Sorry this took so long. I've been away working at a summer camp. But I'm back now.

I was slowly working on this during the whole summer. I hope you can enjoy that I don't dissapoint.

Please enjoy! 

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Night fell down and the stars came out.

It wasn't cold out, but I clung to Luhan's side as if it was. Jongdae rested on me as if there was a great chill in the air. We three sat there in the back of the cart, quietly breathing and looking out on to the dark pathway we left behind. The thick trees surrounded us and warped in to blackness as the horse continued on. Rui had woken up a while ago and crawled in to my lap. My son didn't realize yet what was happening, yet somehow he stayed completely silent as if he did.

The distinct sound of the horse's hoofs padding across the ground kept me awake, along with Jongdae's muffled breaths. He was still crying after a few hours as his tears kept my shoulder damp and his hand held mine very tightly. Every once in awhile Luhan pressed a gentle kiss to my temple and then pecked Rui on the cheek. “Everything will be okay.” he whispered in my ear. I couldn't find my voice so I would quietly nod my head.

As the sky turned light blue, we passed the final large village and started seeing signs of the shore coming up. The village houses were more spread out and signs of sand instead of thick dirt began to show up. The smell of the sea lingered in the air gently. I hugged Rui close and absently ran my fingers through his black hair. The jungle was far behind us, as well as my home.

When Jongin stopped the cart my heart began to pound loudly. My nerves were simmering and ready to boil. The louder my heart pounded the more my nerves went in to a frenzy. Tao was first to get down. Jongin came around to help Luhan down next. Luhan reached to take Rui from me as Jongdae and I got out last. I looked around and found that I was at the exact spot I'd been about six years before when I'd first arrived at Hawaii. I saw the large boats with several people getting on and off, the shore stretched out beyond my sight. This was the same place. I recognized it too well and I hated the feeling of my knees going weak.

Jongin walked out to meet some people arriving on the island where he quickly sold our black horse and cart for a small sum. He guided us over to the boat we were going to take. It was larger than the one I'd came in. it was made of metal and a large mass of people were stuffed together in it. I was holding Rui tightly, I needed the sound of my baby's breathing to keep me sane. The sound of his smaller heartbeat was holding me together. I wasn't going to let him go for a second. He was a part of me and Wu Fan, he was something we shared. My baby was Wu Fan's son and my little gem. I pressed my nose in to his little neck. My son didn't complain of course, he happily snuggled against me.

Jongdae and I held hands as we boarded the boat, ship, vessel that was taking us away. His grip was like iron and I squeezed back just as tightly. Jongin kept his arm around Luhan as we got on, Tao standing behind with her small bag in hand. We were stopped at the entrance, where Jongin gave money for five of us. As Jongin had said they overlooked Rui in my arms and we were let on. We shuffled in to the crowd of people, Jongin leading us to the side of the very back.

We were almost in the clear. But then there was a loud commotion from the docks.

The sound of loud bangs in the air, sharp and precise. People began to panic and run around, fleeing the danger but not sure where to turn. I saw Jongin's eyes darken and he placed Luhan behind him.

“Where are they?!” a roar came from the crowd of screaming people.

And there he was. Chanyeol, with a bloody face and a black gun. He was furious beyond belief, looking for blood. And looking for us. He was scanning the docks quickly, flinging his gun around at everyone as he looked for a familiar face.

Jongin ducked down, pulling Luhan with him as Chanyeol's eyes reached the boat. Before Jongdae tugged me down as well I realized one of Chanyeol's eyes was bruising.

There was a ledge surrounding the ships walls, so we huddled together behind it. Jongin and Luhan wrapped in each other, then Tao, then Jongdae and I with Rui in my lap. We could still hear Chanyeol screaming his head off, and the sound was getting closer to the ship. I felt Tao trembling beside me. Her eyes wide with panic. Jongin's face was calm and calculative. Luhan had his eyes shut tight and his arms wrapped around Jongin's waist.

“You think you can escape Kim?! ing escape with those little ?!” the sound of Chanyeol's yells made me jump. He was boarding the ship. And no one was going to stop him.

“Kim Jongin!”

“Don't move.” Jongin whispered to all of us. We were too scared to move anyways.

My heartbeat was pounding in my ears as my palms became sweaty. I started to think of the best way to get off the ship, or get Rui off the ship with out Chanyeol seeing.

“You send those ing Chinese dogs after me, like ing hitmen? I'm the ing hitman you piece of !”

The heavy thuds of his footsteps on the deck made my skin crawl. I could picture him hovering over me, his disgusting hands reaching for me. He was so close. I wanted to run. I couldn't move.

“I killed Sehun by the way,” his base chuckle made me tense up, “he ing betrayed me. The dogs told him you were leaving off the island, escaping.” his steps became slower, more at ease. He knew we were somewhere on the ship. As his eyes looked over every scared passenger, it was only a matter of time before he found us.

“So I decided to cut his tongue out. That didn't stop him though. You know little Sehunnie, always so eager to fight till the last straw. He helped the little rats get away from me. But that's alright. I'll kill them later. First...” and I knew by the way his voice changed, the way his steps paused, that he'd found us. That he could clearly see us. He was going to kill us.

The warm breath on my ear was all too familiar, “Found you.”

I screamed when his hand wrapped around my throat. Jongdae yelled and stood up to attack.

And another loud bang rang out. Everyone gasped. All the passengers fell silent.

Chanyeol's grip on my neck loosened and slipped away.

A steady thump behind me was heard. I turned.

Chanyeol's eyes were blank. Most of his back skull was missing. The blood was splattered across the ship deck, the passengers had made a wide circle around us. Their gaping eyes made me uncomfortable.

Jongin lowered his gun, the smoke flying out of the barrel. He sighed with exhaustion and threw the gun overboard. He fell to the floor, hugging Luhan to his chest. He closed his eyes.

“It's over.” he sighed in relief.

The wheels in my head started turning.

“Then doesn't that mean we can stay here?” I whispered. Jongin's eyes shot open with a spark of annoyance.

“That is not what I meant.” he said back with a flat tone.

“But you said it's over, so why-”

“You will be killed if you stay here. Trust me on that.” the dark shadow shouted at me. He'd lost his wits end. I stepped back in to Jongdae's arms, who turned me around and shushed me.

We awkwardly stood around the edge of the boat together, silence between us. The other passengers staring at us with anger and curiosity. I realized later what Jongin meant by 'Its over' was the small part of Chanyeol possibly hunting us for eternity.

But our new journey had just begun.

When the boat rocked, I knew it was sailing off. We all watched quietly as the shore moved away from us, or actually us from it. I watched my home become small. I felt my heart pounding louder than ever. I bit my tears back and deeply inhaled Rui's scent. I thought my hand would have bruises after the way Jongdae gripped it. I heard him crying quietly beside me. The boat rocked steadily. By the time I let my tears fall and I broke down in to Jongdae's shoulder, the island was out of sight. Only the great waters of the ocean accompanied us along with the rays of the sun.

The smell of the boat was mostly repulsive; there was grime on ever inch and other substances I didn't want to identify. Not to mention the smell of Chanyeol's rotting body. It took a while before a group of randome people went through the dead man's pockets and threw his body overboard.

I kept Rui in my lap and didn't let him stray. The small amount of money Jongin had gotten from the horse and cart he used to bargain with the other passengers to get us food and clean water.

I learned to trust Jongin during the trip.

He truly was the man Luhan claimed him to be. He was good, at least in my eyes. When a dirty man wobbled up to me and tried to get me to sell him my piece of bread to him and I refused, he began to harass me. I was keeping the last piece for Rui and I wasn't going to give it up. The man grew angry with me and called me a , told me he could drag me over and beat the out of me if he wanted.

A dark shadow fell over me quickly and I saw Jongin's back in front of me. The dark haired man flipped out his knife and snarled, “Stop talking to him before I cut your tongue out.”

The dirty old man cackled, “That your ?”

Jongin laughed louder and pointed his knife out straight, “If he was you'd already be dead. But either way you speak to him or anyone of my friends again, I'll remove your rotten tongue so you never speak, you piece of filth.”

When the man glared at Jongin with a challenge, he took a firm step toward him with his knife ready to go. The old man huffed and gave up. Anyone else who dared to try and push us around or argue with us was met with Jongin's glare and his deadly knife. He protected all of us the whole trip. I met Luhan's gaze and nodded with a small smile. My friend couldn't help but grin and lean on to his new lover happily.

~ ~ ~

Rui didn't speak much during the trip, but that was usual of him. He had always been a rather quiet person, especially around strangers. He had a habit of building up questions or emotions and then one day letting them explode on me in a long ramble. I expected a long speech from him once we reached Thailand. He was probably going to ask me why was this happening, where was Papa, when could we go back home? And I feared that time. I wasn't sure how I was going to explain to my four year old that we had a new home, that we had to leave our old one behind and his Papa as well.

Thinking about it made my chest ache.

I hugged Rui and closed my eyes. My vision filled with the picture of my husband on our wedding day with his white suit and slicked back hair. I tried to remember what it felt like to be held in his arms, to be stared at by his sharp eyes. I tried to recall the way he'd looked the first time I'd watched him come home to me from the fields. The way the sun glowed around him, the way his jeans hung low and his grin reached his ears. The moment I'd started falling in love with him.

“Minseok?” Jongdae's voice was soft. I opened my eyes slowly and looked over to him. Jongdae looked a bit more tan from the trip. But even with his sun kissed face I could see even darker skin under his eyes from lack of sleep.

“We're in the Philippines.” he told me quietly. I scanned my surroundings and spotted land right beside our boat. I must have slept through the trip. I could see the crew of the boat working on ropes and getting ready to dock. I stood up from the ledge and looked to Jongin. We all did. His face showed that he was stressed and tired.

“I'll have to get off for a bit, I'm going to try and get us more food and water. Stay on the boat.” he instructed. We all nodded, except Luhan who asked to accompany him. Jongin immediately denied Luhan and told him to stay put, that he'd be right back. That was when Tao stood up and offered to go instead. Jongin threw her a skeptical look.

Tao sighed and strapped her bag on, “My pretty face could get us more stuff. Come on.” she threw him a flash of a smile. Jongin was reluctant, but he gave in.

Right before they left, Tao turned to me and quickly embraced me. I was a little stunned by it and felt awkward. But she leaned in close and whispered to me,

“Thank you. I'll never forget you. I'm sorry.”

I didn't know it would be my last time seeing her. I still remember how pretty she was, even after all that she'd just been through. Her black hair still touched her lower back. Her cat like eyes glimmered with a mischievous wink. Her smile was sly and her skin was smooth. She walked off of that boat with ease as she followed Jongin.

It was about an hour later when Jongin came running back to us in a panic, a bag of fruit in his arms and gallon of water strapped around his waist. He asked if Tao had returned to us on her own.

She hadn't.

He sighed angrily and ran his hands through his hair. He complained that she'd walked off with out him when he'd screamed at her to stay by his side. He said that he'd seen her walking off, and when he'd called to her she'd waved at him and kept on walking.

When he checked his pockets, a few bills were missing.

So Tao had taken a few bucks and walked off in to the abyss of the Philippines. I knew she hadn't planned for it, but she was a survivor. She was going to make it on her own and she didn't see the need to stay with us anymore. She'd done it to Wu Fan when the opportunity had shown itself, and now she was doing it again. Tao was getting away from where she wasn't needed or wanted.

I still haven't seen or heard from her to this day. But I have a feeling she is still alive and living well. Her beauty would probably save her if not her wits and sly way of talking.

Jongin felt guilty for a few hours after the boat left. But Luhan explained to him that it was Tao's choice to leave, it wasn't that Jongin had lost her or anything. He was still disgruntled but eventually let it go. The vessel sailed on for another day or two, I couldn't keep track. All I knew was that there was plenty of fruit for Rui to eat and he happily slept in my arms, that Jongdae finally stopped crying and started humming to himself instead.

~ ~ ~

When the boat finally docked in Thailand, the pounding in my heart started again. This was where my life would change again wasn't it? This was the place that Wu Fan had wanted to take me. The place we'd fantasized of together. And here I was by myself with our child in my arms. The ache in my chest came again and I squeezed my baby a little too tight because he wiggled around to move my arms. Jongdae grabbed my hand as we stood up.

We turned to Luhan and Jongin who were staring at us with curiosity. Oh that was right, we hadn't told them we were staying in Thailand.

“No you're not. We're going to Korea, together.” Luhan shook his head when Jongdae told him our plan. He reached out to my other hand and held it tightly, he tugged me a bit to sit down.

“This is where Wu Fan is going to meet me. I have to stay here.” I told them.

“Jongdae?” Luhan's eyes were b with tears. He was getting antsy and he couldn't keep still.

“I'm staying with Minseok. Yixing said he'll come too. We're staying here.” he replied with a forced smile. Luhan shook his head again and pulled my hand. I gently pulled back and Luhan's bottom lip started to stick out.

“Unless you want to come with us Lu...” Jongdae suggested.

Luhan froze and my hand slipped from his. His eyes fell on Jongin who had been quiet the whole time. The man gave him a small smile and ruffled his hair.

“You should go with them blondie. It'll be safer this way.” he shrugged.

“Safer?” Luhan questioned. His body position had changed from pulling on to me and grabbing on to Jongin's shirt.

“My employer is not going to be happy when he figures out what happened. He's going to hunt all of us down, my team, all of you. I need to go in to hiding for awhile. It would be better if you stayed with your friends,” he made a point to look at us quickly, “and you all change your names as well.”

Luhan was in tears by then. His pout was adorable as he clung to Jongin's shirt and started to bounce with panic.

“No no no Jongin I just found you. I love you.” he whined. Jongin grinned and pressed a passionate kiss to Luhan's willing lips. He mumbled something in to the kiss that I couldn't make out, but it made Luhan break and fall in to his arms as he sobbed.

Like Yixing had done with Jongdae, Jongin shoved a weeping Luhan in to our arms and stormed to the back of the ship. We pulled Luhan with us, walking past other passengers and weaving in and out of the people on the docks.

“I want to go back!” Luhan screamed and cried. Like a child throwing a fit, he slammed his fist on Jongdae's arms and tried to pull away.

I was set on keeping Luhan with me. He was after all my best friend. He was my baby's favorite uncle. He was one of Wu Fan's brothers. How could I let him wander off in to the world with some stranger? I loved my Luhan. I had to take care of him didn't I?

But I looked behind us, past Jongdae struggling with Luhan and up to the ship that was in the distance. We hadn't gotten that far, Luhan had struggled too much for us to get anywhere really. And I saw the dark shadow on the edge of the ship watching us.

Jongin looked so torn. Like he was ready to jump, run or scream. His gaze was locked on the blonde man reaching out to him. Jongin looked like he was absolutely terrified to be without Luhan.

Wu Fan had looked at me like that several times. When I'd packed my things and went to Ani's, when Tao was allowed to stay with us, when I came back from the night Ani had died. Wu Fan had stared in to my eyes like that.

I snatched Luhan's arm from Jongdae's grip and yanked him to me. Quickly I put Rui in Jongdae's hold and glared down at my best friend. I was angry, I was scared.

“Why should I let you go?” I held back my tears.

“I love him Minseok, he needs me. I have to go back!” Luhan's face was pink and stressed. He was close to falling to his knees.

“What did you tell me? In the forest before Jongin kidnapped you?” I was gritting my teeth. I felt like this was going to kill me.

“T-to run...” Luhan sniffled with wide eyes. I was the hope in those eyes. I wished it didn't hurt to see him so happy. But I loved him so much. And he was so in love with the shadow on that boat.

“You love him? That much? To sacrifice yourself for him? He'd do the same for you?”

Luhan breathed in wonder, “Yes.”

My lips pressed against his forehead and I ran my hand through his hair. Luhan's hair had always been soft and light. He still smelled like tea from the early morning. I let out a short shaky breath.

“Then run to him. Don't look back. I love you.” my hands released him. He stared at me for a second in shock. I was enveloped in his arms and he whispered that he loved me, that he'd find me again.

And then he ran. All the way back to the ship he ran straight in to shadow's embrace. They kissed and held each other tightly. I didn't bother to watch the ship take off. I couldn't watch Luhan's face fade off in to the distance as well. I still had Wu Fan's face in my mind. That would be too much.

Jongdae reached for my hand again. I had Rui in my arms again.

We looked up to see the land before us. It was different and it was scary.

This was going to be the place I'd wait for Wu Fan.

I would have to wait two years for him.  

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I hope you enjoyed it. Was it a bit too long? Anywho I'm back now, so I'll do my best to update. This story will be coming to an end soon!

Feel free to comment! I love discussing things with my readers ^^

And thank you to all you read!