I wake up on the couch alone to an eerily silent condo. I am disoriented as I sit up, realizing that I'm on the couch instead of my bed, and there is sunlight streaming through the living room windows. "What time is it?" I ask myself as I rub the sleep out of my eyes.

I stand and groggily stumble to the kitchen where the stove tells me that it is ten in the morning. "Shit!" I yell, startled by the realization that I have slept in.

No wonder the condo was so quiet, the boys are probably all at work by now. I feel a pang of regret as I realize I didn't even get to send them off, but I am touched that they had let me sleep. I have to admit that it is lonely, waking up alone. I have grown so used to waking up to the smell of Jin's cooking, and now waking up without the reassurance of someone else around leaves me feeling oddly disconcerted.

After a rather disappointing breakfast of cereal and scrambled eggs, I set about my daily tasks with considerably less zeal than normal. It isn't until around noon that I perk up. I am folding the boy's clothes when I realize that I am zoning out, daydreaming about last night's events. Yoongi is so adorable sometimes, and my heart literally can't take it if it's telltale thumping is any evidence. It won't leave my mind, the way he held me so closely, as if afraid that I would vanish the moment he let go. He treats me as if I am precious to him, and it is such a novel idea to me. The idea of being wanted, needed, is one that both appeals to me and frightens me all the same.

I have just put away the last of the laundry and am exiting Taehyung's bedroom when I hear the sound of the front door being opened. Curious as to who it could be at this hour, when all the boys are to be at work, I set the hamper back into its place and scurry into the living room. Surprisingly it is Jimin, and he is seated on the couch pushing his hair back dejectedly, posture slouched and defeated.

I walk to the couch and sit beside him. As I wait for him to acknowledge my presence, I take in his demeanor. I can tell that he has had a rough day, and my heart bleeds for him. I have grown to love the smiles of all the boys, and the fact that Jimin's is missing simply won't do. He gives me a half-hearted smile as he looks to me, not truly acknowledging me, but it is good enough.

"Jimin, what's wrong? You look so sad." My voice is gentle, an effort on my part to be comforting.

The man before me is quiet, and I can tell that he is searching for the words to say, to put his pain into speech. It seems that words fail him, so instead, he simply shrugs. My heart breaks into even tinier pieces at his nondescript answer. He sees my sadness and sighs.

"I'm just struggling with the new choreography, that's all."

The look on his face tells me that there is more, so I wait patiently for him to continue. "Kookie and Hobi-hyung got it down so effortlessly and I keep making mistakes. It's frustrating. I feel like..." He stops, hesitant to voice the next words, "I feel like I'm not good enough."

There is not a moment of hesitation as I pull the pink-haired idol into a tight hug. "Oh Jimin, you are perfect and amazing just the way you are." I smile tenderly at him as I release him, leaning back to look him in the eyes.

"I really admire your hard work, and you are so talented, honestly I'm a bit envious. I wish I could dance like you. But the truth is that it doesn't matter if it takes you longer to learn the choreography. What matters is that you do, that you will, because you are so talented and dedicated. And when you do you will make it look amazing and effortless too. I'm sure that even Hobi probably struggled to learn it, but it looks different to you because you are so harsh to yourself that you cannot let yourself believe that you are not the only one who has to work so hard." I smile because his smile is returning and his crescent eyes twinkle with excitement.

"You really think so?" he asks eagerly.

"I know so."

"You know, if you wanted to learn how to dance I could definitely teach you!" he offers excitedly. I am sure that it would make Jimin's day if I said yes, at least until I broke all of his toes in the process.

"That's a very, very bad idea. If I start dancing, I'm telling you now that it means someone is going to die soon," I say lightheartedly.

"Because you're so sexy?" He asks, eyes twinkling with mirth. He knows what I meant.

"Because I was born with two left feet."

The two of us laugh at that, and it seems that the cheerful Park Jimin has returned. I am relieved. The sound of a text message alert breaks the moment, and as I reach for my phone I realize that I had forgotten to give Yoongi his half of the Kumamon phone accessories. Jimin notices my dejected visage.

"What's wrong all of a sudden?" he asks, there is genuine concern in his voice and it warms my heart.

"It's nothing, really. I just realized that I forgot to give Yoongi a gift that I bought for him a while back. I meant to give it to him last night, but I guess I got sidetracked." It really wasn't anything to get worked up about, I can always give it to him when he gets home. Maybe it was more the fact that I missed him, and Jimin seems to pick up on that.

"Your relationship with Yoongi-hyung is official and everything, so I don't see why it would be a problem for you to stop by the office and give it to him. I'm sure that taking ten minutes or so of his time wouldn't really be an issue. Hyung has a bad habit of not taking his breaks anyways, so, honestly, you'd probably be doing him a favor." He beams at me.

"I don't know...I'm sure that I'd be an unwelcome distraction..." I trail off. I am unsure as to whether it's truly a good idea. I know that the world in which my boyfriend lives is not one I can enter freely nor follow him into, and perhaps a small part of me is afraid to acknowledge that.

But Jimin, it seems, is not taking no for an answer. He drags me to my room and throws me inside with a command to get dressed. Then he is dragging me out the door and into a taxi. Before I know it, we are on our way to the Big Hit office itself.

Along the way, Jimin prattles my ear off, and I am given the chance to see his mochi side in full effect as he animatedly describes his favorite places within the office. His excitement reaches a whole new high when he begins talking about the newest stylist for BTS. Apparently, Jimin is not alone in his small crush either.

"Even Jungkook has a thing for her! You should see it! He turns all red anytime she talks to him, and he actually stutters. It's priceless. I'm telling you, she's so pretty! And she's from America, just like you!" Suddenly Jimin becomes very serious as he grabs my hands and demands my attention. "How do I get a woman to notice me?" he asks me. I can tell from the look on his face that he is completely serious and I am absolutely floored.

"If Army heard you asking such a question I'm pretty sure someone would be crucified. Do you not know how many women have noticed you on a national scale?" My shock and incredulity are evident on my face, and Jimin becomes exasperated.

"Not like that! You know what I mean!" he drops my hands and begins to pout, and it is just so cute that I cannot help but laugh a little, which in turn causes Jimin to become indignant.

"What are you laughing at? My manly pride is so hurt right now!" he growls. I am sure that Jimin is the only person who would say such a thing without sarcasm, and it has me dying of laughter.

His glare doesn't help, instead, it has the effect of only making him look even cuter. "Jimin, I'm pretty sure that all you have to do is be yourself. I already told you, you are perfect just the way you are. If she's worthy of you, she'll see that too." My smile is bright and infectious. Jimin cannot help but release his glare and smile right along with me.

We arrive at Big Hit without incident and I'm instantly grateful to have Jimin by my side. Not only does the receptionist not look too keen on my visit, I am certain I would have easily gotten lost without someone to physically show me the way. It almost feels as if I am in Fort Worth again, searching for Sarah. Thinking of Sarah still hurts, I realize, as I recognize the pang in my chest for what it is. I am truly still sad to have lost Sarah the way I did. Once again I find myself wondering if she was ever truly my friend as Jimin leads me through the corridors to BTS's shared dance studio.

The sight that greets me when Jimin opens those doors is one that has me instantly hot and bothered. It is also one that I know will stick with me forever. The boys are practicing the choreography for their latest music video, and I wonder in passing who it is that I need to sue for this latest attack on my heart. It seems that the new music video is intended to give Armies everywhere heart attacks. Body rolls. All the body rolls. As I walk through the door my eyes zero in on Yoongi, who is mid-body roll, with one hand lifting up the corner of his shirt. I am dead. This is heaven, and I am most definitely dead. Jimin notices my glazed expression and his laughter catches the boys attention.

It isn't until Jungkook moves to grab his water bottle that Yoongi sees me standing beside Jimin, and he is instantly flushed, embarrassed to have been performing for me without his knowledge.

Panic seizes me as my tongue forms a response without my approval. "Wow..." I say breathlessly. I am appalled at my traitor of a mouth.

My eyes are still glazed, and outwardly appear to be in actual shock. On the inside, however, I am cursing my lack of cool. Yoongi's sudden smirk snaps me back to reality as I mentally prepare myself for the teasing that I know is to come.

"Someone looks impressed." Hobi teases me, eyes twinkling with mischief. "It was definitely my smoking moves, wasn't it?"

Jin smacks the troublemaker in the arm playfully before joining into the fun. "Psh, it was definitely my handsome self."

Unlike before, when Yoongi would grow angry with the others for flirting with me, his smirk grows and I can literally see pure cockiness streaming from his ears. He walks up to Jin and places one arm on his shoulder, leaning in.

"Oh no, I think you're both wrong. I think my jagi was definitely impressed by my body," he teases.

I splutter a few choice expletives and vehemently deny everything.

"That'll convince them," my brain chooses to inform me sarcastically. Stupid brain.

"Are you sure jagi? I bet you I can prove that I'm right." he says arrogantly. He begins to lift his shirt up again with the hand not currently resting on Jin's world-famous shoulders and my answering squeak and rush to hide my eyes tells the boys everything they need to know. More importantly, it tells Yoongi everything he needs to know.

"I think someone is attracted to me..." he sing-songs playfully as he gathers me into his arms. He leans down and places a kiss on my nose before releasing me to grab his own water bottle.

"Well, I would certainly hope so." I answer sardonically. "It isn't like you date people you're not attracted to."

He plops down beside Jungkook, who has been sipping on his water with amusement the entire time. "So jagi, did you come here specifically to peep, or is there something I can do for you?" he asks sweetly. A little too sweetly. I'd like it if I could show rage, but I am mortified by the emotion that manifests itself instead: embarrassment.

I cannot seem to gain control of my tongue as I stutter out the reason for my arrival. Yoongi pats to the ground next to him, and when I lift my chin in defiance Jimin gives me a small shove into Yoongi's direction, allowing him to grab my arm and pull me down to him. I glare at Jimin from my position in Yoongi's lap. I can't believe I thought he was cute, and here I'd thought the two of us had bonded during the trip here. Maybe it's time I brought my shit list out of hiding. But it's impossible to remain annoyed for too long because Yoongi suddenly becomes a rather embarrassing distraction as he begins to pepper the back and sides of my neck with kisses.

"I believe you said that you came here to give something to me, didn't you jagi?"

I groan before digging through my purse to find the accursed item that had brought me here in the first place. "Here," I say as I hold my hand behind my ear, proffering the item to him, "though I'm not sure if you deserve it anymore!" I say as I stick my tongue out at him.

"I wouldn't tempt me if I were you jagi... I might have to show you what I can do with my tongue if you keep teasing me with yours." This threat to my sanity is growled into my ear, and everything within me instantly freezes, becoming hot, very, very hot.

I squirm in his lap, uncomfortable with the sudden onslaught of heat in my belly, only to become as still as a statue when I hear Yoongi groan. Tomatoes have nothing on me, as I am suddenly red enough to cause the aforementioned fruit an insanely irrational amount of jealousy. Would I ever stop blushing around this man?

The moment is interrupted, however, as the doors to the studio open once again. I cannot see who it is from my position no matter how I crane my neck, mostly due to Jin and Namjoon's rather tall frames blocking the view. However, thanks to the way that Jungkook and Jimin scramble from their spots, one in an eager rush towards the newcomer, and the other away, I am fairly certain that the person hidden from my view must be the new stylist Jimin had mentioned. I can't help but to find it slightly amusing that Jungkook's first reaction to having a crush is to run away from it, but I also can kind of understand the feeling.

I try to stand up only to find Yoongi keeping a firm grasp on my waist.

"Let me go Yoongi, I want to go meet Jiminie's new crush." I tell him. He shakes his head in response.

"Only if you give me a kiss," he pouts.

I can't help but smile at his antics. I shift slightly, so that I can turn around, and place a chaste kiss on his cheek before attempting to jump up and make my grand escape. He hadn't really specified what kind of kiss and where now had he? But Yoongi has other ideas. One hand grabs my wrist, pulling me into him, and then the other makes itself at home at the nape of my neck. His mouth smashes against my own in a fiery collision of teeth and tongue and lip. I struggle to keep my wits about me as my capacity for higher thought reaches a new all-time low.

Yoongi moves his hands to my hips, holding them in place as I begin to kiss him in return. This time it is my hands that come to life as they snake themselves into his hair, fingers locking themselves into the blue strands in an effort to pull him even closer. Suddenly, Yoongi is pulling back with a groan. The two of us rest, forehead to forehead, as I come back to my senses. I am extremely grateful that none of the boys had been paying attention to us. It would seem that they are all preoccupied, the sound of conversation finally making its way to my ears. Just how much of a haze does Yoongi's kisses put me in?

I sit up, looking down slightly to catch a glimpse of my boyfriend and find that signature gummy smile on his face. I don't even realize that my face matches his own. Or at least it did until I pick up the sound of a voice I didn't think I'd ever hear again.

The sound of a rather feminine lilt is coming from the other side of Namjoon's form, and this particular lilt is unbelievably familiar to me. I stand with a frown on my face and Yoongi, who notices my sudden change in demeanor, is looking up at me in sudden confusion. As I come to stand beside Jin I gasp, and Yoongi is at your side in a heartbeat. Standing in front of me is none other than Sarah Tucker, and I am shaken.

The look on Sarah's face at the sight of mine might once have caused me amusement, and the knowledge of that is like a punch to my gut. She looks good, I notice, if not a just a touch more blonde than I remember. Actually, a lot more blonde. Her once lifeless and mousy brown locks are now voluptuous and the color of sun-kissed wheat. She is dressed smartly, in a ruffled cream colored blouse, a brown pencil skirt, and a pair of pumps that look dangerously painful. There is a confident aura surrounding her, one that makes me cower even further into myself. This isn't the appearance of a person who has lost any sleep over regrets. And this person looks nearly nothing like the Sarah I remember. But what causes me even more shock than her appearance is her words.

"Oh my gosh! Is that really you Emelia?" she squeals. She is suddenly close, too close, as she leans into my face kissing each side.

Before pulling away she whispers quickly into my ear "Expose me and I swear I will expose your every dirty little secret..."

And then she is standing before me and Yoongi with a dazzling smile on her face.

"You know my girlfriend?" Yoongi asks as he reaches an arm around me protectively. He can tell that I am uncomfortable, and he knows that something is wrong. Unfortunately, this small amount of comfort is all he can provide until he knows more.

"Girlfriend, you say?" she asks him. There is a slight crack in her facade for a moment, one that disappears almost as soon as it had arrived. She is quick to school her expression back into place, smile once more gracing her features. However, she is not quick enough to fool Taehyung, who has been sitting in the back watching everything unfold with a wary eye. Ever the observant one, he recognizes that look for what it is. Jealousy.

The blonde realizes that she isn't going to be gifted with another response as Yoongi pulls me even further into his side. It is a subconscious effort on his behalf to comfort Emmy, who is now almost visibly shaking from the stress of this encounter. She decides to change tactics.

"I'm sorry, it's just that Emmy and I have been best friends since high school, and I haven't heard from her in months! I was just astounded that she managed to get such a good-looking boyfriend in that amount of time, especially without telling her best friend!"

The smile on Sarah's face widens maliciously as an idea comes to her.

"You see, my Emelia isn't very social, and I was very worried about her," she says as she leans into Yoongi's personal space in a seemingly innocent manner. The neatly manicured hand that she places on Yoongi's bicep makes him want to retch. "But you'll take good care of her right?"

It was just a touch and a rather innocent one at that. But the look on her face combined with her tone of voice and his knowledge of her past turned it into something much more sinister. Yoongi was not the only one who picked up on it either. Taehyung's gaze has darkened and he begins to glare at the blonde, who has definitely noticed the man's less than friendly demeanor. She retracts her hand from Yoongi's person quickly, as if she's been burned. There is an awkwardness surrounding the three of us now.

Each second that ticks by feels like an hour as my breathing grows ragged and my shaking intensifies. It is irrational, and I know that, but her appearance is a hair's breadth away from causing me an actual panic attack. Why is she here? Here of all places? I quickly begin to feel as if I can't breathe at all, and so I choose to run away.

"Such a coward." My own brain is taunting me now, mind's voice tarnished with self-loathing. But it doesn't matter because I am already out of the door and sprinting down the hallway.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yoongi turns his attention to Sarah, eyes hardened with anger and determination. He grabs her wrist roughly and, in a show of brute force, drags her into the hallway before rounding upon her in controlled fury.

"I don't believe you introduced yourself properly, Sarah," he says, eyes glistening with rage. Her name is like a curse coming from Yoongi's doll-like lips. He releases his grip on her abruptly, nearly throwing her away from himself. "You can cut the crap, by the way. I know everything that you have done to Emelia, you don't have the right to call yourself her best friend."

Sarah feigns innocence. "I don't know what you are talking about; I don't know what she's told you but I assure you that I would never hurt Emmy!" Her voice is sickeningly sweet, and the sound of it combined with the fact that she dares to use his Emmy's nickname only raises Yoongi's ire. 

His stance becomes increasingly more aggressive as his patience wears thin. "You are a sorry excuse for a human being," he tells her harshly, unapologetic as he continues. "I know everything, all about how you had her slaving away for you so that you could go to college, only to denounce her in the end. You manipulated her emotions to get what you wanted and then threw her away. I will not allow you to hurt her again and I will not hesitate to end you if you try anything. Do you think that anyone would hire you if you were fired from Big Hit for misconduct?" The harshness of his gaze proves his seriousness.

"I can ruin you. Remember that. I don't know what your intentions are, but I am warning you: do not mess with Emmy."

He begins to walk away, but pauses, another warning crosses his mind and he feels the need to make it known. Without turning to face her he speaks. "Oh, and Sarah," he pauses "I wouldn't harbor any intentions of getting close to the members of BTS either if I were you."

His retreat is swift leaving the now shaking Sarah behind with every intention of catching up to Emmy. Leaving her alone right now doesn't sit right with Yoongi, and he knows she must be suffering. He can't get the look on her face as she fled out of his mind. He hadn't known that this Sarah was THAT Sarah, but now it made sense to him. He hadn't liked her to begin with, though the other boys seem to have taken to her astoundingly well. There was simply something about her that had rubbed him the wrong way, although a large part of it could be how she was always flirting with each of the boys, Taehyung withstanding. Sarah and Yoongi had been so caught up in their altercation that they never noticed the dance practice rooms door was ajar, and a certain golden-haired idol had been leaning upon it the entire time.

Taehyung heard everything, only further increasing his dislike of the woman. He resolves to keep an eye on her. He will not allow her to hurt Emmy again. He exits the dance room while fixing a frightening glare upon Sarah, who is clearly uncomfortable. She mutters something under her breath as she scurries away, obviously intimidated. In the meantime, Yoongi is being held up by Bang PD who, having seen Yoongi rounding the corner, begins rapidly firing off questions about the boy's progress on their latest album.

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Quite suddenly there are arms around me and someone pressed tightly against my back effectively stopping me from entering the taxi I had finally flagged down. I don't really care who it is at this point, I welcome the comfort, and so it is that Taehyung holds me tightly as I cry my eyes out on the sidewalk in front of Big Hit studios. His heart breaks in two as he listens to my heaving sobs, rubbing circles into my back in an attempt to ease my pain.

"Are you getting in or not?" The taxi driver asks exasperatedly as twists in his seat to look back at the two of us through the open rear door.

Taehyung sends the man a withering glare before gently maneuvering me into the cab and sliding in himself. There is no way he's leaving me alone right now. There is rage simmering inside of him at the very idea of someone like Sarah hanging around me and the rest of BTS. He's seen the way she tries to cozy up to the other members. They might not notice her manipulative behavior, but Tae is nothing if not observant. He is not sure what she hopes to achieve but he doesn't like it one bit.

The ride home is silent and he watches me. I am staring out of the window, dazed. Though my tears have finally stopped, there is no mistaking my sadness. Tae's rage is tempered, but not calmed, at the sight of my suffering. Right now, I need someone to be there for me. So when the taxi arrives at the condo he puts his anger aside and pulls me into the condo and straight to the living room couch.

He leaves me alone for but a few moments, only to find me crying once more when he returns with two cups of steaming hot cocoa. After carefully setting the cups aside, he is beside me. He rubs my back in silence, unsure of what to say. Nevertheless, slowly but surely my tears abate and I am looking up at him with red and puffy eyes.

"Say the word and we'll have her fired," he says to me simply. There is no hesitation in his tone, the weight of his statement only further impressed upon by the lack of any kind of mirth in his tight gaze. I have never seen Taehyung so serious.

"No!" I yell without even meaning to, head rising sharply in alarm. "No..." My voice is now quiet, and hesitant as I look back down.

"I don't want that. I don't want to be that person. My personal feelings shouldn't decide who does or doesn't work anywhere, least of all Big Hit. It's not like she committed a crime or anything." I sigh dejectedly as I awkwardly wring your hands.

Taehyung is in awe. How many other people would say such a thing? Turn down the chance of getting back at those that hurt them? "Just when I didn't think I could respect her anymore," he chuckles inwardly.

"At least let me tell the others about who she really is." His voice is stern. This is not a request or suggestion. It is a command. It is one that I cannot abide, unfortunately.

"No. It's my own personal issue with her. And it shouldn't shape how the other's view her. It shouldn't shape how you view her. Besides," I say "it doesn't have any relevance to her job or yours."

Though Tae disagrees he relents. He will respect my wishes on this count.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am running, bare feet bleeding as they beat out a staccato rhythm against the pavement. Escape. It is within my sights now. A tiny surge of elation begins to course through my body as I allow myself to believe that I am free. But something is wrong. As I look down I realize that my limbs are too small; I don't remember being this small. A fresh wave of panic flows through me as I realize that I am once again dreaming of the past. And that means I know what is coming next. Running is futile after all.

A hand suddenly snatches me by the wrist out of nowhere and I am thrown violently into his car. The man that should have been like a father to me. The scene shifts and pulses in a nauseating wave of distortion until I suddenly find myself back in that house again. I am on my back, and he has me by the ankle as he drags my bloodied form back to the place that is my own personal hell.

"No, Daddy! Please! Not the cage! I'll behave! I'll behave!" I am screaming and crying, terrified beyond belief. But my voice is not my own. It is hers. The girl who was abused by this man. I am not her anymore! Why can't I wake up?

"I'll be a good girl I-" I am interrupted as he flings me into the wall, my head connecting with a wet thud as blood splatters everywhere. Already hazy vision now begins to fail me, the world around me cutting in and out as he drags me to the destination he has in mind.

Abruptly, my nightmare diverges from memory, disjointed by distortion and static as he grabs me by the throat and slams me into the wall. He doesn't even wait for my body to fully slide to the ground before he is pummeling me. The dream version of myself is screaming and thrashing, begging, pleading for it to stop even as I internally scream at her to stop. She doesn't want what is coming next. I know what is coming next. I don't want to relive that, anything but that.

His hands are touching me now, in places no hand should ever touch a child, and my screams reach a new frenzied tempo.

"No! Please stop! Don't do this! Please, Daddy! Don't hurt me anymore!" The child that was once me is a bloody and broken pile of flesh upon the floor.

A voice that I had never wanted to hear again taints my ears with its foul timbre. "I told you bitch. I'm not your Daddy. Your Daddy didn't want you," he says with venom as he rips away the last vestiges of my dignity.

It was the night he'd first violated me. There was none other who should be present in this particular memory. Yet, I am horrified, as I turn my head to the side in defeat, to find Sarah's face watching. Lips mocking me with a cruel sneer as I suffer this night over, and over. The pain is too much to bear.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I finally wake up, gasping for air, Yoongi is already holding me and murmuring softly in my ear in an attempt to soothe me. I am incoherent for another few moments as I ramble about the contents of my dream, but Yoongi simply continues to let me hold him, allowing me to soak his pajamas with my tears and snot.

Once I am calm he asks me "Are you okay?" He knows that I won't tell him about the memories contained within my nightmares. But now, I don't really have to. While I had been thrashing around and screaming, I had revealed everything he needed to know. I'd been abused as a child. I am completely unaware of it, but I had been talking in my sleep.

I want to answer him, but words fail me. So I simply cling to him as he gently runs his fingers through my hair, lulling me back to sleep.