**this fic own mine and my brother's. we worked this story together.

Taeyeon watches the number change on the car’s digital clock. She’s been sitting in the parking structure for an hour, her car door developing a squeak from the number of times she’s opened and closed it. She looks to the passenger seat again, where her laptop case sits. You can do this. You can do this for her, and for him. She takes a deep breath, grabs the case, and finally gets out of her car.

…

…

The door is closed when she gets there and she hesitates before knocking softly. Smiles tightly at the woman who opens the door.

“You again”

“Afternoon”

Hyoyeon sighs, pure disgust evident in the long breath. “Sunny’s not here” she tells her, blocking the doorway.

“I’m here to see him” Taeyeon points over the top of Hyoyeon’s head to a sleeping Jamie.

“He’s sleeping. Come back later” she says with an arrogant tilt of her head, “or don’t”

Taeyeon smirks, remembering the stories Sunny told her about she and Hyoyeon growing up. “I’ll wait for him to wake”

“Whatever”

Taeyeon walks away to sit in the waiting room.

…

…

She sees blonde hair through the frosted glass that encloses the waiting room and knows Sunny is on her way back to Jamie’s room. She goes to the doorway and peeks out; sees Sunny speaking with a man in a suit. The man puts a hand on Sunny’s shoulder and they shake hands. Sunny retreats to room four-o-two and Taeyeon steps out into the hallway to stop the man on his way back.

“Excuse me, sir… I saw you speaking with Sunny Lee. Are you hospital staff or…?”

“Yes, Larry Gray: financial counselor”

Taeyeon smiles and shakes his hand. “Do you think we could have a word in your office?”

Larry checks his watch, “I can give you eight minutes”

Taeyeon nods once, “I appreciate it”

…

…

“Have a seat”

“Thanks”

“So what’s this about?

“I’m Sunny’s lawyer, you see, and…”

“Sunny has a lawyer?” he eyes her suspiciously.

“I’m a friend, first and foremost, but I do represent her in small matters, and I take care of her finances” If he believes one sodding word out of your mouth…

“I see. Listen, Ms….?”

“Taeyeon”

“Taeyeon. I’ve known Sunny for a couple of years now, because of her son’s illness and his extended stays here at the hospital, and I know she can’t afford a lawyer. I also know she doesn’t have any finances that need taking care of”

“Mr. Gray, you’re a busy man, so I’ll get to the point. I’d like to take over the financial aspect of James’s hospital stay… to ease the burden on Sunny’s shoulders”

“Sunny’s never mentioned a Taeyeon”

“I’ve been in Seoul, on business” she hands him a business card and looks him in the eye, confidently.

Larry reads it while he taps his fingers on his desk. He throws his hands up, surrendering, “Ok, Ms. Taeyeon, I’m listening…”

…

…

Taeyeon’s stomach knots when she gets back to Jamie’s room; she knows Sunny’s in there now. That, compiled with her sister with the mean right hook nearly sends her back to the waiting room to muster up more courage.

it. Taeyeon opens the door and sees Sunny first. She’s sitting by the bed, Jamie’s free arm.

“Taeyeon…” Jamie grins groggily.

Taeyeon looks at Sunny for permission to enter further. Sunny looks away and doesn’t say anything.

“Hello, James, I brought your shopping trolley” she says, holding up her laptop case.

“What’s that for?” Hyoyeon asks with an attitude.

“James and I have a shopping date, don’t we?”

Jamie nods as enthusiastically as he can. Sunny gets up and allows Taeyeon to sit next to him.

“I’m gonna go for a walk” Sunny says in Hyoyeon’s direction.

“Alright, I’ll be here”

Taeyeon turns to look at Sunny, but she’s already walking out the door. She can’t even be in the same room with me. Taeyeon looks at Hyoyeon who offers no sympathy. She turns back to Jamie and forces a smile.

…

…

“You can look through all of these toys, James. Just use this button here to go to the next page” Taeyeon sits with him for a while until she knows he can do it himself. “Can I speak with you?” she stands up and asks Hyoyeon.

“Don’t bother” Hyoyeon crosses her arms, “I won’t help you try and get my sister back”

Taeyeon glances at Jamie, sees he’s enthralled with the laptop. “That’s not what this is about” Taeyeon tells her, “I do need your help, but it has nothing to do with mine and Sunny’s relationship”

“You don’t have a relationship with Sunny” Hyoyeon informs her.

“Right…” Taeyeon motions to Hyoyeon to follow her to the window, away from Jamie. She looks at Hyoyeon, standing there oozing attitude, and she knows that if the situation they were in wasn’t so delicate, she’d be terribly amused by Sunny’s sister.

“You and I didn’t get off to the best start, and I’m sorry for that”

Hyoyeon stares at her incredulously. Jesus Christ, give me a bloody chance! “I recognize that you don’t know me, and I don’t know you…”

“I know all I need to know”

Taeyeon takes a deep breath to calm herself, “Alright, well… however you feel about me, we do have something in common, and that is, we both want to help Sunny and James”

Hyoyeon laughs in her face, “You’re hilarious” she turns to walk away, but Taeyeon grabs her arm.

“Please, just hear me out”

Hyoyeon pulls her arm away. A staring match ensues and Hyoyeon loses, “Well?”

“I’ve spoken with the finance counselor, and we have an agreement that I’ll be responsible, financially, for all of James’s medical needs while he’s here”

“What?”

Taeyeon sees her eyes soften and her arms relax. “I’ve already paid what Sunny owes from his previous stay, and I’ve left Mr. Gray instructions to contact me when new costs arise”

Hyoyeon is silent so Taeyeon continues, “What I need from you is a story… a good lie, honestly. From what I’ve been told, you’re quite good at both”

“You’re ing joking”

“I’m not”

“But she owed, like, thousands and thousands of American dollars or something”

“Yes”

“And you just… paid it?”

“Yes”

Taeyeon watches as Hyoyeon’s face displays a range of different emotions. “Tell me what you need”

Taeyeon smiles and inwardly sighs with relief. “If Sunny finds out what I’ve done, she’ll never speak to me again…”

“Think you’re already there, remember?”

“Perhaps…” Taeyeon nods slowly, but can’t process even the thought of that. “If she finds out, I need you to cover for me and make something up so she doesn’t find out about it”

“Taeyeon, I want this” Jamie points to the screen.

“I’ll be right there, James” she looks at Hyoyeon expectantly, “can you do that?”

Hyoyeon nods, “Yeah, I can”

“Thank you” Taeyeon squeezes her shoulder and goes to sit next to Jamie. “Let’s see what you’ve chosen…”

“You know…” Hyoyeon stands on the other side of the bed and Taeyeon looks up at her, “she’d be upset at first, but she’d come around, and then she would adore you for it. It could win her back”

“No” Taeyeon shakes her head, “I don’t want her to give me another chance because she feels… grateful. It should be because…” she smiles at Jamie, his eyes drooping, “because she knows I’ll be here for her, for them, from now on, no matter what”

“Good luck with that” Hyoyeon laughs and walks away.

“Yeah… thanks”

…

…

Taeyeon looks up from the magazine when the door opens. Her eyes connect with Sunny’s and she closes the magazine and quickly stands up, feeling like she’s just been caught doing something naughty. Sunny walks to Jamie’s bed and checks on him.

“He fell asleep about twenty minutes ago” Taeyeon tells her softly.

“Where’s Hyoyeon?”

“She went looking for you” puts the magazine on the chair.

“Well I’m back, you can go”

Taeyeon stays glued to the spot. Apologize again. No, don’t do that. Tell her you miss her and that you’re not going anywhere, anymore, ever.

“Sunny… Sunny, I…”

“I can’t, Taeyeon” Sunny says, keeping her eyes on Jamie.

“Can’t what?”

“I can’t deal with him, and deal with you”

“Deal with me…?”

“I have to focus on Jamie”

“Of course you do…”

“You and I are…”

“Here you are” Hyoyeon walks in and stops, looking between them.

“You and I are what, Sunny?” Taeyeon doesn’t care that Hyoyeon’s there.

“Never mind…” Sunny scoots a chair closer to Jamie’s bed and says nothing else.

Taeyeon picks up her empty laptop case and walks to the door, “You can, um…” she clears , “you can keep the laptop. The clerk at the store loaded it with some educational games for him. I have to go and pick up my girls from a birthday party”

Hyoyeon shrugs at her sympathetically when Sunny doesn’t respond. Taeyeon forces a smile. “I’ll be by tomorrow, after work” she says to the back of Sunny. “Oh…” Taeyeon takes out a business card and hands it to Hyoyeon, “if you need anything, or if something happens, call me. Anytime”

Hyoyeon nods, “Thanks”

“Bye, then” Taeyeon waits for Sunny to say something. Anything. But she doesn’t even move a muscle. So Taeyeon walks out the door.

…

…

“How’s Jamie, Mum?” Sophia and Bella hold her hands as they walk down the street toward the car.

“He’s tired; slept most of the time I was there” Taeyeon answers.

“Can we visit him again tomorrow?”

Taeyeon unlocks the car door, “In you go” she waits for them to settle in the back seat before getting in herself. “You have school tomorrow, darling”

“After school, of course”

Taeyeon starts the car and pulls away from the kerb. “I think it’s best if you two concentrate on school during the week, alright? I’ll take you to see him on Saturday next”

Sophia and Bella look at each other and frown.

“What about Sunny, Mum?” Bella looks at her in the rear view mirror.

“What about Sunny?”

“Is she your girlfriend again?”

Taeyeon can see the hopeful expressions on both their faces. “No” Taeyeon answers honestly and quickly changes the subject, “how was the party?”

“Yeah… it was fun” Sophia says halfheartedly.

“She liked our gift” Bella adds in a similar tone.

“That’s good” Taeyeon presses the button that converts the top down on her car, hoping the wind and noise will deter her children from asking anymore questions. “Shall we try that new Chinese restaurant tonight?”

Bella and Sophia shrug simultaneously.

Taeyeon shifts the gear stick and speeds down the highway, letting the wind drown out her thoughts, and Sunny’s silence, all at once.

**this fic own mine and my brother's. we worked this story together.