guys, and they both nodded in agreement.

The three sat outside for a while longer, discussing how they wanted to handle Yoongi and Ami's upcoming wedding plans and anything else the married man club needed to discuss.

 

Inside.

"Today was a thing. You have balls." Namjoon smiled as he sat down with Yoongi in the living room.

"Well, I think we all have thought about it at one time or another." He put his phone down, giving Namjoon his full attention.

"True, but I'm not sure Pak had given it that detailed of thought. We're lucky we didn't cross a line. I think telling someone they’re part of a harem might constitute harassment of some sort."

Yoon smiled, "I admit, he's a pretty traditional guy regarding relationships, which is fine. But he's more like us than he thinks. We've seen how he takes care of Ami. No amount of gifts or money can buy that level of dedication.

Jae is a large part of that. He trusts us with her as we trust him. It started in France after that car incident when he left her with us to check in with Ami. It was the first time I saw him being pulled both ways, and it wasn't because of the job. It was more personal for him. There is something pure they give each other that isn't a relationship. The only way this works is that we are all in it together. So harem, umbrella, whatever you want to call it, it is what it is. We talk about it enough, so it's time to be on the same page.”

"Oh, I absolutely agree. Shocked Pak so easily agreed to it, though. It's always been a running joke with him. I wonder what the girls are going to say." He smiled.

"Well. He was ready, and it needed to happen. It was the first time he openly shared his struggles and concerns about Jae with us. He needed to know he didn't have to deal with it alone. He's in a position of support with us all the time. Constantly managing Ami, sometimes us, then worrying about Jae. He needed to realize we support him as well, and more than just a job and financially. Su mentioned Pak really appreciated that car, for the pure fact we thought about Jae's safety. We take her seriously, which means more to him than anything."

“I’m glad you pushed, and I’m glad it didn’t backfire.” Namjoon smiled as Yoongi did the same. “Me too.”

***

Everyone was busy for the next couple of weeks. The guys jumped into the studio and worked on projects while Ami's new music dropped. To nobody's surprise, it did remarkably well and was warmly received, which boosted her confidence and her worry about them pushing her out on tour.

Ami and Jae were busy keeping up with communications and requests pouring in for her. The shock and awe news of her and the boys being friends seemed to finally settle into a low background murmur, which Su and Pak were glad to see. As much as they expected it, there was always that off chance something would not go their way.

Ami was working in her office when she heard a knock. She smiled as Pak poked his head in. "Hey there. Need a break?"

"I do." Ami stretched as she slowly stood up.

"Wanna get out of here and go get coffee?”

"Really? Yes!" She smiled as she grabbed her hat and glasses and followed him out the door.

"Where are you off to?" Kook smiled as he saw them getting ready to leave. He walked over and helped her slip on her shoes.

"Pak is stealing me away for coffee." She grinned.

"We're going to sit on the rooftop of the apartments for coffee and conversations," Pak said as he saw Kook's questioning look. “Just a little break before the wedding.”

"Gotcha. Sounds good." He smiled, approving of their controlled-environment outing. Ok leaned in and kissed Ami. "Have fun." She gave him a big hug. "Love you, baby bun."

"Love you too, little bird. I'll be waiting for you to return." The two loaded up and took off. "What's Jae doing on her day off today?" She closed her eyes and leaned back, enjoying the sun hitting her face.

"I asked Quon and Choi to escort her shopping. She needed a day of roaming and mindless wandering." Ami let out a big sigh, "Yeah, I get that. Is that why you’re taking me to rooftop coffee?"

"It is." He smiled. "If she needed a break, I'm sure you do, too. Anyway, you've been busting your ass lately, and you leave for wedding palooza number four in a few days. Are you excited?"

"I am." she smiled, looking over at him. "How are you feeling about the trip? I know Yoon has been working hard with you and Su to make sure everything is ready. I feel he has had more meetings with you two than I do."

"Well, that might be true," Pak laughed. Nope, everything is ready." It didn't take long, and Pak drove through, grabbed a couple of coffees, and made their way to the apartments. He parked, and they headed to the elevator, chatting as they made their way to the roof.

She grinned as he pulled two dusty lawn chairs out from against the wall and set them up. "I haven't been up here for a while. It looks like seating has been upgraded." She whacked the chair's seat several times to knock the dust off.

"Hey, don't knock my seating options. You can always sit on the dirty air conditioner unit over there," he quipped back as he sat down and got comfortable. Ami grinned and joined him, taking a sip of her coffee. “Thanks for the chairs."

"No problem." The two settled in, listening to the traffic and daily life down below on the street. "So, Ami, there is one small change I need to tell you about for your upcoming trip. Jae isn't coming this time. She's staying here."

"What? Why? I thought it was you, her, Choi, and Quon." She looked confused. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. She had questions about the location of where Yoongi is smuggling you off to. From a work standpoint, she's worried about being disconnected from the world for another week. The place we're going to isn't exactly solid cell phone-internet-friendly. Soooo, we talked about it, and she thought it would be best she stayed home this time." Ami's mouth was wide open as he filled her in.

"Wait. Wait. Why?" she leaned forward in her chair, surprised.

Pak sighed, "The Suki machine is moving pretty fast these days. She said you two have to work it daily, and her being out of touch for almost a week from keeping up with everything is too much to deal with. So, she doesn't want to, but she said she needs to stay this time. She's going to stay at the house with the rest of your guys and work out of your office." He gave a confirming nod.

Ami sat quietly with a little frown, thinking about what he was telling her. She understood that Jae was concerned about the daily work they were managing, but still, it sucked.

"How do you feel about her staying behind?" She finally asked with a little hitch in her voice.

"I don't love it, but it's the best scenario if she needs or wants to stay. I feel better about her staying in the guest house than being home alone. Someone will be around, or if she needs to get out, Byun or Su can help. I'm thankful the guys insisted she stay with them."

"But, Pak..."

"Ami," he smiled. "You're getting married to Yoongi. You're not going on a girls' vacation. He's not going to share you one bit."

"No, I know, but I feel bad she feels like she needs to stay."

"I get that, but she sees it as part of her job. Yes, you guys are friends first, but she understands the importance of keeping things running smoothly so you can jump back in when you return. Otherwise, it's days of catch-up and stress. She said she also wanted to keep Ko in his lane if he wandered." He grinned. "Jae knows all the intricacies of what you want for Suki. She's the one you want on the front line to fight for you."

"I know that." She sighed, "She knows what's going on in my brain before I do sometimes. I'm sorry, though, Pak."

"It's OK. I'm extremely thankful I can blend my personal and professional lives almost daily. I'm fucking lucky, but sometimes, the job has to come first."

"God. I hate being a job! It feels so dirty." She groaned, rubbing her eyes.

"Hey." He set his coffee down and moved his chair across from her. She sighed and looked at him. "Ami, you aren't a job. Your job is a job. Suki is a job. The boys aren't a job. BTS is a job. We all know this. Some days are more job-like than others, that's all. As much fun as your worldly adventures are, Jae doesn't want the job to suffer, and sometimes it does when you all run off together. You know that."

"Yeah, I know. I get it." She sighed. "So the guys know then?"

Pak smiled, "They do. They want her to stay with them so no one worries. Jin is going to pimp the guest house for her."

"Oh, well, she'll be fine then, for sure." Ami snickered, taking another sip of her coffee.

"Yeah, I'm sure she'll never want to leave." Pak reached over, picked up his drink, and got comfortable. The two spent the next couple of hours talking and taking advantage of the downtime they had before the job sucked them back in.

 

The day had come.

Yoongi slowly woke up, stretching his arms over his head and starting to move when he felt someone take his hands and hold them in place. "Mmm. Well, this is a good way to wake up." He smiled as he started to open his eyes. He blinked a few times, confused to see Tae, Jimin, and Jin all staring back at him.

"Expecting someone else?" Jimin smirked as he moved to sit on his legs so he couldn't get up.

"Honestly? Yes. Where's Ami?" He looked around and saw only them in the room, and the door was closed.

"She's downstairs already. We need to talk with you before you two leave today. You need to understand the rules," Tae said.

"The rules for what?" Yoongi smiled, "This, by the way, fucking hot."

"Rules for your trip before and after you become her husband. There are things she will expect you to do and not do." Jin repositioned, holding Yoongi's wrists with one hand.

"Did you have this kind of talk with each other?" He wiggled a little to get comfortable but felt Jin tighten his grip.

"Tae had it with me before I left, and we had it with Jin. Now it's your turn." Jimin smirked. “We just had conversations but thought this approach might be more fun." It wasn't hard to see that Yoongi enjoyed this as much as they were. The bulge in his shorts proved that.

Tae reached over and lightly ran his fingers over Yoon’s stomach. "Oh god,” he groaned. "OK, what are the rules then?" They all smiled.

"One. She loves being naked as much as possible unless security is around. No clothes, she loves that." Jimin started.

"Done." Yoongi panted.

"Two. After you get out of bed today, you can't cum or make love to her until your wedding night." Tae smiled as they all heard him gasp. "What?! OH, GOD. I forgot about that!" Jimin put his hands on Yoongi's hips, putting a little pressure on him and holding him down. "No fucking. Not on the plane. Not in the shower. Nothing. You both have to wait. Tae set that standard, and it needs to stay that way. You’ll thank us later."

"NOT on the plane?? But, but... I wanted a card!" He moaned, his cock now aching as they held him down.

"You can on the plane, but only on the way home." Jin said gruffly in his ear, "Quon and Choi CAN'T know, and you know Pak. He prefers to be left out." They watched his eyes roll back in his head. "Fuck. fuck..." Yoongi whispered.

"Three.” Tae reached down and now lightly teased Yoon's cock. "We know you, the real you. Wedding night is husband and wife love-making night only. Min Yoongi, as much as you and she can decide on your personal rules, be careful. Do you understand?" They watched him start to grip his sack through his shorts as Yoong let out a guttural moan, making them all smile. "Do. You. Understand."

"Yeeessssssss!!!" He begged as they all slowly released him. They watched him breathe heavily as he slowly opened his eyes. He needed more, and they knew it. "Why did you guys stop?" He smiled.

"Because we aren't going to fuck our wife's fiance before their wedding." Jimin teased.

"Bad form." Tae grinned.

"But..." He groaned, running his hand over himself. "Guys, please."

"Yoongi, you've edged us more in our lifetime than we can count. This is our gift to you. Husbands to future husband." Jin purposely teased his finger over Yoongi's lips. They watched him close his eyes and moan. "Please, I’m asking," he whispered. Jin looked at the others. "He's really submissive. This is the opposite of how he usually is with us." His voice sounded like velvet to Yoongi's ears, making his head swim. "He may behave for her if we help him now."

"The door's locked," Tae said in a low tone.

"Keep your eyes closed." He felt Jimin's breath on his neck as his lips worked across his skin. They watched him slowly work his way down his chest, causing Yoon to match his kisses with short breaths.

"Are you going to be respectful to our wife?" Jin said in his ear.

Yoongi let out a breathy yes.

"Will you give your heart and soul to her?"

"Yess."

"Will you protect her?"

"YES." He was so hard, it hurt.

"Min Yoongi, we know what you enjoy, and we aren't going to lie. We worry about you two being alone together for days. Promise us you won’t go that dark with her without us." Tae's buttery voice filled his head as they watched his body contract hard with his words.

"I swear! I...swear..." he groaned as all three men started running their hands over his body, making all his nerve endings fire off. Yoongi tried to focus and pay attention.

Jin continued, "Yoon, the three of us have talked, and we’re going to one-up your umbrella conversation from a couple of weeks ago.”

“W-what?” His eyes shot open.

“We're way past only enjoying each other for sex at this point. You know we love you as much as her, right?" Jin said softly in his ear, and they listened to him gasp. "The sex is good, though." Jimin teased as he pushed his hands down Yoon's pants. "YES IT IS!" he groaned, trying to move his hips but still not being able to.

"Min Yoongi," Tae said softly as they heard him start to whimper. “We do love you. We don't need to marry you to make it real."

"I love you, too." He said quietly back as tears came to his eyes.

***

It wasn't long before Ami saw Jin, Tae, and Jimin trot downstairs to join them in the kitchen.

"Hey, husbands." She grinned as she took her last bite of breakfast. "Where's my groom?"

"He's finishing. He'll be on this way down soon." Jimin kissed her head as Namjoon and Kook caught his play on words.

"Is Jae here yet?" Jin cleared his voice, changing the subject.

"Yup. She just got here with Pak. He's getting her settled in. Hobi looked suspiciously at the trio.

"Thanks for getting her set up. Pak's glad she will be lurking around here for the next few days." Ami leaned over into Jin as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and hugged her.

"No problem. We'll work on things here this week in the studio and wait for you two to come home." He kissed her head as they heard the door open.

"Hey there, how's the setup?" Ami smiled as Jae came bouncing in with Pak. "Ah-mazing. It's stocked with so much food! I'm going to have to have a party to be able to eat it all!" She grinned as the guys watched the two girls hug before Jae sat down and joined them.

"Acceptable?" Namjoon smiled as Pak took a seat on the island. “It's perfect. It's just enough to keep her out of trouble."

"No guarantees." Jae grinned as Ami giggled with her. "Thank you again for keeping up on everything for me while I'm gone. "

"Hey, it's not like you haven't hauled me around the world enough. I'm glad I can do this for you." The group talked while Namjoon leaned over to Tae and whispered, "Where's Yoongi? What did you do to him?"

"Nothing," Tae said seriously. “We needed to have a conversation with him about a few things, that's all. As her husbands, we needed to tell him a few rules."

"What are you talking about?"

Tae grinned, "Don't you worry. We'll have the same talk with you when it's your turn." Joon's eyes got big as they heard Jimin say, "Hey! There's the groom!"

"It's about time.” Jin grinned as they watched Yoongi smirk. "Well. I had a few things to button up. Hey, baby." He reached his arms around her, nuzzling his face into her neck. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes." She giggled and squirmed as he kissed her before pulling back a little but still holding her.

"Jae, are you all set up for the week?" Yoon smiled as she gave them a confident nod. "Yup. I'm good." Pak reached over and rubbed her back.

"Make sure you let these guys know if you need anything, OK? They're at your beck and call." Yoon started helping Ami out of her seat as everyone moved to see them off. It was time to go and start their wedding week together.

"Oh, I will," Jae smirked as Pak wrapped her up into a huge hug, lifting her off the floor. "Have a nice week. Keep these guys in line, OK? NO paperwork while I'm gone." He teased as she started laughing. Then he said quietly just to her. “Jae. I love you. I hope you have a boring, quiet week checking emails and floating in the pool."

"I will." She sighed. “I miss you already. Take care of my friend, and take pictures! I'm going to need all the details."

Jin, Tae, and Jimin all kissed and hugged their wife before giving their congratulations and hugs to Yoongi. Hobi squeezed her tightly, not wanting to let her go, as Namjoon hugged Yoon. "Congrats, and I hope everything goes perfectly."

"It will. I hope you guys have a good week. I'll have Pak send you guys a daily thumbs up to let you know everything's fine."

"Thanks. That would make us feel better. We'll do the same to Pak about Jae. Oh," he pulled him in closer. "I don't know what you guys talked about upstairs, but I look forward to finding out." Yoongi smiled at his friend, "You will. Don't worry." The two stared at each other for a moment, "Yoon, you have that glassy married look already. I fucking can't wait." Joon sighed as he stepped aside for Kook to hug Yoongi. "Bring my fiance back in one piece, or else," Kook said quietly to Yoon as he grinned.

"Ready?" Pak finally said as everything had their chance to say what they needed to say.

"Yup, I think so. See you all in a few days." Ami couldn't stop smiling as Yoongi took her hand and walked her out the door.

"Bye, guys, and thanks. We'll bring them back in one piece." Pak smiled. Right before he shut the door, he ran back to Jae, wrapping her in a hug and giving her a huge kiss. They all smiled as he finally let her go and started jogging to catch up with the two, "Hardest part of my job so far!" He grinned, "See ya soon!" He closed the door as the guys all looked over to Jae, who was recovering from being love-bombed one more time.

"Come on. Let's get you some food. Do you want to work by the pool today or in the office?" Hobi smiled as he started walking her back to the kitchen. "Um, office in the morning, pool in the afternoon?"

"Sounds good to me," Kook said, following them back to the kitchen. The remaining guys spread out in the house to settle in without Ami and Yoongi for the week.

***

Soon, they pulled up to the plane, where Su was waiting for them. Hi!" Ami said enthusiastically as he opened her door. "I was hoping to see you before we left." She hugged him as he hugged her back.

"Do you think I would send you off without saying congratulations?" He put his arm around her, walked her to the plane's steps, and escorted her up as Pak and Yoongi followed them.

"No, but I'm glad to see you."

He let her enter first, and Choi and Quon met her. "Hi!" She grinned.

"Well, hello. Are you ready to run off for some fun?" Choi stood up to help with the bags, and Quon did the same.

"I'm so excited." She grinned, walking to the back of the plane. She found a seat and settled in while Su stepped aside so Yoongi could join her. "So, everything is ready for you both. You're going to have a great time."

"Thank you for your help, Su. We'll be back before you know it." Yoon shook his hand as he settled in with his soon-to-be wife.

"I look forward to it. Oh, this is for you for your trip." He smiled, handing each of them a small wrapped gift.

"What? You didn't have to do that." Yoongi smiled as they both opened their gifts. Su beamed as they unwrapped warm, fuzzy hats with ear flaps to protect them from the wind.

"Oh, these are perfect! Thank you, Su!" Yoongi grinned as Ami looked a little more surprised. "Where are we going that we'll need these?" She asked, and neither of them answered her.

"Do me a favor and wear those if it's windy. The cool wind can wreck your ears. No need to deal with that on your trip." He winked at Ami as she still looked baffled. Su leaned forward and whispered, "I bought some for the guys in front, too. I thought you would enjoy that the most." Ami smiled big at the thought of Pak, Choi, and Quon wearing matching flappy ear hats.

"Oh my god, that's the best. Thanks, Dad." She stood up, and they both hugged a long, strong hug. "Have fun."

"We will, thank you."

***

Yoongi and Ami cuddled together on the plane as it zoomed over the ocean. Choi and Quon were resting in rows they had claimed as their own, happily wearing the headphones Su had bought them in the States.

Pak was a few rows back from them, reviewing the trip. When he wasn't thinking about logistics, he was thinking about Jae. Su promised to check in on her daily and message him, which gave him peace of mind. He shook his head to focus on the upcoming trip and looked forward to what was coming up later in the month with her schedule.

Ami and Yoongi were sitting closer to the back of the plane. She was leaning on his shoulder while they talked. Yoon gently ran his fingers through hers, "I'm so happy. I'm so glad it's finally our turn." he sighed, gently kissing her head.

"I know. I was kind of sad Jae wanted to stay behind at first, but it's actually taking a lot of stress off of worrying about what’s going on while I'm gone."

"Yeah. You don't seem to have a good track record lately of shit trying to happen when you're out of town. I'm glad she's taking that pressure off you."

"Seriously." she sighed as he pulled her chin over, gently kissing her lips. "Honey, I'm not allowed to take you to the back of the plane until we fly home, but I wanted to let you know. I'm excited to earn my card."

"You aren't allowed?" She quietly groaned as he kept kissing her.

"No. I promised to abide by the rules, not that I don't want to break them, but your husbands will kill me...and I'll kill your future husbands if they break those rules too." He could feel her smile on his lips before he smashed a little harder into her.

"Yoons." She said between breathy kisses, "Where are we going?"

"Do you really want to know?" He quietly moaned.

"Yes, please." She pulled back as he stared into her eyes. So much love flowed from her. He could feel every ounce, and melted a little as he stroked her cheek.

"Iceland."

Chapter 14

Kija smirked as he hung up after talking to Jang.  He was excited that plans were starting to come together after what felt like forever with no real movement.  "Slow and steady," he murmured as he headed into a meeting with Jackson's group.

Iceland.

The sun had just set as their plane landed in Iceland.  Twilight was streaming down on them as the plane finally came to a stop at the end of a quiet runway.

"Baby.  We're here." Yoongi nuzzled in her ear, watching her start to wake up.

"Hi," she said, giving him a sleepy smile.  They both started to move and stretch as the engines powered down.

"Welcome to Iceland!" They heard Quon call out as everyone stood up and stretched.  By now, they all had their own routines when they flew to fight jetlag.  But it was still hard on them.

"How do you guys feel?" Pak smiled as he came back to help them gather bags.

"Stiff but good.  How much further do we have to go?" She peeked out the window of the plane and saw nothing.  No lights from a city, just a few runway lights blinking in the distance.

"Ten-fifteen minutes.  We're at a private airport in the north." Pak smiled as they all watched her eyes get big, "We are?"

"We are." Yoongi pulled her up and kissed her ear again.  It's really hard to be good," he whispered as she felt goosebumps flush throughout her body.  "Let's go get you in the Jeep, and I'll help the guys with the bags."

He took her hand and walked her down the aisle of the plane, hearing her gasp as soon as they stepped out the door.  Yoongi smiled and kissed her hand as she stared at the sky.  There, across the dark sky, were the vibrant hues of the northern lights, twinkling in blues and greens.

"I heard Jimin lit up the oceans for you at your wedding.  I give you the sky." Tears came to her eyes as she met his gaze.  They forgot Pak, and the guys were behind them for a moment before Yoon winked at her, "Come on.  Let's go."

Very Early Morning Bangkok.

Harry's tour had resumed after the long break in Australia.  Although the break was needed and appreciated, everyone was ready to get back to work.  Wendy and Riggs had been crashed out in the hotel room for a couple of hours when she heard her phone ring.

"It's too early.  Tell them we're closed." Riggs moaned as Wendy searched the nightstand with one hand in the dark for her phone.  They heard the phone get pushed off the table and drop to the floor with a thud as it kept ringing.

"OH, my goddddd." She sleepily rolled out of bed, found the glowing phone on the floor, and finally answered.  "Hello?" she said quietly.

"Hi.  This is Sargent McGillis from the New York Police Department 10th Precinct.  I'm looking for a Wendy?"

"Speaking," Riggs heard her say more clearly.  He flipped on the light and sat up.  They both blinked as the sudden brightness of the light filled the room.  He squinted and saw her standing next to the bed.

"Hi, Wendy.  We got a call from a neighbor of yours.  I'm sorry to report your apartment has been broken into.  Are you in the area?"

"What?  Um, no.  I'm out of the country right now.  My apartment?" She looked at Riggs, shocked, as he climbed out of bed and walked around to her.  "My apartment was broken into." She mouthed.

"Fuck." He sighed.

"We need you to return as soon as possible so you can complete a report..." Wendy grabbed a pen and started writing down the details the sergeant was giving her.

"Right.  Thank you, I'll call you when I get back into town.  Bye." As she hung up the phone, Riggs sat down on the bed, gently pulling her toward him.  "What happened?" He started stroking her arms as she stood between his legs.

Wendy sighed, "I guess a neighbor noticed my door was open.  She called the police, and they checked it out.  Someone broke in and went through my stuff." She frowned.

"Oh, Love.  I'm sorry.  Do they know who did it?" She shook her head as she leaned into his shoulder.

"No.  But I have to go back.  I have to go through everything and give a report on anything missing." she felt his hands freeze on her arms, then gently push her back a little.  "When?"

"Soon. Tomorrow.  What is it, like a 15-hour flight home?"

"Over 20." Riggs frowned and started thinking of the logistics of making that happen.

"Right." She sighed, "So even if I leave tomorrow, I'm a few days out of arriving, and then I need to deal with all the reports and bullshit." Riggs hugged her as they sat in stunned silence at the news.  After a few moments, she finally let him go, sitting beside him on the bed.

"Maybe I need to move everything into storage and give up my place.  I don't really want to, but fixing everything and leaving again feels like an open invitation for thieves."

"Darling.  Are you sure this can't wait a few weeks?  Harry's tour is pushing hard for the next few months to finish the tour.  I don't think I can go with you if you leave tomorrow, but in a few weeks, the tour will be in a spot where I can help."

"I know.  I can't, though.  Listen, it will be fine." she tried to give a reassuring smile, "I'll go back.  Deal with this bullshit.  Move out and then fly back to meet up with you, wherever you guys are."

"Wendy." He groaned.  "I'm not sending you back to a busted-in apartment." He grabbed his phone and flipped to the tour schedule and calendar.

"What are you doing?" She looked over his shoulder.

"Seeing if I can weasel your pocket people out of work to go with you."

"Riggs.  They aren't for this." She pushed his phone down so he would stop looking at it.  "They're for more important things, like crazy fans or when I need a taco run, and you're babysitting Harry."

"Well, you aren't going alone." He said adamantly.  "Can't have you flying around the world all willy-nilly to deal with the cunts of the world."

"Willy-nilly?" She smirked.

"Yes.  It's a very official security term.  Only used in the most important of times."

"Riggs." She leaned on his shoulder.  "I'll be fine, but I need to go back to deal with this.  I'm not really doing anything here, anyway."

"Not true." He said softly.  "You help.  You do stuff."

"Yeah, but it's not essential.  This is essential.  I need to book a flight." He closed his eyes to think about what his options were.  He couldn't use Harry's plane; they were in full tour mode now.  New York was too far to get her there and back before Harry needed it again.  He wasn't excited to put her on a commercial flight either.  After a while, he conceded and kissed her head.  "Crawl back into bed.  I'm going to make some calls.  We'll figure it out."

"I don't think I can sleep." She said as she crawled back in any way.

"Then rest.  You will need the rest if you're flying tomorrow.  Let me figure it out for you, OK?  If I can't go with you, I can help with this." He pulled the blankets up for her.  "I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Hey. Where are you going?" She reached up and took his hand.  He smiled down at her, "I'll be on the balcony."

South Korea.

Su arrived at the house early and was having coffee with Jae, Jin, and Hobi when he heard his phone ring.  He looked down and, for a split second, looked confused.  "Huh.  Be right back," he said as he got up and went out to the back patio, closing the door behind him.

"Wonder what that's about," Jae said as she sipped her coffee.  "Well, hi-ho-hi-ho, it's off to work, I go." She grinned as she hopped down off the stool.

"How's work?" Hobi asked.

"Good.  Smooth." She smiled.  "Just keeping up on things, nothing hard, just busy work.  Keeping everyone in line."  She did some over-exaggerated bad ninja moves, "See ya guys later during my union-ordered break in the pool!" She waved as she headed to Ami's office, closing the door behind her.

Hobi and Jin smiled, "Want some more coffee?" Jin offered as Hobi held his cup up with a smile, "Please."

***

"Riggs?"

"Hey, Su.  Sorry to call you so early."

"Never a problem.  Everything OK?"

"I don't know.  I think I need a professional opinion.  I tried to reach Pak, but it just went to voicemail.  I don't think this can wait." Wendy watched him pace slowly in the moonlight around the balcony.

"He's on the plane.  What's going on?"

Su heard him sigh.  "Wendy got a call.  Her apartment was broken into.  She needs to return to New York to talk to the cops and deal with it."

Su paused as his brain started whirling, "Do they know who did it?"

"No.  They're looking into it.  Su, the problem is I can't go with her right now.  Harry's show is kicking off, and I can't spare anyone for at least a couple of weeks." He paused for a moment, "As much as she can go deal with by herself, I don't want her to.  Not that she can't handle herself, but fuck.  I'm struggling with the reality of letting her go.  I thought Pak might understand and give me some solid advice."

Su could hear the frustration in his voice and understood completely.  "I get it, more than you know.  OK, so when does she want to leave?" Su started walking back inside to his computer.  He needed to write things down and help Riggs make a plan.

"Tomorrow...today... as soon as possible.  The cops need her to inventory and make an official report.  We just arrived in Bangkok, like, five hours ago." He looked at his watch, realizing he needed to adjust the time.

"So that's a full day of travel alone.  Does she need transportation?" He walked in and went to Namjoon's library, where he had set up shop, and closed the doors.  Jin and Hobi watched him walk through the house and then looked at each other.  "Well.  That sounds ominous.  Who could that be about?"

"No clue.  Let's wake up the rest of the guys, just in case." Hobi put his coffee down and headed upstairs to find everyone and let them know they might want to come downstairs earlier than later.

"She just got the call about fifteen minutes ago, and I haven't looked into flights yet."

Su fired up his computer and started looking at options.  "What does she want to do with her place?  Does she want to keep it?  Not to be pushy, but I can tell you that will make people very uncomfortable on this end.  We've dealt with that before, and you can't ever get that safe feeling back.  Sorry if this comes off forward, but I'm guessing you two weren't going to have separate apartments in the future." he kind of smiled as he heard Riggs chuckle.

"Well, that topic has been discussed, and absolutely not if I have my way.  She talked about moving her stuff into storage and giving up her place."

Su sat back and thought for a moment, "Where do you land?  Do you have a place somewhere?  Maybe we should have her stuff shipped there.  There's no need to pay for storage if it can sit there in your place until the tour is done."

"OH.  I hadn't thought about that.  I usually roam with Harry, but I have a London flat.  That could be a lot to ship, though.  I don't know what she will want to deal with when she's there.  Storage in New York may be easier and faster to manage than sorting that high-level detail of stuff to ship.  Honestly, I don't want her gone longer than she needs to be.  That and I can't be there to receive it to put in my flat." he sighed, "I like that idea though."

"OK, how about this then?  We ship it to London and have it stored somewhere until you both get back, and you can help her deal with it.  Better to be stored closer to your home than in another city on a different continent.  London is her home too, which would make her feel more comfortable anyway." As they spoke, he clicked around on his computer, setting up flight details for her.  He was ready to click the button but needed to make sure Riggs was on board and he didn't overstep his bounds with him.

Riggs stopped pacing the balcony and agreed.  "I like it.  I like it better than leaving it in New York."

"So, Riggs, I understand not wanting her to go and deal with it by herself.  While she can, I think we both agree she shouldn't for a few different reasons.  We both have a different viewpoint of the world than the girls do, wouldn't you say?"

"Right.  That's why I called you, because I know you understand, and I'm not only playing the overprotective boyfriend card."

Su smiled, "No, you aren't.  So here's what I can tell you.  The guys aren't going to want her to fly commercial.  We can all agree that we are well past that option for any of the girls if we can help it.  Not from a luxury standpoint, but it's what's comfortable for all of us.  I know you've had access to Harry's plane in the past, but I'm guessing that isn't an option this time with his schedule."

"No, but Su, financially, that's not an option for me." He sighed.

"I get it.  Can I take care of that for you, though?  Would that be OK?"

Riggs stood still, shocked at what he was offering.  It wasn't anything he had anticipated.  "Su, that's a fucking lot of money, mate...or do you have airline miles to burn?"

Su grinned at his sudden informal response.  "I would love to send the guys' plane, but it's currently being used.  I can have one on standby ready to go when she is.  That solves the first problem." he leaned back in his seat as they talked.  Riggs didn't know what to say.

Su decided he needed to add a little perspective as he could feel his hesitance.  "You've seen the way my guys live and how Harry lives.  What I'm suggesting isn't out of bounds.  Here's the reality of the situation, somebody broke into her place.  That's a hard violation.  We take that very seriously, and I know you do, too.  Otherwise, we wouldn't be having this conversation.  My job is to help you find solutions for this, not to override your position with your relationship.  It's a balance we have also had to manage with Pak.  We all have our strengths.  Mine happens to have endless financial backing and a strong moral compass." He smiled a little as he heard Riggs let out a quick laugh.

"I just wish I could help her with this." He let out a long breath.

"You are.  You're using your network to help her when you can't physically be there.  No one has all the answers all the time."

"You seem to." He grinned.

"Experience." Su replied, "Good and bad, it's the only way you grow.  So, are you OK with the plane, or do you need to hear it from the guys?  You know what they're going to say, though." Su's finger hovered over the enter key that would make the reservation.  He just wanted Riggs to buy into it before he did it.

"Yes, please, and THANK YOU." He wouldn't lie.  That part of the equation was a HUGE load off his mind.

"You can thank them yourself next time we see you." Su smiled as he finalized the trip for her.  "What's next on your list?"

"I'm going to set up a hotel for her nearby.  I don't want her to stay at her flat.  Harry has connections in New York.  I'll reach out and set transport up for her, too." He started pacing slowly again as Su agreed.

"So planes, hotels, transportation are covered.  What's next?" Su was jotting down notes as they talked.

"I would like her to have access to help on the ground while she's there." Riggs ran down the list of friends he knew she had in New York, and none stood out.  "I could hire someone."

"Is she going to fight that?" Su asked, "I only ask because when Jae started hanging out with us in this world, it took her a while to understand why we felt better if she wasn't milling around by herself." He tapped his pen on the table, trying to figure out options.  "She might not balk at it if it was someone she knew.  We're spread pretty thin right now with the guys I trust, but I could have Quon meet her in New York.  He's going to be within range for that.  I would have to talk with the boys first on that one."

Riggs laughed, "You don't have to approve private planes, but you do approve the reassignment of your team?"

"Actually, for this one, I do." Su chuckled, "But I think we would both feel better if someone was with her that she knew.  I can't send Pak, or I would.  I'm stuck here for the week, for sure.  Choi is busy, but Quon, I think, might work.  Are you comfortable with him if the guys agree?"

"Su.  It goes a long way to say if you are OK with someone, I will be OK with them."

"Let me call you back."

***

"Oh, good.  You're all here.  Where's Jae?" Su looked around, only seeing the six.

"In Ami's office, what's up?" Hobi asked for the group.  Su paused, "Let's go talk in the library.  I don't want Jae to hear until plans have been set up." He turned and walked back, and they all followed.

"Su?" Namjoon wasn't the only one with a pit start forming in his stomach.  Jin closed the door to the library as they all found spots.

"Long story short, I got a call from Riggs." He watched all their eyes get big.  "Wendy got a call about 45 minutes ago that her apartment was broken into in New York."

"OH fuck." Jimin whispered.

"Who did it?  It wasn't the stalker, was it?" Tae said, shocked at the news.  Just the idea of that as a possibility sent a shiver through him.  He felt Kook place a hand on the back of his neck, as he felt the same way.

"The police don't know yet.  Riggs doesn't know, but I'm going to look into it.  I want to rule it out.  The bigger problem is that Wendy needs to head to New York today to deal with it.  He called for help with logistics.  He can't go with her because Harry's tour is in full swing.  They're in Bangkok, by the way.  I didn't think you guys would mind, but I hired a plane for her to New York."

"Good." Namjoon nodded as the rest agreed.  Su knew that wasn't going to be an issue.

"Here's the hang-up, though," Su looked unsure, which wasn't a side he often showed.  "We both agree she needs someone on the ground to be with her.  Maybe it was just a random junkie break-in..."

"But maybe it wasn't.  Ami and Jae would be devastated." Tae sighed.

"Right.  Now, she has friends back in New York to help her, but he and I agree they aren't the best option."

"Riggs doesn't have anyone he can call?  Surely, he has connections all over." Jin frowned.

"He does, but we all know Wendy's situation is a little more delicate than she may realize.  Her connection to you seven.  To Ami.  To Harry, Gaga....the list can go on.  If the people that broke in are not your average junkies but bigger...Riggs and I are a little more leary to call someone who doesn't understand how she's woven into all this.  They might not know what to look for." Su leaned back on the desk with both hands, watching the guys process the whole picture.

"Who do you want to send?  I feel like you know already." Namjoon crossed his arms as he stood along a wall of books.

"Quon," he said confidently, although he wasn't entirely confident.

"Quon?" They all said, surprised in unison.

"That would leave them only with Pak and Choi..." Jimin wasn't sure what to think.

"No.  There has to be someone else." Hobi said firmly.

"That's what I need your help figuring out," Su said calmly.  "I don't want to drag him away from Yoongi and Ami.  Can Pak and Choi manage a private wedding in Iceland?  Sure.  They aren't going to do anything remotely public.  But still," He made a face that told them he was as uncomfortable with the idea as they were.

"Why can't you go?" Jungkook tossed out the idea.  "Our week isn't exciting.  Jae's here with us.  We're self-contained.  We've got Byun and a million guys if we need to leave.  I think we can manage here for the week."

"Me?" Su said, surprised.  It hasn't crossed his mind.

"Su, you know New York better than Quon would.  You can handle the police there better in person than over the phone.  We all agree that this needs to be figured out quickly if it's a crime of opportunity or something more.  It needs to be you." Namjoon agreed; everyone did. 

"Pulling Quon is going to set off red flags for them.  We don't want anything to ruin or sidetrack their wedding.  Any wedding, for that matter."  Jin said firmly.  They would all rather send Su than mess up one of the weddings.  Even if it meant they locked themselves in all week. 

Su stared off, rethinking what that looked like for the week with him not being here.  In the past, if he was gone, at least Pak was around, but never both of them at the same time, let alone out of the country.  "It makes me uncomfortable, but not impossible," he finally shared.

"Why?  Is there something else we don't know about?" Hobi said seriously.

"No.  Nothing else.  I just don't like to be spread thinner than we already are." He sighed, "But I think, in this instance, I agree with you.  Wendy is the bigger priority than six guys sitting around a house."

"And Jae, don't forget." Kook teased.

Su finally smiled genuinely, "Well, for that reason alone, I should stay, but I'm going to trust you six can manage her.  If not, you can call Byun for backup."

Back in Iceland.

Two Jeeps bounced down a gravel road, the Aurora Borealis shimmering over their heads.  Pak drove one with Choi and Quon, while Yoongi drove Ami.

"This is so amazing!"  Ami grinned as he held her hand while he drove.

"It's a good thing Su gave us those hats.  We're going to need them this week.  It's not super warm here even though it's summer."  Yoon smiled as he turned down a dark gravel road off the main one.  Off in the distance, they could see the glow of two houses, beckoning them to their warmth.

"Hold on." He grinned as he floored the Jeep.  Ami squealed as she grabbed the handles to hold on.  "Yoongi!"  she laughed as she sped down the road, leaving a trail of dust in their wake.

"Oh god,"  Pak muttered as he sped up to keep up with them.

"Oh, this feels much different than the other weddings."  Quon grabbed what he could, and Choi did the same.  "Pak, is there anything special we need to know this?"  Choi called out.

"Well.  It's Yoongi.  It's Yoongi without the rest of them, so...I hope not."  Pak said as he had to slow down a little so the dust would have time to dissipate and they could see the road.

"What does that mean?"  Quon asked.  The other had worked with him for years, so they knew him more personally.

"He's a little more intense one-on-one."  Choi smiled.  "Not bad intense, but can you see Jimin or Tae flooring her through the tundra like this?"

"Nope.  Can't say that I can."  The Jeep hit a bump, and Quon bounced, almost hitting the ceiling.   "Oh fuck!"

"Sorry, Quon." 

"Language!"   Choi joyfully called out as Pak laughed.  The dust blew off enough to speed up and catch up with them.   They were soon pulling up to the first house.  Ami and Yoongi were getting out of the Jeep.  Both had huge grins on their faces.

"Well, that was something."  Pak smiled, closing his door and walking over to the two.  "I almost sent Quon through the roof."

"Ohh no."  Ami giggled.

"They don't call them 'oh shit' handles for nothing!"  He called out from behind the Jeep.  They had opened the back and pulled out some bags to drop off at their house.

"Isn't this amazing?"  Ami signed, looking back up at the sky again.  "Jae would love this.  Sorry, Pak,"  She said quietly as she looked back at him; he gave her a little nod.

"I'll bring her someday, don't worry." He gave her a wink as Yoongi emptied the back of his Jeep of suitcases and boxes.  Quon plopped a duffle bag down at Pak's feet.

"Ahh, I recognize that." Ami smiled as Pak unzipped it and pulled out the same long-range walkie-talkies they had used in Tonga.  Yoongi shut the door and walked over to see what Pak had in his hands.

"OK, love birds.  These are for you.  Over the hill, about a half mile back, is where we'll be.  We are in that second house we could see from the main road.   You can't see us from here, but we're close if you need anything.  Just call us on here.  Two things,"  He held up his first finger, "One.  We aren't going to come poking around without calling first.  Because...no one needs that."  Pak closed his eyes and shivered. 

Ami started laughing as Yoongi smiled.  He held up his second finger.

"Two.  Like Tonga, if it's a day we aren't going to see you guys, if you could do me the great honor of at least giving us a proof of life call, that would be much appreciated.  Then I can send Su a thumbs up, and he can send me a thumbs up that Jae is good.  The world will be a happy place." 

"Standard proof of life, gotcha."  Ami smiled as she took it from him.

"Otherwise,  we'll see you tomorrow afternoon.  Dress warm."  Pak grinned big.

"What's tomorrow afternoon?" Ami asked as Yoon shook each of their hands with a little bow.  "Thanks, guys.  We'll see you then."  He grabbed some bags and started walking towards the house.

"WAIT, what's tomorrow?  I thought we were getting married in three days?"  Ami picked up some luggage and followed Yoon toward the house.

"We are, but we aren't staying in the house all week, although I did highly consider it."  He paused at the door, waiting for her to catch up.  He put his hand on the handle, and when she got to him, he pushed the door open.  "By guys!" he called out as the glow of the home flooded the grounds.

He loved watching her face, eyes wide, as they walked inside, shutting the door behind them.

"Well, shall we go see what's in store for us?"  Pak smiled as they all returned to the Jeep.

"Hopefully, it's more than one bed this time."  Choi chuckled as Pak stopped and looked at the two, "I'm sorry, what?"  Quon and Choi kept walking and climbed in as Pak unfroze and followed along.

"Tonga had one bed, and Quon rotated between the couch and hammock it all week."  Choi teased.

"Hey, that was a damn fine hammock.  Slept like a baby.  As long as there's a hammock, I'm good."

"Oh, hell.  I didn't know that.  Well, let's hope for the best, then,"  Pak said, surprised, as he started the Jeep.  They made their way back down the road to their house at a more normal speed.

 

Bangkok.

Riggs returned and sat down on the bed as Wendy looked up at him.  He stroked the hair off her face and gave her a peaceful smile.  "Darling, arrangements have been made.  Your flight will be ready when I can get you to the airport.  Do you want to get up, and we can go now, or do you want to sleep a little more first?"

"What?  What do you mean as soon as I get to the airport?"  He took her hands in his, studying them before she would be gone for a week or more. 

"Well, a plane is waiting for you so you can travel to New York and back without waiting in extra airport lines.  I mean, it's brilliant.  It will shave hours off your trip and have probably better food."  he teased.  He watched her stare at him, trying to process what he was actually telling her.  "Oh, but there's the catch.  You have to stop in Korea on the way and pick someone up."

"Wait, like an UberX Share ride?"

"Exactly.  Now you get it."  He grinned, "So, do you want to sleep on the plane or here?  I mean, I prefer you sleep here, with me, naked...but the flight is long, and you can also catch up on there for the next million hours."  He pulled the covers back as she started to get up. 

"So, did Harry book it?"

"Nope.

"You?"

"Nope."

She paused for a moment, "Ami?"

"Nope." He smiled as he grabbed her bag and sat it on the bed.  Wendy stood there, still pondering, as he started repacking the few things she had pulled out just a few hours before.

"The guys?"

"Nope.  Su."  He leaned over, kissed her head, and started rooting around in her bag.  She still stood there.

"Su??"

"He had airline miles to burn."  He pulled out some clothes he knew she would be comfortable wearing on the plane.

"Wait."  She grabbed his arm, and he stopped and smiled.  "He had enough airline miles for a plane??  An entire plane." 

He shrugged,  "BTS has good benefits, apparently."

"Stop it.  Wait.  Who am I picking up in Korea?"

Riggs wrapped his arms around her and gave her a long squeeze.  "Come on, darling.  I'll explain everything on the way."

Chapter 15

New York City.

A man sat on a bench across the street from an apartment building. He pulled out his phone and called Korea. “Hey, we tossed that apartment like you asked. Do I still need to watch it or what?”

Jang smiled mischievously, “Yup. I’m going to send you some pictures. I need you to let me know if you see any of these people show up.” The man heard his phone ping and saw a group of pictures downloading into his messages. “Got ‘em. And if they do? You want me to jump ‘em?”

“Nooo. All I need you to do is snap a picture and send it to me. Nothing more. Easy money.”

“Really? That’s it?”

“That’s it. Just hang out for about a week. If they don’t show, then you’re free to go.”

"Only a week?"

"They move fast. Someone will show up."

The man paused, “And the money? My time ain't free.”

“Man after my own heart…half now, and how about this, I’ll sweeten the pot. I’ll double it if you stay the full week, and if you send me proof of any of those people in the pictures showing up, I’ll triple it.  But don't let them see you, and DON'T mess with them. Understand?"

The seedy man smiled, “Sir, it will be a pleasure doing business with ya.  Later.” He hung up and flipped through the photos sent to him. He didn’t recognize any of them, “Ok. Blonde girl, fuck, they all look the same. Tattooed gym-bro. He shouldn’t be hard to spot, theeeeen ok, Korean gym-bro, that’s new. Korean dad-guy and two other Korean dudes. Fuck.” He got up, walked to a hot dog stand on the corner, got something to eat and drink, and then got comfortable as he started people-watching the New York City life meander by.

 

South Korea.

Jae was deep in thought when she heard a knock on the office door. “Come in!” She called out.

“Hey there, do you have a minute? We need to update you on a few things.” Namjoon smiled as she looked up at him. “Work updates or personal updates? Is Kai ok?”

“More personal than work, and he’s fine. They just landed in Iceland not too long ago. He texted Su, and they were getting settled in. Come on, we have other news we need to discuss, though. Equally as important.” He held the door open as Jae scooted around the desk and headed out to find everyone in the living room waiting for her. Su was packing up his computer and paperwork, looking like he was getting ready to leave.

“Hey, all. Family meeting, huh?” She sat down in the overstuffed chair they had saved for her as everyone nodded.

“Pretty much. So,” Su started, “first of all, I’m going to preface by saying everything is fine. But, in about an hour, Wendy is getting on a plane in Bangkok and heading here.”

“HERE? Wait, what?” She sputtered with excitement as Su held his hands up so she would pause for a moment.

“Her apartment was broken into in New York.” Kook said calmly, “She’s going back to deal with it. Riggs can’t go with her, so he asked for our help. We’ve asked Su to go.”

“Oohhh. Shit.” Her hand flew over her mouth as she sat back, shocked and blinking. “Riggs can’t go?” Everyone shook their heads in reply. “Do they know, um, who did it? Did they catch them?”  She could feel a wave rush over her, transporting her instantly back to how she felt standing in her old apartment bathroom.  The message written on her mirror—the feeling of intrusion in her private space.

“Jae,” Su said as she finally looked up at him. He held his eyes softly as she blinked to focus. “She’s going to fly here, and I’ll fly with her to New York. I’ll talk to the police and figure out if there is anything we need to be concerned about…”

“WAIT.” She sat up a little straighter as she finally caught on, “Do you think it's that fucking stalker? How do they know where she lived?! She can’t live there anymore! I need to go with you!” The guys all prickled at her instant panic. None of them, including Su, had anticipated that reaction at all. This had touched a major nerve.

If it were Ami, the guys would grab and hold her, but this was Jae. They didn’t want to cross a line with her or Pak, but they couldn’t sit there and watch her spiral either.

Before any of them could move to help her, Su crossed the space, pulling Kook with him. “Help me get her up.” He said quietly to him. They both pulled up the slowly panicking Jae, “Kook. I need you to stand behind her and hold her,” Kook moved behind her but looked at Su, unsure, “Like you do Ami when she needs it. It’s ok.” Su said quietly.

Jae felt Kook’s strong arms wrap around her and squeeze.  She instinctively leaned her head over on his bicep as she closed her eyes. It felt like Kai, but it wasn't him. Tears started to run down her face.

“Jae. Breathe,” Su said softly as he held her face in his hand, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. “Listen to me. That’s why I’m going. I need to make sure we aren’t dealing with more. It’s New York. It’s probably junkies looking for something to sell for drugs. I’m moving her out and shipping her stuff to Rigg’s place in London. Then I’ll fly her to meet up with Riggs and be back. I should return about the same time Kai and the rest do.”

“Um. Ok. But…” She said between quick breaths.

“Look at me,” Su said softly. They all watched her open her eyes as Su gave her a little smile, “You are going to stay here with the boys,” he said in a tone that told her and everyone else that his decision was final. “I’m going to talk to Byun, and if you or they need to leave the house, he’ll be with you.”

“Ok,” she said, a little calmer as she started to breathe more evenly. Su glanced up at Kook, and he slowly released her. Namjoon reached for her hand, “Jae?”

She looked over at him and put her hand in his. He gently guided her to sit between him and Jin on the couch. She gladly joined them as Su sat on the coffee table in front of her.

“What was that about?” Su asked carefully. He reached out and hooked two fingers behind her knees, feeling her pulse race.

“Um, feelings. Too many feelings too fast.” She pushed her face into her hands as she tried to focus to keep her shit together.

“I didn’t know that was a thing,” Su said as he looked at the boys. None of them knew it was a thing either for her.

“It’s not.” Her body twitched with an involuntary shiver as Namjoon squeezed her arm.

“What do you need? What can we do for you?” Jin asked as he looked at the guys. He was asking her and them for ideas. Everyone looked the same, and no one had an answer.

“Just a minute. Sorry.” She said as she wiped her face. Su looked over to Tae and motioned for some water. He got up and trotted to the kitchen to get her a bottle.

“Sorry.” She finally was able to pull herself together for at least a conversation.

“Nothing to be sorry about,” Hobi said. Tae brought the water back and handed it to her. She took a small sip.

“More,” Su suggested, and she took a deeper drink. He could feel her pulse start to slow finally. Joon reached over to hold it for her when she finished.

“Ok.” Su sat back up and pointed to a blanket. Hobi reached over and handed it to Su, who tucked it around her legs. “Are you feeling better? Tired?”

“Yes. Sorry, guys. Thank you.” She sighed. Everyone could see she was trying to return to her old self. “Ok. Um. So, can we start over? You’re going to New York to help Wendy?”

“I am. I’m going to help her get her place packed up.”

“And… you’ll be back later this week?” She was fighting to get her brain to track, feeling like it just got scrambled.

“I will.” He reached over and offered his hands. She didn’t hesitate to reach out and hold them. He gently squeezed them and was glad to feel her squeeze them back.

“Are you concerned Su’s going to be gone?” Tae asked. She shook her head no.

“I must admit, that response was more than we expected.” Su smiled a little, and they all felt better when she looked like herself again.

“Yeah. I didn’t like that one bit.”

“Wanna go boxing later?” Kook offered, seeing Su nod in agreement with that idea without looking at him.

“I do, um, maybe after a nap?”

“Food. Nap. Box with Kook. In that order, okay? You’ll feel better after that.” He winked as she nodded. “Can you take a few hours off work, or is there something one of these guys can help you with.”

“No. It’s fine. It can wait.” She let out a very deep breath as she felt the blanket begin to warm her, and her thoughts fell back into place. Su slowly rubbed her legs through the blanket as everyone talked about anything except what they had just watched happen.

After about twenty minutes, Su felt she was ready. “Hungry?”

“Yeah.” She could feel her stomach start to rumble. It was time to move. He pulled her hands to help her stand as Jin and Joon stood up with her, “Let’s go eat something.” Jin smiled as she hooked her hand in the crook of his arm, and he walked her over to the kitchen to put a plate of food together for her.

“We’ll take care of her, Su,” Jimin said as she sat at the counter. Jin started digging in the fridge as Joon sat down next to keep her company.

“Maybe this is the wrong decision.” Su sighed.

“No. You need to go.” Hobi said quietly. “We need to know if this is more, you know that.”

“I know.” He finally looked at Hobi, Tae, Jimin, and Kook, focusing back on the task at hand. “Ok, I’m going to go. I need to talk to Byun and the team. Grab some stuff and head to the airport. Please update Pak and me on the same thread. Lee’s around, so if you need him…”

Kook smiled, “Su. It’s ok. Truly.”

“Are you going to talk to Pak, or do you want us to? He needs to know about that.” Tae crossed his arms as they waited, they could see his wheels turning once again with everything coming up this week.

“I’ll call him when I leave. I need to tell him about New York anyway.” They talked for about fifteen minutes more before they heard Jae call out.

“Hey, Su?” Jae said as she walked back from the kitchen. She reached up and hugged him. He smiled, hugging her back, holding her just off the floor a little. “Thanks for going. I know Wendy will feel better with you there. I know I do. We all do.” then she whispered, “I promise not to melt down this week. I’m good. Go kick someone's ass.”

 

Peacefully in Iceland.

Ami and Yoongi had unpacked all their stuff for the week, exploring the house and making themselves at home. It was a minimal-modern house, cozy and warm. One entire wall was floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room, letting them take in the beauty of the outdoors. He found her standing there, watching the sky.

“It’s started to fade.” She smiled as he came up behind her, running his hands over her hips and pulling her into him.

“Beautiful.” He sighed.

“It is.”

“No. You.” He started kissing her neck as she leaned back into him more. She closed her eyes as he left his kisses on her neck and shoulder.

“So, you mentioned on the plane you weren’t allowed to take me in the back.” She smiled as he stopped, then playfully chomped her shoulder. She squealed as he let her go and turned her around.

“True.”

“Do you have other restrictions I should know about?” She draped her arms around his shoulders as his hands gripped her waist a little tighter.

“Well, I’ve been informed of a few traditions I must respect.” His lips curled into a smile as he started pushing her pants down over her hips. They both heard them hit the floor in a soft thud. “Apparently, you like to be naked all the fucking time.”

She grinned as he pulled her shirt up over her head, leaving her in her bra and panties. “Allegedly.”

“Oh, the rules I got were very clear. There’s no allegedly about it.” He whispered as she felt him run his hands lightly over her breasts. He wanted to push her up against the window and fuck her hard, but it wasn’t time. He moved his hands back to her hips and held back.

“We also aren’t allowed to fuck until our wedding night.” He smiled as she groaned.

“Do you think we’re going to be able to keep that tradition?” She teased, “Maybe I need to keep my clothes on for the next couple days. I can see us having a really…hard…time.” She started to slowly unbuckle his pants as he closed his eyes. He let her undress him as he had done to her, leaving him in his underwear. When she dusted her lips over his, he couldn’t take it anymore. He shoved her up against the glass as they devoured each other. She heard the fabric rip as he yanked her bra off, making her moan and press against him harder.

His hands worked over her body before finally making himself press his palms on the window on each side of her. It was his way of trying to keep some control. Ami smiled through her kisses, feeling him start to slow down. She hooked her thumbs in the band of his underwear and paused. “Maybe we need to keep the bottoms on for a couple more days.” She opened her eyes and sucked in a breath. He was staring at her hard. His eyes were like dark pools, and she could feel the conflict of keeping that rule.

She leaned in and kissed him sweetly, and he responded in kind. The two shared a moment of regrounding themselves before he took her hands in his. Resting his forehead on hers, he sighed, “It’s late. Let’s get some sleep. I have something fun planned for us tomorrow.”

“Oh yes. Pak teased me with that earlier today.  Any clues you want to give me?” They started walking back to the bedroom, hand in hand.

“It’s going to be amazing. That's all I can share.” He followed her into the bedroom, turned off the light, and they both crawled into bed.  They both lay there in the dark, staring into the void as the sexual tension between them radiated through the room. 

"How many days?"  Ami said quietly as he pulled her over and spooned her, placing his hands where he knew he wouldn't get in trouble.

"It was supposed to be three, but how about two? Tomorrow, we have plans, so how about the day after."

"Can we do that?"  Ami smiled as he kissed her neck.

"We can do whatever we fucking want.  But now, we need to sleep."  he pushed her head back a little, kissing her ear as she let out a soft moan.  "Sleep."

***

“Hey, Su, I didn’t expect a call from you so soon. Everything ok? ” Pak smiled as the three unpacked and settled into their house.

“It’s been a morning.” He sighed, “Can you grab the guys and put me on speaker? We’ve had a change in plans for the week.”

“Sure. Just a moment.” He walked through the house, motioning for Choi and Quon to follow him to the kitchen. They all sat down, and he placed the phone on the table between them. “Ok, shoot.”

Su started explaining everything that happened, from his conversation with Riggs to a plane being reserved, his concerns about New York, the plan, and how the boys were sending him, not Quon. Choi and Quon watched Pak as he had his elbows on the table and his fingers on his forehead, slowly rubbing them back and forth across his scalp.

“Ok. Well, that sucks in about ten different ways. The boys are right, though. You’re the best person to go with her for a few reasons.” He looked at Quon, and he nodded in agreement. “If you need more hands though, Su…” Quon started to say.

“Sorry. They were very adamant you needed to stay there. This is one time I’m not going to override them. That being said, they don’t want either of them to know any of this until they get home. I don’t disagree.”

“No. Unless it’s life or death, everything else can wait.” Pak agreed. “It’s their only time like this together. It needs to stay that way. Ok, so when does Wendy arrive?”

“In about three hours. We’ll top off the plane and head out. I’ll let you know when we arrive. Jae said she has a small apartment, so it might only take a couple of days to get it packed and shipped out. I’m hoping to be back around the same time you all are.”

“Ok. Well, that sounds like quite the morning. How are the guys? Jae doing ok?” There was silence on the phone for a moment as they all thought the connection dropped. “Su?”

“We need to talk about that.” Instantly, Choi and Quon got up and walked back to their rooms as Pak picked up the phone and took it off speakerphone. “What,” he said nervously.

Su sighed and started explaining what had happened when they all sat down to talk to her. He explained carefully what his words were, how she reacted, how the boys reacted, and how it ended. “I haven’t seen her like that, or maybe I have, but you’ve always been there, and I’ve been dealing with other stuff. The boys and I felt like we were a step behind for a moment. This wasn’t like she was in France after the car incident. She wasn’t calm. This was more of a semi-controlled panic.”

“But she’s ok?” He said quietly, pacing the kitchen slowly.

“I didn’t leave until I was sure she was. I would delay the plane with Wendy before leaving her like that.” He promised.

“Fuck.” Pak finally stopped and closed his eyes. “I don’t know. Um. How long ago was this?”

Su looked at his watch, “About an hour ago. Jin and Namjoon were getting her some food, and she was going to nap. Jungkook is going to box with her after she wakes up.”

“Right. Standard protocol.” He sighed. “It’s just not like her to react like that.”

“Well, we know Ami goes a little sideways when the boys and her are apart for any length of time. This is the first time you guys have had some real distance. This news was triggering for her, though. It brought up some feelings fast she wasn’t ready to manage. If we knew that, I may have handed it differently.”

“Yeah. She’s never mentioned being bothered by any of that. That’s what’s so surprising.”

“She’s tough. She and Ami balance each other well together. You balance each other well. But neither of you is here, so the balance is off. She was caught off guard, as we were. Those six will hover, but they aren’t you. They’re also at a little of a loss. They can’t treat her exactly as they can Ami, you know? They are all really careful how to handle her, and they didn’t want to cross a line.”

“No. I know. That’s the last thing I’m worried about with them.” He sighed. “Okay. Thank you for telling me. I’ll, um, text Namjoon, and if he’s free, we can talk. I don’t want to wake her if she’s sleeping.”

“Hey Pak, you good?” Su had never really asked him that question before in this context.

Pak took a moment and then let out a big breath, “I’m good. Thanks for telling me and not waiting until I got home.” he said sincerely.

“I wouldn’t do that. I’ll message you when we get to New York.”

“Okay, thanks, Su. Good luck.” He hung up and instantly called Namjoon, foregoing the text. He heard it ring only once, and then he answered. “Give me a moment,” Joon whispered as he walked out of the guest house, gently closing the door behind him. “Ok. Hi, Pak, she’s ok. She’s sleeping. Kook and I are in the guest house with her while she’s passed out in bed. We’re keeping an eye on her.”

“You are?” Pak wanted to cry but held it together.

“Of course. Unless you have a problem with it, we thought she either needs to stay at the house with us or a couple of us can stay here this week in the other room. If she would rather be up at the house, we’ll give her Ami’s room. We thought we would ask her when she wakes. We aren’t comfortable leaving her alone until we know she’s good. Today was a thing.” He sighed.

“Su filled me in. Thank you. Thank you guys so much. I can’t say it enough.”

“What are umbrellas for?” Namjoon smiled as he heard Pak let out a choked-up laugh, and a wave of calm instantly hit him. As much as he wanted to be there, he knew she wasn’t alone, which meant everything to him.

“Right. Ok, so yes, please ask her what she wants to do. I’m fine either way, but I agree she shouldn’t be down there by herself. If she says she's fine, pick an option for her anyway. I don’t know what that was, so until I can get back, I would feel better if she wasn’t alone at night.”

“Done and done.” He smiled. “We feel the same way. Do you want her to give you a call when she wakes?”

“Yeah, if you don’t mind, I would appreciate it. Thank you, Namjoon.”

“It’s okay. Really. Say, how’s Iceland so far?”

Pak laughed, “Well, we’ve been here a hot second, but so far so good. The Northern Lights are beautiful in person.”

“Good. I’ll have her give you a call.”

“Talk to you soon.” Pak hung up and sighed. He thought for a moment, then stepped out the back door to get some air. After a little bit, Choi poked his head out. He hadn’t heard Pak’s voice for a while and wanted to check in and see if he was okay. He walked out and saw him sitting outside in the crisp night air, leaning back in a chair and watching the sky. Choi grabbed a coat and headed out.

“Hey. You good? It’s cold out here.” He tossed him his jacket as Pak nodded and put it on. “I am. Just thinking.”

Choi sat down beside him and joined him, watching the sky. “Everything ok back home?”

“Yeah. Sounds like Jae had a panic attack when Su told her about Wendy’s apartment.”

“Whoa. That seems off-brand.”

“It is. I talked to Namjoon, and she’s okay, I think.” He looked over at Choi, “The guys are taking care of her. I just needed some air to clear my head before the week continued. I don’t want to be distracted, even if it should be an ‘easy’ week here.”

“Mind if I sit with you, or do you want to be alone.”

“Feel free. Quite the view, huh?”

“It is.” Choi got comfortable, and they sat quietly, watching the lights shimmer through the ether.

 

A few hours later.

Su was waiting on the tarmac as he watched the plane roll to a stop. A set of stairs were pushed over, and he headed up. Wendy had crashed out hard on the way but felt the plane stop and power down. She started to move as she heard the cabin door open and people talking Korean for a moment.

“Hey there.” She smiled as she saw Su walk down the aisle towards her. She pulled herself together a little, knowing she probably looked like a wreck.

“Go back to sleep. Riggs said you guys only got a few hours last night. We have time to talk later.” He winked and sat down across from her. Wendy sat in a twilight haze for a while until she felt awake enough to have a coherent conversation. Soon, the plane was back in the air, and they were on their way to New York.

“Thank you for this,” she said as Su looked up from his paperwork and smiled. “Our pleasure.”

“Riggs said you used your ‘airline miles,’ sorry you had to blow them all at one time.” She teased. Su chuckled, “Well, I’m sure my flying days aren’t over. I’ll get more.” He paused and watched her for a moment.

“How are you feeling about all this? Apartment-wise, I mean.”

“Sucks. Fucking sucks.” She sighed. “OH. Sorry.” She suddenly put her hand over her mouth as if she cussed to her parent. Su shook his head, “No. It does fucking suck.” he agreed with her. “So, what did the police say?”

Wendy sighed, “Well, I need to go through my stuff and make a report. I have the name of the sergeant who is handling it. Then I guess I’m moving out?” She scrunched up her face.

“You don’t look happy about that.” He put his paperwork down and turned in his seat toward her.

“Well, leaving on your own terms is one thing. Leaving because someone picked your bloody lock is another.” She sighed.

“Is that what the police said? Your lock was picked?” Wendy thought back for a moment to the early morning conversation. “I think so.” They looked at each other for a moment, “I’m surprised it’s you coming with me. I mean, I am perfectly capable of doing all this on my own, as much as Riggs protests.”

“Oh. I know.” Su smiled. “Actually, it works out well. I have a little business in New York, so I appreciate the lift.”

“The lift you paid for?” she smiled as he shrugged. “Technically, the boys are footing the bill, so I guess we can thank them.”

“So, what business do you have in New York?” she decided to ask; they had god knows how many hours to kill after all.

Su sighed as she watched him think for a moment. He decided she needed to understand the gravity of the situation. He needed her to be on the same page, but now he was apprehensive about how she would react after watching Jae a few hours earlier. He didn’t know Wendy well that way, but then again, he didn’t expect that reaction from Jae and felt he knew her well.

“My job, besides helping you do this as smoothly as possible, is to figure out if the person who let himself into your apartment has any ties to the stalker Ami and Jae have.” The words hung out there as he watched her eyes get big.

“Wait. No. I don’t even LIVE there right now! HOW would they figure that out?”

“I don’t know, but I’m here at the boys' request. We all take this very seriously. I have contacts with law enforcement there because of some past stuff with the boys. I’m hoping there’s some video or Ring camera footage I can watch. We HOPE it’s nothing more than your average crime of opportunity. If it’s not, it changes a few things.”

“Oh. Yeah, I guess it would.” She frowned, deep in thought about everything he was telling her. After a bit, she asked, “So, what does Ami think about all of this?”

“She’s not in Korea right now. So she’s not available to have that conversation with until she returns, but I can tell you she would want me here too.” He leaned back against the wall of the plane as they talked. “Jae says hi, by the way.” He smiled as she did as well.

“Ami invited me to come hang out with them sometime.”

“I heard. Pak’s terrified. It sounds like I’m going to have to hire more guys when you come visit.” Wendy laughed at the thought as they flew across the ocean towards New York.

***

Pak was getting ready for bed when he got the call from Jae.

“Heeey yoouu. You slept a long time. How are you feeling?” He sat down on the bed, so glad she finally called, and he could hear her voice.

“Oh. I’m fine. I passed out hard, and now they are trying to feed me everything in the kitchen.” He could hear plates clanking and cupboards opening in the background. “But I’m ok.”

Pak paused and then said softly, “Jae. Are you lying to me?”

“No.” She said softly back, “Really. I’m fine. It was just a weird moment, that’s all.”

“Ok.” He sighed, changing the tone back to one of normalcy. He wanted to see her with his own eyes, but that was still a few days out. He wasn’t going to push the issue right now if she had a grip on things. They both knew that conversation would wait until he got home.

“So, what else do you have planned today?” He said with a little more enthusiasm.

“Um, well, Jin just put more food down in front of me that I can eat in a week.”

“It’s just a snack!” He called out for Pak to hear over the phone.

“It’s piled high.” Jae chortled back.

“Sounds delicious.” Pak smiled as he turned off the light and climbed into bed.

“Then, Kook and I are going to go work out. That’s it. Boring day moving forward.”

“Well, it sounds perfect to me. Why don’t you text me before you go to bed. I’m crawling in right now.”

“Ok. Love you,” Jae said as she took a bite of pineapple.

“Love you too. Talk to you later.”

 

First full day in Iceland.

Ami rolled over, draping her arm over him. She gently rubbed her fingers over his chest as she heard him wake. “How did you sleep?” she felt him turn and pull her over to him.

“Very difficultly.” His deep morning voice sent a shiver through her, and she loved it.

“Yeah, me too.” She sighed, locking her ankles together because she didn’t trust herself not to push him onto his back and climb on top. “I’m glad we are getting out today. Staying here all day might be too much to try and control.”

“Oh, I agree.” She felt him give her cheek a quick slap as she started laughing. “Come on. I’m going to make you breakfast.” He forced himself to get up and put some clothes on.

Ami propped herself on her elbows and grinned, “So we are back to the safety of clothes?”

“Until the wedding. I can’t be trusted. After that, I’m burning all yours, so you only have me to wear.” He grinned. He tossed an oversized shirt and some shorts at her, leaving the room before she got out of bed. Last night was close; he wanted to ravage her all night, but he promised the guys, her, and himself that he could hold it together. The problem now was the anticipation was growing by the minute. He licked his lips as he pushed those thoughts out of his mind and started to make coffee for them both.

***

The rest of the morning was lovely. The two sat outside in the crisp morning air, drinking coffee and talking. He made them both breakfast, making sure she got enough. By late morning, she rested in bed alone as Yoongi reached out to the guys back home. He didn’t plan on updating them, but he sent them some pictures from the night before and the morning he had taken.

Jimin, add this to the list of places we should own a home. He texted the group chat.

That looks amazing. Surprised to hear from you, everything ok? Jimin replied.

It’s perfect. That’s all he needed to reply. He set his phone down and went to fill his coffee cup again.

***

Afternoon at the house was much calmer than the morning had been. Jungkook and Jae worked out hard after lunch, with Namjoon joining them after a while. She seemed back to her old self as the guys didn’t press her much about the morning. They spent the day giving her space but always having one or two of them close by.

Before she turned in for bed, she went to the office and checked her email again, happy to see nothing major lurking. As she was closing things down, Jin appeared in the doorway.

“Ready to call it a night?”

“I am.” She sighed, “I think starting fresh tomorrow is a good plan for everyone. What are the rest of the guys doing?”

“Jimin’s in his studio. Tae and Kook are watching a movie. Hobi and Joon are upstairs, getting ready for bed. That actually leads me to a question we have for you. You have two choices.”

“Oh?” She smiled, hands on her hips, “What’s that?”

“You’ve been around us for a while. You know how we operate, so this shouldn’t be a shock. You can stay in the guest house, and Hobi and Joon will stay with you.” He watched her eyes get big, “In the other room, not WITH you.” He smiled.

“Or?” She said slowly.

“Or. You can choose to stay in Ami’s room. Upstairs.” He smiled, pointing to the ceiling. “Now, before you state your case that you’re a grown-ass adult who can manage to sleep alone, which no one disputes, you also know us. It’s not our style to leave someone be who might be having a hard time.”

“But I’m not having a hard time.” She said seriously.

“Your mini Ami-style panic attack this morning tells us otherwise.” He crossed his arms and leaned in the door frame. “This happy-go-lucky-kick-ass-Jae person we know is fucking amazing. We love her. But we aren’t your Kai, and you aren’t our Ami. We can’t DO what we know works for Ami with you because we never want you to feel we are crossing a line. I.E., we can’t snuggle the crap out of you all day and hold you in bed, kissing your face and all that marital stuff.” He grinned as she let out a little laugh. “But, it doesn’t mean we don’t want to help. We know this helps; years of practice under our belt. So. Again. You have two choices. Guest house or Ami’s extremely huge bed. Really nice bathroom, though.” He thought for a moment, “I’ll even throw in clean sheets.”

He grinned as she let out a little laugh. “Fuck.” She knew this wasn’t a battle she would win. If she fought back, she would still wake up with at least a few of them sleeping on the couches in the guest house, as she did today. She had to admit, she wasn’t surprised to see they had waited for her. She had seen them do it before for each other and for her and Ami when they would crash on the couches. Someone was always there when they woke up. It was never discussed; it just happened, and she had always found it sweet and reassuring.

“Ok.” She finally said, “Fine. I will stay upstairs so you don’t have to play rock-paper-scissors for relocation duty. But!” She grinned, “I want it noted I’m doing it under protest of being a grown-ass woman, and it will make my commute to the office shorter in the morning.”

“Of course, noted.” Jin smiled as he flipped the lights off.

“Hey, if I didn’t say it enough today, thanks for everything.” She said sincerely as they made their way down the hall. “And you’re wrong, though, on one thing. You guys do know what works for me. Everything you guys did today worked.”

“Well, I’m glad you feel that way because it didn’t feel that way for a few moments.”

Chapter 16

"Jae, all good?" Tae called out as he and Kook saw Hobi come down the stairs.

"She is. All nested in. I texted Pak to let him know she's upstairs with only a minimal fight." He hopped over the couch and joined them, getting comfortable. " I had to swear on my life the sheets were clean."

Kook laughed, "Yeah, I'm sure that's actually a valid concern. Did Pak say anything?"

"He said thanks again, and everything there seems to be going well. I'm sure this will be the last time Jae stays behind. I don't think he's going to let that happen twice." The guys settled in to finish the movie as Jae lay upstairs, trying to turn off her brain.

She thought back over the morning and what had happened. She didn't anticipate freaking out in front of the guys. It wasn't anything she thought bothered her. But apparently, it was there, lurking in the depths of her brain. She rolled over to her side and snuggled tight, forcing herself to think about work. There were so many irons in the fire with no resolution. She wanted to help Ami figure out how a tour would work with her complex personal schedule. Even if it wasn't wedding season, the guys were adamant about not letting her go without them. That alone held its own set of issues. It didn't take long before she finally gave up and gave into sleep, drifting off into a deep slumber.

Iceland

After a restful morning and relaxing lunch, Ami and Yoongi heard the walkie-spring to life. "Are you guys ready?" Pak's voice floated through the rooms.

"Ready for what?" Ami watched Yoon as he walked over, not saying anything to her but only smiling. He picked up the walkie and replied, "We're ready." He set it down and picked up her hat and jacket.

"We, my love, are taking a little day trip. I thought we should see a little of the countryside while we are here." He helped her put on her warm coat, zipping it to her chin. “Also, it will help keep me from ravaging you all day. It’s really for your safety.” She grinned as he pushed her hat down on her head, then pulled her face to him by the ear flaps so he could kiss her.

"Is it just us, or are the guys coming?" she watched him put on his jacket and matching hat. "Oh my god, look how cute you are!!" she giggled as he took her hand and walked her to the front door.

"They're coming too. I thought it would be fun for everyone. How often do we come to Iceland?" He pulled her closer, pressing his lips on hers and holding her until they heard a familiar sound crest over the ridge.

"What the hell?" Ami pulled back in surprise. He held the door open as she walked out to see a helicopter starting to land. "You boys love your helicopters, " she grinned as Yoongi shrugged. "It's the safest way to get you around and see the countryside. Come on, baby."

They walked down the drive, hand in hand, as it landed on the open tundra. The door opened, and Pak and Choi hopped out, ducking and walking to meet them. "Hi!" She beamed and yelled over the noise. Pak took her from Yoongi so he could escort her safely. Choi did the same, walking with Yoongi.

"Ready for some fun?" Pak yelled back at her. She nodded as Quon reached out and helped Ami up, with Yoongi, Pak, and Choi following. They all got settled, strapping in and putting headphones on before taking off.

"Hey, guys. How's your house?" She turned around and smiled at Choi and Quon behind her.

"Good! Cozy!" Quon gave her a thumbs-up as Yoon reached over and kissed her hand. "Ready?"

"Yeah," She sighed, happy and content.

Pak was sitting in the front seat with the pilot, and he gave the nod. They heard her squeal as the helicopter took off into the air. She squeezed Yoongi's hand as they flew low and fast over the countryside.

"It always feels like a rollercoaster." She laughed as everyone peered out the windows at the amazing landscape below. They had arrived at night, so it was their first time taking in the beauty of Iceland. Wildflowers popped against the gorgeous greens of the tundra with the white cap mountains in the distance. After a few minutes, Pak tapped the pilot on the arm and pointed to the left. He nodded and steered them in that direction, keeping Ami from seeing the location of where she was getting married. Yoongi looked out his window and smiled, excited for tomorrow and the rest of his life.

Small, cute Nordic towns dotted the landscape, along with glaciers and blue pools of natural hot springs. Everyone was plastered to their windows, trying to take it all in. Eventually, they started to descend.

"Oh. My. God." they heard Ami say quietly over the headphones.

"I thought we could get out and stretch our legs. Maybe have a snack." Yoongi smiled as they landed, and the helicopter powered down. Pak hopped out and pulled open their door. "This place is unreal." Ami grinned as everyone unbuckled their seatbelts and started unloading. Yoon reached behind his seat, pulled out a bag, and took her hand. They walked towards the overlook as the giant basalt canyon opened up in front of them.

"Yoon. It's so pretty." She stared at the blue waters cutting through the canyon and the unreal geography.

"Come on, let's talk." He smiled as he walked her to a spot about 50 feet away where they could sit and relax. Choi and Qyon followed them to the overlook and took in the view. "Jesus. It doesn't even look real. This really is the best job." Quon stood utterly still as Choi turned and looked back at Pak. He was a few steps behind them, looking at his phone. He responded to a text and looked up to see Choi watching him.

"Jae good?" He asked quietly.

"What? Oh, yeah." He sighed, "I spoke to her before we left. Hobi was letting me know she moved into Ami's room. Su and Wendy just landed in New York. They're heading to her place to see what's going on. Everyone seems to be good, just spread out. We're never this spread out, so it feels off." He finally looked past Choi and saw the canyon in its glory. "Jesus. This is where they should get married."

Quon looked at the two, catching that something had happened he didn't know about.

"Why is she staying in the house?" Choi frowned, trying to understand the logic.

"So the guys can keep an eye on her." He smiled, "One of the perks, as Jae would say. Although I'm sure she didn't go easily." Pak saw the confused look on Quon's face. "You didn't tell Quon?"

"No. I didn't know if it was mine to tell."

Pak motioned for Quon to step closer. He quickly gave him the rundown of Jae's morning before Su took off. "Ami and Yoongi can't know until we get home. They can't do anything about it anyway, and the guys have it handled. She's fine."

"Oh damn. I didn't realize that was a trigger for her."

"Well, it sounds like she didn't know either." Pak sighed.

"You good?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, I promise." Pak looked at them both, reassuring them everything was fine and not to worry. Then he smiled, "Guys. Seriously."

"Okay, okay." Quon smiled back. "I'm glad to hear she's okay. I'm surprised they didn't pop her on a plane to join us."

"They wouldn't do that." Pak looked between them, surprised.

"Oh yes they would," Choi smirked. "Regardless, you’ll have to bring her here sometime. She would love it." The three started walking away from the two, giving them some space to enjoy their limited time together.

“Yoon. This place is amazing.” She couldn’t take her eyes off the scenery as she leaned back on her hands.

“I think we need to all come here sometime together. Jae included.” He smiled as she agreed. “Yeah. I think so, too. I’m glad she’s home, though, keeping an eye on things for me. After the last month, I needed that piece covered more than anything, so I didn’t have to worry about it while here.”

He moved his foot over to rub it on her leg as they talked. “She’s invaluable to you.”

“She’s invaluable to everyone.” She sighed. “I don’t want to burn her out.”

“Do you see that happening?” he frowned.

“No, I hope not.” She paused, “When we hung out in LA, Gaga talked about how she could never hire her friends because what she expected out of them would damage their friendship.”

“That’s Gaga though. Maybe she’s a great friend, but psycho professionally with her staff. She’s either aware of her shortcomings or burned that bridge before and doesn’t want to repeat it.” Yoon tried to give some perspective. “You aren’t psycho. None of us are. That’s why it works this way for us.”

Yoon scooted over behind her so she could lean back on his chest. He moved her flappy hat to the side and nuzzled her neck as she relaxed. “I think Jae’s ok. You don’t have to worry. We talk to Pak a lot, and he knows he can pull her if she needs it. We’ll pull you if you need it. Everyone on our immediate team knows we hold a lot of value in taking mental breaks. They all work hard for us, and we work hard for them. Don’t you agree?”

“Yes.” She sighed.

“So, no more worrying over something everyone is on top of. Ok, baby?” He kissed her neck as she melted into him more.

“Ok. Thanks, Yoon.”

“Of course. Now. Let’s talk about the rest of today..” He heard her giggle as he wrapped his arms around her. “What else do you have planned?”

“Well, we can stay here as long as we wish, but I have a special dinner planned for us.”

“You do?”

“I do. Then how does hot tubbing under the stars sound?”

Ami grinned, “Dangerous. We can barely manage with our clothes on. How do you think we will manage in a hot tub?” She felt him run his thumbs under the hem of her jacket and over her hip as he held her from behind.

“We might have to sit opposite each other,” he whispered in her ear, making her let out an involuntary, quiet moan.

“Are you doing this on purpose? Because I won’t go down without a fight.”

Yoon smirked, “I’m looking forward to it.” He felt her sit up as she turned and sat cross-legged in front of him, still in between his legs. He leaned back on his hands, giving her an intoxicating smile.

“Darling.” She cooed. “We have 24 more hours until we don’t have to hold back anymore.” She ran a finger up his inseam as she watched his eyes instantly darken, and the energy between them exploded. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it, giving her a conflicted look. “I want to marry you tomorrow for all the right reasons.”

“You are.” She smiled sweetly.

“But I want to marry you right here, right now, for all the wrong reasons.” he gritted. She took his hand and pulled him up so they were both standing hand in hand, staring at each other. She watched his eyes soften as she stepped closer to him. The sexual tension melted away into pure love and adoration.

She said softly, “What if I don’t want to wait until tomorrow?”

“What? Baby.” He stroked her face as she continued. “I want to marry you. Now. Here. In my floppy ear hat and jeans.”

“But…you bought a dress, and we don’t have our rings. I don’t want you to regret not having the tomorrow you deserve.” He frowned but now reconsidered all of the plans. She squeezed his hands and took a step closer to him.

“Min Yoongi. The dress and rings can wait. I can’t wait any longer not being married to you.” He rested his forehead on hers and closed his eyes, trying to make the right decision.

 

Meanwhile, in New York.

Su and Wendy's flight was long and uneventful—the best kind of flight. They landed just before noon and were ready to get started, even though it felt like they had been going nonstop for 24 hours already. As they exited the plane, Wendy took a deep breath. "Oh my god, it smells just like I remember."

"Is that a good thing?" Su teased as they made their way to an awaiting car.

"Hey! New York has some redeeming qualities! It's not all bad!" she laughed. She reached the car door, and before she opened it, she felt Su pull on her arm a little. "Let me," he said as he held her back. Su opened the front passenger door and leaned in to talk to the driver. Riggs had set up transportation for them, and Su was thrilled to see he had hired someone who spoke Korean.

Wendy stood and waited, listening to them discuss what she imagined were routes, the hotel, and plans. Su kept his hand on her arm to keep track of her until he was satisfied with their driver. He finally stood up, turned, and smiled, "Ok, we're ready."

He opened her door, and she climbed into the back of the Mercedes. She was surprised when he shut the door behind her and hopped in the front with the driver.

"Well, this feels fancy." Wendy settled in, and Su turned and smiled. "You can talk to Riggs about that. Let's check into the hotel, find some food, and then see what we're working with at your place. Sound good?"

"Yeah, that sounds good to me." Wendy sat back and took in the sights of New York she had missed. The driver made his way through the city as Su texted people, letting them know they landed. He texted Pak and the guys on one thread while Riggs was on another. Everyone checked in, and he was satisfied that everything was going well.

Riggs had booked her a hotel just a block from the apartment, making it an easy walk. He didn't want her to stay at her old place, although she thought it would be fine, he wouldn't have it. After about 45 minutes, the driver pulled outside the boutique hotel, and they climbed out onto the bustling New York City street.

"Aww. I miss this. I didn't realize how much I missed New York." Wendy smiled as she felt the city breathing around her. "My flat is that way." She pointed as Su slung his bag over his shoulder.

"Let's get checked in. Is there somewhere you want to eat? There has to be some dirty taco or world-famous plate of fries nearby." He teased as they looked up at the hotel. "Maybe somewhere walkable."

"Actually, there is a fabulous taco place nearby. Let's stop there on the way. I'm getting anxious to see what's left of my place." The gravity of now standing on her old street and what was just around the literal corner was starting to become very real.

"I'm sure you are. Come on." Su smiled as the two walked in to check in and then went upstairs, where they had rooms next to each other.

"Give me 10 minutes, and I'll be ready." She swiped her card and pushed the door open. "Sounds good. I'll meet you here in the hallway." Su waited to hear her door close and click before going in himself. He did his usual hotel routine of checking the room to get his bearings, then walked to the window. He looked up and down the street and then at the surrounding buildings before closing the curtains and settling in.

Wendy tossed her bag on the edge of the king-size bed before launching herself on it. She rolled over and spread out like a starfish, wiggling a little to get the feel of it all. Looking at the large windows, she rolled out and trotted over to peek outside. She smiled at the sights and sounds of the city, pulling the curtains open as wide as they could before heading to the bathroom to freshen up.

***

Harry’s show was about to end, and Riggs was waiting with his team to get Harry out of there. Bangkok had been more than a handful, with more security issues than usual. It was the one time he was happy Wendy wasn’t with them, so he didn’t have to worry about her. While he wished he could be in New York, but Su was with her, and he didn’t know how to repay the guys for sending him. Just then, he looked down and saw a text from Wendy come in.

Hey. Made it to the hotel. We need to talk about the fancy factor. It’s too much. Lol! Getting food and heading to the flat. Hope Harry is behaving. Love you. -W

Glad you made it. Just about ready to get him out of here. You deserve all the fanciness. Love you. -Your Viking.

***

Soon, Su and Wendy were walking down the street together.

"So, you miss the city?"

"I do. I mean, it's been fun traveling the last few months, but this feels good too." Suddenly, there was a burst of city noise, cars honking, drivers yelling at jaywalkers, and music blasting from someone's headphones as they walked by.

"Oh yes, relaxing." Su smiled as Wendy laughed. “Well, I guess it feels relaxing in a more familiar anyway."

“Yeah, traveling for an extended period can be hard. You can never settle into a space before packing up and moving again.” Su said as he dipped behind her, moving her toward the inside of the sidewalk, and he walked by the road. “I can see why London or New York feels more relaxed to you.”

They wandered down the street for a few minutes until they found the place she last remembered having tacos, which wasn't a taco place anymore but a new restaurant. "Oh damn, they had the best food! Well, shwarma? Do you like shwarma? They have gyros."

"Aren't gyros just tacos of the Greek world?" he joked, and Wendy laughed. They walked in the door. "Should we take it to go?"

"No, let's eat here. That way, we can focus when we get to your place." Su needed to find out exactly what they were dealing with. Never in his life did he hope that the answer was junkies. They ordered, and Wendy found seats near a window overlooking the street. Su waited for the food and then joined her."So, tell me about your travels." 

Wendy started talking about the tour and the places they'd been to. Her vacation in Australia with Riggs over the last few weeks. Killer spiders and more kangaroo encounters than she ever thought she would have. As she shared, Su people watched out the window. There was a mix of all walks of life bustling down the sidewalks. He was half listening to her, half thinking about the rest of the week and what options they might need. His goal was to be home before Ami and Yoongi arrived, but he would need to get Wendy back to Riggs first. With so many moving parts between them all, this trip wasn't the best timing.

Wendy asked about what was going on in his world. He glazed over details but shared a little. Ami and Jae were very busy with work. Her music dropped, and it was doing well, which she knew about. What the guys had been up to was already public knowledge, so he wasn't spilling any company secrets there.

It didn't take long to finish, and they walked the last few minutes to her apartment building. She didn't say much, and they could both feel the stress of the unknown grow as they got closer. Soon, they were standing in front of her building. She looked up at it, not letting her feet carry her up the stairs at first. She felt Su place his hand on her back and say, “Come on. Let’s go see together.”

She nodded, and they walked up and inside, just as a bored man who had been waiting and watching made his way back to the bench with a fresh hotdog and drink. He sat down and got comfortable as he continued scanning the walkers of New York.

The elevator opened, and they stepped out onto her floor. “This way.” Wendy guided Su down the hall until they stopped in front of apartment 405.

“What’s all this?” Beside her door were a bunch of boxes and nice suitcases.

“I ordered some stuff I thought we might need. Boxes, gloves, trash bags, and such.”

“And the suitcases?” She asked as she looked for her keys.

“Well, I thought there might be some things you want to take with you. If you did, you would need something to carry it in.” Wendy paused and looked up at him, shocked at the amount of planning he had done. “When did you have time to do this?”

“Before we left Korea.” He wasn’t looking at her but at her door. Around the frame, there was a lot of damage. Someone hadn’t picked the lock but pried it open. He took his finger and pushed on the door, and to her surprise, it opened easily.

"Hey, Wendy? Let me go first, okay?" he said quietly as he stepped around her. Wendy stood there, shocked that her door was unlocked, as everything was becoming very real, very fast. "Thirty seconds, just give me thirty seconds, okay? Count to thirty for me."

She nodded and started counting in her head. Su pushed the door open carefully and moved through the apartment. He quickly searched the rooms and closets to make sure they were alone. He didn’t know if her door was like that from the initial break-in or if people had been back. Satisfied enough, he sighed as he walked back to get her. Wendy stood there looking in, wide-eyed, as she could see the state of her place from the hall.

He gave her a sympathetic look, "It's a little messy. Ready?"

Wendy nodded and walked in to see everything she owned carelessly tossed around, flipped over, or smashed. All she could do was stand in the middle of the room, hand over her mouth, and stare.

"This is mental. Who the fuck does this?" She whispered through her hand. Su followed her as he slowly started walking through and taking stock of what she was looking at. He took pictures of the aftermath as she went from space to space, finally she looked up at him, "Who the bloody fuck does this? I...I don't even know where to start." she picked up a broken picture frame at her feet and tossed it to the side. "It feels so violated in here." She crossed her arms around her core and just stared at everything.

"Would you like suggestions?" He walked over and messed with the lock. He jiggled and pulled on it a little, unjammed it, then closed the door and locked them in.

"Um. Yeah, maybe."

"Do you want to live here anymore?"

"No." She said quickly as she shook her head.

"Ok. Riggs and I talked about sending your stuff to London. Does that still seem like a good plan?" He watched her frown as she thought about it. "It doesn't mean you can't live in New York again, but we need a safe place to park your things until you and Riggs finish touring the world."

"Um, I moved to New York with just a few bags, and after this, I don't know how much I have left to send anywhere. Who would I even call to ship it?"

"Let me handle that. So, let's do this. I’ll bring the supplies in, and we’ll start in one room. You can tell me what you want to keep or what needs to go. If there is something in a gray area, we’ll set it aside. If you find something missing, we’ll write it down and add it to the report. How does that sound?” Su watched her look around again, then over at him.

"This sucks." Tears welled up in her eyes as the emotions started to bubble up. She wiped her face as she tried to keep it together.

"Yeah. I know. I'm really sorry." He sighed, opening the windows to let some fresh air in. "You know, something similar happened to Jae. When I told her why we were coming, it bothered her. It brought up a lot of feelings. It's a big invasion of privacy."

"Yeah. I feel like I want to burn it all." She started slowly walking around again, taking it in for a second time. "So, what did Jae do?"

He gave her a little smile. "Pak helped her take care of her place, and she moved in with him. You should give her a call after we're done here. Actually, do you have any friends in the city you want to call? Maybe they can help, or you can meet them tonight to decompress. Grab some dinner?” While he was content sitting in his hotel room in silence, he felt it might not be the best thing for Wendy.

“You would let me out of your sight for a night?” she asked cheekily, knowing the answer.

Su smiled, “Absolutely not. But I can sit across the bar. You have a driver for the night if that needs to happen.” He walked over to the couch, righting it from its upside-down position.

“I don’t drink when I’m out anymore.” She sighed.

“You sound like the girls.”

“Well. Ami and Jae talked to me about it when we officially started hanging out together. After watching Harry in action, it’s probably for the best. Not that I don’t want to, but I get it.” She bent down, picked up some books, wiped the covers with her shirt, and set them on the counter.

“Let me bring the supplies in. I have gloves we can wear as we go through stuff.” He watched her look around again, then looked over at him. The shock was wearing off, and now sadness was taking its place. “Call your friends. You need something to look forward to. I’ll get the stuff, and we’ll get it sorted out.”

Wendy sat on the end of her couch and took out her phone. The first thing she did was text Riggs.

Hey, just saw the flat for the first time. Totally trashed.

Oh, baby. Let me find a quiet spot, and I'll call you soon. Harry just finished. Bangkok is a level-ten shit show. So sorry, honey.

She texted a couple of other girlfriends that she was in town and available tonight to meet for dinner. She wasn’t excited to make the night a giant reunion with everyone she knew, but maybe Su was right. A nice quiet evening, bitching about the jackasses of the world might be good.

As Su brought the last supplies in, she thought for a moment and texted Miles and Emmett in California.

Oy. I’m back in New York for a couple of days. I just thought I would let you know lest you discover I was in the country and didn’t announce myself.

She almost had her phone back in her pocket when it rang.

“Hello?”

“Well, look who decided to show up from being off the grid.” Miles teased.

“Hey, Miles. Yeah, I’m back for a couple of days. How are you guys?”

He could hear the tone of her voice, “What’s wrong? Wait, did something happen with the big guy? Is that why you’re back?”

“No. Someone broke into my flat in New York. I’m here to clean it out, fucking wankers.” She murmered.

“Are you serious?” He said quietly.

“Yup.” She sighed.

“Is the big guy with you?”

“His name is Riggs, and no...”

“Need some help?”

“What? What are you talking about? You’re in LA.”

“No.” Miles smiled, “We’re in Philly.”

“We?”

“Emmett and I. He’s my plus one for my tech conference.” He grinned as she heard Emmett in the background yell, “Stop telling people I’m your plus one!”

“You know you love it.” He teased back.

“Don’t you have to be at the conference? Seems kinda important.” She looked up at Su, who was getting things set up. She stood up and walked over to look at what he had delivered.

“Well, we’re about done for the day and only two hours away. Why don’t we drive up and help? We’ll take you out for dinner, at least. You can’t do all that by yourself.”

“I’m not by myself. Su’s with me.”

“Well, then. Sounds we should introduce her to Emmett.” He grinned. “Emmett! Wendy had a friend for you! Send us your location, and we’ll see you in two hours.”

“Wait! NO!” She tried to get out, but he hung up on her. "Shit."

“Problem?” Su eyed her as she groaned, sending them her location.

“It’s not a problem if Emmett and Miles come to help, right? They’re a couple of hours out.”

“These are your friends from school? It’s no problem,” he said slowly. “Do you want them to come?”

“It would be nice to see them.” She said hesitantly.

“But?”

“Well, um, they think you’re a girl.” She cringed as he stopped and looked utterly baffled. “What?”

“I told them I was with Su…not MR. Su so, they think I’m with a girlfriend, Sue. S U E.” She spelled out quickly. The realization crept over his face as he started to grin. “Oh. Well, this sounds like fun then.”

“I’m sooo sorry!” She groaned in embarrassment.

“Don’t be. Riggs has told me about these guys. They sound like they have a good sense of humor. It should be fun. Anyway, it’s nice they are coming to help. Those are good friends.” Su smiled a little as he dug the gloves out of a box and handed her a set.

As she slid them on, he said, “Let’s start in the kitchen. Trash pile, a donate pile, and a keep pile.” He pointed to three spots in the apartment. “You let me know where it goes, and I’ll move it. Sound good?”

Wendy sighed, “Yeah, okay. Thanks.” They both started picking up broken items and putting them in a trash bag.

“I thought they lived in LA?”

“Um. I guess Miles is at a tech conference in Philadelphia. Emmett tagged along. God, you know a lot about everyone.” She chuckled.

“It’s my job to know as much as I need to for the guys' safety, Ami and Jae’s safety, and yours.”

“Mine?” She looked surprised as he picked up a broom and started sweeping a little to make it easier to pick things up.

“Sure. You’re in the bubble. You’re included. You know that.” She thought for a moment and then started going through a cupboard with some dishes in it. “So, what does that look like?”

“What does what look like?”

“Well. Let’s say you didn’t like Miles and Emmett, but I wanted to meet up with them. What would happen?”

He paused, “It’s more about making sure you aren’t in a situation you don’t want to be in or, in the boys and Ami’s case, could do more harm than good in the long run. They have the bonus of worrying about the media, which adds a different dimension. The guys have had plenty of aquatints I don’t care for, but my job is to ensure they don’t get wrapped up in something that lands them in the papers. That and they are physically safe, but I’m not the friend police.” He smiled.

“Do they get into trouble a lot?” She smirked as she started sorting again.

“Not anymore. It’s been a couple of years. They’ve really pulled themselves together.” He was glad she was back focusing on the task at hand.

“How about Ami and Jae?” She teased.

“Total nightmares.” Su said, making her laugh before she gasped, “Son of a bitch! They broke my favorite mug! UUUUUGGGGG! WHY!” Su walked over to look as she collected the pieces that were left. “I just don’t understand what they gain from this. I mean, I don’t have anything of value…” She paused as her eyes got big. She put the mug parts down as she walked to her closet and started pushing piles of clothes around.

Su followed, watching her hunt for something. He helped by putting the clothes she pushed aside on the bed for her. " They took it... of course they would... " she mumbled to herself as she finally slowed down and turned to him, now real tears falling from her eyes. “They took the dress I wore to Annabels.”

“Oh.” Was all he could say as Wendy finally let go and started to cry. She was so mad someone had come into her private space, touching and destroying her things. He sat on the bed, unsure what he could do to help, so he waited.

After a minute or two, she started to pull herself together. “Sorry.” She wiped her face with her hands. “It’s not just the dress.”

“I know,” he said softly.

“And it’s not because it’s a bloody Dior dress. The dress is replaceable, a mug is replaceable. But they were mine. My memories and experiences, someone came in and tromped all over them like they were nothing...” She had to stop talking, or she would fall apart again. “This is a lot, Su.”

“Let’s get some air. Let’s go for a walk.” He stood up as she agreed with a nod. They left the bedroom, grabbed her stuff, and headed out. She watched him lock the door, pulling it hard. “Here. Try it.” He said as he let her try the handle, feeling her apartment was truly locked, unlike when they arrived.

“Ok.” She said softly. They both made their way downstairs and outside.

Across the street the same man was sitting and waiting. He hadn’t seen them enter, so he didn’t know they were already there. Right before Su and Wendy walked out the building door, there was a commotion up the street. People were yelling at each other about a coveted parking spot, drawing his attention to the road rage as they walked out. Su heard the ruckus and guided her away, heading back towards the direction of the hotel. They meandered up the sidewalk, blending in with the everyday crowds before the man turned his attention back to the apartment building.

 

Back in the wilderness of Iceland.

“Ami. I want nothing more than to marry you right here, right now.” Yoon gently kissed her face, “But I want it to be perfect. Let’s wait until tomorrow. I want to see you in your dress. I want to slip a ring on your finger and vow my life to you.” Then he cracked a little smile, “And as your husband, I want the pleasure of doing Jin’s job of undressing you.”

Chapter 17

Su and Wendy slowly wandered down the street until they reached a little city park. He guided her to an open bench, and they sat down.  "Sorry about that back there.  The thought of someone going through my things with so little regard...it's insane."  She sighed.

"I get it.  I do.  It's a horrible feeling."

"They probably gave my dress to their drugged-out girlfriend...or pawned it.  Do you think they pawned in?"  She looked at him, semi-hopeful it wasn't wadded up in a crack house somewhere.

"More than likely."  he tried to reassure her, although he wasn't sure.  Just then, her phone rang, "Riggs must be back from the show...hey, babe."  She answered with a sigh.

"I'm going to go get us drinks,"  Su whispered, pointing to a vendor not far away. She nodded as he got up to give her some space to talk.

"Hey, Love.  How's it going?"

"Shitty.  We're down the road at the park."

"Why?  What's going on?"  She could hear the concern in his voice.

"I needed some air.  Su took me for a walk.  It just sucks to walk in and see your place like that.  They broke or trashed almost everything. It all just feels dirty." 

"I'm really sorry. I wish I could be there to help you with it all."

"I know, " she said quietly. "So, I guess we're going to pack up what I want to keep, and Su's going to have it shipped to London for me. I don't know how much there is left or how to know what to save."

"Keep whatever isn't replaceable for you.  Don't feel like you need to pack everything like you're furnishing a new place. When the tour ends, we can buy new things for our flat together."  He smiled a little at the thought of them moving in together. 

"Are you officially asking?" She kicked the gravel a little with her toe.

"Begging." 

Su looked over and saw a genuine grin on her face. He paid the man for the two sodas and made his way back to the bench. 

"Love.  I'm sorry you're doing this without me, but you're strong.  Bang it out, and we'll start fresh. Ok?"

"Ok."  She took a deep breath, feeling better about returning and tackling the mess. "Oh! Emmett and Miles are in the area.  They're on their way to help out."

"Really?"

"Yup.  I guess they were in Philly, so they're buzzing up.  Su wanted me to reach out to some friends while we were here." She mouthed 'thank you' as he cracked open the soda and handed it to her.

"Good.  I'm really glad to hear that.  They'll be a good distraction for you." He smiled, glad she would have more help and maybe take a little pressure off Su.  He knew Su was busy, and while he appreciated him helping Wendy, he also felt guilty he was taking up his time.  "Hey baby, I hate to cut this short, but I need to sleep.  It's been a rough couple of days, and we're leaving early tomorrow, but is Su there?  Can I talk to him for a moment?" 

"Of course he's here."  She turned and smiled a little.  "Love you."

"Love you too.  I'll call you tomorrow, ok?"

"Ok.  Bye, Riggs."  She held the phone out, "He wants to talk to you."  He looked surprised for a moment and took her phone. 

"Hello?"  Su got up and wandered off a little as Wendy enjoyed the fizzy burn of that first sip of soda. 

"Hey.  Sounds like it's not so great."  Riggs said in a more serious tone.

"There was a lot of damage to the door.  I've got movers on standby for when she has boxes ready to ship."

Riggs rubbed his head, "Anything missing?"

"So far, just her Dior dress. Oh, and her favorite mug was broken, but we didn't have time to dig in before we needed to walk out.  She's taking it as well as someone can.  When she's ready, we'll go back. Her friends will be here in about an hour and a half."  Su paused, "You good with them coming?  Anything I need to know?"

Riggs smiled, "No, they're good guys.  Prepare yourself for witty banter.  I'm glad you'll have a couple extra hands to help.  Hopefully, it will keep things moving, and she won't get stuck."

"Yeah, I know what you mean."  He glanced back at her as she stared at a bird hunting a worm, lost in her thoughts.  "I'm going to call some cleaners, so when we're done, we can leave and get her back to you."

"Um, can we talk about that?  I might have a huge ask, and it's not 100%, but..."

Su stopped pacing, "What's wrong?"

He heard Riggs sigh, "Bangkok has been HARD from a security standpoint.  I've never been more glad she hasn't been here."  He gave Su a quick rundown of all the problems they've encountered with fans and stadium security that fell through.  Unfortunately, Su knew it all too well. "We're heading to Jakarta early tomorrow morning, and sources tell me it won't be much better.  I hate to say this, but I don't want her here right now.  She needs to go home to visit her mom in London or..."

"No. She can come back with me,"  Su said without hesitation. "The girls would love to see her, and we have enough space and resources. It's better to keep her in the same part of the world as you. Does that work?"

"More than you know." He sighed in relief, "Thank you.  Let's not tell her yet until it's a sure thing.  When we get there, I'll know what it looks like on the ground, and I can let you know."

Su smiled. "Of course. I'm hoping we can have everything buttoned up by tomorrow evening. Her apartment isn't big and will probably be more emotional than anything. Call me when you land and get settled, and we'll get Wendy wherever she needs to go."

The two hung up, and Su immediately pulled out his phone and texted the boys and Pak:

Wendy may be coming back with me for a surprise visit, FYI.  Security issues with Harry and Riggs doesn't want her there.  Giving you a heads up, will know more tomorrow.

He wandered back to Wendy and smiled, handing her phone back. " Everything good?" she asked as he sat beside her.

"Yup.  Just checking in."

Iceland.

After a couple of hours of enjoying the canyon and having a picnic, the group returned to the sky. They made a large loop along the coastline before working their way back towards the houses. 

"Is that a volcano?"  Ami's eyes were huge. Off in the far distance, a very distinctive glow was coming from the ground.

"Yup, it's pretty far from us, though. No need to worry." Pak said through the headset. He turned and smiled at her and Yoongi, "Pretty amazing, huh?"

"This entire area is amazing.  So, darling, are you ready to return, or do you need to see more?"  Yoongi squeezed her hand as all their eyes fell on her.

"No, I think we can head back.  Thank you for the afternoon, though. I'm glad we could get out before tomorrow."   Yoon pulled her hand over to him, kissing it sweetly.  He carefully turned her hand over and playfully bit down on the fat base of her thumb, sending waves of wanting through her body.  She pulled her hand back, grinning as his smoldering eyes pierced through her.

Choi and Quon were sitting behind them, watching this exchange.  Choi turned and looked out the window with a little smirk as Quon leaned forward, clearing his throat.  "So, Yoongi, are plans still on track for tomorrow?"

He looked back and smiled, "As far as I know.  I'll let you know if something changes, though."  He reached back over and took her hand, holding it sweetly again as they flew back toward the house.

***

Ami and Yoon walked hand in hand as the helicopter took off for the airport. "That was amazing," she sighed. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, my love." He held the door open as she walked in, stripping her jacket and hat off, and hung them over a chair. He started doing the same, but she stepped up before he could get his jacket off his arms, twisting his coat tight to keep it from sliding off. He smiled, closing his eyes and letting his head fall back, allowing his arms to be held behind him in the jacket.

"Yoon." She crooned in his ear.  "You nibbled my palm in front of my guys."  He grinned big.  "I chomped it.  Not nibbled."  He felt her lean in and firmly repaid the favor with a chomp to his shoulder. 

"Christ."  he groaned as she ended her playful bite with a kiss, then released her grip on his jacket and helped him slide it off.  As soon as his arms were free, he turned around and pushed her up against the wall, gripping her waist firmly and letting his lips command hers.  She wanted him, needed him, raking her nails slowly down his back. Yoon balled up the fabric of her clothes in his hands, trying to control himself.  He finally pushed her back a little, keeping his grip on her but more now at arm's length.  Both breathing hard, staring deep into each other's eyes. 

"Food?"  He finally asked.

"Food."  She agreed, and he took his hand, squeezing it hard as he walked her to the kitchen.  She sat at the large island as he purposefully positioned himself on the other side to give him some space from her.  Resting her elbow on the countertop, head in her hand, he placed both hands on the counter and smiled. 

"Now.  Before I break every rule I have promised not to break, I would like to make you dinner.  Would you like a glass of wine?"

"Yes, please." She smiled as he pulled out two glasses, popped the cork, and poured her a glass.

 

South Korea.

Jae rolled over and looked at her phone. It was just after two a.m. She had been struggling to stay asleep, so she fired off a text.

Love you.

It didn't take long for her phone to light up and ring.  "Hey, Kai."

"Hey, yourself.  Why are you up?  It's so early there. Are you feeling okay?"  Pak and the guys had just got back to the house.  He stepped outside on the patio and sat down to talk to her.

"Yeah.  It's just hard to sleep."  She sighed.  "How are things there?"

"Going smoothly.  We just got home from some sightseeing. I don't anticipate seeing them much after tomorrow.  How's the bed?"

"Huge."  She smiled.  "I get it, but damn."  Pak smiled, "Yeah, I'm sure. So, you still think our bed size is just right then?"

"OH my god, yes."  She giggled and snuggled in a little more.  "You know, I would have been ok down in the guest house."  She heard him take a breath and say a little more seriously. "Jae. You're welcome to sleep down there, but a couple of the guys are going with you.  Would you prefer that?"

"No." She said quietly.

"Do you understand why we all want you near?"

"Yes...but."

"No, sweetheart."  He said in a soft but firm tone, "I'll be home in a few days, okay?"

"Okay, " she sighed. "I just don't want people to think I'm incapable."

"No one thinks that.  Ever."  He said more sweetly.

Jae lay there, thinking about his words.  "You said all.  Do you really mean all?"

Pak smiled, "Yes.  From what I've been told, that's how umbrellas work.  Now, it's so late there.  Can you drift off for a few hours?"

"Yes." She sighed.  "I just miss you, that's all."

"How about this.  Why don't you stay on the phone with me, and when I hear you fall asleep, I'll hang up.  That way, I'm not wondering if you're off wandering the house."  He gently teased as she smiled and cozied in more. 

"That sounds nice."  She yawned.  "Night, Kai."

"Good night, baby."

 

New York.

Su and Wendy were working their way back to her place. They had sat in the park for about 45 minutes until she was prepared to go back and start sorting through things. He did what came naturally, nonchalantly scanning the street, crowds, and faces for anything giving a red flag.  He noticed people going on with their lives, walking, driving, and biking where they needed to go.  No one was paying attention to anyone except for another man sitting on a bench across the street, looking like he was waiting for someone.  The man was looking down the street when they turned and walked up the stairs into the building. 

Just as they crossed the threshold and entered, he turned and saw them, but only for a split second.  He had watched people come and go for a few days and seen thousands of people walk by.  He wasn't sure if the two he just saw were any of the people he was waiting for.  Frustrated at the monotony of the 'job,' he got up to take a walk.

An hour later.

Su and Wendy were deep into cleaning and decision-making when there was a knock at the door.  She stood to answer it when Su called out, "Wait for me."  He got up to follow her.  "Ask who it is first,"  he said quietly.

"Yes?" She called out as she rested her hand on the door handle.

"Oy! Wendy!" they heard one of her friends call out through the door. Su nodded and turned to walk back to the bedroom, where he was laying out things for her to make decisions on.

She unlocked and opened the door.  "Hey guys." She sighed as she held the door open.  Miles and Emmett walked in, "Sorry we're late, traffic was....oh holy shit."  Miles stopped in his tracks as her place was in full view.

"Bloody hell.  You weren't kidding."  Miles said, shocked as he looked around at the piles they had started and trash bags in the corner. 

"Yeah.  No.  It's pretty shitty."  Wendy sighed.  She closed the door, locking it behind her. 

"Fuck me."  Emmett murmured, then looked back at Wendy, smiled, and said quietly, "Is your friend Sue still here?  I was telling Miles you had someone you wanted to introduce."  Wendy's eyes got big, and before she could explain, the guys saw a man walk out of the bedroom.

"Oh, hello?  Wendy?"  Miles looked Su up and down, then confused back at her as she sighed.  "Miles.  Emmett.  This is MR. Su.  He came with me to help figure all this out.  Mr. Su, these are my friends Emmett and Miles.  We went to school together."

"Gentlemen, " he smiled a little as he watched them try to save face. "Not exactly who you were expecting?"

"OH. No!  Right!  Our bad!  Mr. Su!  Of course.  I'm Emmett, and this is Miles."  They both stepped forward to shake his hand.

"Pleasure."  He enjoyed watching them squirm a little.  "Wendy, I'm going to take those trash bags out.  Be right back."

"Thanks."  She walked back and held the door open for him as he grabbed two big bags and walked out.  He wanted to give them a few minutes to talk without him. She shut the door and turned to see her friends staring at her.

"What the bloody hell is going on?  Who IS that?"  Emmett asked as she picked up a broom. 

"That's Mr. Su.  He's the head of security for BTS."  She sighed, "Riggs couldn't come to help me.  Harry's tour is crazy right now. So, he called Su for ideas because he didn't want me doing this alone, and the BTS boys sent him with me. He's super nice."

Both guys were staring at her, their jaws on the floor.  "You have the bloody head of their security with you?  Why?!  What the fuck?!  Why do you need THAT level of protection with you?" Emmett almost yelled.

"What? OH my god. It's not like that." She rolled her eyes. "Calm down."

Miles snorted, "Calm down?  Oh no, I think you're calm enough for all of us.  Wendy.  How are you so unphased by having the bodyguard of fucking BTS here with you?  You have a fucking BODYGUARD.  WHAT IS HAPPENING."

The term 'bodyguard' struck her differently than 'security.'  She stood there and blinked as they waited for an explanation. 

Emmett pointed around the apartment, "Is this why?"

"I mean, it's part of the reason, I guess."  She stammered.  "Listen.  He's not my BODYGUARD.  Riggs wanted to come but couldn't. He didn't want me to deal with this madness alone."

"But you have friends in New York. You could have called them.  You don't need a bodyguard to haul trash bags to the bin. Darling, my question still stands.  What shit are you in that you need a bodyguard?"  Emmett was now more concerned than surprised when he saw Su and not Sue in the apartment.

"I'm not.  I'm not in anything. It's not like that." She was getting frustrated now.  "I'm not in charge of him like I hired movers.  I didn't ask him to help me.  The guys requested he come."

"There was no one else?  Was he the only option in the vast arsenal of people they employ?  Wendy.  I think the question is, WHY did they feel they needed his LEVEL of experience for this level of work?"  Miles chimed in.  Just then, Su walked back in empty-handed.  As he joined them all in the living room, he stopped.  He could feel the air was different between them.

"What's going on?" He looked at Wendy.  She sighed and shook her head.  "They're concerned I have a bodyguard with me and are trying to figure out what shit I've tossed myself into."

He looked back at the guys, eyeing them before Emmett spoke up.  "We were just concerned.  We've known her for years, and she's never needed personal security before."

"I think it's why she may need someone of your caliber." Miled jumped in.

They all watched Su think, trying to figure out what they needed to know. "Well.  You're not wrong.  That is, in part, why I'm here." Su said as the guy's eyes got big, and Wendy sighed.  He had told her on the plane why he was coming along.  This wasn't news to her.

"I've worked with the guys and Suki for a long time and have seen a lot of very motivated people wanting to get close to them.  Someone trashing her apartment could be junkies looking for a score or someone knowing who she is friends with."

"Suki,"  Emmett said.

"All of them," he smiled. "She's friends with all of them. Only a couple of people in the world are friends with all of them. She's also friends with Gaga and Harry...the list goes on of people she knows. So, she gets special perks. Me." 

"Ohhh."  They both said, grasping the larger picture.

"I'm here to ensure she's not caught in the web of a Venn Diagram and also to report back to Riggs that she's good."  He smiled and looked over at her. "He worries."

"Oh, I know."  She snorted.

"Wait.  So, you think some psychos out there might be targeting HER because of who she knows?"  Miles now looked back at his friend, more worried than he was earlier.

"I think psychos are kind of a strong word." Wendy went back to sweeping some broken things in a pile.

Su gave the guys a look that told them he had his doubts. 

"Miles, can you help me, please?"  Wendy wandered back to her room as Miles followed behind, leaving Emmett with Su.

"It's not easy having your space violated and being left to deal with the aftermath. I'm sure she feels better having three people she trusts to help."  Su said as Emmett crossed his arms and moved closer, "So, do you know who did this?"

"Not yet, but I'll talk to the sergeant tomorrow.   It's good you guys are here.  We had to walk out a while ago because she needed some air.  She's agreed to pack up what she wants to keep, and I'll have it sent to London for her and Riggs to unpack later.  How long before you two need to head out?"

"Um, well.   We need to be back in Philly by tomorrow at 9 am."  He looked around at the feat in front of them. "How much do you think we can do?"

Su looked at his watch, it was already 5:30. "If you two can help her make decisions and then box stuff for her, that would be the biggest help. Riggs told her to keep anything that couldn't be replaced.  She flew in from Bangkok this afternoon, and she's going to crash at some point.  Let's see how much we can finish in a couple of hours. Then we need to eat so she can decompress a little.  Sound good?"

"She flew in from Bangkok?"  Emmett's eyes almost jumped out of his head as Su nodded. We need to help her get as much done as possible tonight. Tomorrow, I can call in people to haul out the trash and any donations, then have the movers and cleaners come in. She doesn't need to be in this place longer than necessary, don't you agree?"

"Yeah. Right.  Ok."  He took a big breath and looked around her place again in a different light.  She didn't have a big place, and it wasn't overloaded, although it looked overwhelming with the state it was in.  With all of them helping, they could make a lot of progress.  

Su gave him a little smile and nodded as Emmett went to help Miles and Wendy in the bedroom.  

 

The group worked for a few hours. It helped to have the extra hands, and the guys knew how to support with humor without pushing too much. Su stepped back and made all the calls he needed. He called the driver, had him upgrade the car to an SUV, and told him to be ready outside the apartment. He wanted the car available when they needed to walk.

Su listened to the guys joke with her about how they must have stolen her shoes, as she had less than eight pairs in the closet. She bantered with them as they kept her on track with making decisions. Every once in a while, he would hear her get mad over something destroyed, and either Miles or Emmett would step up and let her vent but then get her back on track. 

They worked quickly around the apartment, putting things in the categories she thought were best.  It was close to 8:00 when she finally needed to stop.  Su was sweeping up the last of the piles in the bedroom when he heard her finally say, "Oh my god, I can't do anymore. I think my brain is going to melt."  He looked around at the organized chaos of the place.  There were big piles of items around the living room, but they had a purpose of where they needed to go.   All were dirty and tired but satisfied they had done as much as they did. 

"You did a lot.  Ready to get some food?  I have the car waiting downstairs."  Su smiled, leaning the broom against the wall.  "Guys, you can ride with us."

As they gathered their things, she looked back at her place.  "Maybe tomorrow, I can just look over what I want to donate, just to make sure."

"That sounds good, but no more tonight.  Now it's time for food and relaxing.  Come on."  Emmett and Miles led the way as she followed.  Su closed and locked the door before heading downstairs to the awaiting car.

 

As evening was setting in, the man waiting outside was getting tired.  He stood up, ready to give up and go home for the night, when he stretched, leaning back and forcing himself to look up.  He had been watching the people on the street, never actually taking notice of the building itself.  The warm glow of the apartment lights shone from the windows.   He counted up to the 4th floor, then cocked his head and counted across. 

"Oh...which apartment was it?  Shit...are they here, and I missed them?" He noticed one of the lights went out as he tried to figure out where he had ransacked.   Just then, a new Mercedes SUV parked outside the building, blocking his view of the front door.  As he started crossing the street to get a better view, Su walked Wendy down the stairs and opened the door.  Su glanced through the car windows to the bench where he had seen the man earlier in the day.  He wasn't there.  Satisfied, he waited for her to load, then turned to open his door.  Miles and Elliott followed her in and shut their door just as Su did, sitting in the front passenger seat as the three sat in the back.

This time, the man recognized Mr. Su, or to him,  'Korean dad-guy.'  He jumped into a shadow along the wall as Su looked back in the mirror while they pulled out and drove down the street.

"Fuck yeah."  He smiled as he shoved his hands in his pockets, turned, and walked the other way.  Tomorrow, he would get there early and try to catch a picture of them to get paid.  "That was a nice fucking car."  He pulled out his phone and made a call.

"Yo.  Marco."

"Sup Bobby."

"So you know that apartment I tossed a few days ago?  Yeah, well, the owners are back to clean it up, and they look like they might have some money.  How do you feel about releasing them of their burden?"  He smirked as he jogged back across the street and took a right. 

"I thought you said there was nothing in that place except a fancy-ass dress?  What do you think these guys have?"

"I don't know, man.  But they pulled away in a brand new Mercedes.  I think the old guy probably has a watch on him worth somethin'.  Interested?"

"Sure, when do you wanna do it?"

"Here's the thing. I can't step in.  I'm getting paid to report back to that crazy fucker in Korea.  I have to take a picture of them tomorrow and send it off.  But what I can do is let you know when they leave.  If you have nothin' going on, it might be an easy pick."

"Yeah, man.  Let me know."

 

Iceland.

The sky lit up again with the Northern Lights as Yoongi relaxed in the hot tub.  "Hey, you. Come join me." He smiled as she stepped out onto the back patio, towel wrapped around her and her flappy-eared hat on.  "Hey, yourself." she closed the door and made her way over to him. 

He sipped his wine and set down his glass as she dropped her towel, revealing one of his favorite white bikinis.  "Fuck." He groaned as she stepped in, carefully lowering herself into the water but keeping her hat on. 

"Thank you for dinner.  It was amazing."  She leaned back and relaxed, letting the heat take over her body. 

"You look so cute in that hat, but you need to take it off."  He reached over and pulled her onto his lap so she was straddling him. He carefully removed the hat from her head and tossed it to the side.

"Oh?  Why's that?" she smiled, draping her arms around his neck as she felt him settle his hands on her hips.  He started to play with the strings holding her suit bottoms on, careful not to pull them off her.

"You'll overheat, " he leaned his head back and smiled. "I don't want to call and explain to Pak how you are overheating in 50-degree weather."  She grinned and then laid her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her.   "How are you feeling?" He carefully rubbed her back as the bubbles engulfed them.

"Really good.  Relaxed.  Ready to make an honest husband out of you." She giggled as she felt him move his hands down and squeeze her thighs.  His fingers dug into her, making her laugh as she pushed back off him and found safety again across the hot tub.

His lips curled into a smile, "So, I've been thinking. I want to marry you tonight, under the stars."

"What?  Here in the hot tub? What about tomorrow in our fancy clothes and rings?"  She grinned.

"No.  Not in the hot tub."  He reached over and snagged her foot.  She felt him massage it as she melted more in the bubbles. "Why don't we relax for a bit, and when we're ready, we'll take our time getting dressed.   I want to marry you tonight.  I thought I could wait until tomorrow, but I can't.  I need to be your husband before the sun rises."

"I love that." She sighed.  "I love you."

"I love you too."

Chapter 18

As the SUV made its way down the New York street, Su turned and looked at Wendy. "Do you have somewhere you want to go to eat? If not, I've got a booth waiting for us at the Churchill Tavern."

"Ohh. I haven't been there for ages! That sounds lovely." She sighed, sitting back in her seat and relaxing. It felt so good not to have to make another decision.

"What's the Churchill?" Miles asked.

"A proper English pub in the heart of New York City." She smiled. "They have the best comfort food. Thanks, Su."

"You're welcome." The guys watched him turn and start talking to the driver in Korean. After giving him instructions, they headed to the tavern.

Twenty minutes later, they were pulling up outside. "Oh, this looks the part, doesn't it?" Emmett smiled as he opened his door, and they scooted out. Su got out and waited for Wendy to join them, the last to get out of the car, then closed the door behind her.

"Ok, shall we see how their bangers and mash rank with the motherland?" He smiled as he walked beside her while Miles and Emmett led the way. "This place is great," Miles grinned. They all felt transported back to England as the pub chatter and familiar smells hit them.

The tavern was busy and full. "Probably 45 minutes wait, loves,” the very English waitress said as she saw them walk in. Su leaned forward and said something to her and her expression changed. She smiled at them, "Oh, right! Sorry! Follow me."

Su stepped to the side and let Wendy go first, then motioned for the guys to follow. "Gentlemen."

They made their way to the back of the room and then up some stairs to the second floor. It felt a little less chaotic upstairs as they were led to a tall back booth reserved for them in a quiet corner.

Su tapped Emmett on the arm. "Let Wendy sit on the side so her back is to the room, please."

"What? Oh, sure. Ok." He weaseled past Miles as they got to the table and put his hands on her shoulders, guiding her to sit on the left side of the booth. She was tired and hungry and didn't put up much of a fight. He plopped down next to her as Miles sat down across from the two. The menus were already on the table for them. "I'll be back in a few to take your orders." The waitress wandered off, and they all looked at Su standing at the end of the table. He hadn't sat down yet.

"Aren't you joining us?" Wendy gave him a tired smile.

"I thought you guys might like some time to talk. I'll just be over there." He pointed to a little round table being saved for him.

"No. Sit." Wendy pointed to the seat next to Miles. "You aren't going to help me with all this, then sit by yourself. Ridiculous." She shook her head and looked down at the menu. "I don't know why I'm looking. I want fish and chips with mushy peas." Su looked at the two boys, and they both agreed. "Oh no. We have questions. We can talk to her anytime. Please join us." Miles grinned.

Su nodded and sat down next to Miles. "What do you guys suggest?" He picked up the menu and glanced at the options, although he had already reviewed it online earlier.

"Bangers and mash, shepherd's pie is always good and filling." Emmett looked over the options. "OH. Lamb kebabs. Yes, please." He put his menu down, "That's what I'm having." Just then, another waitress came over with a tray of drinks.

"Welcome." She smiled, setting water down in front of everyone. "What will ya have?"

"Cider." Miles and Emmet both said in unison.

"And you?" She smiled at Su. He pointed to Wendy, "What would you like? I know we talked before, but I think you're entitled to one after today." They all looked over at her as she scrunched up her face, trying to allow herself to make one more decision. "Can I just have a Guinness, please?"

"Absolutely." The waitress looked back at Su as he declined. Water was okay for him. Next, she took everyone's orders, then headed back to get it started for them.

"I'll be right back. Don't leave." Su smiled, got up, and headed to the restrooms, giving the three a moment to talk.

Wendy took a big drink of water as Miles started in. "Su's fucking amazing." He leaned forward, hands on the table, "Fucking smooth. So, is that part of his job, or is that just him? Is it a Korean thing?"

"What?" Wendy yawned, resting her elbow on the table and her head in her hand.

"All of it. It's all just handled. The car's waiting. The restaurant is planned. Nothing is hurried. It's just ready when you're ready. Do you need something? Poof!" He waved his hands, "No, you don't. He's already thought of it, booked it, reserved it, and it's waiting for you."

"He's so cool." Emmett agreed.

"It's called being a gentleman, you twats." She snickered.

Both men looked offended and aghast, "We're gentlemen!"

Wendy looked at them, exasperated. "Are you good guys? Absolutely. But try holding the door open for someone else or letting others order first! He makes sure everyone is good before himself. Riggs is like that, too. I want to think it's who they are, not the job. It's a nice feeling to have someone put you first without making you feel incapable."

Just then, the waitress brought the drinks over, set them down, and walked away. "Question." Miles pointed to her drink. "What's with the group decision on whether you can drink or not."

"Remember she told us back in London she doesn't do that in public anymore. She holds too many government secrets." Emmett teased.

"That's right." She smiled as she tapped her head. "All locked inside."

"So, how's it all going with this new life you lead? Traveling the world and rubbing shoulders with the famous of the world." Miles asked seriously. "Are you enjoying it? Are you looking for another job? How are you floating yourself?" The two listened as Wendy shared what an actual day was like for her as Su returned to the table. He sat and listened quietly as she shared her experience traveling with a tour.

"Well, that seems a lot less glamor-filled." Emmett sipped his drink.

"It has its fun moments, not get me wrong, but there are more moving parts than you can imagine. That and I'm not the star of the show. Harry has shit he has to manage I would never want to tackle. I don't know how anyone does it full-time." She looked over at Su, "What do you think? Was that pretty accurate for your world?"

He nodded in agreement, "Pretty similar. It's not all parties and fun all the time for everyone. It's work. Everyone has a part to play for the machine to run smoothly."

"So, that's what you do? Keep things running smoothly?" Emmett asked.

"To the best of my ability." He smiled.

"Well, you have quite an ability. Fuck, mate."

Su sat quietly most of dinner, listening to the three friends catch up and discuss everything except her apartment. She asked them about California and teased them about girls, dating, and their social lives. They talked about what was happening back home and shared what they knew about different friends they had in common.  Ami never came up in any way, even though they rehashed the audacity of Ami's old friend who crashed their last pub experience. 

Towards the end of dinner, Su had a question for them. "So, boys. What are your plans? Are you heading back tonight? In the morning? You have another day at the conference, right?"

"Ohhh." Miles sighed, looking at Emmett. "It shouldn't be too bad to drive back tonight. It's just a couple of hours. We didn't bring anything or have a place to stay."

"Well, that can be arranged if you need it," Su said without batting an eye. "Or, we can drop you off at your car when we are done here. Whatever works best for you. I know your help was appreciated today, though." Surprised at his offer, the guys looked at him, and Wendy gave him a tired smile. Nothing surprised her anymore, or maybe she was too exhausted to care.

"Nah, thank you, mate, but we should drive back tonight. Morning traffic will be worse than if we go back this evening. As much as I want to help you finish that nightmare, I do have to get back."

"I could always stay and help." Emmett said, "It's not my conference. Do you want me to stay and help you finish up tomorrow?"

Wendy shook her head. "It's okay. Really. After a good sleep tonight, I can do the rest tomorrow. I have a few more things to sort, push it in a pile, then haul it out. After that, all I have to do is clean."

"Wendy. I have people on standby to come in and take stuff to the charity shop, the movers and trash out, and then cleaners will take care of the rest. All you need to do is make final decisions, and we're done." Su watched Wendy try to wrap her head around what he was saying. Miles grinned at her and mouthed, 'Smooth'.

"Wait. What?" Wendy sat up a little taller. "Seriously?"

"You're doing the hard part mentally. Someone else can do the heavy lifting."

"When will you guys fly out?" Emmett asked Su as Wendy processed what little she had left to manage.

"Well, if everything goes well, the day after tomorrow." Su smiled. "Rigg's is anxious to get her back." They talked a little longer before Wendy put her head down on her arms. "This has been great, but I will pass out from exhaustion if I don't get to bed soon."

"Yup. Let's get you to bed. We should get on the road, too. We need our check." Emmett looked for the waitress as Su stood up, "It's all taken care of, and the car's waiting for us."

"What?! You didn't need to do that! We were going to pick up the tab!" Miles declared, "Well, thank you. Next time, it's on us." He said firmly. Su smiled and conceded as they all got up out of the booth.

Miles walked with Wendy, leading the way, while Emmett walked with Su. "Thanks for coming all this way and doing all this for her. I can't imagine anyone doing this on their own. What a shit show."

"Unfortunately, we've dealt with this situation more than once. Frustrating every time." Su followed him slowly down the steps to the louder pub below. It was packed with patrons as they started to work their way to the doors. Su stepped around him, and Emmett noticed how Su moved differently through the crowd. He had moved closer to Wendy, so he was right behind her, scanning ahead as they followed Miles.

Emmett watched Su lean forward and say something to her, and she nodded, stepping to the side and letting him take the lead. Su reached back, and she took his arm, leading them to the right, away from the bar.

"Miles!" Emmett called out, waving his friend back and pointing to Su and Wendy, who were going a different way. "He's in bodyguard mode. Watch!" he yelled in his ear as the two guys started following.

As they passed groups of men drinking and talking, Su stood with his back to them, letting Wendy pass by almost as a shield and following her close behind. She naturally adjusted her hold on his arm or hand to ensure they stayed connected through the crowd. It wasn't until they stepped outside into the cool night air that he finally let her go.

"Oh my god. That place was packed." She sighed and looked at her two friends, grinning as they joined her on the sidewalk. Su waved at the driver, letting him know they were ready.

"What are you two cheesing about?" she yawned. "God, I'm going to fall over. I'm so tired."

"Oh, nothing. Just enjoying the festivities of the pub. Come on, time to get you back to the hotel before we have to peel you off the street." Emmett walked over to her as the car pulled up. He opened the door and let her climb in first as everyone piled in behind.

"See, I can be a gentleman, " he said quietly to her. She rolled her eyes, smiled, and leaned back in her seat. Soon, they weaved their way through the streets back to the guy's car.

***

The boys hugged Wendy goodbye. They reassured her she could finish up tomorrow and to make sure she called the next time she was in the States. They shook Su's hand, thanked him again for dinner, and insisted they were paying next time. The group parted ways, the guys heading back to Philly and Wendy and Su heading around the corner to the hotel.

***

"Security, my ass. Su's a fucking full-fledged bodyguard if I've ever seen one." Emmett shook his head as they drove away. "She doesn't even know! She doesn't see it! Did you see him weave her through that pub? No clue."

"Well, he's the head of BTS. They don't have just anyone working for them. Riggs must be pretty similar, though. She didn't question anything. It was normal for her. She lives that life, mate." Miles turned onto the expressway. "She told me they chartered a private plane for her. That's how they got here."

"Did she even question why they sent that guy to travel with her? Wouldn't that send off some red flags? It was just a break-in. Why are we at level ten? I wanted to ask her more questions, but it was a hard day, and she was falling asleep by the end. Maybe we should call her in a few weeks after she's all settled."

The two drove in silence for a few miles, then Miles looked at Emmett, "He's a fucking legend, though. If we could hone 10% of him, forget it, mate."

***

The elevator doors opened, and Wendy trudged to her room. "What time should we go over tomorrow?" She fumbled with her key card, trying to get it to work. She was done.

"It's ten now. Let's go over after lunch sometime," Su said as he took the key card from her hand and swiped her lock for her, pushing open her door. "Call me when you wake up. I'll talk to the sergeant tomorrow morning. You don't need to go with me. You need sleep."

"Yeah. Ok. That sounds good. I'll call you tomorrow. Thanks, Su." She smiled. Her eyes were half closed. With a full belly of food, half a Guinness, the time zone change, and mental exhaustion, she would be lucky to get her clothes off before she climbed into bed.

"Order room service if you need anything. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Okay? Call me." Wendy nodded as she wandered into her room. Su shut the door, pulling on it so it clicked. He tried it, making sure it locked, then went and settled in for the night.

***

Riggs heard his phone ding. It was a voice message from Wendy that was 4 minutes long.

"Hey, honey. I'm so tired my fingers aren't working to text. I just fell into bed...I don't know if I have any energy to take my clothes off... Emmett and Miles left. They were a big help..." She mumbled and trailed off as sleep took over. Riggs leaned against the wall, eyes closed, listening to her sleep. He wished he could be there with her and hated she was so far away and he couldn't be there. After four minutes, the phone message ended, so he sent her a message.

"Darling. Don't get up tomorrow until you feel rested. I know it's been hard, but you're doing great. Call me when you wake up and it better not be before noon. Love you."

 

Iceland.

Ami took a shower and got ready in the bathroom while Yoon dressed in the bedroom. They were both happy and excited that this moment had finally come for them. It seemed surreal.

"Need some help?" He knocked on the door and poked his head in. He smiled, seeing his bride just finishing up her hair. She was only wearing her black strapless corset with black panties.

"I thought seeing the bride before the wedding was bad luck." She smiled, turning and leaning back on the counter. He wore crisp black pants and a black button-down shirt. "Jesus." He moaned, brushing his lips over hers and placing his hands gently on her hips. “Seeing the dress, not the bride, is bad luck. Maybe they made that rule because people were missing their weddings.

"Probably." She giggled. "I need to get dressed, and then I'm ready."

"Let me help you." He brushed her hair back a little.

"I thought you wanted to help me get undressed?"

"I do. But who's going to zip you up?"

She leaned forward, her lips barely touching his. "Good point, but that means you will see my dress. Are we going to forego the not-seeing-the-dress rule?"

"We have too many rules, " he whispered as she smiled. "Help me, and we can discuss the lack of rules later." She gently pushed him back to close the bathroom door and get her dress, which was hanging behind it. As she turned around, she giggled. He was standing there with his eyes closed. "What are you doing?"

"I don't want to see you yet," he smiled. He felt her nose gently trail up his cheek before she kissed it, causing him to inhale slowly and exhale. Ami slipped into her dress, pulling it up and turning her back to him. "Zip me up, please?"

Yoon kept his eyes closed and slowly reached out with his hands. He could feel the detail on the fabric as he felt his way down her sides. He brought them together, finding the zipper, and slowly zipped her up. He kept his eyes closed, holding him for support while she slipped on her heels.

"My jacket's in the living room." She led him to the kitchen table, where she found it rested over the chair, and helped him slip it on. Taking his hands in hers, she stood in front of him. "Yoon, " she said softly as he finally opened his eyes. She smiled as he involuntarily sucked in a break, “fuck,” he whispered.

Ami was wearing a beautiful black lace dress, more dramatic than her other wedding dresses. He gently ran his fingers over the lace, taking in every detail.

“I love you in a black dress.” he smiled, taking her hand in his and focusing on her face.

“I took a chance. You gave me very little details to work with, but I assumed we aren’t getting married on the street somewhere.”

“I almost agreed to marry you at the canyon in your floppy hat, and I would have if I had your ring with me. I want nothing more than to place my ring on your finger.” He brought her hands to his lips and kissed them.

"God, you're beautiful." He barely choked out as he wiped her cheeks, keeping tears from falling. Let's go get married." He interlocked their fingers and led her outside. The evening was cool, but neither was cold, with the adrenaline pumping through them.

As they walked to a little hill nearby, the colors of the sky lit up and shimmered just for them. "Maybe I needed my boots." She laughed as traversing the ground in her heels was proving difficult. Yoon turned, picked her up, and carried her the last few feet to the spot he had selected.

"Thank you, " she said as he gently sat her down. She smoothed out her dress, then took his hands again as they stared at each other in the starlight.

"Are you cold?" He asked sweetly.

"No. Just happy."

"Yeah. Me too." Yoon paused, "You know, I still get butterflies every time I see you. I wish I could explain, but it’s just you. Your eyes, voice, smile, all of it…you melt me.” He stared into her eyes as he felt those same butterflies. “I know I can be intense, but that doesn’t scare you, it never has. You know when I need support or when you need to match my intensity to keep me in check. The fact I can be myself with you, and you stay…Ami…I don’t know what I would do without you.” Tears came to his eyes. “I am permanently in love with you, always and forever.”

“Yoon.” She said softly as she wiped his cheeks. “You’ve taught me so much. You helped make me whole. I was broken before I met you. You helped fill my cracks and make me a stronger person. You aren’t the only intense one,” he joined her with a smile, “and I’m so lucky you love and support me in all aspects of my life…professionally, personally, and everything in between. No matter how rarely we fight, I will never stop loving you. I will never give up on us.”

They both stood there in the dark, with the stars and sky illuminating their love. He pulled her ring out of his pocket, delicately slipping it on her finger. Like at the prior weddings, she didn’t wear her other wedding bands, only her engagement ring on her other hand. Ami did the same before they said their vows, slipping his ring onto his finger, and then he pulled her closer.  He rested his forehead on hers and closed his eyes.

“Ami, I vow to you, with my entire being, to love you fiercely. I vow to fight with you and never against you. I humbly give myself to you. I vow to be your husband and marry myself in body and soul to you.”

He squeezed her hands as he felt a peaceful warmth envelop his body. It was like every worry or concern in his life was melting away with their love and dedication. Ami could feel it, too.  She had felt it three times before and loved it every time.

“Yoongi. I vow to be your partner, friend, and lover in every possible way. I love you wholeheartedly and can’t wait to spend the rest of my life together. I vow to be your wife and marry myself in body and soul to you.”

He immediately took her face in his hands and kissed her, really kissed her. Both were overcome with joy as they finally dedicated themselves to each other out loud. Her lips were warm, and she felt perfect in his hands. He never wanted to let her go.

Finally pulling back, he stared into her eyes and drank her in. Nothing mattered in that moment. "Hello, my wife."

"Hello, husband." With her words, electricity jolted between them—one that had been growing for days and needed an escape. He leaned down, resting his forehead on hers and closing his eyes. "I've waited a long time to officially hear that, although I feel like we married each other the night I asked you."

"It finally feels complete though." She smiled, turning her head and resting it on his chest, his arms wrapping around her. "Well, it will be complete after the last three."

"I never thought I would hear my wife say those words, but you have no idea how happy I am for all of us." He pulled her back a little and smashed his lips into hers as they passionately kissed on the tundra. Yoongi bent down and picked up his bride, not parting his lips from hers, and slowly walked back to the house. "OH! Wait!" He stopped quickly, making her gasp in surprise. He grinned big as she carefully set her down. "I need my phone."

"What are you talking about?" She giggled. He walked a few steps into the dark and returned with his phone. "I set it up before we came out. I wanted to record us so we have pictures of our wedding. You have pictures with everyone else. I thought this was the best option without having Pak or the guys lurking in the darkness." She stood beside him, holding his arm, as he fast-forwarded through the footage. He paused on a frame of them staring at each other, the aurora glimmering in the background. It was perfect, so he took a screenshot. "See. Proper wedding photos." He smiled, proud of himself, before holding the phone out and taking a close-up selfie with her.

"Um, do we need to let people know? You told Quon we were still on for tomorrow, and I'm pretty sure our plans have drastically changed." She grinned as he stopped and thought for a moment.

***

Throughout the house back home, seven phones vibrated and pinged at once. Joon took out his phone to see who had messaged when they all heard Jae squeal and yell from the office. "HOLY SHIT!" Yoongi had sent two pictures. One was a wide shot of them holding hands with the Northern Lights in the background, and one was a close-up of two people very much in love.

***

"Well, that changes plans." Quon grinned as he pushed back from the table, "I'm heading to bed, guys."

"Night," Pak and Choi called back as they finished putting away the late-night snack they had pulled out. "I'll take care of it," Choi said as he grabbed the plate before Pak could pick it up.

"I can help." Pak countered.

"I know you can, but I'll take care of it tonight. " Choi smiled. "Go check in on Jae. That's more important than some dishes. Tell her hi for me."

***

Su had just closed his hotel door behind him when he heard his phone buzz. He pulled it out of his pocket, walked towards his bed, and stopped. There were the two pictures Yoon had sent. It warmed his heart as he could see the complete happiness in their smiles and eyes.

He eventually put the phone down as he got ready for bed. He had plans to get up early and meet with the sergeant. He wanted an honest conversation with him without Wendy, and he knew she wouldn't be mobile before noon.

***

Yoongi pushed the phone into his pocket and swooped her back up, making her laugh as they headed back to the house. She laid her head on his shoulder, enjoying everything about their private time together. He didn't put her down until they returned to the bedroom, gently placing her beside the bed. She took his hands and ran her fingers over his ring, kissing it and looking up at him.

"So. Your husbands told me, well, many things. But most of all, I'm supposed to be proper with you." He said as she turned around, swooping her hair to the side. Yoon started to unzip her slowly, allowing her dress to slide down and unceremoniously pool at her feet. She stepped out and turned around, leaving her in her corset, panties, and heels. She ran her hands up his chest, inside his jacket, and over his shoulders, pushing his jacket off so it slipped down and joined her dress.

"Well. I think I get some say in that. Remember, we were proper our first time together?"

"I do." He closed his eyes as he started to unbutton his shirt.

"And I said that was the last time we needed to be that way?"

"You are making this very difficult. I'm trying to keep my head." He groaned as her nails lightly raked down his chest, and his shirt fell to meet his jacket on the floor. Yoongi ran his hand up her back into her hair, palmed her head, and forced her lips onto his. The kiss was hard and desperate. The longing leading up to this moment was the best sadistic foreplay they could imagine, and it was finally all going to be released.

Ami unbuttoned his pants as he never let go of her head.

"Panties...but heels on, please, wife." He moaned through his kisses after his pants dropped to the floor. He could feel her smile for a brief second before continuing on their feverish pace. He maneuvered her so her back was to the bed. Before they fell onto the bed, he pulled back to stare into her eyes, breathing hard. She could see he was losing the battle of what he should and wanted to do.

He closed his eyes again as she reached up and gently stroked his face. "Husband, " she said softly. His body language relaxed a little with her voice, then tensed back up. He wrapped his arm around her and squeezed her tightly, smashing his lips back on hers.

She inhaled deeply as he picked her up, and they fell on the bed together, rolling and pushing their bodies together. Ami found herself on her back. Her hands were in his as he slowly moved them over her head as he sucked the air from her lungs. He felt her start to grip his hand tightly as he finally released her lips, staring into her eyes as she sucked in air. He was back in her mouth before she could fully catch her breath. He heard her groan as he pressed his hard cock down on her without pushing inside.

Yoon softened his kisses as he slowly pulled back again. She was gasping for air, eyes closed as he watched her, giving her time. Her lace corset was causing her breasts to rise with every breath, making him want to push more. "My wife." Her lips curled into a smile as she opened her eyes and focused on him. He rested his forehead on hers, "I need rules. If you don't give them to me, I don't know if I can stop myself tonight. I've wanted all this for so long, but I'll listen to you. I'll always listen to you. That and your husbands will kill me."

She pulled her hands down out of his, and they rolled so they were facing each other, comfortable in each other's arms. "You don't think I could handle you? After all this time? Haven't I always been more than fair in paybacks?" She loved watching him smile. "Yes, you have, and I love your paybacks. But it's our wedding night..."

"Oh." She interrupted. "You're worried I'll be rough on you?" She pushed him onto his back and straddled his hips; Yoon moaned. "I promise to be gentle if you're worried," She teased, grinning and licking her lips. Fire flashed across his face as she bratted. She wanted all of Min Yoongi.

He reached up and grabbed her by the arms, pulling her down to him as she giggled. "Wife, I won't leave marks like Hobi enjoys making. I won't turn your cheeks red like Kook. The marks I like to leave are in here." He kissed her forehead. I want to break you and put you back together, but our wedding night is special. You and I together only get one, " he said quietly.

"Min Yoongi. I trust you." She kissed his chest as he closed his eyes, enjoying her lips caressing his skin. Running her hands over his chest, she started working down, licking him along his waist. His body tensed up. She ran her hand up between his legs as he groaned. He needed her and couldn't take it anymore.

He grabbed her shoulders, and they rolled again, him on top, now looking down at her. He kept eye contact as he pushed inside her tight warmth. She squealed at the steady, repetitive speed at which they made love. The mental game of her not setting rules for them was messing with his head. She made sure she didn't look away or close her eyes as they fucked. The intense focus on each other was like fireworks going off.

She could feel him change the angle he was moving inside her, making her body tense up with each push. "OH fuck!" She moaned, her eyes starting to flutter. A little smirk started forming as he let the feelings take over. As she started to build, he slowly pulled out, making all her nerve endings inside her fire off, craving more.

She raked her nails down his back as he arched, so he grabbed her legs and pushed them together, bending her knees so they folded up onto her chest.

"This. Perfect. " is all he said as he ran his fingers through her wet throbbing pussy, making her jump. She could feel him making little circles through her wetness, which only amplified the jolts she was feeling firing from her between her legs. Soon, he was back inside her, still holding her legs, giving him easy access. She reached out wide and gripped the sheets as he made her build again.

"Let me know when you need to cum, because then I'm going to stop," he growled as she whimpered at the promise. "Tonight, you're going to learn what it's like to be forced to wait to cum. I've been waiting for days. You're husbands made sure of that." He leaned in and fucked her harder. The sloppy sounds echoed throughout the room as they both were building.

"Please!" She yelled out as he ripped out of her, causing her to gasp and pant. Arching and needing to finish, she was denied. Over and over, he did this as she got closer each time, then quickly took it away. By the umpteenth time, they were both sweating, almost in a frenzy of fucking before neither could take it anymore. "MIN!!"

This time, he held her by her ankles, pulling her legs out wide as he leaned down between them, hitting her deeper yet. Now he stopped moving but stayed inside her. She was gasping, almost clawing at him, begging him to keep going. "Put your hands over your head," he commanded.

She obeyed as he pulled her corset down in a tug, releasing her breasts. He gave them each a slap, not hard enough to hurt but sting. With each slap, he felt her tighten around his throbbing cock. Her eyes were starting to roll back as her legs started shaking with her hard, prolonged orgasm. Yoongi started stabbing her again as she clenched her fists, and her body tightened with her explosion.

He barely waited for her to start to come down before flipping her over into her knees, head pushed down as he entered into her still pulsing body.

"Oh god..." She moaned as he started again from behind.

"Did you think you were done? We aren't close to being done, my wife.." His words were thick and filled her head. As much as she loved to be in control sometimes, she loved this Yoongi. She loved his control over her because she knew the balance would swing back in the end. She trusted him completely.

"I...love...you..." She managed to stutter out as he tossed his head back and, with a long grunt, came hard inside her. Eventually, he purposely pulled slowly out. Her legs were shaking as he played again in her with his fingers. "You are so fucking wet." He pulled on her hips, repositioning her knees wide again, then slapped her on her swollen, wet pussy.

Ami screamed and moaned into the pillow. Part in the surprise and part in how she loved the feeling as it shot through her body. He paused; a little ounce of awareness hit him as he rubbed her back and watched her breathe hard into the pillow, eventually relaxing again. Then he heard her, "One."

"OH fuck." he took a deep breath, his head swimming as much as hers. He wouldn't go this deep with her tonight, but they both wanted and needed it. They craved it. Over and over, he started petting her between the legs, only to pull his hand off her, watching her jump, anticipating the slap. The mental game was better than the act itself. Over the course of ten minutes, she only counted to five.

After the fifth, she was shaking. She wasn't sure how much more she could take but didn't want it to stop, even if she could.

He helped roll her over. Looking into her eyes, he knew she was past her point. She gasped for fresh air after rebreathing into the pillow for ten minutes.

"Min...Yoon..." she was breathing fast, trying to replace her air as half the room was blacked out. He enjoyed watching her search for her grounding.

"Breath. We aren't done," he said quietly, kissing her and pushing back inside as she sucked in a huge breath. He was lying on her, rolling his hips in circles. Ami had no control anymore, yet her body obeyed him and came again. He kissed and sucked every inch of her, and all she could do was give in to every demand.

Finally, he rolled off of her, pulling her to him and spooning her sweetly as his head started to clear. "Ami?"

"Mmm." Is all she could reply. She was somewhere between exhaustion, ecstasy, and other worlds. Her body gave a little involuntary shake here and there.

"I love you. How are you?" He said softly. Somewhere deep in her brain, she could feel him start to rub her arms, stroke her hair, and over her hip to her thigh. This touch was different. It wasn't sexual but more loving. "I'll be right back." she heard him say and felt him crawl out of bed.

Yoongi staggered to the kitchen, still love drunk, as he forced his head to get grounded again. He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, chugged it down, and then grabbed two more to take back. He did what he said, breaking her, but now he needed to help pull her back. He didn't have the guys here to help, and he fully understood why they wanted him to wait to go that hard and long. They would have called it long ago, and now worried he should have.

She felt him return and help her sit up. The cool water tasted so refreshing as she slowly drank down a bottle. As soon as she was done, he helped her lay back down and then joined her, pulling the blankets up around them. He held her, kissing her forehead. "I'm sorry if that was too much. Whatever you need, I will get or do for you, " he said softly as he pushed her hair back off her face.

She didn't say anything, but he was relieved she started to reach for him. He quickly scooted up to her, engulfing her in his arms, "I'm here. I'll be here when you wake." He whispered and held her as she gave in to her exhaustion and passed out.

Yoon lay there and replayed the last what felt like hours. Almost every rule they had made as a group or with her was broken. He pushed her way over her limit, she couldn't advocate for herself anymore, and he broke his promise to the guys. He needed more than anything to make sure he hadn't ruined their wedding night, regardless of the backlash he would get from the six when he got home. That wasn't important right now.

***

She started to move a little later when she felt him tenderly kissing her face. "Are you hungry?" His voice was quiet and sweet.

"Yeah."

"Can you sit up? I have juice and food waiting for you."

"You do?"

"Of course, my wife." She slowly opened her eyes and saw a tired man staring back at her.

"Have you slept at all?"

"No. I've been waiting for you." He smiled, then helped her sit up, "Do you want to lean against me?" She nodded as he repositioned behind her, reaching over and setting the plate of fruit next to them in bed. He pulled the sheets around her so she was covered as she picked up a slice of pineapple. Resting her head against him, she closed her eyes and ate. After a few minutes, she let out a content sigh, "Thanks, Yoon."

"How are you feeling, wife?" They both laid back down and faced each other, snuggling back under the covers in each other's arms.

"Exhausted. My head is still a little fuzzy." Giving him a tired smile.

"Good or bad fuzzy?"

"Very good, fuzzy." He tenderly kissed her lips and rested his forehead on hers. She reached up and played with the back of his hair as they bonded.

"How are you?" She asked quietly.

"Happy. You?"

"Happy." She started to scoot as close as she could to him. "I need to be in your arms."

"God, baby. Anything." He felt like he couldn't hold her close enough. They intertwined their bodies and closed their eyes, drifting off, completely fulfilled and content.

 

 

Chapter 19

It was the middle of the morning when Jae moved her computer outside next to the pool. She had made a little nesting spot to take a break from the office. Her laptop was perched on the chair beside her as she looked at her phone. She smiled and zoomed in on Ami and Yoongi's pictures. They looked so amazing and happy.

Just then, her phone rang.

"Hello?" She grinned and got cozy in the chair.

"Hey, sweetheart. How is your day going?" Pak closed the door to his room and fell on the bed to talk to her.

"Not too bad. I just moved to my second office by the pool for the next few hours. How's Iceland? Did you see the wedding? How amazing do they look!"

"Nope. They were supposed to get married in a couple of days, but then it was tomorrow, and apparently, they couldn't wait until then. We found out when everyone else did."

"Who took the pictures then?"

"Not us. Probably Yoongi." He smiled, "It's pretty here. Everyone has told me multiple times I need to bring you."

"Oh yeah? That sounds like fun. Can we go to one of the blue lagoon pools?"

"You mean the blue lagoons that are thermally heated by volcanos? Sure, nothing more than inviting than floated in volcano soup." He teased. "How are you feeling, baby?"

"I'm good." She sighed, "Just keeping busy. Between work and the guys lurking in the bushes, it's been good."

"Do I need to tell them to step back a notch?" he smiled.

"No. They're fine." She laid her seat back and rolled to her side to get comfortable. "They really are a good group, you know."

"Yeah, I know. So, when I get back, I want to take you away for a couple of days. How does that sound?"

"Really?" She grinned, "Wait, I thought Wendy might be coming. Is that not a thing? I was excited to see her." She heard Kai sigh, "Oh, I'm not sure yet. Su was waiting to hear from Riggs. Apparently, it's been a gong show on this leg of Harry's tour. Riggs wanted to get to the next city and see if it calms down. I think he may know tomorrow, but regardless, I want to take you away. What do you think?"

"I wouldn't complain." She curled up and sighed. "But if Wendy's here, I want to spend time with her too. I'm sure Riggs won't keep her away for long."

"Yeah, I'm sure he won't. Anything exciting happening on the work front?"

"Not really. Lots of real requests, some bullshit stuff. Nothing major. Just making a list of things for her and I to talk about when she gets back."

"Ok." He was content nothing was urgent so far. "Is there anything you need?"

"No. Just you." She said with a little smile.

"Well, give me a few days, and I can help you with that." He heard her giggle. He loved hearing her giggle. "I'm going to go to bed. It's late here, honey. I love you."

"I love you too. Sleep well, Kai."

"Have a good day, baby." Pak hung up and sighed. In a couple more days they would be heading back to Korea, and he could wrap his arms around her. While all their conversations had been good, he needed to see her.

***

Morning rolled around in Iceland, and the sunlight filtered through the long curtains, filling the room with a soft glow. Ami woke first, lying still as she took stock of how she felt. She was physically and mentally tired and sore but felt grounded. She had turned her brain off at some point last night and enjoyed their long playtime together. It was the hardest he had played with her, as usually someone would have stopped him long before they got to the point they had. 

She turned her head and looked over at her sleeping man. She knew he had to be just as exhausted as she was. "Yoon." She said quietly. He didn't budge. Ami needed a shower, so she started to roll away when she felt him pull her tighter against him, spooning her.

"Morning." His deep morning voice said quietly.

"Morning." She relaxed.

"How are you?"

"Good...but I need a shower, desperately."

"Mmmm." He kissed her head. "I would love to do that with you. Is that OK?" She rolled over to face him so they could talk.

"Of course it's ok. Why would you ask that?" She snaked her hand over his ribs to rest on his back.

"Because that wasn't my plan for last night, but it just happened. I'm worried I went too far. I didn't allow you to have a say, that's always been a really big thing, even before you entered out lives." He studied her face as she listened to him. "How are you, in here?" She closed her eyes and felt his lips press lightly on her forehead. An unexpected wave of calm washed over her.

"Quiet. My brain is quiet. It's been a long time since I've completely let go like that. All the noise in my head is gone. It's nice." She leaned forward, and they kissed sweetly and simply. "Are you worried about the guys?"

"Yes." He admitted. "It was one of their concerns they talked to me about before we left. They know my history." He watched her lips form a cute little pout for a second. "They were worried about you but also me. I'm not always present if I get that way, and I've pushed too hard in the past."

She studied his face and asked him, "How are you feeling then, in here? " She took her finger and gently pushed between his eyes. Yoongi closed them; it felt like she was touching his soul. He softly hummed as she watched his body react to her touch. "I'm yours." That was all he could muster in a reply.

"I think that's the difference." She said, keeping her finger on him. It felt like he was being pulled underwater. "We love and trust each other, and that's the foundation for everything. The rules have been slowly evolving for a while. I chose to give myself to you like that because I know we will have these conversations the next day.  You aren't going to leave me by myself.  If it didn't happen that way, it would be something else, and it's not that. That has never been our relationship." She removed her finger, and he gasped as he whipped back to the present.

They both settled again in each other's arms as they stared into each other's eyes. "I absolutely would never leave you.  None of us would.  I know that each of us loves you hard. You don't have one protector; you have seven...well...more than that, I suppose."

"I know. You all have to be careful. Jae's a beast." She giggled as he rolled his eyes. "Oh yes. She's terrifying." He pulled her over so she was on top of him as she laughed.

"It's not Jae I'm worried about," he said quietly as she rested on his chest. "It's Pak...and Su."

"Pak?"

Yoon nodded a little, "I think he wouldn't hesitate to lay me out if ever felt you were being mistreated. Su, we all expect and is threat enough to keep anyone in line if we were those kind of guys, which thank god we aren't...but Pak, you wouldn't see coming." She sat up on him so she could see his face. He took her hands in his, "Ami. I would never mistreat you and would kill anyone who tried."

"I know." She said quietly, "It's one of the reasons I feel as confident as I do in everything I do. Professionally and personally." She pushed herself back so she was sitting over his hips, squeezing his hands.

"I like it when you're confident," he said with a little groan. She could feel him growing underneath her, so she rose a little, repositioned, and sat back down. He easily slipped inside her.

"You know, maybe you won't feel so guilty if I repaid the favor sooner than later." Her voice took over his brain so quickly after last night. Ami took his hands, moving them over his head as her breasts now hung in his face. He tried to nip at one, but she moved out of the way.

"Naughty," she said in his ear. "Do I need to tie your hands?"

"Ooh, please do." she squeezed his hands in hers and kissed him as she started to grind on him at the same time. She had every intention of dragging out his proper payback, but her body was overstimulated from the night before, as was his.

It didn't take long.  She pulled off his mouth, panting as he let out a long, loud groan, cumming fast. "OH, my GOD! AHHHhhhhh!!" She could feel his body contract hard as she let go of his hands and leaned back, arching and not stopping until she came too.

Yoongi watched his wife. Her body glistened as she chased him in bliss. He reached down and started gently rubbing her clit, causing her body to involuntarily contract, doubling over on him. He didn't stop as she started shaking with her orgasm. He smiled as she finished, flopping over onto the bed, panting and moaning.

They were both exhausted quickly, not having the stamina after last night's long event.

"Hey, " he smiled at his puddle of a wife. "Come with me. Let's shower, and then I will make you breakfast."

"Oh my god. I was going to ravage you." She giggled and groaned as he helped put her up out of bed.

"You did. Tossed me right into another dimension." He kissed her face as she leaned into him, her arms loosely around his waist. "Jesus, I feel like I ran a marathon."

"Change of plans. Let's take a hot bubble bath." He rubbed her back. It was time to take care of his wife, and there was nothing he wanted to do more.

 

New York.

It was just after eleven in the morning, and Su was leaving the police station. He had met with the sergeant early and had a long talk. He explained his concerns fully and why he was there. Su wanted to know if there was a chance this was part of a bigger picture or just a random break-in.

He shared what Wendy had discovered missing, but they both agreed. Unless it was a one-of-a-kind dress and someone showed up wearing it, tracking it down would be nearly impossible.

The sergeant gave Su some paperwork for Wendy to fill out, but otherwise, the police just didn't see it as a priority. Apartment break-ins weren't high on their list of things to investigate in a big city like New York. The sergeant had pulled some video footage from the street they had, but they weren't even sure exactly what day the break-in happened. The neighbors were iffy about their timeline for when exactly they noticed a problem.

The police let Su review the videos they did have, but nothing stood out to him. The number of people moving by the apartment and going in and out was too many to narrow down. Frustrated but appreciative of what little they shared, he headed out to head back to the hotel. He called Riggs as he got into the awaiting car.

"Hey, I just got done talking to the police."

"Oh? Did they have any more details for you?"

"No, nothing helpful anyway." Su sighed, "Which isn't here nor there. They don't have the resources to dedicate themselves to what they feel was a random break-in. I get it."

"Yeah, I do too. Is the dress the only thing that's come up missing then?"

"It appears so, which again makes sense for being random. They consider it a closed case unless something else comes up. I've got the paperwork for her, so she doesn't need to go to the station unless she wants to."

"God. I don't know how I can repay you." Riggs was so grateful for everything he was doing for her.

"I'm glad I was available to help. If she can finish today, we'll be heading out tomorrow morning. I think she needs another solid night in a real bed before we sit in another plane for a day. She's pretty wiped out. How are things looking on your end?"

Riggs sighed, "Honestly, not great. We'll be here for three days and then head to Singapore. Is there a chance the offer still stands for her to go with you? As much as I wanted her back with me, we would be flying as soon as she arrived. Maybe she needs a little nontraveling time for a few days. We had flown in from Australia before she was back on a plane 7 hours later and heading to New York. I'm not going to be present for her if she joins me now, and I'm concerned she's going to burn out. Does that make sense?"

"More than you know." He sighed. "That's the best solution until she's rested and ready. I think it would be good for all the girls to have a break together." He knew the only way for Ami to open up and share with Wendy was by spending more time together. He was worried her schedule was about to get really busy, and this might be what they all needed before that happened.

The two talked about logistics a little more before they hung up. They agreed Riggs would speak to her after she woke up to explain the offer on the table. He wanted it to come from him. The relief Riggs felt that she would be with her friends, especially those friends, instead of with him was a huge weight off.

***

Wendy was deep in her slumber when she swore she heard her phone ping. She lay there, unmoving, trying to decide whether she had really heard it or dreamed it.

She finally cracked an eye, not wanting to move but also now wanting to see if she had a message waiting for her. Just then, her phone pinged again. "I guess that answers that question."

She started moving her arms around, searching for the phone somewhere on the bed with her, but couldn't make contact with it anywhere. "Oh my, god." She groaned, rolling over and standing now next to the bed. There, just out of fingertip reach, was her phone, taunting her as it pinged again.

She grabbed it and fell back into bed, putting in the passcode and scrolling through her messages.

Oy. Made it back to Philly. It was good to see you. Sorry you have to deal with the shit show they left you. Call us when you get back to wherever you land. -Emmett

Back from the station. -Su

Babe. Hope you are sleeping hard. Call me whenever you wake. -love your V

Wendy closed her eyes and plopped the phone down next to her. She needed to wake up a little more before she replied to people. "Shower. I need a shower so bad." She moaned, rolling over onto her stomach and face, then kicking her feet in protest for a second. She knew she needed to get up. She had another full afternoon of decision-making ahead of her, but she was so tired.

She finally pushed herself up and sat on the edge of the bed, trying to get the willpower to stand up all the way.

"Shower and food. Shower and food. Just shower, then eat, then you can call Riggs." She paused for a second before she stood up. "Okay, " she said to herself as she started stripping down and headed to the bathroom.

The hot water cascaded over her as she stood, letting her stress wash away. She was so frustrated by the entire situation. She wanted to be back with Riggs, but she had to push through and get it done.

Su was such an insane help to her through all this. She thought about the conversations she had with Miles and Emmett the day before about him. She had been taken aback by their original reaction to him. She shook the thoughts out of her head, too tired to overanalyze it right now. If she could finish the work today, they could leave tomorrow. At this point, she didn't care if she shoved it all in boxes and sent it to England to be dealt with later.

After a long shower, she wrapped herself in a big fluffy towel and walked out, yawning. The room was chilly, so she crawled back into bed for a few minutes to warm up, immediately falling back into a hard sleep.

 

A couple hours later, Su heard a knock on his door.  He expected it to be housekeeping but was surprised to see Wendy.  "Oh!  Hello!"  He stepped to the side to let her in. She was carrying a plate of food from room service.

"I'm alive.  Sorry, I crashed out for so long.  I was actually up a couple hours ago, but apparently it was still too early.  I thought we might talk about your trip to the station this morning."

"Of course.  Let's go out on the balcony. The weather is nice today." He closed the door behind her, and they headed outside to sit.  He watched her take a deep breath before diving into her food.  "I hope it's okay I came over.  You looked a little shocked when you answered the door."

Su smiled as he sat back and got comfortable. "No. It's fine. Ami, Jae, and the guys are rarely unescorted anywhere, so my brain glitched a second when it was just you."

"Never?  Like never ever?"

Su shook his head no.  She frowned, thinking for a moment as she took a bite. 

"What about Harry?" he asked, trying to give her some context. "Does he wander off by himself?" she thought for a moment. "No. I guess not.  He's Harry, though."

"Do you?"  He cocked his head to the side.  Last he had heard, Riggs had set up pocket people to be with her when he couldn't be.

"I mean, I can ."  She took another bite.  "I'm not a celebrity.  No one is really interested in me.  Incognito."  She grinned as Su smiled a little, too.  "But do you?"

"No, I guess not.  But that's because we're on the road.  If we were back here or in London off tour, I wouldn't need a bodyguard 24/7."

"A bodyguard?"  Su questioned her word choice.   Wendy's eyes got big, "OH my god.  I'm sorry.  Is that an offensive word choice?  It's just something Emment said, and it kind of stuck in my brain.  I'm so sorry!"   he smiled, raising his hands.  "No.  You're fine.  I suppose it's a valid term.  Security is the term we use more in my field. It's fine." 

She put her head down on the table and moaned, "OH my god.  I'm so sorry! You've been so nice and helpful, and I totally offended you!"

"Wendy.  It's fine.  Your friends aren't wrong."  She looked up at him, still apologetic.  "Would you like to know the difference?"

"Um, yes, please." 

"So.  To me and our field, a bodyguard is someone whose main job is to protect someone when they are out.  They are constantly scanning, looking for threats coming at them at the moment.   That's it.  That's their job.  They are usually big guys, there to scare people off if need be.  That's NOT Riggs, by the way."  He made that clear. 

"Security is more detailed.  Yes, there is a little of that, but you look at the whole picture.  You aren't just showing up for a job to get someone from point A to B.    I look at everything, trying to stay a few steps ahead but also looking behind to see what was left in the wake.  That helps me change and adjust for the future.  Yes, I work for the guys, but I also work for their company.  They're assets to the company.  I have to protect those assets."

He saw her frown a little at his comments.  "What's your question?"

"I guess I never thought of them being 'assets.'  It feels like a cold word."

He thought for a moment.  "Look at it as a business.  You know Harry personally and see him work professionally, right?  You recognize both sides."

"Oh yes."  she smiled.

"Okay, that's all it is. My seven boys help make up a multi-billion dollar business for their company. Their work makes them major assets.  Harry's work makes him an asset. They all know and recognize this.  Believe me, we've had many discussions about understanding that work is work and that personal is personal.   Riggs falls more in line with security, by the way.  After our discussions, he has more responsibility than just a bodyguard."

She took a couple more bites as she listened. 

"You are in a unique position where you kind of straddle both worlds.  You know Ami from the ground up.  Her singing is like a thing she does on the side."  He waived his hand a little.  "From what you've shared, you're friends with Harry and not because he's 'Harry Styles.'  You're friends with my guys, who don't let many people get close."  He smiled, "So, with all these special friends with high-security needs, you will find yourself in a position with people like me, Pak, or Riggs...regardless of him being your boyfriend.  It's not that we don't trust you or Jae, but it's the crazy people out there.   That's a side effect of being friends with any of them.  They won't want you to have problems because of them."

"No.  I get that.  It just seems strange to think I'm still lumped in with all that when I'm not with Harry or hanging out with Ami. "

"Oh."  Su looked surprised. "Is this the first time you haven't had Riggs by your side since you joined him on Harry's tour?"  She nodded as he understood more. 

"I guess it's the first time in months, " she said, finishing her burger and sitting back. "It kind of snuck up on me.  Actually, it didn't register until Emmett called you a 'bodyguard' yesterday.  They were freaked out you were with me."  She smiled.

"Why?"

She shrugged, "Well, I guess to them, I'm not a person who needs high-level security, so they had questions. I didn't see it that way, I guess."

Su smiled, "That's because you've been around it for months.  It's been your constant normal."

"I guess so. That and I think I was too tired and overwhelmed to think about it and care, " she sighed. 

"Well.  Now that you are thinking about it, do you care?  Have you felt restricted on this trip?"  They sat in the sun, staring at each other as she thought over everything he had done to help her in New York.  Everything Riggs had done for her. 

"No.  Not once."  She said honestly.

Su smiled, "That's all it is.  That's how it should be."   Wendy smiled,  "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, how do you feel? Are you ready to get back to your place and try to wrap it up today?"  He grinned as she threw her head back and groaned.  "Yes.  Yes, let's get it done.  I have half a mind to push everything into boxes and deal with it later."  They both stood up as her phone rang.  "OH!  It's Riggs.  Can we go after I talk to him?  He's calling me back." 

"Of course."  He grabbed her empty plate, "Let me know when you're ready."  He walked back into his room, closing the door to the balcony, giving them space.

"Heeey Riggs." She smiled and sat back down.

"Hello to you.  You sound so much more awake than you did last night." 

"Did we talk?" She tried to remember, but last night was fuzzy from exhaustion.

"Kind of," he chucked.  "You left me a cute voice memo where you promptly passed out.  Did you get some good sleep?"

"I did.  I feel mostly human.  Su and I were just about ready to head back to my place to try and finish stuff up.  Then I'll be coming back to you. I can't wait."

"Darling, we need to talk about that actually,"  he said a little more somberly.  "So, the tour has been rough the last few days, and it feels like it will be that way for a little longer until we get to Japan, at least.  Between the venues, the fans, and some security issues, I don't want you to join me yet."

Su was watching from inside and saw her face as it fell a little.

"I want you back, don't get me wrong, but Wendy, I'm working 18-hour days right now.  Harry's schedule changes daily, sometimes hourly, because of safety issues.  I would feel a thousand times better if you went and visited Jae and Ami.  I know they said they wanted you to come. Now might be a good time."

"You want me to go to Korea?  You don't want me to come?"  She looked in at Su as Riggs could hear the sadness in her voice.  Su gave her a sympathetic look.  He knew what they were talking about.

"Wendy, " he said softly, "It's not safe here. No one from the staff is leaving the hotel except for the show. Food is brought in. He's going to do the shows, and we are leaving.  By the time you get here, we'll be in full transition...we need police escorts."

Her jaw dropped at the more detailed news, "Are you serious?"

"I'll come for you,"  he promised.  "Let me get Harry out of here and things back to normal.  I'll come get you myself.  Are you interested in going and seeing your girlfriends...or do you want to go somewhere else?"  He hadn't considered she might not want to go, but now that it was all being discussed out loud, he thought he better give her the choice.

"I would love to see them."  She said softly.

Riggs smiled, "Ok, then after you're done there, go back to Korea with Su.  See your friends.  I know you need downtime after this fiasco.  It would make me feel better you were with them."

"Ok."  She rubbed her head, "Be safe, ok?"

"I will.  Promise.  Love you."

"I love you too."  She hung up and got up to head inside. 

"Riggs, ok?" He asked as she closed the door behind her. 

"Yeah. Um, would it be okay if I hitched a ride with you back to Korea? I guess I'm temporarily displaced." 

"Of course.  Come on—one thing at a time.  Let's get your place cleaned up, and we'll go from there."  He grabbed his jacket as they headed out.  "Do you want to call Jae on the way and let her know?  She's going to be so excited.”  Wendy nodded as they left, thinking about her situation and not having her place anymore.  Even though moving in with Riggs was in the works, she felt a little homeless, knowing her apartment wasn't waiting for her anymore.

***

Back in Korea, Jang's phone pinged. He looked at the photos coming in and smiled. There were the pictures he was waiting for—four pictures of Su and Wendy walking in her apartment building. "Fantastic. Now we know another piece to the puzzle." He grinned as he sent the rest of the money he promised to his informant. 

***

Bobby saw the text come through as the money hit his account. "Pleasure doing business with you,"  he smirked.  He flipped through his contacts and called Marco.  "Hey, are you still interested in that job?  Those two came back today, easy pickin.  I'll send you a picture."

"Yeah, sure.  Why not.  I've got nothing else to do today."

***

The rest of the day in Iceland was perfect.  Yoongi catered to and loved his new wife all day. He made her food, relaxed, and talked, enjoying their quiet company.  His soul felt fulfilled as they napped and hot tubbed their day away. 

It wasn't until sunset that he made love to her again.  It was the sweet love he anticipated, but neither wanted the night before. He made her feel loved and whole as he devoted himself to her entirely. 

"Wife?"

"Yes, husband?"

"I love you."

"I love you too." She stretched a little before getting comfortable again. "Yoon?"

"Hummm." He gently stroked her back, letting his fingers trail up and down her soft skin.

"Thank you for everything."

"Anything for you." He said, kissing her head and breathing her in. He listened to her doze off, falling lightly to sleep before he did the same.

***

Su and Wendy had a less-than-relaxing afternoon, but Su was impressed. She stepped up and worked hard to decide what could go or get shipped off. Once she felt she had gone through it all, Su called the teams of people he had waiting.

First, a group came in, and Su directed them on what needed to go to the dumpster and what could be hauled off for donation. Wendy sat back and drank a soda as he took this part over for her.  

Next, a couple of guys showed up and hauled off the ten boxes she wanted to have shipped off to England.  She signed the paperwork, and they were out the door in fifteen minutes. 

Lastly, a team of ten cleaners came in.  "Ten?" Wendy leaned over to him.  "That's a lot for this tiny place, don't you think?"

"I could pay one to work three hours or ten to be done in thirty minutes or less.  Sometimes, it pays just to get it done.  Divide and conquer. Trust me."   He smiled, "Come on.  Let's go wait in the hall."  Su was right. Twenty-five minutes later, they were all leaving, and her place was spotless.

"Damn. I get it."  She said quietly as she walked around her place one more time.  Everything was wiped down, vacuumed, and touched.  It sparkled like the day she moved in.  She let out a finished sigh, "Ok.  Let's get out of here. I'm ready."   Su picked up the suitcase she had filled to take with her as she gathered her purse, and they headed out the door. 

Su and Wendy were walking down the dark street back toward the hotel. Exhausted from cleaning, sorting, packing, and making decisions one more day. "Thank you for all of your help.  That would have taken much longer if I did it alone." She trudged down the sidewalk, anxious to return to her hotel room, shower, and fall into bed.

"No problem. Hopefully, the cops can find the people who did this. Either way, it's good to have things buttoned up here in New York until you decide to return." He smiled. "Do you want to stop somewhere for food or order in?"

"OH gosh, order in for sure."  She smiled.  "I want to take a shower, eat my weight in Thai food, and then go to bed."

"That sounds like a great plan."

"What time do we need to leave tomorrow?"

"The car is coming at nine for us. I want to be in the air by ten if we can."   Just then, they both looked up to the sound of brakes screeching. An older, broken-down Honda had zoomed up next to them and stopped suddenly. "What the hell?" Wendy muttered as the doors flew open and three guys piled out of the car.

Su pushed Wendy behind him as he stood between the three and her. "Can I help you, gentlemen?" He said slowly as he sized them up.

"Yeah. You can toss over your wallets and phones!"

"And your watch!" Marco said as he pulled a baseball bat out of the car. Tapping it in his hand, smirking at the two.

"No, thank you," Su said calmly, gripping Wendy and holding her behind him. He felt her grab his arm as he slowly pushed them back a little from the three.

"It wasn't a request, old man." The man with the greasy shirt sneered. Su started slowly walking back to put more space between them, then felt Wendy move beside him.

"Are you the wankers that tossed my flat?!" She shouted.

The three stared at her, "I don't understand a word out of her mouth. Do you?" Joey said as he glanced at the other two. "Listen, bitch, you need to give us..."

"No! You listen, you fucking twats!" She stepped around Su, who was now not holding her behind him but holding her back. He quickly looked around at anything that could help them as she distracted them. The three stood there and stared at her as she went off.

"I've had a pisser of a few days! I flew 20 hours from fucking Bangkok because someone broke into my flat and trashed EVERYTHING!  I'm hungry, tired, and dirty! I miss my boyfriend, and I am over all of it! So I give ZERO fucks about anything you want right now!"

One of them leaned over, confused to another, "Ok, I understood zero fucks."

"Shut up, Tommy!" Joey growled. "Hey, psycho! I don't think you understand how this goes. You give us your shit, and we'll be on our way." He grinned as he and the others started walking slowly towards them. "But if you want to make this fun, by all means."

"Bring it, you daft arsehole." She smirked. As soon as she challenged them, Su whipped her around so she was behind him again. "Go!" He said firmly, pushing her back as the first guy took a swing.

She stumbled a few steps as Su quickly laid out Tommy with one punch. Joey was coming up fast, but Su spun and kicked him hard in the jaw, sending him flying on his back. Marco was left, hopping from foot to foot, looking for his chance to take a crack at the old guy. Su looked at him, putting his arms up and exposing more of his chest. Marco smiled, and without hesitation, he wound up and swung at Su.

Wendy was having a hard time keeping track of what she was seeing. Marco swung, and instead of Su trying to step back and avoid the bat, he took a big step into him, so his forearms hit Su on the ribs, not the bat. Su snaked his arm over the man's, locking them together, and then repeatedly punched him in the face. The only way for Marco not to get hit was to let go of the bat, which was easy. After two punches, he was knocked out.  Su grabbed the bat and tossed it away as he grabbed Marco's arm, helping the unconscious man fall to the ground.

While he was lowering him to the ground, Wendy saw the first man start to get up to go after Su again.  

Without warning, Su heard a sharp clang ring out through the air.

Su flinched and spun around to see Wendy with a metal trash can lid and the man falling back to the ground. She had beaned him in the head before he had a chance to jump him. 

"I told you to run." He said calmly as he walked over to her.

"Yeah, well, I don't always do what I'm told." She dropped the lid nervously as the clang rang out down the street.

"None of you girls do." He sighed as he stepped around the bodies.

"Did I kill him?"

He gave the man she hit a little kick, which made him groan. "Nope. Are you okay?" He looked her over for a moment as she nodded. "Ok. Can you do something for me?"

"Yeah," she said nervously. He put his hands on her shoulders and leaned down to look into her face. "I really need you to do it, though, okay?" Wendy nodded.

"Have a seat right there and call Sergent McGills for me." He pulled out his wallet and found his card, handing it to Wendy. "Let him know what happened and that we need him or someone to come down. I want to talk to the guys before they get here. Can you do that?"

"Yeah." She started fumbling for her phone to make the call. Su took her shaking hands in his and squeezed them. "Hey, good job. Thank you for your help, but let me do this next part, okay?"

"Yeah, OK. No problem." The adrenaline rush of confronting three jackass men in the street was replaced with reality and her brain saying, 'What the fuck just happened!' As she took out her phone, he started pulling the men together so they were lying next to each other up against their car. He yanked their shoelaces out of their shoes, tying one ankle of one guy to the ankle of the next. She watched him work quickly as he tied their hands with another shoelace.

"Why are you tying them like that?" She asked as the phone rang.

"Have you ever seen a three-legged race? It's not a fast way to get around, " he replied as he heard her start talking to the police on the phone.

Su watched the men slowly start to come around and open their eyes one by one. They looked around, confused, then up at Su, who was standing above them, "What the fuck?

He smiled, "I suggest you lay still. The police are on their way, but we have some things to discuss first. You never answered her question. Are you the guys that trashed her apartment?"

"What? Fuck you, old man!" The man on the far end shot back.

"Why does everyone think I'm old?" He turned and looked at Wendy, who nervously smiled. "Um, the police are on their way."

Su squatted down to be closer to the three, and they all tried to wiggle back from him.

"Let me rephrase that. Do you know who trashed her apartment?"

"Didn't he just ask that?"

"Shut UP Tommy!"

"See, gentlemen, I might have an opportunity for one of you, but only one." They all stared at him with destain and a little confusion.

"I'm not so worried about who trashed her place as I am about why. Why her? So, if any of you know that answer, I may have an opportunity for you."

"It wasn't me, I wasn't there this time." The man on the other end blurted out.

"GOD DAMN IT TOMMY, SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

Su stared at the three, then crouched down in front of Tommy. "If it wasn't you. Was it one of them?" He pointed at the two other men.

"Tommy..." Joey started to say, but Su quickly jabbed him in the face, knocking him back out.

"Jesus!" Tommy squealed. "No! It wasn't us!"

"So, how did we get here?" he asked again calmly. Wendy sat quietly on the step, not moving an inch. She felt it was the one time she should do what she was told.

"Um...um..." he stuttered. "Are you going to punch me?"

"No. Not if you tell me the truth. I might let you go before the cops get here." Su stared at him, waiting for his answer.

"Um, well, we got a call an old..." he paused and changed his wording as he saw Su squint, "A Korean guy and some blonde girl would be walking this way. Said it was an easy pick, so, um... Yeah."

"Who. Who told you we would be here." Su cocked his head to the side and waited.

Tommy looked nervous, not sure what he should and shouldn't say. Su reached into his jacket pocket as Tommy squealed and flinched, thinking he was pulling a gun. Nothing happened, so he slowly opened his eyes to Su, quietly flipping through a stack of $100s.

"Tommy."

"Bobby... it was Bobby who called." He was entranced by the wad of cash. The man on the other end groaned at his snitching.

"And who is Bobby?" Su said in a melodical tone.

"Um, just a guy we know. We call each other if we hear of jobs and split the profits. Um, do I get to keep that?" He was all but drooling at the cash.

"Uh-huh, and how did Bobby know where we would be?" Su paused. "Oh, because he's been watching us." He stood up and looked up and down the streets, as Wendy then perked up and looked as well. She saw nothing except a few random New Yorkers walking home, unphased by the drama on the street.

Su instinctively looked back at Wendy before he continued.

"Was it his idea to trash the place, or was he hired?" He needed to know that piece of information before he proceeded. Tommy said nothing, so he pulled another stack of 100s out to sweeten the deal.

"Two stacks, and I'll think about letting you go before the police arrive."

"Don't you fucking dare, Tommy..." Marco angrily whispered.

"Shut. The fuck. Up," Su said way too calmly. He squatted back down and stared into Tommy's eyes. "His idea, or was he hired."

"Hired, I think." Tommy barely got out before Su reached into Tommy’s pocket and pulled out his phone.

"HEY!" He started to protest as Su glanced at the man, shutting him up. He slumped back against the car as Su turned it on. "You need a password; anyone can look through your stuff," Su mumbled as he went through his contacts. He stood up, snapped a picture of the three tied, beat-up men, and then sent it to Bobby.

"Come on, man." He watched Su push call, stand up, and wait for him to answer.

Bobby was back in his ratty apartment. He just did a line of white powder and sat back on his old sofa when his phone rang. "Tommy, man. How did it go?"

"Bobby. I'll give you ten times what they are paying you to tell me who put you up to trashing that apartment."

"What the fuck...where's Tommy? Who is this?" He looked down at his phone as the picture Su sent came in, "Jesus." Just then, the drugs kicked in.

"He's here with his friends. I want to pay you for your information. It is strictly a business opportunity."

"Wait, is this that old man?"

"I have money for someone. I can give it to you or Tommy here. Your choice." He squatted back down in front of Tommy, waving the two bundles of 100s in front of him.

"Fuck, that's a lot of money." Bobby heard Tommy say, captivated at the wad of cash.

"Why the fuck do you want to know?"

"Because you messed with my employer, and I would like to return the favor of the person who put you up to it. You aren't who I'm after if you tell me what I want to know. But I'm happy to add you to my shortlist if you need a visit from me. Us old guys have lots of time on their hands." Su gave Tommy a little wink as he watched his eyes get big.

Bobby paced, trying to figure out what to do. Su could hear him shuffling around.

"How much did they pay you? I'm going to guess not enough for this hassle. Let me alleviate some of that burden. If you're just the middle man, let's handle this like gentlemen and move on."

"I don't know man." He mumbled.

"Look. The police are on their way. I either pass on your name and number to them so they can ask you more intimate questions about your pastimes, or we can chat now. Your choice."

"LOOK MAN! I was only hired for a job! That's it! I did what I was asked! The money was too good to pass up!"

"So you were hired to trash an apartment, but how did you know it was us you were waiting for? How did you know who was coming?" Su turned his back to the guys and started flipping through his phone. He opened an app and held his phone up to Tommy's. Data started transferring from Tommy's into a folder on Su's phone while he talked.

"What?"

"How did you know you were looking for me and her? You knew we were there for that apartment in a huge building. You told your friends who to jump. It no conscience we're here now." He paused, "Did they send you a picture?"

Silence.

"They sent you a picture of who to look for." Su closed his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "So this was all planned. Getting us here was planned." Wendy saw him open his eyes again with more focus. They could start to hear the police sirens off in the distance on their way. "I need a name." He said firmly.

"I...I didn't get one. This isn't a business of personal formalites ya know." He could hear the sirens in the distance over the phone getting closer.

Su walked a few steps away, his back to everyone, and said quietly, "Then I need a number. How did he contact you?  Screenshot the number and send it to Tommy's phone in the next 10 seconds, or I swear to god, I will hunt you down, and you will have wished you never touched that place."

"W-what about the money?"

"Money is off the table. Your freedom is the new currency. Ten...nine..."

"JESUS FUCK! WAIT!"

"Eight..."

"HOLD ON! I'M DOING IT!"

"Seven..."

"CRAZY KOREAN FUCKER!" He was fumbling, trying to send Tommy's phone a message, "YOU'RE ALL CRAZY! YOU'RE CRAZIER THAN THE OTHER GUY!"

"Six...Wait. You said all?"

"SEND...SEND...SEND...THERE!" Su heard him yelling through the phone. Tommy's phone pinged as he felt his own phone vibrate. It had finished downloading whatever data was on Tommy's phone.

"Bobby, you said all. Is the person who hired you Korean?" At this point, Su could hear him tweaking out on the other end before the line was dead.

"Shit." Su hung up and returned to the three on the ground, tossing Tommy's phone on his lap and shoving the money back into his pocket.

"Hey, what about the money?" Tommy looked genuinely hurt that he wasn't being released and given the cash. Su ignored him and walked over to Wendy as she stood up. "Thanks for calling the police. About all that..."

"Um. I would guess that’s more of the bodyguard side of things? That was fucking bloody bats.”

“Yeah. I suppose so.”

“I'm glad I'm on your side, " she nervously smiled. "Do you usually carry wads of cash on you?"

"No. Not always." He gave her a reassuring smile. "I wanted to tip our driver and his team for being so helpful the past few days. I find that if you treat people well, they are more willing to help you in the future. It came in handy, though, huh?"

"Yeah." She signed, looking around him and over at the three.

"They're going to be arrested, and we'll go to the hotel and order in." He held out her hand as he watched her shake. "How are you?" He took her phone and flipped through her contacts, finding Rigg's number and pressing call.

"It doesn't even feel real, " she said as Su helped her sit back down on the step. "Sit for me." He took off his jacket, draping it around her shoulders, keeping the phone balanced between his cheek and shoulder. Riggs picked up the phone. 

"Hey, baby. How did it go today?"

"Riggs, this is Su." He said calmly, "We were jumped on the way back to the hotel..."

"WHAT."

"Hey, I need you to talk to her," he said a little more quietly. "She's okay but spooked. The cops are pulling up now, and I need to give them the details to arrest them."

Riggs paused. "Wait. You caught them?"

"I took care of it." Su looked at the three still tied together as the cops parked and exited their cars. "After this, we're going back to the hotel. Hang on." He squatted down. "Hey, talk to Riggs for me. I'm going to deal with these guys."

Wendy took the phone as Riggs was now pacing around his room, "Hi."

"Babe. Are you okay? What the hell happened?"

"Um, we were walking back to the hotel, and three guys jumped out of a car to rob us. Su properly beat the shit out of them." She told him what had happened as Su shook hands with the sergeant.

Chapter 20

"Hey, Su, how did the day go?" Pak stepped outside onto the patio to talk.

"Well, we have a problem. Wendy's apartment being trashed wasn't random. Someone was hired to do it." Su sighed.

"What? Why?" Pak sat slowly down in the patio chair, trying to understand what he was telling him.

"My guess is they have been looking for her and couldn't find her. What better way to bait her out than by trashing her place? That's not all. We were being watched, and we got jumped on the way back to the hotel tonight."

"WHAT!"

Choi and Quon could hear him from the inside. "Ohhh...that doesn't sound good." Choi gave him a look and shook his head.

"You were jumped?! Are you guys ok?"

"Yeah. We're back at the hotel. Wendy's on the balcony, eating Thai food and talking to Riggs...who, as you can imagine, is stressed."

"Jesus...I'm stressed." Pak sighed. Su told the story of how it all went down, including how the police came and arrested everyone and were looking for Bobby. He shared how he convinced him to give up the number of who hired him for the job.

"So, the apartment and the attack aren't necessarily connected? It sounds like trying to rob you was an afterthought."

"Seems that way, but who knows." Su sighed.

"No, it has to be. If they knew who you were, they would have sent more than three," Pak said firmly.

"Or they wanted me out of the way," Su said somberly.

"Jesus." he leaned back, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to think. "Ok. So, where are we now? What do you need from me?"

"Well. I've sent all the info to the detective we work with in Korea. He's going to check into everything for us. I'm taking Wendy back home with me tomorrow. Riggs doesn't want her back yet, although I'm sure he's reconsidering now. The only positive is that the girls will get some time together."

Pak sighed. "What do you want me to tell my guys here?"

"Fill them in. We need everyone to be on their toes moving forward. It's so frustrating. There's nothing, then, when you least expect it, something comes flying from left field."

"It's frustrating for everyone. What are you going to tell the group?"

Su was quiet for a moment while he thought. "I don't know. I need to think about that. I wanted to wait until we were all back together. Being spread out and trying to keep everyone in the loop... I'm over it."

"You're over it?" Pak chuckled, "You sound like Jae."

"Well, I am. I hate feeling like it's a constant game of telephone." He sighed, "So, let your guys know, and when we get back to Korea, you and I can have a sit-down with everyone."

"You know, I understand why you want to wait, but I think you need to give the boys and Jae a heads-up. Wendy will be there, and she may need to talk about it. They're going to wig out, Su. You know that right? " he said a little more seriously.

"Because it's Wendy?"

"Well, yes, but more because it's you. If you were the target, we may see another level of anger from all of them. You aren't just the head of their security anymore, you know. You wouldn't bring them into the loop in the past, but now..."

"Ohhhhh...I...had...not...considered that." He said slowly, reflecting on what that could look like.

"Yeah. I think they will have some pretty strong feelings if someone is targeting you. You've been their number one protector for their careers, and I think it's safe to say it's grown into more. You're irreplaceable, Su."

A little while later, Wendy came in from the balcony. "I think I need to go to bed. I'm ready for this day to be over in every possible bloody way." He got up from his desk to walk her back next door, "Yeah, I get it. I feel the same way. How's Riggs?"

"Upset." She sighed as they walked out.  Su stood in the hall as she opened her door.

"And you?" He asked as she opened her door.

"Um, tired, but okay, I think. I just want to sleep."

"Okay." Su paused. "Hey, I'll pick you up at eight, and we'll go to breakfast, then we'll head out. Does that sound good, or do you need more time?"

"Yeah. No, that sounds fine. Thanks. Oh...and thank you for today. I don't know if I said that earlier because everything was crazy...but thank you."

"Yeah, no problem. Call me if you need something."

Wendy nodded as she walked in and closed the door behind her. Su stood there for a moment before heading back in as well. He knew she had to be processing a lot after the events of the past few days, but he wasn't going to push. He knew how far he could push with Ami, Jae, and the guys, but Wendy was a new equation, and he didn't want to overstep and make her feel uncomfortable.

***

Jang was back in his office, looking over the pictures of Su and Wendy from New York. He was thrilled his plan worked. He wanted to know if anyone would come running with her in a crisis and was more than pleased to see it was Su himself. He had been trying to flush out the boundaries of their bubble.  Who were their acquaintances and who were closer. It gave him a playing field to work with.

Just then, he got a call from his mole in Hybe. "Yes?"

"Um, I have an update on some rumors out there. There's talk of a tour for, um, her. They're trying to nail down dates. The problem is she's pushing back. I heard they are waiting to meet with her, but she's unavailable right now."

"Why is she unavailable? Where is she?"

"I...I don't know, sir. All of BTS and Suki’s camps have been quiet this week. I just wanted to let you know what I knew.”

Jang hung up and tossed his phone on the desk. He picked up the picture of Wendy and Su and pinned it on his wall. He had pictures of everyone he had eyes on or was looking into: the BTS boys, Suki, Pak, Jae, Choi, Quon, and now Wendy. He also had some screenshots he pulled off the Instagram of her old friend back in England. Kija seemed to think her usefulness was over, but he wasn’t quite sure.

He stared at the picture of Su and Wendy. “So, this girl requires you to go help with a random apartment break-in. Why?” Then he looked at Ami. "And where are you? She’s your friend. Why aren’t you there? Where are you?”

***

Su was out on his balcony, getting some air before turning in. It was late, but Pak was right. He needed to give the guys a heads-up before he arrived with Jae the next day. He took out his phone and texted Namjoon.

I need to speak to you, just you, so when you have a quiet moment, give me a call.

Jimin saw Joon look at his phone, then get up and leave the room. "Where are you off to?"

"Be right back." He waved and headed to their studio. It was the one place in the house where you could have a conversation without being overheard. The soundproofing in that space was some of the best.

"Hey, Su." He said, closing the door and getting comfortable on the couch.

"Hey. Are you alone?"

"I am...what's going on?" he said slowly.

"Everyone is ok. I'm going to start with that." He sighed, "So, you know Wendy coming back with me tomorrow."

"Yes?"

"Well, we finished the apartment. Everything is wrapped up and being shipped to England. We're back at the hotel and hope to be in the air tomorrow around ten."

"Su. What is it." Joon said a little more firmly. He heard him take a breath. "Her and I were jumped on the way back to the hotel." Silence. Su looked at the phone to make sure they were still connected. “Wendy's okay, and they were arrested. I made sure of that, but I wanted to let you know because she may want to talk about it with Jae, and I wanted you to hear it from me first."

"Are you ok though?" Su could hear the restrain in his voice.

"Namjoon. I'm fine. The other guys, not so much."

"So it was random? Wrong place, wrong time situation?" Joon was sitting back, eyes closed, trying to maintain his composure.

"I think so."

"What do you mean you think so!" He yelled, worried about what he was hearing and what Su wasn’t saying.

Su remained calm, “Namjoon. Listen to me. It happened three hours ago, and we’re trying to sort out the details. Wendy is ok. I’m fine, and they were arrested. I wasn’t going to tell you this until I got home when we had more details, but Pak didn’t want Wendy to catch everyone off guard. We know that doesn’t go over well with our group.” he signed. “It’s been a really stressful few days for her. She was emotionally exhausted before that happened, and now she needs a break. I want to give you all the answers, but I don’t have them yet, and I’m not comfortable speculating for the sake of sanity. Do you understand?”

“Yes.” He resigned, rubbing his face. “So. What do I need to tell people because NO one will be happy about any of this.”

“Just let them everything here is finished. That some junkies saw an opportunity and jumped us, but I more than gladly showed them to the ground, and they were arrested. No one is hurt. We’re just ready to come home.”

 

An hour later, Tae found Kook in the garage. “Hey.” He said as Kook tossed three more hard punches at the punching bag, then stopped to take a break. He was breathing hard as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. “Hey,” Kook said back in an annoyed tone.

“Here.” He handed him a bottle of water, “Jin is making a shit ton of food and wanted me to let you know.” He watched him take off his gloves and chug the water.  “This is fucked up, who the fuck jumps Su?”

“People that don’t know him, I suppose.” Tae sighed. Everyone’s emotions were running high after Namjoon filled them in. “Jae’s about ready to bust someone in the ass, she should be out here with you, but she’s down at the guest house getting it ready for Wendy. Tae took a towel and wiped the sweat off Kook’s face. He closed his eyes and let him as Tae spoke to him a little more softly. “I know you’re pissed. Everyone is. But they were arrested, and we have an ending to something. It’s not hanging out there over us.” He draped the towel around his neck, pulling him in and landing a kiss on his lips.

Kook didn’t pull away but let Tae kiss his sweaty face and neck. He needed his attention. They were always on their best behavior when someone was on the property with them. Jae being with them all week made them behave.

Eventually, Tae felt him grab his hips and push him back a little, giving them some breathing room. “I want nothing more than to do this, but Jae’s like a cat sometimes. She randomly pops up, and I’m not interested in sharing this with her.”

“What if we have them run interference? Wendy’s coming for an unknown amount of time, and we need our time together before our wife comes home.” He put his hands over Kook’s. “Let me call Hobi. We can go upstairs to your art studio, just for a bit.” he motioned to the stairs in the corner leading to the garage's second level.

Jungkook looked unsure for a moment, “I don’t know.”

Tae shook his head and pulled out his phone, placing a call. “Hobi. Is Jae nearby?”

“Noo, where are you calling from?”  He looked around the kitchen.

“The garage. Kook and I need to discuss his current body of work in his art studio, but it’s a private conversation. Can you make sure it stays private?” Jungkook’s eyes opened wide.

“OHhh. Have we discovered a workaround?” He laughed.

“I think so, but it’s a group effort.” Tae reached down and grabbed the waistband of Kook’s jeans, giving him a teasing tug. “He’s pretty upset and needs some extra stress relief to be a good human.”

“Poor baby…lucky baby,” Hobi smirked. “Ok, let me grab someone, and I’ll text when the light is green.” He hung up and hopped down off the bar stool.

“What’s going on?” Jin asked as he chopped vegetables. Hobi walked around the counter and spoke quietly in his ear, explaining Tae’s request.

“Jesus.” Jin groaned, setting his knife down and leaning over the counter. “Why haven’t we thought of this before? We all need it.” He sighed. “Not to take anything away from Yoongi, but I want my wife to come home.”

Just then, Jimin wandered through. “Hey, come with me. We need to keep Jae occupied for a little bit.”

“What? Why?” Jimin looked leary as Hobi grabbed his hand and pulled him out the door to the guest house.

Tae led Jungkook upstairs to his art studio. They locked the door behind them as Tae’s phone pinged with a text: Good to go.

“Tae…” Kook sighed.

“Kookie.  What do you want? Do you need to be bent over that couch over there and fucked into submission…or do you need to spank someone?” Tae asked innocently as he ran his hand across his chiseled chest. Kook was well-defined from working out.

“Oh fuck.” he moaned. He loved spanking, but he also knew the value of needing your brain turned into mush sometimes. After working out like he had, he didn’t know if he had it in him to take control.  He burned all that energy out. Tae looked around his studio and saw eyehooks in the walls from where he secured large canvas when he worked. “Jungkook.” he kept looking around his studio, “I need some rope.”

“Rope?” He said breathlessly as he felt Tae unbuttoning his pants but not pushing them off his hips.

“Yes. Rope. Do you have some?”

“Yes.” He opened his eyes and walked over to a cupboard, pulling out a skein of rope. “What do you want this for?” he asked. Tae took them from him, “Hand out, wrists together.”

“OH.” His expression changed as he did what Tae said. He carefully bound his wrists, then fed the rope through one of the eyehooks, pulling his arms up over his head. He gently pushed Kook against the wall as he saw him completely give over to him. He tied off the rope as he stood in front of him, taking off his own shirt.

“Oh god.” Kook groaned.

“I can’t believe we’ve never been up here.” Tae ran his hands over his body, pushing them down slightly under Kook’s pants. “I also can’t believe you’ve had a sex room up here, and we didn’t know it.”

“It’s not a sex room.” Kook smiled, “but it could be, I suppose.” Tae pushed all his clothing down to the floor in one motion. He knelt and helped him step out of his pants, then slapped Kook’s inner thighs, “Wider.”

“OH god!” He called out, stepping wider as Tae ran his hands lightly up his inner thighs and scratched up his chest. He stood up and stared at the panting man. “I’ve never seen you…like this before…” he moaned. “I fucking love it.”

“I can tell.” Tae kissed him, working his way down over his chest, leaving little bit marks as he went. He nibbled down his stomach and bit a little harder on his hip, but not enough to break the skin.

Kook was losing his mind. He was so hard and wanted nothing more to touch him, but he couldn’t, and Tae wouldn’t, yet. Just then, Tae’s phone pinged. He stood up and stepped back to see who messaged him. He needed to make sure Hobi wasn’t sending a 911 to him that Jae was near. A smirk crossed his face as he looked at his needy man, “Joon’s coming up.”

A genuine smile crossed Jungkook’s face as he closed his eyes. “OH, my god.”

“Hey.” Tae walked up to him, taking him by his chin and forcing him to look at him. “This is all new. Do you want this? I don’t know which Joon is walking through that door.”

“I need this,” he whispered. Tae kissed him again, then walked to the door, hearing his footsteps coming up the stairs. He unlocked the door and peeked, seeing only him. “He agrees. The rules apply.” Is all Tae said as Namjoon walked in, taking off his belt in one quick movement as Tae locked the door behind him.

“Jesus fucking christ.” He murmured as he looked over the tied-up man. “Taehyung. I’m impressed.” He ran his folded belt down Kook’s chest to his hip, “Is this you?” He looked over at Tae, seeing the light mark he left on his hip.

“It is.”

“What are the rules?” Namjoon thirsted. “I need to know. He’s yours, after all.”

“Rough.” Kook begged, “I need it rough.” Namjoon took his shirt off, leaving him in his black jeans and holding his belt. He was ready to turn him around and beat him, but Tae stepped in front of him, making Joon take a breath, “I need you to go and hit the shit out of that couch first. Kook wants it, and I know you want to give it to him. But Kim Namjoon, I won’t let you do what you want to do. It will be too much. Everyone’s emotions are really high, I won’t have you take out your fustratons about what happened to Su on him.”

“But…” Kook whined as Namjoon dropped his head. Tae stepped forward as Joon put his forehead down on Tae’s shoulder. “Listen,” Tae spoke softly. “He’s yours too. But you need to get the anger out before you enjoy him. He’s not a punching bag for our anger.”

“He’s mine too?” He whispered.

Tae reached up and ran his nails through the back of his hair as he pushed his lips into his ear, making goosebumps break out across his body.

“Yes. Now beat the couch so you can properly beat him. We don’t have a lot of time, and he needs to be able to sit later.”

Namjoon spent ten long minutes beating the absolute shit out of the couch cushions. All the anger Jungkook got out on the punching bag downstairs is what he was working through. Tae sweetly kissed and played with Kook, keeping him hard as they watched. “Fuck.” He whispered.

“He wasn’t in the right headspace, but he’s about ready.” He carefully bit his ribcage, making him moan.

Joon finally stopped, breathing hard and very sweaty. He turned and walked over to the two. Tae turned Kook around so he faced the wall, arms still tied above his head. They watched Kook put his head back and smile.

“Count down from ten,” Namjoon said, more present and grounded than ten minutes earlier. He ran the belt down his back, giving him a light double tap on his cheeks. Kook knew this was where he was going to hit him.

“Ten…”

 Smack!

“Nine…” 

Smack! “Ohhh.”

“Eight…”

 Smack! “NNffff.”

“Seven…” 

Smack! Kook started breathing quickly.

“..Six..” 

Smack! “UUnnnn….”

Tae held his hand out between the two, making him wait. “Give him a minute,” he said softly. Namjoon reached out and gently ran his hand over his warm cheeks as they watched him recover.

“Ok..Ok..” Kook finally said, ready to resume.

“Five…” 

Smack! 

Kook let out a long, controlled breath. Tae reached around and started stroking him at the same time. “OH, FUUUUUCK!” The pain on his backside, coupled with the absolute pleasure from his front, was mind-numbing.

“Four…” He breathed quickly. 

SMack!   

They saw him jump a little. Until then, he had held solid.

“...three..three..” He stuttered. 

SMAck! 

“OH GODDDDDD…” He started wanting to move his hips into Tae’s hand more.

“Two more. Don’t cum until your last one.” Joon growled in his ear as Tae smirked and stroked harder.

“T-two…” He squeezed his eyes shut hard. 

SMACk! 

“I’m close! I’m close!” He squealed.

“...ONE…” He pushed out quickly as Namjoon hit hard. 

S M A C K !!

Kook groaned and slumped as he came. Finally releasing everything he needed. Namjoon dropped the belt and wrapped his arm around his chest, supporting him as Tae untied his hands.

They helped him to the couch, his cheeks glowing red. “Motherfuckers.” Kook smiled, catching his breath. “How do you feel?” Tae was glad to see him smiling.

“Good. Namjoon, new rule. You can never do that to Ami.” Kook pulled him down and kissed him hard. “Never do that to her. Not with a belt, or I will not take it out on a couch first.”

“I promise.” He said quietly. “Thank you, both of you.”

 

The rest of the day was spent quietly.  After Jin made everyone eat, Namjoon and Jungkook went upstairs to shower and nap.  They were both mentally exhausted from their trist. Before Namjoon crawled into bed, he heard his door open.  He saw Tae pop his head in, shove Kookie inside, hit the lock, and shut the door. 

"Hi."  He smiled.

"Tae is being pushy.  He doesn't want me to sleep alone."  He said quietly.

Joon pulled the sheets back, "He doesn't want to nap with you?" 

"Yes, but he wants to stay up and keep an eye on the rest of them. He's being very mother-hen."  Kook smiled, "Do you mind?"

"Do you want to be big or little spoon?  You choose."  They both climbed in and got comfortable, Joon as the big and Kook as the little.   He could feel the heat still coming off his cheeks through his shorts. 

"Are you sore?"  he asked quietly.

"A little.  It's a good sore, though.  Between you two, you made my brain melt."  He held Joon's arms as they were wrapped around his chest while they snuggled.  "I'm ready for everyone to come home." 

Namjoon pushed his face into his neck, smelling his fresh shower scent.  "Me too. Just a few more days, and things can be back to normal...well...Wendy will be here but more normal.  At least we'll all be back together.  I don't like sleeping alone at night."

"Me neither." He mumbled, and they both passed out.

Chapter 21

"Morning." A tired Wendy smiled as she opened her door, ready to go. She had her suitcase from her apartment with her, along with her trusty travel bag, which she lived out of daily with Riggs.

"Good morning. How did you sleep?" Su stepped up and took her big roller suitcase from her.

"Not great, to be honest. I think I'm just ready to go."

"I know what you mean." They walked to the elevator and headed down. "The car is ready. I'm taking you to breakfast, and then we're flying out. Everything is ready." When the elevator opened, their driver and three others were waiting for them.

"Oh! Hello!" Wendy looked surprised as Su shook hands with their driver. "Hello." the man smiled. He pointed to her roller bag, and another team member stepped up and took it, "Ready to go?"

"We are," Su said, then held his arm for her. "Come on." Wendy took it as they all started walking through the hotel.

"What's going on?" she leaned in and asked, noticing all the extra security for them.

"We're going to breakfast."

"But..."

"Wendy, " he smiled. "We're going to breakfast. Then I'm flying you to Korea, where your friends are bouncing off the walls to see you. Riggs can't wait to have you on a closer continent, ready to come to pluck you as soon as possible."

"Yes, I know that, but why the extra guys?" She said quietly.

"Because I don't want you to worry about walking down the street. Even though they're still in jail, sometimes extra numbers help. Now, come on. I'm taking you to one of my favorite places in the city for breakfast."

"You are?" They stepped out onto the street, and she saw him straighten up and become a little more serious. Someone was waiting at the car, holding the door open for them, and Su ushered her in first and climbed in next to her. They closed the door behind him, and they took off.

"Well. This all feels different."

Su shrugged. "Just a little elevated." He looked over at her. "We can talk about it at the restaurant." He glanced up at the driver and then back at her. She nodded, understanding he didn't want to talk about it in front of him. Su didn't have any reason not to speak in front of their driver, but after what happened the night before, he was taking zero chances of someone overhearing something they shouldn't.

They zoomed through town until the two-car entourage pulled up outside the Three Decker Diner. "A greasy spoon?" She laughed as he walked her inside. There was the perfect little New York diner with round yellow stools at the counter and booths along the windows.

"What? This is some of the best food before you fly." He grabbed menus and pointed to the two stools at the end of the counter. He let her take the farthest one as he took the one next to her. The place was full of people eating, waitresses taking orders, and the sound of the hot grill in the back.

"I'm just surprised. I figured we would be going to some fancy Korean breakfast place." She grinned as the waitress set down two hot cups of coffee and then walked off.

"Nah. I can get that back home. What you can't get back home is salty bacon, a stack of pancakes, and whatever this is." He pointed to the coffee.

"Coffee?" She laughed.

"If you say so." he smiled, taking a sip.

"Welcome in. What will ya have?" the busy waitress asked, taking her pencil from behind her ear and pulling out her notepad. Su smiled and looked toward Wendy to order first. "Oh! Um, can I have scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast?"

"And you?" She scribbled in her notepad.

"Pancakes and bacon, please."

The waitress winked and clicked her tongue, "Ya got it." She turned to put the order in as Wendy took a long sip of coffee. "So, tell me. Why do we need the Yeoman Warders out there?"

"The Yeoman Warders?" Su frowned.

"The English Guards...all the extra men." She slowly rotated her coffee cup on the counter.

"Ah. Well. It's been our experience that sometimes, when something goes down, like what happened to us last night, having a few extra people around helps calm nerves. Not that I'm worried about something happening, but knowing there is an extra set of eyes with us means I can enjoy my pancakes." He smiled.

Wendy took a deep breath as she thought about the night before, playing with her hot coffee cup. He stayed quiet and let her think. "So," she finally said, "Last night was kind of a blur between you ninja kicking someone in the face and then the cops being there. Do I remember it right that they told you someone was hired to trash my place?" She was trying to remember, but it seemed so messy.

"That's what they said. I have a detective looking into it all," he said calmly.

"Why? Why would someone do that?" she frowned.

"My guess...honestly...to get to us, but I don't know. I'm not worried about it until we have more information." Which wasn't entirely true.

"You're not worried, yet we have armed guards outside." She scoffed.

"Correction. They aren't armed." he smiled. "Just extra eyeball-guys."

"Extra eyeball guys?" she laughed. "Okay."

"Listen." He said a little more seriously. "I'm really sorry this all happened—your place. You having to be pulled away to deal with it. Last night. All of it. No one wanted that for you."

"I know." She sighed just as the waitress set down their food in front of them. "Wow. That was fast."

"I think they just have a vat of bacon back there ready to go." He smiled, "Eat up, and then we'll get you one step closer home."

***

An hour or so later, Ami was stretching and waking up from a long, restful sleep. It was so quiet and peaceful that she could stay there forever. Coffee called her name, so she got up, slipped on one of his T-shirts, and wandered to the kitchen while he slept.

Yesterday was a good recovery day from their wedding night, and she felt so happy and relaxed. She got the coffee ready and stood at the counter, humming, waiting for it as it started gurgling. Today was planned to be another rest, relaxation, and romping day, and she couldn't wait.

As she waited, a faint rumbling started in the distance, like a big truck was coming up the road. She only noticed it when she realized it wasn't stopping but getting louder.

"What's that?" She glanced out the window from the kitchen as the sound kept growing, making her feel uneasy. "Yoon?" She called out.

Just then, the house started to rattle and shake as the noise got louder and louder, never subsiding. The coffee cups she had pulled out started vibrating across the counter.

"YOONGI!" she yelled as she grabbed the counter, trying to steady herself as the earthquake started its attack on the house. Everything moved: cupboards opened and closed, and furniture shook back and forth. It was like a giant was shaking the house while a train raced through the living room.

"Shit!" Yoon jolted out of a dead sleep, confused about what was happening. At first, he thought she was jumping on the bed, but he shot up when he heard her yell out. Still half asleep, he got up and tried to run, unsure where and still not processing what was happening. As soon as his feet hit the floor, the house lurched, causing him to lose balance, tossing him into the corner of the armoire and onto the floor. "Oh, fuuuck..." He groaned, staying down for a moment. Pain shot through his arm as he tried to catch his breath.

Glassware started falling out of the cupboards like bombs, shattering around her as she gripped the counter, trying to make her way out of the kitchen to him. She only stopped when she felt the crunch of glass under her foot. "Shit!" She cried out, scared now as she tried to reposition so the glass wouldn't sink deeper into her arch. She knew she sliced it, but the fear of the house trying to shake down around her overtook the pain in her foot.

Yoongi started crawling slowly, putting his head down every few feet, his arm across his chest. "Stay there! It will be over soon!" He kept trying to crawl but had to stop and wait, then power through to creep further.

Ami watched the walls and floors shake and rattle as framed art started to fall and break. She held on and closed her eyes, waiting for it to stop. "It has to end... it has to end..." she repeated over and over.

Down at the other house, the three were crouched on the floor, waiting and riding it out. "As soon as possible, we need to go up there," Pak said over the noise. "Can either of you grab that walkie?"

Quon crawled over, grabbed it off the floor, and slid it over to Pak.

"This is a big one." Choi looked at his watch to track how much time had passed. They all knew the longer it shook, the bigger it was. Finally, they started to feel the waves slow down.

"Let's go," Pak said as they carefully stood up and made their way to the door. "Choi, I need you to drive, " he said quickly as they could finally start running, the ground still slightly rumbling.

"Hey, you guys okay up there?" Pak's voice rang through the house as Ami was stuck in a sea of glass shards. She couldn't reach the walkie to reply. Pak waited a few seconds and then called back out, "We're coming up! Be there in a minute!"

Yoongi finally got to his feet and staggered through the doorway. "Babe, stop! There's glass everywhere!"

"Are you ok?" He scanned her and then stared at her feet. She was standing on one foot, a pool of blood forming under the other. "Shit."

"Yeah, I think so. Are you?" He didn't answer but went to slip on his shoes.

"The guys will be here soon. Wait for them." She leaned on the countertop to take some pressure off when they heard a car race up the drive and skid to a stop.

He slipped on his slides and weaved his way back to her. "Yoon, what's wrong?"

"I fell on my arm." He said as he crunched through the glass to her. "Come on, baby." He groaned as he swooped her up with his good arm and hauled her across the room just as Pak and the guys came barging in.

"Take her," Yoongi said quickly as he transferred her to Pak and dropped to his knees. "Yoon!" she called out as Pak walked over and sat her on the kitchen table, sitting her down on the tabletop.

"The guys have him. Are you ok?" Pak asked quickly, carefully lifting her foot as blood dripped down. "Good god."

"I stepped on glass." She started rocking back and forth with the slow-burning sensation building in her foot.

"Quon, go get the bag," Pak said calmly as she gripped his arm.

"Okay, you're okay." He got up and ran to the kitchen, grabbing a clean towel. On his way back to her, he stopped and knelt in front of Yoongi.

"Hey. You good?"

"It's broken," Choi said quietly. Yoongi looked paler than usual as the color drained out of his face. "I need to lay down," he groaned as he started to tilt. Choi and Pak helped him carefully onto the floor as Quon returned with two big bags full of everything they might need in an emergency.

"Quon, she has glass in her foot," Pak said quickly, pointing to her as he pulled a chair over to prop his legs up. Choi grabbed a blanket and laid it over him.

"How are you feeling? Anything else hurt?" Pak asked quietly as they dug through the bags for supplies

"No, I just feel like I'm gonna pass out...and my arm fucking hurts."

"Fun fact. Did you know that if you concentrate on breathing nice, deep breaths, you won't pass out? You can't if you have enough air. Bet you didn't know that." Pak said as Choi pulled an arm splint out of the bag and long gauze strips to secure it.

"Who told you that?" He mumbled.

"You're wife." They carefully stabilized his arm as he started to take slow, deep breaths.

Quon knelt in front of Ami. "Hey, grab my arm and squeeze while I clean you up. Are you feeling okay? " he asked. She clutched his arm, and he carefully started removing the visible glass.

"Yeah, " she said, teary-eyed as she watched Pak and Choi quickly help her husband. Pak glanced up at her every once in a while as they got him stable.

"Is Ami ok?" Yoongi said, a little dazed.

"She good. She's trying not to freak out over you, so don't do anything stupid." Pak replied. They saw him smile a little as he kept concentrating on his breath.

Quon was finishing wrapping her foot when she called out. "Pak, he needs to go in."

"You both do."

"No, I can wait. He needs to go now." She wiped a stray tear that was trying to fall. "How far is the hospital?"

"Too far by car," Choi said quietly to him. "We'll be lucky if the runway isn't damaged." Yoongi listened to their quiet conversation as they took care of him. They were beside him but sounded far away, like his ears were underwater.

Pak took his phone out of his pocket. "Choi, call Su for me. Quon, watch over them. Yoon, keep doing Lamaze. You're doing great." He walked outside to see if he could contact the helicopter company from the other day to fly them out.

"Quon, can you help me over to him, please?" She reached out, and he helped her so she could sit beside him. "Hey, baby. Are you okay?" She stroked the hair off his forehead as he nodded, still concentrating on breathing. Small beads of sweat now dotted his brow.

Choi tried to dial but only got a busy signal. He tried a few more times, but nothing. "Oh shit, towers must be down." He looked up, shocked, as Pak walked back in with the same expression. He couldn't get a line out either.

"Ok. We need to pack them up. we're leaving." Pak made the call for them. He wasn't going to wait around until the towers came back online.

"Leaving, leaving?" Ami took her husband's good hand and squeezed it. He gently pulled her hand to his mouth and kissed it.

"Yes, sorry. Come with me." Pak said sympathetically. He walked over and picked her up, carrying her to the bedroom. "Quon, can you help us, please? Choi, grab the satellite phone and try that," he called back. "How's your foot?"

"I'll be ok." She said softly. "OH fuck! I'm not wearing pants!" She said quickly, as her hand flew to pull the t-shirt down over her cheeks. She felt the breeze on her buns as he swiftly walked her into their bedroom.

"No one here cares about your butt. No one is looking, promise." He sighed. "Ami, he needs to go in. You both do, so sit on the bed and point to stuff, and we will pack you up. Then we'll get our bags. Hopefully, Choi can talk to Su, and we can decide if we go to New York or Reykjavik."

She sat on the bed and wrestled her pants on, calling out places to look for clothes and items while they shoved everything unceremoniously into suitcases.

Choi was finally able to reach Su on the satellite phone. "Hey! Have you left yet?" He asked quickly as he monitored Yoongi, who seemed to be starting to breathe a little easier.

"Just boarding now, what's going on?" Wendy heard his voice change, although she didn't know what he was saying. She watched his eyes get big, then he walked up to the cockpit and knocked on the door. "Wait, we might be staying," he called out quickly.

"Choi, hang on. Let me look and see what's happening." He put him on speakerphone, pulled out his computer, and searched online. He needed to know if a volcano had blown. It was a conversation they had before they left. Years earlier, the airspace in the area had been shut down because of volcanoes, and they didn't want to get stuck.

"Do you think he can make it to New York?" He searched, waiting for feeds to update.

"How are you feeling?" Choi asked as he finally opened his eyes. The color was coming back into his face. "I think I'm ok. My arm hurts like hell, though."

"Yeah. I get that. Stay down for me. He's coming around, Su."

"He's coming around," he mumbled as he read the online feed. "Okay...right...New York is five hours away...London is seven...New York. You guys need to come here if you can leave in the next hour. It was a volcano, and they were already talking about closing airspace. I'll wait for you here."

"And Wendy?"

"Fuck." Su swore. He looked over at Wendy, who had been watching him quietly. She understood that word. "I'll figure out something. Is Ami ok?" He knocked on the cockpit door again, and the engine powered down.

"Better than him." Just then, Quon walked out, rolling two big suitcases as Pak was helping her. "I'll let you know when we take off." Choi hung up and called out, "New York. We need to go there. Su's going to wait for us." Ami looked confused as Pak and Quon nodded in reply, unsurprised at the news of Su in New York.

"What's happened? Why is he there?" She asked as Pak turned to her and took a breath. "Ami, we need to talk about a few things, but not until we get on the plane. We'll have time then, ok? Right now, we need to go. I'll explain everything. Please trust me."

"Yeah, okay, " she said, confused. Choi slowly sat Yoongi up as Pak helped Ami over to him.

"Hey, you look a little better," Pak said as she sat beside him. "Hey, honey, " she said softly. "We're all packed."

"Yeah? Hell of a way to end a honeymoon." He leaned over and kissed her. "You ok?" He reached over with his good hand to hold hers as they helped put more clothes on him and secure a sling on his arm.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Promise." She cupped his cheek, holding his gaze as they finished getting him ready.

"Ok. Let's see if we can get you up. We're going to move you to the chair first. One, two, three..." Pak, Quon, and Choi helped get him off the floor. He groaned at the movement, returning to deep breathing before settling. He finally opened his eyes to see Pak staring at him, eye level.

"So Yoon. Here's the thing. We need to get you to New York."

"Why New York?" He asked slowly.

"They're closing airspace soon. A volcano blew." Choi filled them in.

"Do you think you can make it? If not, we'll go to Reykjavik and figure it out. I need your honest opinion of what you can handle."

Yoongi took stock of how his body was feeling overall. His arm throbbed, and he was tired, but he knew they needed to leave. He would have to make it work. He didn't want them stuck in Iceland. "Yeah, let's do New York. I'll be okay."

***

It was the middle of the afternoon in Korea when Tae picked up the phone. "Hey, Su. Are you on your way back?"

"I need everyone on speaker, including Jae," he said as Wendy watched him slowly pace on the plane. He still hadn't told her what was going on. "I really need to learn Korean, " she mumbled to herself.

"Yeah, just a moment," he said nervously. Su heard him yell through the house, and everyone gathered quickly. "Ok, we're here. What's going on."

"I got a call from Choi, and they're scrambling to leave and get to New York. There was an earthquake this morning, and it sounds like Yoongi broke his arm." The room was silent as he continued. "Ami has come cuts, but overall is fine, I think. Pak and the guys are loading them and making their way here."

"Why? Why not go to a local hospital?" Hobi piped up.

"They're about to close airspace. Here's the problem..."

"That isn't the problem?" Jin looked at everyone, trying to process the information.

"I have Wendy with me," he said a little more quietly, although it didn't matter, she couldn't understand him anyway. "What do you guys want me to do? I need to stay and wait for them. She could stay with me, but there are about 15 reasons why I don't want that to happen right now."

"Send her. Send her on the plane and stay. We'll take care of her until you all get back." Kook said before anyone else. "That's too many moving parts for you to manage right now."

"You need to be able to concentrate on them," Namjoon agreed. After everything that had happened in the past 12 hours, they needed him to concentrate on Yoongi and Ami and getting them home.

Jae shifted and leaned into Jimin. He could feel her nerves as Su filled them in. "Kai will be home soon." He said quietly as he rubbed the back of her neck.

"Ok. I'll call Byun to pick her up and bring her to the house. I expect the others here in about six hours. I'll keep you guys updated."

"Hey, Su?" Tae called out. "Are Pak, Choi, and Quon okay, though?" He looked over at Jae as Jimin was quietly talking to her. They all could see she felt uncomfortable with the news and was trying to keep calm.

"Hundred percent. Promise."

"Do we need to send Dr. Lee?" Jin questioned.

"He won't get here in time, but when we return home, he can see them. I need to let Wendy know about the change in plans. I'll be in touch."

"Thanks, Su," Joon said before hanging up and looking back at the group. "Shit."

"I want to go with Byun to pick her up," Jae said before anyone could say anything else.

"I think that's a great idea." Jimin squeezed her neck one more time. "Come on, let's get some air." Jimin glanced at Hobi, and he got up to join them outside.

"I think Lee needs to go," Jin said as he pulled out his phone to call him and get his opinion. "He won't be there when they arrive, but he can probably make it in time to fly back with them."

"That's a long haul." Joon sighed.

"I don't care. I'm going to call and see what he thinks." Jin walked over to the kitchen to make his call. He knew that if there were a chance Lee could make it in time, he would go.

"What a shitty way to end their honeymoon. They only had a couple more days before returning, but still. I hope everyone is okay." Tae got up and followed Jin into the kitchen as Namjoon sat beside Jungkook. "I hope Yoongi isn't hurt too bad."

"I hope they can get out ok."

***

"Hey, Wendy. Small change of plans." Su finally walked back to fill her in. "I need to stay in New York another day or two, so the guys and Jae want you to fly back now. No need for you to be here any longer than necessary."

"What? Wait, why do you need to stay? Is it about the guys who jumped us?" Her eyes got big.

"No." Su sighed and sat across the aisle, figuring out how much to share. "Um. Yoongi is traveling, and it sounds like he broke his arm. They're coming to New York, and I need to stay to help bring them home."

"Oh, nooo. Wait, they? Is Ami with him? How did he break his arm?" She had questions.

Su paused. She would find out in a few hours Ami wasn't home when she arrived in Korea. "Yes, she's traveling with him. I don't know how he broke it, but he needs to go to the hospital. Getting him in and out might get messy without it being leaked, so I need to send you ahead. Jae and the rest of the guys will be waiting for you, and as soon as Yoongi's stable, we'll be on our way."

"But, I could help..."

He shook his head. "You need to get out of New York. Come on. Let me show you where to find everything you'll need for your trip." He got up as she followed him to the front. She was taking a private plane by herself for fourteen hours, and since they didn't travel with flight attendants, she would need to be familiar with where everything was.  He stopped and informed the pilots of the new plan, and they fired back up the engines.

***

Soon, Choi and Quon got Yoongi comfortable on the plane while Ami sat across the aisle. "How are you?" She asked quietly.

"If I don't move, I'm perfect." He gave her a tired little smile. "I'm so happy to be your husband finally."

"I'm happy too...not happy you're broken, though."

"We'll tell the guys you did this to me in bed." He winked. "How's your foot?"

"I'll be fine." She leaned against the back of the seat as she faced him, holding his hand across the aisle.

They heard the plane door close, and the engines fired up. Choi and Quon returned and sat behind them while Pak crouched between them, holding something.

"Here." he handed Ami some meds, "This will take the ache off your feet."

"You get these, " he handed Yoon some different meds. "You need to rest and sleep. There's nothing fun on this flight, " he said seriously, glancing to the back of the plane.

Yoon smirked in defeat. "Don't worry. Couldn't if I wanted to." He closed his eyes and resigned to be entirely still for the next few hours.

Pak got up and scooted next to Ami, taking the window seat. "Is that why Quon and Choi are sitting behind us? We aren't that depraved, you know, " she said quietly as the plane started moving.

"Trust issues." He joked, "No. We need to watch him so he doesn't go into shock."

"What?" she said, eyes wide, glancing back at her sweet husband. "Hey, he'll be okay. But I need to talk to you about what's been happening this past week," he said quietly. We can fill Yoongi in on the way back to Korea, but I want to talk to you now."

Pak started to explain what he knew. Wendy and Su went to New York to pack up her stuff. Some junkies broke in, and she had to deal with it. Riggs couldn't go, so the boys asked Su, that's why he was in New York. Now Wendy was on her way to Korea while he waited for them.

"Jesus."

"Yeah."  Pak decided not to tell her about their being jumped yet—one crisis at a time.

"It's a little dicey on Harry's tour right now, and Riggs asked for help." She was giving him a look about being kept out of the loop. Pak shook his head, "Ami. Unless it's life and death, we aren't going to share with you during these special down weeks. You would feel the same way if it was Jae and me off somewhere."

"Yeah. I get it." She sighed. "I don't like it, but I get it."

"So, when we finally get home, Wendy will be there. I'm guessing Jae and her will take over the guest house." He leaned back and got comfortable. "Now you girls have the time you wanted to acclimate her to your top-secret lifestyle." he nudged her with his elbow as she started thinking about what that looked like. "You know. Su has spent the last few days with her. He probably has a good read on her from an outside perspective if you need that. You should talk to him on the way home."

The plane took off, and everyone settled in, anxious to get to New York. Ami and Yoongi held hands across the aisle for most of the flight until they fell asleep.

 

Right before landing.

Yoongi shifted a little in his seat and opened his eyes, eventually looking over and seeing Choi staring at him. He had moved to the seat in front of Ami to watch him more closely. "Hey, how ya feeling?"

"Sore." He gave him a tired smile and a slow blink.

"We're going to land soon. Listen,  Su is waiting for us when we land. I don't know if you remember that. We talked about it a little back at your house." They all watched him think, trying to put things together.

"I thought we were landing in New York?" He looked over at Ami. She was asleep next to Pak, who was listening to their conversation.

"We are. He was there helping Wendy with some things. He can explain all that later, but I wanted to let you know he's waiting for us," Choi said as Yoon frowned.  "But, um, Wendy isn't in New York."  Nothing was making sense.

Quon opened a fresh water bottle and poured a pouch of electrolytes into it. He shook the bottle and stood to give it to him,  "Hey Yoongi, I need you to sip on this for me."  As Quon helped him, Choi looked back at Pak, concerned, "We're pushing it."

"Yeah."  He sighed.  "Fifteen more minutes."  Pak took out his phone and texted Su. They were low enough to get a signal:

Get ready.  He needs to go in immediately.

"Fuck."  Su cringed.

***

The plane landed, and Choi met Su at the door with the medics behind him. "He's rough. She's sleeping. She stepped on glass, but otherwise is fine."

"Ok." Su looked back at the medics. "It's just him. The girl can stay." They nodded and made their way down the aisle.

"She's not going?" Choi was surprised Su wasn't taking both of them in.

"With the shit that went down the last few days. I don't want anyone to know they are here, or at least they are traveling together right now." Su said seriously. "She needs to stay on the plane unless necessary."

***

Ami woke up to a lot of things happening. They had landed, and medics were already on board, hooking Yoon up to IVs and getting him ready to be transferred to the awaiting ambulance.

Pak had stayed next to her, as Su was in the row in front of them, talking quietly to the medics. Pak heard her quickly inhale, surprised to see them all.

"Hey, he's good. It's just a precaution. They're taking him to the hospital to be checked out and have his arm cast," Pak said as she sat up a little straighter in her seat.

"I want to go with him." She tried to push herself up, but as soon as she put pressure on her foot, she fell back in her seat. "Oh fuck." She winced, pulling her feet off the floor and gripping the seat's armrests, waiting for the wave of pain to subside. Pak put his hand on her, and she squeezed it hard as he looked up at Su, now unsure if she should stay back.

"Does she need to go in?" One of the medics glanced down at her as he was helping Yoongi stand up to get him off the plane.

"Yes," Yoongi said, wobbly.

"I have a doctor here to see her.  Take him," Su reassured the medics, "Yoon.  Don't worry, we got her." He stepped back so they could make their way up the aisle.

Yoongi tried to protest but was just mumbling in Korean at this point.

"Hey." Su said quietly to him, "IF she needs to go, she'll go. Let's get you in and out without the world finding out first, ok? Trust me." Right before the medics walked him up the aisle, Su wrapped his hands around Yoongi's good hand, stripping his wedding ring off and putting it in his pocket. Yoongi gave him a pained look. "I don't want you to lose it at the hospital. I'll give it back to you when we take off.  Ok, he's ready."

They walked him up and out the door as Su knelt next to Ami.

"Hi." He gave her a sympathetic smile, gently holding her ankle of her injured foot. He felt her relax a little. "Listen. I'm going to take Choi and Quon with me to make sure your husband doesn't get into trouble. Pak's going to stay with you here on the plane. I have a doctor who'll be here in a moment to make sure you're good. How is your foot?"

"Sore.  I can't go with him?" She wiped a tear before it fell. It hurt, but not as much as being unable to go with her husband.

"No. I'm sorry. Listen. I will fix him up, and we'll be on our way home. OK? Did Pak tell you Wendy would be there when we landed?"

"Yeah, um, he sort of filled me in."

"I like her, " he said as he smiled. "Ok. I need to go. We'll talk on the way home. I know it's hard, but Pak's in charge." He winked, patted her leg, and walked quickly to join the rest of them.

As soon as Su left, a man walked in carrying a bag. "Hello. I hear someone stepped on some glass." He smiled and made his way down to them. Ami sat in her seat a little straighter as Pak stood up and shook his hand.

"She did. We just need you to make sure we got it all out." The doctor placed his bag on the floor and sat down where Yoongi had just been. "Well, let's take a look, shall we? If you want to lean back on your boyfriend there, we'll sort you all out."

Pak sat down and chuckled as Ami groaned, "Not by boyfriend." She shifted in her seat so her foot was in the aisle. The doctor chit-chatted as he unwrapped her foot and examined it. Just then, they could hear the ambulance sirens fire up as they took off.

"So, here's the thing.  We need to numb you up so I can take care of this properly."  He dug through his bag and pulled out a needle and bottle of numbing medicine. 

"OH. Um. OK." She said nervously. She instinctively scooted back into her seat and into Pak. "Hey. You're good."  He put his arms around her, and she grabbed his forearms as the doctor started giving her small shots in the bottom of her foot to numb her up.

"Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck..." she tried to stay still as she gripped Pak's arm. The pain of getting shots in the bottom of her feet rivaled almost everything else she had ever been through.  It took all her strength not to kick him in the face.

"Almost done. Breathe." Pak stayed calm for her as he could feel her whole body tense up. "It will be over in a few seconds."

Ami held her breath, squeezing every muscle when the doctor looked up at her. "Let your breath out, slowly." He quickly put the cap back on the needle, and Pak could feel her start to cry.

"You're good," he said softly, squeezing her tighter. "Hey, he's going to get you taken care of. You won't feel a thing now. Ok?"

She nodded as she tried to pull herself together. "Take nice, slow, deep breaths for me." They heard the doctor say as he poked her, "Can you feel that?"

"No, " she said quietly as she sniffled, and he quickly got to work while Pak kept her distracted.

About twenty-five minutes later, he was done.  She was cleaned up and wrapped.  They thanked him, and the doctor was on his way out.

"Jesus.  That was horrible."  Ami finally could relax a little.  "Have you heard from Su? How's Yoongi?"  Pak had moved across the aisle.  "They just made it to the hospital.  He'll keep me updated.  Why don't you call the guys? I'm sure they need to hear from you, and I need to call Jae."

***

The Mount Sinai Hospital was bustling. Su, Quon, and Choi stood off to the side of the room as they quickly set Yoongi up with new meds and fluids. Su had called the hospital when he knew they were coming so they would be ready. This hospital had a wing that catered to the more wealthy patients who wanted a more hotel-like experience than a hospital.  While that was fine and good, Su needed it for their privacy, the one-on-one staff of doctors they assigned to each patient, and the quality of care.  He gave two shits about the fancy Italian linens and sparking water in the corner.

"We're going to get him more comfortable and then get a set of x-rays and MRI."  The doctor came over and shook Su's hand.  "How long ago did it happen?" 

"Maybe seven or eight hours ago. They had to fly to get here, " Su said.

" He's pretty swollen.  We're pumping some pain meds in him that will help. Ok!  Well, we'll get the scans done and go from there.  Make yourself comfortable. We'll be back. Excuse me."

"Choi, start a text threat with everyone on it, minus Wendy and Riggs.  I'm going to go with them when they take him.  Let everyone know we're here and what's going on.   Quon, can you find some food for everyone?  We're going to be here for at least a few hours. I'll call the company here shortly and give them a heads-up.  This is going to be a mess."

"Sure thing."  Quon sighed as they started wheeling Yoongi out of the room.  Su followed behind, leaving them.   "Why's it going to be a mess?"  Quon asked as he started flipping through his phone for nearby food options.

"He's talking about all the speculation and stress his fans will feel with him injured.  Also, whatever restrictions he will need for work until he's healed.  They'll have to come up with talking points about how it happened that isn't how it really happened.  Also, we're in New York, not back home, so there's that piece." Choi sighed as he worked on a group text.

***

"Hiii."

"Hi, baby bird. I've missed your voice." Jungkook sighed. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay.  Yoon's at the hospital.  Is everyone there?"

"Yeah." He flipped the phone to the speaker. "Jae's outside talking to Pak, but I suspected you knew that."

"Yeah.  He stepped outside for a moment."

"You looked so beautiful," Jin said sweetly.  "We're so sorry that happened today.  It had to be so scary."

"It wasn't great.  I've never seen him like that."  They could hear the quiver in her voice. "He fell wrong."

"Where were you when it happened?"  Jimin asked.

"I was in the kitchen, and he was in the bedroom. I stepped on glass, so my foot is bandaged up. I'm fine, I just want Yoon to be okay, and we can come home. I wasn't allowed to go with him..." she paused as they heard her all take a controlled breath. "I'm still on the plane with Pak.  I guess we have to stay here until he comes back...I don't like not being with him."

"I know, baby.  Who's with him?"

"Su, Choi, and Quon."

"That's good. He'll be back soon, and then you can come home. Wendy's on her way. She should be landing in a few hours. Byun is going to come pick Jae up, and they'll go get her and bring her here."  She heard Namjoon's voice float through the phone.

"I just want Yoon back, and I want to come home."  She choked up.

"I know, honey.  Soon."

 

Chapter 22

Su was waiting outside imaging. He was leaning against the wall, eyes closed, arms crossed, just thinking about what must be done. He needed to find a hotel for Pak and Ami if they didn't release him today. They couldn't stay on the plane that long. He was waiting for a call back from Director Ko to update him on the situation. Wendy was in the air. He needed to text Byun and have him take Ami's car when he went to pick her up. He also needed to follow up with the Detective when he returned and figure out who set them up. Ami and Yoongi needed an update before they landed in Korea about everything that happened, so they had time to process it all ... and it was his mother's birthday next weekend.

Just then, the doctor poked his head out the door, looked around, and saw Su. "Want to come take a look?"

"Oh, yeah." Su popped off the wall and followed the doctor into the room. On the wall were big computer screens showing the results of the X-rays and MRIs. "So, it's a clean break. That's good news. I was worried he was going to need surgery with how swollen it was, but it's not misaligned, so he doesn't appear to need it right now."

"That's good."

"We'll put a soft cast on to stabilize him until the swelling goes down. Then he'll need something else, maybe in a week."

"Can he fly? We need to get back to Korea."

The doctor paused, "Maybe in the morning. We've been treating him for shock.  He needs time to rest, and I want to see him a little more coherent before we clear him."

"I wondered about that." Su sighed, "He didn't look great when he landed. Okay. Okay." Su was trying to put priorities in order. "Okay." He said one more time, a little more settled. The doctor led them out of the room, and they met up with the nurses, pushing Yoongi back down the hall.

"We'll get him set up with the right fluids and medicines. Unless something unexpected happens, I don't see why you all can't be off in the morning." They walked and talked, discussing plans, and then joined Choi.

"Quon went to get food, " he said as he stood up. "How's he doing?" The nurses pushed a resting Yoongi back in as more nurses came in with new IV bags.

"It's broken, but not as bad as he could be," Su said quietly while the medical team worked. "They are treating him for shock and hoping we can leave in the morning."

"God, " he sighed, "We should have stayed in Iceland. He thought he could make it to New York, and Pak asked him what he could handle, but we should have stayed."

"He did make it. He's okay, he just needs some meds, and they want to watch him. I would have asked him the same thing. I'm sure he wanted everyone to get out of there. So, can you please text everyone he's ok. No surgery is needed, and they're keeping him for observations, fluids, and meds for tonight...I would leave out the 'shock' part. That's always a scary word." Su sighed. "I'm going to call The Mark Hotel. It's right up the street. We need to get Ami and Pak off the plane and settled. Once Yoongi's stable, you and Quon can get some sleep. I'll stay with him."

"I'll stay with you." Choi looked surprised he was sending them both away.

Su shook his head, "You guys have been running on adrenaline for about nine hours. You need some solid sleep. Anyway, Dr. Lee is on his way. Jin called him, and he didn't want to wait until we returned to Korea. He'll be here in a few hours."

"I'll wait with you until he gets here, then. " His tone told Su it wasn't up for debate.

"Okay." Su agreed. Just then, Quon came with nourishment for them. "Salads and burgers. It was the easiest and fastest I could find."

"Perfect. Thanks." They were all grateful for anything at this point.

***

Within the hour, Quon was back at the plane. Su had called the driver who had helped him and Wendy just earlier that morning for assistance. He swung by, grabbed Quon, and returned to Teterboro airport to grab Pak and Ami.

"Hey, group, ready to go?" Quon hopped on board, rustling and grabbing his and Choi's bags. Ami had repacked an overnight bag so she wouldn't have to haul all her stuff back and forth.

"Yeah. How is he?" She asked, standing up and using the seats for support as she hobbled down the aisle.

"Resting really comfortably. Promise. It's a great hospital. How's your foot?"

"Amazing." She rolled her eyes. "It actually doesn't feel too bad." She made it to the front of the plane and sighed.

"It looks amazing." He grabbed her bag and one from Pak. "I'm going to take these down to the car, then I'll come up and help."

"I got her." Pak turned and crouched down, "Hop on." Quon watched as she carefully climbed onto Pak's back. He bounced her once to reposition her weight so he could walk the stairs easily. "I hope this isn't how we are arriving at La Quinta." she teased.

"You think Su booked a room at La Quinta? Cute." Pak chortled back. "I'm ready."

Quon stopped and turned back towards them, "Oh, one thing. This is the same driver and group that ushered Wendy and Su around for the past few days. He knows Korean, so you know, don't dear diary on the way."

"Good to know." Quon reached over and pulled her hood over her head before they all headed out.

Forty-five long minutes later, they were finally on the elevator heading to their room. "I need a shower," Ami sighed, feeling the elevator slow as it reached its destination.

"Do you want to look at the menu or surprise you?" Pak asked. He was starting to feel tired from the adrenaline-filled day.

"Surprise me. I think I'm past caring at this point." She smiled a tired smile as he nodded in agreement. Just then, the elevator door opened directly into the entire 16th-floor apartment.

"Well, this is no La Quinta." Quon chuckled as he exited the elevator and set the bags down while Pak helped Ami. She took one look at the insane space. "Oh, for the love of...what? Pak! What is this place?!"

"Um, the Penthouse, I think." He glanced around, unphased at the grandiose of it all.

"I thought we were staying here for one night! This is the size of our house!"

"As far as I know, we are. I think it checked several boxes for everyone." The Penthouse at the Mark Hotel was immense. The almost ten thousand-foot apartment made up the entire floor and extended to a rooftop terrace overlooking Central Park. There were five bedrooms, four fireplaces, six bathrooms, a kitchen, a dining room, and a library. The living room alone had 26-foot ceilings that made up the tower of the building.

"What boxes needed to be checked for something like this?" She didn't even know where to look. Before he could answer her question, Quon walked back to them grinning, pushing a rolling plush office chair. "Hey! Look what I found! Transportation!"

"Sit." Pak smiled. "Quon, can you take her on a tour? Ami, pick a bedroom. I'm going to order some food and call to get an update for you."

Quon pushed the chair over, and Ami sat down. He picked up her bag and looped it on the back of the chair to take with them. "Let's go figure out what madness this is," he said quietly to her as he pushed her off in a direction to get their bearings on the place.

"It is madness." She sighed as they went room to room and stared at its vastness. "Quon. What boxes did they need to check off because this place is over the top. There's only three of us here."

"You want a glimpse into Su's mind?  Very well.  This hotel is the closest to the hospital, so there's the convenience factor." He started telling her what he knew a little more seriously. "Su didn't want multiple hotel rooms like we usually have. He didn't want you in one room alone while we were next door, so La Quinta was out. This apartment-style hotel room, if you can call it a hotel room, is more appropriate this time." Ami listened as he pushed her through bedrooms, walk-in closets, bathrooms, and every little nook.

"You have access to the entire floor and rooftop; we don't have to worry about you wandering from room to room.  I will stay with you guys, sleep, and then swap with Choi. Su won't leave the hospital, and we aren't going to leave him by himself. Pak's staying with you, though. He needs to stay with you. Everyone feels the discomfort of being spread out, so this place fixes some of that problem." He started the parade through the kitchen as Ami tried not to let tears well up in her eyes.

Pak found them as they finished their tour back in the main suite. "Ami. You have a phone call." He gave her a sweet smile as she took the phone. "Hello?"

"Hi, wife." Yoongi's tired voice floated over the phone.

"Hi, husband, how are you?" She said almost in a whisper.

"I'm okay, promise. They're going to keep me tonight to pump me full of fantastic things." He was glad to hear her let out a little laugh. "How are you, baby?"

"I wish I could be there with you."

"I know. Tomorrow. We'll go home tomorrow. I'm sorry you have to sleep alone tonight. I never wanted you to do that again." He closed his eyes, sad they were apart so soon.

Quon and Pak saw her dip her head and take a deep breath before she pulled it together to reply. "I don't care, and I just want you to be okay."

"I'm perfect. Baby, the doctors are back to eyeball me. I'm going to hand you back to Su. I love you. Talk to you soon."

"I love you." She heard the phone change hands, and Su was on. "How's your foot?"

"Su, thank you for staying with him." Ami couldn't hold it in anymore, and crocodile tears started falling down her face while she tried to stay stoic.

"Of course I'm staying," he said softly as he stepped away. "He's in excellent hands here. He's got the very best care, I promise."

"I know."

"You three need to rest up. You've had a hell of a day. Get some rest. I'll check in later."

"Ok, thanks, Su." She hung up and returned the phone to Pak, wiping her face with her sleeve.

"Is this the room you want?" He asked, slipping his phone back in his pocket.

"Oh, it doesn't matter to me."

"This has the best walk-in shower option for people with sore feet." Quon took her bag off the back of the chair and set it on the bed.

"Okay, why don't you get cleaned up, I guarantee you'll feel 50% better.  Room service will be here in thirty minutes.  Are you going to be able to manage by yourself?"

"Yeah, I think I'm still numb from the million shots he gave me. I'm sure I can get in and out okay. See you guys in a little bit. Thanks." Quon left to go clean up and crash so he could get back to relieve Choi, as Pak stayed for a minute.

"How are you? Because that earthquake was something else. I've never been in one before, and I don't care to be in one again." He asked now that they were alone, leaning against the door frame.

"I don't know." She sighed, "How's Jae?" She changed the subject.

"She's fine." He said simply.

"Fine? Just fine?" Ami got up, hopped to the bed, and dug through her backpack, pulling out comfy clothes to change into after the shower. Then she sat down and began to unwrap the bandages.

"What are you doing?" He watched, changing the subject again.

"I don't want to get the wraps wet. I'll put them back on when I get out unless you have another suggestion?"

"Um...you know, I don't know if standing in the shower barefoot with a fresh wound is a great plan." He frowned, now thinking about logistics and how sanitary it would be.

"What if I stand on one foot?" she asked, taking the rest of her wrapping off. "Oh my god, that feels better." Pak scrunched his nose up.

"Okay. What if I stand with my foot outside the shower?" She stuck her leg out to the side to give him a visual. "Pak. I need to shower and scrape a layer off. It's going to have to work."

"What about a bath?"

"It's a deep tub. I'll never get out, and I don't need you guys plucking me from its depths. That's too much therapy for everyone."

"Are you sure?"

"You forget, I took the Famous Quon Rolling Tour of the 16th Floor. The tub is too deep. I'll be okay. It probably needs to air out anyway."

He sighed, "Okay. I'll leave you to it. Keep your phone on you. If you get lost or stuck you can send an SOS and we'll send a search party."

"Will do. See you in a few." Pak left and closed the door behind him, leaving her to figure out the actual logistics on her own.   She picked up her change of clothes, one of Yoon's t-shirts, and a pair of shorts, and stood up.  She took one step as normally as possible, only to quickly break into a hobble.  "Good god." She mumbled as she limped to the bathroom to finally take a shower and wash all the travel off her.

 

Pak chose the bedroom next to hers and quickly stripped down, wanting to get cleaned up before the food arrived. He turned on the shower and checked his phone while he waited for the water to run hot. He wanted every bit to stand in the shower for hours, but a quick ten-minute soak would do just fine. He finally set his phone down when steam filled the bathroom and stepped in.

He stood in the hot water, closed his eyes, and let the water encompass him. It felt so good. Iceland had run so smoothly until that morning. They almost hadn't made it out before they closed the airspace down, but now he was second-guessing if they should have stayed. Choi had messaged him on the side, giving him the extra information that wasn't in the group text.

If they had just taken Yoongi to the closest hospital, he might not be in the state he was in now.  He was worried for him and worried he had messed up.

 

It wasn't long, and the food that was ordered made its way upstairs. Pak spread it out on a table in the corner of the living room. It was closer to Ami's room than the kitchen, which was in the opposite corner of the entire 16th floor. Just as he finished unpacking everything, he heard her door open. 

"I'm in here!" he called out.

"Where?"  She laughed.

"Living room!  Just keep going straight until you hit it!"  He smiled as he heard her come down the hall.  He looked up to see her limping in.  "How was the shower...where is your chair?"

"Shower was fantastic, chair is optional." 

"Chair is not optional." He walked over and offered his arm so she had some support. "I'm going to have to walk on it someday."  She sighed.

"Maybe tomorrow.  Sit." he helped her to a seat at the table.  "So!  Salads, veggies, and steaks."

"Steaks?" she smiled. "We hadn't had steaks in forever. Did Quon get one?"

"He said he ate at the hospital. He went on a food run for them when they got there. He's passed out anyway." The two ate and talked about everything and nothing, keeping their minds off of Yoongi and the day. They were both mentally exhausted and ready to relax, but if Su gave the word, they would pack up and head back to the plane in an instant. 

After eating, the two made their way over to the living room couches to sprawl out. 

"Do you want help getting back to your room?" Pak lay on one couch, semi-comatose, while Ami was on another in an equal state of food coma.

"Is it wrong if I want to stay here?" He heard her murmur back.

"You have a penthouse apartment to pick from. The couch seems more than appropriate."

"Hey, thank you for today. I don't know what we would have done without you."

She heard him sigh.  "I don't know."

"What do you mean?" She rolled to her side and looked over at him.  He was lying on his back, starting at the immense ceilings. 

"How do you think they change the lightbulbs?" he genuinely asked. 

"What?"

"Do they have a long stick with a suction up on the end?  Do they hire rock climbers?  Bring in a man lift? Serious question."

"Pak, what are you talking about?" 

"Do you ever wonder how people get jobs?  Like, how does one become a lightbulb technician?  That has to be a fascinating process." 

"KAI."  She heard him say more firmly.  She saw his eyes get big, snapping him out of his rambling.  He blinked and finally looked over at her.  "What?"

"What in the actual fuck are you talking about? I thanked you for your help, and you went sideways to light bulbs?"

"Oh."

She sat up, "You good?  What's wrong?" She frowned, watching him turn and look back up at the ceiling for a moment. 

"Don't make me hobble over there..."

He let out a long sigh.  "I worry I made the wrong choice.  Maybe we should have stayed in Iceland and taken Yoon in."

"I thought Choi said he was okay, that they were just being over cautious?"  she said slowly. "Is that not true?"

"No, it's true." He looked back at her. "It was a long ride for him to get here without proper meds. That's a lot of stress on a body. I had to make a call about staying or trying to get out of there before we were stuck. I know I asked him if he could make it to New York, but I should have made that decision and not left it to him. It was a long flight."

"But Choi and Quon were there, and they had veto power if something didn't seem right.  They didn't say anything, so it was the right decision.  We needed to leave, Pak."  She said a little more softly. 

"I know." 

She thought for a moment, then pushed herself up off the couch.

"Where are you going?"

"Move, " she said, waving at his feet as he pulled them up. Ami hopped over and laid down, resting her head on the opposite end of the long couch. He reached up and pulled two plush fuzzy blankets off the back of the couch, tossing one on her and using one for him. They were both curled up on separate ends.

"Why did you call me Kai?  You never call me that,"  he asked.

"Because Pak was spinning off into a weird light bulb-obsessed stress bubble."  She paused, "You know, I don't thank you enough for everything you do."

"Shut up."

She smiled. "No.  I genuinely mean it."

"Whatever."  he sighed.  "Are you sure you don't want to hobble back to a bed?  I mean, it's the Penthouse, after all."

He heard her yawn, "It's too big.  You know how much I hate sleeping alone in big beds."

"I do...I get it."

"I know you do."  It was quiet for a few minutes when he heard her say quietly before falling asleep, "Thank you for staying." 

He looked down to the other end of the couch. She was asleep lying on her side, her back pressed against the back of the cushions, so it felt like someone was with her. He rolled off and made sure she was fully covered before taking his place back on the other end. He wasn't going to move her. He didn't want her to be alone, and he didn't want to be either.

***

A few hours later, Quon walked in to find them both asleep, taking up the entirety of the long couch, feet to feet.  "Well, that's adorable." He smirked.  He walked over and gently woke him up. "Hey, I'm going to go swap out Choi. Lee will be here any minute, " he whispered. Pak sat up and rubbed his face, then glanced down at her. She was still asleep. He got up and followed him to the elevator so they didn't wake her.

"How's Yoongi? Any word?"

"Choi said he's resting well, which is what he needs the most right now. So far, so good." The elevator dinged. It was on its way up.

"Will you let me know how Su is doing? If you think I need to come swap him out..."

Quon smiled, "Pak. He's not leaving. He needs you here, don't worry. One of us will be there with him whether he likes it or not." Just then, the doors opened, and Dr. Lee was standing there. "Hello. Going down?" he smiled.

"Just me. Talk to you later, Pak. Nice to see you." Quon gave him a little bow as they swapped places, and the doors closed, taking Quon down to meet their driver and whisk him off to the hospital.

"It's good to see you," Pak smiled as he took his bag for him. "She's been sleeping for the past few hours. She's in the living room." He gave Pak a surprised look as he expanded, "She doesn't like to sleep alone. The bed is too big."

"Ahh. That makes sense.  How is she besides her foot?"  He asked before they went to see her.

"I think she's okay." Lee watched Pak think for a moment, "Yeah, other than this morning, everything has been smooth lately. Come on, I'll show you where she is."

Ami was sleeping hard when she felt someone sit down by her feet. They carefully moved her foot to their lap and unwrapped the bandage. She moved a little, squinting, and was surprised to see Dr Lee.

"What are you doing here?" she said, her voice hoarse from sleep.

"Jin told me you and Yoongi were shaken up, so I came."

"He asked you to come?"

"No, not exactly. He asked my opinion, and my opinion was to come. Roll for me." He smiled and patted her leg. She shifted onto her back, which gave him a better angle.

"He gave me shots in the bottom of my foot. That was the worst." She sighed. Lee carefully unwrapped the bandage to see what damage she had done.

"He glued it?" Lee looked up at Pak, surprised. "Did he clean it well before he did that? He didn't use iodine, I see." Lee was annoyed. Without cleaning a wound, gluing the skin together was a great way of breeding an infection.

"I took a shower. Maybe it washed off."  Ami yawned.

"He numbed her up and made sure the glass was out. He was going to stitch her, but she was a little bit of a mess after the shots. He thought gluing would be less stressful in the long run."  Pak sat down on the opposite couch.

"Did he give you any other medications? " he asked, but she shook her head no. "Ok." He patted her foot, not impressed with how she was handled, but he didn't want to worry her. "I've brought some antibiotics for you to take. I want to stay on top of it instead of waking up tomorrow worse than today." He cupped his hands around her foot, one over her cuts and one resting on top of her foot.

"So, tell me about Iceland." He smiled. "I've heard it's beautiful."  They watched her smile, reliving the last three days, minus the morning events. "It is. Actually...Yoongi and I got married there."

Pak's jaw dropped at her easy confession. As far as he knew, they hadn't shared that with him yet.

"Oh, did you now?"  he looked surprised, "I always thought it would be you and Namjoon if I had to pick one of them."

Pak silently glanced between them while internally glitching a little.

"Well, we will be, " she said as she started playing with her t-shirt.  "Actually, they've all asked me...sooooo..."  She looked at Lee, who cocked his head as he stared at her, "Um, so, when we went to France, Tae and I got married.  Then Jimin in Tonga and Jin in Italy.  Yoon took me to Iceland, and now we are here."

He took in what she was telling him, processing it slowly. He knew they were together in some capacity but didn't know they had taken it to the next or final step.  "So, they all asked?"

"Yes, " she said softly. He looked at Pak, who gave him a confirming nod.

"I see.  Well, would explain the private vacations."  He paused as he leaned back, thinking about what that looked like, never moving his hands from around her foot. 

Ami chewed on her lip while he was quiet, "Are you disappointed?"

"What?" he looked at her surprised. "NO!  No, why would I be disappointed?"

"I don't know."  She shrugged, "It's not a super socially acceptable arrangement."

"Ami. Am I surprised? Sure, but you just casually mentioned that you are married four times over, with three more to go.  I knew you were all together, somehow.  I'm glad they are stepping up and being men about it."  he smiled. "You're the perfect person for them to focus their time and energy.  You've all been really good for each other for a long time.  I just worry about how it will affect you if it gets out.  Who all knows?"

"Um, Su, Choi, Quon, Jae, Pak...and now you.  That's it."

"Good."  He nodded, approving of the shortlist and the fact that it included everyone in her immediate bubble.

"What about Wendy?"  Pak joined in the conversation, a little more grounded than before they napped. Lee looked back to Ami as she sighed, "Wendy doesn't know...yet."

"Do you want to tell her?" 

"I don't know.  It's a big order, and I don't want her to freak out.  I get the feeling from the consensus that people want me to tell her.  I'm not opposed if it isn't going to push her away.  I value her friendship more than sharing everything."

"Su spent a lot of time with her this week, I heard. He usually has a really good read on people. Talk to him on the way home."  Lee smiled. "That being said, congratulations.  I'm sure being here and Yoongi being there is hard."

"It's horrible." She sighed.

"Well, from what Su has told me, they hope for us all to be flying home tomorrow." 

"I hope so."  She looked over at Pak, who was shaking his head, thinking about how she dropped it on Dr. Lee.  "Good god, you stress me out. I'm going to get us something to drink."  Pak wandered off down the hall to see what they had in the kitchen. 

"Why is he stressed out?"  Lee questioned.

"Because I didn't tell him I was going to tell you, actually, I didn't plan on it.  It just felt right to share, and I wasn't going to hide it on the ride home.  I can't share it with just anyone, you know?  It's hard sometimes to be so happy about something, but then you have to act like it's not real in mixed company."  She sighed.  Lee thought for a moment, then leaned in, "Um, he's not part of... your..."

"OH god, NO!"  Ami laughed.  "Him and Jae. That's it, no more in their pod."

"Good."  He sat back and relaxed again.  "Now, tell me about your other weddings.  I want to hear about them all."  He smiled.

 

 

 

Chapter 23

While Dr Lee was getting settled and talking to Ami and Pak, Wendy landed in Korea.  The flight had been long, giving her lots of undivided time to think about everything that had happened over the last few days.  As the plane touched down, her phone rang.

"Heeey, perfect timing.  I just landed."

"Heeey Love.  I know.  I was tracking you.  How was your flight?" Riggs was happy to have her closer and out of New York.

"It was quiet, which was nice.  What time is it?  My body is so messed up from flying around the world and back."

"It's about 8 a.m. where you are. You need to drink a lot of water, eat good food today, and rest."

"You think I've been traveling with you long enough that it wouldn't affect me so much." she sighed.

"Our trips aren't long like what you've put in over the past few days, darling.  I'm glad you're going to have some downtime to recover.  As much as I want you here with me, taking a break and not being drug around the world for a moment will be really good for you.  I can't wait to see you though."

"I miss you," she said softly.

"I miss you too.  It won't be long.  Let me get Harry sorted out, and I'll be there before you know it.  Call me tonight before you go to bed.  Can you do that, Love?"

"I will.  Promise.  Tell Harry hi for me.  Oh, the plane just parked...I think I'm finally here." She looked out and saw a car pulling up outside the plane.

"Give the guys my best.  Love you."

"I love you too.  Bye." She hung up as the engines shut down.  Wendy stood up to collect her bags, then heard the door open as Jae popped into the cabin.

"HI!  You're here!!" She bounced over to her and squeezed her tightly in a hug.

"Hello!" Wendy laughed as the two girls embraced.  "I can honestly say I'm so happy to be here finally."

"You've had a shit show of a week."

"You have no idea." Wendy sighed.

"Come on.  Let's get you out of here." Just then, Byun joined them.  "Wendy, this is Byun.  He's making sure we get to where we are going." Jae grinned as she took Wendy's big suitcase from her.

"Hello.  Welcome to Korea." Byun gave her a little bow and smiled.

"Hello." She waved back as he now took the big bag from Jae.  "Is this all the luggage?"

"Um, yeah.  I think that's it." She looked around one more time to make sure she had everything.

"Ok.  Come on. The guys are waiting for us." Jae took her hand, and they walked out to the awaiting car. After being cooped up for fourteen hours, the fresh air smelled so good.

The girls settled into the back seats while Byun put the bag in the trunk.  "Um, this car is nice ." Wendy was taking in the luxury of their ride.

"It's Ami's car," Jae smirked.  "Su wanted Byun to drive it.  Wait until he takes off.  It's so smooth, you hardly feel like you're moving."

"Fuck, this is her car?"

"Yeah. Look!  It has seat warmers!" Jae pushed some buttons to turn them on.

"So, she's off with Yoongi right now, then?"

Jae leaned over to her, "Yup. Let's talk about all that when we get back to the house.  Byun knows Ami is Suki, but not everything-everything...does that make sense?"

Wendy laughed, "Yes and no, but got it."

Byun hopped back in and started them on the trek to the house as the girls chatted in the back seat.

It wasn't long before they pulled into the gated development and started up the hill, weaving up the winding road.  "The guys live here?" Wendy's eyes were huge at the size of the houses and expensive-looking properties.

"They do." Jae smiled.

"Do you?" Wendy looked at her friend as she shook her head no.  "Kai and I have an apartment not too far from here.  You and I are going to take over their guest house."

"Daaaamn." She murmured as they finally pulled into the gated circle drive of the boy's large home.

"Yeah.  It's something the first time you see it.  I had the same look," Jae grinned.  "Come on." The two opened the doors and got out as the front door opened, and the six walked out to greet them.  

"Look who I found!" Jae called out as Wendy slung her bag over her shoulder and grinned.  "Hey guys, long time no see."

"Heeeey, how are you?  How was the flight?" Jimin was the first to ask as they walked out. They had all been anxious to see Wendy after Su told them what had happened to them in New York.  They had been through a gamut of emotions and couldn't imagine her feelings.  They also knew Ami would be beside herself when she found out someone targeted them.

"Um, the flight was long and uneventful.  Really ready to not be moving for a moment.  Thanks for letting me invade for a few days."

"Absolutely. Come on.  Let's get you settled." Jungkook smiled and stepped aside so Jae and Wendy could head in first.

"Jin has made enough food to last us for weeks.  I hope you're hungry." Hobi grinned.

"I'm sure I can eat, but honestly, my body has no idea what timezone I'm in anymore.  It doesn't know what it wants."

"I get it.  It's going to take you a few days to get reset," Tae said as he brought up the rear of the group.

Namjoon and Jin stayed to talk to Byun.  "How was the drive?  Any problems?" Jin took the suitcase so he could take it in.

"Nope.  Easy ride, no issues at all.  Do you need anything else before I take off?"

"No.  Thanks, Byun." Namjoon reached out and shook his hand as the group entered the house.

"Ok.  Call me if you need anything.  See you in a couple of days."

 

"Wow." Wendy glanced around at the scale of the house as Namjoon and Jin finally joined.   It was and wasn't what she expected global superstars to live in; it felt more homey even though it had luxury touches. "So, you all live together?"

"We do.  We have for twelve years or so.  Come on.  We'll give you a quick lay of the land." Hobi volunteered as he motioned to Jimin and Tae to come with them.

"Yeah, okay, that sounds good." Jungkook took the bag she had slung over her shoulder from her.  "Oh, thanks." She smiled and followed Hobi, Jimin, and Tae for a quick tour.

"Car ride went well?" Jin asked as Jae pulled up a stool at the island.  He pulled two water bottles from the fridge for the girls, twisting the caps loose before setting them down in front of Jae. "Yup.  She's happy to be here and out of New York.  Riggs texted her like twenty times on the way here.  OH.  I didn't tell her Ami lives here yet."

"Where does she think she lives?" Kook looked confused.

"I don't know, but I didn't want to have too many conversations about that in front of Byun." She took a sip of water while the three looked surprised.

"You don't trust him?" Namjoon asked.

"No.  I do.  But she has to have questions I didn't want to answer or fake through them in front of him.  I thought it would be easier to have all the conversations here, in the safety of your vortex."

"Our vortex?" Jin smirked.

"You know what I mean." She put her elbow on the counter and her chin in her hand.  "Anyway.  I think after breakfast we'll go relax at my place.  The girl needs to unwind from her week of chaos."

"Your apartment?" Joon frowned, "That's not going to work, Jae."

"Nooo.  My house.  What you affectionately call your guest house." She cheesed.  "I mean, I stay in it the most, so I figure I would claim it.  Like a squatter."

The four could hear the muffled tour conversation from somewhere in the house as they went room to room.

Jae took another sip as she watched the three change their expressions, now thinking about what she said.  "Ohhh.  I don't know if I like the sound of that." Kook finally said.

"That I'm a squatter?" She grinned.  She enjoyed keeping the guys on their toes with her randomness.

"No, that's the thing, you aren't." Jin looked to Namjoon, "Remember what we talked about before?  What do you think?  We could look into it. I don't want her to think she is."

"Do what?" She glanced between them.

"I thought we were going to talk to Pak first." The three now having a complete side-bar conversation without her.

"What about Ami?" Kook jumped in.

"Pfff. She'll love it." Jin blew off that notion of filing his wife in first.

"OH, for the love of it!  What are you crazy men talking about?" Jae said a little louder as the tour returned to join them in the kitchen.  The three snapped out of their secret language conversation as they were all back together.

"How was the tour?" Namjoon smiled.

"Impressive.  I don't know how much I'll remember but..."

"Wait.  Hold up." Jae now had her hands up as everyone looked at her in surprise, all except Namjoon, Jin, and Kook.  "What were you three talking about?"

Namjoon smiled, "Don't worry about it.  Kook and Jin, why don't you help carry the bags to Jae's house for Wendy."

"I thought you didn't live here?" Wendy looked confused.

"I don't!  They're being all cryptic!" Jae said, exasperated.  "They do this sometimes.  Beware." She joked as she got up and took Wendy by the arm, leading her out the sliding doors to the pool and down to the guest house.

"Um, what was that all about?" Hobi leaned forward and asked.  Namjoon waited until the girls were well out of earshot, filling them in quickly.

"Jae joked she's a squatter and has claimed the guest house as her own."

"What?  She feels like a squatter?" Tae frowned as Joon continued.  "Jin, Kook, and I talked a while ago about buying a neighboring property and knocking out part of the wall to make a gate.  The house next door is about ready to be put on the market. What do you think about buying it for Jae and Pak? It might be the right time."

"You want to buy the house next door for them?" Jimin's jaw dropped.  "I mean, I'm not against it, but I think Pak might have something to say about it.  We barely got him to accept a car."

"You know, he might not want to live next to us.  That might be a little close for him.  I'm pretty sure they need a little space from us sometimes.  I mean, I would." Hobi said, a little more grounded.

"Joon. Think about how this week would have looked with Jae." Jimin said a little more seriously.  "She would have been next door at her house more than here.  We have more control, for lack of a better word, if she's here versus at a house by herself next door.  I think Pak likes this arrangement because it's tighter.  I mean, we didn't want her to sleep alone in the guest house.  How would that have worked if she lived next door."

"What if we bought the place but used it as a guest house?" Tae leaned back against the counter with his arms crossed.  "Jae and Pak can officially have the place they use now when they want to, but when we need extra security or have people come, we have a proper space to put them.  I mean, the guest house here isn't a garden shed by any means."

***

"Well, this is cute." Wendy smiled as Jae showed her in, and Jin and Kook followed behind.

"It is.  Wait until you try the bed, it sucks you in, and you'll never want to leave." She grinned.  "Best beds in the world.  Come on, your room is this way, and mine is over there." Jae pointed to the opposite corner of the room as she showed Wendy to the second bedroom.

Jin set the suitcase near the bedroom door as they listened to Jae give her a rundown of the room. " She looks drained," Kook said quietly.

"Well, it's been a hell of a week.  I think we need to keep it pretty low-key for a few days." Jin smiled as the two returned. "Do you two want to eat, or do you need to rest first?"

"Honestly, I think a shower is in order.  No need to scar everyone with the smell of 10,000 miles." Wendy scrunched her nose as they understood.  

"Hey, we know exactly what it feels like.  A long hot shower is the best after a long flight.  We stocked the kitchen here for you two, but you're welcome to anything up at the house anytime.  Please let me know if she needs anything we don't have." Jin said seriously to Jae.

"I know.  Thanks, guys." She said sincerely. "Now, out you go. We'll come up later, promise." Wendy laughed as Jae shooed them out and shut the door behind them. "There." She sighed. "Ok, come on. I'll show you where the towels are."

***

The guys looked over to see Jin and Kook trotting back to join them.  "Jae kicked us out.  Where are we at?" Kook grinned.

"She kicked you out?" Jimin smirked.

"Well, they decided to shower and get cleaned up...so... you know, we don't need to be there for that."

"Um, we are talking about buying the place next door, but use that as a proper guest space and give Pak and Jae priority over the guest house." Hobi quickly caught them up.

"Ohh. That is an idea." Jin thought over the logistics as they talked about why they thought that might be more acceptable.

"You know, Su might like having a space to station his guys out of when we need it.  Next door might do the trick.  It preserves the place below for Jae and Pak and our place from being the main meeting spot all the time. It's fine when it's just Choi and Quon, but when we need more guys...I like having a place next door as a better option." Namjoon started looking for his phone as they all talked.  "Should we go see it before they put it on the market?  Maybe we can do a deal with the owners, keep everything quiet."

"Call them and see if you, Tae, and Hobi can go over today.  I don't think we all need to go," Jin said as he started to pull plates and bowls out for later.  "We can always buy it to secure the space, then decide how to use it later."

"If we did offer it to Pak and Jae and they accept it, we need to realize it's their house.  It's not a staging area for work.  We can't treat it that way.  The same goes if they choose the guest house.  We can't call it that anymore.  They aren't guests, and I don't want them to feel that way," Kook said as they all worked out more logistics.

"After what happened in New York with Su and Wendy, I'm more concerned we have a space for Su or keep it available for Choi and Quon if needed.  What if Wendy needs to stay longer?  I like that Jae and Pak would still be on the property, and I think it needs to stay that way the more we talk about it." Namjoon sighed as he walked out of the room to call the neighbor.

"So, are we going to give Su a heads-up if we go through with it, or are we surprising him?" Jimin grinned.

"I think he would be soooo uncomfortable if we did it without his knowledge.  He doesn't like being out of the loop.  Should we give him a call and get a quick opinion?" Tae pulled out his phone.  "What time is it in New York?"

"We need to wait." Hobi shook his head.  "Don't make this an emergency.  Yoongi and Ami are the emergencies.  He has enough going on without us asking his professional opinion about a random purchase. Let's wait until we see the place, at least.  Maybe we won't want it after seeing it.  We need to let Su do what he needs to right now."

"Yup. Let's see it first.  As much as I love the idea, let's make sure we want to do it with this property before letting him know.  He will want to see it anyway, and that won't be for a few days." Jungkook sighed. 

**

Down at the guest house, Wendy was standing in the hot shower.  The water felt amazing, and she wasn't hurrying to get out.  Jae had told her to take her time.  There was no rush. They had no plans for the day. 

Jae sat in the corner of the couch, curled up with her phone.  She texted Ami for the first time since she had left earlier in the week.

Hey there. I'm sure you've heard, but Wendy made it.  Your boys are being overly gracious hosts, as usual.  Hope you and Yoongi are ok...also...fucking amazing wedding pictures.  You two looked perfect.

It wasn't long before her phone rang,

"Hey there.  How are you?  How's Yoon?" She heard Ami sigh.  "He's okay, I think.  They are keeping him for the night, and Su won't let me go to the hospital to see him.  So that sucks.  Your Kai and I have been locked down in the Penthouse of The Mark Hotel, which is the most ridiculous overkill I've seen from them in a long time. Lee's here for a bit, but then he's heading to see Yoongi.  How are you? How's Wendy?"

"She's taking a shower to wash the travel off her.  I think she needs a good rest after the week she had. We're doing nothing but sitting, napping, and catching up today."

"Yeah, I can't believe someone broke into her place.  That sucks." She sighed. "Did they steal anything?"

"Last I heard, it was just her Dior dress."

"Who the fuck breaks in to steal a Dior dress and nothing else?" Ami groaned.  Lee was still sitting on the couch with her, still holding her foot in his hands.   He glanced over at Pak, who caught on to what the girls were talking about. "Hey, Ami.  Can I say hi quick?" Pak jumped up and reached out to her for the phone.

Ami smirked, "Jae, your Kai is here needing some attention.  Just a moment." She handed him the phone.  "I'm not done with that conversation, by the way."

"Okay, no problem. Hey baby, how are you?" Pak asked as he left the room for a quick private chat with Jae. 

"Hi, Kai." She snuggled deeper into the couch to talk to him.

"Hey baby, listen.  Ami and Yoongi don't know about them being jumped yet.  Su wants to tell them on the plane ride home.  Please don't mention it right now," he said quietly.

"She doesn't know?  Kai, she needs to know." Jae frowned.

"And she will.  Soon, in like 12 hours or so.  It's going to piss them off, and right now, all that energy needs to be focused on Yoongi."

She paused, "I thought they were watching him for the night.  He just broke his arm, right?" Now, it was Pak's turn to pause. "Kai? What's going on?"

"Jae. He's ok.  It was a long flight for someone who had to travel with a broken arm and no real meds....it was a lot for him." She sat up now on the edge of the couch. "Kai, they just got married, what's wrong?" He could hear the tightening in her throat at the thought of something really wrong with Yoongi and Ami not being able to be there with him.  She knew if it were her, she would be losing her mind.

"Baby.  He's ok, I promise.  Su is there with Choi and Quon...well..Choi is coming back here to rest soon.  We hope to leave tomorrow morning, and Su will talk to them when we are well in the air.  Promise, just not tonight, ok?  It helps no one if she gets that information now without Su here to give her all the details.  Please."

"Okay." She said with a sad note in her voice. "Um.  Ami said you two are sequestered in the Penthouse."

"Yeah.  We have to stay here until we fly out.  Su doesn't want them seen together if it gets out Yoongi is here.  Not after this week."

Ami was waiting for Pak to return after hijacking her phone call with Jae.  She was zoning out, staring at Lee's hands carefully wrapped around her foot. "How does your foot feel?" He asked, snapping her out of her fog. 

"OH.  Actually, it doesn't burn as much as it did before."

"Good.  Then it's working." He smiled as he squeezed her foot a little tighter.

"What's working?  Do you have magic in your hands?" She teased.

"Maybe.  Maybe that's why I'm so good." he winked.  Before she could ask him more questions, Pak returned and handed her phone back to her. "Sorry about that.  Thanks."

Jae heard the phone change hands again, and Ami was back on. "Hi there."

"Hi." Jae sighed, changing the subject. "So, how's your foot?  I heard you sliced it."

"I did.  Dr. Lee is using magic on it as we speak." She smirked as he raised his hands and wiggled his fingers over her foot before putting them back in their prior position.  Pak sat down and stifled a laugh as he pulled out his phone and texted Su.

"Well, that sounds about right. He's the best." Jae smiled.

"He is."

***

"Tae, Hobi, the owners are next door finishing packing.  They said now is the perfect time to come over and see the place.  Anyone else want to go?" Namjoon asked as he slipped on his shoes.

"I do." Jimin hopped up and joined them as they all slipped on their shoes.

"We won't be long," Namjoon called out to Jin and Kook, who were staying back.   The four left quickly, not wanting the girls to notice they were missing.   Kook and Jin sat in the living room together as the house went quiet. 

"So.  Joon tells me you have a secret sex dungeon disguised as your art studio." He smirked as he took a long sip of coffee.

Kook laughed, "No. That's not entirely true." He threaded his fingers behind his head and leaned back. "It is my art studio, but Tae modified it briefly."

"Mm.  Well.  Whatever it is, Namjoon won't shut up about it." Jin watched Kook think for a moment, wanting to find the right words. "Jin.  What Joon and I did up there can never happen with Ami.  I told him that." He said a little more seriously. "As insanely hot that would be, that is crossing a huge line.  Now," He nodded a little, "If any of us willingly want to go up and explore options between us, I think that can be arranged.  But to her, that is only my art studio."

"Tae told me you made that rule," he said a little more softly. "Were you ok with everything?"

"It was exactly what both of us needed at the time," he said sincerely. "He needed to get it out, and I needed him to give it to me."

***

About thirty minutes later, Wendy found Jae lounging on the couch, flipping through the news on her phone. "Were you able to take a layer off?" She teased.

"OH, my god.  That was needed for everyone's sake.  I feel like I'm still moving through the air, though." She joined Jae in the opposite corner of the couch, sinking in.  "It's so quiet."

"It's nice.  Sometimes sitting in the quiet is good.  So, I know you probably have questions we need to get out of the way." Jae smiled. "I'll start with the elephant in the room.  Ami lives here with the guys. They've all lived together for a few years actually, but it's a massive secret, as you can imagine."

"Have they always lived here?"

"Mm.  No.  They guys all lived in an apartment for a while.  They then all met and eventually moved in together.  They bought this place not too long ago, maybe a year or two?  I don't know.  It all blurs together anymore." She sighed. 

"Why didn't you want to talk in front of Byun?" She was curious.  "Does he know she lives here?"

"He does." Jae took a big breath.  "So, here's what you need to know: Su, Pak, Choi, Quon, and I are the only people you can speak freely in front of about Ami and the guys.  Byun, while he knows Ami is Suki," she paused.  "He's trusted, but they don't want their private circle to grow larger within their work circle.  Does that make sense?  This business is weird, and people are always trying to glean information.  The tighter the circle, the more control they have.  If it got out, those eight lived together, would be a bloodbath."

"Well, after what the media and fans said just after they came out as friends, I can only imagine." Wendy sighed. "What a shit show."

"Yeah.  Exactly.  So, the rule of thumb is if we are outside these walls,  we don't talk about it.  We don't elude.  It doesn't exist."

"You know, no one would care if they weren't who they were.  How frustrating that must be for them and you, too."

"It can be.  I turn on my work brain when we go out together.  It keeps me focused." She smiled.  "It helps that I have Kai, and we can talk about things.  If I were her assistant and didn't have someone to talk to about 'work,' I don't know if I could do it."

"I'm sure it helps him too." Wendy smiled as she watched her friend talk lovingly about her boyfriend.

"You know I envy you a little," Jae smirked.

"Me?  Why!"

"Well, the first time Ami brought me here, I met the guys for the first time." She leaned forward a little, "and I was a fan.  So, my brain fully melted out of my ears from meeting them AND just seeing this place.  I lived in a little ground-floor apartment at the time, so this was a lot to take in.  You, on the other hand, seem to have taken it all in stride.  Granted, we all hung out in Italy." 

"Oh, my god!  No!" Wendy laughed.  "I'm glad I'm coming off as a normal person.  I think I'm just too exhausted for my brain to process.  I mean, a private plane to New York.  Su doing whatever top-level shit that Su does, then being flown back and all this? I'm fully overloaded.  I think that's why I'm here now and not back with Riggs.  He said the tour's been rough, and he doesn't want me to return to that madness yet."

"I get that." Jae let her talk.

"I mean.  After getting the call, someone accosted my place.  Traveling halfway across the world, then cleaning it out in two days." She paused as she thought about everything.  "Su.  Su was a fucking lifesaver.  I would still be there, probably staring at my kitchen."

"Yeah, Su has some special powers, that's for sure." Jae smiled.

 

Back up at the house, the four returned from their quick tour of the house next door. "It's perfect. It's smaller than our place, only five bedrooms, but it has a cute pool house out back with a bed.  The master is on the main floor, too.  We looked at the boundary, and it would be easy to put a gate between the two properties." Hobi sat down next to Kook and shared photos with him.

"It has a four-car garage, which would be helpful; we're running out of space here," Jimin added.

"Does it need any major remodeling?" Jin crossed his arms and asked.

"Not for guest house purposes. It's good-sized, has lots of windows, and it's clean.  We would need basic furnishings but nothing wild and crazy." Tae smiled, "What if we opened up the two properties and made it one giant one?  If we remove the fence and hedge the garages butt against each other.  That's a lot more parking."

"I think that takes away the privacy we want if Su uses it for his team." Namjoon sat down last to join them. "We're going to get that with our new place anyway; let's leave these houses as they are. They'll be easier to sell that way anyway."

Jae and Wendy spent the rest of the morning talking and catching up while the guys made secret plans for the property next door and the now not-so-guest house below.

 

Back in New York.

"Hey, Dr. Lee." Su greeted him as he joined him and Quon at the hospital.

"Hello yourself. How's he doing?" He looked over to Yoongi, who was resting peacefully.

"He's doing ok. We'll know more in the morning.  Do you want to talk to the doctor?"

"Yeah, that would be good.  Quon, can you find him for me?" Lee smiled as Quon stood up. "Absolutely.  Be right back." They waited for him to leave, and then Lee returned to Su. "You ok from your street battle?"

"It wasn't much of a battle.  They never landed a hit."

"Wendy unscathed?" Lee walked over and started looking over the charts.

"More or less." He sighed as Lee looked at him with a questioning look.  "Besides, I'm sure being freaked out, she wasn't hurt," he said quietly. 

"You look like hell."

"It's been a long day.  How are Pak and Ami doing?"

"Fine. They're fine." Lee looked around the room and noticed a long couch in the corner. "Go sleep. I'm going to talk to the doctor a little, then I'll stay up with him."

"No, no, it's fine."

"Su." Lee gave him a look that only an elder could get away with. "We have a long flight home.  Pak filled me in, and I understand a lot is happening, so you need to rest.  If there's an issue, I'll wake you up." He watched Su let out a long breath and think, finally agreeing and heading to the couch in the corner.  Lee smiled, resumed reading the charts, and waited for the doctor. 

Chapter 24

Yoongi had been lying still for a long time, dosing in and out to the sounds of staff shuffling around or the low tones of Su talking to someone. He finally started to open his eyes a little, becoming a little more conscious of the world. 

"Hello there,"  he heard someone say as he waited for his eyes to focus. He then turned to see Dr Lee sitting patiently next to him.  "How are you feeling?" Yoongi frowned, trying to figure out how and why he was there.

"You're here. How long have I been here?" He said in a gravelly voice.  Quon looked up and quietly watched the two talking as Su was sleeping hard on the couch.

"About nine hours. It's the middle of the night." He stood up and picked up a water bottle with a straw, offering it to him.  Yoongi tried to lean forward to take a sip but quickly stopped and stayed still.  "Let me help,"  Lee pushed the button on the bed, raising him a little to a better sitting position. 

"Do you need more meds?"  He asked as they waited for the bed to finish repositioning.

"No.  I don't think so. I think I'm stiff from not moving.  Where's Ami?  Is she ok?"  He graciously took a long sip before Lee answered. 

"She's okay.  Su has them at a hotel up the street.  She's there with Pak and Choi, and they will meet us on the plane when they release you."

"She shouldn't be by herself."  He sighed, "I should be there with her."

"She's not.  When I left, Pak and her were camping out on the couches for the night." Lee shrugged his shoulders, "I don't understand it.  Huge Penthouse, and they chose the couches." 

"Pak is staying with her?"  Lee saw him relax, and a relief flashed over his face. "Good." 

Quon watched Lee think momentarily, "Pak is really an intricate part of your group, isn't he? He's more than just her security or friend to you all."

"Minus Su, Pak is probably one of the most important people to all of us.  Jae is up there, too.  I think we all understand each other on a deeper personal level...without ever crossing the line."  he clarified.  "Ami doesn't sleep well alone, especially when things are stressful.  As you can imagine, we've all been spoiled for the past few years.   Pak understands that not just knows, but understands. That's why they are on the couches tonight.  He's not going to let her be by herself.  It's not the first time he's done that, and we've done it for Jae."

"My guess is that tonight, Pak needed that too,"  Lee said quietly as Yoongi gave him a questioning look.  "You know you should have stayed in Iceland."

Yoongi took a deep breath. "We needed to leave.  I'm ok." 

"You're ok because they're giving you this."  He looked up at an IV bag hanging next to him. "You were in shock by the time you landed.  I think Pak feels a little responsible for not taking you in immediately.  Shock is very serious."

"No."  Yoon shook his head, "We needed to get out of there.  It was my call to leave."

"Well.  I'm letting you know so you are aware that might not be how he's feeling right now.  That's one side effect of being as interwoven as you all are.  Personal emotions come into play. Work is not just work anymore.  You can't clock out and leave it at the office.  What you all have found and created is amazing for each of you.  I don't want to see that break down."

Quon understood what Lee was talking about.  Before Choi left, he and Quon had a quick conversation and had similar feelings.  Maybe not as deep as Pak, but what Lee said resonated with him. 

"You just need to be aware.  A little sage advice."  Lee patted his leg as he got up and adjusted his IV meds.  

"Thank you." 

"You're welcome, " he winked. Now, I hear proper congratulations are in order."  He watched a peaceful smile cross Yoongi's face. "Thank you. Did Ami tell you?"

"She did.  She was so excited to share all her wedding news with someone. You know, finding one person to marry is an extraordinary thing.  Seven is a master class in patience for the average person."  Yoongi let out a tired little laugh. "I suppose, but that's not our relationship with her or each other.  We aren't the norm."

"I know.  I've watched you seven for years. You're all very in sync now."  He chose his words carefully and smiled.  "You know, I hated those years you were all dating different people.  As a group, you felt more scattered and independent. You're all so much stronger now, personally cohesive.  I'm happy you've all stepped up to protect what needs protecting."

"We always will,"  he said seriously.

"I know you will."

***

"Hey, I was just going to come down and check on you two."  Jin smiled as he saw Jae come in through the patio door. 

"We talked for a long time, and then she passed out on the couch.  I thought I would give her some space. Um, I have a question for you guys, though. Something she said kind of threw me off, and I don't know if I missed it before or what." Jimin shut his computer as he and Jin gave her their attention.

"So, um, Su told us some junkies jumped them, and that's what she said happened...but she was also under the impression someone was hired to trash her place."

"I'm sorry, what?" Jimin looked at her, shocked.

"KIM NAMJOON!"  Jin yelled out through the house.  Although he only called for him, the others knew something was up.

"I mean..."

"No.  Wait until the rest get here."  Jin said seriously.  Jae nervously waited as the rest of the guys joined them.  "What's going on?"  Joon asked as he arrived last.

"Jae has something to share."  He looked back at her as they all now focused on her.   "Um, Wendy and I were talking, and she said Su thought someone was hired to trash her place."  Their facial expressions told her this was news to them, too. 

"Is she sure?"  Tae was rubbing between his eyes.

"She asked the morning after, and he said he had his people looking into all the details, and he wasn't going to worry about it until he had more answers."

"Why? Why would someone do that?" Hobi shook his head.

"She said...it might have been to get to us." Jae scrunched up her face as it all suddenly clicked for them.

"Ooooohh ffuuuuck.  Fuck."  Hobi sat stunned. They all were.  Jimin looked over to Jae and pulled out the chair next to him. She instantly walked over and sat down beside him. 

"This is a major problem."  Jin was trying not to flip his shit.

"Namjoon, did he say anything to you about that?  You're the one he spoke to."  Kook crossed his arms as now they all looked at him.  Joon thought back to the phone call, trying to remember what he said and didn't say. 

"When he called me, it had just happened.  I asked him if it was a wrong place or time situation, and he said he wasn't sure."

"Well, that's not a no!" Hobi yelled in frustration.

"I know."  Namjoon sighed, trying to stay calm for the group but equally upset. "He said he didn't want to tell us as much as he did, but Wendy was coming, and he didn't want us to get blindsided."

"Well, that didn't work very well." Kook scoffed.

"You guys have to remember the night it happened rolled into the next day when Ami and Yoongi flew in.  He's juggling a lot.  If it's true, he needs time to sort it out. So, we need to wait and be supportive.  It's done.  Wendy's here.   We don't like it, but he'll tell us when he knows more."

"I don't understand how you are so calm about this." Jin sat bewildered.

"How do you want me to be!"  Joon yelled.  "I'm fucking PIIIIIISSSSED!  Someone fucked with Wendy to get to Ami and Jae or Su or us!   It's been a fucked up last few days!  We're all spread out, and Su can't do anything from New York! He's fucking making sure Yoongi has the care he needs so he can fly home while making sure they are both safe because apparently there is a psychopath out there with an agenda!  The worst part is Ami and Yoongi probably don't know yet!  How do you think that's going to go down?!"  He paused for a moment while the room was quiet.  He regrouped and said more calmly but still with some grit,  "Su had them arrested.  He fought them.  While we are all sitting here, he's out there fighting fucking people for us...so...we need... to fucking... wait." 

Jae didn't move.  She sat perfectly still, her eyes wide as they sat silently.  Namjoon eventually turned and headed towards his library.  Jin, Hobi, and Kook followed him, while Tae and Jimin stayed with Jae.

"I've never seen him so angry, " she finally said quietly. "I'm sorry I said anything."

"No. Don't be sorry.  Better to get this out now than in front of Wendy. Riggs would never let her come back."  Tae took Jae's hands and pulled her up.  "Come on.  Let's get ice cream."

"Ice cream?"  She asked as he walked her over to the kitchen.

"Yup.  We're going to take a page out of Quon's book and have something sweet. Jimin, get the bowls."

 

"Joon. What are you doing?"  Hobi asked carefully as they watched him dig around on his desk.

"I'm sorry."  Jin said, "I didn't mean to push.  I think I'm more scared than frustrated that someone went to this length."   Joon put his hands on his desk and paused, dropping his head as he took a breath.    They could see the tears of frustration silently dropping onto his desk.  Kook locked the door.

"I'm just as mad as you guys are about everything." He stood up and wiped his face.  "I'm mad Ami has two girlfriends, two. And someone is trying to do everything possible to destroy that."

"No one is going to destroy that,"  Jungkook said softly.

"Wendy doesn't need this.  She can put her hands up and walk anytime.  Jae could..."  

"Joon."  Hobi leaned forward across the desk, staring at him.  "They aren't going to destroy anything.  We aren't going to let that happen."   

He started looking in his drawers again, finally finding the number he was looking for.  He took out his phone and started dialing.  "What are you doing?"  Jin frowned. 

"Buying a fucking house.  I'm not asking him to take on another thing when he gets home.  We need the space."  The three thought for a moment, and then Kook took his wallet out and tossed his Black Card on his desk.  "I'm in."  Before the person answered on the other end, Jin and Hobi had tossed their cards on the desk, too.

 

***

 

The morning had finally come, and Yoongi was ready to be discharged.  The doctor came in with two wheelchairs, one for Yoon and one with a couple of boxes in the seat.

"Ready to go home?"  Su smiled as he and Quon helped him stand and then get reseated in one of the wheelchairs.

"Very.  What's in the boxes?" 

Lee looked inside a box and smiled, "Extras. Quon, can you please?"  He motioned for him to take over the chair with boxes as the doctor gave Yoongi the rundown for his discharge.

"Okay.  When you get home, you need to rest.  I know you're doing that all the way home, but it will take a while to feel 100%.  Your doctor may put a new cast on you in a week or so.  No drinking on these meds."  He was firm, "Not a good combination. Understand?"

"I do." Yoon nodded.

"Ok.  Dr. Lee, all the supplies you asked for are here.  Is there anything we can provide?"

"No.  We should be good.  Thank you."  He gave his counterpart a little bow. 

"No problem. Feel better soon."  The doctor clicked his pen and left the room as Choi joined him. 

"Ahh!  Look at you. Ready to go?" He smiled and nodded, letting Su know the SUV was ready for them.

"I am. Are the other two waiting in the car?"  Choi handed Su a hat and mask he could help put on him so he would stand out less.

"Nope. They're waiting for us at the plane."  Choi said. Su slipped the hat on Yoongi's head as Choi stood behind the chair, prepared to push him.  "Now, sit tight.  We're going to move.  If you need us to slow down, let us know."

"Are we going fast?"  Yoongi looked up as Su helped put his mask on. "We aren't going for a stroll.  Dr Lee?  Want to lead the way?"

"Yup.  Ok.  Let's go."  He opened the door and held it open for everyone as they filed out.  Yoongi lowered his hat, dropped his head, and closed his eyes. Then they started down long hallways and into the awaiting elevator.

"Doing okay?" Su asked, and he gave them a thumbs-up. The doors opened, and they were off again. What seemed like a long walk ended next to a blacked-out SUV in a parking garage. They had parked so that Su and Choi could take some extra time to help get him settled without being in the direct line of sight of people walking by. Quon put the boxes in the back as they closed Yoongi's door, and everyone climbed in, Su in the driver's seat. 

"Where's the driver?"  Yoongi leaned back to get comfortable as Lee, sitting next to him, reached over and pulled Yoongi's good hand onto his lap. He positioned it palm up and pressed his fingers on his wrist.

"You're looking at him."  Su smiled, "Lee?  Are we good?"

"One moment."  He looked at his watch as he waited and took Yoongi's pulse. "Ok. Let's go, " he said.  Dr. Lee wrapped his hand around his wrist, his fingers pressed to feel his pulse as they headed out onto the New York streets and to the airport.

Choi texted the group, saying they had left the hospital and were on their way to the plane.

Forty-five minutes later.

"They're here."  Pak smiled as Ami pulled herself up. They had been sitting on the plane talking for a couple of hours, anxiously waiting for them to arrive.  Pak walked up and opened the door as Ami stayed back, ready to see Yoongi with her own eyes and touch him again.

They all hopped out, and Choi opened Yoongi's door. As he slowly stood up, Su came around and took his hand. "Hey, I kept this safe for you. I thought you might want it back." He smiled as he slipped his wedding band back on his finger.

"Thank you, Su." 

"Come on, let's go home." Su stepped to the side and let him head up the stairs first.

Pak watched him move slowly with Su behind him. His arm was in a sling close to his body.

"Hey." He smiled a tired smile as he finally made it to the top. 

"Hey, yourself.  How are you feeling?"  Pak eyeballed him with a sigh.

"I'm good, Pak, really." He squeezed Pak's hand as he entered the plane and looked for Ami. "Hey, wife," he said, finally putting eyes on her.

"Hi," she said quietly as tears welled up. She carefully hugged him, burying her face into the shoulder that wasn't supporting his sling.  He held the back of her head as they hugged, breathing her in.  She looked up at him as he planted his lips on hers.  "God, I missed you.  Come on, let's sit." He let her go so she could use the seats on each side of the aisle to help support her as she hobbled down the row.

Sitting down, she scooted into the window seat as he gingerly sat beside her, immediately kissing her hand.  "I'm so sorry I had to leave you.  How are you?" 

"Perfect now."  She closed her eyes and leaned on him. 

"Yeah, me too." 

The guys quickly loaded and got settled on the plane. Choi and Quon took their regular spots in the front, with Dr. Lee and Su in the rows in front of Ami and Yoon. Pak started to get settled with Choi and Quon when he heard Yoongi call out to him. 

"Pak."  He looked back and saw him motion to the seat across the aisle.

Pak grabbed his bag and walked back to join them, sitting across the aisle as the plane started to move.  "Thank you.  Thank you for saving our asses in Iceland, and thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking care of Ami."  Yoongi said sincerely.  "I owe you everything."

Pak shook his head, "I don't think..."

"Pak.  We would have been stuck in Iceland.  We needed to leave, and now we're all going home.  Thank you."  He locked eyes with him, "Truly."

Pak saw Ami smile and look across at him, gently snuggled into Yoongi.  She mouthed 'thank you' at him as Pak conceded and nodded back, "You're welcome." 

Lee glanced over to Su and gave him a wink as Su listened, trying to figure out if he missed something. 

 

About half halfway home, Ami got up to use the bathroom.  As she was busy, Su got up and motioned to Pak to join him in the rear of the plane.  As they rearranged, Dr Lee sat down to talk quietly with Yoongi and keep him busy. 

"Ready to do this?" Pak asked as they both sat and waited for her.

"No,"  Su said truthfully. "I hate to do this on the heels of their wedding, but I want it to come from me, not someone else."   Soon, they looked up and saw her making her way back.  "Hey, come sit with me.  I want to talk to you."  Su slid over so she could have the aisle.  Pak turned sideways in the seat so his feet were in the aisle, resting his elbows on his thighs to be closer to the conversation they were about to have.

"First of all, how is your foot?" 

"Sore, but good. Lee said I'll make a full recovery."  She smiled.  "How did things go at the hospital?" 

"He did really well.  The staff was top-notch.  Lee was happy with everything.  He will need to rest a lot when we get home, and if he does that, he'll heal quickly.  Listen. I want to talk to you about New York and everything that happened.  As much as I don't want to do this now, it's the best time to do it before we land."

"What happened?  Wait, should Yoongi be here for this?"

"No.  I'll talk to him, but I want to talk to you first."  He didn't want to put the added stress on Yoongi right now.  Ami needed to know, but he could wait. 

"You know I went with Wendy to help her clean her place."

"Pak told me." She said slowly.

"That part went fine. Two days in and out. Wendy pushed hard to get it done. I was seriously impressed she was able to push through like she did. Her two friends, Emmett and Miles, were nearby, so they drove up and helped. They were a good distraction for the evening they were there.  We had some stuff shipped back to England that she wanted to keep, and she donated a lot."

"Okaaaay.  This all sounds fine..." 

Su sighed, "So, I'll preface this by telling you we're fine. Wendy's fine. They were arrested...but on the way back to the hotel the second night, we were jumped."

Ami stared at him, blinking. "What?  What do you mean?  What?"

"I mean," he said a little more softly, "some punks thought we were an easy mark, so they tried to rob us.  We weren't far from the hotel, it was night, and we were walking back. They stopped to try and give us a hard time, but that didn't go in their favor."

"You had to fight?" she asked, shocked, "But Pak said you don't fight."  Su looked at Pak, confused, and chimed in.  "We've had conversations in the past about you.  I told her you don't enjoy fighting. You much prefer to de-escalate things."

"There was only one way to de-escalate this."  Su looked back at her seriously. 

"Um, did you get hurt?"

"Please, they never had a chance."  He smiled, "Wendy was rightfully spooked, but they didn't touch her either. She's back at your place for a few reasons, though.  One, Harry's tour has taken a turn for safety, and Riggs asked her not to go back there right now.  Two, she's mentally and physically exhausted from flying from Bangkok to Korea to New York and back to Korea in a matter of 3-4 days.  Having to pack up her life and deal with the stress of someone going through her stuff is a lot by itself, then add on flying."

"And getting jumped." She added with a sigh.

"And getting jumped,"  he agreed. Su then remained quiet as they let her think about what he shared.

"God."  She sighed, "Ok, so, you said they were arrested?  It's over?" 

"In a way...Um, Ami, here's the thing. These guys knew we were there and waited for us, " he said gingerly as a confused look flashed across her face. "Excuse me?  They were waiting for you?  Waiting for you personally?"

"It appears so.  I've got our guys back home trying to sort it all out."

"How?  How would they know you were in New York?  How would they know you were where you were? Explain it to me like I'm five."  She rubbed her head as she felt her work brain kick back into gear.  She had been in happy wedding bliss vacation mode, and even after the earthquake, she stayed focused on the present and Yoongi.  It was inconceivable what he was implying.

"I'm trying to put the pieces together, but the person who trashed her place waited for her to come to deal with it.  They waited to see if she would come back.  The guys who jumped us weren't part of the apartment break-in exactly."

"They baited her?"  The color drained from her face, "Are you telling me they baited her to come back?  What did they want?"  They could see her wheels start to turn, "You weren't supposed to be there with her.  You were a last-minute decision...they would have no way of knowing that. What would they have done if you weren't there?"

"I don't know, " he said quietly. "I don't know if they were after her,  using her to get to us, or after me."

"SU! What the fuck!"

Yoongi's eyes shot open as he heard her yell out, and he immediately started to stand. "Just give them a minute,"  Lee said quietly.

"No." He groaned as he stood up quickly.  Su and Pak looked up as they saw him move.  "Hey!  Easy." Pak said as he shot up and went to help him.  "Yoongi, let them talk for a minute." He said quickly.  "No." He mumbled again, but he started to tilt as he felt dizzy.   Both men carefully helped him sit back in his seat.

"Pak?"  Yoongi gave him a pained look as he blinked slowly.

"I promise you. She's ok. Su is just giving her some information.  Everything is fine, I promise."

"Ami, listen to me," Su said quickly.  "I needed to tell you because we're going home, and I didn't want Wendy to drop it on you. I needed to be the one to tell you.  But I don't want to tell him yet.  Not until we get home and he gets some rest."

"Why?"  She said, shaking from the thought of someone targeting Wendy or him.

"Because he's dealing with shock, honey." He said seriously, taking her face in his hands and talking to her softly. "He needs rest."

"What?" She started tearing up as he slowly let her go. She looked up, and Pak knelt next to him, talking calmly while Dr Lee began rummaging through one of the boxes, pulling out an IV of meds to give him. 

Su kept talking as she watched them help her husband. "Please believe me, this was the last thing I wanted to tell you—especially this week. I would have waited, but I didn't want you to hear it the first time in front of Wendy. I'm so sorry." 

"Pak said on the plane they were watching him for that...is that why they kept him overnight? What does this mean?"

"It just means he was under a lot of stress before they could give him the proper meds.  They wouldn't have discharged him if he wasn't ready to fly, but I can tell you he's not ready to hear this news."

"Um.  Do the guys know back home?"  She wiped her face with the cuffs of her oversized sweatshirt.

"Yes, and I can tell you they are really, really angry about all of it."

"What does this mean for Wendy?  I mean, she has to be pissed and freaked out."

"I think she will be."  He sighed.

"What do you mean will be?"

"I don't think she's had time to process it all yet. Like I said, she traveled halfway around the world, went through the emotional drama of packing up her place, dealing with the feelings of someone invading your space, then...you know...and a long flight back home.  She hasn't had time.  The best thing is for her to be at the house with everyone right now, not being hauled around on a tour.  Riggs knows this.  She needs a minute or two or three."

"Yeah."  She wiped her face again, "Yeah.  Fuck." 

"The second best place for her after she's rested is to go back on the road with Riggs. He won't let anything happen to her, and being mobile sometimes isn't bad."

"Um, she needs more people."  She sighed as she rubbed her face.  "She didn't want this, though, Su. She didn't want to be locked down like we are. She enjoys her freedom. What is she going to think after she processes everything?" She whispered and yelled. 

"Honey, I talked about that with her. Emmett and Miles were leery about the fact that I was with her for this trip. They have fresh eyes and an outside perspective. She's been living in a little bubble for months already. Riggs or someone has been with her, so it's not an exact 180. I asked her if she felt restricted or not allowed to do things she wanted to, and she said no and that means it's being done right.  Riggs isn't taking away her freedom, just like Pak doesn't take away Jae's."  He took her hand, "I know this is all really hard to hear.  It's nothing you need right now or ever, and it's absolutely not fair to her.  I needed to be the one to explain it to you though, not Pak, not anyone else.  Wendy's going to bring it up, so you needed a heads-up.  Yoongi needs to know, but not until he's more stable.  We're all going to be back under one roof in a matter of hours.  I'm just sorry."

The thought of someone targeting Wendy and Su made her sick, but she completely understood why he needed to tell her before they landed. Pak glanced back at Su and Ami and gave them a thumbs-up, he was going to be okay. Ami put her head back and closed her eyes.  She wanted to compose herself before going back to sit with him.

"You good?"  He asked quietly.

"Yeah, I just need a minute."  She took a deep breath.  "God, there's so much."

"What do you mean?"

"So much to figure out, " she muttered, her eyes still closed.

"What can I help you with?  Let me help you." 

She finally opened her eyes and looked at him.  "My brain feels like it went from la-la land vacation to trying to do complex calculus in minutes.  Tell me, you spent the last few days with Wendy.  What's your honest opinion of how you think she would take it if I told her about all of us?  Because I don't know how much I will be able to keep up appearances when we get home."

"Home should never be a place where you cannot be true to yourself,"  Su said gently as he reached over and took her hand, rubbing the webbing between her thumb and finger.  He could feel her relax, "I like Wendy a lot.  She's funny, worked hard while we were there, and seems pretty grounded.  Her friends were nice, although a little naive."  He smiled, "I think Riggs treats her very well. She was very comfortable with me "bossing" her around."  He air quoted. 

"Bossing?"  Ami sighed.

"Well, gently guiding is probably a better term."

"Yeah, you do that well." 

"Would you like my advice?"   He saw her nod.  "Why don't you spend some real girl time with her when you get home?  Just you two without the boys hanging around.  Help her process New York.  I think after you both do that, you'll know if you want to share that part of yourself with her.  She's going to get more security regardless. That's already in motion.  I spoke to Riggs last night, and he's finding the guys he wants, and the company will take care of it." 

"The company is taking care of her security?"  She looked at him, surprised. 

"Ko and I had a long conversation about New York regarding Wendy.  Wendy and Riggs, for that matter." 

"When?"

"I had some time watching your husband sleep." He smiled slightly, "But I may have put Riggs on the payroll, at the very least, until I hunt down the person doing all this." 

Her jaw dropped, "Explain."

"Well, " he tried to stay serious, but his smile crept through. "I told Ko that Wendy is ranked up there with Jae in the bubble to you and the boys.  Ko understands that the circle is tight for a reason. Now, someone is trying to tap into that bubble, which would directly affect the company. So, finances have been released to ensure nothing happens.  Riggs, by profession, is security.  So, it only makes sense to put him on the payroll to access what he needs to keep that from happening.  Streamlining."  He smiled. 

Ami sat there dumbstruck. She had no words.

"So, " he said softly again, "I know this week is not turning out how it should, and I know you have a lot you're going home to in seventy-five dimensions. But this is what's going to happen.  Whether you tell her or not, the security is hers.  Pak said Jae has been organizing and keeping work beaten down with a stick for you.  Hopefully, it will take you half a day to get caught up.  That's why she stayed, to save your brain power on the back end.  I will meet with who I need to meet with to fix this problem.  Pak and Jae might take time to themselves later this week once Wendy is settled in.  Choi and Quon need a few days to recover from traveling and fretting over you two and me."  He shook his head and saw her smile a little, which made him feel glad. "And my mom wants to see you soon, so we might take Wendy out to see her with us. Show her the countryside.  OH, and most importantly, the boys are ready to take over taking care of you and Yoongi.  I think it's their most favorite job." 

Ami turned and gave him a huge hug.  "Thank you.  That's exactly what I needed." 

"Which part?" He asked, not breaking the hug until she did first.

"All of it.  I needed all of it.  Thank you."  She finally let go and wiped her face, regrouping so she could go sit with Yoon and not be a mess.

"You're welcome.  Come on, you need to get back up there."    The two got up as Pak moved to the side to let Ami hobble through. She squeezed back over to the window seat as Lee finished wrapping his hand to secure the IV he put in.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" she said sweetly, looking at him with concern after Su had shared what was really going on with him.

"What was wrong?" he looked at her with a tired expression. "You've been crying, " he said softly, reaching up and touching her face. "Tell me."  Lee, Pak, and Su went up front to sit with Choi and Quon to give them privacy. 

Ami leaned in and kissed him softly, "Yoon.  Su told me you aren't dealing with just a broken arm.  So, as your wife, we are going to relax the rest of the way home.  I'm not going to leave your side again."  She rested her head on his shoulder as he leaned his head on hers, and they both closed their eyes.

"What did you give him?" Su asked as they sat down. Choi and Quon had been watching from the front, but they gave them space unless they were needed.

"Something to help keep him relaxed until we get home."

 

***

 

The rest of the day and evening in Korea were much calmer after their intense conversation. Everyone was upset, but after Namjoon yelled, they quickly agreed to wait until Su returned, and they had a proper face-to-face talk.

Kook had come out of the library and quietly let Jimin and Tae know the deal was done for the house next door, and they didn't bat an eye. They just nodded and continued eating their ice cream with Jae. 

Wendy woke up after her comfortable couch nap and joined the group at the house, where they ate and spent the rest of the day together.  Jae enjoyed explaining all the different foods Jin had made, and Wendy tried at least a little of everything.  She refused to use a fork but muddled through with chopsticks because 'when in Rome,' which everyone found amusing.

For the rest of the afternoon, Jae bombarded her with introductions to K-dramas with English subtitles. The goal was to do mindless things to pass the time until the rest arrived, nothing that required reliving the last few days.

Most of the guys filtered in and out, except Jungkook and Tae, who joined them fully for their TV-a-thon.  They all made nests in the corners of the couches and talked to the TV for hours.   Wendy joked and had questions like, when the characters were in the hospital, were they just there for a rest because they never had IVs or equipment hooked up to them?  Why is the CEO of the company 21 years old?  As much as she joked, she had to admit that by episode 20, when the main characters finally held hands, she thought she would explode.  

 

Chapter 25

"They're here!"  Jungkook called out as he ran through the house to the front door, swinging it open and running outside.

"I'll let the girls know." Jimin made his way to the back as Jin yelled, "Take your time!" Everyone else jogged out to meet the weary travelers, only knowing they had a few seconds with them before Wendy came up with Jae.

"Hi, guys."  Ami smiled tiredly as she saw them coming.  She was leaning on Pak as Su and Lee were helping Yoongi.

"Christ."  Jungkook swooped her up and held her in his arms, shoving his face into her neck for a quick kiss.  He missed her scent. "Hi, baby bird."

"Hi, bun."  She sighed as he carefully set her down, supporting her around the waist before they went inside. They were all so happy to see them but a little taken aback at their state.

"Pak, Jimin went to let the girls know you're here."  Jin said quickly, "Jesus, how are you doing, Yoon?"  

"Glad to be home,"  he said as Joon and Tae took over for Su and Lee to help him inside.

"Where are Choi and Quon?"  Tae looked and only saw the five. 

"I sent them home. I figured there would be enough hands here to help take luggage in." Pak smiled, "We'll see them later this week." 

"Come on, let's get you guys in."   Jungkook picked her up, but before he could take her in, Hobi stole a quick kiss.  "Hi, Love."

"Hi, Hobi."

"Come on, baby bird."  Jungkook carried her in behind Yoongi, Joon, and Tae. 

"You look like hell,"  Tae said quietly.

"I feel like hell. I'm tired of moving."

"Where do you want to sit?"  Namjoon asked, and he pointed to one of the oversized comfortable chairs.   They walked him over as Dr Lee supervised from across the room, letting the boys do what they did best.

"How was the flight?"  Jin asked Su as they set the luggage down. 

"We're glad to be here," He barely got out before the back door opened, and Jae's familiar laugh carried through the space. Everyone looked up as she sprinted across the room, jumped, and smothered Pak in a full-body hug as he caught her.  Her arms and legs wrapped around him as he hugged her back. 

They smiled as Pak looked shocked for a moment, then relaxed and started walking to another part of the house so they could have a quick reunion without being rude.

"HI Ami!"  Jae called out before they disappeared.

"Hi Jae!"  She laughed.

Just before Wendy appeared, Tae, Jin, and Namjoon made sure they each got a second with Ami by kissing or touching her. "Glad you're home, Dove." 

"Me too." 

Lee leaned over and to Su, "Well, this is going to be a test of their patience." 

"Yeah."  He sighed.  He could see how restrained they were with her. This was almost worse than being apart. 

A few seconds later, Wendy was walking in with Jimin. "Hey, guys. Welcome back."  Su watched Jimin's eyes find Ami, and the look of relief she was home flashed across his face. He then looked at Yoongi, and his expression changed to concern. 

"Hiiiii."  Ami said with a long sigh.  She started to hobble over to her, but Jungkook grabbed her arm as they bridged the gap across the room.  The girls gave each other a big hug, "I'm so sorry about everything."  Ami said quietly to her friend. 

"It's ok."

"No. It's not.  Want to go outside to sit and talk?  I need fresh air after being on the plane."  She wanted to catch up with her, but she also needed a little space from the guys so she would behave at least until they had some time together.

"Yeah.  That would be really nice."  She looked over at Yoongi, watching the reunion with a little smile.  "Hey, Wendy."

"Hey, yourself.  How ya feeling?"

"Never been better."  He winked as Jimin took the opportunity to help Ami outside. She felt him wrap his arm around her waist, his fingers quickly finding their way under her clothing, along her back.  She craved all their touches.

"Hello, wife. It's really good to see you,"  he said quietly. "How are you feeling?"

"Glad to be home. Yoongi's going to need a lot of rest, though."

"Don't worry. Enjoy your visit. You know, you'll need help with a shower later, wife."  He felt her inhale quickly as she sat on one of the large outdoor couches. Wendy perched herself on one next to her.

Hobi had gone and poured some hot coffee, then followed them outside.  He watched Jimin's hand run under her shirt, biting his lip as he couldn't wait to do the same. 

"Thank you!"  Wendy beamed as she accepted the coffee.

"No problem. Have a nice chat.  Ami, until later when I suck every part of your body." He added, not breaking away from his friendly smile.

"Thanks, guys!" She called back to them in a sing-song voice.

"They're so great."  Wendy sighed. 

"So great."

***

"Thank you for bringing them home. I'm glad Jin called you."  Namjoon and Jin stood next to Su and Lee.

"It was the right call, excuse me."  Lee smiled and walked over to talk to Yoongi as Tae and Kook got him comfortable. Joon leaned into Su and said quietly, "A lot has happened in the last twelve hours here. We want to talk to you, but not today."

Su looked surprised. "Good or bad? Do I need to be concerned? We can go talk now."  He looked around; nothing seemed off with anyone except the tension of holding it together in front of Wendy.

"No."  He shook his head. "Everyone needs a moment to decompress, including you." 

"You know that's not my style,"  Su smirked.

"Well.  It's going to be today." Jin said seriously.  "Let's talk tomorrow."  Su looked at the two, surprised. They weren't joking around.  The guys had never spoken to them like this before. It wasn't rude. It was just more.

"Ohhh.  What happened?"  Su said slowly, "You have to give me something."  Namjoon and Jin looked at each other and motioned towards the studio. "Ok, let's go talk."

***

Pak and Jae were in Ami's office, his lips permanently pressed against hers. "This is so rude. I should be out there, " he said between kisses, holding her body tightly against his.

"No, you shouldn't."  She kissed down his neck as her hands found their way under his shirt. She needed to feel his body.  "They've put up with me all week. I'm sure they won't miss me for a few minutes."  she moaned.  He quickly pushed his hand over his mouth to be quiet.  The last thing he wanted was for anyone to hear them. 

He stared into her eyes as she slowly blinked at him, then dropped his hand and feverishly kissed each other until the kisses became more loving.  Pak had his hands on the sides of her face, kissing her sweetly as he finally felt her body calm down.  "How are you?" He asked sincerely.

"I know it was my idea, but I'm never staying behind again like that." She said quietly.

"Never." He agreed, then smiled. "The entire time, I had to hear from Quon and Choi, 'Jae would love this. You need to bring Jae back to see this.'  I think they missed you almost as much as I did." Jae giggled as they kissed again. She slowly pulled back and stared up at him. "And how are you?"  She reached up and played with his hair.

"It's been a hard few days, but we're all back. That's all that matters."

***

Su flipped on the lights to the studio as Namjoon and Jin followed him in, closing the door behind him.  "So what's happened? What's going on?" Su said seriously.

"Wendy let it slip that you think someone was hired to trash her place, and then they waited for her."  Jin crossed his arms and leaned up against the wall.

"I don't think, I know.  Someone was hired to do it.  They waited for us and called their buddies to jump us." He said without hesitation.

"We didn't know that."  Namjoon sighed. 

"Yes, we talked." Su looked confused at them both.

"We talked, but you only told me you guys were jumped.  You weren't as confident about the first part at the time.  Wendy casually mentioned it to Jae, and, well, there were a lot of feelings about that revelation and what it meant."  Joon sighed.

Su looked shocked. " Oh, Guys.  I'm so sorry.  There was so much happening." He sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Someone hired him, and our guys are trying to track down who."

"How?"

"I may have sweet-talked the man into sharing the phone number he was contacted by.  I'm calling our guys after I leave here to see if they have any news."

"Does Ami know?"  Jin asked.

"Yes.  She knows everything. I told her on the plane.  I didn't want her to have that reaction, the one it sounds like you all had, in front of Wendy. Yoongi only knows I went to help her clean out her place. He needs a few days before everything else is shared with him. I'm really sorry.  I thought I shared it with you." 

"Why not Yoongi?"  Namjoon frowned.

"He's not strong enough right now. He's recovering from shock and needs some non-stress downtime. Then we can tell him. It's going to help him to put eyes on everyone when that happens. That's why I waited to tell Ami. I needed her to see my eyes when I told her." He could see their surprise with that news, "I did NOT tell you that when we were there on purpose. Shock can be a scary word, and he just needs rest. He's okay. If it were any worse, I would have told you immediately. I promise you."

Namjoon stepped a little closer to Su and said calmly, "Su.  We appreciate everything you do for us, for her, everyone.  Please never doubt that.  We cannot repay you for your care and concern, but please, moving forward, don't keep things from us.  We need to know,"  he said sincerely.

"We're glad you used discretion with Yoongi."  Jin clarified.

"Right.  We have never questioned your motives, ever, and we understand why you felt it was the best route this time.  We get it.  But we need to know everything, even if it will be hard to hear if it's about Ami, Pak, Jae, or any of us."  He sighed. 

"Of course.  I'm so sorry if I overstepped."  This was never a conversation they had needed to have together.   "What's changed?  I feel like something changed." He looked at both of them, trying to read them, but couldn't.

"Nothing has changed."  Namjoon smiled, "It's the same as it's always been."

"Maybe because we're all a little older and most of us are married now, we aren't as aloof as we used to be."  Jin smiled.

"You were never aloof.  You were always serious."  Su was searching his mind for what was different.

"Well, when it comes to our family, maybe we stepped it up a little."  Namjoon sat down as they all did to talk. 

"In that case, you need to know I spoke to Ko, and Riggs is now on the payroll for Wendy moving forward.  He's going to have proper access to what he needs for her. At least until I beat this guy in the ground."  Su smiled.

"Good.  We bought a second house."  Jin grinned as Su's jaw dropped.  He put his hands up in disbelief, "You win."

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Kook popped in. "Hey, we're taking Yoon upstairs to rest, and then Dr Lee will head out. Is this a private meeting, or do you want us to join you after we get him settled?"

"Why don't you join us?"  Su said slowly as Joon and Jin smiled at Kook with a nod. He left the door open as Jimin and Hobi joined them.   "The girls are out back."  Hobi grinned as he tossed himself on one of the couches. "I can tell you this.  I was going to take her away by myself to marry her, but not anymore.  That's the last time that will happen.  You're all coming."  

Pak and Jae wandered back out to the living room, hand in hand.  "Where did everyone go?"  Pak looked around and only saw Kook and Tae helping Yoongi up the stairs with Lee behind them.

"The girls are outside, and Su is talking to everyone else in the studio,"  Tae called down.

"You're officially off the clock, Pak.  Go rest and spend time with Jae.  We've got it from here." Kook looked back at the two and smiled.  "We don't expect to see you until dinner."

"Come on, Kai."  Jae gently tugged at his hand, but he was unsure whether to disappear yet or not.

Yoongi stopped at the top of the stairs and smiled down at him, "Thank you for everything. Thank you for getting us home."  Yoon gave him a little bow, as that's all he could do, and they shuffled him off to his room.

Jae pulled on his arm again and reluctantly followed out the back door.  They came upon Ami and Wendy cozied up chatting.  "We'll see you all later, and then we can talk."  Jae bent down and hugged Ami.  "It's really good to see you. They are taking Yoons upstairs to rest."

"Thank you for taking care of everything this week."  Ami hugged her back. "I can't wait to catch up with you.  Thank you, Pak." 

"No problem."  He finally smiled and relaxed as Jae pulled him toward the guest house.

"Um, I think you've been kicked out for a bit."  Ami smiled.

"That's quite alright. Um, you live quite the life here,"  Wendy waved her hand through the air. "Jae told me you guys have lived together for a while."

"We have.  Never a dull moment as you can imagine."

"Oh, I'm sure."  Wendy looked down to her foot.  "How's that feeling?"  Ami pulled it up and undid the bandages to show her.  There on the bottom of her foot was a 2-inch slice. 

"Damn."  her eyes got big, "That looks stellar."

"Super great."  She sighed.  "Did they tell you where we were?"

"The guys said you two were in Iceland for vacation, and you were attacked by an earthquake."  Ami nodded, "I can honestly say I don't need to be in one of those again.  Crossed off my bucket list."  She looked at Wendy, it seemed like they were dancing around the obvious topics.

"You know, if you need to decompress, or bitch, or want to whack something, I'm here for you. I know sometimes it takes me time to process things before I want to talk about it." 

"Whack something?"  Wendy smirked as Ami nodded. "Oh yes.  Not long ago, Jae and I were super stressed out about," She waved her hand and rolled her eyes, "fucking everything.  Pick something.  They took us out to the garage where Jungkook had his boxing stuff set up, and they taught us to box."

"Seriously?" 

"Mm hm.  So now, when we get stressed, we go out there and beat the shit out of the bag.  It's very therapeutic in an aggressive, angry, kick-their-teeth-in sort of way." 

"That sounds very stress relieving."  She laughed.

"Once you get into it, it really is. When my foot heals, I'll need at least a good hour.  Jae enjoys it, too.  It keeps the stress level at a minimum in this stress-filled world.  Do you like to work out?"

"I love to run. It's been a while, though.  Life on the road and all."  She rested her elbow on the corner of the couch and put her head in her hand.  "I prefer to run outside, not in hotel gyms."

"Oh no, those are gross." She made a face in agreement and then had an idea. "You know who likes to run is Jungkook and Pak. I bet they would run with you if you wanted to burn off some energy. Honestly."

"Is Jungkook allowed? I thought you guys were on lockdown mode all the time." 

Ami shook her head, "I know it looks that way, but we just have to do things a little differently.  You know, when we were in London for my Aunt and Uncle's funeral, Kook and Namjoon took me running at night.  We ran until I couldn't run anymore.  I felt like I was going to jitter out of my skin, so the running helped a lot."

"They let you out alone? All three of you?"

Ami shrugged, "Well, it was night.  Hat, hoodie, and you're just another jogger.  I would volunteer to go with you, but you know, foot.  Think about it."

"I will, thanks."  She sighed, "You know, I think after I get back on the proper sleep schedule, I'll be able to tackle that mental load.  It's sort of a lot to process."

"Yeah.  I get it.  More than you know." 

***

"I should take you back to our place to do this."  Jae was laid out on the bed as Pak pulled up her shirt and kissed her body.  She raked her nails through his hair, sending tingles throughout his body.

"Later." She moaned as he unbuttoned her pants. "I just need to feel you. I need you rough...and then I need you sweet."  He unzipped her pants and grabbed them by the waistband, pulling them off her legs in one fluid motion.  He tossed them on the floor, then grabbed her thighs, pushing them open, shoving his face between her legs.

"OH FUCK!"  She muffled a moan, her hands flying over her mouth.  They had a pretty healthy sex life, and after being a week away from each other, the build-up was real for both of them.  He sucked and played with her, listening to her respond to each movement.   He needed and missed her as much as she missed him. 

Jae was a mess and felt him unceremoniously pull her down to the edge of the bed.  As he did, her arms instinctively traveled above her head, and her shirt rolled up.

Pak pulled himself out quickly. He was so hard it hurt. "Rough?" He asked quietly, wanting to make sure she was ready.

"Please." She whispered and waited.  She felt his finger tease through her wetness, causing her body to break out in goosebumps, her nipples instantly hard...yet he waited.

"Kaaaaiii." She whined. 

"What if we wait until we get home before I finish you?" he teased.  He watched a wave rock through her, the longing, the build-up, and now the control over her.  It was a mental game.  They both loved it.  After the last few days of feeling like he had no control, he needed this. For her, after a week of keeping her mind busy with work, she needed him to take over and make the decisions.  It was the perfect storm.

"Wait...what?"  She panted.  His finger still playing with her, then she felt his thumb press hard down on her clit and start slow circles.   The guttural moan she released was intoxicating.  She released herself entirely to his whims as he watched her react to his touch. 

He would let her build before pulling back, watching her beg and shake for him. Finally, he leaned over her, his arms on each side, staring down at his puddle of a girlfriend as she tried to stay present.  "Honey,"  he said softly, fingers over her stomach and under her shirt. She was distracted by his touch when she felt him push fully, deep inside her.

"OOOOHhhh fuuuuuuuck..." She moaned, her eyes rolled back in her head as he started fucking.  It was everything she wanted and needed.  He pressed his lips to hers, kissing and nipping at them as she tried to keep breathing through it all.   Her body couldn't take it anymore, and he felt her tighten around him. Then she started to cum, loudly.  He smiled, slapping his hand over her mouth again, putting his head down on hers, staring into her eyes as he finally allowed himself to join her.  Their bodies exploded in total bliss. 

After a minute, he finally pulled his hand off, kissing her gently, then rolled to her side, pulling her with him to face each other.

"That was the best." She said through her breaths.  He petted her face, watching his sweet girl regain her grounding. 

"Jae. I love you with my entire being," he said softly as she fluttered open her eyes. "I love you too."

***

Yoongi loved lying down. His bed felt amazing, especially after traveling for so long. He could feel himself melting into the mattress.

"How are you feeling?" Lee asked seriously as he checked his vitals. Kook and Tae stood back, watching with concern.

"I'm fine, really. Ready to sleep. Thank you for helping." Yoon turned his head, looking at Lee.

"Mm." He nodded in response and looked at the boys. "Make sure he does nothing but rest. I'll call you later today to check in, but if he seems off, you need to call me."

Tae stepped forward, "I'm sorry, what's going on?  What is this?"  Lee motioned them to step outside his bedroom to talk as Yoongi rolled to his side and quickly drifted off into a light sleep.  He filled Jungkook and Tae in on what had really happened to him, what they needed to do, and what he was not allowed to do. 

"OHhhh shit. Ok. I'll stay with him." Jungkook said as he walked back into his bedroom and shut the door.  Tae and Lee slowly walked back downstairs, talking as Yoongi felt someone crawl into bed with him.

"You aren't my wife, " he mumbled as he felt himself forced to become the little spoon. He didn't fight him; there was a fight to give.

"No, I'm not. She'll be up later but needs to talk to Wendy first." he got comfortable, carefully holding his body against him, and then felt Yoongi relax into him.

"I want my wife." he sighed.

"I know me too.  Later.  Now you need to sleep, when we'll get you cleaned up and something to eat. I'll stay with you, sleep."  And with that, he was back out.

***

Dr. Lee took off, but not before filling in the rest of the guys as he did Tae and Jungkook. He told them he could check in with Yoongi later today, but he planned to take him in for an official workup in a few days. He wanted him to get some solid sleep first. The guys knew Kook was staying with him for now, and after they had a moment to talk to Su, they would all take their turns keeping an eye on him. 

"I can't believe you guys bought the house next door." Su was still in shock over that revelation.

"Well, you left us unsupervised. It seemed like the right thing to do." Hobi cheesed.

"So, what do you want to do with it? Explain this long, drawn-out, well-researched process you all went through." Su smirked. He leaned back, his arm stretched out over the back of the couch to get comfortable.

"Well. Jae joked she was a squatter and claimed the guest house as her own. Jin, Kook, and I had talked some time ago about what it would look like to buy and connect an adjoining property. The place was about to hit the market, so we jumped on it." Namjoon filled in the gaps.

"Did you go see it first?"

"We did. It's perfect for what we want to do with it." Jimin smiled.

"And what is that?" he was curious.

"Well, we started with a couple of options, and after talking it over, we leaned one way more than the other. We want to give Pak and Jae the guesthouse. It would be theirs to use whenever they wish, but without the random rotation of guests," Jin started. "They do so much, it's hard to find things that show our appreciation. So we are gifting them space."

"The house next door would be set up more for guests like Wendy and Riggs. Or if Choi and Quon needed to stay. There is a large master with an office on the main floor, and that's for you." Namjoon and the guys all watched Su's eyes get big. "Me?"

"Yes, you. That space is yours. We know sometimes you work from here, and we hate that we don't have an actual office for you. You can stay there or not, use it as a working space, or stage the team out of there before we head out for big nights. It's a very flexible space. As big as this property is, we recognize we need access to something that has a little division. This today, right now, is hard." Namjoon pointed out to the back of the house where Ami and Wendy were talking.

"Ooh." Su leaned back and started thinking of all the possibilities. They watched him look back at them, smiling, "This is great. I have one suggestion, though."

"What's that?" Tae asked.

"You put the house in Suki's name."

They all looked at him, shocked. "Why?"

Su sighed, "Because, in the event someone thinks they figured out you all live together, the company can make a case that you own houses next to each other. It's always been a concern of mine, honestly."

Slapped back to the reality of the consequences of their relationship if it got out, they all agreed.

Chapter 26

Ami and Wendy had moved into the house and were eating lunch with Namjoon and Hobi when Jae and Pak wandered back up to the main house. "Didn't think we would see you for another couple of hours,"  Ami teased, as Jae's grin gave it all away. Pak rolled his eyes a little as Namjoon and Hobi smirked, continuing to eat. 

"Well, I needed to come say a proper hello."  Jae let go of his hand and bounced over to hug Ami, then sat down with them.

"Oh, I think you had a proper hello." Wendy teased as Ami giggled.

Pak sat next to the guys, "Sorry we disappeared."   He said sheepishly.

"Don't be. We wouldn't be seen for days if we didn't have a guest right now."   Hobi finished his last bite, pushing his bowl away.  "We're just glad everyone's home.  That's the most important thing."

"How's Yoongi?"

"He's sleeping.  Jungkook and Tae are up there keeping an eye on him.  Su took off a little bit ago.  He said he would give you a call tomorrow."  Joon, Hobi, and Pak watched the girls all chat together.  Then Pak had an idea, "Um, Hey Wendy?"

"Yeah?"

"Jae and I need to go grab a few things.  Why don't you come with us?  It's a nice day for a drive, and you can see our place. What do you think?"

"OH yes!"  Jae beamed, "I would love to show you our apartment!"

"Well, I think I can clear my calendar. I had a nap penciled in,  but I'm sure it can wait."  She looked over at Ami, "Are you coming?"

"Nah, honestly, I need a shower, and I don't think a nap can wait for me. You should go, though.  They have a cute place."  She smiled as she felt Namjoon's foot find and rub against hers under the table.

Hobi was trying to contain his excitement that they would finally have time with her, even for a few hours. He had pushed off expecting it until this evening.  "It would be good to get out and move a little to help get back on a regular sleep schedule."

"Yup, let's go, ladies.  Off to fight jet lag!" Pak smiled as he stood up, and Jae and Wendy joined him to get their shoes.

"Have fun!" Ami called out.

"Thank you. We owe you," Hobi said quietly to Pak as he walked with him over to the door.

"Hey, I get it. I don't know how you've all managed to hold it together because we obviously couldn't manage three seconds." He grinned. "I'll text you when we're on our way back, but we'll be out for a while."

"Happy napping!"  Jae grinned and waved back as they headed to the car.

As soon as the door closed, Namjoon grabbed her, pulled her up, wrapped her in a huge hug, and squeezed. "OH, my god." He groaned, kissing her head and feeling her in his hands.  She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes.

"How are you?" He asked quietly.  She didn't reply but squeezed him tighter.  They finally relaxed their hold on each other, and he turned her towards Hobi. 

"Hi, Love."  he winked as she reached for him.  They hugged and felt connected for a few moments, loving how complete they felt being able to touch and kiss each other freely.

"Wife, " she heard Jin say sweetly. He heard the commotion of the group leaving and came out to see what was going on, only to find them alone. Hobi slowly released his grip on her as Jin took her hand and pulled her in, resting his head on hers. "Where did they go?"

"Pak took the girls for a ride and to pick up some stuff at their place."  Joon smiled as they saw Jin's shoulders relax as he squeezed her tighter.  Jin ran his hands down her arms and interlocked her fingers with his, then looked down and gently pressed his lips on hers. 

"Let's get you upstairs and cleaned up.  Do you want to check in on Yoongi first?"  Jin asked sweetly, running his fingers down her cheek.

"Isn't he in our bed?"  Jin bent down and picked her up to carry her upstairs.  Hobi and Joon followed behind. 

"He's in his bed, resting.  He's been asking for you, though." He carried her up the stairs and set her down outside his door.  Hobi opened the door as Tae and Jimin looked up to see them enter.

"Hiii," she said quietly.  Jimin quickly walked over and squeezed her tightly. "Baby, " he sighed. 

Tae looked at the three others, confused. "Pak took the girls out for a while,"  Joon whispered.  He motioned to Yoongi, who was sleeping with Kook.  "How's he doing?"

"Good. Resting."  Tae slowly pried Ami away from Jimin and had his turn.  It finally felt like the homecoming they needed with her, which they couldn't have had a few hours earlier.  "Why don't you shower and rest for a while, honey? We'll let you know when he wakes up or bring him down to join you."  He stared into her eyes and kissed her nose.   She looked back at her sleeping husband, it was the most comfortable he looked in days.  Jungkook had him securely locked in his arms, so she nodded.  "Ok." 

"Go, baby. I'll let you know when he wakes up," Tae said, kissing her cheek. Namjoon bent down as Hobi and Jin helped her crawl on his back so he could carry her down to her room. Tae smiled as they walked out with her. "Jimin. We got him." He waved him to follow the group as he got comfortable back in his chair. 

"I missed you guys."  They heard her say as they walked into the big bedroom.

"We missed you too,"  Joon said as he walked her through her bedroom and into the bathroom, leaning back and setting her on the counter. Jimin turned on the shower to warm it up, and Namjoon carefully unwrapped the bandage from her foot. "Did Lee give you meds?" he asked.

"Yeah.  He wanted to make sure it didn't get infected."    Jin brought in some comfy clothes for afterward and sat them next to her.   He kissed her on the cheek and walked back out as Hobi and Jimin joined them in the bathroom, closing the door to keep the heat in.

"Come on."  Hobi took her hands and helped her down as Joon and Jimin stripped down.  Hobi gently held her as she balanced and shimmied out of her clothes, then guided her to the shower, where the guys were waiting for her. He quickly stripped off his clothes and joined them, closing the large shower door.

"Oh my god.  It feels so good."  She stood in the hot water and closed her eyes.  Jimin gently turned her around as Joon started running his hands over her hair, making sure it was wet.

"Did you have a nice talk with Wendy?"  Hobi picked up the shampoo and squirted some into Joon's hand. Ami kept her eyes closed as she felt him slowly massaging her scalp. She always loved when he did this.

"Yes."

Hobi was going to ask how Wendy was doing, but Namjoon shook his head not to ask. He wanted her to let her brain relax. He couldn't imagine what they had been through over the past few days.

"Let us take care of you,"  Jimin said, slowly scrubbing her legs with a soapy washcloth and working his way up her back.

"You always take care of me.  I'm very spoiled." She smiled, opening her eyes and seeing Hobi staring at her as Joon pulled her back a little into the stream to wash the soap out of her hair.

"You can't be spoiled enough."  He said in her ear.

"Oh, I'm sure I can, but I won't stop you today." She sighed.  Reaching out, she held Hobi's hands while Namjoon and Jimin worked their magic.    "Wendy needs to go for a run."

"Oh?"  Hobi ran his fingers over hers.

"Yeah. I think she needs it like I did when we were in London.  Do you think Kook and Pak would take her? They could run in the dark like we used to."  Without making eye contact, Hobi saw Namjoon look at him over her head, shaking his head no.  It made him nervous after everything they learned about New York. 

"What if you and Jae took her to the garage to box?  I've seen you two go at it, and it seems to work away your stress."  Hobi pulled her wet fingers to his mouth to kiss them as he stared into her eyes.

"We could do that, but running is her outlet, and she hasn't been able to do that on Harry's tour.  I don't want to force one more thing on her than we already are.  I think she needs it." 

"Let's talk to Pak and Su later about it.  I'm sure we can figure out something.  Right now we need to get you dried off and in bed."  Jimin reached over and turned off the water, then stepped out, tossing a towel around his waist before grabbing one for her.  She gingerly stepped out and was quickly buried in a warm towel. 

"I know you're worried. We'll figure it out later, ok?"  Hobi kissed her nose as they all dried off.

Soon, they were all crawling into bed. Jin had drawn the curtains to make the room darker, then waited for them. "This will be hard because we all want to be next to you." He smiled as she rolled to the middle of the bed and right into his arms.

"Did you stay out of the shower to claim your place in bed?" She sighed as she relaxed.

"Maybe." He smiled, kissing her head. Jimin claimed her other side as Hobi and Namjoon took their places outside the group. They all wove their bodies together, feeling almost complete, as the last three were in the other room.

"Ami?" Jimin said softly as he stroked her skin.

Before she could reply, the door opened, and Tae and Kook were walking Yoongi in. "He wanted to come," Tae said quickly, giving them a look. Namjoon and Hobi scrambled out of bed to help as Jin and Jimin kept her in bed. "He needs a shower," Kook added as he started stripping off his clothes to help.

"I need my wife, " he mumbled as they walked him into the bathroom to get him cleaned up quickly.

"I know. We all do." Tae said as they heard the water turn on, and they started undressing.

"No, Ami. Stay," Jin said quietly. They could feel her trying to get up to help.

"Baby, let them handle it. Then I'll move, and he can take my spot." She felt Jimin's hand run over her stomach as he scooted up behind her, sandwiching her between them.

"This is hard." She said softly.

Jin held her tighter as they listened to the group in the bathroom. "Listen. I know you're excited to see Wendy, but you aren't playing hostess for the rest of the day. You and Yoongi need to relax. He needs to rest and is struggling to do that without you. Tomorrow will be a better day. Everyone needs a solid night's sleep. Pak and Jae, Wendy included."

"I can't just disappear until tomorrow."

"Yes, you can. We'll take care of it," she heard Jimin whisper into her ear. It wasn't long before he moved, and Yoongi was being helped into bed. Jin let her go so she could roll over to snuggle up with him on his good side, his arm around her. Everyone else joined when they were comfortable, carefully leaving space for him to keep his injured arm safe.

"Wife, please stay." He sighed. She could feel him fully relax before promptly passing out into a deep sleep. She gently stroked his face as she lay with him. "I will."

"He wouldn't stay once he learned you were all down here," Tae said quietly to the group.

"Does he need more meds?" Ami asked, wiping a tear. Now that they were all together again, she could finally let her guard down a little. Maybe Jin was right; she needed a moment, although she felt guilty not being there for Wendy after what happened.

"No. Lee said that as long as he's comfortable, let him be. He was more agitated that he couldn't be with you," Kook shared.

"Sleep, wife." Tae kissed her shoulder as she closed her eyes. The group listened and waited for her to drift off before discussing what happened.

"He's a mess." Hobi finally said. "I've never seen him like this."

"They just need some solid sleep. They've been running on stress for two solid days. They both need to heal." Jin rolled and looped a leg over Joon, getting comfortable.

"What are we going to tell Wendy when she gets back? She's worried about that." Jimin asked.

"That they need some sleep. They've been running on stress for two solid days." Namjoon repeated what Jin said. "That's all she needs to know right now."

"You know it's getting harder to do this in our own home," Kook whispered to Tae.

"I know.

***

"You have the cutest place!" Wendy looked around at the spacious apartment. "How long have you guys lived here?"

"Um, for a while. We like it."

"Ladies, I'm going to shower and repack a bag," Pak called out as he walked to their bedroom. "There are drinks in the fridge."

Jae grabbed two drinks for them as Pak closed the door to get cleaned up. She handed Wendy one as they sat on the couch overlooking the view from the large windows.

"Are you guys staying back at the house tonight? I figured you would come back here."

"Of course we're coming back. You're there, and you won't be forever. Your Viking will be coming for you at some point. Then you'll be off running around the world again." Jae smiled as she cracked her drink and took a sip. "Tomorrow morning Ami and I need to discuss everything she missed this last week."

"Does she have a pretty busy schedule coming up?"

"She does. We have a bunch of stuff to figure out. They want her to go on tour." Jae wrinkled her nose as she took another sip.

"Is that bad?"

Jae shrugged, "I mean. It's what every artist dreams about, right? I think she had some concerns about it...but that's a conversation she had to have with the Director."

***

Pak had just stepped out of the shower when he got a call, "Hey, Riggs. How goes it?"

"Living the dream." He sighed. "Did you make it back okay? Su said you were out of town."

"More or less. We just got in a few hours ago. I'm just getting cleaned up and changed. Wendy is here at our place with Jae and I. We're going for a drive, then head back to the house."

"How's she doing?"

"Um, ok I think. Honestly, I haven't had much time to chat with her yet. Jae has had the most time, and she and Ami talked for a couple of hours today, but it's been a day. We're planning on staying back at the guesthouse so she won't be rattling around by herself."

Pak heard him sigh, "I really appreciate it."

"No problem." Pak smiled, sliding on his belt. "How's it looking there? Su said you were officially setting up a couple of extra guys for her. How's that going."

"Right, can I just say Hybe is no joke."

"Whatever do you mean?" Pak laughed.

"The amount of money I have access to for security for her, and then what they are paying me on top of that? I'm working for the wrong company, mate."

He grinned, "Well, I would love to say they offer that much because they're concerned about your girlfriend as a whole, but it's the company. Overall, their best interests are what they care about. We worry about her, and the company worries about their bottom line." He slipped on his watch and started packing a bag.

"Nah, I get it. I need to talk to her soon about it, though."

Pak paused, "She doesn't know?"

"I was waiting until she had a couple of days to decompress before I tossed that on her."

"How do you think she'll take it?" He slowly started packing. 

"Okay, I hope.  I think she will understand."

"You had people for her before she left, though, right? Do you see it changing a lot from that?"

"I had some pocket people I could call on if I was busy, and they hung out with her. Walked with her for coffee.  After talking to Su, I feel it needs to be stepped up from that."  He sighed.  "I mean, the money alone makes me feel it needs to be more."

He stopped packing and walked to the window, looking out as he thought about it.  "So, look.  The money is there for you to use as you need, right?  If she's with you and you need to pop her on a plane, you can.  No calling to confirm. Just send her.  She's welcome here any time, whether we are here or not.  Meaning, because you're now lumped in with us if we are all out on tour, let's say, and you need to get her out of another Bangkok situation, someone will be here to collect her and bring her to Ami's house.  That's going to be the most secure place for her to go.  That or we have secured apartments."

"Yeah."  Pak heard him sigh.

"Maybe she needs to help pick the guys?"  He walked back over and worked on his packing again.  "Ami helped choose her guys in a way that makes it very comfortable for her when the situations aren't so comfortable."

"I was thinking about that." 

"It gives her some control over a situation no one wants her to be in.  I know everyone is pissed someone tried to fuck with her."  He didn't actually need to talk to the guys or Ami to know that.  It made him sick to his stomach they had waited for her to return to her apartment and what could have happened had Su not been there.  "I wouldn't delay telling her, though, honestly. I mean, I don't know your relationship, but in my experience with our group, they would rather know sooner than later.  Even if not great news."

"I wish I could do it face to face though."  Riggs sighed, frustrated with the situation.  "Ok,  you know what?  Fuck it. I'll call you back."

"What are you going to do?"  He smiled.

"I'm going to tell Harry I need to be gone for forty-eight hours. I'm not doing this over the phone. Call you back."  Riggs hung up, headed down the hall to Harry's room, then knocked on the door. 

"Yellow!"  Harry called out in a cheery tone and looked up to see Riggs pop in and shut the door behind him.

"Hey there.  I need to talk to you about a couple of things."  He pulled up a chair next to the lounging man. 

"Oh?  Ok.  What's up?  Do we have problems like in Bangkok?" 

"Well.  No, not as bad, anyway.  Listen.  I need to leave and talk to Wendy, then I'll be back."

Harry frowned, "In New York?"

"She's in Korea.  She just got in yesterday."

"And this isn't something you can do over the phone?  I mean, I know you miss her and all..."

"It's more than that."  He cut him off.  "Um. Moving forward, while I'm working for you, I've also been employed by Hybe...for her."  Harry now stared at him, speechless. "What?  For Wendy? Why?"

Riggs quickly explained what had happened in New York after they had arrived. That he asked Su to please take her back to Korea until things smooth out on the tour. Now that she was closer he needed to have a face-to-face conversation with her.

"Riggs.  You're telling me someone is after her?"

"Well.  Someone fucked with her to fuck with them, allegedly."  He sighed.  "The extra guys are for when I can't be there because I'm with you.  They aren’t part of your team, so nothing is being lessened for you."

"I don't know..."

"Fourty-eight hours, there and back.  I'll be back before you do your show."

"No.  Riggs.  I don't know if she should come back here."  Harry said slowly.  Riggs now frowned, "What do you mean?  I don't understand."

"I mean, if someone is willing to do all that, having her with us can only invite more problems.  Don't you think?"

"WAIT. Wait. You don't want her to come back at all?" he said, shocked. "She's your friend too. This environment is the best place for her until Su can figure it out because he will figure it out. You live in a mobile Fort Knox!"  Riggs stood up, "Harry.  I've worked with you for a long time and feel like we're friends.  But listen to me.  I'm going to be gone for forty-eight hours.  I'll be back before your show.  I will ignore what you said a moment ago, and we can talk about it when I get back because you, of all people, should understand...and if you don't...then we need to have a different conversation."  He turned around and started to walk out.

"Riggs!"

"Forty-eight hours!"  He called back and closed the door behind him. 

***

"Come out and see the view." Jae pulled open a large slider to the balcony, letting in the warm air. The two leaned on the railing, taking it all in.

"It's nice here." She sighed. "Quiet."

"It is."

"It reminds me of my place in New York."

"Yeah, I get that.  Are you and Riggs going to get a place together?"

"I think so." Wendy smiled, "We talked about it. When the tour is over, we'll go back to England and figure it out, I suppose...it feels weird not to have a place of my own waiting for me.  I kind of feel like a homeless person, no real place to land." She sighed. 

"Well, it's temporary," Jae empathized with her.  Pak walked out of the bedroom, setting his bag down, and noticed the girls outside talking.  With no real rush, he sat down and waited for them.  Just then, he got a text from Riggs.  He would be landing that evening.  

"I think I need a job."  She sighed, "Something of my own. I feel like I'm just floating along with no real anchor.  Don't get me wrong, it's been fun, but I've never not worked.  The tour is starting to feel like Groundhog's Day."  Pak overheard them and looked up, now listening in a little more carefully.

"I've never been on a proper tour, but I can imagine it can feel that way." 

"Maybe if I was working it, like for real.  I help with stuff, but it's not my job-job, ya know?"  Just then, her phone rang. Jae saw a smile creep over her face, and she turned to walk inside to give her some privacy.  "Hello?"

"Hello, Love.  I just wanted to let you know I'm on my way.  I'll be flying in tonight."

"You are?"  She choked up a little. 

"Yes. I need to see you, but I need to return in forty-eight hours."

"Wait, am I going back with you?"

"Let's talk about it tonight, ok baby? I'm just anxious to see and hold you.  We can talk about everything when I get there."

Jae and Pak were watching from inside, and they saw her bite her lip a little.  "She ok?" he leaned over and asked Jae.

"She's feeling displaced.  She doesn't have a job or her place anymore."

"Has she talked about New York at all with you?" 

Jae shook her head, "No.  Not really.  Not in depth."

"Well, Riggs is flying in tonight.  Maybe that's who she needs most right now."  He pulled her over and kissed her head as they watched her hang up and come back inside to join them. 

"So, Riggs is coming in tonight."  She smiled a little, but not enough for it to hit her eyes. 

"Oh yeah?  That's good...is it good?  You look kind of sad."  Jae frowned.

"Yeah.  Say, is it ok if we just go back to the house?  A drive sounds nice, but I think I need to lie down for a bit.  I'm tired." 

"Of course. Come on."  Pak grabbed his bag as Jae locked the sliding door and closed the curtains.  She took Wendy by the arm and walked out as Pak followed.  On their way down to the car, he texted Namjoon:

Hey.  We're on our way back.  Riggs is flying in tonight, and she's struggling.  Just wanted to let you know.  Sorry, it couldn't be longer.

No problem at all.  See you soon. 

Chapter 27

Su was driving back to his place, anxious to shower and regroup, but not before making a call on his way.

"Hey, this is Su. Did you have a chance to look at what I sent you?"

"Oh, hello. Yeaaaah, so you just wanted to focus on the apartment, right? Because this guy was doing some shady shit."

"My focus surrounds the apartment. I'll send the rest to New York City after you're done. So, what did you find?"

"Well, there are two things. The info dump you sent me didn't have anything about the apartment, but there was talk back and forth about waiting for you and your friend. It looks like that was a last-minute deal."

"I wondered," Su said as he parked in his driveway.

"I don't think they knew who you were because they would have brought more guys." He smirked, "But the phone number of the person you think orchestrated all this is Korean-based. I tapped into some resources, and it looks like it's based out of Seoul."

"Do you have a name?" He asked, stepping out of his car and grabbing his bag.

"Not yet. That might take some more time, and if this guy is as organized as he seems, pinning an actual name to the number may be hard."

"Can you tap it?" He unlocked his door, flipped the lights on, and took a breath, happy to be home.

"I mean, I thiiiiink I can...that's not exactly legal, it won't stand up in court, and you won't be able to use it."

"I don't know if this guy will make it to court." Su flipped through a stack of mail, "All I need is a name, and I'll take care of the rest."

***

There was an unexpected knock on Kija's door. He got up and opened it to find a courier standing there with a package.

"Kija?"

"That's me."

"This is for you." He handed him a package and turned to walk away. Confused, he called out, "Thanks?" He wasn't expecting anything.

Kija closed the door and took the beat-up package to his kitchen, sitting it on the counter. He grabbed a knife to cut the tape that had been rudely slapped on. Opening the package, he first found a note on top.

Give me a call. -Jang

He set the note on the table, pushed the paper inside the box to the side, and pulled out the missing Dior dress.

 

Across town.

"Did you get it?" Jang smirked.

"You really know how to wine and dine a guy." Kija chortled as he held the dress up, turning it to take in all sides.

"Fucker." he laughed, "This is for the industry party coming up. I told you I had something special for your girl to wear. She needs to look the part."

"Nope, this should do, ok. I'll get on it." With that, they both hung up.

 

Back at the boy's house.

"They're coming back," Namjoon said quietly.

"Now? I thought Pak was going to keep them out for a while longer. What happened?" Jin asked, half asleep as he was curled up against him.

"I don't know. Something has changed, though. Riggs is flying in tonight. Pak said she's struggling." He thought for a moment and let out a big sigh. He wasn't ready to get out of bed yet but knew someone should be up when they got home. "I'll go wait for them." Joon started to move when he felt Jin keep him from getting up.

"Kim Namjoon, stay here. If one of us needs to go down, it won't be you right now." He felt Joon take a more relaxing deep breath, let it out, and then lay still again. Jin reached down and took his phone out of his hand to text Pak. Hobi, who was on his other side, rolled over to face him. "Let Jin handle it," he said quietly.

"Why?"

"Because you need time to decompress like the rest of us." Hobi ran his nails through his hair, watching his eyes close. Tingles cascaded through Joon's body as Hobi played slowly with his hair. "Because we're all on edge and can't let it show right now. So if Jin is willing to step up, let him. We can only buy so many houses."

Jin was listening while he texted Pak, Hey. What can we do to help?

A moment later, Pak texted back. I think she just needs time—time and Riggs. We're not going to come inside, we'll walk around the back. Don't get up. We'll check in with you later.

"There. Done. We're good for now." Jin placed the phone on the nightstand and took his position around Namjoon again.

Hobi and Jin were now curled around him, keeping him grounded and relaxed. They listened to everyone else sleeping soundly before Jin whispered in Namjoon's ear.  "Hobi and I have been talking, and we want to visit Kook's art studio with you someday soon." Hobi's lips curled a little as he opened his eyes to watch the interaction.

Joon didn't say anything, but they felt him take a deep breath and then nod. They left it at that and joined the rest of the group in a deep slumber.

***

It wasn't long before the three pulled up in the drive. Wendy didn't talk much on the way back to the house. The anticipation of her finally getting to see Riggs that evening, coupled with the jet lag and everything that happened over the past week, was starting to build. The three got out, and Pak took Wendy gently by the arm as Jae followed. Jae could tell by his demeanor that he had flipped into his work headspace, making decisions for them more than asking questions. He did it with her and Ami, usually as needed when they were working and when life was overwhelming. He was good at reading when they needed someone to take over.

"Everyone's resting, and that's what you're going to do," Pak said calmly as they walked around the back and towards the guest house.

"I am?"

"When I know what time Riggs is flying in, I'll drive you to pick him up, and then we'll come back here. Jae and I were going to stay tonight, but we'll go back to the apartment so you guys can have some space."

"You guys don't have to leave." She looked up at him as they walked.

Pak thought for a moment, "Well. Let's see how it goes. Okay?" They made their way around the pool and down the path. "The guys will be up in a few hours, although I honestly don't know about Ami and Yoongi. If I know that crew, they'll make sure they take the time they need to recover from their trip. As you know, jet lag can be a bitch."

Wendy exhaled, "Yes, it can." They made it to the guest house, and Pak opened and held the door for them as they walked in. As the girls started taking off their shoes, Pak opened the windows to let fresh air in the little place.

"Sorry I messed up plans."

"You didn't mess up any plans." Jae smiled, walking with her to her room. "Everyone just needs a day or so to get back on track. I get it. I've been there more times than I can count." Just then, Pak came in and set a bottle of water on her nightstand. "Drink that, and we'll see you in a few hours." He smiled, then walked back out.

"He's so bossy," Wendy whispered as Jae giggled.

"Well, as you can imagine, he has a lot of experience keeping Ami and me from spiraling into the void. I'm not sad about it either."

"Oh, no...not a bad quality at all," she smiled. Jae hugged her friend. "Rest. We'll see ya when you get up."

***

A few hours later, Ami felt Yoongi start to stir. "How are you?" she sighed as she opened her eyes. Someone held her from behind, their face pressed against her back as she rested along Yoongi's good side.

"I think I need to move a little. I'm so stiff." He said quietly, then turned to look at his wife. "How are you? How's your foot?"

"I'm fine." she leaned in a little and kissed him, then sat up to see who was with them. Kook was behind her, pulling her back into the bed with them. "Little bird, you need to stay."

"Kook." She rolled over to face him, wrapping herself around him as they embraced. Yoon smiled. "I agree. You need to stay in bed." She loved being home. She loved being able to touch and love on them as they did her. As much as she loved her private trips, she enjoyed coming home to them just as much.

"Are we the only ones left up here?" She said, muffled into his neck.

"Hobi's here. The rest napped and are downstairs."

"Hi, baby girl." She heard him say from somewhere in the big bed. They all smiled as she melted into Jungkook's arms. Yoongi motioned to Hobi to move over with them, but instead, he stayed. "Do you need to get up and move?" Hobi asked.

Yoongi was surprised he wasn't joining. "Yes, but she needs you more."

"She has Kook. If you need to move, we need to move," he said as he crawled out of bed. He pulled back the blankets and reached out, gingerly helping him sit up and then stand. Hobi watched him carefully as he stood still for a moment, getting his bearings. He needed to rest his arm in a position that hurt the least, but it seemed it ached in any position he tried.

"Hobi, can you get some meds for me? " he said quietly as he sat back down on the edge of the bed. "Yeah. Wait here." He trotted to the door and down the hall to his room, where they had left them earlier.

Jungkook watched them concerned as he held her in his arms, petting her hair and keeping her comfortable. "Yoongi, you should lie back down."

"No. I need to get up and walk a little. Lee gave me something on the plane, and I need to walk it off."

"What did he give him?" He looked down at Ami.

"Something in an IV." Kook slowly started to let her go as they both got up to help.

"Why did he need it?"

"Because I was trying to get to her, but Lee and Pak wouldn't let me." He was trying to remember what had happened on the plane ride home, but it was a little foggy.

"What is he talking about?" Kook asked as Hobi came back in with meds and some water.

"Here. This should help take the edge off." Yoongi slipped the meds into his mouth and took a long drink of water, washing them down. "Thank you." he sighed, now waiting for the relief to hit.

"Ami, what is he talking about?" Kook asked again.

"It's nothing. Su and I were talking on the plane. He was giving me a quick update on New York. That's all." She looked at Jungkook, letting him know not to ask more questions right now.

"It sounded like more than nothing." Yoongi winced as he stood up. Ami was going to get up with him, but Kook rolled back on the bed, grabbed her, and pulled her into the middle of the bed.

"Kookiiiiiie." She groaned.

"Stay." He distracted her as Hobi walked Yoongi out of the room.

"Everyone is home safe and sound." Hobi changed the subject. "Kook! Need anyone to come help?" He smirked as he looked back at him, wrestling her into his arms.

"Nope. I've got her."

"See you soon, wife." Yoongi looked at the two with a tired smile as Hobi closed the door behind them, and they went downstairs.

She felt him firmly grab the back of her head and hold her, pressing his lips on hers. It didn't take much for her to accept her fate of being forced to stay. Jungkook kissed her like he had wanted to for a week and melted when he felt her tongue glance over his lips.

"God, I missed you." he moaned.

"I missed you too. But I need to get up."

"No." His arms snaked around her tighter. "Your job is to rest."

"I haaave."

"No, " he said again sweetly. "Tomorrow, we know work is going to take over, so today is your day to do nothing...unless you want to do something else," he said mischievously.

"I can't...and Wendy is here. I need to go downstairs..." He reached up and pressed his finger against her lips.

"Why can't you?" He said softly, examining her beautiful face with concern.

"Why can't I do what?"

His finger trailed from her lips down her front as he watched her realize what he meant, then grabbed his hand quickly from dropping between her legs, although she wanted him to. She didn't know if she would be able to stop herself.

"Um, I'm on antibiotics. My birth control won't work if we..."

"Oh." He smiled, pressing his forehead on hers as he twisted his hand to encompass hers. "You don't want to make a little Jungkook right now?"

"No. Now's not a good time for little Jungkooks," she whispered. "Life is too busy."

"Life is always busy," he whispered back. "But I promise you, when you're ready, we will bring it all to a screeching halt for you."

"I don't know if life works that way."

"Yes, it does. For you, it does."

They stared into each other's eyes, sharing a quiet moment, then kissed her sweetly. "Do I really need to stay in bed?" She whispered.

"Yes. I'll let you up in a while."

***

About an hour later, Wendy was trudging up the path to the main house. The nap was more than needed, but now she was battling a nap hangover. She felt like she could have kept sleeping, but if she did, it would be impossible for her to crash out at a decent time that night. That and she was ready for Riggs to arrive. She wanted to find Pak and see if he knew when he was coming in.

As she came up the path, she happened to catch a glimpse into the kitchen window. The blinds were cracked just enough so that she could see Ami standing in the kitchen talking to someone. She watched her friend smile and close her eyes as someone crossed in front of Wendy's view. It happened so fast that she wasn't sure what she saw, but it looked like one of the guys leaned in to kiss her as they walked past.

She slowed her walk as she tried to figure out if she actually saw what she thought she saw and with whom. Still groggy but now trying to kickstart her brain, she smiled as she approached the back door. "Gray shirt, gray shirt, gray shirt," she repeated, now determined to solve the mystery. She replayed it in her mind, but like a dream, it felt like the details were floating away the more she tried to remember, and she started to question if she had seen it at all.

She and Riggs had talked about it but never pinpointed who Ami was with or if she was. Of course, she could ask her, but the boys acted the same towards her when they all hung out together. Jae and Pak were cute and didn't hide their status, but Ami had mentioned before that the guys didn't date, so she had left it at that.

"Hey! Look who made it." Jae grinned as Wendy walked in and looked around the room.  Everyone was there but scattered about. They looked up to see a half-asleep Wendy going from person to person until her eyes landed on Tae. He was the only one wearing gray in the room.  He gave her a nod and smiled.

Ami was standing in the kitchen, leaning against the counter, talking to Jin and Hobi, but Tae was sitting on the couch across the room.  She noticed Jin was wearing white and Hobi was wearing blue.  Wendy started to question if she had seen the color wrong after all.

"Heeeeey." She broke out of her sleuthing stare and smiled.

"Feel any better?" Namjoon asked.

"I think so. I could rot there all day if I had my way." She walked over to join Ami in the kitchen as Jin opened the fridge and grabbed a soda for her. "Here, this will help. Caffeine does wonders." He winked as he sat it down on the counter for her.

"Thanks." She smiled and sighed, reaching over and picking up the cold drink.

"Come on.  Let's find a comfy place to sit so you can drink that and wake up.  Jae!" Ami called out across the room.  "Wanna come with us, or do you want to stay with the boys?"

"Um, yes please!" Jae jumped up and trotted across the room to join them.  Pak got up as well. "I'll be right back," He said to Jimin and Yoongi as he followed the girls.

"Where are you going, Love?" Hobi asked as they watched her start to hobble away. Jin reached out to support her as she walked. Wendy wondered if it was Jin she had seen from the outside, not Tae. Jae joined Wendy and took her by the arm to follow them with Pak close behind.

"My office." She called back.

"NO WORK!"  The girls heard a chorus of voices call back to her as Jae giggled.  Wendy's eyes widened when she heard them all call out.

"That means you to Jae!"  Jimin yelled, only to hear her laugh harder as they left the room.  Pak turned and grinned back at him before rounding the corner. 

Yoongi leaned his head back and closed his eyes as Hobi joined them.  "How ya feelin?"

"Tired."  He replied without opening his eyes.

"Do you want to go back upstairs?" Tae asked.

"No, not yet,"  he muttered. "I just want to sit here. I'll go up when Pak and Wendy leave." 

"You've been up for a while; I think you need to go lay down,"  Namjoon said, concerned but with a steady voice.   "I'll go with you,"  Jimin added.

Yoon opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. They weren't wrong, but he didn't want to go yet. "Compromise.  I'll lay on the couch...although temping." He turned his head and locked eyes with Jimin.

A mischievous grin formed on Jimin's face as he stood up to help him get situated on the couch.  Kook got up to help.  "Behave, Yoon.  Or we won't share our new playroom's location with you."  Kook said quietly.

Yoongi's eyes popped open as the guys helped him stand and reposition to lie down.  "I'm sorry.  What playr..."

"Shhhhhhhh."  Namjoon grinned as Yoongi looked around at everyone's faces as he slowly lay down and got comfortable on the couch.  They all smiled at him with a secret on their lips they wanted to share, but now wasn't the time.

"Are there new rules?" He asked quietly.

"So many rules.  But now isn't the time, and you need to heal first regardless, which means rest."  Hobi said a little more firmly but still loud enough for only them to hear. 

"Does Ami know?"  He looked up into Jimin's face as he leaned over to reposition the pillows to support his arm. 

"No.  Again.  Not the time for either of you.  Now rest, or we'll haul you upstairs." 

They all smirked as they watched him lay perfectly still, staring at the ceiling, knowing his head was now swimming with what any of this meant.

 

The girls found seats in the office, and Jin made sure Ami was settled comfortably. Pak stood in the doorway and watched, " OK. Wendy, we'll take off in about an hour to pick up Riggs. How does that sound?"

"Perfect. Thank you." She cracked her soda and enjoyed that first cold carbonated burning sip. She swallowed, feeling the carbonation eat its way down her throat.  "God that hurts."

"It hurts?" Jin paused and looked at her as they all did.

"A good hurt, though. Let's you know you're alive."  She clarified before taking another less intense sip. "Aaahhhhhhh."

"Okaaay."  Jin stood up and started heading back to the living room. "Thanks, Jin,"  Ami called out.

"NO WORK!" He called back.  Pak grinned, holding the door frame and looking into the room at them.  "Seriously, no work until tomorrow.  They will kill you, and you know there's paperwork involved with that."

"I know."  Ami sighed.  "Thanks.  We'll be good."

"See you in an hour."  Pak winked at Jae and shut the door. 

"It's been a while since he's threatened us with paperwork."  Jae giggled.

"I know.  It's nice."  Ami smiled.

 

Jin and Pak walked back to join the guys when they stopped and stared at Yoongi, who was now lying horizontally on the couch.

"Are we good?" Pak said slowly.

"He needed to lay down and rest. It was upstairs or this." Namjoon said as Pak looked over and met his gaze.

"Ok. How's your pain?"

"Same," Yoongi replied, keeping his eyes closed. Jin grabbed a blanket and carefully placed it over him before sitting down.

"Has Lee checked in yet?" Pak asked, pulling out his phone.

"No," Yoongi replied. They all watched Pak think over the situation before he started texting. "Ok. Here's what's going to happen. I'm going ask him to come and be here while I take Wendy to grab Riggs."

"Pak. You've been running on fumes for days. Let us call a driver for them. You need to stop moving." Jungkook said what they all felt.

He shook his head, "I told her I would take her. It's just to the airport and back." He fired off his text to Dr. Lee and then sat down. "They are coming here, so I don't want someone random to drive them."

"Call Byun. He's been home. He's rested." Namjoon frowned.

"No. It's ok. Really."

"Pak. Call Byun. If you want to go with her, fine, but let him drive." Hobi insisted. "Take our SUV."

Just then, Pak's phone pinged, and he looked down at it. "Lee will be here in an hour."  As he was looking at his phone, he heard Tae start talking. "Byun, hi. It's Taehyung. Can you please be here in an hour? We need you to drive with Pak to the airport and back. Perfect, see you then." He hung up as Pak stared at him, mouth open.

"Done."  He smiled as they all relaxed, knowing he wouldn't go alone.  

"They're kind of bossy, huh, Pak,"  Yoongi smirked from the couch, eyes still closed.  "Welcome to my world." 

 

 

Chapter 28

Riggs looked out the window as the plane landed and taxied across the runway. His anticipation of seeing her grew with every inch the plane crept closer. He had booked the last seat on a 10-person jet leaving within the hour. All the men on the flight were businessmen, and then there was Riggs.

The jet had landed at a smaller airport, away from the hustle and bustle of Seoul International Airport. Riggs looked out the window and saw a small fleet of private cars waiting for the various people on board. They were all black sedans except for a large black SUV. The plane slowed and parked, and the other passengers got up and collected their bags as the door was opened and stairs were pushed to the plane.

A small, older businessman looked out the window at the awaiting fleet and then turned to Riggs, saying in near-perfect English, "I think the big one is for you."

"I think you may be right." He smiled.

Pak and Byun got out and stood next to the SUV as the small stream of traditional-looking businessmen made their way down the stairs to their awaiting cars, quickly heading out to their meetings.

"Which one is he?" Byun leaned over and asked right before Rigg's frame filled the airplane's doorway. "OH. Nevermind. Damn. He works for Hybe now?"

"Well, in a way." Pak grinned and opened Wendy's door, "Ready?" He helped her out as Riggs made it to the bottom of the stairs and started jogging over to them.

"OH my god, yes." Wendy barely made it out of the SUV two steps before Riggs tossed down his backpack and pulled her up off the ground in a huge hug, leaving her feet dangling. Byun walked back around to the driver's seat as Pak waited.

"Hi." She sighed.

"Hi, love. You good?"

"Now I am." She felt herself being lowered, her feet finally touching the pavement. Riggs ran his hands up her sides to her face, cradling it in his hands as he finally kissed her. He reluctantly pulled back, but not before staring into her eyes. As she stared back, her eyes started to well up a little.

"Ok." He said decisively but softly, "Pak, she's ready to go." He took his hands off her face and turned her to help her back into the car. Pak could feel Rigg's energy shift. He was taking over as her person, which Pak was ready to take a break from. He was ready to focus on just Jae, not that she was work, but he was ready for a break, too. Before the guys climbed in, Riggs reached out to shake his hand, "Good to see you. Thanks for everything."

"Thank the guys, I just work here." He winked.

"Bullshit, mate. But I'll thank them, too." They both climbed in and took off.

The ride back to the house felt quick. Byun and Pak spoke quietly in Korean in the front, while Riggs and Wendy talked quietly in the back. He had his arm around her as she was leaning against his body.

"I missed you." Their fingers intertwined and slowly danced together.

"I missed you too. Are you all rested from your world travels?"

"More or less. I took a nap today."

"Yeah? That's good. My bed has been traumatically lonely while you've been gone." he said quietly in her ear. She didn't reply but squeezed his hand and leaned into him more.

***

Ami and Jae stayed in her office talking while Pak and Wendy were off to get her man from the airport. It was the catch-up they needed to have before they returned. Ami filled her in on all the details of Iceland, the good, the traumatic ending, and the quick in and out of New York. She showed her pictures as Jae listened intently. "It sounds amazing, well, except for the earthquake part. " She smiled.

"It's so pretty and quiet. It was perfect." She sighed. "Pak, Choi, and Quon were invaluable. Jae, I don't know how to thank them for everything they do. It's beyond, it's always beyond. They step up and do whatever's needed. They just do it." Tears welled up a little in her eyes to make them wet, but not enough to fall. "I don't know how I got so lucky." Jae watched her friend suck it up and keep herself from going deep into her feelings with a little forced smile.

"SO! Tell me. How was it here? How were the boys? How's work look? Tell me everything."

"We aren't allowed to talk about work." She grinned, "But as for your boys, they're good...great...perfect as usual." She snuggled into the corner of the couch. "They let me rattle around and entertained me, even though I didn't ask them to. OH! Kook, Tae, and I introduced Wendy to some K-dramas! And she loved it!"

"OH, my god." Ami giggled. "She loved them, huh?"

"She did! I think we should introduce her to Gong Yoo's dramas. I think she would like him."

"The Goblin himself, huh? Ok, that will be the next one, but I want to join you! That's my favorite."

"DONE!" Jae called out.

"So, what else?" Ami loved talking and catching up with Jae.

"Um, let's see." Jae thought over the week, "Oh, your bed is nice, but it's too damn big. I'm happy to be back in the guest house." Jae watched her face change to one of confusion.

"What? Why were you in my bed?" She watched Jae's face morph into confusion as well.

"They didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"They made me sleep up there, starting the day Su went to New York with Wendy. I'm surprised they didn't say anything."

"It's been a big week, so what happened?" She was still trying to figure out why.

Jae repositioned and told her the story of Su talking to them about needing to go to New York and her reaction. She rolled her eyes as she explained but then jumped to how Jin told her what her choices were, upstairs or two of them down with her.

"Oh my god," Ami whispered. "Are you ok? What do you think that was about?"

"You have overprotective boys?" she grinned.

"No." She shook her head, "Why do you think you reacted like that? That seems off for you?"

"Oh god. I don't know." Jae sighed, "Random panic attack, I guess. It's fine. I'm fine. The guys stuck to me like glue all week, overkill, I'm sure." Ami's face wasn't buying it, but she knew how it felt to be asked things she didn't want to talk about, or she was done talking about. Knowing her boys and Pak, she had plenty of conversations already.

"So...my bed is too big?" She changed the subject, which Jae appreciated.

"It's like sleeping in a field. There's no end in sight." she giggled as both girls settled back into the corners of the couch.

"You know, I think we both had the same dose of medicine this week. Pak and I stayed at the hotel in New York while the rest of them were at the hospital with Yoons. Huge penthouse, and we both slept on the couches."

"You slept on the couches?"

"Yeah. Complete waste of money. Honestly, I think we were both spooked by the earthquake and everything that happened. I really appreciated him staying. I'm glad the guys were here with you this week, though. I'm sorry that happened to you."

"Yeah. Thanks. Heads up that will probably be the last time I don't tag along. We're going to be a weird group traveling the world together." Jae sighed. "What's that called?"

"Friends?" Ami smiled. "I mean, I see it as we're all friends that have this fucked up side hustle of music at this point."

"Best side job ever!" Jae enthusiastically.

"I agree." Ami laughed, then got quiet again. " Okay, can we talk about work real quick? Is there anything big I need to worry about? A fast and furious overview is enough."

"Everything you do is big," Jae smirked. "Ok, You have a meeting with Ko in two days. He's going to want to talk about the tour. Dior needs to be dealt with. They keep sending gifts, but that gonna be hard because three more contenders have put their hats in the ring. That's a tomorrow thing." Jae said quietly so the guys couldn't hear them.

"Ok." Ami rubbed her head as she listened.

"Small hellos from random people. Rumor on the street is there is some all-hands event coming up soon that I need to shop for, so I want to talk to you about that. Again, that's a tomorrow thing. Otherwise, good week. Normal stuff, just your usual big stuff, life-changing stuff to figure out." She wrapped up her quick and dirty overview.

"Ok...ok." She mumbled. Putting all the ducks in a row for tomorrow.

"You know. Your husbands' slash boyfriends took care of me, and my boyfriend took care of you. The umbrella at work at its finest." She waved her hand across the air for visual effects.

"Umbrella?" Ami stopped thinking about work and smiled. "What do you mean?"

Jae's eyes widened as she grinned, "You don't know about the umbrella conversation? Do they tell you anything anymore!? OH. You need to ask your men. That's a them conversation. They started it."

"Jae! Tell me!" Ami yelled, and Jae cackled back, so Ami grabbed a pillow and whipped it at her. Just then, there was a knock at the door, and Jimin poked his head in.

"Ladies." He smiled.

"Husband! I have questions!" Ami waved him in as Jae got ready to watch the show. He closed the door behind him and walked in to join them. "I have something first." He started. "Lee is here to check on Yoongi. The guys are taking him upstairs to rest. He's good, but Lee wanted to put eyes on him. He said if you were okay, he would check on you tomorrow. Otherwise, he wants to see you." He sat down on the table in front of her, resting his hands on her thighs and rubbing her legs.

"So. Are you doing ok?" He sweetly asked.

"Yes." She said softly back.

"Good. Now. You need to stay here with Jae and catch up with all your girl chats. Namjoon and Jin are going to stay upstairs with Yoongi. Okay? Let us do this. You both need this time." he pointed to her and Jae, indicating he was talking to both of them.

"Okay."

Jae watched the sweet interaction between the two, then nudged Ami with her toe. "Ask him."

"Ask me what?" he smiled, staring into his wife's face.

Ami bit her lip a little, "Um, something about an umbrella?"

"Our umbrella." Jae clarified.

"Yes. What about it?" Jimin's expression didn't change. He just stared lovingly at his wife.

"What is it?" Ami examined every part of his perfect face and saw his eyes widen a little when she asked.

"Oh...I thought Yoongi talked to you about it." He said, taken aback.

"It was right before the wedding." Jae jumped in. "I'm sure there were other things on his mind." They watched him sit up a little straighter as he thought about how to have this conversation, one he thought was already covered. "I think this is a conversation we should all have together later today. After Wendy and Riggs get settled. I assume Pak is going to take Jae home for some quiet time. Then we can all talk."

"Is it bad?" Ami frowned. Jimin reached over, pushed on the wrinkle between her eyes, and smiled. "No. Jae, do you think it's bad?"

"No." She shook her head. "I really don't."

"Okay. Then, this evening, we'll all talk." He stood and kissed her forehead as she took his hand. "I'm sorry. I thought Yoongi shared it with you. We'll fix it." Jimin stood there, holding her hand and looking down at her. "Do you two need anything before I go?" They both shook their heads no, so he kissed Ami's hand and headed out to join the guys.

"God. You two are sweet together. They fucking adore you." Jae sighed. "So, the elephant in the room now, are you going to tell Wendy? I can't imagine you guys want to keep playing this hide-and-seek game in your own home."

"Unnnnnnnnnggghhhh! NO. We don't! It fucking suuuuuuucks." She groaned. "I think I want to, but I don't want to whack her with it while she's dealing with New York feelings. She hasn't said a lot about it to me. What about you?"

"No." She shook her head, "but maybe she deals with stuff differently than we do. What's Su think? He was with her for days."

"He told me to spend time with her and help her process New York, then I would know what to do." She lowered her voice slightly, "Did they tell you Su found out someone was hired to toss her place? They waited for her."

"Yeah. Actually, she told me that...and I told the guys, who had a complete meltdown."

"Oh." Ami said, eyes wide, "Fuck."

"Yeah, it was a thing. I have never seen Namjoon that angry. They all were, but he snapped." Jae said seriously as Ami grimaced, knowing what that looked like.

"I guess I need to know she's not pissed at me or us putting her in the position she's in now. No need to force her with a life-altering secret if she's done with us." Ami sighed.

"I don't think she feels that way." Jae frowned and thought back over the past couple of days. "But I agree with you. I think you should wait for now. One mind fuck at a time." She teased a little.

"You think my relationships are a mind fuck?" Ami smiled.

"On paper, yes. In-person, absolutely not." Jae giggled. "What you do in that big bed is for you to know alone."

Ami laughed and involuntarily squeezed her body together with the thought of them all in bed with her. "You've never questioned having a threesome... NOT with me or the guys, but in general? You never a fleeting thought?"

"OH MY GOD!!! NO!!" Jae squealed. "I just want Kai!" She watched Ami laugh as she wrinkled her nose, now giving it an actual real thought. "But...if I did, and I don't! But if I ever found myself in that situation, it wouldn't be with some rando. It would have to be something like you have with the boys. BUT. LET ME BE CLEAR!" She pointed at Ami to show her seriousness, "I'm 1000% happy with Kai. I don't want or need a bigger bed."

"I know. I know. I was just teasing." Ami wiped her laughing tears away as she stood up, not putting all her weight on her sore foot. She reached out her hand to help pull her friend up. "Come on. Let's go get something to eat."

"You know, I can push you over right now, and you can't do anything about it." Jae teased as she took Ami's hand and felt her pull her up off the couch.

"Oh, I'm aware I'm a sitting duck." She giggled as the two made their way to the kitchen. They started rummaging around, searching for snacks, when Ami felt someone come up behind her. They pressed their body against hers, their hand reaching around, holding her belly as she reached up for a bowl.

"Go sit. What can I get you?" Tae reached up, took the bowl from her hand, and placed it on the counter. "We just wanted a snack," she felt him put his hands on her hips and gently guide her to a seat.

"Jae." They heard someone call out to them. Jae looked up to see Jungkook walking over to join them. He motioned with his head for her to join Ami as he rolled his sleeves up. He pulled down a second bowl and opened the fridge, pulling out food without asking what they were hungry for.

"Did you girls have a nice chat?" Tae asked as he let Jungkook take over snack duty, pulling up a seat beside his wife.

"We did." Jae smiled. "We're all caught up, I think." Kook and Jae started chatting as Ami quietly leaned over to Tae. "Can you pass me those grapes, please?" He pulled the bowl closer for her, and she reached out and took a small handful, popping them in her mouth.

"Do you feel low?" he asked quietly, rubbing her back as they listened to the other two banter back and forth about noodles.

"Just hungry." He leaned over, kissed her head, and pressed his lips into her ear. "Are you sure?" His husky voice shot shivers through her body.

"Promise. Did Dr Lee leave?" She tried to keep herself together. They knew how to get to her.

"He just did. Yoongi is upstairs resting. Pak texted and said they were five minutes out. I was coming to let you two know."

"How's he feeling?"

"He's okay. He needs to sleep. Namjoon is keeping him in check." He said quietly with a little smile. "We're going to keep him in bed until tomorrow, doctors' orders more or less." Just then, they heard all the phones in the house ping with a message. Tae looked down. "They're here." He kissed her one more time, then stood up. Shaking off his husband vibes, he walked over to the door.

Ami was ready to stand up when Kook shook his head, saying, "You two stay there." He placed some food down in front of the girls. "Eat." He wiped his hand on a towel and walked over to join Tae as Hobi and Jimin came trotting down to greet the new guest.

Jae leaned over to Ami as she took a bite of food, "This is how they were all week. I'm glad you're back to help bear the burden of being bossed around," she said with a snicker.

"I missed them." Ami sighed as they heard the door open and the boys greeting the returning group. Tae had opened the door to Pak walking in with Riggs holding Wendy's hand behind him. "You made it, welcome." Tae smiled as he waited for the three to come in.

"Glad to be here." Riggs smiled as he reached out with his free hand to shake each of theirs. He wasn't going to let her go.  Pak walked over to the girls as the four talked to Riggs and Wendy.

"Was the flight okay?" Hobi asked as they made their way in, stopping in the large living room. They all smiled as they watched Riggs gently pull Wendy around so she was in front of him, his big arms pulling her in and holding her from behind. They knew that feeling—the one where all you wanted to do was touch the one you loved.

"The flight was good. Hey Ami, Jae." He called out as they turned and waved from the kitchen, still eating their food. Ami caught Wendy's eye. She looked so happy he had come for her; she knew that feeling.

"Byun go home?" Jae asked as Pak kissed her head.

"Yup. Everything went well." He nodded and then quietly said to Jae, "Let's go get you packed up. I think we should leave them the guest house while he's here. We can come back in a few days if we need to."

"Isn't she going back with him?" Ami said quietly as Jae slid off the stool.

"I don't know. Maybe not yet. We'll see. I think they need some space, though." Pak said quietly as they slipped out the back and down to the house.

Ami took one more bite and was going to slide out of her seat to join them when Jimin took Jae's spot. "Keep your ass in that seat. We told you you aren't playing hostess today." He said with a smile to the group so as not to draw attention. Ami stayed but turned to face everyone to be part of the conversation. "So bossy." Is all she replied with a satisfied sigh.

"Are you hungry, or are you anxious to spend some time with your girl?" Jungkook asked as Wendy squeezed Rigg's arm, which was still wrapped around her.

"I'm good, mate. I think we just need some time to catch up." He looked around, not seeing Yoongi, Namjoon, or Jin. "I would like a chance to talk to all of you later, though, and by later, I mean realistically tomorrow."

"Honestly, that works best for us, too," Hobi said with a smile. "Okay, Wendy, you know the drill. If there's anything else you need, please let us know. We'll let you two be unless you come up to the house."

"I think Pak and Jae went down to pack up and clear out to give you guys space," Ami called out from the kitchen as they all looked over at her and Jimin.

"Thanks, guys," Wendy said sincerely. "Come on." She took Riggs' hand, and they headed out the back towards the guest house. She was anxious to be alone with him, as he was her, just to talk and reconnect after what felt like the longest week ever. As they made their way down, the three walked over to join Ami and Jimin.

"I'm glad Pak and Jae are going home. They need some space, too," Hobi said, not skipping a beat to press his lips fully on hers. They all heard her inhale as Kook turned and watched the door in case Riggs and Wendy doubled back.

"Did you get enough food?" she heard Tae say in her ear while Hobi kept her lips occupied. They all heard her moan, and Kook said quickly, "Pak and Jae are coming back up."

Hobi finally released her, kissing one more little peck on the nose before Jimin and Tae helped her stand up. "Good god." she took a deep breath and smiled as the door opened, and a beaming Jae bounced back in with Pak close behind.

"We're heading out!" Jae trotted over and gave Ami a big hug as the boys stepped back a step for them. "I'll be back tomorrow, and we can start on real work stuff. I'm ready to get back to normal."

"Me too. I'll see you tomorrow." She squeezed her friend hard.

"We can postpone the girl's work for a day. You two need time as much as anyone else," Jimin said as he walked over to the door with Pak.

"I don't think so. I might drop Jae off tomorrow and head out to do some stuff, but from what Jae told me, they need to touch base tomorrow. She has a meeting with Ko in two days, and Su may take her, so Jae and I can disappear for a day or so. I'll let you know."

"Thanks, Pak." They stopped at the door as Jae made her way over. "Thanks for taking care of them," Jimin said quietly.

Pak sighed, "I can say the same to you guys for Jae."

 

Down at the guest house, Riggs wasn't taking in the amenities but was standing in the living room hugging Wendy. As soon as they said goodbye to Jae and Pak and closed the door, he tossed his backpack on the floor and hugged his girlfriend.

"Oh my god, I missed you, " he whispered, then felt her break down in his arms. "Babe," he sighed as he didn't move but squeezed her tighter. Wendy had held herself together for days, finally feeling able to let go. He could see it in her eyes at the airport, which is why he wanted to get her back to the house and get through the pleasantries of their hosts.

He stroked her back as she sobbed. "Come with me." He finally let her go just enough to walk her to the kitchen as she wiped her face. "It was just a fucking week." she choked out as he picked her up and placed her on the counter so he could look her in the eyes while they talked.

"Take a deep breath for me, Love." He took his palms and gently pressed them over her eyes, holding them there for a moment. The light pressure felt good as he watched her shoulders rise and fall, gathering herself. He wiped her face as she opened her eyes and looked at him. "Tell me." He said quietly.

"I don't have a place anymore. They trashed everything," she said softly as he rested his hands on the counter on either side of her, watching her as she opened up. "Everything felt dirty, like it had been violated." She flashed a look of disgust.

"You said Emmett and Miles showed up to help?"

"Yeah. Um, they were a few hours away, so they came down to help. Then Su took us out to dinner."

"I bet that was good to see them." He reached up to wipe a stray tear slowly trailing down her cheek.

"It was."

"Where did you go eat?" He took in all her expressions while they talked.

"Um, The Churchill Tavern. He thought it would be good comfort food for a bunch of Brits." she smiled a little.

"Smart man. Did they stay the night? I don't remember."

She shook her head a little, "No. They had to get back."

"Yeah? Ok." He leaned forward and kissed her sweetly before she continued. Wendy felt him run his hands down her arms to her hands, taking them in his before pulling away from her lips. He was trying to gauge if she wanted to talk about what happened to them on the street.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there to kick those pricks' asses for you. Do you know how much I wanted to run to you?" He watched her look up to meet his eyes. "It killed me."

"I know."

"Are you ok, in here, after all that?" He kissed her forehead, "I need to know, and if you aren't, that's ok, but I don't want you to tell me you're fine, and you aren't. Not fine is a real answer." She paused before she replied, not sure what to say. He frowned a little, taking her face in his big hands and holding her. "Table that reply. Let's talk about that tomorrow, ok?"

"Okay," she said quietly.

"Do you feel safe here? In this place?"

"Yes," she said, a little more sure in her tone than in her other answers.

"And the guys? Are they as genuine as they seem? They've been taking care of you?" He gave her a teasing look like he would kick their asses if they weren't, even though he knew they had been going above and beyond. He finally saw her smile a little, which made him feel better. "Yes. They are all kind."

"Good." He inhaled and exhaled, feeling better just seeing and talking to her. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck as he quickly held her back.

"Thank you for coming."

"I'm sorry I'm a week late."

Chapter 29

Su had spent much-needed time at home. He showered, ate, and rested for a bit but now found himself back trying to figure out where they needed to go from there. The sun was going to be setting soon when he got a call.

"Hey Pak. I didn't expect to hear from you until tomorrow. Everything okay?"

"Yup. Just wanted to let you know we dropped Riggs off with the boys, and Jae and I are back at our place. We thought Wendy and Riggs would appreciate some space. I know the boys and Ami won't be knocking on their door anytime soon."

Su smiled as he leaned back and put his feet on the coffee table. "Well, I'm sure that includes you two as well."

"Fair point." Pak winked at Jae, who was unpacking her bags. "We're going back tomorrow late morning so Ami and Jae can have their meeting and get back on the same page."

"I thought you and Jae were taking some time?"

Pak rubbed his eyes as he thought about the calendar. "You know, maybe after Ami meets with Ko in two days. I don't want to miss that."

"I can go. Let me go for you."

Pak thought about it as Su heard him take a deep breath. "I don't know. That was my plan, but after thinking about it, I would like to be there. There's so much in the air right now, and I couldn't relax knowing big plans were being made."

"I get that, but you need time to turn off your brain too." Su would understand if he wasn't there, but he was glad he wouldn't have to play another game of telephone with him. "Get some rest. I'll  stop in tomorrow to talk to Riggs."

"Sounds good. You get some rest, too."

"BYE SU!" He heard her call out through the phone. Su smiled, "Bye Jae." They both hung up as Jae zipped up her now unpacked bag. "How's Su?"

"Good, I think. You know, you should keep clothes at their place so you don't have to drag stuff back and forth." He set his phone down on the table and fell into bed. Jae smiled, crawled up the bed, straddled his legs, and started squeezing his shoulders and back.

"Ohhhhh my goddddd." He groaned as he let her work on the knots. "I'm so happy not to be moving."

"I'm sure. It's been a long week." She sighed, pushing her thumb into a pain point.

"Jesus." He groaned. "Yes, it was." She rubbed his back for a while before laying her body down on his, her head resting against his. She could feel him relax and breathe as she kept him squished into the mattress with her body.

Neither moved for the longest time until he started to roll slowly so she could sink down to face him. He rested his hand on her hip as she gently stroked his face, running her nails over his scalp. "I'm sorry the trip ended with such stress." She said quietly as he sighed.

"We should have stayed." He opened his eyes to see her concerned look.

"Everyone is home. You got them home. You did what you thought was right at the moment. Looking back always shows different paths that weren't visible at the time. Everyone knows that." She stroked his face with her thumb as he watched her. "If Choi and Quon felt it was the right move, it was the right move."

"I suppose." He sighed and closed his eyes. " You're coming with me from now on."

"I know, " she said, kissing him softly. "I already told Ami." She watched a small smile form on his lips as he pulled her into him, and they completely relaxed.

"After the meeting with Ko, I'm taking you away for a few days," he murmured.

"Ok." She sighed, "I won't fight you."

***

Ami had run herself a hot bubble bath and was soaking to let her brain quiet down before joining the boys in bed. It had been a long day of travel and catching up with everyone. She sat quietly in the hot water for a while, thinking about what was coming up this week, knowing she would have to make some hard decisions about things. She didn't know what to do about Dior wanting both her and Jae, nor what that would look like if they agreed to sign on top of these new contenders Jae had mentioned, whoever they were.

She didn't want to do a tour for a few reasons but knew they could push her into one. It was all a numbers game to them, maximize the profit before her time ran out, then move on to the artist to do it all over again. It was the gross part of the industry. Her value to the company was tied to dollars. All of their professional value was.

Jin and Joon brought Yoongi down to Ami's room while she soaked in the tub to make him comfortable in bed. "Thanks, guys." He sighed as he sighed and dozed off.

"How's he doing?" Hobi asked as they watched Jin and Joon strip down to get ready for bed.

"He'll be better after a solid night's sleep tonight," Jin said as he climbed in.

"Is she in there?" Namjoon pointed to the closed bathroom door.

"She's soaking," Tae muttered from somewhere in Kook's arms.

"Let her have some time." Jimin moved over for Jin to get comfortable. "She said she would call out if she needed help getting out." The guys were all settled in bed, waiting for her and trying to stay awake.

Namjoon thought for a moment before walking into her closet to find some clothes for her. He selected some comfy shorts and one of the boy's t-shirts she had commandeered from their closet long ago.

"Joon. Join us." Kook sleepy called out as he reappeared with his choice of pajamas for her.

"I'll be right there." He winked, knocked a couple of times on the door, and then slipped in.

"Hey." She smiled as Namjoon joined her in the steamy bathroom.

"Hey yourself. I brought you these." He said, setting them down on the counter.

"Thank you." She repositioned a little in the tub. He reached down and ran his finger through the water, feeling it was still plenty warm. "Call for me when you're done. I'll come help you. We're all here, waiting for you," he said sweetly.

"I can be done now. I've been here for a while." She sighed, his wet fingers running down the side of her face.

"Are you sure?" She nodded as he took her hands and helped pull her up. It was hard not to want to stare at her naked body, but he held it together. He quickly wrapped a towel around her, picked her up, and placed her next to him on the fuzzy bath mat. She leaned against his chest as he hugged her, the heat from the water radiating off her.

"Hobi, " he softly called out, not wanting to pressure her to move yet. She was so comfortable in his arms. They heard the door open, and Hobi and Jimin walked in.

"Can you drain the bath?" Namjoon motioned with his head, keeping her tightly against him. The two moved quickly to drain the tub and help get her dressed, as Namjoon's job was to hold and pepper her with kisses.

"You okay, Love?" she heard Hobi ask quietly.

"Yeah." She leaned over and kissed him with a sweet, loving kiss.

"Let's get you in bed," Jimin said when she finally broke her connection with Hobi's lips. She reached up and wrapped her arms around Namjoon's neck as he picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. No questions asked. She was ready to sleep.

Everyone moved and repositioned, except Yoongi, as they brought her in to join them. She was ready for the day to be over and normal to start back up tomorrow, whatever their normal was anymore.

The guys let Namjoon take the lead and hold her that night. They knew he needed that time with her. They had all been under stress the last few days and needed time to regroup before work fired back up. Namjoon especially.

"You're so warm," Hobi murmured, rubbing his hand over her hip, the only exposed part Namjoon allowed.

"It was a good bath." She sighed.

"Dove," Namjoon said in his deep voice.

"Humm?" She let her mind slip deeper into relaxation.

"Is there anything you need?" She felt his hand slip lower on her body as Hobi's hand moved in tandem.

"She can't," Kook spoke up, causing everyone to pause. Namjoon felt her hold him a little tighter.

"What do you mean she can't?" Tae now opened his eyes.

"She's on meds. She told me earlier she wasn't ready for little Jungkook's. We can't be with her until she's off them. So, none of that kind of fun."

"Dove. Is that true?" Joon's deep voice penetrated her brain.

"Unnngggg, yes." She sighed.

"Ok." He kissed her head. "Sleep. We'll wait." The group settled, intertwined, and were so happy to be back together.

***

Riggs and Wendy had already been settled in bed for a few hours.  He had missed holding her for the past week and would be okay staying in bed until he had to fly out. He trailed his fingers up and down her back as she lay against him.

"I think so." he heard her say softly.

"You think so what, Love?"

"I think I'm ok." She looked up at him in the dim light of the room. "You asked me earlier, and I think so."

"Tell me what happened." He rolled so they were both facing each other to talk. She had opened the door for the topic, and it was what he had been waiting for. Riggs pulled her closer as she started to share.

"Um, we were walking back to the hotel, and a car full of twats pulled up. They wanted to rob us, but Su wouldn't have it."

"Su said there were three of them?" He brushed her hair back as she nodded.

"Yeah. They wanted our phones and wallets." She paused for a moment, "It all happened so fast. They all came at us, but Su laid them out in seconds." He watched her eyes as she relived the events. "...I hit one of them with a trash can lid..."

"What?" He cupped her cheek as she refocused on him again. "Su said you weren't touched."

"I wasn't." She reassured him, "The guy got up and was about ready to jump Su, so I whacked him..." She was cut short as Riggs pressed his lips on hers, causing her to inhale quickly. He felt horrible he hadn't been there with her. He rested his forehead on hers, "God, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry you had to deal with any of this."

"It's not your fault." She said quietly, "I'm thankful Su was with me for all of it...but I'm not going to lie, I wish you were with me."

"I know. Me too. My job is what it is, though, I couldn't go."

"I know. I do. It doesn't make me want you there any less, though." She sighed. "But I get it." The two were quiet for a little bit before she said, "I want to go back with you."

"Love. I want you to, but we need to have a few things in place first." The time to have the conversation was now.

"What kind of things?" She ran her fingers through his as they talked.

"Su has put a few things in motion for you after what happened in New York, and I mean everything that happened. As fucking shitty as it was to have you two jumped, the bigger problem is why someone hired that guy to toss your place. It's the 'why' that's the problem." He rolled over and turned on the light. He wanted to see her eyes for this conversation. "Why did he pay that fucker to do it, and why were they waiting for you to return?"

Her eyes got big as she stayed quiet.

"I know you are insanely independent, and I love that about you, but it makes me ill to think they were waiting for you. Love, do you know how much I owe Su for being there?"

"You think they were waiting for me?" she said, shocked. "Su said he thought they did it to get to the guys or Ami." He watched her search his face for answers.

"Wendy." He looked heartbroken to have to tell her, "Love. Their group is fucking tight. It's like trying to break into the Tower of London. It's a fucking bold move to go after their friends." He now felt he had some clarity on why Harry said what he said before he left. He shook his head as he continued. "My job, and Su's, is to look at every possibility in every direction, good or bad. Su and Pak do that for the guys and Ami, and I do that for Harry...but for you most of all. I have to assume the worst to give you the best."

"So. I'm a casualty of war?" She frowned a little as she thought about it in that light.

"You all are." He sighed. "You don't deserve this. None of you do. That's why they have been hyper-vigilant about keeping you out of the public's line of sight. Right? It's not just because they are protective of their careers. It's this fucking scenario they have been trying to avoid. Now, I don't think anyone could have predicted this level of bullshit, but now we know what level we need to go to for all of you. You're all in the same boat now, honey." He spoke calmly as he tried to explain the best he could.

"What does that mean?" She asked quietly.

"Well. Until Su hunts this guy down and takes care of it, which he has promised to do, and I don't doubt him, Hybe has given me resources for you." He watched her eyes widen. "What? What does that mean?"

"Upgraded pocket people, that's all." He tried to lighten the blow. "I want to find one or two guys who will be extra devoted to you when I work with Harry."

"Are you telling me you guys have already decided I need full-time security?" She sat up as he matched her movements, sitting up with her. "What about the guys that already hang out with me? How is it different?"

"Baby. I love those guys, they're great for what they do, but if some asshole out there in the world has decided to make you a target, they aren't your guys. Coffee run? Absolutely, but that's not enough for me." He said seriously.

She was stunned, not knowing what to think about what he was telling her. She laid back down with a thud and stared at the ceiling. Riggs laid down beside her, propped up on his elbow. "Love. Talk to me," he said, running his hand up and down her arm.

"I guess I'm a little baffled as to why I'm the last to know I'm getting full-time armed guards."

"They won't be armed... well, they'll have arms because it's hard to make karate moves without them..."

"Riggs! For fucks sake!" She said loudly as she turned and looked at him.

"Wendy. I'm not going to leave you by yourself when some fucker has decided you're collateral damage to get to them." He pointed towards the big house. "I will not." He said firmly. "Your friends don't want that. Those guys in there sent SU with you before we knew anything.  Su.  He's the fucking best there is, babe.  They KNOW the shit that's out there, and they wanted to make sure you weren't getting caught up in it."

She rubbed her hands over her face, trying to make it all make sense as he waited.  "It just seems fucking crazy when I think about it."

Riggs pulled her over, wrapping her tightly, "Then don't think about it.  Let me think about it.  Nothing really is going to change, ok?  You can still do whatever you want to do. You'll just have Sven and Magnus hanging out with you while I'm watching over Princess Harry."   

He could feel her start to laugh a little, breaking the tension. "Sven and Magnus?" 

"You're right. They aren't good enough for you."   He kissed her head and rubbed her back, "Total trash.  What about Ivar and Ragnar?"

"Oh my god," she groaned.  Riggs reached over and flipped the light off before returning to holding her.

"I asked them not to tell you. I wanted to be the one to have this conversation with you," she heard him say softly. "I needed to tell you face to face, not over the phone, not from 10,000 miles away. I know it was decided for you, but I want to do this next part with you. I want whoever we find you to be comfortable with. Ultimately, though, you are mine to protect."

He felt her nuzzle into him deeper.

"You understand why it has to be, don't you?"

She let out a sigh, "Yeah.  I guess so.  It's not forever, though, right?"

"No, baby.  Just until Su finds these guys. Jae and Ami are managing okay with their guys. I want it to feel like that for you."

"So you don't want me to come with you until we have Vlad and Viktor in place?" She said, muffled from his chest. 

"It's not just that.  As much as I want you with me 24/7, I think you need some downtime, too.  Being here gives you a little downtime.  Being with your girlfriends and not country hopping, living out of hotels and planes gives you a break.  How do you feel about staying a week before joining me again?  That gives me time to get back to Harry, get through this next part, and into Japan.  Japan is 2 hours from here. Join me when we get to Japan."

Wendy thought about what he was saying. As much as she wanted to go with him, the thought of getting on a plane so soon and then jumping back into the tour rat race honestly also didn't sound exciting. Not that she didn't want to rejoin the tour at all, but she was emotionally tired from the last week. 

"Did Harry ever figure out how to bring his tour to Korea?"

"No."  He sighed, kissing her head. "The schedule's too tight, and as much as he wants to, it won't work.  I think I’m ok this time with that, though.”  He heard her start to yawn.  “Time to sleep, love.  We can talk more tomorrow.”

“Okay.”  She said softly.  “Thank you for coming.”

“Like I said, I’m sorry I’m a week late.”

Chapter 30

Morning came, and everyone's day started slowly. No one was quick to get out of bed except Su. He was up early, making phone calls and heading into the office to meet with Ko about everything that had transpired in Iceland.

"Ah! Mr. Su. Please, come on it." Ko called out as his secretary ushered him in, then turned and closed the door behind her as she left. He knew Su had returned and asked him to come into the office. "It's been a busy week. It sounds like you're earning your pay."

"You could say that." Su offered a little bow before sitting and joining him at his desk.

"I'm told Yoongi's going to be out with his arm for a bit?" Ko sat back, getting comfortable for their conversation.

"He is. I spoke to Dr. Lee this morning. He wants to cast it in a week after the swelling goes down. He's lucky. It could have been a lot worse. I'm going to head over to the house later today and check in with him."

"So, how did it happen, and what was Yoongi doing in New York?" As far as he knew he had never left Korea. Ko was surprised when he got a call from Su telling him where they were and what was happening. "I know they scheduled 'off time,' but I think I should at least know if they leave the country," Ko said calmly as he watched Su think about his question.

"I suppose that's true. I'll let them know your wishes." Su paused, choosing his words wisely. "Right now, everyone is where they are supposed to be. As for what happened, it's pretty simple, he fell and landed wrong. That's all."

"Really." Ko sounded skeptical.

"Really. The doctors in New York were great. As far as I can tell no one caught wind he was in and out of the hospital or even the country. I think the company would want to put out a statement that he tripped and is taking an abundance of caution regarding his care. The rumors will fly from there, then die down like they usually do."

Ko squinted, thinking for a moment, "So, tell me about this Wendy girl. Why were you in New York helping her with an apartment? Seems like that job is good for someone with a little lower pay grade than yours." Ko leaned forward a little as Su didn't budge from his unbothered state. "I feel like there is a LOT of backstory here that I don't know."

"You don't," Su said calmly.

"Do I need to know it?"

"With all due respect, BTS and Suki are doing everything that is required of them and more and keeping everything that needs to be out of the spotlight. I say you can't because it's their private business. Their off time is theirs. If you want them to keep playing ball, then you need to keep it that way. They don't even tell me everything."

"Really," he said, surprised.

"Really, and I think I'm okay with that." he smiled. "Look, I know Wendy and Riggs came out of left field for the company, but it's necessary. Someone is trying to get to the guys, Ami, or both by going through this girl. They waited for her in New York." He said solemnly as Ko nodded.

"Yeah, you mentioned that."

"I've got some leads, so I'm hoping we can resolve this issue sooner rather than later."

Ko smirked a little, "I'm sure you will, and I don't want to know anything about that." Ko knew Su had a way of dealing with things to make them disappear and stay out of the media. With his upcoming plans for Suki, whatever Su said he needed, he would provide. If that meant complete security for this Wendy girl, then that's what he would give.

"Jae and Ami are meeting today to get ready for your meeting tomorrow. Is there anything you want me to pass to them?"

Ko thought for a moment, "Ask Jae to come tomorrow. I know she usually doesn't come in with her, but she needs to tomorrow. I want to discuss the schedule for the next six months, so I would like her to be here, too."

Su took a deep breath, "So, a tour has been decided then."

"It has," Ko said confidently.

"Even with all the background stuff going on?"

"The time is now. Everything is aligning. It's the right time for her to get out in that official capacity. We have feelers out there, and people want it. They want her. They want to see her and not just hope she randomly pops up somewhere in the world for a quick song that isn't even hers, then disappears again."

"Yeah. I'm worried about the people that want her. How long of a tour are you thinking about?" Su cringed at the thought of what was to come back home.

"Ten cities, with an option to add up to five more if we feel it's going well. So, a month, month and a half, realistically." Ko excitedly tapped his pen on the table before adding, "Here's some new information, we're also sending the guys out at the same time."

Su's eyes popped, "I'm sorry, what?"

"Just a quick tour for them, nothing massive like the last world tour, but it's time for them to show their faces as well. The company thinks this is the best course of action, being their more recent announcement of them being friends."

Su started rubbing his forehead, "When did this get decided?"

"Just this last week. It's been a conversation in the works behind the scenes, but after getting the go-ahead for her, we jumped with the guys, too."

"Tell me you're sending them together, a joint tour of some sort."

"You know that would be a mess." Ko sighed. "It's just business. We have to do what's right for the company. They put their friendship out there, and that's great, but we need to anchor them back into their fans' hearts. I'm sorry, Su, but she can't be with them on tour. She needs to tend to her fan base without them, and the boys' fans need them too." He could see the dissatisfaction on his face, "Look. I know her contract will be coming up sooner than later. I have to assume she won't re-sign. Maybe she will, but I have to assume the worst. The guys have drawn a line in the sand with her and I have to assume they might bail if she goes."

"From a business standpoint, I get it, but can I be honest?" Ko motioned with his hand to continue. "They're going to fight you. That line in the sand might come sooner than you think. No one from either camp wants to be apart for that long." He signed.

Ko got up and paced, thinking about what Su was saying. He stopped and looked out the window, reviewing plans in his mind. "I can't send them on a joint tour together. BTS's fans will devour her. Rumors will fly, and it could get really messy, and they'll take it out on her." He looked back at Su, and the look on his face told him he knew he was right. "They won't attack the guys, so they need a little space, business-wise, that's all. Personal off-the-clock time? They can do what they want, but we need to create a little divide."

"Where are these tours going?" Su felt a little defeated, but contractually, there wasn't much they could do.

"Suki's tour would be more localized. Korea, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Australia. The guys would hit North and South America and Europe. Fast and furious and back home."

"OH. So you're completely geographically separating them, too." Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. "Planning these tours takes time. When will they start?"

"Well, you aren't wrong. They have some scheduled time off in a couple of months, so soon after that. The teams are working hard to prepare everything for the dates to be set in stone."

"When are you going to tell them?"

"Well. I will tell Ami tomorrow at our meeting and call the guys afterward. I think once they see the time frames, it will be fine."

Su chuckled, "It's not going to be fine." Ko looked back at him, surprised. "Director. They aren't going to want to do this. At. All. MAYBE one or two shows. But two separate tours, logistically as far apart as possible and for two months? It's not going to fly. Especially because there's some psychopath after her or them, you won't get what you want out of them."

"Do you have a better idea then? It is their literal job after all." Ko sighed and sat down. "This isn't coming from just me, it's the company pushing down, and they don't know there is some weird dynamic between the two groups." He paused, then said a little softer. "I'm in a hard spot. You have to understand. I'm trying to keep them happy, but I also have to report to my superiors. If I can't make this happen, someone else will step in and make them. I'm sympathetic to their opinions, but it's not all me. There is a bigger picture here."

Su took a deep breath. He did understand the business side of things, and a few years ago, he wouldn't have been so invested in how the guys felt about being pushed into something they didn't want to do. That being said, the guys wouldn't have put up much of a fight, either.

"Do you want my opinion?" he finally said.

"Of course."

"Let me talk to them first. If the company is pushing for something from them, let them be part of the planning process. If you come at this with this..." He stopped talking and shook his head. "I don't even want this."

"They have until tomorrow to come up with an alternative plan. Otherwise, the company needs to push forward."

***

Su took a deep breath as he made his way to the boy's house. It was just past noon, and he had heard from Hobi that they were up and moving. Today was slated for a lazy catch-up day, but he now needed to have what was going to be a very electric conversation with the guys. He didn't have an answer for them but knew they needed to know this info before getting a call from Ko. Their initial reaction wasn't going to be good.  The boys weren't going to agree to being apart for almost two months, hell, a week apart anymore was torture for everyone involved.

***

"Heeellllllooo!" Jae called out as she and Pak let themselves into the house, slipping off their shoes. The large sliding back doors were open to the warm day, allowing fresh air and sunshine in. The house felt good.

"Hey there, sleep well?" Ami smiled as she limped a little less than the day before from the direction of her office.

"So good." Jae set her bag with her computer down and hugged her friend. "You're letting her walk today." Pak smiled as he joined Jungkook, Tae, and Jin on the couches.

"Well, she insisted." Tae smiled. "Her foot is looking better."

"How are you two feeling?" Jin asked, feeling relaxed and so content.

"Still a little jet lagged, but better. Jae's good, though." Pak signed, "Have you seen the two below yet?"

"Riggs and Wendy? No, not yet. I'm sure they'll surface at some point today." Jin smiled as they all looked over to see Jimin and Namjoon slowly coming down the stairs with Yoongi.

"Oh. He looks a little better, not much, but better." Pak said seriously.

"He slept a lot," Kook said quietly. "He needs more."

"Hey guys, when did you get here?" Yoongi said as they ushered him over. He sat gingerly in the large plush chair near them.

"Just arrived. How are ya feeling?" Pak watched as Jimin and Hobi gently helped him get comfortable. Jimin then went to the kitchen to get his meds and some water as Hobi sat down to join the group.

"Better. Just tired, regenerating like a starfish, you know. I'll survive." He took a deep breath and let it out, completely relaxed and content. Just then, Namjoon came in the front door. He had some papers in his hands and a set of keys.

"Hey Pak! I'll be right there." He smiled as he put the keys in his pocket and walked the papers to his library to put them on his desk.

"Hey yourself!" He called back. Jae and Ami wandered over to join everyone, followed by Joon. The group talked and joked together, waiting for Su to arrive.

***

Down at the guest house, Riggs was awake and staring at his girl, who was starting to stir. "Hello, Love," he said quietly, kissing her shoulder and cheek.

"Hiiiiiiiiiii." She groaned, rolling over and snuggling up against his chest.

"You have to be hungry. Let's get you something to eat." He said, running his hand up and down her back, then letting it trail down over her hip and hooking his hand around the back of her thigh, squeezing.

"Are you talking about food or you?" She giggled, then leaned back and stretched.

"A little of both, but food for now." He smiled, "Maybe tonight we can feed your other appetite."

"My appetite?" she laughed. "Well, I'm sure we can figure something out."

"Mm. I'm sure. Come on." He climbed out of bed and slipped on some pants. Wendy finished stretching and enjoyed the warm, cozy bed when she felt him grip her ankles and pull her toward the edge. She grinned and stayed limp as her legs dangled off the side, and he leaned over, staring into her face.

"Darling. I know this bed defies logic for how comfortable it is, but we need to get up and move a little." he ran the palm of his hand down her front to her stomach, putting a little pressure on her. She could feel her endorphins kick in. "You need to eat and drink something, then we need to walk today. You need to move so your body can get back into a good rhythm." He leaned down and kissed her, wanting to push her back up on the bed and not leave for another couple of hours, but that would have to wait.

Wendy reached up and put her arms around his neck, and without releasing her lips, he pulled her up off the bed, her legs wrapping around his waist as he held her against him. After a full minute of kissing, he finally set her down on her feet. "Ok. Come on. Food, and let's show them we have joined the land of the living."

***

Su quietly entered the house and slipped off his shoes. He could see everyone talking and laughing in the living room. They all sounded so relaxed and happy. He hated to be the bearer of news that would change the happy mood.

"Hey, everyone." He forced a smile as he sat down with them.

"Hey, Su, did you get some good sleep?" Jimin said as they all looked over at him.

"I did. It was great. How are you two feeling?" He glanced between Ami and Yoongi as they both gave a thumbs up. "Doing well," Yoongi said as he relaxed in the chair and took in the conversation without moving too much.

"Good." He sat back and got comfortable as he took in the group. Everyone went back to talking and enjoying their time together. Su finally looked over and made eye contact with Pak, who was watching him. Pak had worked closely with Su for years, and he was hard to read, except when he let his guard down and something was on his mind.

"Look who's alive!" Jae called out, breaking Pak and Su's stare as Riggs and Wendy appeared from the guest house.

"Hey, everyone." Wendy smiled, coffee and muffin in her hand.

"This looks official. Do you need us to leave?" Riggs nodded to the group, who all shook their heads no. Namjoon pointed to an empty couch for them to join. "It's not officially official. Have a seat."

"You look more rested today." Ami smiled at her friend.

"Better for sure." Wendy got comfortable with Riggs, leaning on him as he wrapped his arm around her and started in on her muffin. "What are you guys all talking about?"

"Jae is about ready to fill me in on what I missed this past week. I have to get my head back in the game." Ami smiled, tapping her forehead.

"It shouldn't take too long." Jae pulled her computer out of her bag and fired it up. "Well, who knows?" The guys smiled as they all got comfortable as Jae started in. As she clicked around on her computer, she pulled up her emails. She gave Ami an update on the people who contacted her and why. They talked through how they needed to respond or if they needed to at all with people.

The guys had sat through many of their meetings and knew to let them take the lead and not interfere as they worked through things. Wendy watched her friends talk easily about people she did and didn't recognize. Riggs listened in as he focused more on the guys as the girls talked. He took in how they watched quietly, never interrupting, but he could see by the looks on their faces that they occasionally had opinions but didn't offer them.

"So, Ami. We have to talk about Dior." Jae finally signed and set her computer down on the table. This was the first of the two major topics they needed to resolve.  Jae got up and trotted down to Jimin's studio where she had stashed some boxes that had come in earlier that week. 

"Yeah. Wait...you said something yesterday about there being more than just Dior?" she called out as everyone watched Jae disappear down the hall.

"You talked about work yesterday?"   Hobi asked surprised, then changed his tone a little. "We told you no work."

They all turned and looked at Ami, who grinned, "It was just for three minutes."  All her boys gave her a look and then turned when Jae called out, "Kai! Can you help me, please?" 

Pak hopped up to help as Jin stood up to follow. 

"What about Dior?"  Wendy asked as she finished off her muffin.

"Um, they are trying to get Jae and me to sign with them."  Ami cringed a little as they watched Wendy stop chewing and stare at her, "Get the fuck out of here.  Are you serious?"

"Language,"  Riggs whispered and tugged on her hair a little as she smiled.

"Yeah.  It's a thing."  Ami said as Jin, Pak, and Jae all returned carrying packages and bags.

"OH...what sweet hell is this." Ami sighed as they put the boxes and bags down in front of her, and all sat back down. 

"It looks like bloody Christmas to me."  Wendy sipped her coffee. 

"When did these come?"  Jimin leaned forward as he read the labels, "Jesus, this is from Prada."

"This week. They were sent to Hybe, and I asked Byun to bring them over a couple of days ago. He helped me sneak them around back so you would keep your paws off them," she chortled as she plucked a bag out of Hobi's hands.

"Hey!"  He grinned, "That's from Chanel!"

"I know!  God, it's like a moth to a flame with you two."  They all sat back and smiled, "OK!  Ami.  Your decision of Dior has now grown to include Prada, Chanel, Tiffany's and Louie Vuitton.

"What are you talking about?" She started opening the boxes and pulled out clothing, purses, and jewelry. "All these fashion houses are pursuing you to sign with them. They've sent formal letters with all the details."  She leaned over, pulled a stack of fancy envelopes out of her computer bag, and laid them on the seat next to her. 

"This is crazy."  She sat back in disbelief.

"Do they want both of you or just Ami?  What are they offering?"  Namjoon asked.

"I don't know. I haven't gone through the letters and contracts yet. You'll have to look at them, Ami. That level of reading in English isn't my strong suit." 

Riggs was watching along with everyone else when he noticed Su, Yoongi, and Tae looking over at him and subtly nodding toward Wendy. He quickly caught on and poked her a little. "You could help with that," he whispered. 

"Mm? Oh. Hey, if you need help, I could take a look at them with you."  The room looked over at her with genuine smiles. "I mean, if you want."

"It might be good to have an outside, unbiased opinion about all this."  Su finally spoke for the first time in a while. 

"I would love that. Thank you."  Ami beamed as Jae gave her hands a happy clap. "Yes! Okay, we'll do that this afternoon...unless you guys have other plans?"

"No.  This afternoon works just fine.  I was hoping to chat with the guys today, so we can do that while you girls do some light reading." Riggs gave his girl a little squeeze as she nodded in agreement. 

"Great! Okay, the last elephant in the room is your meeting tomorrow with Ko."  Jae sighed. Pak had been watching Su for the better part of 30 minutes, and when Jae brought up Ko's name, he saw him take a deep breath and shift in his seat. 

"Um, can I take the lead on this one?"  They all heard Su speak up. He had debated pulling the guys away to tell them first or telling the group at once. It would be hard either way, and he preferred having the conversation once, not twice. "I have to preface it by invoking the 'don't react before you have all the information' clause. Also, we have until tomorrow to come up with a plan."

"Oh god, what."  Ami groaned. 

"This can't be good,"  Jae added. 

"This means you guys, too." Su looked at the guys, who all nodded in agreement. Riggs and Wendy watched the group get more serious as they waited for Su to fill them in.

"So.  Ko and I had a meeting this morning.  I wanted to see how the company wanted to spin Yoongi's injury, but it turned in more than that."  He paused, "They plan on sending Ami on a month-and-a-half tour starting in about three months."  Everyone stayed quiet for a moment.

"Ok.  Where?"  Ami finally asked, and Su named the countries off.

"That's not so bad."  Jae looked over at her, trying to gauge how her friend was feeling, as did everyone else. She had her head back on the couch, her eyes closed as she pondered what that meant.

"We can make that work,"  Namjoon said slowly, thinking over the logistics of one or more of the seven being with her off and on over that timeframe.  Pak wasn't watching Ami as much as he was watching the guys.  They were all processing her being gone and how that would look.

"There's more.  I didn't catch wind of this until Ko told me today...the company is also scheduling you seven for a tour of your own, at the same time and for a little longer, maybe two months."  Su said cautiously. 

Silence filled the room before Yoongi spoke up, "Where."

"North, South America, and Europe."  Then the air suddenly felt like it was sucked out of the room.  Even Pak was stunned and didn't know what to say. He just knew it was bad.  Su continued cautiously, "Ko said it's coming from above him.  The company feels both your groups need to do a little 'fan bonding' after your announcement in LA.  Ami needs to connect with her fans, while you guys need to touch base with yours."

"We'll do a joint tour then,"  Hobi said without a lot of emotion.

"The company feels that wouldn't be wise."

"Why,"  Jungkook said cooly through his teeth.  Riggs was watching everyone and how they were reacting to the news.  The guys weren't moving, but he could see the anger behind their eyes.  He was trying to figure out what the underlying problem was.  Wendy was equally confused. 

"Because more rumors will fly, and she'll be the target.  I think we can all agree no one wants that.  Fans won't take that out on you, but her.  You'll see it with your eyes in real-time.  It won't be online where you can put the phone down and walk away."

"Impossible." Jin sorted, "Last week was too much, two months is impossible." 

"Did you tell him about New York?"  Riggs added to the conversation, keeping a calm tone like Su had. He figured if they included them in the conversation asking a question would be accepted.

"I did.  I voiced my concerns about what's been happening and sending you all out in different parts of the world."  Su shrugged.

"They don't care about that?"  Tae sat back, flabergasted. "They don't care some dick is out there fucking with everyone?"

"We aren't doing that.  We can't."  Namjoon finally let his gaze fall on Ami.  She was off her head, thinking about traveling for that long without her boys.  Thinking about how she would put on a show of any substance even though she had the music to back three full shows.  All the nerves were kicking in on actually doing it.  Thinking about it and doing it were to different animals.  Jae had nothing to add or ask but sat quietly. 

Jin got up in a huff and started to pace.

"Um.  Can I ask a stupid question?"  Wendy saw them all look over at her.

"There are no stupid questions,"  Su replied.

"I don't understand why you are so bothered by what seems to be a short tour, comparatively."

Before anyone could reply, Jin stopped pacing, looked at Wendy, and pointed to Ami, "Because that's my wife, and I refuse to be apart from her for two months."

 

Chapter 31

New problem.

"I'm sorry, what? I must have misheard,"  Wendy and Riggs looked baffled, assuming his words were lost in translation. Everyone else looked surprised Jin had blurted it out so quickly.

"Jin," Ami said in Korean, putting her face in her hands.

"Ami, I'm sorry, but..." Jin said in a tone of not being very sorry.  He was frustrated.

"Kim Seok Jin," Namjoon said quickly in an undeniable tone, which made Jin pause immediately.

"Fix it," Pak said softly. "You need to fix it."

"We talked about this. She didn't want to drop this on her yet. Pak's right, fix it, now." Yoongi said calmly but with a little more authority, but it was too late. It was out there, and the group's reaction didn't help. No one was expecting it to slip out like this, but at the same time, they all hated the pressure they had to keep up at home.

Su looked over and caught Rigg's eye. He could see he was putting it all together fast while Wendy was still a few steps behind, but she was getting there. "Ami. I think you can tell them."

Jin walked over, knelt down, and took her hands in his. She looked up and locked eyes with him. Her head was swimming with tour logistics, and now this conversation she wasn't ready to have. "Wife. I won't take it back. I can't pretend I'm not married to you in our home." His fingers started playing with the four wedding bands on her hand. They both looked down at them as they sparkled in the light. She looked at Tae, Jimin, and Yoongi and could see it in their eyes. They longed for the same transparency, they all did.

Jimin turned and looked at Riggs and Wendy, "Jin's not wrong. They were married in Italy."

"WAIT. What?" Wendy leaned forward a little as Riggs kept his arm around her. "Italy-Italy? The same Italy we randomly dropped in on with you guys?"

"Yeah. We were all there for their wedding." Tae smiled, thinking back to his wedding with her.

"WE BLOODY CRASHED YOUR WEDDING?!?!" Ami and Jin didn't break eye contact as the group broke the news to the bewildered duo.

"Well, not so much crashed, we asked you both to join us," Jungkook said with more of a jokey ease.

"Why didn't you say anything?! It was your wedding!" Wendy sat back, shocked, "We had no idea!"

Namjoon cleared his throat. "Well, as you've seen the insanity of just announcing our 'friendship' to the world, there's a reason we've kept this part a secret."

"Who else knows?" Riggs asked more seriously. He understood the industry and knew what it meant to know this privileged information and why they kept it under wraps.

"Us in this room, plus Choi and Quon," Su said.

"And Dr. Lee." Pak added, "She told him in New York."

"You did?" Jin smiled as she nodded, took a deep breath, and finally looked at her friend. Jin stood up as Jae scooted over so he could sit down next to her. As they shifted, Su stood up, "Pak, let's talk to Riggs for a moment while Ami catches Wendy up. Guys, if any of you care to join us..." He didn't have to finish the sentence before Namjoon, Hobi, Tae, and Jungkook all stood up, leaving Jin, Yoongi, and Jimin to stay with all the girls.

Riggs kissed her on the head and followed Su and the group to the studio where they could talk freely.

"I'm guessing that wasn't on the agenda today." Riggs was the first to say as Pak closed the door to the studio.

"No, it wasn't. Ami didn't want to tell either of you that news until she was sure Wendy wouldn't blame her for New York,"  Namjoon said as they all got comfortable.  "Jin's frustrated with the idea of a prolonged tour we weren't planning on, and he snapped. It wasn't okay to do that, but we'll talk to him later." 

"Can we have a real conversation with you about Wendy?"  Hobi said seriously.

"It's nothing you can't discuss with her, but we need to be honest with you now that Jin has started this avalanche,"  Jungkook added.  "As you can guess, we take Ami very seriously and respect her wishes on how she needs to do and process things.  This was a conversation we feel she would have had in a week, but not today."

"Yes, of course."

"Okay, first and most importantly, how is she doing? She hasn't really opened up to Jae or Ami about New York."  Hobi started off the conversation.

"She hasn't?"  Su was shocked, but the guys all shook their heads no.

"New York shook her.  I'm not going to lie, it shook me too.  She's processing."  Riggs paused as he thought over the night before, "She's exhausted mentally. She wants to return with me tomorrow, but I think I've convinced her to stay here for a week until we can get Harry to Japan.  I don't think her living out of hotels and airplanes for the next week is good for her, and it gives me time to sort out tour stuff. After this week, things should be easier.  I assumed it would be ok for her to stay for a few more days."

"Of course she can stay. We want the girls to have as much time as they need. We were worried she blamed Ami or us for what happened in New York."  Tae asked the question again.

"She's mad of course, but anyone would be if someone broke into their personal space.  I don't think she blames anyone, though."  He looked at Su, "Your 'reaction time' to dealing with those guys took her back a little, but in a good way, I think."    

"We know that feeling of invasion of personal space more than we care to admit."  Namjoon sighed.  "As I'm sure you can appreciate in a few different ways, this information can never get out."

"OH.  No.  I'm more than aware of its ramifications on all of you."  Riggs sighed.  "Bloody hell."

"Did you get a chance to talk to her about her upgraded pocket people yet?"  Pak and Su were focused more on the security side, while the boys took the personal side.

"We talked last night.  She knows she's getting new guys.  She wasn't super excited about it and thought it was overkill, but after that conversation out there, I'm going to make sure she has people before she joins me in Japan."  He paused as they saw him think over logistics, then broke his 'security' facade for a moment. 

"I understand why you didn't want to share this right off the bat or at all.  Fuck.  You know, I've watched Harry try to navigate relationships and know it can get out of hand fast." 

"It took a while before she opened up with Jae and me.  Our bonus is we are here every day."  Pak was trying to word things the right way.  "One of her concerns was that Wendy wasn't here.  She didn't want to share big news like that and then send her off into the world.  It's a huge thing, and she didn't want to burden her with being forced to keep a secret if he wasn't ready to take on that responsibility."

"I think that's always been the real concern,"  Su said calmly. "Everyone here has agreed we like you both.  After spending a few days with her in New York, I have no concerns.  But, like they said, it's a big responsibility. They're trusting you guys, and trust is hard in this industry." 

"I understand.  I do.  I've had to trust you guys with Wendy."  He saw them all smile.  Being on the opposite end of a statement like that felt strange.  "Look.  I'm not going to trust just anyone with my girl."  He smiled back. "Here's what I ask, though. Now that Jin's dropped that on her, and I'm in this weird space between being employed and her boyfriend, please tell me if there's anything else I need to know. Consider the security side first and boyfriend second."

There was a pause as they all looked over to Namjoon.  If someone were to break it to him without Ami here, it would be him.

"Oh.  There is something."  Riggs looked surprised. 

"Yes, there might be. I need to talk to Ami first.  If she gives the ok, we'll promise to share that with you.  Even if it needs to be you at first, from a safety perspective, we'll do that."

***

"Ami!  I can't believe you kept this a secret!" 

"Yeah.  So, I wanted to tell you, but I didn't want it to feel overwhelming for you, you know?"  Ami finally said.  Jin kept her hand in his, playing with her rings as he let the girls talk. 

"Why would it feel overwhelming for me?  Getting married is exciting!  I just feel horrible that we were literally there, and you all had to pretend like it wasn't a thing.  HOW can you guys do that?"

"They're professionals."  Jae pulled her legs up on the couch and got comfortable. 

"Wait, you and Pak aren't secretly married, are you?" Wendy grinned as Jae shook her head no, raising her left hand and showing it off. "Nope. These fingers are ring-free."

"I'm sure it won't be long."  Jimin teased as they all watched Jae's cheeks flush.

"Let me see yours."  Wendy beamed at Ami and Jin held up her left hand, showing four thin, sparkly bands.   She got up and walked over, taking Ami's hand from Jin and looking at the bands.   "Mmm."

"Mmm?"  Jin smiled.

"No, they're lovely. I just expected...more...bigger.  I mean, private jets, your lifestyle, vacations... wait..." She paused and slowly looked at Yoongi, confused, "Weren't you and Ami on vacation together in Iceland?" 

"We were,"  Yoongi replied.  They all instantly understood her confusion. Why would Yoongi and Ami be off together if she was married to Jin?   "We're all good friends, it's not just only Jin and Ami.  Jimin and Ami ran off on vacation together once, and Tae hosted a vacation for everyone in France.  It's a Korean thing."

"I see."  Wendy wandered back to her spot on the couch while Jimin and Yoongi noticed Ami looked conflicted about everything.  Yoongi made a decision, "I think it's time for a nap."

"Are you feeling ok?" Ami looked concerned.

"I'm fine.  Boys, the girls need some time."  He started slowly standing as Jimin and Jin jumped up to help.  "Wife, I'll see you later.  I'm sorry Jin spilled things early, I'll talk to him.  I love you.  See you later, ladies."

"Do you want me to tell Su?"  Jae said to Jimin as they started to head towards the stairs.

"I'll let you know. Why don't you three go outside and get some air."

"That actually sounds good."  Ami sighed, "Wanna go sit in the sun?  I think we all need to have a girls-only talk."  The three got up and all headed outside to a set of outdoor couches on the far side of the pool so they could have some uninterrupted time to talk. 

***

"Jin.  What the hell."  Yoongi said as they made their way down the hall to his room.

"I'm sorry.  I was so flustered over the fucking tours it slipped out."  He sighed, helping him through the door and to his bed.  "It wasn't my agenda."

"Well, this doesn't help with the stress of things.  I'm sure Ami will have something to say about it later."  Jimin helped him carefully lay down and pull the blankets up.  "Jin, why don't you stay with him until we know he's good.  I'm going to go see what the guys are talking about."

"But..."

"No.  Stay."  Yoongi said as he closed his eyes.  "You've done enough damage for now."  Jin sighed and sat in the chair beside the bed as Jimin headed out.

"Lock the door,"  Yoongi murmured.  Jimin flipped the lock and closed it quietly behind him. "Jin. She wasn't ready to share, and you backed her into a corner she wasn't ready for," he said with his eyes closed.

Jin rubbed his hands over his face as he leaned back in the chair.  "I know.  I'm sorry."  He sighed, thinking about everything that happened, then looked at him.  "How are you feeling?"

"Tired."  He pulled the blankets up around him a little tighter.

"What do you need?"  Jin leaned over and felt Yoongi's face with his hand. 

"Sleep.  And to beat the shit out of the heads of the company."

"Yeah.  I know how you feel.  Why did you have Jimin lock the door?"

Yoongi pulled the blanket back a little, letting him know to crawl into bed with him. "If I can't have my wife, my wife's husband will have to do."

"Jesus."  Jin groaned as he got up and climbed in with him.  Yoongi smiled a little, his eyes still closed as he felt him get comfortable next to him. Yoongi reached over and took Jin's hand, pulling it across him, under his shirt, and wedging it under his waistband on his hip. 

"Like Ami, I don't like sleeping alone if I don't have to."  He felt himself get pulled under and fall into a deep sleep.

***

The door opened to the studio, and Jimin came in to join. "The girls are outside talking, and Yoons is resting upstairs. Jin's with him."

"Good. That should keep him out of trouble." Namjoon sighed.

"Yoongi?"  Riggs questioned.

"No.  Jin." 

"Jimin, we were just talking about the tour dilemma.  What I didn't get to say out there was Ko gave us until tomorrow to come up with an alternative plan, if we can think of one, otherwise the tours on."  Su filled him in. 

"Yeah, that's not going to happen, " he snorted. "So, what are our options?" The room stared back at him; they didn't have anything to share.

"Well, that's not a good sign."

***

"So, did you really not want to tell me?"  Wendy asked as they all sat cozied up in the sun.

"I did.  I do.  I hope you can understand the position that puts you in, though.  I didn't want to press more crap on you if you were already overwhelmed by everything else.  That's not fair to you, that's all."

Wendy looked at her, confused.  Ami was resting her arm on the end of the couch with her head in her hand.  "I didn't know if you were mad because of New York.  You haven't really talked about it, and knowing this part of my life is a massive thing to keep to yourself.  I can't tell you then take it back if it's too much to manage. If you were mad at me, I didn't want to pile it on, you know?"

"But it's your husband.  You shouldn't have to hide that from your friends.  Well, I mean, this group has different rules, I guess.  I get it, but that sucks."  Wendy sighed. "Look.  New York has been stressful, I'm not gonna lie.  It fucking sucked hard. Someone going through your life like that and completely disregarding everything makes my skin crawl.  I can't thank Su enough for being there with me. I would still be there trying to decide what to keep and toss.  I HATE that I don't have my place anymore. It was my first place moving to New York.  It meant a lot to me. It's hard to process, but it will get easier. I don't blame you or the guys."

"I'm sooo sorry that happened to you."  Jae and Wendy could see her choke back the emotions.

"I know.  Thanks."  Wendy gave her a sincere smile.

"She did the same thing with me, by the way."  Jae said, "It took her a long time to share that side of her.  It takes a lot of trust for them to tell anyone.  They're asking someone to keep something very personal and sacred to themselves." 

"I get that, and I will. Although, I have to say," she started to grin, "Jin wasn't my first guess...I mean, no disrespect to your husband and all."

Ami and Jae just grinned back at her, "What do I do?" Jae heard Ami say under her breath.

"Who do you think it would have been then?"  Jae jumped in, "Because I kind of agree with you."

"Jae!"  Ami yelled out with a laugh.

Jae repositioned and leaned toward Wendy, "I mean, it's like they all could be with her, right?"

"Do you see it too!?"  Wendy now followed Jae's lead and leaned in to gossip like Ami wasn't there, "I mean, how does that work exactly?  If she's married to Jin, but running off on vacation with Yoongi?  Doesn't Jin get jealous?"

"OH.  I can tell you, he's jealous."  Jae rolled her eyes and gossiped back as Ami sat back and watched it all unfold in front of her. "He sulked around the house all week.  They all did, for that matter."

"Did they now?"  Wendy grinned at Ami, "My, my, my.  Sounds like a lovers'...it's not a triangle...what is a group of seven called?  A sextet?"

"Funny but I think it's a septet."  Ami groaned.

"But there would be eight of them total...so an octet?"  Jae corrected.

"Sounds more like an orgy."  Wendy teased.  "Not a bad one at that, no disrespect intended."

"None taken."  Ami smiled. Jae was testing the waters for her, creating the opening she needed.  "So, who was your front runner then in my relationship hierarchy?  Inquiring minds want to know."

Wendy laughed, "Ok. No hard feelings, though?"

"Absolutely none."  She held up her hands, "It's actually something Jae and I have discussed at great length."

"It's true." Jae grinned.

Wendy looked at both of them and settled in, "Ok.  IF I was going to guess from a lineup, I would say...god...it's hard.  They all act kind of the same towards you." Then she looked at Jae, "To be fair, they act the same towards you too."

"AH, yes, but I'm out of that equation.  I have Kai, and I'm happy with just one."  Jae giggled, shaking her hands in front of her.

Wendy looked at Ami with a mischievous grin. "Has there been more than one?" Jae looked over at her friend. The door was wide open, and it was the perfect time.

"Maaaaybe.  What if there was?"

Wendy's eyes got big as she grinned, "Well, I would say you're a kinky bitch, but tell me more." 

"You aren't weirded out by out-of-the-box, kinky stuff?"

"Girl.  I lived in New York.  Land of the 'out of the box.' I've seen it all."  She said with a pfff.  "I may look lilly white, but I'm not that vanilla. I've done things."

"She is dating a Viking.  She does have a type."  Jae chimed in. 

"He's a good Viking, too,"  Wendy smirked.

Ami paused, "You have to take it to your grave.  G R A V E.  It's kind...

"Oh, for fucks sake!"  Wendy laughed, "Tell me!"

They watched her slide her four rings off her finger and place them down the seat next to her one by one.  "Tae in France.  Jimin in Tonga.  Jin in Italy, and Yoongi in Iceland."

Jae and Ami watched Wendy process what she was telling her. She blinked a few times. Her jaw dropped, and she was speechless. That was the last thing she was expecting.  Orgy, yes, multiple marriages, no.

"Within the end of the year, there will be three more of those." 

"All of them?" She finally sputtered out, "You're marrying all of them?"

"Well, they are all marrying her."  Jae helped out. 

"How does that work?  Like is it legal in Korea?  Wait, it's not like a cult thing, is it?"

"OH, my god. No!  It's not a cult thing."  She giggled a little as she slipped her rings back on.  "And it's not legal or socially acceptable for a regular group, let alone for those boys if their fans knew."

"OH fuck."  Wendy's hand flew over her mouth, "They would die.  The fans would die."

"Yup.  Worlds would be destroyed." She sighed, "So now you know my secret.  It's kind of a lot."

"Well damn.  Fuck."  Wendy thought for a moment, "So, that's why they feel the same because they kind of are."

"Yeah."  She got comfy again in the corner of the couch.

"I have so many questions,"  Wendy said slowly.

"They don't have a schedule if that's what you want to know."  Jae teased, breaking the tension in the air.

"That was a question, there are seven of them, like do they each have a designated day? Jin on Monday, Jimin on Tuesday?"

"OH MY GOD!"  Ami tossed her head back and laughed.

"Jesus, the sex you must have!"  She looked at Jae, "And you and Kai are not part of this sexual tension?"

"NO," Jae said firmly with a grin, her arms making an X in front of her, "Fully support, but we do not participate."

"Nor are we looking for more."  Ami added, "Our dating cards are full."

"I would say so." She sighed, "You look lighter."

"It's a load off to share that and not push you away.  My concern was that it would be too weird and that you wouldn't want to be friends anymore.  It's a tight circle, and there are risks every time we open up to someone like this.  Risks to us, risks to you.  I would have taken it to my grave and been happy to stay friends if you would have responded differently to Jae's door cracking on the topic."

"I'm good that way." Jae grinned.

"You are."  Wendy agreed.  "So now it makes more sense how everyone responded to the tour announcement."

"Yeah, a LOT of things are going to make more sense now."  Jae signed.  "When you finally know that piece, things sort of fall into place of why and how they do the shit they do."

"Why is the company pushing this agenda?" 

"Money.  The deep-rooted answer to anything in this business is money.  But I don't want to be apart from them for two months.  It's hard." 

"Well, they aren't going to stand for it."  Jae snorted.

"So what's the answer?"  Wendy asked seriously.

"I don't know.  My contract is pretty clear.  I have to go if they say go."

The three talked more seriously about the issue of the tour before the guys started wandering out to join them.  "Wait."  Wendy said quickly, "What about Riggs?"

"Little bird, we need to talk to you about letting Riggs in on all of us from a safety perspective for Wendy," Jungkook called out as they headed across the patio to join the girls. The three watched the group walk towards them, the sunlight hitting all their features perfectly. Pak, Su, and Riggs followed behind.

"OH, that's a new way of seeing things," Wendy giggled quietly to Jae.

"I've told her I'm not blind." Jae chortled back. The boys watched their wife smile back at them, "Well, unless you have a concern, we can tell him. Jae and I told her."

"You did?" the five replied in unison. Namjoon immediately turned around, grabbed Jimin and Tae, and pointed to a corner of the patio for Riggs to follow them. "Pak, come too, please. We might need an unbiased viewpoint." Namjoon smiled as the five made their way to the side to fill him in.

"Is everything going okay out here?" Hobi grinned as he sat beside Ami, taking her hand and kissing it in front of everyone.

"Yes. We were just talking about tour options," Ami said as she wove her hand together with his. Wendy watched Riggs's face from across the lawn as the guys started explaining. She smiled as she saw his eyes get big. He looked between Tae and Jimin, over to the group, then to her, and back to Namjoon.

"Is he going to be good?"  Jae giggled.

"He'll be fine."  

Chapter 32

Riggs stood there as Namjoon explained their true relationship with Ami. He had worked in the industry a long time and had seen and heard a lot of things: quick flings, naughty escapades, dramatic relationships, and tormented love affairs, but this was locked-down love.

He looked at the guys, then over to Ami, then landed on Wendy who was smiling as she watched him take in what they were saying.

"You're joking." He finally looked back at the three smiling guys.

"Oh we wouldn't joke about that. Yoongi and Ami weren't in Iceland for just a vacation. They got married there." Tae shared. "Hobi is next.'

"Sooo, you aren't all getting married at once?" Riggs was trying to wrap his head around the logistics, let alone how they pulled it off for so long.

"Nope. Seven weddings. Only Hobi, Jungkook and Namjoon are left." Jimin relaxed. They all did, seeing he wasn't freaking out over their oversharing.

"Saving the best for last you know." Namjoon kidded.

"This nugget of information will put the puzzle pieces in place for the many things they do," Pak smiled. "You'll also see how hard they work to keep it secret. We all work hard. Things that may have looked like overkill before now won't seem like enough."

"So, like we said inside, the only people who know who aren't here now are Choi, Quon, and Dr. Lee."

"And he just found out a few days ago," Namjoon said more seriously. They all changed their tone to a more quiet, serious one. Riggs started thinking over everything from when he first met Ami to when he worked with Pak and when he met the guys. How they handled and managed things in New York the first time, let alone Su helping Wendy, "Oohh. This is why the tour is such a problem." He said slowly as he stared off into his thoughts.

"Yeah. It's a big problem." Tae said seriously. "We won't let her wander the world without us for that long."

"No. I believe you. I couldn't do that with Wendy. So, Jin let it slip about him and her, but why are you telling me this now?"

"Ami told Wendy. If she felt okay sharing this with her, you need to know, too." Namjoon turned as they slowly started walking back to the group.

"Actually, Su and I were considering telling you anyway to give you a more well-rounded perspective of the unique situation. Ami wanted more time, but would have told Wendy eventually, I'm sure. She needs to have all the boxes checked before letting people in." Pak explained, then Riggs stopped and they all turned and looked at him.

"She's smart to be cautious. This can't be public knowledge." Now Riggs was being serious as they started walking again. "Not that you want it, but running two tours might have some benefits. It gives the illusion of some breathing room, I know that's not what you want to hear."

"We need to talk about all options, whether we like them or not." Pak sighed as they joined the rest of the group and he walked over to stand by Su.

"How'd it go?" Su leaned over and asked quietly as Riggs sat down next to Wendy, putting his arm around her as she leaned in. Everyone looked happy they could relax again in their own home again.

"Good. While it's not my call, I think this is as far as sharing needs to go." Pak said quietly back. "I feel good about this group. Riggs understands both sides, he's like us. The girls are solid. Any more people and it feels messy. When we were in New York, she didn't hesitate to tell Lee. Just shared it without a blink."

"Well, he knows they're all together. I'm sure she didn't feel like sharing the rest was much of a stretch." Su turned to walk away from the group as Pak followed.

"I know, and I think it's good he's up to speed, it was surprising that's all. Today, Jin couldn't hold back. They've been lucky so far that everyone they have shared with hasn't reacted negatively." The two returned inside and made themselves comfortable on the couches to talk. "Even Riggs mentioned it can't be made public knowledge."

"I'll talk to them," Su said as they paused, hearing the group's laughter float in on the breeze from outside. The two sat quietly, each thinking about what needed to happen regarding the tours or if anything could be done.

***

The group talked a little more before Riggs walked Wendy back to the guest house for a bit of rest. It had been a high information couple of hours, and everyone needed to retreat to their corners to regroup.

As soon as the door closed to the guest house, Wendy whipped around with a huge grin. "I KNEW there was something! But ALL of them?! I..." She was stopped mid-sentence as he took her face in his hands and smashed his lips on hers. She slowly reached up, touching his hands as he took his time. He felt her inhale slowly as he pulled back.

"Darling," he said softly as he started walking her backwards, his hands still on her face, gently guiding her to the bedroom. "Am I going to worry about leaving you here this week? What if they're trying to recruit you?" Wendy grinned and giggled, "I don't think that's what is happening."

"No? You're adorable, how could they not?" He reached down and swooped her up by her legs, her arms now draped around his neck as he walked to the bedroom. He held her so they were face to face, her legs wrapped around his waist, "Do you have any worries about this new news?"

"I'm pretty sure I'm not their type." She felt him start to tip her down, letting her hover over the mattress.  He let her go as she clung to him, while he rested his hands on the bed. Wendy held on tighter as he stared into her eyes and she repositioned her grip around his neck.

"I'm not talking about that. What I mean is what they've shared could destroy them if it gets out. How do you feel about keeping that kind of secret? It's pretty big." He could feel her hands starting to slip as she repositioned them again. "Do you feel like it will be a burden to keep?"

"No." She squeaked as her arms started to get tired trying to hang on, and she began to slip.  Before she dropped onto the bed,  he wrapped one arm around her waist to help hold her against him so she didn't have to work so hard.  "Wendy.  I will always be there to help and support you.  You have to promise to let me know if things get hard.  Whatever it is.  If you're stressed and need to talk, or you need to stop roaming with Harry and be still for a bit, or if you need me to buy your horrid kale, you have to tell me.  Okay? Just like we've watched Pak take care of Jae, and those boys take care of Ami...which admittedly is a lot but apparently it works for them."  She smiled as he stood up with her still wrapped around him.  He supported her completely now as he turned and sat on the bed. 

"I don't want you to do anything alone, okay Love?  Promise me." 

She repositioned her arms from around his neck to around his chest and rested her head on his shoulder.  "I promise."

***

Riggs and Wendy had wandered down to take a break as Jae went inside to find her Kai. She figured the boys would want to have a conversation with Ami, and she wanted to give them their space.

"So. How are you feeling after all today's revelations?" Tae reached over, took Ami's hand, and gently started playing with her fingers.

"It's been a big day," she sighed. "I don't know. I'm glad it went as well as it did, even though Jin jumpstarted that conversation early today."

"Well. We know how he feels, but he should have waited for you to be ready. We'll have a conversation with him." Tae glanced at Jungkook and Joon, who both caught his tone and nodded in agreement.

"How do you feel about doing your own tour?" Jimin asked, "It's kind of a big deal."

"Uggg...I don't know. I don't like that it's so close to our wedding." She met Hobi's eyes as he agreed but said, "It will be okay, Love."

"I just can't wrap my head around performing for two hours alone. I'm not that interesting. I don't dance, what am I going to do? Just stand up there and sing?"

"That's sort of what happens, Dove." Namjoon winked. "I'm not worried that you can't pull something off like this, but this idea of two separate tours won't work. It's not going to happen. We'll talk to Ko."

"What time is your meeting tomorrow?" Jungkook asked her.

"I have no idea. I need to talk to Jae. We have crap to sort out, like what the fuck am I going to do about Dior...maybe I need to talk to Pak. I'm sure he has an opinion about all that. UUUGGGG!" She let out a frustrated moan.

Jimin stood and walked over, holding out his hands for her to grab and pulled her up. Hobi, Joon, Tae, and Kook followed suit and stood as well. "Come on. Let's go in so you can talk to Jae, and we need to talk to Su." He ran his fingers down her face as she looked up at him. "Don't worry. We'll sort it out."

Su looked up to see the boys coming in to join him.   Jimin peeled off and walked Ami to the kitchen, where Pak and Jae sat, having a snack. Pak pushed a bowl of fruit he had ready towards Ami as Jimin said quietly, "Hey Pak, Ami wants to talk to you two, and we need to talk to Su. Can you take them somewhere?"

"Yeah, of course. Do you want me to take them for a drive, or is her office fine?" Pak stood up and turned to talk to him as Ami leaned on the countertop next to Jae. "Her office is fine. We'll find a quiet spot if we need to. The girls can stay. Thanks." He smiled and turned to Ami to kiss her, "You good?"

"Yeah." She sighed when whispered, "Can we go rest later?"

"I'll take you myself," he said sweetly. "I'll come get you when we're done, okay? We just need to have a chat." She nodded, picked up her bowl of fruit, and the trio headed back towards her office. Just then, Namjoon came out of his library holding up a set of keys. "Let's have this conversation next door."

"Oh, you have keys already?" Su was shocked. Their sudden random house purchase wasn't in the forefront of his mind, as they had done it without him. He had a million other things he had been trying to get sorted out, and ironically this wasn't at the top of his list.

"Come on. We want to show you and talk without interruptions." Joon slipped on his shoes as the rest started to do the same.

"What about Yoongi and Jin?" Tae asked.

"What about Yoongi and Jin." They heard Yoon's sleepy voice call out. They looked up as the two were making their way down the stairs.

Jimin smiled as they both looked a little wonked out. "Perfect timing. Let's go for a walk."

Joon held up the keys as Jin understood what they meant. "OH."

"Oh what?" Yoongi was confused as Jin and Kook helped him slip his shoes on.

"He doesn't know yet." Hobi filled Su in.

"Seriously?"

"I don't know what?" Yoon noticed they all seemed to be on the same page, "Where's everyone else?"

"Riggs and Wendy are resting. Pak has the girls in Ami's office and we're going for a short walk. Are you up for it?" Namjoon asked as Su opened the front door.

"It's worth it. Come on Yoons." Kook and Hobi walked alongside him as Namjoon led the way with Su. "So, Ami doesn't know either?"

"Nope. I just got the keys this morning," Joon shared. "We wanted it to be a done deal before we took her over. We had it put in her name, just like you asked," he said as they made it to the end of their drive. A wall with a privacy hedge separated the two properties, so they had to walk around and up the drive of the house next door.

"What are we doing?" they all heard Yoongi ask, a little confused. "While you were off marrying our wife, we made a little impulse buy." Hobi filled him in. "The property next door was about ready to go on the market, so we bought it. We bought Ami a house." Yoongi was speechless as they turned and walked down the drive of the house next door.

"What? Why?" Is all he could sputter out as they made their way up the manicured walkway to the large front doors.

"We needed more space," Jin said as he walked behind Yoongi, Hobi, and Kook, bringing up the rear.

Namjoon slipped the key in the lock and pushed the double doors open as he walked in.  The house was empty but clean.  "Are you fucking with me?"  Yoongi's eyes were huge as they spread out to take a good look at the place.  "We were only gone a week.  Wait.  You said you bought this for Ami?"

"Well.  Su asked us to put it in her name."  Hobi walked with him as they explored.  "If there's ever a problem with it getting out that she lives with us, the company can make a case she just lives next door.  It dots the i's and crosses the t's for things."  They wandered room to room, "We thought about buying it for Pak and Jae, but after our week with Jae, we concluded Pak might want her on the main property."

"Why?" he asked as they wandered. 

"It was a hard week for her, too," Hobi said as Tae and Kook joined them. "So, we are giving them the guest house as their own.  No more rotating people in and out of there.  Riggs and Wendy could be here, and Pak and Jae wouldn't leave.  I don't like that they feel like they have to.  We needed more space. We're at capacity over there."  

They walked into the master bedroom on the main floor. "This space is actually for Su. It gives him an on-site place to land or coordinate without bringing more people than necessary to our home. It keeps the numbers to the absolute minimum,"  Tae said as he looked out the windows overlooking the backyard.  "There's a pool house out back.  Let's go look."  He opened the glass doors to the deck out back and they all walked out into the sun to explore more.

"OH. Oh. I get it." Yoongi said, finally putting all the pieces together.

"Well, will it work?"  Namjoon asked Su as they finished the tour, ending on the back patio. They saw Yoongi, Tae, and Kook all heading down to explore the pool house as Jin, Jimin, and Hobi tried to decide where to knock the wall out to join the properties with a gate.

"It's great.  It's really great.  It needs some minor security upgrades, but I think it will be perfect.  I'm shocked you guys did this so fast."

"We learn from the best."  Namjoon smiled. 

"Yes you do."  Su chuckled, "I might just move in here."

"You can. You should," he said seriously. "If that's what you want, it's available to you. If you want to use it as an office, do that.  That wing is yours to do as you wish.  The upstairs is perfect for Choi and Quon if that needs to happen, as is the pool house.  We just need the fucking space."  Namjoon sighed as the two turned to walk back into the house.

"About that.  Pak and I are glad you guys felt comfortable sharing with Riggs and Wendy, but he's starting to feel a little pressure with how quickly and easily things are being shared.  Now, it's your relationship, so we have no real say in who you choose to open up to, but I want you to know he's feeling a little stress."

"Su."  Namjoon stopped and turned to him. "We know Jin dropping that on them today wasn't expected, but we aren't moving towards sharing with anyone else.  If it weren't for Wendy, it would still be just us.  This group now is enough.  No bigger.  We won't take that chance."  He said seriously.

"That's good to hear, I'll let him know." He wasn't going to lie, he was a little relieved to hear those words, too.

"Anyway, we have plans to talk to Jin about how it all came out later.  We'll take care of it."  Namjoon winked.

Su started chucking, "Oh I'm sure you will.  You guys have always done a good job keeping each other in check.  It's one of the things I've enjoyed watching over the years.  You all know how to manage each other for the good of the group."  Just then, the rest of the guys started making their way back into the house. 

"Now that Yoongi's up to speed, let's talk,"  Jungkook said as he was the last to walk inside, closing the doors behind them. 

"Su, we can't do two tours,"  Jimin started off. "We aren't sending her off into the world for two months without us. Absolutely not."

"No one wants that." Su crossed his arms and leaned against the empty kitchen counter.  "Playing telephone with Pak isn't my favorite thing."

"I can't believe Ko's pushing for this when we have an international psychopath out there."  Jin sighed. 

"The company is looking at her marketability.  From a business standpoint, it's the right time to send her out.  This new tour they are discussing for you has two sides to it.  One, it's been a while since you've been on tour.  You're fans are clamoring.  Two, it gives the appearance of space between you and her.  This house gives the appearance of space if it ever comes to that.  They're looking at the groups as a whole. I don't like it, but I get it.  They aren't wrong.  The backlash she would get would be pretty severe if you all did a tour together.  No one wants that.  So, you have to find a balance."

"What if we did a tour but spaced the dates out? We could go, do a couple of shows, then have a week or so off. We could meet up with her for a few days, then take off again."  Yoongi spoke up.

"You mean like commute?"  Kook smiled.

"Sure.  We'll meet her halfway somewhere for a few days to a week, then head back out."

"It kind of solves the problem,"  Jimin said as they all started to imagine what that would look like.

"Half your time might be just traveling.  You're going to be on opposite ends of the earth."  Su reminded them, "her schedule right now will be super tight.  She's not going to have time to run away and back again.  It's back-to-back shows.  Either way, it's going to be exhausting for her."

"That's why she needs us." Hobi sighed, "We know how hard it is for her with us gone for an extended period, let alone a schedule like that.  It's hard for us too.  We don't want her to do this alone."

"Pak, Jae, Choi, and Quon will be with her."  Tae looked at the guys and then at Su, "You need to be with her, too."

"No." He said quickly, "I'm not sending you guys out on tour without me.  Pak is the only other person I would trust with you, and he needs to be with Ami. There is no other backup plan for you guys."

Joon put his hands on the counter, his head down and closed his eyes as he tried to come up with an idea that would work.  "Ok.  So, do we have to do the tours at the same time?  What if she did hers, then we did ours when she was done?"

"How does that change things?"  Jin asked.

"Well.  I don't know."  He sighed, looking up at the group.  "I guess it makes us more flexible with our time.  We can be closer if we aren't required to be somewhere 5000 miles away."

"Oooh." Su stared across the room, not focusing on anything, but they could see his wheels turning. "We might be able to make that work, " he said slowly. "You couldn't go to the shows, but...maybe...it would take some planning."

"Do it,"  Yoongi said seriously. "I don't care what it is, but if we can be with her in some way while she's on tour, we need to do it."

"It won't be all of you at one time, maybe two tops. One would be better. Depends on the situation." He finally broke his focus and looked at the group. "What about this? She does her tour, fast and furious, and gets it done. We'll have houses instead of hotels booked out for her, and depending on the situation, we'll fly one or more of you in prior to her arriving. You'll have to stay at the house. You can't leave until she's done and gone, and prying eyes follow her to her next stop, then we'll fly you home. If we rotate you, we can probably get away with it and your work obligations. There are only some places she'll be there 24 hours or so, so you won't be gone long."

"What about the staff that goes on tour with her?" Kook asked.

"We'll have them all booked at a hotel near the venue.  But Pak, Jae, Choi, and Quon will have to be at the house with you.  No houses next door.  Everything is going to be really, really tight.  If you want to do this, I can look into it. But you'll have to be invisible when you're there, for her sake." 

"It's the only option.  If she's forced to go, it's the only option."  Joon sighed.  "So, how do we get Ko to push our tour back at least a month?"

"It will have to be longer than that," Jin spoke up. "We can't randomly miss off and on a month before a tour. There's so much work that goes into it that will be more of a red flag than anything."

"What about six months out then? Ami goes out in three months, gone for a month and a bit, comes home,  and then we go out a couple of months later?  Could we do the same thing with her when we're on tour?  Have her leapfrog along the tour route?"  Jungkook wasn't in love with the plan, but at least it was a plan.

"Maybe."  Su said cautiously, "I want to see how it works with her tour first. Let's see how it goes, and we can make that call later.  That being said, if we try this, I have the right to call it off at any time."  He said seriously. "If our goal is to make sure her tour goes off without a problem, I'll pull the plug on the plan if I think it's the best for her."

"Does that mean you'll go with her? We want you to go with her,"  Tae asked with a little hope.

"IF your tours run at separate times and I can set things up like I think I can, then it's possible to consider it.  As much as she's my daughter, you guys are my priority too."

 

About an hour later, the guys all wandered back to their house.  Su took off, needing to now try and work on plans before tomorrow's meeting with Ko.   He told them he would call them later this evening and check in. 

"Hey, how are we doing?"  Jimin knocked on her office and peeked in.

"Where did you guys go?"  Ami asked, all three looking perplexed. "The cars were here, but we couldn't find you." 

"Just went for a walk.  Are you ready for a nap? I could use one,"  Jimin asked as he walked in. Yoongi followed a few seconds behind him. 

"Heeey!" she smiled, "You're looking better."

"I'm feeling a lot better,"  Yoon winked.

"Wait, you went for a walk?" Pak asked confused, getting back to the question. 

"Su wants you to call him.  I'm taking her, meetings over."  Jimin bent down and picked her up, draping her over his shoulder as she laughed, "JIMIN!"

"Call Su!"  Jimin called back as he hauled her out of the room.

"I can't do that yet.  I'm just a spotter."  Yoongi smiled at Jae, taking Ami's seat and looking at a confused Pak.   "I'll stay. You go."

"OH. Ok."  He got up and headed out to make a call and hopefully get some answers.

"What did you guys talk about?" Yoongi turned his attention to Jae,  "Jimin said you were talking Dior?"

Jae got comfortable in the corner of the couch, her legs curled beside her.  "We were.  Ami asked Kai for his opinion on the matter.  We talked about what that would look like if we did move forward with them."

"Hm.  And what about the other companies that put their hat in the ring?"

"I think she's ruled them out because they only want her, although she should reconsider."

"Why do you say that?" he repositioned his arm.

"I think some of them offer good perks," she smiled.

"And what about you?  Do you want to be a Dior girl?" 

"I mean, it would be amazing, but I don't know."  She wrinkled her nose.

"Why do you say that?"

"My, you're asking a lot of questions." she smiled.

"It's the most my brain fog has lifted in days. You get the joy of my questions before it settles back in," he smiled. "So, have you two read the proposal?  What do they want?"

"Um, they would want us to wear strictly Dior pieces when we go out.  Which means I would need to be out with her more and visible to the public.  Some photo shoots.  Brand stuff, the usual."

"And what do they give you in return?"  He cocked his head as he saw her think.

"Clothing, Dior merch, visibility.  Money. Lots of money."

"And?"

"And?  I think that's it?"  She frowned.

"No." Yoongi said calmly, "There is always the unwritten collateral damage that can come with brand deals you have to consider. If the brand you align with does something shady or the public starts to boycott, you're stuck in the middle. Contractually, you have to do what you have to do, even if you disagree. You have to consider the time and effort you need to put in. Ami's about to be sent on tour, which is probably why there is a big push. Those brands want to see their stuff on her, or you, for that matter. That being said, I'm sure Ami could counter any of those brands to include you in the deal if that's something you want to do."

"Really." She looked at him with some disbelief.

"Yes. Really. If you two think someone else is a better fit, then why not?" he smiled. "What's Pak's concerns?"

Jae let out a long breath, "Um, I think he's ultimately concerned about people nosing around."

"Sure. That will happen." He nodded. "What's your concern?"

"Mine?"

"Yeah, I know clothes are exciting for you, and money can never go amiss, but besides those perks, do you have any concerns?" She was quiet as she considered the question, and Yoongi waited. "I guess I like lots of different clothes and don't necessarily want to be tied down to just Dior for everything. Does that make sense?"

"Completely. So, you two can counter. Come up with what you want it to look like and put it back on them. If they accept it, it's great. If they don't, then it isn't meant to be."

***

Jimin hauled Ami upstairs over his shoulder as the boys watched. "Rest well, Dove,"  Joon called out.  He wanted to go up with them, but they had a lot to do.  Ordering for the new house.  More planning and plotting for her tour.  Jimin was in charge of keeping her busy while Yoongi was in charge of distracting Jae so they all could get as much done as they could. 

"Jiiiiiiimin!" she groaned as he tossed her on the bed and crawled up on top of her.  "Hello, wife.  Ready for a nap?  I am,"  he deeply kissed her as he took her hands in his and slowly moved them up over her head.  She started to smile under his lips so he pulled back and looked into her eyes. 

"Jimin, I can't play that way yet." She giggled. 

"Well, there are many things we can do that don't involve 'that' but still include the same amazing outcome."  He rolled off her and to her side, pulling her with him so they were now facing each other. 

"Humm. You think so huh?"  She smiled.

"I absolutely do.  It's a well-known fact."  He sighed, "God I missed you while you were gone."

"I missed you too.  I missed all of you, but Yoongi and I had a great time until the ground tried to attack us."

"Yeah, I can imagine that was kind of scary." He swept the hair out of her eyes and tucked it behind her ear.  "It wasn't the best time.  So, what did you boys talk about on your walk...which I don't think you did, by the way."

He smiled, "We did! We walked!"  He rolled back on top of her, now pulling up her shirt and kissing down her chest.

"Oh, right.  Seven famous men and Su, wandering the streets without a care in the world." She laughed.

"Please don't bring my father-in-law into the bedroom with us." He mumbled between kisses as he worked his way down, unbuttoning her pants as she didn't stop him.  He pulled them off, leaving her in her panties as he kissed up her legs. 

"I'm serious, husband.  I can't," she moaned as he kissed up her inner thighs. 

"I know," he said softly before pulling her underwear to the side and pressing his mouth directly into her.

"ooohhhh fuuuuuckk," She groaned, arching as he sucked.  The feeling was euphoric as he pulled her into his mouth, then let go, before starting again.  She gripped the sheets in her fists as she resisted letting herself finish as fast as her body wanted her to.  She missed him. She missed all of them.

He watched her respond to his touches and kisses, enjoying making his wife feel so good.  He needed to keep his pants on because if he didn't, he didn't know if he would be able to hold back and resist. 

Jimin played and toyed with her, sucking and licking, pushing her, and trying to make her cum, but she fought to hold back.  He finally stopped and smiled, watching her pant and try to calm down as he gave her a quick break.  "Wife. You're fighting it," he crawled up next to her, running his hand up her leg, letting it trail between her and watching her jump with his touch. 

"We will have so much fun when you are cleared to play." He pressed his mouth back on hers and pushed his fingers deep inside, making her groan.  She wrapped her arms around him as he sped up. He could feel her push her hips up into his hand as the sounds filled the room.  She finally had to stop kissing so she could breathe, panting and pulling on his hair as she finally let herself go.  He could feel her body squeeze down on his fingers as he smiled, watching her breathe through each wave ripping through her. 

"God damn, wife.  I want to do that to you over and over." He slowly pulled his fingers out and held her.  He pushed her head into his chest as she relaxed with muffled little moans.  "When we finally have our house back to just us, we have something to show you."

"You do? What is it?" she asked quietly.

"It's a surprise."  He kissed her head. "Now, do you want to sleep, or should we try that again?" He smiled as he heard her giggle. "Do I get to do that back to you?"

"No.  Because I'm pretty sure if I take my pants off I won't be able to stop, and I don't want that." 

"That sounds like a challenge."  She started to move like she was going for his pants as he pulled her in tighter so she couldn't move, "NO."  he laughed.  "I'm serious."   She looked up at him with a playful pout.  "That only works on Namjoon,"  he sighed, "although it wouldn't take much." 

She let out a resounding sigh and snuggled around him, wanting and not wanting to push any further.  "Love you."

"I love you too." He kissed her head and let her rest.

Chapter 33

Later that evening, Riggs held Wendy, lightly running his fingertips over her back as they lay in the quiet of the guest house. 

"Did you and Ami have a nice talk this evening?  I saw you two sitting by the pool for a long time."

"We did, " she sighed. "She showed me pictures of her weddings—god, that's crazy to think about."

"What is?"  He sweetly kissed her head.

"That Ami is secretly married, and pay no mind to who."  She pulled back and looked up at him in the dim light of the room. "She literally can't share that with people, ever.  Even if it was only one of them, let alone seven." 

"I know,"  he said softly.  "It must be hard.  I talked to Yoongi and Jungkook earlier, and they explained a little more about how they all came to be and what it means to them.  It works for them, and that's all that matters really."

"I get that."  She paused a bit. "So, what time do you leave tomorrow?"

"My flight is at 10 a.m. I checked in with Harry while you were in the shower. He was wondering if I was actually coming back.  He asked about you, and I told him you were doing okay."  He didn't feel the need to fill her in on what nonsense Harry had said before he flew to her.  That was going to be between Harry and him.

"Is he going to be cool with Maximus Decimus Meridius and Jeff as my security?"

Riggs smiled, "He'll be fine.  The tour won't last forever, and then we'll return to London and find ourselves a flat to nest in.  Mine might be too small for us."  He heard her laugh, "Are we birds?"

"We can be."  Riggs pulled her over so she was lying on his chest as he hugged her tightly.  "We just have to get through this tour, then we can figure out what we want to do."

"What do you mean?  You work for Harry, you go where he goes." She said, muffled from his chest.  She turned her head and let out a tired sigh.

"Well.  True."  He ended the conversation at that, listening to her slowly drift off to sleep.  The truth was, he didn't know what would happen after the tour.  He didn't want to keep dragging her around the world with Harry.  She needed something of her own to reestablish her sense of identity and self after leaving her job and losing her flat.  He wasn't excited to follow Harry around and leave her behind either.   He closed his eyes with a sigh. He had some time to figure out a plan, but he knew time also moved fast. 

***

Up at the house, the group crawled into bed, exhausted from the day's emotional highs and lows. 

Ami tossed herself down on her pillow with a thud.  About 1.5 seconds later, she was being rolled and pulled into position by Tae, his body wrapped around her as everyone crawled in to take their spots for the night.   "How are you doing?"  His husky voice filled her head as he gently kissed her cheeks.

"It's been a day." She yawned, "Not really what I had planned."

"Wife, I'm sorry if I shared our secret early.  I hope you forgive me."  Jin said quietly from somewhere across the acres of mattress.

"I'm just glad it didn't go sideways,  but we can talk about that another time." She yawned again.

"We'll take care of Jin. Don't worry." Tae whispered in her ear.  He looked up and met Jimin's eye, who was lying behind her.  Both gave each other an intense and knowing look.  The group had talked quietly amongst themselves throughout the day, and agreed that while they wanted to yell it to the world about their relationship, what Jin did was sloppy and could have backfired hard for her and them.  So,  they would wait until after all their guest left to deal with him. 

"Ami, sleep, baby. You have a big day tomorrow."  Jimin ran his hand up and down her side as they felt her relax. 

"Mmmm.  I'm not looking forward to tomorrow.  Oh... we all have a few things to talk about, don't let me forget. We just haven't had time..."  She barely got out before falling asleep in Tae and Jimin's arms.  

"What other things?"  Yoongi asked quietly.

"She's already out," Tae whispered.

Namjoon put his hands over his face, "What a fucking day.  We need a normal day.  Tomorrow will be emotionally charged, and then who knows what the fallout will be.  It's so frustrating."

"Need to take it out on someone?"  Kook teased, and a chuckle went through the room.  

"Always,"  Joon said as Yoongi lay there confused. "Why do I feel like this is an inside joke I'm not a part of?"

"You will be, but not until you're healed," Hobi rolled over, careful not to bump into him.   "God, you're going to love it, though." 

***

The next morning, everyone was up and getting ready for the busy day ahead. No one was excited to learn their fate regarding the tours, but they hoped for the best.

"Damn." Ami was trying on different shoes to figure out which hurt the least. While her cut was healing well, finding shoes that didn't rub her arch wrong was hard. It felt like it happened weeks ago, but it had only been five days since the earthquake, or was it six? She finally settled on a pair that were the least irritating, but now she needed to change her outfit to match her shoes.

"Jae and Wendy are here!" She heard Jungkook call out from the bedroom door.

"In here!" Ami replied from somewhere deep in her closet. Kook turned to let the girls into the bedroom. "Jae, you know the way." He smiled as she led Wendy into the large bedroom to find their friend.

"Oh damn," Wendy murmured as she stopped in her tracks, seeing the larger-than-usual bed. Jungkook smirked as he shut the door, leaving the girls to talk. She stared for a few seconds when Ami called out, "I can't figure out what to wear with these shoes!" She finally looked up to see Jae standing in the closet doorway. "Those shoes, really?"

"They are the only ones that don't want to make my foot scream." Just then, Wendy slowly joined them. "Um. That's a bloody bed."

Ami smiled, "Well, yeah."

"How long does it take to change the sheets on that monstrosity?" Wendy smirked, leaning against the door frame as Jae helped flip through clothes options.

"I wouldn't know. I'm not in charge of that. The boys take care of it." Ami grinned.

"OH. They take care of almost everything. She's not Snow White." Jae chortled. "She found the pot of gold."

"I'm sure she did."

"Hey!" Ami laughed. "I'm right here! Can you help me find something to wear with these shoes?"

"Ok. What are you trying to figure out?" Ami pointed to a pair of worn red Converse she used to wear back in London. "Those are the only ones that don't kill my feet." Wendy walked in and started looking through the options. "Wow. You have some really amazing pieces."

"Well. Some are for Suki and some are for everyday me. Help me find something."

"What are you going for? What do you want to project with your worn red Converse? Oh my god, are you kidding me?" She flipped through designer after designer pieces, labels she had only heard of but never seen in person.

"Nice, huh?" Jae grinned as she flipped through the clothes, "She rarely wears that stuff. It's a crime, really."

"Fuck right it is." She murmured.

"Jimin and Hobi bought those. Where am I wearing that to? Breakfast?" Ami pulled out a well-tailored pair of dark blue slacks, slipped them on, and started looking for a shirt.

"Look at these!" Jae pushed back some clothes to show off her dresses, "How freaking cute are these!"

"Oh my god." Ami laughed as she focused on finding a white shirt.

"Hey! I finally have a friend to talk fashion with! God knows it's not your favorite thing to dwell over!"

"Sorry I'm such a bore." Ami snickered, pulling a shirt off a hanger and slipping it on. "It's not like I don't think about it, I just don't think about it all the time."

Wendy stepped back and watched her friend get pulled together. "Not that shirt, you look very British. Very Union Jack."

Jae stopped flipping through clothes and looked over at Ami. She had on a white tailored shirt, crip dark blue pants and red shoes. "You look older than you are. She always dresses older. See what I'm up against? Fuck." Jae turned and started flipping through her clothes with a new focus. Ami watched and waited as the two talked through and then agreed upon a new approved outfit for her.

 

Choi and Quon had arrived while the three girls were upstairs. "OH. You look better already." Quon said, eyeballing Yoongi across the room. "How are ya feelin'?"

"On the mend, thanks." He nodded slightly as they walked in and hung around the front door.  "Did you guys get some good rest?"

"We did, thanks,"  Choi replied, looking up to see the girls making their way downstairs.  Everyone was gathering. They knew Su and Pak would want a quick group meeting before heading out for the day.   As Ami worked her way to Choi and Quon, Jae guided Wendy towards where Namjoon and Hobi were talking to Riggs. 

"We got her ready. She doesn't look like she's going yachting now,"  Jae grinned as Joon and Hobi watched their fiancée head to the front door.  The girls had switched out Ami's white shirt and blue pants outfit for a deep gray, sleeveless dress with a black belt.  The dress fell perfectly right at her knees, and the red shoes gave a little pop.

"Are you going to be able to wear those?" Choi asked as Ami joined them by the front door. She still wasn't walking flat on her foot as she carried her shoes with her.

"Hope so." She smiled, "It's good to see you guys."

"Good to be seen," Quon smiled. He reached out and held her by her elbow as she dropped her shoes and started to slip her feet into them. "Can you walk in those?"

"We'll see." She slipped them on and made herself stand normally, distributing her weight between both feet, rocking gently back and forth. "Should be fine. I just have to make it in and out of the building," she said with a little grimace every time she put more weight on her foot.

Pak and Su watched her as she tested her shoes from across the room. "Can this be a phone call, or does this need to be an eyeballs-to-eyeballs meeting?" Pak leaned over as neither stopped watching.

"Ko wants it in person." He frowned as she kicked off one shoe and stood like a flamingo, her foot resting on the inside of her other leg. Jin walked over, resting his hands on her hips and his chin on her head as she caught up with Choi and Quon.

"She can't go hobbling in there. Word about Yoongi and his arm is flying around already. All we need is Ami limping in." Pak sighed, "What do you think?"

"Let's talk to her." Su looked over at Namjoon, who was talking to Jae, Wendy, and Riggs, "Hey, can we borrow you a moment?"

"Yeah, sure." He got up and followed them over to Ami and the guys. "Ami. Slip your shoe on, and let's talk for a moment outside." Su said quietly. Jin looked up at the three that joined them as he held her more tightly, steadying her as she slipped on her shoe.

"Are we leaving?" Jae called out as the rest looked at the mob by the door.

"Not yet. We just need a moment." Su smiled back to the room before closing the door behind him.

"What's going on?" Wendy asked. She leaned back into Riggs, his arms around her waist as they enjoyed their last few minutes together before he headed back to Harry and the tour.

"Logistics, I'm sure. It's always logistics," Jae smiled.

Choi, Quon, Pak, Su, Jin, Ami, and Namjoon stood outside the house. Su walked about twenty feet away from the group, stopped, and turned back to them. "What are we doing?" Ami asked.

"We want to make sure those shoes aren't going to be a problem today," Su said, motioning to her. "Walk to me." Everyone looked back at her and down at her feet.

"They are the most comfortable ones I have." She sighed as Jin felt her start to shift, putting more weight down flat on her feet. Ami started walking. The first couple of steps were ok, but with each one after, she favored her good foot more. Before she could get to Su, he took two big steps toward her, grabbed her forearms, and stopped her from going further. She instinctively took all the weight off her sore foot as she leaned into him. "Shit." She murmured.

"Ami, you need to reschedule." Jin shook his head.

"I can't. He's going to start booking me out, and I want some say. I need to go," she looked up at Su with a frustrated expression. "Yeah, I know," he said quietly.

Namjoon walked over to them. "Dove. You can't hobble into Hybe." He said sweetly as Su released her over to him.

"What if we bring him to her?" Choi suggested that they all gather around her, Joon, and Su.

"I don't want him here at the house." She shook her head.

"We could have the meeting in your old apartment. Easy in and out for him. It's quiet there and more relaxing for you. Fewer eyes and gossip about what's wrong with you. What do you think?" Pak asked her as they all now focused back on her. She was quiet, thinking for a moment between the two options.

"Dove," Joon said softly, kissing the back of her head.

"Yeah, okay." She sighed. "It's probably for the better."

"It is." Su winked.

"I'll set it up." Pak took out his phone and walked over to the side of the drive to make the call. As the group headed in, Jin paused and circled back to Pak. "Hey, can you please let him know we'll meet with him after he meets with Ami? I think we should all meet there and get this shit done sooner than later."

Pak smiled, "Sounds fun."

"Thanks." Jin turned and trotted back in to catch up with everyone. Su had waited for him, letting him enter before following him in and shutting the door, leaving Pak outside in the warm sun. 

Pak dialed the office and was immediately connected to Ko. "Mr. Pak! I'm surprised to hear from you. Our meeting is still on, I hope."  Ko sat back in his chair and slowly swiveled back and forth.

"It is, but we would like a change of venue, please.  Su and I feel it would benefit everyone involved if we met and had the meeting at the boys' apartment building.  There is a conference room that will work just fine."

"Oh? Are we claiming home advantage? I know this meeting will be met with some pushback, " he asked, smiling.

"No. Nothing like that."  Pak chuckled.  "Fewer eyes are better right now.  We can explain that more later.    Also, the guys want to move up their meeting and meet with you after Ami.  One stop shopping, does that work for you?"

"I think I can make that work.  Let me move some stuff around, be there in an hour?"

"Sounds good. Thanks, Director."  Pak hung up and headed inside to let everyone know.

 

Ko called his secretary to come into his office.  "What all do I have today?"

"Um, you have a meeting with Suki in an hour, BTS this afternoon, and two more  appointments later today."  

"OK, cancel everything after BTS. I need to be offsite for meetings, and I don't want to be rushed to get back, " he said as he stood and gathered papers to put them in a pile to take with him. "God knows what I'm going to be battling." 

"Sure." She replied as she took notes.

"Oh, also, I need you to place an order for lunch for like..."  he stopped and did some quick math and mumbled to himself, "Suki, Jae plus at least three, then seven, Su, thirteen, um, big guys, let's go with twenty.  Yes, order lunch for twenty and send it to the BTS apartments."  He started pulling files again and putting them in the pile.

"To the apartments, sir?"

"Yup. That will be all.  Thank you," he said without looking up. He pulled his briefcase out and slid the files in, then sat back down at his computer to do a little more work before he headed out.

***

Back at the house, everyone was outside getting loaded into cars and saying their goodbyes to Riggs.

"Thanks again for everything you're doing for her and me.  Truly."  Riggs shook Namjoon's hand as people loaded up. 

"Not at all,"  Namjoon smiled. "We're happy to have Wendy for a little longer. I'm sorry it got busy all of a sudden. It happens."

"I understand more than you know."  Riggs smiled and reached out to shake Hobi's hand, too. "We know you do.  Have a safe flight back, and I'm sure we'll see you soon."  The guys said their goodbyes and turned to load up in the SUV.

"Su, I can't thank you enough."  Riggs sighed and reached out to shake his hand.

"I'm just sorry she's been pulled into this,"  he replied, sincerely. "Find the guys you need, I hope they're overkill for you.  Quon will take you to the airport, then bring her to join us at the apartments.  After today, I hope it's a calm week for everyone here.  We'll see if we can't get her and Ami out for at least a drive this week."

"I'm not worried. It's the one thing I'm not worried about. Take care."  He smiled and then turned to join Wendy in the car. As he opened the door, he could feel the weight of the door in his hands. He turned and looked at Su, surprised, as Su just smiled and nodded. "New cars."

"Like I said, no worries at all."  Riggs joined Wendy in the back.  As Quon opened his door to get in, Su told him in Korean,  "Hey, even though you're in Pak's car, make sure you aren't followed, okay?"  

"Yeah, no problem. I'll let you know when we're on our way to you."   He nodded as he climbed in and started the car.  Wendy looked out and waved to Ami as she got into her car next to her. "Honey, they can't see you through these windows.  They are murdered out for a reason."  Riggs said quietly.

"Murdered out?"  She looked back at him, confused.

"Blacked out.  Super dark tint.  You can see out, but no one can see in."  He smiled as he took her hand, and they felt Quon take off down the drive.   "God, I would want you nowhere else if you aren't with me." He sighed as Quon sped them off to the airport.

 

Hobi leaned into Ami's door as she and Jae buckled up. "Hey, we'll see you two in a bit. You look great, by the way."  He smiled as he kissed her head and looked at Jae. "You look nice too, Jae."

"Thanks!" She grinned.

"See you in a few."  Ami smiled as Hobi winked and closed the door for them. 

"So."  Jae leaned back as Pak and Choi joined them in the front and started the car, "How are you feeling about this meeting?  I feel like it's been a whirlwind for the past 48 hours or so."

"Yeah, it's been hard to resettle.  I think I was awake more than asleep last night, just thinking everything over."  She said quietly so that only Jae could hear.

"I get that.  Nice Wendy will be here for a few more days, though.  I'm glad she is, even though Kai is dragging me off."  She grinned as he looked back at the girls in the mirror, "You need a break," he called back.

"You both do." Choi joined in, looking out the window as Pak drove down the drive. 

 

Ko climbed into his car to head to the apartments, as all three cars were speeding through the city, heading to their destinations. While he left the parking garage, a Hybe cleaning girl was heading up to Ko's office. The elevator opened, and the secretary greeted her with a smile. "Good timing. He's out of the office for a bit," she waved her towards his office as she was waiting on the phone. She nodded and entered his office to clean it carefully. She was looking for anything to report back to the man who hired her. She could hear the secretary ordering lunch as she dusted and poked around. 

She dumped the garbage bin and straightened a bit, not seeing anything she could report back on, so she gathered her supplies and headed back out not to arouse extra suspicion.

"All done. Busy day today?" She made small talk with the secretary as she hung up with the restaurant.

"Not as busy as it was supposed to be."  She smiled back, "Boss is out of the office today unexpectedly, so that gives me time to actually get things done." 

"Oh, big meetings?" the girl probed as she pushed the elevator button and waited for the doors to open.

"Only one group can make him change his whole day at the drop of a hat."  Just then, the phone rang and she answered, waving to the cleaning girl as the doors opened and she stepped in.  After the door closed, she pulled out her phone and made a call. 

"Hey, it's me.  They aren't coming in today. I think Ko is heading to them."

"Where?"  The gruff voice asked.

"Umm..." she didn't actually know, but then remembered the secretary calling in a lunch order.  Oh fuck, what did she say..she racked her brain to try and remember what she heard.  "The secretary placed an order for delivery...it was a big order..."

"WHERE.  What restaurant?"  He snapped his fingers at a nearby lackey, making him jump to attention, waiting for instructions.  She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to remember what she heard. 

"GIRL."  She heard him snarl.

"Hangong Gan!"  She finally remembered and blurted out. "She made a huge order at Hangong Gan!  It was for delivery!"  She heard the phone hang up as she shoved her phone in her pocket, exhaling a long breath as the elevator doors opened on another floor. 

"YOU!"  He pointed at the lackey, "Get over to Hangong Gan and intercept a food delivery for Hybe. Tell them change of plans, and you're there to pick it up and deliver it yourself.  Call me and tell me where you're going.  Don't fuck this up!"

"Yeah, boss,"  he said quickly, heading out the door.

***

"OH my god, this is a flashback."  Ami smiled as the elevator opened to her old floor at the apartments.   Ami held onto the crook of Choi's arm as they made their way down the hall.  "I miss this place sometimes."  

"I have to admit, it was a nice contained space for you all, not that your house isn't."  Pak walked ahead and waved a card in front of her old apartment door, triggering the lock to whirl and the door to unlock.  "Wait!"  Ami said quickly, making Pak and Choi pause with concern, "Are you going to sweep for killer dust bunnies?" 

"Are you serious?"  Pak rolled his eyes as Jae giggled.  "I don't know, what if squatters have moved in?"   Pak looked over at Jae, then up at Choi, who shrugged with a smile.  "Ok fine.  Stay here and we'll make sure there isn't a meth lab in the bathroom.  Can you manage yourselves out here?"  Pak swung the door open as Choi stepped around the girls, amused, and followed him in, but only going as far as the living room. 

Pak made a finger gun and wandered back to the bedroom, glancing at everything and pointing his fingers into empty rooms, "Guess what!  No meth lab, but a lot of dust, so there may be dust bunnies.  I don't think they've been weaponized yet, though."  He called out in a flat tone.   Choi turned back to the girls as they joined him, "I think you'll be safe."

"Excellent,"  Ami grinned as they both looked around the place. "It's weird, it always feels a little like home here."  Ami limped to the windows, pulled the curtains back, and took in the view of the water.  She stared at it for a bit as Pak came and stood next to her.

"Was that a real request?" he asked quietly as Jae looked through the cupboards for something to snack on.

"Yes." She said quietly back without looking over at him.

"Okay," he nodded with a deep breath and a long exhale.  "Is it just because we haven't been here for a while?"

"I just don't assume everything's fine all the time anymore." She said quietly, "Wendy's place should have been fine, but it obviously wasn't.  If they've tracked her down to a place she didn't live anymore, and waited for her, then I have to assume they'll do the same for places like this."  She turned and looked at him, "I would just feel better if..."

"Done." He said and met her eyes, "Done." 

"Thanks, " she turned back and looked at the water. "Remember when you and Su talked to me about drawing a line and not sharing everything with the guys if I asked?"

"Ami.  I said it's done.  We'll take care of it for you moving forward.  No additional conversation is needed." He said softly, "Come on.  Let's go sit and wait for the rest to arrive."

"I found snacks!"  Jae called out, feeling victorious, and found a box of unexpired crackers. Choi grabbed water for everyone, and they all sat down to wait.  As Pak sat, he stood right back up, "Be right back." 

"Where are you going?"  Jae called out as she broke into the box.

"Just going to get the boys' place unlocked and ready for them!" he called back as he crossed the hall and unlocked their door.  Ami relaxed, knowing he was checking their apartment for her, so she didn't have to worry.

***

"I'm going to miss you,"  Wendy said, her arms wrapped around Rigg's neck, squeezing hard.   The airplane was there as people were walking up the stairs, loading already.

"I'm going to miss you, too.  Feel ok to stay for a few more days?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine.  Say hi to Harry for me.  Keep him out of trouble."  She released him a little so they could look at each other. "Always.  Ok, Love.  Be good.  I'll see you in Japan in about a week.  Have fun with your friends and call me whenever you want to, alright?"

"I will."  She was able to get out before he pulled her up to kiss her one more time before relinquishing her to Quon.   "Ok, in ya go.  Quon's going to take you to your friends.  I'll call you when I land."   He finally let her go and held the door open as she crawled back into the overly secure car.  She settled and looked back up at him, "Love you."

"Love you too."   Riggs closed the door and walked around the front.  "Quon, thanks for everything.  We'll see you soon, mate." 

"Sounds good, happy travels."  He smiled, shaking his hand before they watched him trott towards the plane to board.   Quon got back in the car and they waited, watching Riggs climb the stairs, then turn and wave one more time before he disappeared inside the aircraft.  

***

At a busy nearby restaurant, a man walked in as he straightened himself up a little.  A big order was sitting on the counter, waiting to be delivered, so he flagged down a waitress.  "Um, yeah, I'm here to pick up the order for Hybe?"

"Oh, sure.  Let me see." She walked over and started looking through the receipts. "This says we are delivering?"  She looked at the man, confused. 

"Oh yeah, um, change of plans. They sent me to pick it up,"  he smiled, nervously running his hand through his hair.

"Hey, table two is ready for their check." Another waiter ran behind the girl, grabbing more food orders and taking them to hungry waiting patrons.

"Right. Okay, here I guess." The waitress started handing the man bags of food to haul out.  He looked down and saw an address as she counted the six bags, making sure it was all there. 

"Ming!"

"Coming!" She called back.  "That should be all."

"Thanks."  He smiled as she ran off, leaving him with the delicious-smelling food and address.   He quickly walked out to the parking lot and put the food in the back seat of his car before climbing behind the wheel, shutting the door, and making a phone call.

"Hey.  It's me.  I got the order and the address..."

***

Pak did a real check of the boy's apartment for her and then went downstairs to wait for Su to arrive with the boys.  It wasn't long before their SUV drove in and they all piled out.  "Well, this is like old times."  Kook smiled as he was the last to emerge, closing the door behind him.

"Oh yes, all the feels."  Pak smiled, "Why don't you guys head up. Ami and Jae are in their apartment, reminiscing as well. I'm going to talk to Su for a moment about the meeting.  I told the girls I would call them when Ko got here."

"Sounds good.  Thanks, Pak."  Joon patted him on the shoulder as they loaded into the elevator and headed up, leaving Su and Pak alone in the garage. 

"Problem?"  Su finally asked as the doors closed.

"Not really.  Ami has a request we need to do for her,"  he sighed as he explained what had just transpired upstairs.  Su nodded as he listened.  "Okay.  It doesn't surprise me after everything that's happened."  He looked at his watch, "Ko should be here soon—and Quon is on his way with Wendy.  Let's get the conference room ready.  When Wendy gets here, she can wait upstairs with the guys."  The two turned and headed inside as Ko, Quon, and a food delivery were all getting closer to the building.

***

"Heeey.  Fancy meeting you here."  Hobi said as he walked into Ami's open door, Jimin on his heels.

"Hiiiii!  You remembered how to get here." She grinned as Hobi leaned over her, kissing her face. "Of course we did."

"Good, god. This brings back memories." Tae laughed and called out, entering their old apartment with Kook behind him. "I can't believe we all lived here for so long."  Jin and Namjoon were walking with Yoongi, ushering him into their old apartment.

"Do you think our rooms are still made up?"  Yoongi asked as they walked in.

"I know they are,"  Jin said.

"Good. I'm going to lie down until it's time for our meeting."  Yoongi said calmly as they walked him straight back to his old room. 

"Tired?"Namjoon looked concerned over to Jin.

"It's just the most moving I've done for a few days, even if it was just sitting in a car.  I want to be ready for the meeting."  He said as they entered his old bedroom, flipped on his lights, and bee-lined straight for the bed. He couldn't wait to lie down, even for a short time.

"OH my god." He sighed, closed his eyes, and felt the guys take his shoes off.  "Can you please leave the door open?  I don't want to be dead to the world."

"Yeah, you good, Yoon?"  Jin asked again as they both watched him relax in his old bed.

"I'm good. Just let me know when it's time to go down or if we get called to Ami's meeting."  He mumbled, then dozed off.

"Jesus,"  Joon said quietly as they left the room to give him space to rest. "Dr. Lee said it would take a while for him to be 100%, he wasn't joking."     They walked back out to the living room as everyone was gathering across the hall. 

 

Soon, Su and Pak were in the doorway, as everyone was standing around talking in Ami's old place.  "Ladies.  Ready to head to war?  Ko will be here soon and we would like to get you settled before he gets here."  Pak smiled as he knocked on the open door.

"Where's Yoongi?"  Su asked, doing a quick head count of the room.

"Sleeping across the hall. He said he needed to rest,"  Jin said as Jimin and Jungkook pulled the girls up from their seats to go.  They saw Su think for a moment, then pulled out his phone and sent a text while he spoke,  "Ok.  Boys, we're going to trust you not to toss a rager while we are downstairs.  We'll text or have someone come get you when it's time." 

"Or if you need us sooner."  Jungkook piped up.   Ami turned to Kook and smiled, "It should be fine, as fine as it's going to be."  Kook leaned down and kissed her sweetly.  "Little Bird.  Don't let him push you around, ok?  Have Pak call us.  We'll come,"  he said softly as she straightened her dress.  Choi, Pak, and Su walked out to the hall as Jae followed. 

"Okay.  See you boys soon."  Jin, Hobi, Joon, Jimin, and Tae all gave her a quick kiss, then she made her way to the hall as smoothly as possible.  As the group moved to the elevator, Su stuck his head back in, "Hey.  Lee's coming to check in on Yoongi.  I don't like that he's crashed out from just a car ride.  He can check in with Ami after her meeting.  I want him to check her foot."

"Thanks, Su."  They all called out as he turned and jogged to join the crew waiting in the elevator for him.  "Ready?" He smiled at Ami and Jae as he turned and stood beside them.

"Yeah." Ami sighed and took his arm as the doors closed, and they headed downstairs.

Chapter 34

"How are you feeling about the meeting?" Su asked as they all settled in the conference room, waiting for the Director to come.  Ami and Jae took seats at the far end of the table, while Choi, Pak, and Su took seats on the sides.  Jae pulled paperwork out and set it in front of them, preparing for the meeting. 

"Honestly? Not super. The last few days have been a lot, so firing right back into this mess has been hard. I'm just ready to get this done, have a plan, and know what's coming."

"I get that. We'll work it out. The boys have some ideas they'll propose to Ko, depending on how this meeting goes, of course." Su said calmly.  "Wendy and Riggs seemed to take things in stride. I know Riggs is glad she's here for a few more days while he gets things set up for her.  I think everyone needs a relaxing few days after today." 

"When are you and Jae taking off?" Choi looked between the two.

"Depending on this meeting, maybe this afternoon," Pak said as they saw Jae grin.

"It doesn't matter how this meeting goes, after this, you guys are officially off the clock. Where are you taking her anyway?" Ami leaned back and smiled.

"Weeeell. I thought we could hop over to Jeju. It's not too far away, yet just far enough. It's just an hour flight." Jae let out an excited squeal as she clapped her hands.

"That's perfect." Ami was really happy for them, "I can't wait to hear all about it, I've never been there before." As the girls talked about the trip, Choi leaned over to Pak and whispered, "How are you getting there?"

"The boys are making us take the plane."  He glanced over at Choi, matching his hushed tone.  "I don't have much choice in that matter.  I found a quiet house for us and hope we can turn off our brains for a few days to relax and recharge."

"You will."  Su joined the quiet conversation, "You need more than a couple of days, though.  Take as much time as you need.  Regardless, this crew will be homebound for a while, and if we need to go out, we have Choi and Quon."

"We'll see." Pak sighed as Choi gave him a reassuring thumbs-up.

As they all talked, they heard the Director's voice coming down the hall. He was talking to someone as he made his way to them.  "This way, I think, follow me, " they heard him say.

"Are we expecting someone else?" Jae asked, confused, as Choi and Pak jumped up to meet them at the door. Su looked at the girls. "No. Turn around, both of you," he said quickly as he stood up. 

Ami grabbed Jae's chair and spun them so their backs were to the door.  "I didn't bring my glasses down, I didn't think I needed them here," she said quickly. "The building was supposed to be empty."

"Want me to go get them?" Jae asked quietly. They both looked up to see Pak walking around to stand in front of them as Choi and Su met the guests at the conference room door.  Pak gave them a quick "Shh," not taking his eyes off the door.  He moved close enough to them that his knees were about an inch from theirs.

"Director Ko, who did you bring with you?"  Su said in a calm but serious tone. He was eyeballing the food delivery driver hard as he stopped him from entering further.  The wide-eyed man glanced between Su and Choi, holding six heavy bags of food. 

"OH!  Gentlemen!  I ordered lunch for everyone and ran into him outside!  I figured he could follow me in to drop off the food, I didn't think you would be here yet."  He smiled as he looked around the room and saw Pak standing on the far side, two chairs turned around, and an unimpressed look on his face.  "Ohhh," Ko said slowly, "but you are here.  Right."  He dropped his stuff on the table and spun around. 

Pak finally broke his stare and looked down at Jae and Ami. Both had their eyes locked on him, watching his every movement. He relaxed a little, and Ami closed her eyes to try to regain her composure before she had to turn around and have a meeting about her future. Jae relaxed a little more, too.  If they were in Hybe, it wouldn't have been a big deal, but they were meeting there for a reason.  They wanted privacy, and like Ami shared upstairs, after Wendy's apartment, it was hard to trust things as easily outside their control.

"Thank you. We can take it from here,"  Ko said quickly, sensing the tension in the room. Choi, Su, and Ko all started taking the bags from him, setting them off to the side for later. "Come. Let me show you out. The halls can be tricky." Su motioned, wanting to follow him and ensure the door was locked behind him. He saw the nervous man quickly scan the room before turning around and heading out with Su.

Choi glanced at Pak. He was just as unimpressed as the rest of them.  "Sorry, group.  I didn't know you were all here already."  Ko said, trying to break the uncomfortable, thick silence that filled the room.

Ami felt Pak touch her shoulder. "Hey, " he said, and when she opened her eyes, he could see the fire burning in them.

The driver tried to make small talk with Su as he quickly shuffled down the hall. Su didn't say anything in return, but walked him to the front door and then held it open for him, "Nothing personal, it's just a closed meeting." 

"Yeah, okay." He mumbled, trying not to freak out. He thought he was picking up and dropping off food. He never expected to be standing in the same room as Su and whoever else was staring him down. Su watched the man scurry out, then double-checked that the door was locked before returning to the meeting. As soon as he walked back in, they heard her voice cut through the room: "Can you give the Director and me a minute, please?"

Pak nodded as she turned her chair to stare at the Director. He was slowly unpacking his bag, looking confused. "Ami, I..."

"Do you want me to stay?" Jae spoke up, equally as irritated.  Ami blinked a few times, then looked up at her friend, who had stood up instead of spinning her chair around.

"No.  It's ok." Ami said a little more softly, but not with less irritation. 

Jae felt Pak touch her back as he walked her toward the door. Choi joined them, as Su was the last to start moving. He didn't want to leave, but Ami finally nodded at him. Su looked at the Director one more time, then back at her. "We'll be in the hall." He finally relented and walked out, closing the door behind him, leaving Ami and Ko in the room together.

As soon as the door closed, Jae pressed her ear to the door. 

"Jae,"  Pak said quietly.

"Shh." She said back, listening and shooing him away. Su stood beside her, his back against the doorframe, arms crossed, doing the same thing.

"You seem upset." Ko stopped unpacking and sat down.

Ami let out an audible sigh, "I'm frustrated. I'm trying to play within your rules, but it's tough sometimes. I don't know if you understand how hard we all work to keep our levels within a manageable range. Pak and Su work nonstop, so when you, someone who should understand things, mindlessly walk a stranger back to our meeting..."

"Ami." he tried to intrupt.

"...back to our meeting, WITHOUT even checking to see if we were here..." she paused, trying to find the right words.

"He was just the delivery driver." Ko sighed and sat back in his seat.

"So, you think I'm overreacting? " she said sharply.

"I never said that." He said quickly back.

"You just did!"

"Fuck." Su said quietly, closed his eyes, and waited. Jae's jaw dropped as Pak and Choi moved closer to listen. Now they were all gathered by the door.

"The world we live in shrinks daily, and we fight against what we can to keep our boundaries. Su, Pak, Choi, and Quon—that's all their job is at this point, to walk the perimeter and try to give us some illusion of freedom. We have protocols for EVERYTHING, so that's our normal now. That's the baseline. So, when you parade someone in the front fucking door, you're going to see a reaction." She said coolly.

Ko listened to her as she spoke firmly. "You're using a lot of we, not I words," he chose the low road for the rest of this conversation.

"It's the collective we. I'm choosing to speak for the entire industry. I'm sure it tracks."

***

Quon and Wendy pulled up to the apartments right after Su escorted the man out the door. "So, they all lived here before the house?" Wendy asked, trying to understand her friend's timeline of how things came to be.

"They did." Quon smiled. "The boys lived here, and before they were together-together, they got her an apartment across the hall. That's where they were when I joined this crew." He pulled over and parked in the front of the building, instead of the garage. "The waterfront here runs miles in either direction."

"It's really nice, " she sighed as he turned off the engine. People were walking and jogging up and down the waterfront paths. She longed to get out and run, hoping to do that soon. They both got out, and he pointed out a few things in the distance before turning and escorting her towards the door.

What he didn't notice was a car parked but idling down the street, blending in with everyday traffic, watching. 

As they approached the building, they saw the man slowly walking towards them. He was texting someone as he walked, so he wasn't looking where he was going. Quon changed his gate so he could step behind Wendy and then come up on her other side, putting himself between her and the man they were about to pass.

As they passed each other, Quon stopped and turned, watching him walk slowly away.

"Problem?"  Wendy saw the expression on his face change.

"I know him,"  Quon said slowly, trying to remember why he looked familiar. Wendy didn't understand what he was saying.

"Why does he look familiar?" Quon racked his brain. Trying to figure out where he knew him from.

"Quon?"

"Hey...do we know each other?" Quon called out as he tried to remember. The man looked up and around quickly, surprised to see Quon staring at him.  Then his eyes fell on Wendy, and they got a little bigger.

"HEY,"  Quon said again, not liking the eye contact with Wendy.  Wendy stood out.  There were not a lot of naturally blonde, British girls running around Korea.  Quon stepped to the side, putting himself between the two as the man shrugged, trying to play it off, "Uh, I don't know, man. Maybe I delivered you food before?" He turned and walked a little quicker to his car.

"Where do you work?" Quon called out as he started to follow behind him. "Stay here." He looked back at Wendy as she stayed planted outside the door to the building. The nervous man looked back and saw Quon starting to follow him.  It freaked him out, so he started running to his car.

"Wait!" Quon yelled as he started chasing him. As the man got closer to his car, he gauged that he wouldn't have time to get in and shut the door before Quon caught up with him, so he made the panicked decision to take off down the waterfront. "STOP! Son of a bitch!" Quon yelled as he took off after him. Wendy stood there, shocked, not sure what exactly to do or what was going on, but it unexpectedly felt like New York all over again. She turned and tried the door to the building, but it was locked.

"Fuck." She shook the door again, as if pulling harder would magically open it.  She couldn't see inside, as the reflection on the door made it one-way only, so she took out her phone and tried to call Su. 

Upstairs, the guys were all in Ami's apartment, except Yoongi, who was passed out across the hall.  Kook was sitting by the window, looking out over the water as they talked and waited for word from below that they either needed to come down and kick Ko's ass or it was time for their meeting. 

"What time is it?"  Tae asked.

"Five minutes later than last time." Jin sighed. "Let's watch TV. We need something to keep our minds off things." He picked up the remote as the TV flickered to life.

"What the fuck?" Jungkook muttered as he stood up, pulling the curtain back and staring out the window.  He could see a man running across the busy street and down the path, then Quon came into view, chasing after him.

"What's the matter?" Jimin looked over as he stretched, but Jungkook didn't answer. Instead, he bolted for the door in an unexpected explosion.

"FUCK!  KOOK!"  Hobi yelled out as everyone jumped with his sudden burst.  Namjoon and Jin jumped up to chase after him as Tae ran to the window, scanned the outside, and caught Quon tearing off down the boardwalk.  "QUON IS CHASING SOMEONE!"  He yelled out, loud enough for Jin to hear as they hit the stairwell door, trying to catch up with Jungkook. 

The group below was in the hallway, trying to listen through the door, when they all heard the commotion in the stairwell. Then Su's phone rang.

"What the fuck is happening?" Pak walked over to the stairwell and was about one step away when Jungkook blew the door open, almost crashing into Pak. He started sprinting to the front door. "JUNGKOOK!" He yelled as everyone stood still in shock. Namjoon and Jin were on his heels as Jae smashed herself against the door with a little squeal as they passed.

"WHAT!!" Su shouted, alarmed. With his phone still ringing, he glanced down and saw Wendy's name flashing across his screen.

"Quon!" was all Jin could get out as they sprinted by, then Pak and Choi started to chase after the boys to help. Su flung the door open to the conference room and pushed Jae inside as he answered his phone. "Where are you?" he asked quickly as he pointed to a wide-eyed Ami and then pointed to the floor, indicating he wanted them to stay, then slammed the door behind him.  "Where?" he said again, but could now hear the commotion of the guys talking to her through the phone as they blasted out the front door.

"Jae?"  Ami stood up, confused as Ko looked between them. 

"I-I don't know. Kook, Joon, and Jin came flying down the stairwell and said something about Quon." She said, wide-eyed. As soon as she answered her question, the door opened again, but this time it was Hobi, Jimin, and Tae.

"Let's go.  We're going upstairs."  Hobi said quickly.

"What's going on?"  Ko now more alarmed as he stood up too.

"Where's Wendy?" Ami asked quickly as Jimin and Tae started grabbing the bags of food to take with them. She started to limp around the table, but Hobi walked over to get her.  Before he could pick her up, she grabbed his arm. "Let me walk," she said quietly for him to hear. 

"No. We need to get upstairs." He said quietly back.

"Hobi. Please. Ko's here." She begged. He paused, then caved, extending his arm for her instead. "Ok. But I will pick you up if we need to move fast." He said under his breath to her.

"Wait, Wendy's here? Like here-here?" Ko said, confused. "I thought she was in New York...and why are you limping?

"We don't know where she is yet," Tae said seriously, ignoring Ko. Jimin grabbed Jae's hand, "Come on," and pulled her out. They made their way to the elevator, with Ko following confused behind. 

***

"They went that way," Wendy said quickly with a shaky voice, pointing down the street as the guys flew out the door. Jungkook and Namjoon took off as they heard Pak yell, "WAIT!" but they kept going. "Fuck!" Pak and Choi took off after them as Jin stopped to stay with her. Two seconds later, Su appeared.

"Wendy. What happened?" He said quickly, holding the door open as Jin pulled her inside the building.

"I-I don't know...Quon started following someone, then they ran that way." She pointed to where Choi and Pak were quickly running out of sight. Su quickly shut the door as Jin hauled her through the lobby and to the elevator to head upstairs.

"HEY!" Ami called out as Jin and Wendy came around the corner. The two groups merged in the hall by the elevator. "What's going on?" Ami reached out for her hand, and Wendy grabbed it tightly. She was so glad to be with them. Jin stayed close behind.

"I have no bloody clue. Quon just took off after a guy," her voice shook as the elevator dinged, and they all crammed in. Jimin maneuvered Jae to stand next to her friends as the doors closed. He was surprised she didn't let go of his hand, so he squeezed it tighter.

"They all took off down the road." Jin filled them in as they headed up. Ko was on the phone with the office, calling in security support to their location until they could figure out what was happening.

***

Su ran to the garage to follow them in a car. As he made his way he flipped to his GPS app, showing him where Quon, Pak and Choi were. "Jesus," he said, noticing their blue GPS dots were quickly making their way down the street. Quon was a full two blocks ahead of them but was slowing down.

Jungkook and Namjoon could see Quon finally in the distance as they sprinted. "There!" Namjoon yelled as Pak and Choi were right behind them.

Quon could see the guy was starting to wear out as he gained ground, which he was thankful for because he was getting tired. The man was frantically looking for options when he heard a car honk to his left. He glanced over to a beater car now pacing him as the back door was pushed and held open by someone inside. "Come on!"

"NO!" Quon gave it his all as the man ran and dove inside, barely making it in before the car sped off. He read and repeated the license plate over and over as he quickly slowed to a walk, putting his hands on his head and pacing back and forth, trying to catch his breath. He took out his phone, typed the plate numbers into a text, and sent it to Su.

"Quon! Who was that?!" Jungkook yelled as everyone joined him 15 long seconds later, equally out of breath and adrenaline racing through everyone's bodies.

"I—don't know," he said, winded.  "Walk," Pak said quickly as he and Choi started to herd them back towards where they came from. We need to get back before people notice you're both out for a jog."

"Fuck. Did Wendy get inside?" Quon quickly realized he had left her standing there.

"Jin grabbed her,"  Choi said as their SUV suddenly pulled up beside them with a little screech.

"GO," Pak said as they jogged over and piled in, Su behind the wheel. He was staring at his phone, forwarding Quon's text to his contacts at the police station. As soon as the door closed, he looked back at the frazzled crew.

"Are we all okay? " he asked, making eye contact with each of them before ending on Quon. He wasn't pulling away yet, the car was long gone.  "Who was that?"

"I don't know...I mean..." he tried to calm his breathing. "Did my text go through?"

"Take a breath," Su said calmly. "Yeah, I got it."

"He left his car...he freaked and ran, so I chased him. We were running...a car pulled up, and he jumped in, and they took off."

"So there was more than one of them." Pak said seriously, then called up to Su, "We need to go back!"

"Who was it?" Jungkook asked as Su started to make his way back to the building.

"I don't...but he looked familiar...and I tried to talk to him, but he ran...so I followed, given everything that's been happening lately."

"Was he wearing a gray shirt and a zip-up jacket?" Choi called from the back.

"Umm..yeah." He finally got himself under control.

"Fucking delivery driver," Su mumbled, as he did a U-turn and returned to the apartments. "He looked familiar? How?" He said with more urgency as things fell into place in his brain, and he sped up. They all looked at Quon as he closed his eyes and tried to figure it out. It felt like the answer was right out of reach. "Ok. You think. Pak, call Byun. We may need help to run interference to get back to the house."

"What do you mean?" Namjoon asked as they were quickly whipping back down the street.

"Which car is his?"  Su didn't answer Namjoon's question but asked Quon. Jungkook glanced over to Joon, and they both stayed quiet, letting their guys do what they did best. Quon looked around as they pulled up to the building. "It's not here," he mumbled. The car is gone," now with a more urgent tone in his voice.

"His buddies probably grabbed it when they took off to get him,"  Choi called out as Su pulled in the underground garage and parked.   Everyone climbed out and gathered at the elevator before heading inside.    Su's phone pinged, and he saw a text come through with the name and address of the car Quon had snagged the license plate of.   He shoved the phone in his pocket as they had a quick conversation. "Listen.  We aren't going in panicing, so calm yourselves."  He looked at Namjoon and Kook. "If they haven't moved upstairs already, we're taking everyone to Ami's.  We need to make some calls from your place and get some stuff figured out before we all talk together."  He pushed the button as they listened.

"Byun said Ko had already called in for more security. They're on their way,"  Pak said as he texted someone else. 

"Good, " the doors opened, and they stepped in. "I'm not sure how this meeting will go now."

"Oh.  It's an all-hands-on-deck meeting now."  Namjoon said calmly and clearly.  "We'll take care of that."

Soon, the group was exiting the elevator and walking down the hall.  Tae popped out of Ami's old place, and a look of relief washed across his face.   "Hey.  We're all in here." 

"Do you have Wendy?"  Joon asked. Tae nodded, and he walked in to join them.  Su, Pak, Choi, and Quon walked directly over to the boy's apartment, flipping on the lights and starting to make some calls. 

"Director, do you mind?  Su needs a word.  We'll be over in a moment."  Namjoon stood at the door. It wasn't a question. 

"Of course." He quickly walked across the hall as Namjoon closed and locked the door, then looked at Jae.

"Jae.  Can you stay with us a moment while they do some work across the hall?  Your Kai is 1000% fine.  I promise."  He asked a little softer than his tone was with Ko.

"Yeah?  Yeah, alright."  She felt better knowing he was back and across the hall.  Wendy watched Jungkook walk over to Ami, grab her face, kiss her on the head, and sit down next to Jae, who was already flanked by Jimin.  Kook and Jimin could feel her relax a little more now that everyone was in the room. 

Namjoon was next. He kissed Ami on the cheek and whispered, "Everyone is okay, Dove. We're going to take care of this."  The tone of his voice caught her attention, he wasn't playing around, and she was ready for it.  The calm that rolled over her was intoxicating.  Hobi was sitting next to her and could feel it, all the guys could. 

Then Joon turned his attention to Wendy as he sat beside Ami, "You good?"

"Um, I think so. Yeah," she nodded, and the guys all smiled approvingly, but not impressed she was thrust back into the middle of their drama.

Just then, there was a little knock on the door. Jin opened it to find Pak and Yoongi standing there.  "You forgot one."  Pak winked, then turned back to head across the hall.

"We thought you were sleeping,"  Tae called out.

"Pak said there was a problem I needed to be here for," he trudged in, and Tae got up so he could sit in the oversized chair.  Yoongi made eye contact with everyone, feeling the energy of the room.  "OH.  What are we doing?"  he quickly looked at all three girls, taking note that everyone looked to be in one piece.   Jin leaned down and gave him a quick update on what he missed during his power nap.  Wendy watched Yoongi and Ami stare at each other as he was updated.  His eyes grew darker as a faint smile formed on her lips.  She needed them this way. To step up and help. The tension was electric.

"I can tell you what she isn't doing, a tour.  That's final.  It's not happening."  Namjoon said firmly as he reached over and took Ami's hand, squeezing and not letting go.  "Whatever this was, I don't care if it was a misunderstanding.  No."  

 

"You have to get Ko to buy into that. You need to make him understand why that's not a good idea right now."  Jae surprised everyone by speaking up first.  She usually sat quietly during these kinds of meetings.  "She is bound by her contract to go, while you guys have more say.  You have to be smart about this.  You want him to go back to his people and stand up for her."

Wendy watched the dynamics of the room flow as Ami sat more quietly, Jae held a stronger part of the conversation.  While they talked, Jimin and Jungkook repositioned to sit more beside Jae, not so much in a protective sort of way.  She didn't need that now.

After a while, there was another knock on the door. Jin opened it to find a smiling Dr. Lee. "Ah. I was told I could find you here."  Jin smiled and stepped to the side as he joined the group.

"Hey, how are you?  I didn't know you were coming."  Ami smiled.

"Yet here I am. Amazing, isn't it?" he winked. "Sounds like a busy day, but I need to talk to you two." He pointed to Yoongi and Ami and made his way towards the bedroom. "Come now."

Yoongi slowly stood up as Hobi and Namjoon helped Ami to her feet. "Be right back, " she said to the group as they went to the bedroom and shut the door. 

"Ladies first," he pointed to the bed.  She climbed up and rested her foot on the edge for him as he set his bag down next to her. "Did they call you?" Yoon asked as he stood next to Ami.  

"Su did after you got here, and you decided to take a nap from your lack of adventure in the car to get here.  How are you feeling now?"  He started removing her bandage on the bottom of her foot, not looking at Yoongi as he asked him questions. 

"I'm fine.  Little things feel like big things right now.  That's all." Yoongi shrugged.

"How's your arm?"  He carefully touched the cut with the back of his fingers and was pleased it didn't feel warm.  So, he pulled some ointment out of his bag and gently dabbed it on.

"Sore but better."

"Okay. That's good,"  he mumbled, quickly taking out a bandage and wrapping her with fresh gauze. Stay here, dear." He looked at Ami and then turned to Yoongi. He pulled a chair over for Yoongi to sit in while he checked him over. "Pak filled me in a little.  I'm not fond of the tour idea if you ask me."   He carefully took the brace off Yoongi's arm to see how the swelling and bruising looked. 

"No one is,"  Yoon sighed.   Lee stayed quiet for a moment, then rustled through his bag for a new brace.  "You're ready for this one, it's going to fit you better now that the swelling is going down," he said as he helped him slip it on, adjusting it for him.  "No chance you could be pregnant, is there?" Lee asked calmly, finishing up with Yoon, then looking at Ami, who was staring at him wide-eyed, "What?!  No." 

"Why?" Yoogni stared hard at Lee.

"Well," he shrugged, "I mean, tours would have to be pushed back if that was the situation. I just thought I'd ask."  He stood up, took Ami's hands, and helped her off the bed so she could stand on one foot.  "Stay off that for another day, and then you should feel better.  Okay?  It's almost there.    Yoongi, we're going to see if we can get you healed up without an old-school cast.  Keep doing what you're doing, which is nothing except resting," he gave them each a little smile. 

Yoon reached over and pulled Ami up to his chest. She wrapped her arms around him as he held her tight.  He could feel her heart beating against him.  "Lee. You can't just ask a question like that," he said softly.  "That's not what she wants right now."

"I know.  I know it's not. But you have to admit, not everything happens on your schedule.  And the opportunity is more than there."  Lee sighed, "IF it were in play, it would solve some calendar issues.  That's all."  He reached over as she let him go and turned to face Lee.  "You understand why I asked, right?"

"Yeah."  She sighed.

"You know, I'm glad you're all together, right?  I don't care about that."  He flipped his eyes to Yoongi and back to hers.

"Yes."

"Do you think I was out of line?"  He cocked his head to the side, as he held his hands in hers.

He watched her take a deep breath. "No."

"You understand that sometimes you have to rule out all the options to make the most informed decisions, even if the end result is not what you planned." 

"I do," she nodded. 

"Okay," he said gently. "Now, do you know for certain you have all the information available to you before your meeting across the hall?"  They watched her eyes well up as she shook her head no.   "I'm never 100% sure." She choked out as she tried to keep herself from completely crashing out.  She wiped her eyes as quickly as tears formed.  The thought of taking on an unexpected pregnancy was too much to process, not that she didn't want it, but not now.

Yoongi pulled her back into his chest and held out his hand to Lee.  He reached into his bag and pulled out a test,  "Just take that unknown off the table," he said quietly to Yoongi. "There is no wrong answer, but she needs to be 100% sure." 

"Come on, wife." He said sweetly as they walked to the bathroom and shut the door.   

The minutes felt like hours as they waited.  They were both sitting on the floor next to each other, her head on his shoulder as he played with her hand in his.  The test was between them, processing, face down. "How are you feeling?"  he said softly.

"Sick, but fine."  She sighed. She wasn't crying anymore, just more numb to the idea. "You know I want this, but not right now. I want to finish getting married before we start this part of our lives."

"Yeah.  I know." He kissed her head.  "But if you are, it's ok.  You know that, right?"

"I do." 

"Good," he pulled her chin over so his lips could kiss hers.  He wanted to kiss and never stop.  He wanted all this stress to go away, and they live happily without all this extra drama.  She didn't pull away either, needing some time with him before they faced the world. Sooner than they wanted, the timer went off, and they slowly pulled back and looked down at the test.  Without hesitation, he reached down and flipped it over - negative.

"Fuck me." She breathed a huge sigh of relief, pressing the palms of her hands into her eyes. 

"Yes, I think that's how we get the other answer," he gently teased as he rested his head on the wall, closing his eyes.  He wanted more than ever to make a family with her, but agreed, this wouldn't be the best time.  He was surprised he felt a little sad, though.

"Lee?" he called out, and soon the door creaked open a little, and he popped his head in. "You can cancel the baby shower, not yet."  Yoon's face was one of relief, but some sadness was behind his eyes. "Can you help us up, please?"

"Of course."  He reached down, took Ami's hands first, and pulled her up. "Okay?"

"I am.  Thank you."  She turned, and they both carefully helped Yoongi off the floor.  He took her hand and they made their way back to the bedroom.  "Is there anything else you guys need from me right now?"  Lee asked as he packed his bag back up. 

"Actually.  Can you stay for the meeting?  Minus me growing a human, you may see something else we aren't considering.  BUT.  Let me be clear.  Asking Jae and Wendy if they are with child is not acceptable."  She laughed a little, trying to play off the stress of the entire situation.

"Absolutely.  I'll be good," he winked.  

Yoongi opened the door and called out, "Kook. Come get her. No more walking until tomorrow."   The group saw Kook jump up and trot to the bedroom, passing Lee on the way in. "Hey," he smiled, then saw their faces. Kook shut the door a little so they couldn't be seen from the living room. "What's wrong? What happened?"  he whispered. 

"Nothing."  She went up on one tiptoe and kissed him as he reached down and picked her up, her legs wrapping around his waist.  "Ready to get this all sorted out, that's all."   Kook looked at Yoon skeptically, not believing her words.  

"Good as new."  Yoon's words didn't match his eyes either, as he showed him his new brace.  "Come on.  We can talk at home.  Not here."  Yoon said quietly, and they all headed out.

 

Chapter 35

While the group across the hall was talking and being tended to by Lee, Ko stood there and watched Su and Pak work seamlessly to piece together all the details of what happened. They were both on the phone, talking to different people, while Quon was sitting off to the side, head in his hands, trying to think of anything that would tell him how he knew that person.

"Ok. Thanks." Su hung up and shook his head, scratching some notes on paper. Choi soon joined them, "Byun and the guys are here. They're all waiting for us in the garage downstairs until we have a plan for them." Pak hung up, and Su started talking.

"Ok, Director. So, here's the thing. That guy who delivered the food didn't work for the restaurant. I called to get his name, and they said someone came in, said they were from Hybe and picked up the food."

Ko frowned, "What do you mean? I asked them to deliver?"

"Yes, you did. But that's not what happened. Someone knew about the order and picked it up. Who else knew?" Su tapped his pencil on the counter as Ko shook his head. "I asked my secretary to call it in. That's it."

"Call her and find out what happened." Ko walked across the room to make the phone call as Su looked around, "Where's the food?" They all looked around, realizing it was next door with the group. "Choi, can you bring it over here? I don't want them to eat that without knowing who brought it. Tell them we'll be ready in five minutes."

"You got it." Choi headed over and knocked on the door. It wasn't long before Ko finished up on the phone with his secretary and rejoined with information.

"Well?" Pak asked.

"She swears she told no one. I asked her to call in the order, and she said she did it after I left."

"Do you believe her?" Pak asked. "You've had a track record with secretaries.

"I didn't even tell her who the order was for, and I didn't tell her I was meeting all of you. I told no one, and she said the office has been empty." He was more baffled as they were annoyed.

Choi soon returned with the bags of food hanging from his arms. He set them down on the countertop, with Lee following behind.

"Everyone good?" Su asked as Lee joined them.

"Good enough. Ami asked me to stay. They'll be over in a minute," he said quietly.

"She asked you to stay?"

"She did," he said, looking to Pak and Su. "Those boys are coming to fight for her. Get your popcorn ready."

"Su," Choi called out from the kitchen. He was going through the bags of food and found something he needed to see. "Look at this." He pulled a container out of the bottom of a bag, and written in marker was a message, and it said: Nowhere to hide. In the corner of the lid was a heart with an arrow through it. Su stared at it. It was the first time in a long time he felt sick to his stomach. "Are you kidding me?" he whispered. He quietly motioned Pak and Quon over.

"They were in the building, in the same room." Choi tilted the container to show the two as they walked over to see what was happening. They didn't say anything, just went a little white. "Is it Ko? Could he be behind it?"

Su shook his head. "No. I really don't think so. I have people watching him ten different ways. His secretary, too," Su admitted under his breath.

"Su, we can't stay here," Quon said quickly and quietly. "That guy—I don't know who he was—but they know you're here, AND he put eyes on Wendy. If it's the same group from New York, they know she's here now. I don't think we should stay and wait for them to regroup. They came up with this within the last hour, and we don't know how they did that. We need to go."

"What's happening?" Ko called out. He could feel the tension rising. They were all now standing in the kitchen.

"You want to know why they are so against tours right now? This." Pak grabbed the container with the message and thrust it into Ko's hands. He looked down and read the message as Lee looked over his shoulder. "We changed the location of this meeting, and someone figured it out, intercepted the order, and left this message. All within the hour. The only people that knew were you and your secretary, yet NO one seems to know how they did it." Pak spoke sternly. "You want to divide and conquer for profits, yet don't seem to HEAR them or us, yelling at you that we and the COMPANY have a HUGE problem."

Choi took the container from Ko's hands, grabbed a large trash bag, loaded the food into it, and tied it shut. The last thing they needed was one of the guys digging through and finding the message.

"You walked him right to her," Su said, a little calmer, letting Pak play bad cop. "You and the company need to understand this is the level they're dealing with. There's a lot of stress that we try to keep out of their lives for them so they can do their best for you. We're on your side. We want the best for them so they can give their best to you. They love what they do, all of them, but we're telling you, this tour isn't in anyone's best interest right now."

"They can't know about that note, any of them," Pak said quickly as they heard the group start to get ready to join them. Lee then stepped in front of Ko, staring at him face to face. "Su. When do you want to leave?"

"Five minutes. We need to talk to the guys downstairs first," he said quickly as he grabbed Pak by the arm. They started heading down to make a plan to get everyone out safely.

"Here's what's going to happen. We'll give you five minutes to talk to them, but you won't try to persuade them to buy into the tours. You'll ask them point blank their main concerns, and you'll listen." Lee said without flinching, "Then you're going to take that information back to your company, and you're going to tell them, due to massive safety concerns, the tours need to be delayed." Choi and Quon stood there, silently watching and impressed. "You know these boys. They love their fans. They enjoy performing. Ami's nervous, but we've seen her in action. No one disagrees that she wouldn't be well received. BUT," he paused. "But, pushing this agenda now will only deteriorate your relationship with them. The company thinks with their bank accounts, while they think with their happiness and health. You need to find something mutually beneficial because you need them more than they need you, and I think the company knows it."

Ko's jaw dropped a little. "Doctor..."

"If you don't, I'll declare enough of them unfit, so you'll have to delay regardless. It's the one card I hold over you in the matter. So fix it so I don't have to fix it for you." He said quietly to Ko as the group started to walk in.

"Damn, I didn't know you had that power," Quon whispered to Lee as he walked over to stand with Choi and Quon in the kitchen. He smiled and gave him a little wink, turned, and leaned up against the counter with them.

Ko was rubbing his forehead when the crew from across the hall started to enter. He didn't know what he was going to say to his superiors to get them to agree to put a hold on the tours, but he also knew if Su was right and he walked their stalker right to her, there would be hell to pay.

Choi pushed the garbage bag of food behind him as they watched the guys file in. They all looked serious and ready to go. Namjoon led the group, the girls next, with the rest of the guys following.

Ko cleared his throat and motioned for them to sit at the large dining room table. "Have a seat," he said. Quon waved for Wendy to come stand with them off to the side as the rest of them found seats at the long table.

"Hi, " she mouthed as Choi and Quon stepped to the side so she could stand between them.

"How's the mood?" Choi asked quietly.

"Tense. Lots of aggressive Korean being flung around I don't understand." Quon smiled, "Well, maybe it's time to learn. I'm sure there will be more here."

"Where are Pak and Su?" Ami glanced around, not seeing them in the room. Jungkook pulled out her seat for her as she sat down.

"They'll be back in four minutes," Lee called out, giving Ko the countdown. Namjoon and Yoongi looked over to them with a questioning look. Choi held up four fingers and mouthed, 'Leaving in four.' Their eyes got big.

"Right. I want to ask you about your foot, but not right now. We're going to switch gears," Ko tried to get his thoughts together. "Tell me, what are your concerns with the tours?"

"What's happened?" Jimin frowned. They all sensed the change in the air. The guys were primed and ready to come in and take charge, but something had changed.

"I, um..." Ko glanced over at Lee

"Director, I've never known you to stumble over your words," Ami said, looking over to the kitchen. Everyone followed her gaze. Choi stepped up, "We're cutting the meeting short, I'm afraid. Su and Pak are downstairs making plans with Byun. This may need to be rescheduled, or a phone call later today."

"We need to leave here?" Jae said, shocked. "Here?" It was one of their places where they all felt safe, regardless.

"Ok, meetings over." Jin stood up, as some of the guys followed his lead and stood with him. "Director, we need to talk about all this, we do. I don't know what's going on, but we can't do this now."

Wendy was confused and looked up at Quon. "What's going on?"

"Meetings over," he sighed as he walked her over to the group.

"That was fast."

"Does this have to do with that guy Quon chased?" Tae flipped back to English for Wendy.

"There are just some concerns. They'll be back in a minute to explain. If you have stuff next door, go grab that now." Lee spoke up as they tried not to let their nerves get the best of them. Jae and Jimin headed across the hall to get a few things, and Ami watched Choi think for a second and followed behind.

"Oh shit," she said under her breath. Lee leaned in and whispered to her, "We're going to move fast, don't expect to walk."

Soon, Su and Pak were making their way back upstairs to the group. "This makes me sick. How do you want to handle this?" Pak sighed as Su leaned against the elevator wall, eyes closed, thinking.

"Mm? We're going to move them hard and fast. Ko needs to see the severity of the situation he put them in, and I honestly don't know if they have more people waiting for us. We have to assume they do," he said, not opening his eyes until the elevator stopped. "Let's get them all back to the house, and we'll go from there. One step at a time."

Seconds later, Su and Pak were walking back into the apartment. Neither looked happy.

"Su. What's going on?" Hobi and everyone wanted to know.

"We will talk at the house. Director, you're going to be escorted back to the office. I'm assuming the meeting will be rescheduled?" Su turned and saw Jae, Jimin, and Choi step back into the apartment with their stuff.

"I'll call later and we can finish this meeting," Ko conceded.

"No. We need to decide this now," Yoongi spoke up. Everyone looked his way as he continued, "We need closure on this." Only he and Ami knew what emotions they had dealt with across the hall in the bathroom, and he didn't want to take the unknown weight of the possible tour back to the house. They all now turned to look at Su to see if he would allow it. His face slightly scrunched, trying to decide how much time was within his comfortable range. Even Pak looked conflicted.

Ami usually had all the words, but not right now. The boys had made it clear their intentions of what they would and wouldn't allow, and at this exact moment, she was okay with letting them manage it all.

Lee took advantage of Su's pause and said slowly with a certain undertone, "Director. Tell them."

Ko sighed, "It's come to my attention we, you, have a major security risk...and...pushing tours right now might not be in your best interest.... So it will be my recommendation we put them on hold for now." The guys, Ami, and Jae were taken aback at how he backpedaled. Tae and Kook both looked at Lee, who didn't seem unfazed.

Namjoon jumped in and said, "And we will all be part of that planning if and when that happens in the future."

"Fine. But, putting these tours on hold may mean we need to do more engagement locally, or, I don't know, something else for the fanbases and to keep management happy."

"I thought we had a major security risk? How is doing more engagement locally any different?" Jin said as they saw Su start to circle his finger slowly in front of him. Time was about up.

Ko looked flustered after just giving in to the tours. Now Pak jumped in, "How about we agree to discuss alternative opportunities soon? Ami?"

"Yeah, that's fine with me," she nodded. Su was done and taking back over.

"Great, Hobi?" Su pointed to Wendy, instructing him with a gesture that he was paired with her. He walked over and smiled as he looked at him, eyes wide, not knowing what was happening. She leaned in as he whispered some instructions.

Pak caught Jimin's eye, glanced at Jae, and then back at him. He nodded, resting his hand on her back, and he saw her nod, understanding what was about to happen.

"Jungkook and Tae, walk with Yoongi, please. Quon, you've got Ami. We're taking the stairs. Okay, everyone. Here's the thing. You're all going in the SUV. I need you all together, okay? It's going to be tight—girls in the back. Pak's going to drive with Choi shotgunning. I'm leading in Ami's car, and Quon will follow in Pak's. Remember how we travelled in California? It's the same thing. Doctor, do you need to come with us or want to go home?"

"I'm fine heading home. I think I've done what I came to do," he said unbothered as ever.

"Ami. You good?" Su verified with her, and they all saw her nod.

"Okay, let's go."

"We'll talk soon," Ko said, grabbing his bag and walking out with Choi. As soon as Ko was out of sight, Yoongi beelined over to his wife, grabbed her by the back of the head, and kissed her hard.

Su and Quon walked over to them, eyeballing each other, then gently touched Yoongi on the shoulder. He slowly released her lips and stared into her eyes for a moment longer before looking to Quon.

"I got her," he reassured Yoon as Kook and Tae walked with Yoongi out of the apartment. "What happened when you two were with Lee?" Jungkook asked as they made their way to the hall where everyone gathered before hitting the stairwell.

"We'll talk about it later," Yoongi mumbled.

"Is this all necessary to just get to the cars?" Ami asked as Quon swooped her up. Joon and Jin were waiting to walk out with them, too.

"We don't practice often enough. Consider it a drill," Su said without much humor. "Quon." He motioned for him to go, and they headed out. "Guys, please." He saw Joon and Jin holding back.

"Not really a drill, is it?" Namjoon asked as they headed out.

"Not exactly," he said, closing the door behind him.

Hobi and Jin flanked Wendy as the group moved down the stairs and out the doors into the parking garage. Their SUV was waiting for them, door open, so they could load as they walked into the garage. The guys stepped to the side and let the three girls in first so they could crawl into the back of the SUV. Jimin squeezed in with them, pulling Ami into his lap and wrapping his arms around her. The rest of the guys smashed in after them.

Ko peeled off and walked over to his car, where two other cars were waiting for him to escort him back to the office. Su called out to another one of their security guards to follow the doctor home.

The guys were watching Su direct people as Pak and Choi climbed in, closed the doors, and waited. "Pak, what's going on?" Tae asked slowly. Pak looked in the rearview mirror and saw all their eyes on him.

"Let's just get home first."

"Does this happen a lot?" Wendy adjusted more sideways so everyone in the back could adjust.

"No, not like this. This is new," Jae sighed as they heard the SUV start. Hobi strained to look behind him at the back row. "Are you guys okay back there?"

"Cozy," Ami called up as Jimin kissed her shoulder, and they took off.

The ride home felt fast, namely because Pak didn't drive slowly. Jae and Ami talked to Wendy, trying to keep it as normal as possible while the guys didn't say anything. They watched Pak take a few extra turns that they usually didn't take before heading into their gated community. Jimin kept his grip on her as he kissed her shoulder now and then.

As they drove through the gates, the extra security stayed back and then returned to the company, while Su, Pak, and Quon headed deep into the safety of the gated community.

Su whipped into their drive and parked as the SUV pulled in and up to the door. Choi and Pak both got out and opened the doors, reaching in and helping pull the first of the sardined group out.

"Thanks, we got it," Jungkook said as he took Pak's place to help, as Hobi did the same on the other side. One by one, they reached in and helped pull people out of the clown car. Su didn't say anything to them but walked to the front door, unlocked the house, and waited for them. As he waited, he heard his phone ping with another message from his police contact:  The plates are stolen. So that name I gave you before is no good. "God damn it."

Pak walked up and stood next to him as the group filed into the house. "News?"

"Stolen plates," he said, just to him. He heard Pak sigh, "So we need Quon to try and remember where he's seen him before."

"No pressure." Su held the door open for Pak as he walked in.

"Nope. No pressure at all."

As the group settled and waited for Su and Pak to walk in, Wendy tapped Namjoon on the arm, "I think I'm going to go down to the guest house," she said just for him to hear.

"Why?" He turned to give her his full attention.

"I think you have a lot to talk about, and you don't need me creepin'," Wendy scanned the room. The energy was high.

"You should stay," he stared into her eyes with a softer look. "You're part of this, and seeing all the sides we deal with helps round out our crazy picture. We want you to be here, ask any questions you need, and this is the time."

"Are you sure?"

Namjoon smiled. "Come on." He walked over to Jae and Ami, who were getting comfortable on one of the couches. Jae scooted over, and Joon delivered her right between Ami and Jae. "Join us for the show." Jae grinned as Ami looked up at Joon, who was now standing directly in front of her.

"Dove," is all he said with a wink before walking back over and joining Jin and Tae.

"God. That's a look. What did he say?" Wendy leaned over to Ami and asked.

"He calls me Dove sometimes."

"That's fucking adorable. Sometimes? Not all the time?" Ami turned and made eye contact with Wendy, then blushed, "Only in certain situations."

"And this is one of those situations?"

"Appears so," Ami let out a satisfied sigh. She looked up and saw Namjoon talking to Jin but holding eye contact with her. It was only when Tae spoke up that he broke eye contact.

"Su. What is going on?" Tae asked as soon as they walked in the door. Everyone stopped talking and turned to look at the two last to enter the house.

"We didn't like that guy Quon chased down. It's standard protocol," Su said, slipping off his shoes and joining them in the living room.

"Seriously?" Ami frowned, not buying it at all. Jae was staring at Pak, but all he gave up was a wink at her.

"It also helps give Ko a little perspective on how quickly things can change for you guys." Su sat down and got comfortable, trying to play it off.

"You're saying you did that all, with that much intensity, all to give Ko some perspective?" Junkgook squinted at both Su and Pak.

"I'm sorry, we needed your honest reactions so he would take it seriously."

Namjoon and Jin looked at each other, not buying it. "Honestly, though. Quon recognized that guy from somewhere, and when he tried to talk to him, he ran, which is never a good first impression. Between him running and Ko walking him right to the girls,"

"He what?!" Wendy felt the boys instantly prick up and react to that news.

Su sighed, "Ko walked the delivery guy to the room."

"He didn't see Ami or Jae, but he was there," Pak filled in.

"Then we went for a run," Quon added the last part.

"Okay, got it." Namjoon rubbed his face, "Fuck, so now what?"

"Well. Quon got the plates from the car, so the police are working on it." Su didn't want to tell them the plates came back stolen, he wasn't ready to give up on that yet. "How do you feel about the tours being put on hold?"

"Yeah, what the hell happened with that?" Jimin spoke up, "What did Lee tell him to back down?"

"I wouldn't mess with Lee," Quon smiled.

"Lee told him he needed to call the tours off for now, if he didn't, he would pull you medically. The company won't mess with that." Pak looked over at Ami, who had a strange look on her face.

"Medically for what?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, did he say in detail what kind of medical leave?"

"He wouldn't do that," Yoongi said as he looked over at her, understanding what her real question was.

"What?" Pak frowned as everyone else looked as confused as he felt. Su focused on her as she crossed her arms. "I guess I don't know what he could say for them to pull all of us for the tour."

"Not all of you, just enough to make a tour unsustainable, but it sounds like he won't have to do that if Ko gets them to put things on hold," Choi clarified. The group talked a little more as Su didn't stop watching Ami. Jungkook put his arm around her, his lips hovering over her ear, and whispered to her. "Little Bird. We need to have a conversation about whatever happened in that room." Kook's eyes flickered to Yoongi as he continued, "You both look off, and that's not going to work for me."

"So, let's get this straight. The tours are off as of right now because of Lee?" Jae clarified.

"Yes." Su watched Jungkook talk softly to her as she wrapped her arms around herself a little tighter. "Now, you and Pak need to get ready to head out for your time off," he finally looked over to Jae and smiled reassuringly.

"You think we should still go after all this?" Jae frowned, not sure they should. The guys all saw Su and Pak nod in unison and caught on. As much as they were bothered, they needed to play along, "Yeah, you're taking the plane. Your Kai has a great spot for you two, and you two need a break." Jin jumped in.

"We're taking the plane?" She asked, surprised as all the boys smiled and nodded.

"Of course you are. Do you think we're going to allow you to fly coach?" Hobi grinned. Ami stared into space, thinking about everything that had happened in the conference room, with Yoongi and Lee, and how they shuttled back home. Somewhere in her brain, she heard their conversation and joined in, "You need to go. Go and get away for a while. You're going to have a great time. Wendy is going to help me with some paperwork stuff, right?"

"What? Oh, yeah, of course," Wendy jumped to attention, being brought into the conversation.

"See? It's your turn for some non-stressed-out fun."

***

"Ah! There you are. How'd it go?" Jang grinned as his lackey and the getaway car crew returned to the office.

"OH. Yeah, no. I mean, I delivered the food like you said."

"Perfect." Then he turned to the getaway driver and asked, "Did you get the tracker on the car?"

"I was only able to put it on one. The rest were parked in the garage. It's one of theirs, though."

Jang laughed, pulling open his computer and looking up the signal. "Fuck, it's too easy sometimes." He logged in and waited for the computer to pinpoint its location.

A little red light on a black box under Pak's car sprang to life as it tried to connect to the signal, but it wouldn't hold. It kept trying to connect but would disconnect over and over.

"What the fuck?" Jang frowned as it kept searching for the signal to lock onto.

Inside the house, the group meeting was starting to wind down. The boys and girls were in the kitchen, finding lunch for everyone. Yoongi was standing behind Ami, his hand on her waist, head on her shoulder, as the group talked.

Pak, Su, Choi, and Quon were all debriefing and making plans while Pak was going to be gone for a few days, when Pak felt his phone buzz. He pulled it out of his pocket and saw the alert just as Su looked over his shoulder, and both men went white: GPS Tracking failing to connect. Press OK to confirm override. "What the fuck, that's coming from my car," he stammered as the air sucked out the room.

"Someone put a tracker on your car...we have to get it out of here, " he said in a hushed, slightly panicked tone. "Choi, Quon, stay with them, tell them something, but not this. We need to take care of this now."

"Go. We got this." Choi said quickly as Su and Pak hit the front door and ran to Pak's car. Quon made sure the door was locked behind them. "Come on. Let's join the group, and hopefully they'll be back soon."

***

Su and Pak ran to his car. "How could this happen?!" Pak jumped in and fired up the engine. "Go, get as far away from here as possible." Su started pushing buttons on the car's screen, pulling up the cameras that were always recording around the perimeter of the car. The two flew down the street and out of the community as his phone kept pinging, wanting him to override the GPS locator.

"The car has a safety feature to block unknown signals trying to connect with the car. They keep searching for it, but it won't connect, that's why your phone keeps going off. Where is it..where is it..." Su was searching through security settings, looking for the recordings. "There!" He finally found the last two hours of videos and started watching, fast forwarding until he found what he looking for.

"Where am I going? To the police? Which way?" Pak asked as he was about ready to hit the freeway.

"Head away from the city and fly," Su said as he scanned through the recorded video. He felt Pak take a sharp corner, then floor it.

"Do we need to worry about Ami's car and the SUV?" Pak asked as he weaved in and out of traffic.

"They have the same systems, so if we aren't getting notified, it must be ok.  It looks like Quon parked on the street, that's where they found him. Everyone else was in the garage. " He finally found the spot and paused it. He wanted to wait until they pulled over so they could both watch it together. "Pull over up here." Su pointed to an exit as Pak weaved one more time and took the exit without slowing down. He finally pulled over on the side of the road and tossed it into park.

"Why did he park on the street?" Pak asked as he now looked at the video Su had found.

"I don't know, but it might be a good thing he did. He may have caught someone on camera. Watch." Su pushed play, and the daily life of people walking by with their dogs started moving. Soon, the cameras captured the delivery man running across the street with Quon right on his heels. It wasn't until the second wave of Namjoon, Jungkook, Choi, and Pak ran by that a car pulled up to Pak's car and stopped beside it. The door opened and a man got out, lay on the ground, reached under the car with a black box, securing it to the frame. Someone told him to hurry, as he jumped back up and the car took off.

"What do you want to do?" Pak sighed and turned to Su, "This is more than enough for the police to arrest them."

"If they can find them," Su rewound the video to where there was a clear picture of the man and froze the picture. He took his phone out and snapped a photo. "I know what I want to do, but I don't want you coming with me for that. Someone has to watch over them if things go wrong."

"Well, you aren't going by yourself." Pak scoffed. "Su. This isn't just one guy, he's got people. Look at these guys, they aren't the masterminds, they're paid in drugs or god knows what. I don't care about this guy, nor the delivery guy. I want the person who's giving the orders. That's the only way it's going to stop. What we need to decide is what to do with the device under the car."

Su hopped out and walked around the car, lying down approximately where the man had, and looked under the car. There in a shadowy nook was a little box with a red light. He pulled it off, then walked around to join Pak back in the car.

"It's like a spy movie," Pak sighed. "Well, do we trigger it and wait for them to arrive? Do we run it over with the car and go home? What are you doing?" Su carefully opened the device and took a picture of the inside before disconnecting the transmitter. The red light went off, and he popped the battery out as well, just for safety measures. "We're going to keep it intact. We might need to fire it up someday to lure them out of hiding, but not today. Right now, they don't know why it failed, so the ball is in our court. Let's head home, you need to head out on vacation."

Pak put the car in drive, "You think I'm going on vacation now? Fucking GPS units under cars and crazy shit?" Pak merged back onto the freeway and made his way back to the house.

"You have to.  You need to take Jae away for a few days. When I tell you they aren't going anywhere until you get back, they aren't going anywhere. They're going to be locked down." He sent the picture to Ko with the message: Another reason we need to hold off. This was under Pak and Jae's car. They aren't tracking just BTS or Suki, it's the staff too. "I'll send this to our contact in the police, but I really want the opportunity to get to them first. We need a proper plan. I hate feeling like we are always trying to play catch-up. I want to have the upper hand for once with this. I'll work on that while you're gone," Su sighed as he texted Choi that they were on their way back.

"Su."

"Mmm."

"Choi and Quon don't have cars like this. Neither do you, for that matter," he said calmly.

"I suspect that's about to change."

"Are we going to tell the guys what we found under the car?"

Su paused, "I'm inclined not to, but give it a day or so.  I need a few days to sort everything out, then I might talk with the guys.  Maybe Ami, but I think she has other things on her mind right now."

"I noticed that too."  Pak sighed.  "Oh! What about going to your mom's this weekend? I thought you were going to take Ami and Wendy out there?"

"Oh," Su sat back and thought to himself. "Yeah, I think that would be okay. It's her birthday...or maybe she needs to come to us. I can go pick her up and bring her to the house. She's been on me to meet all the guys. I can get the pain over in one swath," Su smiled as he kept texting on his phone.

After a few more minutes of silent driving, "Oh god.  We have to tell Riggs what's going on."  Pak sighed.  "Maybe he won't want her staying with us after all."

"It's possible he'll want her to come back sooner than later.  I'll talk to him when he lands and explain everything." 

***

Jang yelled and cursed at his men, "YOU HAD ONE JOB!"  He pulled a handgun out and loosely fired at them as they scrambled and ran away.  "GOD DAMN IT!"

 

 

Chapter 36

Su and Pak slipped back into the house, hoping not to be peppered with too many questions.  "Hey.  Everything okay?"  Quon and Choi both jumped up and met them at the door.

"Good for now.  We found a GPS tracker under Pak's car, but we disabled it before they could get a lock on this location," Su said as Pak slipped past them to find Jae.  "Parking on the street at the apartments gave them an opportunity."

A horrified look shot across Quon's face, "Oh my god, I'm so-so sorry."

"It's okay," Su patted him on the arm. "It actually gave us some insight into who these guys are.  We aren't telling the group, though.  We need some time to figure out how to use this to our advantage.  Where is everyone?"

"Um,"  Quon rubbed his head, still reeling from the tracker and his actions, so Choi jumped in, "Everyone is spread out. Jae and Wendy went down below.  Yoongi, Jungkook, and Hobi hauled Ami upstairs to rest not too long ago, and the other guys are out in the garage, blowing off steam.   Everyone needed a break. Are Pak and Jae still leaving?"  The three started walking through the house to the back porch as Su sent a text off to Namjoon, then slipped his phone back into his pocket.

"That's the plan.  We want to keep things as normal as possible for everyone right now.   I want you two to stay close for the next few days.”

“Absolutely,” they both instantly agreed.

“Pak will be gone, and I'll be in and out. Ah, here he comes."  Su looked up, as they all did, to see Namjoon, Jin, Tae, and Jimin coming from the garage to meet them.

"You all came," Su smiled.

"Yeah, well, you're just the man we've been waiting to talk to," Jimin said more in a serious tone.

"Of course," Su smiled. "I was hoping we could take this next door. I want to bring these two up to speed on what you've been up to."

"What's next door?"  Choi asked, confused.  Before answering, Su continued, "I would also like them to stick close until Pak gets back, but not in your space.  I know you guys need that as much as anyone."

"Pak and Jae are still heading out today?"  Jin stopped and waited as everyone followed Namjoon around the side of the house so they could head to the new property.

"They are.  They both need it.  He'll go more quietly if we have coverage for you guys."

"Where are we going?" Quon asked Jimin quietly, and he just smiled.  "You'll see.  You're going to like it." 

The troupe wandered back down the drive and looped up the next one to the new home. "Oh my god.  What did you guys do?"  Choi was baffled, "WHEN did this happen??  When do you guys have time to do this kind of stuff?!"

They all smiled as they unlocked the door and pushed the large doors open. "You all ran off to Iceland. We had time. Pak, Jae, and Ami don't know yet." Tae said proudly. Both Choi and Quon were stunned. 

"You bought this? Explain your plan,"  Choi stared at the large empty rooms as they took a quick tour of the main level.   The guys explained how it came to be and why they bought it. 

"So, you need to know, this house is in Suki's name,"  Jin said more seriously.  "Su suggested we do that in case there is ever an issue."

"No, that makes perfect sense," Quon said. "What's your plan for furnishing it?"

"We ordered beds, basic furniture, and other odds and ends the other day that will be coming in soon.  Whatever else we need, we can fill in as we go, or whatever the girls want to do once we tell them about it.  Su has a dedicated ground-level room and office here, so he always has a space.  Otherwise, the house is open and available for you two, guests when we rarely have them, or whatever we need."  Namjoon crossed his arms as they slowly walked through the house, ending on the edge of the great room and kitchen.  "We're officially giving Jae and Pak the guest house once this house is ready. They need a private place without the constant rotation of people circulating through it."

"They're going to love that," Quon smiled.

"Are you going to connect the two properties?"  Choi asked, looking out the large back windows.

"We want a gate between the two, but otherwise, we're keeping the privacy wall up, " Jimin said. 

"It's great.  It's really great."  Choi finally turned and looked at the group, ready to return to the conversation.  There would be time to explore everything later.

"Is the security up to what you want?" Quon also stopped sightseeing as they got back down to business.

"It needs a few things before I would put any of them here, but it won't be hard.  Actually, this is a good segue into what I want to discuss." He turned to the guys, "I would like Choi and Quon to stay here and help me get this place up to my standards so it's ready to use."

"We’re happy to help set up the place for you guys." Choi chimed in.

"Is that the only reason?" Tae asked.

"What do you mean?"  Su carefully asked.

"We mean, you've been gatekeeping today's events.  I saw you and Pak tear out of here. The only reason I didn't say anything before was that I assumed you weren't trying to freak out the girls.  We don't want that either. So, we'll ask again, what's going on?  What do we need to know?"  Jin was very serious when it came to his wife, they all were.

Su thought for a moment, weighing the options of what to share.

"Su. Please."  Namjoon said sincerely.

He sighed, "OK. But I'm asking you not to tell Ami or Jae. Can you do that?"  The four nodded. Su explained what Choi found written on the food container, how Lee went toe-to-toe with Ko and got him to back down for them all, and last but not least, the GPS tracker on the car they got to just in time.

The four men were stunned into silence. "Someone tried to lojack the car?"  Jimin said, shocked. “How did you figure it out?"

"The cars, Ami's, Pak's, and the SUV all have systems that detect those kinds of signals. It sent Pak an alert, which is why we tore out of here.  We disabled it before it could get a lock."

"So, that delivery guy...wasn't a delivery guy,"  Namjoon said slowly.  "How. How did they know where we were?"

"It has to be Ko," Jimin fired off. Who else knew we were there?! We changed the location about an hour beforehand!"  Su and the guys saw the fire flash through the group before Su raised his hands to calm them down.

"Guys.  That was our original thought, too, but I'm not jumping to conclusions.  I have people watching him and his secretary after the last debacle, besides pushing for tours you don't want right now, there have been no red flags."  

"I don't know Su, it seems pretty black and white to me."  Jin was irritated—they all were. Su was quiet for a moment and then turned to Quon and Choi. "Gentlemen, can you give us a moment? Go explore the grounds out back. Figure out the best place to put a gate between the properties."  

"Yeah, of course,"  Choi said as the two men headed out back to get a read on the property.  As soon as they shut the door, Su turned back to the boys. 

"I have to be 110% sure.  Yes, it seems 'logical' it's Ko, but he didn't know where you all were when things like Paris happened.  Or New York."  He looked them square in the eye as they looked unsure.  Then he said with a more serious tone, "I need to be 110% sure, because there's a chance that the person behind this won't be coming home for dinner someday.  That's not an option I choose lightly.  Do you understand?"

Jin, Namjoon, Tae, and Jimin didn't say anything, but just nodded in reply.  "Choi and Quon's job is protection for Ami and whoever she's close to.  It's not getting in the weeds and hunting down threats, that's my job, so that's why I asked them to step out.  I know they're invested in them and you, so they would step up and do anything, but I don't want to put them in that position."

"Where do you see Pak in this scenario?"  Namjoon asked seriously.  They all waited as Su thought for a moment.  "Honestly, he's a bit more complicated now.  He would run in a burning building, but I know if something happened to him, it would destroy them and you."

"And you don't think if something happened to you, it wouldn't destroy us?"  Jimin leaned back against a counter, his hands resting on the edge of the countertop. 

"It's my job.  It's always been my job,"  Su said matter-of-factly.

"Yes.  But it's also more complicated for you now, too.  You can't compartmentalize it that way anymore," Namjoon tried to make clear.  "I think it's safe to say we're all in the same boat.  So, what do you need from us?  How can we help?"

Su took a breath, "I would like to get Choi and Quon new cars.  I don't want any of our security coming here without those systems. I think that’s where we’re at.  If someone went that far and failed today, it's likely they'll try again.  I also think another SUV matching yours could be helpful."  Jin took out his wallet and handed Su his black card.  "Keep it. Whatever you need.  Use it for the house, anything.  We understand your dedication to all of us, but don't underestimate ours to you.  Any of you." 

Su took the card from him, nodding in agreement.  "When are you going to tell Ami, Pak, and Jae about this place?"

"Pak and Jae when they get back from their trip.  Ami,"  Tae shrugged, "I don't know.  When the time feels right.  Sometime before Pak gets back, I'm sure."

"It might give her and Wendy something else to think about, let them shop and make it what she wants,"  Jimin said, looking over at the guys as they nodded.  "So, the tour is off then?"

"It's off.  Ko's back battling the executives for you.  He knows about the tracker on the car, I think that was the nail in the coffin for him, I mean besides Lee threatening to declare you all unfit for duty.  I'm curious about what the company will come back with as alternative options for her and you, but it can't be as bad as split tours." 

"No.  I'm sure it can't." Namjoon agreed.  "What else do you need from us?"

"I want Quon and Choi to stay here next door to you guys for now, not just to help get things set up. Especially because Pak is leaving for a while, they’ll be close by but out of your way.  Besides helping me, I want them to be a part of this. They need to feel comfortable, like this is a second home when they are here. I want them to feel invested.”

"I don’t think we have a problem with that, but we don't have beds here yet, or anything for that matter," Tae frowned.  "They could stay in the guest house until those deliveries come."

"Wendy is there, but we can move her to the house."  Jin looked at the guys.

"No.  I'll pull something temporary in for them today.  I want you to have space and time, not add more stress.  Let me deal with it." Su felt strongly about keeping their workload low right now.

"My only unwavering request is not to tell the girls about the message on the food, not the tracking device, nothing," he looked at them seriously.  "Pak doesn't want Jae OR Ami to know what really happened today.  It will only stress them out.  I promised him you'll all stay put, and having Choi and Quon close gives him some peace of mind.  If you have a problem with that, you'll have to take it up with him, but he's going to fight you." 

Su watched the four smile a little. "No. We won't fight him on that. We understand," Namjoon took a deep breath. "Ok. So, Pak and Jae are taking off. Choi and Quon will be here helping and lurking as needed. We’re getting some more fancy cars.  What else?”

They watched him shake his head as the thought, “Nothing.  You’re doing enough.”

“It doesn’t sound like we’re doing anything,” Jin snorted, then Su held the black card up, “Oh no, you’re doing plenty.  Come on, let’s find the two out back and make some plans for this place.”

 

Back at the house.

Upstairs, Ami was getting changed out of her dress and into something comfortable as Jungkook was trying to get information out of Yoongi about what happened at the apartment.

"What's going on?" Hobi asked, confused. He wasn't aware there had been a thing. Yoongi was sprawled out on the bed, trying to stay awake until she joined them. He rolled on his side to face his friends and said softly so she wouldn't hear, "Lee had a very appropriate conversation about options on how to delay the tour. One of those would be if she were pregnant. So, she took a test, but it was negative. There were lots of emotions, as you can imagine, from both of us."

Both Hobi and Jungkook sighed, "God."

"That's not all. Apparently, we have sex often enough with her that she's never 100% sure month to month if she'll pop a positive test."

"What?" Hobi rubbed her face.

"Is she stressed about that?" Kook asked quickly, they could hear her finishing up in the bathroom, about ready to join them.

"I think so, stressed enough. I was surprised, I was kind of sad it wasn't positive. Is that bad?"

"No. It's not bad. You know it's going to happen someday." Jungkook crawled onto the bed and rolled Yoongi over so he would face towards the middle of the bed. He climbed up behind him, getting comfortable against him. " Lee promised he wouldn't ask her that question again without one of us there. I'm glad her husband was with her." Kook said quietly in his ear as they heard Ami open the door to the bathroom. She walked out wearing a t-shirt and undies and into Hobi's arms. He picked her up and walked her to bed.

"Love. Let's rest," he said as she wrapped her legs around him as he walked.

"God." He groaned as his hands naturally fell to her thighs. It wasn't a secret why she secretly worried about being pregnant all the time. It was hard to keep their hands off her, but he behaved.

"I'm mentally exhausted." She sighed as he gently set her down, then she rolled to the middle near Kook and Yoongi. Hobi joined her, pulling her to snuggle up against his chest. "I have no idea what happened today, any of it. Ko went from pushing tours to giving in. Some delivery guy set Quon off, and then we got a high-coverage escort home. I just can't put it all into place."

"It's time for a proper break. No meetings. No stress. Just to girl time with Wendy until she has to fly out." Hobi kissed her face, rubbing her back before his lips found hers and stayed there. She didn't fight or pull back, but enjoyed the pure moment with him.

Yoongi's eyes were heavy but open enough to watch his wife relax with Hobi. Kook's nose was pressed against the back of his neck, and his warm breath spread over him. "I love this," Yoon said softly.

"For someone who has been such a hard dom for so long, you're really embracing his new side," Jungkook said in his ear. Hobi saw a faint smile form on Yoon's lips, "Don't worry, Kook. When I'm back to 100%, I'll reclaim my title. I literally don't have the energy right now, so enjoy it while you can." He felt him squeeze him a little harder, and allowed himself to be in the moment. "Godddd," they all hear Yoongi groan.

It wasn't long before Yoon and Kook were both out. Ami opened her eyes and looked up at Hobi, who gave her a sweet kiss on the forehead. "How are you feeling?" he whispered.  "Yoongi told us about your conversation with Lee."  

Ami stared into his eyes as he played with her hair, "It's never an easy conversation to have, but I suppose it was a valid concern," she whispered back.

"I'm sorry it worries you," he said sincerely.  "We don't want you to feel pressured."

"You guys don't pressure me, it's just a game of chance.  Every time we are together, there's a chance. That's what girls accept, even if we take all the precautions."  She saw his brow furrow as she reached up and pushed the wrinkle between his eyes.  "It's just how it is, Hobi.  Unless we mess around, but you never finish inside me, it's a possibility, and my chances are increased because there are seven of you."

Jungkook was sleeping but slowly woke to the quiet conversation they were having.  He lay still and listened.

"How come you've never mentioned this before?" he stared into her eyes, love and concern flowing from him. " Maybe we don't do that anymore," he said seriously, "If it's something you are forced to worry about because we can't keep our hands off you..."  She reached up and pushed her finger to his lips to stop him from talking. 

"Jung Hoseok.  What are you suggesting?  That we don't have sex anymore?" 

Jungkook's eyes now opened, and he listened more intently.  Hobi reached up and took her hand, pulling it from his lips. "No, but maybe we don't finish inside you."

She sighed, "I don't like that option. Lee was doing his job, and if he was right, that would change a LOT of things."

"Well, I hate that part of his job is asking and the emotions that you're forced to confront in the moment,"  he said in a louder whisper. 

"Those emotions are unavoidable when you feel like you need to take one of those tests.  It's a weird mental place to be. You're both scared, relieved, and sad simultaneously."  She reached up and pushed the hair back off his forehead, "He's looking out for me, and you for that fact.  But you're right, I don't LOVE that he worries about that and feels he needs to ask.  I'm sure it's not his favorite conversation topic to bring up.  Hey girl with seven partners, are you knocked up yet?"  She said sarcastically.

"Love," he said softly.

"Stop pissing off my wife,"  Yoongi mumbled from his slumber, which surprised everyone that he was awake and listening.  

Ami couldn't help but smile a little.  "Hobi.  It's okay," she petted his face with her hand as he pouted.  "Thank you for your concern.  You'll be the first to know if I think of something or want to change our arrangement."  She pushed her leg between his, causing his eyes to flutter.  He gripped her hip with his hand that was resting on her, but didn't make a move, although he wanted to. 

 

Meanwhile, down at the guest house.

"Hey," Pak said as he knocked on the door and popped his head in. Wendy and Jae were lounging on the couches watching TV.

"Heeeeyyy. You're back. Where did you run off to?" Jae smiled but didn't move off the couch.

"We had to go do a quick thing. No big deal. What's happening down here?" He closed the door and went to sit at Jae's feet, placing them in his lap and rubbing them slowly.

"Game shows. You guys have the strangest game shows." Wendy pointed to the TV.

"Yeah, I suppose we do," Pak smiled, then looked at Jae. "Are you still up for going on a little vacation with me?"

"Are we still going? It seems like there's a lot of stress. Don't you need to be here for it?"

"I think everything's under control. They can live without us for a few days. I'm looking forward to taking you away and doing as little as possible." He ran his thumb firmly up her arch and watched her shudder. Truth was he wasn't excited to leave after today's event, but he knew he needed to do it.

"Can I ask a question before you turn her into a puddle?"

"Sure."

"I don't know. I'm halfway there," Jae giggled.

"What happened today?" Wendy asked, placing her elbow on the arm of the couch and placing her head in her hand.

"Which part?" Pak asked.

"I dunno, all of it. There was a meeting, then there wasn't. There was a tour, then nope. Then, some sort of motorcade to come home, only for everyone to be 'fine'. I mean, maybe this is how you guys operate all the time, and up until now, things I've been privy to were super lowkey."

"Well. Ko broke protocol and walked a stranger into the same room as Ami and Jae. That's no-no number one. Then the guy ran, never a good first impression, so we escorted everyone home. Now, we aren't always like that all the time, but Su wanted to send a message to Ko, and it seemed to work." Pak finished talking as he pushed his thumb into her arch, smiling as she squealed a little.

"So, was it a normal day?"

"Well, not really, but it does happen sometimes." Pak put Jae's foot down, picked up her other one, and started to rub it. "Have you heard from Riggs yet?" He was ready to change the subject.

"No, he should be landing soon, I think. He said he would shoot me a text when he gets in and will call me tonight. He said he needs to talk to Harry and catch up and see what's been happening while he's been gone."

"Good," he smiled. "So, if Jae and I leave today, are you going to be good here by yourself, or do you want me to have them move you up to the main house?"

"Oh, I think I'll be ok here.  It's quiet down here and I'm out of the way."

"You're not in the way,"  Jae tried to say without groaning as Pak squeezed her feet. "I've never felt in the way here, and I'm around a lot."  As the girls chatted, Pak received a text from Su:

Everything is okay.  The guys are caught up on everything and agree not to share it with the girls.  I'm leaving for a while, but whenever you and Jae are ready, Quon and Choi will drive you to the airport, then drive your car back here.  Take your time. 

Pak smiled and slipped his phone back in his pocket,  then sat quietly as he rubbed Jae's legs while they laughed at the TV.

 

 

Chapter 37

An hour later, Riggs landed and saw a message from Su on his phone:

Give me a call when you land, preferably before you talk to Wendy.

He took a deep breath as the plane was taxing and made the call, "Hey Su. Everything ok?"

Su ran a quick errand and then returned to the house next door. He had to admit, it was nice to have a space to work from and not be far away. "Thanks for calling. I needed to bring you up to speed on something we dealt with today." Su told him what happened at the meeting, the message, the stolen plates, and the car tracker. He stayed quiet as he listened, slung his bag over his shoulder, and walked off the plane.

"Christ. So, you're all back at the house?"

"We are. Everyone is taking some downtime. Jae and Pak are going to be heading out soon on vacation. The plan for the rest of the week is to lie low. We chose not to tell the girls, including Wendy, while I try to sort it out. Their knowing changes nothing except their anxiety level, and we're all carrying that load for them right now, at least until we can get some answers. Choi and Quon will be here all week. We aren't leaving the group alone. I just wanted to be transparent with you in case it changes your plans."

Riggs thought for a moment, "No. I don't think it will. That's not good, though, Su. It sounds like an inside job."

"Yeah, I don't know. I've got people watching people watching people," he sighed. "No one is thrilled about any of it. If you need to tell Wendy, we ask you to wait until she meets back up with you in Japan, but we all agree that we can't put that on our girls right now."

"I understand. I really appreciate you keeping me in the loop." Riggs said as he walked through the airport to catch a taxi.

"Absolutely, we'll be in touch." Su hung up and slowly wandered through the empty house. On the counter was a list of items and dates the boys had given them for deliveries coming over the next couple of days. Jin did what he did best and ordered a huge grocery order for them that would be there within the hour. Against Su's wishes, Jin and Jimin insisted they were going to sneak over when it came to help put it away.

Over at the house, Jungkook had been lying in bed, thinking over the conversation he had listened in on with Ami and Hobi. He didn't love that she had to have these very personal conversations, but he appreciated that Lee looked out for her. Still...Kook slipped out of bed, grabbed his phone, and headed downstairs to find a quiet spot to make a call.

Everyone was still spread out from earlier. Jin was quietly making food in the kitchen, and Joon was in his office on the phone. He walked by Tae and Jimin, spread out on the couches watching TV, as he headed to the backyard.

"Everything ok?" Tae asked as he tracked him walking across the room.

"Yup, just need to make a phone call. Be right back." Kook winked as he slipped out, and they watched him head toward the garage.

Kook punched in the code and headed upstairs to his studio as he started to make a call.

"Jungkook?"

"Hey, Dr. Lee. Do you have a second?" He closed the door and flipped on the lights.

"I do. Everything okay? I don't hear from you very often,"   he heard him sigh. "Yeah, everyone is good. I want to talk to you about Ami." Jungkook started slowly pacing around the room.

"Oh?" Lee sat back in his seat, glad it wasn't an emergency.

"Yoongi shared the conversation you two had before today's meeting. While I agree that information is important, asking her that right before a major meeting, or in the future before an event, is too much to work through mentally."

"She expressed that?"

"Not in so many words, but I know that taking a test like that brings up a lot of feelings for her, for Yoongi, for all of us.  So, I've been thinking about it and...I don't want you to ask anymore."

Lee rubbed his eyes, "Jungkook. I have to, not that I want to, but it's for her health if she is..."

"No," Kook interrupted, "I know. Listen, I don't want you to have to ask. So, can you send over a box or two of tests so she has more control of the timing? We would prefer to have that conversation with her in private if we need to, and we can make sure it's not ten minutes before she needs to be present to spar with someone. I hope you understand."

Lee smiled, "I can do that."

"Thanks," he said, relieved. "Oh, and it sounds like we owe you a big thank you for pushing Ko back on the tours. Choi and Quon filled us in on what you said to him."

"Ah, well. It's okay, glad to help." Lee and Kook talked for a few more minutes before they hung up.  Kook tossed himself down on the couch, head back and eyes closed, resting before heading back to the main house.

***

Riggs knocked on the suite door and heard a familiar "Halllllooo!" Harry looked up with a huge smile. "Riggs! My god mate, you're back."

"Miss me? It's only been 48 hours," he said, closing the door behind him and joining him.

"Feels like forever," Harry kicked his feet up on the coffee table, leaned back, and laced his fingers behind his head. "I figured they offered you a job and you would never return. So. Sit. Tell me about your trip. Where's Wendy? Is she here?"

"Not that I wanted to, but I left her in Korea with her friends until we get to Japan, then she's going to join us."

"She's staying with Suki?"

Riggs thought for a moment, "She is. New York was a shit show. She lost her place." Harry's eyes got big. "So, here's the thing, mate. We need to talk about what you said before I left, because if that's a real thing..."

"No," Harry interrupted, holding up his hand. "Can we just ignore that small window of insanity on my part, please. I was just a little rattled after Bangkok, I want her to be here."

He frowned, "You don't rattle easily."

"Well. Ok, how about lightly stressed then? That might be a better word. I guess hearing about what was happening hit a little close to home. That's all. It wasn't right or fair to push that on you or her. So. I hope you can forgive me."

Riggs nodded slowly while he listened. He had worked for Harry for years and had seen all sides of him. What he was saying was plausible and believable, but there was still 1% that felt disingenuous. Still, Riggs smiled, "I appreciate that. Thank you."

Pleased with himself, Harry smiled broadly, "Good. Thanks, mate. So! Tell me, are you still hiring guys for Wendy?"

"I am. Actually, I need to do that before she joins us. I need to have them in place for her."

"And explain to me again why? What's going on exactly?"

"Well," Riggs settled in. "They tracked down where she wasn't living anymore, ransacked it, and then waited for her to show up."

His eyes got big. "What do you mean they waited?"

"Some tweakers waited for her to return to deal with their mess and jumped her and Mr. Su in the street, which ended poorly for them, I hear," he sighed. 

"Jesus, poor girl."

"Yeah, it's been a lot. So, Hybe is paying for her to have her own guys when I have to be with your sparkly ass." Harry smiled, "It does sparkle sometimes, doesn't it?"

"More than you know," he smirked.

"You don't want to use a couple of our guys?"

He shook his head, "No. I like our team, but I want new blood for this. You know how tours get monotonous and long. The mental fatigue of 'Groundhog Day' is real. I think fresh eyes for this short-term problem would be best."

"Ok, but I have a question for you," Harry was actually present for their conversation. "How do you want to spin it with the team? I mean, her coming back and blending in won't be noticed, but two extra beefy men orbiting around her might bring questions?"

Riggs sighed, sat back, and thought for a moment, "I don't know. I guess I'll get to that when I find the guys." They sat quietly for a bit before Harry asked a little more seriously, "So, you really think they were after her?"

"We think they were trying to get to them. They had written off the apartment as a random event until Su realized they waited for her."

"So they were just using her."

"Feels like it," he sighed. "She's friends with some pretty famous people. Present company included, of course."

"Yes, but lots of people have famous friends. If that were the case, everyone would have bodyguards."

"Sure. But she's friends with BTS, like, friend-friends, knows where they live-friends. Sat and watched TV, they made her dinner friends. Suki's identity is still a mystery to the world, and she's currently staying at her house. She straddles both of those groups, so she's bumped up a little, I would say more than most. While I see it as protection for my girlfriend, Hybe doesn't see it that way. They're protecting their billions of dollars in assets, while the guys and Suki see it as protecting their friend, whom they have admittedly few of. Does that make sense?"

Harry nodded slowly, "Got it." He stood up, walked over to the window, and looked out, taking in the entire problem.

"I mean this with all sincerity, I know you're a pretty big fucking deal, Harry, but from what I've seen of that group and how they operate, it makes us look like amateurs, and I know we are not."

"Well, I hope you're taking notes and sharing with the class,"  he turned and smiled. "So, how about this, take the time you need to get guys set up for her. The sooner the better, I assume. Then she can join us and we can get back to normal and finish out this bloody long tour."

Riggs stood up, "Sounds perfect.  I'll keep you updated. Thanks for understanding."

"Hey.  She's my friend too, you forget." 

***

A few hours later, Pak and Jae were settling on the plane to leave for their trip. "It feels strange we're the only ones here, but I'm excited to run away with you." Jae got cozy in her seat as Pak secured the luggage and joined her.

"I'm excited, too," he pulled her hand over and kissed it as the plane started to move. "It sounds like Ami and Wendy will have a good time together."

"Yeah, I'm glad for them.  There's always a thing, it seems.  Jin told me before we left that they would keep everything at a hard minimum no matter what.  He promised there would be nothing fun while we were gone." 

"Good.  I can live with boring nothing."  He reached over and gently pulled her face towards his.  Before he kissed her, she heard him whisper, "You know. I'm a card-carrying member of a certain club. We may have to take advantage of the empty plane while we have access to it."   Jae's eyes shot open, then she giggled as he pressed his lips to hers. 

He missed her.  He had missed her all through Iceland, and the last few days at home, he didn't feel he could focus 100% on her like he wanted.  While a section of his brain was still dedicated to the group, he wanted nothing more than to make every second of their time together count.

She suddenly pulled back with a mischiefious grin, "I wanna be fucking when we take off. Quick, take off your pants!"  She giggled as she started unbuttoning hers.

"What?"  he laughed.

"You know that feeling when the plane takes off, pressing you into your seat?"  She struggled weaseling her pants down, kicking her feet furiously to get them to fall off. "Now, imagine that feeling, but I'm sitting on your lap. Hurry!" she laughed.

Pak paused for a second, then stood up to expedite his loss of clothing.  He suddenly reached up, pulled a blanket from the overhead bin, and tossed it at her. "Put that down on the seat," he smiled as he finished dropping everything to the floor, but not off. She quickly did her best to cover it as they felt the plane start to turn onto the runway to get in line.  "There's no time!"  she squealed in delight.

He sat back down and pulled her on top of him so she faced him.  Gripping her hips, he pulled her up as she grabbed his face and kissed him, causing him to pause, holding her up for a moment before she helped slide down onto him. 

"OH god," he moaned through their kisses, and she started grinding down on him fast.  Jae gripped his seat as he squeezed her hips as she moved.  The rumbling of the plane,  plus the very private, yet very public feel of it all, didn't take long for them both to be lost in their passion. 

They sped up as they felt the plane speed up, pressing them together into the seat. Pak ripped her shirt off over her head, leaving her in her bra, which sent her into orbit.  She was loud, but the engines and the noise from the tires on the tarmac were louder, and he didn't care.  He knew the pilots couldn't hear them from the back of the plane. 

As on cue, as soon as they lifted off, he felt her contract around him.  Her body broke out in a light sweat, moaning, breathing hard, they released all their stress from the last week and a half into each other. 

"Oh god, oh god..." she kept groaning as she didn't want it to end.  He gently pushed and pulled on her body, making her continue to move on him.  He watched her fight off the urge to relax. 

"Again." He whispered into her ear as she let him take over.  He reached up and unhooked her bra with one hand, and she let it fall on its own.  She was now exposed in every way.  He leaned forward and started sucking on her nipples, causing her to toss her head back and eyes roll. 

She loved it.  It was everything she needed.  She loved everything about her life and her friends, but time with him was special.  It was special for both of them.  She reached back over her head, leaning back a little, grabbed the seat's headrest for the row in front of them, then arched. 

"Oh fuck." Pak groaned, now watching her body as she kept riding him.   She opened her eyes and gave him a seductive look as she saw his face harden with lust. 

"How much time...do we have...before we land?"   She said between her breaths.

"Not enough, I'm sure." He said low, as the two picked up the pace, determined to take advantage of every minute before they landed.

***

Evening slowly rolled in, and Choi and Quon were getting their temporary spaces set up until all the furniture arrived over the next few days.  Su had a couple of basic beds sent to the house for them, and one for him.  The food Jin had ordered had come and been put away. Now, they were standing around their makeshift command center on the large island in the kitchen. They were trying to grasp what the next week looked like, or at least until Pak returned.

"So, I've got the security company coming tomorrow morning to start work.  We will mirror the security system next door so we don't have to manage two different systems.   I've ordered the same SUV the guys have and three smaller ones for us.  Those are going to be our new daily drivers," he explained.  "They have the same system and cameras on the cars, just not as 'fancy' as Ami and Jae's."

"Got it,"  Choi nodded.  "When do you think they'll show Ami the new place?" 

"My guess is sooner rather than later. I told them once security is in place, it's up to them, but I want that done first.  After they tell her, we'll knock a gate between the properties, then they can come and go as they need without tromping down the drive and up the other."

"How do you think she's going to take it?"  Quon smirked, "I mean, I can only guess."  Both Choi and Su started to smile a little before Su shook his head, "I think it's going to go as well as we imagine.  So, I told the guys we would leave them be for the rest of the night and maybe the next few days.  I don't want to put extra pressure on anyone right now.  I didn't want to tell them about today, but that happened," he sighed. "I'm going to meet with Ko tomorrow to see if we can figure out where our leak is.  I would like you two to stay here, though." 

"No problem," Choi agreed.  "Are you staying here tonight?"

"I wasn't going to, but I think I will.  I think staying close tonight would be a good thing."

 

Back at the house.

Yoongi was sitting in his studio, not doing anything but listening to some music.  He was tired of sleeping and being restricted by his arm, so he wanted to try to get back into some easy routines.  He had the door open, and the music he was listening to floated through the house as the guys were going about their business. 

Jimin walked into Joon's library, resting his hands on the door frame, and leaned in, "Hey,  I think it's time to fill Yoongi in on everything that happened in New York with Su and Wendy."

"Now?"  he looked up from what he was working on.

"Everyone needs to be on the same page, with everything.  It's felt choppy lately.  Come on."  Jimin didn't give him a choice but walked out to gather the rest of them and talk in the studio.

Yoongi was relaxing when he looked over, and all the guys filed in to join him. "What are we doing?"

"We need to talk. How are you feeling about getting caught up on some things?" Tae said.

"Oh?  Without Ami?"

"Yes, without Ami.  She's down with Wendy, so we have some time,"  Jin said as they all found seats.  Yoon reached over and turned the music down, spinning in his seat, and he got comfortable. "Ok, what's been going on?"

"How much did Su tell you about New York?" Joon started the conversation.

They watched him release a long breath as he thought back, "It's kind of hazy, but what I was told was someone trashed her place, and Su went to help." They could see he was trying to sort through the recent drug-induced thoughts. "Then this happened," he said, holding up his arm. "Su stayed in New York, and Wendy flew back here." He looked around at the group as they all nodded in agreement.

"That's all correct, but they left out an important part," Hobi said more seriously. He glanced around at the group before looking back at Yoon. "Su and Wendy were jumped the night before she flew back here." They watched his jaw drop as he stared at them, Hobi continued. "It appears someone was hired, then they waited for her to return."

"We sent Su with her, he wasn't supposed to be there," Jungkook said solemnly. "It could have been so much worse."

"Why?" was all he could ask.

"We think it was to get to Ami or us." They gave him a minute to stare into the void, putting the pieces into the puzzle. "Sooo, they waited for her? F.U.C.K." He started to rub his face with his good hand.

"Su beat the shit out of them and they were arrested. He took care of it," Namjoon sighed, "we needed you to know."

"Ami knows," Kook added. "They told her on the plane."

"That's what happened, that's what it was," Yoon leaned back in his seat as he closed his eyes. They all looked a little confused. "What happened, Yoon?"

"We were on our way, and I was talking to Lee when I heard Ami get upset. I tried to go to her, but they kept me from getting up. Lee gave me something, and I was out. God damn it," he said a little more frustrated, starting to feel the anger of someone trying to mess with their circle but also the feeling of helplessness.

Jin leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Yoongi. They did what they needed to do to keep you calm. You were bad. You probably needed a few more days in the hospital. You still aren't 100%, but you're better and need to know what truly happened."

They let him process as they answered his questions and shared that they felt the same way when they found out. They told him how Hybe officially hired Riggs so he could find people for Wendy until this was over, which seemed to appease him a little.

"How are you feeling?" Namjoon asked seriously.

"Why? Is there more?" He joked, then saw the group look quickly at each other. "Oh fuck me, tell me. No more secrets."

There was a pause. "This will be news for you, Hobi and Jungkook. While you three were resting today, we spoke with Su about the morning's events. There are a couple of things you guys need to know."  

Jimin dove in, there was no other way. "Someone tried to lojack Pak's car to find out where we live."

"WHAT?!" The three were instantly upset, but Jimin stayed calm. "Our cars all have systems on them that worked and alerted Pak before it could get a lock. Pak and Su disabled it, but that's something new we need to be aware of."

"Also..." Tae took a deep breath, "The delivery driver today wasn't from the restaurant. Someone figured out it was coming to us and intercepted it."

"The guy Quon chased?!? We chased?!?" Jungkook almost yelled. Jin got up and closed the door so that if Ami came up, she wouldn't hear them. "How the fuck did that happen?!"

"We don't know. Not yet. Pak and Su won't want Ami and Jae to know for now. It changes nothing for them except stress." Namjoon tried to stay calm for the three.

"This is fucking insane," Yoon shook his head.

"Quon. Quon thought he recognized him. Does he know who he was?" Hobi was hopeful. The fact that this guy walked right in was insane to him.

"He's trying to remember, believe me. He wants to remember now more than ever," Tae sighed. "Su will be in and out, so Choi and Quon will stay next door until Pak gets back."

"There's nothing over there. No beds. No furniture or food," Hobi said quickly.

"Su had some beds sent over, and I ordered food for them. They're going to be there when all the shit we ordered starts arriving, so that's going to be a huge help. Su said we could show Ami and Wendy once the security was set up. He doesn't want that to happen, though, before it's done."

"I think when Pak returns, we need to give them the guest house officially. He may want to stay on the property with Jae while shit gets sorted out. What do you guys think?" Jimin spoke up.

"I think someone needs to get their ass kicked," Yoongi said pissed. "What the actual fuck is going on?" They all paused, completely understanding his anger and frustration. "What can we do?" Yoon shifted in his seat a little.

"Well. Su is ordering cars with the same systems. No one is allowed to come to the houses without them. He feels that if they try once, they'll try again. Also, when we go out, he will have staff stay with the cars. These guys today weren't masterminds. They were grunts, for fuck sake, the guy ran when Quon asked him a question. They aren't going to confront anyone from our team. They look for opportunities, that's all. So, we close the opportunities," Namjoon explained. "At least until Su can take them out."

Yoongi, Hobi, and Kook all paused and looked at Namjoon, then the rest of them. They all had the same serious no bullshit look as Joon.

"Su said he has to be 110% sure when he finds the guy, because he won't make it home for dinner," Jimin said, equally as serious.

"So, is there anything else? I don't know how much more I can take." Yoongi leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He was being dumped with a lot of important information.

"I think you need to tell them about Lee and Ami." Jungkook glanced at Yoon,  "Everything needs to be out on the table tonight."

"Oh. Yeah.  Um. Fuck."

"Tell us what?" Jin said quickly.

"Let me," Hobi said a little more softly, knowing it was more personal for Yoongi. He started sharing the story Yoongi told them upstairs.  It was now the others' turn to be surprised.   Yoon didn't move from his resting position as Hobi shared.

"Was Ami okay?" Tae could feel the room's energy come down with this new topic.

"Yeah, I think so."

"What about you?"  Jimin gently poked Yoongi, his eyes opened, and he refocused, seeing they were now watching with a knowing, concerned, but understanding look.  

"Yeah," he stood up.  "I need some air."  Then Jungkook jumped up to stand in front of him, putting his hands on his shoulders and keeping him from leaving.  "Hey.  I spoke to Lee.  I told him moving forward, we would have those conversations with her."  His hands squeezed his shoulders, and they could see Yoon relax a little. "I told him we appreciated him keeping her well-being in mind, but we need to be the ones to talk to her, and not right before major meetings or events.  He's going to send over some tests she can take whenever she wants."

"Is that who you called this afternoon?" Tae smiled a little. They all saw the relief in Yoon's face. Kook wouldn't break eye contact with him, so he nodded in reply. 

"Thank you for taking care of that,"  he said softly.  

"Of course. That's the best part of our relationship. We all look out for each other,"  Jungkook said sincerely, then he leaned in and quietly said, "Please stay."  He gently pushed, and he willingly sat back down. As Kook walked back to his seat, Namjoon gave him a wink. 

"Fuck there's been a lot going on over the past week. Is there anything else we need to talk about?"  Jimin sighed.   The room was quiet as they all pondered what else they knew they might need to share. 

"Um, I'm reconsidering my wedding location," Hobi said, crossing his legs and getting comfortable. "I was going to take her to Japan, but after today, nowhere feels safe." His look was one of defeat.  

"You don't think you can make Japan work? You've been working hard on it already."Joon frowned a little.  They were all sad about this news.  Everyone had put countless hours into each of their weddings.

"I don't know.  Maybe I need to borrow Kook's wedding tree."  He joked a little, but this time, Jungkook didn't fight back about his tree.  "It's yours, or we could marry her together. Have a joint wedding?" he smiled. 

"Ah, but I don't want a joint honeymoon," Hobi's grin turned a little more devilish.

"No, you don't." Yoon winked at him.  "She's fucking amazing. We all need that time individually."

"Hobi, if Japan is what you want, then we'll make it happen. I don't think we want you to give up on that,"  Jin said seriously. 

"I know," he sighed, running his hands through his hair. "It's a few months off, so maybe things will calm down by then." 

"You know what I want?  I want, after we're all married, for us to go on a vacation. Just us eight," Tae smiled. 

"Just us eight?  What does that mean?" Jimin frowned.  "It's always just us eight."

"I mean, without a fleet of security...and I don't mean this bad...but I want a pure debaucherous week away. All of us together, and not having to worry about people knocking on the door. Popping by. Security checks. Meeting for dinner. I love Jae and Pak, but we need a week without worrying about putting clothes on to walk to the kitchen. A week to ourselves and not having to share her with anyone else." He reached over to Hobi sitting next to him, and ran his fingers through his hair as they all saw his eyes roll back.

"Oh god.  I could use that," he groaned. 

"I love our people, love them. We need them.  Ami needs them.  But I think a non-stressful week for ourselves would be good too."

"How would we pull that off?  Not that I'm against it." Namjoon smiled.  "It's just that we now have security living next door, I don't think they're going to let us wander off after all this, and to be honest, I don't want to."  

"No, I know. It's just the feeling of having that opportunity," Tae said, as he continued to play lazily with Hobi's hair. 

"I would ask you to stop that, but I would be lying," he sighed, shifting in his seat.  

"Tae.  If you don't leave Hobi alone, we'll have to lock the door,"  Yoongi's tone shifted the air in the room, and everyone could feel it.  

"Or somewhere else," Kook said to himself. As much stress and frustration there was talking about the last week's events, their closeness was always comforting.  It was the one thing they fell back on time after time from the beginning.  

"See.  Yoongi's still in there.  He hasn't gone soft,"  Jimin tapped his head as he smirked.  

"Not soft, just slower.  Give me some time."  

Jungkook looked over at Namjoon and Jin.  They knew he wanted them to go to his studio, but they both shook their head no.  It wasn't the right time, and even though he knew it, it didn't make him want to go any less.  

"On top of Ami only time, we haven't had time to ourselves in a long time," Kook couldn't hold back from saying. 

"I agree," Yoongi jumped in before anyone could shut Kook down. 

"Didn't you just get married?  You should be the most satisfied of us," Namjoon snickered. 

"Never.  Not for her or any of you.  I loved my time with my wife.  LOVED it.  But I will admit, six pieces were missing.  So, I agree with Kook.  We need to make some time very soon."

"When is she going to be done with her meds?" Hobi asked, eyes still closed as Tae rubbed the back of his neck.

"Maybe they need to sit out and watch," Jimin gave a shitty grin. 

"OH, like that's possible," Jin laughed.  "They won't be able to do that."

"I won't be able to do that," Namjoon said, taking a deep breath. "Okay, we need to change the topic," he said, getting pleasantly uncomfortable. He started shifting on his feet, trying to calm down. 

"I don't know. Maybe you all can show me what I'll be missing out on,"  Yoon said, reaching down to adjust himself.   Everyone was feeling the need now.  

"How did we go from being pissed at the world, to wanting to fuck each other?"  Hobi moaned as he felt Tae start to nibble his ear. 

"Sometimes it's the only thing we can control. Remember some of those nights back in the apartment after a stressful day? I do," Jungkook said softly. They sat still and watched Tae move over to Hobi and straddle his lap. They started kissing as Tae started grinding. 

"OH fuck," he murmured through the kisses. Hobi grabbed Tae's hips hard and forced his movements on him. Before they could go much further, Hobi pushed him back, staring wildly. "This studio is a shared space, and I don't want to do this to you here."

Jin stepped in, "Go upstairs. We'll stay down if the girls or our new neighbors drop by. Just keep quiet."

"We'll be in my room," Tae smashed his lips back on Hobi as the rest kept talking.

“Yoon, care to join? I’ll go easy on you.” Jungkook smiled as he planned to go up with them.

Yoon looked content, “I’m going to have to pass, not that I want to, but I know I’ll push myself with you right now. Take Namjoon. He looks hot and bothered.” Everyone looked over at Namjoon, and he was.

Tae and Hobi pulled themselves together and headed out the door. Kook was heading out next. “Joon. Let’s go, " he called out without glancing at him.

“Go, Joon. You’ve been managing too much lately. Let someone else be in control for a bit, then you can go back to bossing people around. I’ll keep an eye on these two,” Jin nudged his friend as he finally nodded and followed the group.

The four quickly made their way upstairs, anxious to burn off some energy. “I wanted to show Yoongi my art studio,” Jungkook started stripping his shirt off as they made their way to Tae’s room.

“Once things are settled, Wendy’s gone and we know who we have living next door, and Yoongi is stronger, then we can make that happen,” they heard Joon say from the back. Tae opened the door, and Hobi grabbed his waistband again, leading him to his king-size bed, “Come with me.”

Kook stopped at the door and waited for Namjoon, then said something softly that surprised him, “Kim Namjoon. Let me lead this time, okay? I think it’s only fair after our time in my studio,” he trailed his fingers down his side, reaching around him and pulling him closer. Before Namjoon could reply, they were kissing. Not hard and desperate like Hobi and Tae, but sweet and soft.

“I know we are all frustrated, and I could really take it out on you, but I think something else is in order,” he said through his kisses. “Come with me. This room is full and the wrong kind of energy.” Jungkook pushed the lock on Tae’s door and closed it. The two men were already deeply involved and didn’t notice.

Jungkook took his hand and led him next door to his bedroom, opening the door and pulling him inside. “Lock it,” Kook instructed softly. “I want you to myself.” He did what he was instructed.

“This is a new side of you,” he turned. Before he could say more, Jungkook pressed him against the door with his body, took his hands in his, and raised them over his head. His kisses were slow, deliberate, and deep. He squeezed his hands, then slowly lowered them, moving them behind Joon’s back.

“Oh god,” he moaned, eyes closed, relaxing as he felt him kiss down his neck. Kook slowly released his hands, but Joon kept them behind him. He felt him start to unbuckle his pants, but they didn’t fall off yet. “Kim Namjoon. I love our soon-to-be wife, but I love you too. I love everyone in our group,” he felt Kook slip his hands inside the band of his underwear and rest his hands on the low of his back. “Look at me.”

Namjoon opened his eyes and saw him staring at him with a new look. It wasn’t the usual lust-filled stare they gave each other in the bedroom, but one he and Tae gave each other more than once. “I think it’s safe to say our relationship over the years has changed, although we don’t really talk about it. It just is. But we need to put real words to it.”

“What does Tae think?” Namjoon said quietly as Kook started to pull him toward the bed.

“Tae is currently letting Hobi have his way with him, but after that, he will have this conversation. Yoongi has the same feelings. We talked while he rested in bed today while Ami slept with Hobi. You and I need to talk, then we'll talk to Jin and Jimin.”

Namjoon gave him a little smile, “I have to admit, this dynamic is usually reversed.” Jungkook sat down on the bed and pulled him close so he stood between his legs. His hands still on Joon’s lower back. “I know. So, before I make these pants hit the floor, because that's going to happen regardless, how about making all this official between us, and soon hopefully between everyone.” Namjoon took his finger and ran it up Kook’s chest, up his neck, and to his chin, then gripped it, causing Kook to smile. He bent down and stared into his eyes, “Jeon Jungkook. You know I love lots of words, but I’ll keep this short. I officially accept what I have always accepted,” then he smashed his lips on his.

Kook quickly grabbed him and pulled him onto the bed. The two men pulled at each other’s clothes until they were both without. Then they slowed down again, making each touch, kiss, and movement count. They had fucked for years, but this was different. This was new and felt like the puzzle was complete.

Jungkook lay on top of him, kissing and moving deliberately, until they heard a little knock on the door. “It’s me,” a voice they recognized said carefully back. Kook smiled through his kisses and reluctantly got up, walking over to open the door.

“Yoongi sent me up,” Jimin said, standing there, hoping to be invited in.

“Just the person we need to see,” Namjoon smiled as he sat up and leaned back on his elbows. “Kook. Now’s a good time.”

“Come in. We need to talk to you,” he said, taking his hand, pulling him in, and shutting the door again. Namjoon moved and sat himself on the edge of the bed, pulling a blanket over his lap, as Kook sat down next to him, doing the same. Jimin stood before them, looking between the two.

“Jimin, I have a question for you,” Kook said, holding his hand as he stood before them.

“We. We have a question,” Namjoon smiled.

“Yes, we have a question.”

“Do I get a ring?” Jimin smiled.

“What?” They both grinned.

“Well, this feels like a proposal, so I want a ring. What are you proposing?” he wasn’t completely joking.

“He wants a ring. What do you have?” Namjoon played along, so Jungkook got up and walked into his closet.

“Wait. Wait,” Jimin was now confused, as Namjoon took his hand.

“Let’s wait and see what he has to offer.” It was just a few seconds before Kook walked back out with one of his many rings he owned and took Jimin’s hand, slid it on his ring finger, next to his wedding band, then took his face in his hands. Kook looked down at him lovingly as he watched Jimin's eyes dilate. Namjoon smiled, he knew the answer they were going to hear.

“Jimin, we do have a proposal for you. I have spoken to Yoongi and Joon. Tae is talking to Hobi. It’s time we say the words. After all our years together, it’s changed from sexually charged romps to more. I need you to know I love you,” Kook said sweetly, he could see his eyes moisten.  “I love our wife, and I love each of you. I need you to hear the words from me and understand I mean it.”

“Oh god,” he melted. In the stress from the day, this was a welcome relief.  Namjoon stood up and stood behind him, wrapping his arms around his waist, and placed his head next to his. They watched him lean back into Namjoon. “Jimin. We both love you. This isn’t just sex fueled lust, as much as we all enjoy that, it’s officially something more.”

Kook added, “I need it to officially be something more. I spoke to Yoongi today, and he feels the same, but we need to know how you feel.”

They watched him close his eyes and nod. “Words,” Jungkook said quietly.

“OH GOD,” Jimin started to cry as he reached up and hugged Kook, and Kook hugged him back. Namjoon let go and grabbed his pants, pulling them on but not buttoning them as Kook sat Jimin down on the bed. “Hey,” he said sweetly, wiping his face. “What’s wrong?” Jimin didn’t cry a lot, none of them really did, so when it happened, it meant something.

Namjoon crawled behind him and sat up against him, wrapping his arms around him, and resumed holding him.

“Joon. What did you say when he asked?” He asked through his controlled breaths.

“Um, I think I said something to the effect of, I officially accept what I have always accepted?”

Jimin smiled, tears dotting his face. “Well, then. I officially accept what I have always accepted.”

 "Yeah?" Jungkook beamed. 

"Yeah," he took a deep breath.  Namjoon gently kissed his neck as he melted into them.  

"Um, so Jin is left?" he moaned a little as they kissed and started touching him. 

"He is," Kook pulled him up to stand.  "Don't move.  We want to do this for you." He said as they started undressing him.  "This isn't about just fucking, let Jungkook lead,"  Namjoon said quietly in his ear.  

"Jimin.  I know you lean sub, but this isn't that," Kook said as he pulled his shirt off gently.  "This is...officially accepting what you have always accepted and letting me show you how much I love you."  

"God, those words," he whispered as they pulled him between them in bed. 

"They are really good words," Joon smiled as the three were instantly entangled. Sweet kisses and touches between them, pressing against each other, whispered adoring words as they became lost in the moment.  

"We need everyone," Namjoon moaned as someone reached over and started stroking him. 

"We will," Jungkook said in his ear, "When Yoongi is stronger, we will."  Jimin kissed and pressed against him as Kook was behind.  All the focus was on Joon as they watched him completely relax and let them gently take over.

Kook felt him push back, so he reached down, lined himself up, and slowly moved into him.  "Oh fuck.. oh fuck.. oh fuck..." Joon moaned as Jimin kept his mouth busy with his.  He was being held completely in Jungkook's arms as he made love to him.  It wasn't hard and fast, but slow and perfect.  

Jin was right, it was exactly what he needed.  He needed someone to take over as he stepped back from trying to control everything.  Jungkook and Jimin provided exactly what he needed.  They had been together for so long, they knew exactly when to push and when to step back.  It was like that with the group.  When someone felt off, they knew when they needed to step up or step back to give them space. Over the years, it had been learned, accepted, and required to be able to do what they did and be who their fans needed them to be.

Of course they loved each other, but this was a different kind of love.  They became closer when Ami came into their lives, and now they were almost all married to her. It felt natural for this to be their next official step.  It had always been mostly unspoken, until now.  Now, it felt like it was something they should have talked about years ago. 

"OH FUUUCK!" Jungkook groaned as he came hard, squeezing Namjoon tightly and stroking him faster until he joined him in bliss. 

"Fuck, fuck, fuck..." he said over and over, eyes closed and becoming a puddle as felt Kook slowly roll back a little as he laid there, only resting a second or two.  Then Jungkook reached over and grabbed Jimin, pulling him over between the two.  "Our turn," he didn't slow down as he was fully kissing and giving his attention to him. 

Kook was on his back as he pulled the man on top of him as they started going at it, slowly.  

Namjoon tried to focus, rolling to his stomach and slowly pushing himself up. While it wasn't a long, exhausting session, the emotions behind it made him feel loopy, and he loved it.  

"Wait...for...me..." he panted as he slowly made his way over and sat on Jungkook's thighs behind Jimin.  

"You okay, Joon?"  Kook smiled as he pushed Jimin up to sit with him on his legs.  

"I don't know," he smiled, a spaced-out smile, then started kissing Jimin's neck as he wrapped his arms around him, holding him in place.  "Is this ok?"

"Fuck YES," he gasped.  Kook took both his and Jimin's cocks in his hands, pressing them along side each other, and started stroking both at the same time. 

"Holy fuck, holy fuck, holy fuck..." he repeated over and over as the feeling of the both of them attending to him was more than he could manage.  

"We love you,"  Namjoon said between kisses. He could feel Jimin's breathing pick up as they focused on him, and he squeezed him tighter.   

"Please," he begged as he pushed back a little into Joon.  He obliged and pushed him over onto Kook so he could push into him while Kook kept stroking.  "Fuck," Namjoon could feel him squeeze around him as he entered, then pulled him gently back up.  Jimin's breathing turned to quick, shallow inhales and exhales as he felt himself get harder still in Kook's hands.  

"Fuck Joon,"  Kook groaned as they all got lost in their heads.  

Jimin started grinding as much as he could while Jungkook stroked them together, harder but not faster.  Namjoon stayed still as he let him move on him.  They were all lost. Jimin stopped moving, held his breath, mouth open, eyes closed as he came hard.  Namjoon hugged him as he took over and finished pumping into him hard and fast, then finishing in him.  Jungkook wasn't far behind,  eyes closed and breathing in quick, deep breaths as they all finally could feel each other unwind from each other and fall on the bed in exhaustion.  

Junkook was spread-eagled, naked and sweaty, eyes closed but a little smile on his lips as he tried to pull himself back.  

Namjoon had carefully pulled out before they toppled over together. He was on his side, crumpled, how he fell, and panting.  He felt amazing. 

Jimin lay in tandem with him, but was taking deeper, faster breaths, trying to restore his lack of oxygen.  His head was still swimming as he felt someone start to roll him over and put a blanket around him. 

"Jesus, what did you do to him?" he heard Hobi say.  

"What the fuck happened in here?" Tae grinned as he knew exactly what had happened.  

"You know, just chatting." Namjoon was trying to blink himself back into the present.  He rolled onto his back, mirroring Jungkook. 

"Obviously,"  Hobi smiled, then walked to the door, "Jin and Yoon, can you come up here please."  He called downstairs before returning to the group. 

"You good?" Tae leaned down and whispered in Jimin's ear, running his hand through his sweaty hair. 

"Officially," he whispered back, eyes still closed.  He turned his head towards Tae's voice and felt him give him a soft kiss. "Good."

Jungkook smiled and rolled to his side, pulling a blanket over his waist as Hobi found a throw for Namjoon.  

"Thanks," he smiled, a little more present, but his body still refused to want to move.  He felt too good to push it. 

"Well, we made the wrong choice to stay downstairs," Jin said as they walked into the room, taking in Joon and Jimin's state. Yoongi smiled, made eye contact with everyone, and then stood to the side.  

Jin walked to check on the two. "Joon, did we have fun?" he smiled as they finally saw him open, and he kept his eyes open for more than a second.  

"Yes," he slowly turned his head and looked at him.  

"Jesus, did Kook melt your brain?" 

"He did more than that," he said, taking a huge breath. He didn't want to, but he needed to move to break the feeling his brain was swimming in soup. 

"Good.  Jimin, how about you? You look like you're on another planet,"  Jin reached down and squeezed his arms over and over to his hands and back up.

"I am," he said now, a notch above a whisper. 

"Jin, we need to talk to you about something,"  Tae said, as he saw the rest of them agree.

"Oh.  I know," he said, smiling back as he gently kept squeezing Jimin down to his toes and back up, trying to help him recover.

"You do?" Jungkook looked surprised. 

"Since you all ran off upstairs, I took the liberty to chat with him.  I assumed Tae and Kook would have the same conversation we had earlier.  No more secrets, right?" Yoongi spoke up.  

"If I had known this was the full outcome, tossing Jimin and Joon into another dimension, I would have joined. But Yoongi and I had a good talk, too."  He rolled Jimin to his side, "Hobi?" was all he said, and Hobi crawled behind the exhausted man to hold him until he was ready.  

"Hi.  I'll stay with you until you're back," Hobi kissed him on the nape of his neck as they saw Jimin nod.   

Jungkook got up and slipped his pants back on, buttoning them, then reached over and pulled a heavier blanket over Namjoon, who was not eager to get up. "Jin and Hobi, I'll tell you the same thing I told everyone else.  What we have is more than just friendship or random hook-ups.  It's been more for a long time."

"I agree," Jin said, sitting on the bed, his hand resting on Jimin's feet, and starting to squeeze them.  "I also know words are very important to us all." 

"They are," Kook smiled as he leaned down, gently grabbing Jin by the base of his head with both hands and looking into his eyes. "I love that we are all more than when we started years ago.  I want you to know, I love our Ami and I love you, and I want nothing more than to do this forever."

Jin stared back into his eyes and could feel the sincerity of his words.  He didn't break his gaze as Kook looked at Hobi, "This is for you too.  I know you spoke to Tae, but you need to hear it from me." 

"I hear you and agree," Hobi said sweetly back. 

"What Joon said. Say what Joon said." Jimin sighed as he started to come around.  

"What?" Yoongi smiled, fully enjoying seeing Jimin and Namjoon so wonked out.  They all looked over to Namjoon for clarity. He was fully present now, quietly enjoying the conversation. "When Kook asked, I replied, I officially accept what I have always accepted."  

"Oh. That's fucking good," Yoon agreed. "Ditto." 

"So?" Jungkook looked back at Jin, waiting for the now official group's reply to his question. 

"Jungkook, I officially accept what I have always accepted,"  Jin said as he felt a calm feeling come over him. Kook leaned in and gave him a soft kiss before standing back up, walking to Hobi, wanting to do the same with him.  

"Swap me," Tae said, jumped up to change places with Hobi. The two switched places as Junkook waited for him.  Hobi didn't wait for Jungkook to ask, but grabbed his face and kissed him hard.  They all watched as they went at it for a few seconds, then started to slow down, finally pulling back a little but keeping their forehead touching.  "Jeon Jungkook.  I absolutely officially accept what I have always accepted."  As soon as he words were out, Kook kissed him gently one more time, then smiled.  

It was the closest and calmest they had all felt in a long time without Ami. She would always be their focus, but this needed to happen.  They needed this time together to solidify their bond, talk, and be truly present with each other.  

"Are we married now?"  Jimin started to stretch as he felt Tae rub his chest. 

"We're more than married. What we are can not be broken, " Tae's voice bounced around in his head as they all smiled.  

"Ok, we need to get him up and moving," Joon smiled as he started to roll out of bed himself.   Everyone started to get dressed as they helped pull Jimin up to a sitting position on the edge of the bed.  He was still wrapped in a blanket, his hair all messy, but he was smiling and finally awake.  

Yoongi walked over and helped pull him up. "I want whoever did that to you."

"Joon and Kook. You want Joon and Kook. Ask for the Jimin special," he smiled as they all helped him get dressed, and they headed back downstairs.  

Chapter 38

Readers!!

This seems like the perfect place to end Book 5 and carry on to Book 6!!  I was sure five would be the last, but what do I know anymore.  LOL  It feels like a good place to break.   I know I have some readers who prefer to binge-read when the entire book is done, so this gives them a chance to get caught up.  

Thanks for making it this far!!

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 5 of The Rules Series