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

“Thanks for coming on such short notice”

“No problem. Sorry I couldn’t get out yesterday – had some last minute meetings”

“You’re here now, that’s all that matters” Taeyeon smiles, “can I order you something?”

“I think I’m a little airsick, actually, so maybe a ginger ale”

“Sure” Taeyeon signals to the waiter and orders their drinks.

“So what’s going on, Taeyeon”

Taeyeon clears , “I need a favor”

“Figured…”

“Jessica…”

“Don’t” Jessica holds up her hand, “listen, we never promised each other anything. It was what it was, right?” she thanks the waiter for the drinks and sips her ginger ale.

Taeyeon looks apologetically at her, “I’m sorry. I guess…” Taeyeon takes a deep breath and sits back in her seat, “I guess I used you” Taeyeon shakes her head, “No. I did use you, and that was…”

“I used you too, Taeyeon” Jessica tips her glass and nods.

Taeyeon leans forward and reaches across the table, resting her hand on top of Jessica’s “Still. You were a good friend… are a good friend, if you’ll have me”

“Of course we can be friends”

Taeyeon smiles, “Good”

“So tell me about this favor”

Taeyeon crosses her arms and leans on the table, “It’s James”

“Who…?” Jessica furrows her brow

“James; Sunny’s son”

“Ohh, right. Sunny”

“He’s in hospital”

“For…?”

“leukemia”

“Oh no. Taeyeon…”

“Yeah…”

“How bad is it?”

Taeyeon pauses. “Bad”

“What can I do?”

“He needs a marrow donor…”

“And you want me to find one for him”

“Yes”

“How long…?”

“Two or three months”

“His family…?”

“No one’s a close enough match”

“You…?”

Taeyeon shakes her head.

Jessica takes a long drink of her ginger ale and looks at Taeyeon, pensive. “I’ll need family histories, names of distant relatives…”

“Already got it for you” Taeyeon hands her a file, “Sunny’s sister is quite eager to help”

Jessica opens the file and sifts through it, “So they have Korean origins…”

“Yeah”

“Hmm…” Jessica looks across the table into Taeyeon’s hopeful eyes, “how close of a match are you expecting, Taeyeon?”

Taeyeon evades the question. “You have connections; you know people. I know you’ll do your best”

“And you know if it doesn’t come from a full sibling it’s not going to be a perfect match… and even a sibling might not be a match”

Taeyeon shrinks, “I know, I know. He doesn’t have nine months, anyway. If he did, Sunny would already be pregnant”

Jessica closes the file, “I need to talk with his doctor”

“Of course”

Jessica sits back and folds her arms, “How much are you willing to spend on this kid, Taeyeon?”

Taeyeon looks at her confidently and doesn’t flinch when she answers, “Whatever it takes”

…

…

“Thanks for lunch” Jessica stands and picks up her travel bag, “and the hotel room” she waves the key card in the air.

“It’s the least I can do”

“So I’ll meet you at the hospital around five…?”

“Sounds good” Taeyeon nods.

“Alright. Bye, Taeyeon”

“Bye…” Taeyeon stands and grabs Jessica’s arm, “and thanks”

…

…

…

…

She steps into the room and finds unfamiliar faces. “Sorry” she stutters and walks back out. Looks at the number next to the door, four-o-two. She panics and nearly trips over herself getting to the nurse’s station. “Where’s James?” she asks Sheila.

“Relax, Taeyeon” Sheila pats her arm, “we had to move him to another room; a better equipped one”

Taeyeon has to hold on to the counter to keep herself upright. “Where?”

“He’s down at the end, four-fourteen”

“Thanks, Sheila”

“You’ll need full gear from here on” the nurse informs her.

Taeyeon nods and makes her way down the hall.

As she slips on the booties, gown, cap and gloves, she’s instantly taken back to Seoul, to Tiffany, to a daily routine of exactly this. But instead of feeling sorry for herself, she thinks about Sunny. Thinks about how this is the second time Sunny’s gone through this, and she has no right to feel sorry for herself. I need to be strong for her.

“Hey hey, Taeyeon… lookin good in blue” Sungmin greets her as she walks in.

“Thank you, Mr. Sungmin; it’s always been my best color” she winks at him and looks around the room. “Nice room”

“Yeah, only the best for our boy” he grins.

“Where is everyone?”

“Tests. Should be back in a tick”

Taeyeon nods and checks her watch. Knows she has to meet Jessica downstairs in an hour.

“So… Taeyeon…”

“So… Mr. Sungmin…”

“Just Sungmin, yeah”

“Right. Sungmin”

“You and Sunny back on then?”

“I don’t know” Taeyeon shrugs, “Has she… said anything?”

Sungmin gestures for her to sit. He does the same. Smirks at her. “She’s a big, mushy heart, that Sunny. Always been like that”

“She is rather amazing” Taeyeon agrees.

“You’re mad for her, ain’t ya”

Taeyeon smiles shyly, “I’m mad for her, yes”

“Good. She deserves it”

The door opens and Taeyeon stands up as a nurse wheels Jamie inside. He’s sitting in a large wheelchair; his little body practically swallowed up by it

“Taeyeon…” he holds out his little arms.

“Hello, James” she bends down and hugs him gently. He’s too weak to hug her back.

“We need to get him in his bed” says the nurse who’s with him.

“Don’t go, Taeyeon” he begs.

“I’m staying right here, James”

“Hi” Sunny walks into the room in matching protective garb and reaches out her gloved hand to Taeyeon’s gloved hand. She squeezes it once, and Taeyeon can tell Sunny’s smiling behind her mask.

“Hi” Taeyeon says, a hint of surprise in her voice.

“We’ve been waiting for you” she whispers. “Sungmin, could you give us some time alone, please?”

“No problem, no problem” Sungmin walks out and stops at the door, “where’s Hyoyeon?”

Sunny pulls back, “She’s eating, downstairs”

“I’ll catch up with her. You two be good now” he winks at them before slipping out the door.

“I really don’t understand how you got that” Taeyeon points to Jamie, “from that” she points to the door.

“Stop!” Sunny shakes her head and goes to help the nurse.

Taeyeon looks on as they carefully transfer Jamie, and the tubes and wires connected to him, from the wheelchair to his bed. Seeing the state he’s in only reinforces her confidence in asking Jessica to help. She watches and thinks about how far Jamie is from the boy she knew just two months ago.

Once he’s settled, Taeyeon sits next to him while Sunny and the nurse discuss some things about his new machines.

“Tell me about your day, James” she his little hand with her gloved hand.

“I want to go home, Taeyeon” his eyes fill with tears.

“I know” Taeyeon soothes him.

“Will you take me home?” His voice is so weak and small that Taeyeon has to lean in to hear him properly.

“I can’t do that, James. I’m sorry”

“I hate leukemia” he says, a single tear rolling down his cheek.

Taeyeon lifts his hand and kisses it through her mask. “So do I, James. So do I”

…

…

“You look tired” Taeyeon tells her as they sit across from each other; Jamie in his bed between them, sleeping.

“Haven’t really slept well for the past month” Sunny says, and adjusts the blue cap covering her blonde hair, “I must look awful”

“No, I didn’t mean it like that” Taeyeon quickly corrects, “I just meant…”

“I know what you meant, Taeyeon”

…

…

Taeyeon checks her watch. . She’s due to meet Jessica in ten minutes and Jamie’s just woken up to have his dinner.

“Do you have somewhere else to be?” Sunny observantly asks.

“Um… kind of… just a quick appointment, really”

“Oh”

“I planned on coming back, though” Taeyeon says, trying to catch her gaze.

“You don’t have to…”

“I want to” Taeyeon says firmly.

“Don’t go, Taeyeon” Jamie reaches out to her.

“I’ll be back soon, I promise” Taeyeon looks at Sunny when Jamie starts to cry.

“It’s the meds” Sunny his bald head, “he’ll be alright” she tells Taeyeon, “you go on to your appointment. We’ll be waiting for you”

“I don’t want him to be upset”

“He’s ok, Taeyeon. Go…”

“I’ll be back, James. Very soon”

Taeyeon stops at the door and looks back at the two of them. Sunny nods once at her and then focuses on calming her son. Taeyeon walks out and tears away the gown and cap and gloves and hurriedly makes her way down to the lobby.

…

…

“Thank you again for seeing us, Dr. Grant; I’ll be in touch” Jessica shakes his hand, Taeyeon does the same, and they leave his office.

“So…?” Taeyeon looks at her, hopeful.

Jessica opens her briefcase and puts away the files the doctor gave her. “I have a better idea of what we’re dealing with now”

Taeyeon holds the elevator doors open for her to get in. “What are the chances of finding a suitable donor?” she asks, pressing the button for the lobby.

“I’m not going to say. You’re too invested in this kid”

“What the hell does that mean?”

Jessica sighs, “It means, Taeyeon, that if I tell you I don’t think I can find a match, you’ll spiral. And if I tell you the chances of finding a match are good, you’ll think he’s going to live, and if he doesn’t, it will shatter you”

The doors open and Jessica walks out, leaving Taeyeon standing alone in the corner of the elevator. It’s only when people start loading in that she excuses herself and follows Jessica.

“So I love him” she says, catching up with Jessica, “I still have a right to know”

Jessica sits down in the lobby and pats the seat next to her. “Taeyeon, you know from experience what false hope can do”

Taeyeon collapses into the seat, sighing, “I know”

“So let me do this my way, and when I have a definitive answer for you, I’ll let you know. Either way”

“I can’t lose him, Jessica” Taeyeon folds her hands in her lap and looks down at them, “we can’t lose him”

“I’m going to do my best”

Taeyeon nods, “Thanks” she reaches over to Jessica’s lap and takes her hand, “and I’m sorry, again, for… everything”

Jessica sandwiches Taeyeon’s hand between hers. “I should thank you, really”

“Thank me?” Taeyeon swipes tears from her cheeks, “for what…?”

“Well, if it wasn’t for you, I would never have realized what a big gay I am”

Taeyeon laughs along when Jessica bursts out into laughter. “Are you?”

“Mm hmm” Jessica’s laughter tapers off, and she smiles genuinely at Taeyeon, “I’ve… kind of met someone” she blushes, “she’s a lab tech, and she’s pretty ing amazing, actually”

“That’s great, Jessica” Taeyeon smiles, “but what about Daniel?”

“Oh god, that’s over. I filed in December” she rolls her eyes, “it was always a marriage of convenience anyway”

“Well I’m… glad I could help?”

“You kind of did” Jessica laughs again. “Instead of "irreconcilable differences" I wrote "had great with a hot woman and now I’m gay". I expect a large settlement and hefty alimony payments, of course”

After a few more laughs, Jessica stands up and picks up her briefcase. “I should get going. And you’ve got to get back to Sunny and your boy”

My boy. “Yeah…” Taeyeon stands and walks the last few steps to the automatic sliding doors with her, “I don’t really know what else to say but thanks” she opens her arms and pulls Jessica in, “keep me posted about the search, and good luck with your lab tech” Taeyeon squeezes tightly and lets go.

“Taeyeon…” Jessica nudges her.

Taeyeon looks at Jessica and follows her line of vision, seeing Sunny standing nearby. She watches as Sunny’s eyes go from hurt to angry in a matter of seconds. “No” she whispers to herself, knowing what Sunny must be thinking.

She tries to intercept Sunny before she runs out of the hospital, but fails. She looks back at Jessica apologetically, and Jessica shakes her head and gestures to her to go after Sunny.

Taeyeon runs out into the darkness, her eyes frantically searching.

She jogs through the garden, but doesn’t find her.

She walks the perimeter of the entire hospital. No Sunny.

“!” Taeyeon runs her hand through her hair, frustrated, “!”

Taeyeon does the only thing she can think of and goes back to Jamie’s room. She peeks in the window and sees that Jamie is sleeping again. Opens the door and calls Hyoyeon out.

“What” Hyoyeon says as the door closes behind her.

“Has Sunny called you?”

“No. She just left”

“Where did she go?”

“Home. To shower and change. She was mumbling something about looking tired and needing to keep herself up for you”

“ !” Taeyeon’s rather loud expletives get her a stern warning from Sheila.

“What have you done now?” Hyoyeon glares at her.

“Nothing… I mean… she may have misinterpreted something… with someone”

“If you’ve hurt her, I’ll kill you, Taeyeon”

“I haven’t… not purposely” Taeyeon paces back and forth in front of Jamie’s door, “it was my friend, Jessica”

“The one who’s helping Jamie…?”

“Yes” Taeyeon stops, “I hugged her. Sunny saw. We had a thing. But it was a friendly hug. To say thanks…”

“Just, shut up, Taeyeon” Hyoyeon says, exasperated, “find her, and fix it”

Taeyeon nods quickly, her eyes wide.

“Fix it” Hyoyeon says again, a warning in her tone.

Taeyeon bites her lip and nods, walks away from Hyoyeon, but turns around. “Tell James I was here”

Hyoyeon rolls her eyes and shoos her off. “Go” she mouths.

Taeyeon doesn’t look back again.

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