(Y/N) POV:

I huffed looking at the attached IV drip with disgust, shooting it a hateful glare as though it would magically disappear under my fuming eyes.

"(Y/N)-ah, it won't vanish the longer you stare at it." A chuckling Tae said.

I turned to aim that glare at him instead but found myself unable to under the boxy grin and light practically radiating off him.

"Anyways...I've gotten something to cheer you up." He added, grinning at me.

Curiosity got the best of me.

"What is it Taetae?" I said bouncing slightly causing the IV drip to dig in slightly, the slight flare of pain making me halt my movements.

Oh, this blasted thing!

"I'm ready to make you into a mummy." He chirped, I nodded along. Wait, what?!

"Mummy?" I inquired tentatively.

"Yeah! Tannie's mummy. I think you're perfect!" he said before he left the room and re-entered with a handful of fluffy Pomeranian.

I cooed, hands reaching out for Tae to hand me Yeontan. He was a puppy, so he was TINY, he even managed to fit into my hands when I cupped them. I peppered kisses all across Tannie's face, mood lightening instantly.

He wagged his tail eagerly, tongue coming out to lap at my face. I giggled under the slightly ticklish sensation, squirming away but he just leaned forward continuing with his act.

His tail wagged back and forth quickly as I sat him down in my lap, petting his fur unable to stop the cooing or myself from pressing kisses all along his face.

"Hey, don't ignore me!" Tae protested, watching mouth agape at the love I showered my baby with. He came forward hands outstretched to take Tannie away from me.

I pulled away defensively, holding his small body in my hands, raised slightly above my head.

"Hey, no fair. You can't separate a mother from her child. You're going to psychologically damage him!" I protested trying to avoid Tae's long limbs reaching forward. He toppled over onto me, fingers darting out to tickle me in attempt to get me to leave Tannie. NEVER. I thought between helpless giggles.

"HELP! HELP!" I yelled between giggles, the effect was instantaneous, the door crashed open as several figures tumbled through the doorway.

Kookie bounded forward, eyes scanning the room and then seeing Tae's body pressing mine into the mattress, my head only visible, he darted forward.

"Hyung off! Stop squishing my cuddle buddy!" he yelled as he wrestled his body off me.

I gasped for breath, both from the tickling and from my body being squished.

I laughed victoriously bring Tannie up in front of me as he wriggled excitedly.

"I win Tae! I want full custody over him!" I yelled as I rose up victoriously before the drip pulled at my hip slightly. I tried to mask my wince, I thought I was successful.

I looked up to see narrowed eyes and an oblivious giggling Tae.

"You can play Lion King later missy." Jin oppa lectured, hands on hips. I looked up to see the position I was holding Tannie mirrored it and I couldn't stop my lips from twitching. He moved forward to tug me back into bed, but I crossed my legs, lip jutting out petulantly as I cuddled Tannie.

"(Y/N)-ah, you need to rest." He insisted with a despaired sigh.

"But I'm boooored." I whined, "and Tae was just playing with me until he tried kidnapping" I added, glancing at Tae to see his eyes widen.

"And I don't want my baby to grow up impaired without a mother's love..." I added lamenting over the possible separation.

Joonie oppa laughed.

"She's right there Tae. Mother and child bonding is crucial to development." He added, teasing Tae.

But I didn't want to say the real reason. I didn't realise I was frowning until Jiminie leaned forward to nudge at my chin gently.

"What's wrong (Y/N)-ah?" he asked, voice warm.

I avoided answering instead refocusing my attention on Tannie, making a little nest for him on my bed, he caught at my hands mid-fiddle.

"It's nothing..." I said.

"Are you sure about that? Come on, you can tell us. It's not like you broke something like Joon hyung or knocked into Jin hyung whilst he was cooking making him drop the bowl or delete Kookie's records accidentally when you were dancing too hard like Hobi hyung does." I laughed, as said offenders protested.

I could tell them.

"It's just you keep telling me to sleep and the medication makes me sleepy and when I sleep, I get scared that I'll wake up unable to move again." I whispered the last part.

A pale hand wrapped itself around mine.

"That's not going to happen, I promise. Let's go into the living room, yeah?" Yoongi oppa asked gently tugging me upwards and out of the bed.

Finally. I didn't want to be stuck in bed all day. I was so used to having adapted to their schedules that now, doing nothing made me feel uneasy.

The others trailed behind, Tannie eagerly walking at my feet, looking upwards at me happily.

I sank down onto the floor, pulling a cushion into my lap as Tannie darted over to me, the maknaes following pouting.

"I'm not bringing Tannie around next time. I feel neglected." Tae whined, the others finding themselves nodding in agreement.

"Don't do that Tae! If you do, I'll, I'll make Hobi oppa my new cuddle buddy!" I threatened, I could've said anyone's name, but my eyes fell on him first. Hobi oppa beamed at me and skipped over to plop himself down next to me, lying down on my lap.

"Don't do that!" Tae insisted trying and failing to move Hobi oppa off my lap who in turn snuggled further into me, I started threading my fingers through his hair and he smiled, dimples coming out. I couldn't help it, I poked them lightly laughing with him.

"(Y/N)-ah, do you want anything to eat?" Jin oppa asked.

"Hyung what about mee?"

"I'm hungry too!"

"You're neglecting us hyung!"

"Should I go make something?" and then a "Stay AWAY from my kitchen Namjoon-ah!"

I smiled at their antics, feeling well and truly relaxed and content.

"Hey hyungs! Let's watch a horror movie!" Kookie suggested leaning forward to enter a film into the player.

Big. Mistake.

I didn't realise that the group had mixed reactions towards horror movies. Kookie and Tae were watching eagerly, laughing at their hyungs whenever there was a scary scene or a jump scare. Jiminie didn't seem too bothered but he was gripping onto Tae rather tightly, his shirt bunched up in his fist and occasionally he'd press his face into Tae's back, blocking out the screen from view.

Joonie oppa and Jin oppa were watching, well bickering more, every time Joonie oppa opened his mouth to comment on the cinematography or the theories he had, Jin oppa would whack him on whatever place he could access. I felt sorry for him, he was in pain just for being a bright intellectual, curious soul. Jin oppa's bickering drowned out Joonie oppa's quieter comments making parts of the movies harder to hear. Plastered onto either side of me was Yoongi oppa and Hobi oppa, seems they didn't enjoy horror movies. My right ear was ringing, and I was pretty sure I was losing feeling in my arm with how tight Hobi oppa was gripping it and the loud screams he let out as we watched. Yoongi oppa was tightly pressed against me too but he claimed because it was because I 'was cuddly'. He would duck his head into my neck every now and then when a scary scene played.

And me? I was so occupied with everyone reacting so differently and trying to soothe the two on either side of me that I'm pretty sure I didn't process anything.

After the film was finished, one of them leaned over to turn the lights on and I blinked at the sudden brightness of the room waiting for my eyes to finish adjusting.

"Hyung! I couldn't even hear over you two bickering like an old married couple." Kookie complained.

"Yah! How dare you? I didn't raise you to be like that!" Jin oppa started protesting.

"I'm sorry oppa but I'm with Kookie on this one. I can't remember a single thing that happened in the film at all." I added and the look of utmost betrayal was redirected at me instead. Before he could tell me off though, my phone rang.

"Hey Will! Why've you vanished off the face of the earth?" I asked.

"Hey (Y/N), glad to hear you back to your peppy darling self. I'm popping over with Vick for a bit. We need to you sign off on the file so we can finally close this case up." He said.

I felt my heart sink, I knew it was just a formality but being reminded of what I had been through bought a sense of discord in me. I never wanted to dwell on that horrible time of my life again. But at the same time, I knew it had to be done.

"Yeah, yeah sure. Come on over." I agreed, but even to me my voice sounded distant and detached.

I hung up, dragging a hand down my face feeling weary. It was like Joohyun had somehow taken over every living moment and even after he was taken, he still managed to invade my daily existence.

----

The boys picked up on the shift in mood almost instantly, crowding around her. Hobi pulled (Y/N) into his embrace further, dislodging Yoongi's head from her shoulder. He glared at Hobi but wisely chose not to comment.

"What's wrong (Y/N)-ah?" Jimin asked, treading lightly on the matter.

"Nothing. The guys are coming over for a bit, they just need to my signature on some paperwork." (Y/N) spoke listlessly but the boys all knew she was referring to the case.

The guys had told them that when (Y/N) had recuperated more they would be visiting but they hated seeing the downcast look on her face.

A while later, the door rang and Namjoon got up to answer the door inviting the guys into the living room.

(Y/N) stood up, eyes tired and weary, to greet the guys hugging them all briefly.

"Let's get this done with." She sighed taking the files and sitting down to sign on them. When she flipped the first page open, she briefly scanned the details, lips tightening as she read the information.

Her hands shook as she turned the page, pain filling her eyes as she read her old testimonies, Moonbin's testimonies, witness statements, the photographs of her bruised battered body from a few years back. A few tears slipped down her face as she stared at her old self, so weakened, so vulnerable, so abused. Her jaw tightened as she continued going through the evidence compiled against Joohyun, face hardening as she read the horrible incidents of her life documented as though reading an information booklet. Her body was trembling by the time she got to the end, reading the statements written by Vick, Trace and Will.

Suddenly her head jerked up.

"Joohyun's dead?" she said, voice breathy.

She took in the grim nods of the brothers and the firm, blank canvases of the members.

Her breaths were shaky and the members crowding around to soothe her, acting instinctively in response to her distraught body language.

"I'm such a horrible person for feeling relieved, aren't I?" she mumbled.

Heads shook frantically.

"You should be relieved; you've been a victim of his behaviour and your life has been impacted since. Don't think so low of yourself (Y/N). You can finally live." Vick spoke, his words seemed blunt and harsh but there was a soft warmth in them as he gently took the file out of her tight grip. The pen having dropped out of her hands after she signed them.

She lifted her head.

"It's over. It's over." She repeated, unable to believe the words leaving her mouth.

"It's over (Y/N)-ah. And trust me when I say, your life is waiting for you to live it." Trace added.

They left shortly afterwards, and the disappearance of the file and the shutting of the door seemed to cut (Y/N) of the strings holding her up. She sagged into the sofa, body curling up on itself.

(Y/N) POV:

It was all over. Over. Joohyun was dead, he wasn't coming back. He could never make your life miserable again. And somehow, I knew, that it would all work out. I was going to be okay. The warmth that came from being around the members never failed to soothe me. Their presence settled that niggling sense of unease I had had for some time in my life. I was going to move forward with them, helping them, supporting them, and letting them be there for me.

It was okay to stumble, it was okay to fall, because I wasn't alone. I never had been really. It took me some time to realise. It took me oceans to cross and the beginning of a new life, a new start, I moved thousands of miles away from home to finally be with family.

Family was with them. With the boys. They had been my backbone, my shield. They had seen me at my lowest and still loved and cared for me. Where would I ever find love like that?

And as the door shut behind the remnants of my old pained past. I knew, this is where I wanted to be. This was where I was happy. I had finally come home.

I looked at all of them seated in close proximity to me, smiling at me with such love in their eyes.

"I love you guys. Thank you for making me a part of your family." I said, voice carrying through the room.

I didn't think it was possible to feel happier than in that moment. But from the way their smiles stretched out further, and their eyes shone. I knew...that from now each moment with them was going to be the most beautiful moment of my life and whatever path life carved for me, I was never going to walk alone.

BTS POV:

There was only one thought that went through our minds at that moment.

(Y/N), we love you. We will always walk along life's path with you.

(AND THAT'S A WRAP EVERYBODY! WE'VE COME TO THE END OF THIS FANFIC. AND HONESTLY, IT WOULDN'T EXIST WITHOUT YOU ALL TODAY. I HOPE I WRAPPED IT UP NICELY AND ENDED IT ON THAT NOTE OF HOPE. WHO KNOWS WHAT ADVENTURES AND JOURNIES YOU WILL ALL WALK ALONG WITH BTS? BUT I CAN SAY FOR SURE THAT IT IS TOGETHER, AS A FAMILY. LIFE MAY NOT BE ALL SUNSHINE AND FLOWERS BUT IT WILL BE CHERISHED. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT THROUGHOUT MY WRITING. IT WAS THE POSITIVE RESPONSES I GOT FROM ALL OF YOU THAT MADE ME EAGER TO WRITE AND UPDATES BECAME MORE FREQUENT. I'M SO GLAD YOU GUYS STUMBLED ACROSS THIS FIC AND HELPED ME GROW AS A WRITER AND AS A PERSON. COVID-19 IS A GLOBAL PANDEMIC- BUT IN IT I FOUND COMFORT THROUGH WRITING AND TALKING TO YOU ALL. EVERY CLOUD HAS A SILVER LINING IT SEEMS. I LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU ALL FOR BEING THERE AND I HOPE THAT THIS ENDING DIDN'T DISAPPOINT. WE REACH THE END WITH AN ASTONISHING 25K READS, 1K VOTES AND 500 COMMENTS- WHAT LOVELY NUMBERS!)

I hope you all walk along another path with me as I move onto another writing. From now, it is the soulmate au I hope to get all your support on!

Borahae ARMY! See you on the other side! 💜💜💜

PurpleQueenie <3