Rating: T

Warning(s): a little scientific babbling and liberties with medical procedures.

|Two|

Despite their earlier thoughts, the professor had been much calm and more receptive of the situation than they’d thought. On the other hand, BoA was the one to blow one hell of a gasket, taking a whole hour to calm down from her yelling. Yoochun and Junsu were out by the river looking along its banks for possible clue, which meant they were avoiding getting caught in the crossfire. Jaejoong staying in the computer room to continue the search he’d started with Changmin, since the maknae and Yunho were the ones to bear the brunt of BoA’s anger.

“Should I even ask what you were thinking Jung?” BoA sighed finally calm and able to speak without yelling the house down. They couldn’t exactly cry over spilt milk because, what’s done is done and now they had to deal with the consequences.

Changmin despite the situation couldn’t help snigger, “Are you really asking the guy who used to bring back injured animals home, why he brought an injured woman home?” For some who grew up with them, you’d think she’d know better. His hyung had a bleeding heart, with a save the world complex to boot.

“Now is so not the time to be a smart ,” the woman warned, not even bothering with a slap upside the head because he just had faster reflexes and would likely duck in time or catch her hand before it made contact with his head. “In fact, I understand Yunho because he’s him, but you should have known better.” Then again, Yunho had a weird ability to talk Changmin into doing things his other hyungs couldn’t, so she really shouldn’t be all that surprised. “Animal don’t talk, people’s however can sing quite the tune.”

It wasn’t that he didn’t understand the dangers of what he did, he was well aware of them. But out of everyone, he thought BoA was the one to understand him. “Would you rather I let her die?” Sure, he’d become better at not bringing home a new animal each time he went out for a walk, but his conscious wouldn’t let him let her die.

“Hospitals are there for a reason, Yunho-ah,” she wasn’t heartless, just rational. Of course he did the right thing saving her, but the manor wasn’t the place to bring her.

Even if it was a decision he’d arrived at fast, he had thought about taking her to the hospital. But, the manor was miles away from civilization, let alone the hospital and the woman would have likely died if he’d attempted it. “I wouldn’t have made it in time. The manor was the only option, and she was fading fast –a transfusion was necessary.”

“What if it killed her?” Professor Ahn Chilhyun asked, speaking for the first time since they’d gathered outside of the room peaking in on their unexpected guest.

Yunho remained confident with his actions, “It’s better to try, than not try and wonder what if.”

“I guess it’s lucky for us that she was compatible, or she would have suffered an even slower and more painful death.” The possibility of her body violently rejecting his blood and dying in its attempt to dispel what it viewed as a threat, was greater that compatibility. But, if Professor Ahn looked at it from his charge’s perspective and the young man’s desire to save people, it would have been an even bigger tragedy to Yunho if he hadn’t tried. “But, that isn’t the issue here though, it what we tell her and how we break the news of the changes she will likely experience,” the professor spoke again, because that was really the crux of the problem wasn’t it. What to tell her so she wouldn’t go rushing to the nearest police station, and also how to properly embrace the changes her body was likely to take after the transfusion.

What was said to the woman when she woke would be a make or break situation. Wrong words would result is disaster, the right words would result in possible acceptance. It was a mammoth task to put on ones shoulders, but it had to be done. “Since I brought her here and it was my blood used in the transfusion, she more my responsibility than she is yours… so I’ll be the one to talk to her,” he’d already told them that he would assume responsibility, so he wasn’t telling them anything new. “Should she take it badly, she will only know about me –”

“You do realize the moment you decided to bring her to the manor, this became our responsibility too, don’t you Hyung?” It was just like the older male to shoulder the burden to protect them, since they were younger, but he’d be damned if he let him do that, “We’re in this together whether you like it or not. We’ll deal with the consequences together.” Changmin placing an assuring hand on his hyung’s shoulder.

Jaejoong with ever the impeccable time, interrupted the tender, girly moment, “Always the martyr, huh, Yunnie?” He was all for love and support, but now was definitely not the time. “I found out who she is.”

--~*+*~-:-o-:-~*+*~--

“So, what have you found, Jaejoong-ah?” Professor Ahn prompted once everyone was seated and ready for the revelation. It had been decided that it would be best to have everyone there when the made the decision about their guest.

With a few rapid clicks on the keyboard, he brought up a profile on the big screen, “Meet Special Agent Choi Sooyoung of the NDI. It’s the reason why it took so long to find, we were looking at the wrong databases.” Because who would have thought someone at the tender age of 25 would be part of the NDI, and not in a desk job or training?

“Isn’t she like a kid? How is that possible,” Changmin asked, hating the fact that Jaejoong beat him to the find. It was true they’d been going through the wrong databases, since they’d been looking at missing persons and criminal databases.

Jaejoong raised an eyebrow, “Look at the kid, calling a kid, kid.” Their maknae fancied himself all grown up, it was too precious to pass up.

“Yeah, whatever, adjusshi,” Changmin sniffed. “But seriously, how is she an agent at her age?” He’d deal with Jaejoong later.

Jaejoong 1: Changdola 0, he’d celebrate the victory later, at the moment they had a serious matter at hand. “Because she’s just that damn good,” and no he was not impressed. “Having a squeaky clean record in every assignment you’re given to date tends to look good to the bosses and give her one hell of a raise.”

“So why did she end up in a river if she’s that good,” Junsu asked the simplest but burning question. From her profile she was a dream agent, high success rate, minimal collateral and well written and presented accounts that made it impossible to be thrown out or overlooked in court.

They could pick on Junsu until high heaven, but he was always the one to point out the simple and obvious question that their over analytical brain usually forgot, “because she was the NDI agent under the alias of Gaeul, that was investigating our little friends that were in the North corner. She was days from conducting a raid with a team, but I’m guessing she was discovered, hence the swan dive in the river.”

“But, that doesn’t explain why her status says deceased,” Yoochun pointed out, “she’s been missing a week, isn’t that writing her off too early.”

“Report says that one of YunSeung’s lackeys confessed to killing her and dumping her in the ‘River of Death’ for a lighter sentence,” Jaejoong answered, having found it just as odd that they declared her dead when she hadn’t been missing that long. But he supposed the river she was dumped in was a death sentence for even the most able bodied of ordinary, but injured –how the hell was she still alive anyway? “But, we can say that her death had been greatly exaggerated.”

Yunho knew her being a government agent was definitely not in their favour, and even the Captain wouldn’t be able to press a mute button to silence her should she want to talk after they broke the news to her, but was it wrong that he still had faith that she wouldn’t talk? “Does she have family?”

“If her being an agent wasn’t bad enough for us, she does have a sister,” clicking a few buttons to bring up a picture of a teenage girl, much lighter in complexion that her sister. “Choi Jinri, age 18 and likely to graduate from KAIST at the end of this year.”

The professor sat up straighter, “As in undergraduate, bachelor degree graduate from Korea Advance Institute of Science and Technology, KAIST?” At 18 she was supposed to be entering university not graduating, especially with the taxing curriculum that was the Korean education system. Not to mention the fact that she scored high enough to get into KAIST.

“Yes that graduate and that KAIST, and her hobbies and life mission includes science and finding ways to research and expose us on a daily basis,” Jaejoong went answered. Yunho just had to save the one ordinary that could be a potential atomic bomb to their well kept secret, why wasn’t he surprised.

Changmin chuckled, “So you’re telling me, not only does sleeping beauty in the medical bay have a little genius sister, but one that is researching into our possible existence?” There goes the benefit of doubt he’d had while helping her –they were potentially screwed. “You sure know how to pick them, don’t you hyung.”

“Changmin-ah, not now, okay?” Boa sighed, as her fears came crashing in with every new piece of information they learnt. “You can throw verbal punches later, right now we need to assess her recovery and possible changes that her body has undergone. So when we bring her out of sedation we’ll know how much to tell her.”

--~*+*~-:-o-:-~*+*~--

“This isn’t personal, Gaeul-ssi,” Hong Yungseung assured, voice cold and words insincere, “It just, well, business.”

Sooyoung scoffed, even if the movement jarred her ribs and breathing burned her lungs. “Because being a peddler of death, destruction and slavery isn’t personal at all,” her voice was weak, tone breathy and raspy, but it didn’t diminish the sarcasm her words carried.

“That’s the problem with self righteous, glory hounds like you, Gaeul-ssi, so emotional,” he countered, voice even colder than before. “Money and power doesn’t care, it has no feelings and doesn’t judge right from wrong. But, privileged little chaebols like you don’t know how it is to struggle to make money, since it’s just always there.”

“You know you’re going straight to hell, Hong,” she managed to say, hissing in pain when her injured side hit the ground harshly, when Hong’s men deposited her unceremoniously –uncaring of injuries. Why would they when she was going to die anyway?

He sniggered, crouching down beside her, brushing away her blood matted hair off her face, his finger gently brushing her face, with deceiving care and affection, amused when she feebly tried to flinch from his touch that made her stomach roll. “Sleep well,” his lips screwed into an ugly scowl of smile, contradicting his words by kick her harshly in the ribs and over the edge into the cool waters below.

The cold of the water excruciating on her injuries; Unable attempt to escape the binds on her wrist and ankles, death impending as the cold depth of the cold river enveloped her completely and pulling her downstream with its strong current.

Her eyes snapped opened to escape the vivid dream, gasping for air as she tried to catch an elusive breath. Even though she was awake her mind needed a bit of time to catch up, as it was still in limbo between separating what was real or not. The first thing she noticed was that she wasn’t deathly cold in a river that was threatening to drown her, but instead was warm and laying safely on a soft mattress. Above her was no longer the clear blue sky, but rather a high wood panel ceiling. Water wasn’t rushing quickly past her ears; instead all she could hear was the annoying beeping of a machine close by.  Her body wasn’t in pain and her hands and feet weren’t bound, most importantly she was alive. Where am I? Wasn’t she supposed to be somewhere at the bottom of a lake, never to be discovered and death hidden from the world?

felt raw and dry and in dire need of water. There was suppose to be some sort of soreness when she moved with all the injuries she had sustained, wasn’t there? But, what made it hard to move was mostly due to laziness and weakness. She just didn’t have the determination to move and it was already taking all her strength to keep her eyes open and stay conscience.

It had been decided, after Changmin, Boa and Professor Ahn had gave her a clean bill of health, that it was time to rouse her from her drug induced sleep and face the music. Since everyone was unwilling to babysit the ‘ticking time bomb’, Yunho was left with the task of watching her until she woke which he didn’t quite mind. When her heart monitor began beeping faster, and she began to stir it indicated that the drugs were wearing off and she would soon be awake. The whole process was oddly fascinating to watch. Even though she’d awoken in panic, she remained still letting her eyes travel around the room rather than sitting up.

Changmin had advised him to have a pitcher of water in hand for when she woke up because she was bound to be thirsty and needed soothing. “Are you thirsty?” He asked loud enough to be heard but not enough to scare the already startled woman. He wasn’t at all surprised when her head whip to the side in the direction of his voice, big brown eyes landing on his in question and confusion.

“Water… Jebal?” her request came out as a weak croak, in reply to the handsome stranger’s question. The agent in her screamed at her and told her not to trust him, but she was thirsty and all she could think about was soothing her thirst. Besides that, it was clear that she’d been under for long time if she still wasn’t in severe pain, and if he’d intended to do something to her it would have been easier if she was out.

He was well aware of her distrustful eyes following his every move, as he poured her a cool glass of water and brought it to her. He didn’t expect anything less, seeing as he was a stranger and she was in an unfamiliar place to warrant suspicion. She was still weak and was barely able to lift her head off the pillow, prompting him to help her into a sitting position, her back supported by his side. “Drink slowly,” were his gentle instructions when he brought the cup to her lips, tipping it gently.

Even though her thirst begged for greedy gulps, she followed his early words of caution and drank slowly, savoring the cool relief it brought as it travelled down soothing it. The entire time aware of his presence and eyes piercing her, “Kamsahabnida,” her voice was still hoarse and scratchy, but not as uncomfortable as before, “I don’t even know your name.” If he changed the subject she would know not to trust him, but then again, what was to say the name he gave her would be real?

“Jung Yunho imnida,” he introduced himself, with a slight nod of the head unable to do it more formally given that he was acting as her support and she was still leaning heavily against him. “I’m sure you have many questions.” Her trust in him was alarming because he’d expected some sort of tension in her body, but instead found pliancy.

Her really was tired if, despite him being a virtual stranger, she didn’t feel the need to move or be overly cautious as she should be, instead finding her situation oddly safe after her ordeal. “Where are we, Yunho-ssi?” was the first question, so she could attempt to assess whether or not her trust was warranted again.

“You are in Cassiopeia Manor,” He answered her with a gentle, unthreatening tone. “I brought you when I found you wash up on the river bank. How are you feeling?” Building up trust would probably be advantageous for his upcoming explanation, so he kept his tone gentle.

Okay her synapses may be firing slower than usual, but she was pretty sure the injuries she’d sustained were severe, heck the last time she’d been conscious she could barely move let alone breathe. She hadn’t even been able to fight for her life, thrown into a river that was known to kill even the able bodied should they dare ride or enter its depths. Therefore, even the most brilliant doctor in the world couldn’t have save her without a vast array of medical equipment and support, yet there she was lying on a bed in a manor very much alive and only suffering exhaustion. “I don’t … how am I alive?”

“That is a rather long and complicated story that cannot be told to a tired mind,” it wasn’t a stalling tactic, but fact. She was still leaning heavily on him for support and her eyes were half lidded suggesting that she was struggling to keep them open. “Rest; I promise to explain everything when you wake up.”

Alarm bells should’ve rung, but what he said was true. She was barely taking in what he was already saying, and she could only imagine having to listen to him explaining how she was saved. “I’ll hold you to it,” Allowing him lay her back down and tuck her in. Hopeful he’d turn out to be worth the trust she’d freely given.

--~*+*~-:-o-:-~*+*~--

“After analysis, of her blood pre and post transfusion,” Professor Ahn revealed, “Her DNA structure has certainly undergone a few changes, but what interesting is that she had a smaller amount of Junk DNA than the average human being long before the transfusion.”

When all the boys just looked back at him expectantly rather than following his thought process, he continued. “I’ll just skip to the juicy bits right? The five of you have no junk DNA, while Boa’s reduced slightly after the transfusion since the ‘nonsense’ codes were altered to code something. In Sooyoung’s case, her junk DNA was already small in proportion to Boa, and due to compatibility with Yunho, it dropped down further to almost nonexistent.”

“Simply put, she’s more spruced up post-transfusion than BoA?” Yoochun surmised in layman’s terms, because all the genetic nonsense was putting him to sleep. Don’t get him wrong he had the same brain and intelligence as the other four, but he was a geek for finance and math while Changmin was the science whizz kid.

Not entirely, but he’d certainly got the idea. “More or less,” Professor Ahn concluded, not as firm as his earlier explaination.

“Why do I feel like there is a ‘but…’, Professor,” Jaejoong asked, easily catching out the uncertainty in the older man’s voice. There was definitely something he was leaving out and he didn’t like secrets.

“That’s all Changmin and I have been able to confirm, we’ll know more once she wakes up,” the Professor, easily escaping the question he couldn’t quite answer yet. “I have a lecture to attend, keep me updated should she walk up while I’m gone.”

Junsu smiled brightly, waving off the man. “Sure thing, Professor,” his goofy smile disappearing as soon as he heard the roar of the professor’s engine, “There’s definitely something he isn’t saying.”

“I always knew Ordinaries were trouble,” Jaejoong sneered. Okay, he was just angry at the stir the chick caused, not really at the species per se.

--~*+*~-:-o-:-~*+*~--

The next time Sooyoung woke up she felt less groggy, and much more aware than before. Yunho was still there along with a petite woman much shorter that her in height and older if she guessed right. It wasn’t as hard sitting up as it was earlier, but she still got a little light headed from the movement that subsided quickly. “How long has it been since I was last awake, Yunho-ssi?” she asked noticing the cast that had been on her leg the last time was gone, replaced by ace bandage covered by black support cover.

“10 hours,” it was precise give-or-take a few hours, enough time for Changmin and him to meet up with the Captain to inform him of the latest developments, and BoA to return after her shift at the hospital. “How do you feel?”

She smiled, “better,” her eyes moving to the woman beside him who hadn’t stopped looking at her like a bomb that was ready to explode. “Is she your wife?” Perhaps they were spouses and the reason the woman was looking at her with such distrust was because she was jealous. Apparently, it was the wrong thing to say.

“Not even close,” don’t get her wrong, but Boa loved Yunho like a brother. Anything alluding to a relationship sounded almost like to her ears. “I’m Dr. Kwon BoA, I’m an M.D at a hospital near-by.”

Then why was she channeling so much hostility toward her? “Mianhe, I just assumed…”

“These are a change of clothes, the ones you were wearing were unsalvageable,” Perhaps it was rude of her to treat the other woman so coldly, but she couldn’t help it. Other than her younger sister, the five guys and Professor Ahn were family and just thinking about the harm that could come to them if this Sooyoung let slip what she was about to be told made her hostile and defensive. “Yunho can show you to the bathroom when you are ready, I have to go back to the hospital. I’ll leave first.”

Only when the petite woman left, did Sooyoung dare open apprehensive about sticking her foot in should she say something else in Boa’s presence, “Is she the one that treated my injures?”

“No, but she has been helping us take care of you,” even though he didn’t approve of it, Yunho understood his friend’s hostility. But, it wasn’t exactly Sooyoung’s fault that she was who she was, and he’d saved her the way he had.

“How long have I been here?” Sooyoung asked, swinging her legs over the side of the bed, gingerly testing her injured leg but feeling no excruciating pain shoot up her leg like she expected. Maybe more pressure would reveal different results.

“7 days,” he was already moving toward her, when she lost her balance from pain and fell forward, easily catching her and steadying her on her feet again. Only staying close in case she needed his assistance again and to gauge her reaction to his answer.

Perhaps he misunderstood what she was asking, “Maybe I should clarify, how long since you saved me from the river?”

“7 days,” he repeated steadily, all the while looking into her large brown eyes that looked a little startled into his long before he’d even uttered his answer.

Okay, maybe she was just stupid or very slow because there was no way she heard… “7 days? What, is that some kind of joke?” If it was a joke the guy had one hell of a poker face, because his eyes remained intense but, earnest and face deadly serious. “Okay, I’ll bite. Why don’t you tell me how I went from fighting for my life to mostly recovered in a whooping 7 days?”

She doubted his words it was in her eyes and the sarcastic tone in her voice that rivaled Changmin on a good day. This definitely wasn’t going to be an easy explanation.

TBC

Author’s Note: I hope you are patient with the pacing because I’m still building a background for the story. The pace and action will pick up after a few chapters.

The plotline and story is mine. Please do not repost, copy, translate anywhere and plagiarism is a bad thing.

Comments would be lovely and greatly wanted, helps me know what you think. Constructive Criticisms is welcomed, because it helps me improve. Flames … “to each, his own”.