ONE MONTH LATER

"Do I have to?"

Jimin knows he's a whiny bitch, but even he admits he sounded especially whiny today. His wife has been putting up with his reluctance to meet with Earth for the past three hours. He has ten minutes left until the meeting with the people who will determine if he keeps his job or not. As much as he hates Earth, the last thing he needs is to get his family kicked off his own spaceship. Granted, they own homes on Earth and have more than enough money to move wherever they want, but the Tokyo is where the crew is. It's their home.

"Jimin," she says, and the use of his actual name has him sitting up and setting his shoulders straight. She chuckles and brushes a few stray locks of his dark hair. "You have no reason to be nervous. You did your job well. Once again, you're making history."

Jimin keeps his steady gaze on Y/n in the dim light of their bedroom. He's sitting on their memory foam mattress, and the portrait Y/n drew of him all those years ago rests in a golden frame directly across from him. The one window they have causes the starlight to shine on it, illuminating the intricacies that went into the picture.

"I didn't do anything. That was Namjoon," Jimin whispers. She sits next to him and rests her head on his shoulder. He leans into it. "This crew, we saved the solar system. But Namjoon, Sehun, and the crew I sent on that distress mission? They saved humanity. All I did was watch us fire a laser at a highly hostile alien world."

She kisses his cheek and laughs. "No biggie."

"Compared to what they did? No, not at all. Our boy had to survive on an alien world and missed several years back home all because of a silly mistake. I know the Park family, Y/n. I know he's going to beat himself up for it."

Y/n leans back and meets his eyes. Then, she shakes her head. "No, he won't."

"What do you mean?"

Her hands find his, and they intertwine. Her warmth brings his core euphoria he cannot put into words. All the feelings she gives him, even after all this time, are sensational. He'll never get tired of her vanilla chapstick. Her love pouch. Her tendency to fiddle with her fingers. Her adorable eyes that sparkle when he smiles. And most importantly, her soul.

"Because his dad told him not to," she murmurs while giving his hands a squeeze. "You're the one blaming yourself, Mimi. You didn't drive him away. Please, he's back in our arms. He loves us more than anything."

Jimin sniffles. "Except Sehun."

She grins and nudges his shoulder. "Oh don't you dare. You're a smaller version of Jungkook."

"I got my Cupid trait from you, babe." He pauses to kiss her nose. "But fine. I guess I won't blame myself."

She sighs. "Guess?"

"Sorry, honey. You know that's the best you're getting."

She doesn't disagree. With her help, Jimin prepares for his meeting without complaint. Soon enough, he's departing their quarters and holding her one last time before he discovers his fate. He holds on a little tighter than normal.

"You'll be okay," she whispers, pressing a kiss to his neck. "If anyone can do this, it's you."

Jimin repeats those words in his mind as he bids his goodbyes and departs for the meeting room near the bridge. It's the most exclusive one reserved only for special occasions. Firing Jimin is apparently special, so he's not surprised they requested the best room on the ship.

Since he thinks he still has time, he takes a lap and passes by Irene's room. She's sitting outside with a comic in her hands. Her eyes are so engrossed in reading that she doesn't notice him until he flicks her head with his finger.

"Hey dork," he says.

She scowls and snaps her head up. "I'm reading."

"It won't make you smarter. Trust me, I tried. Not that it matters anymore. You know, your dad's going to a meeting that will likely end with him getting fired. Would you be okay with leaving the Tokyo?"

She knits her brows. "To go where?"

"Not sure. Ganymede, maybe. The petty side of me wants to go to Mars and settle down there just to see the look on Earth's face. I can imagine the headlines: 'Earth's most prized commander, now living on Mars.'"

Much to his amazement, she doesn't joke back. Instead, she stands and closes her comic. A soft smile pulls across her lips.

"We're family. Wherever you go, we go."

"Even if I want to go into a black hole?" he asks with a chuckle, and she returns it.

"In this economy, maybe."

Jimin gasps. "Who taught you that word?"

"Jungkook."

Jimin grumbles a few curses. "He's back for one month and he's already a bad influence." He pauses to ruffle Irene's hair. "Go on inside, don't stain your paints on the dusty ground."

She huffs. "But it's peaceful out here."

"Irene."

She opens her door and grunts. "Fine. Good luck at the meeting, dad. You'll be fine."

He wishes he can believe her, but his skyrocketing heartbeat is making it hard to believe anything, even the possibility of getting fired. As much as Jimin doesn't care for Earth, he loves the Tokyo. He loves his family living here and making a difference in the system. When he was an engineer on the Hep, he never imagined he'd do anything other than haul minerals from one side of the system to another. Now, he's ruling the very place he thought he'd mean nothing to. The last thing he wants to do is lose that because of petty, stubborn, and straight-up stupid mistakes.

Jimin makes sure Irene gets inside before he stalks off to the meeting room. When he enters, he sees President Aiko. No other Earth representatives are present, which makes Jimin stop in his tracks.

"Am I early?" Jimin asks.

President Aiko motions to the seat across from him. "You never are. Sit. We have a lot to discuss."

Jimin steps inside and goes to the metal table with four chairs. President Aiko sits on one end while Jimin slides into the chair on the opposite side. The rest of the room is soundproof and free of decorations. Jimin has never been known as one to decorate his ship. The meeting rooms reflect that.

"I hope my report was detailed enough," Jimin says as if to soften the blow of the news he knows he's about to receive. He can feel his throat tightening. "It took a week to write it. If you require any further details about that day, please let me-"

"Commander, let's stop with the small talk and get to the point. You've acted like an immature brat using the Tokyo as your toy. Earth is not your sandbox. We assigned you to the outer regions for a reason. At every turn, you've been late, acted snarky, and gave unsolicited advice about how to run Earth."

Figuring he's already deep in the hole, Jimin shrugs. "Maybe if you actually knew how to run it, I wouldn't say anything."

President Aiko folds his hands together on the table, but his face, the face without a mask for the first time, stays neutral. Although Jimin has known Aiko for his entire four-year term, he hasn't seen his face. President Aiko preferred to keep a mask on to hide the burn scars. Now, Jimin can see each one and how it spreads across his dark skin. The pale marks contrast his body, and his sharp brown eyes refuse to glance at anything other than Jimin. Jimin has to admit the gaze is unsettling, but not as unsettling as the man's lack of eyebrows and hair.

"You think you can run Earth better than us?" the man asks. His voice is deep yet somehow soft. Aiko tends to sound authoritative; that was why he was elected. The people wanted a stronger presence—someone who could intimidate Mars. Seeing as Jimin is gulping and almost shitting his pants, he agrees with the citizens: Aiko is terrifying beyond belief.

"Earth is my home." The words feel forced, but Jimin wants to believe they're true. Earth will always be where he grew up with his little brother, and also the place he and his wife tied the knot. "I would do anything to protect it. I apologize for my rash actions and words, but I hope you know I only say these things because of how much I love this system. All I want to do is help others. I have this position of power, but it feels like I haven't done enough with it. Every minute, someone is suffering whether it be in the Belt or on Earth, yet there's nothing I can do about it. I love keeping the outer rim safe, but I'd feel better if Earth wasn't having riots every other day."

President Aiko doesn't answer for a long moment. "It was a yes or no question, Commander Park."

Jimin swallows his pride. "I don't know. Maybe."

"Yes or no," President Aiko says. His voice is much tighter now. The authoritative side slips in.

Jimin sets his shoulders. "Yes."

The word hangs in the room and refuses to leave. Jimin wishes he could whisk the air and make it disappear, but he remains still. Stiff. Frozen.

"Okay," President Aiko says. It sounds like he chewed the word before he spoke it. "Then do it."

Jimin can't help himself: his eyes bulge. "Sir?"

"My term is coming to an end. Election season is in four months, and I put in your name for the next president. I doubt you'll have any competition. The people will vote for you based on your name, let alone your policies and all you've done to help Earth. You're a hero again, Mr. Park. It'd be an honor to recommend you as the next President of Earth."

Jimin pinches himself under the table, but when he doesn't wake, he's forced to confront the reality of the situation. His tongue goes dry with his eyes that haven't blinked since the start of the conversation.

"Sir, I don't know what to say. I can't run Earth. The Tokyo is my home-"

"I know it's a commitment, but your position on the Tokyo will be available once you complete your term. All you have to do is find someone to take over as commander for four years. I assume Executive Jeon is your pick?"

Jimin chuckles. "No, I need Jungkook with me. I have another candidate in mind. His name is Akira, he'll get the job done. Hell, you'll like him more than me."

President Aiko cracks a smile at that, but since half of his lips are covered in scars, it looks more like a flap of skin raising to wave at him. "I mean this with respect, but you're an asshole, Commander. You were obnoxious, rude, and out of line. I'm giving you a chance to correct your mistake. Lead Earth and fix it. There's no one who can do it but you."

"I doubt that. I'm just one man, and I couldn't have done anything without my crew. Besides, I don't want to be too involved. I don't want the system to feel like I'm the dictator."

"Four years as president is hardly a dictatorship, especially when the people are going to vote you in. All you have to do is say you're running for president, make a few campaigns, then you're in office. You'll win by a landslide, and with my endorsement and financial support, you will have a smooth transition into office."

Jimin slumps back in his chair. "Leaving the Tokyo is a big change."

"Mr. Park," President Aiko says with a soft sigh. "I want to make Earth safe, but with my time up, there's nothing more I can do. You're the solution. No matter how much I personally can't stand you, even I have to admit you're a good candidate to lead. Your entire crew has been through literal hell and back, and you always come out on top. It's time to make real change. Are you with me?"

Somehow, Jimin manages to reply with, "Yes sir."

"Good. I know politics isn't your favorite thing in the world, so I'll get you started off. I want you to talk to the leader of the Belt. I believe you two are already acquainted?"

Jimin lights up. "Yes, Dahyun. I've met her a few times."

"And you're acquainted with Ganymede thanks to your wife's origins. I want you to unite the system and help Earth and Mars heal. Can you do that?"

Although Jimin has fought his entire life for peace, the system still doesn't have it. Ganymede is much stronger than it ever was, and the Belt is thriving all things considered, but Earth and Mars are the final piece in the convoluted puzzle of politics. Jimin never saw himself as the one who would bring the system together in harmony, but here he is. Maybe he'll fail. Maybe he'll stumble and make things worse. However, he was the governor of Ganymede for a short period of time, not to mention he's spent half of his career dealing with uptight politicians. And, above that, he's an optimistic to his core. Namjoon is the one who reminded him of that, and Jimin plans to honor it.

Jimin leans forward, and a laugh escapes his lips.

"Yeah. Yeah, I think I can."

~~~

Two days after the meeting, Jimin finds himself in the hangar.

The entire crew surrounds the vast space, and they're overlooking Akira's leadership skills. Akira is directing Mars representatives onto the ship to start Jimin's journey as the potential new president of Earth. Jimin already spoke to Dahyun and arranged an in-person meeting in one week, but since there were Mars representatives stationed on Triton, Jimin decided to invite them onboard for a formal meeting regarding Jimin's future.

Jimin has no doubts he'll be elected. With the blessing of a president that had a high approval rating, not to mention Jimin's own status in the solar system, there is little chance anyone else would put up a fight. That's assuming anyone even bothers to run against him. Jimin hopes someone does; the last thing he wants is to feel like a dictator, but if that's what the people want, that's what they want. He can't say no to the innocents who are relying on him to protect them.

Akira welcomes their guests with a smile wider than the Tokyo, and it appears genuine, too. Jungkook, who literally hasn't let go of Sehun since they got back, is near Akira. His enhancements are there, and Anya is investigating them as much as she can. So far, they've discovered it isn't fatal. Jungkook's enhancements came back during the Earth Mars war all those years ago, and the same explanation for then can be applied now: adrenaline. Jungkook has never reached that level before the new Ring, and it caused the tiny amount of enhancement fluid he had left in his body to take over.

The odds are, they'll remove what's left. Jungkook was one of the first to receive the experimental treatment, so Anya and Sapphire aren't surprised there are remnants from the past. Finally, they'll put it to bed. Jungkook can live free of worry that his enhancements will kill him. The operation is in two days, and Jimin already promised to be there for it regardless of his new campaign.

"What's the word about the Ring? Any updates?" Yoongi asks, interrupting Jimin's thoughts.

"The Earthies deployed a team to reinforce the barrier between us and them. Every faction is offering ships, even Mars. The research vessels out there have confirmed no activity since we fired on it. The distortion is much weaker, so Earth has deemed it relatively safe."

"Translation: no updates," Jin says from beside Jimin.

"Hey," Y/n says, whacking Jin's shoulder. "That's my man and Earth's future president. Be nice."

"What's he gonna do? Deport me from the place I don't live?"

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that very unfunny joke," Jimin says, blowing a raspberry. "More importantly, how are everyone's kids holding up?"

"Fantastic," Taehyung says with a dramatic sigh. "Sehun is so in love. He made an entire dance routine for Namjoon."

"Namjoon drew a portrait for Sehun," Y/n murmurs, kicking at the ground. "Makes me miss when we were young and in love."

Jimin lets out a long sigh. "Young love." He pauses and glances at Irene, who's hanging out with Yoongi and Sapphire's kid. "It's beautiful until it happens to Irene."

Y/n shakes her head. "Men."

Akira does a mini tour of the hangar for the Mars representatives, and Baekhyun chuckles and cheers for the newfound leader. Akira sheepishly smiles and shoots them a thumbs-up before continuing.

Namjoon, Sehun, and Jihyun spoke highly of Rosa and Akira, so Jimin made sure they got promotions and some serious hazard pay. Speaking of, Jihyun is right by Jimin, overlooking the row of ships.

One of them is a rebuilt version of the racing ship Jimin bought Namjoon for his birthday. Jimin didn't know if it was a good idea to give him another after what happened last time, but he knew Namjoon learned his lesson. If anything, Jimin understood. He should have expected it. After all, both Jimin and Y/n ran away from their parents. Why didn't Jimin anticipate their firstborn would do the same?

Jimin has no fears of Namjoon leaving again. Namjoon himself sat Jimin down and told him he didn't want to move out anymore. He missed five precious years, and he wanted to make up for it. Not because he felt he owed Jimin, but because he owed it to himself to redeem himself for his rash decision that resulted in such a complicated mess.

However, Jimin holds no ill will toward his son. Namjoon stopped a dangerous creature from attacking the solar system. Jimin is the savior of the solar system, but Namjoon is the savor of mankind. Jimin is confident he can relax for the rest of his life. After fixing Earth and cleaning up tensions between the varying factions across the system, he'll have nothing left to do but his wife and taxes. He never thought he'd see the day.

Namjoon comes over with Sehun and Jungkook giggling right next to him. The entire crew groans at the sight of the lovebirds and the Cupid who encourages them. Jimin finds joy in it, mostly because the entire crew is overlooking all their kids playing in the hangar and celebrating the return of the two missing groups. Rosa is there and throwing heart eyes at Jihyun, and Jimin keeps nudging his brother to push him in her direction.

"We have an announcement," Sehun says with a smile. "Namjoon and I made our relationship official."

"So it wasn't official last week when I walked in on you two making out in the greenhouse past curfew?" Sapphire asks with an appalled look on her face.

Sehun goes pale. "Okay, listen-"

Sehun is interrupted by Hoseok clearing his throat and forcing Sehun and Namjoon apart. Jungkook follows Sehun like a lost puppy, which means Namjoon is stuck with his parents. Namjoon sighs and glares at Hobi, but the man only smiles.

"Hobi did that on purpose, didn't he? What do you want to talk about?" Namjoon asks, and Jimin and Y/n grin.

"Your new ship. Are you gonna use it for painting?"

"Oh yeah, no more flying around the edge of the solar system. It's a full-time art studio and occasional holiday trip ship. Why?"

"We're giving you the naming rights this time," Y/n says, and Namjoon's jaw drops. "No pressure, but you have to name it something iconic. You come from a long line of people who are great at naming ships. You know your dad-"

"-named your ship the Moonchild. He's told me that a million times," Namjoon says with a snicker. "Don't worry, I think I have the name figured out."

"Well, don't leave us in suspense. What is it?" Jimin asks.

Namjoon glances at it, and Jimin does the same. It's a gorgeous red and white racing ship. It's much smaller than the last one, but that means it's faster and has better shield capacity. The weapons are basic but enough to get him out of a firefight, not that Jimin wants him to get into any. Y/n vowed to teach their son some flight maneuvers, same with Sehun since both her and Jimin have an inkling that Sehun will almost always be the one flying it.

"Well, when we took the old one out, we went off-course. I was thinking I name it after that. The Astray, maybe?"

Jimin groans. "No, no, choose something else. I already chose that for my ship before Jungkook wrecked it."

Namjoon laughs and leans against the railing. Jimin leans with him and takes in the sights. His entire crew is by his side, laughing and embracing, celebrating that it's over. They won the ultimate war, and it was thanks to Namjoon, Sehun, Akira, Rosa, Jungkook, and Jihyun. Of course, the Tokyo helped, but the ground crew did the heavy lifting.

All their children are running around the hangar and teasing one another. Rosa is in the center of it all to make sure no one gets hurt. Much to Jimin's amazement, Jihyun approaches her, and the two smile at each other. Jimin can spot the blush on Rosa's face from his position above them, and he mentally laughs. Finally, his brother is getting some.

Aurora and Baekhyun are in the corner with their arms wrapped around one another. Yoongi and Sapphire pretend they aren't staring at each other. Of course, Seulgi and Hoseok are being obnoxious despite how they always claim they're the least obnoxious in the group. Jin and Anya are next to them, making disgusted faces and gagging. Taekook are making fun of Sehun for his crush on Namjoon. Meanwhile, Jimin is with his wife and firstborn child. Jimin wouldn't trade it for anything, even a lifetime supply of alcohol.

"Okay, I got it. I chose something similar," Namjoon says, which brings Jimin out of his thoughts.

"Well don't leave us in suspense," Jimin replies, and the three of them laugh. "What are you gonna name it?"

Namjoon stares at the ship for a few more moments, and Jimin notices the look of longing swirling in his dragon-like eyes. According to Namjoon, he has the memories of Kim Namjoon, but he chose to be Park Namjoon instead. Jimin knows with certainty that this is the rest of his life: his kids, his wife, and his sacred duty to protect the people. He would do it for the rest of his days without fail, and serenity would soon follow.

So, when Namjoon parts his lips to answer, Jimin has no worries. And when the answer reveals itself, Jimin eye smiles.

"Adrift."

THE END

~~~

A/N: Thank you for joining me on this wonderful journey. The Adrift series coming to an end is something I never thought I'd see, but it's definitely necessary.

I'm grateful for all the support Adrift and Astray have received both on Quotev and Wattpad. It was an incredible, long, and fun ride that I will remember until the day I go.

I hope you're happy with Jimin getting the final POV, and everyone receiving a happy ending. After everything I put you through in both Adrift and this book, I didn't want to end on a sour note. The crew especially deserved their peace, and I wanted to honor their legacy by giving them peace while also tying up the loose end that was the Ring in Adrift.

Of course, there are still unanswered questions and potential for future installments, but I think this ending is what the series needs. It needs Jimin to be the one to tie the system together, Namjoon to accept himself as a Park, Sehun to get in the bone-zone with Joon, and the rest of the crew to live happily.

Thank you for reading, and I hope I see you in the comments of my upcoming work, Starfield. It releases on Adrift's anniversary, December 21. I was considering posting this chapter on the 21st, but considering this story took literally over a year to write, I figured I've been keeping you waiting long enough.

Anyway, enough rambling. I hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you in the next one, which will hopefully be Starfield.

~ Raven

~~~

STARFIELD WEEK, DAY 6

Starfield will be long-format, similar to my popular works Adrift and Heartless. The three core factions in the book are: United Colonies (UC), Freestar Collective (FC), and House Va'ruun.

Outside of the BTS members, one of the main characters is Sam Coe. He is an excellent marksman with incredible knowledge of the Freestar Collective. He is one of the last known descendants of the founder of the Freestar Collective, Solomon Coe. He also has a daughter named Cora Coe.

Sam believes in law and order. He wants the galaxy to be a safer place. So, when he meets the criminal, Park Jimin, I think you can imagine how their relationship starts off.

However, with Sam being a vital member of Constellation, Jimin has to learn to get along with both him and his daughter. During this time, secrets about Jimin's past are revealed that put his relationship with Sam to the test. For the better of the galaxy, they need to work together, but can they?

Check out my most recent message board post to see more details + the official book trailer!