A/N: Auooo wasssup guys, just wanted to say thanks for commenting and subscribing and hello to le new subscribers. Hope you enjoy this chapter it took me a while to write since I wanted to get it perfect and I kept getting emotional enjoy! =^.^=

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 Jongin's eyebrows furrow beneath his fringe. His dark eyes dart back and forth and one of his fingers subconsciously pokes his bottom lip as he concentrates.

"It says to put two to three drops on the cloth and then to dab it on the cut," His eyes quickly search my face and catch on a particularly long gash on my neck.

"We'd better get started then," I say, trying to hide the fear in my voice. In his hands is a bottle of strong antiseptic. That stuff is going to burn.

"I don't know if I can do this." Kai drops down the bottle and puts his head in his hands. We're sitting opposite each other on the bed and I hear him give a long sigh.

"Well if you're not going to do it then who is." I mumble.

"The hospital?"

"No," I say at once, "No hospitals and no police."

"Why?" Jongin bursts out, wrenching his hands away from his face. His eyes are wide and full of confusion and frustration. "I don't get it Ara, no actually you don't get it. Some of those cuts could need stitches, some of your ribs could be broken, you could have concussion. We also don't know how that man managed to sneak into your apartment and since you're on the fourth floor and the door wasn't broken it means he didn't break in which means that he had keys to your apartment which then makes this whole thing even more dangerous but you won't go to the police and you won't go to the hospital and you won't even tell me why-"

"I'll sort it out Jongin," I cry out. I just need him to stop. His ramble of words end abruptly and the frustration in his eyes dim. I get off the bed and go out into the living room.

"Ara," Jongin calls, "Ara where are you going?"

"To sort it out."

"How? What can you even do?" Jongin rakes a hand through his hair.

"I don't know yet," I sit down and put my shoes on. "But it's unfair to burden you any longer,"

"Ara that's not what I meant-"

"Thanks for saving me Jongin," I say firmly, looking up at him. "I really appreciate it."

I open the door to his apartment just as he grabs my wrist.

"You're not going anywhere," He says. And then in a softer voice, "You're not leaving me."

I look out into the hall way. It's still pitch black; the glow from Jongin's apartment casts a pool of light of only a few metres in radius. It's enough to illuminate my door. My apartment. My sanctuary. The place I moved into, the place I slept, the place I showered. My idea of safety was in the form of my home. And now it's not even safe anymore. I have no where to go, how can I sort this out? I can't even gather the courage to walk out into the hallway. I can't sort this out. I can't sort myself out.

"Come inside Ara," Jongin says quietly, tugging on my arm. I allow him to lead me into the apartment and he shuts the door firmly closed behind me. Then he takes his phone out of his jean pocket and dials a few buttons.

"Hyung," He says. It must be Suho; he's the only one Jongin calls hyung. "I need you guys to come over."

I’m in the living room when the boys arrive. I can hear them coming; they’re laughter, especially Chanyeol’s, bounces off the walls as they struggle through the darkness. Jongin stands up in front of me to shield me from view as the apartment door opens.

“Damn Kai it’s like a death trap out there,” Is the first thing Kyungsoo says, ruffling his hair.

“You should have seen how scared Baekhyun was,” Chanyeol laughs, slinging an arm around his friend fondly and ignoring the death glare being aimed at him.

“What’s up Kai?” Suho says. Just his voice is reassuring. “Why’d you call us round in the middle of the night?”

I stand up and step out from behind Jongin before he can speak.

I’ve never seen five faces drop so fast. Sehun’s eyes widen as his eyes rake over all the bruises on my face. Baekhyun looks lost and confused; Kyungsoo looks like he’s been slapped across the face and Suho’s eyebrows crease in concern, his eyes wincing slightly at the gashes across my skin.

The most heartbreaking sight is Chanyeol. The happy smile slowly slides off his face to be replaced by such pale child-like confusion. Slowly his eyes widen and his mouth parts.

“What happened to her?” He whispers. He looks at Jongin for reassurance. “Is she okay?”

“I’m fine Chanyeol,” I say, forcing myself to smile. He’s not convinced and he tugs Suho’s arm.

“Hyung…”

“Ara what happened?” Suho immediately steps towards me. Baekhyun takes my arm and looks at the red marks.

“She was attacked,” Jongin sighs heavily and runs a hand through his hair and then down his cheek tiredly, “In her apartment. Some man was there waiting for her when she got home.”

“Are you serious?” Suho looks up in shock at him.

“Attacked?” Kyungsoo gasps, “And you were..?”

“Just in time,” Jongin finishes and I see his fist clench.

Chanyeol’s still staring at me, fiddling with the hem of his jumper while he bites his lip.

“I need you to smile for me Yeollie,” I say shakily, even though I want to cry at the expression on his face. He comes forward and envelopes me in a hug,

“I’m really glad you’re okay,” He says thickly, hugging me tightly. I nod, my face in his jumper.

“Why isn’t she at the hospital?” Suho’s saying when Chanyeol lets go, “Did you guys even call the police?”

“She won’t go,” Jongin interrupts bluntly. “And she won’t let me call the police.”

“Won’t let you..?”

“Why?” Kyungsoo’s lost.

I can’t tell them. Not yet. Not today. All I do is shake my head firmly. No hospital and no police.

“Ara,” Baekhyun takes my hands and looks at me imploringly, his kind brown eyes look right at me. “You have to go to the police, you’ve been attacked. Whatever this man did to you, they should know, he could still at large, looking for other girls to attack-”

“Not with both of his legs broken,” Jongin snarls. I see Suho flick a look of concern towards him.

“So do you have any sort of plan?” Kyungsoo asks. Jongin rubs the back of his neck.

“I thought maybe some of us could move that er,” He jabs his head towards the door, and then lowers his eyes, “And I thought maybe Suho-hyung could fix her up, I tried but I can’t, I mean it just made me think-”

“Don’t worry I understand,” Suho rubs his arm and a look passes between the two. Then Suho’s taking my arm and leading me into Jongin’s bedroom, “Let’s get you fixed up.”

“I’ll be back Ara,” Jongin says.

“Try and be brave,” Chanyeol says. I nod and give him a brave smile. Jongin beckons Sehun and the three of them leave the apartment.

Once inside Jongin’s room, Suho makes me sit on the bed while he gathers the medical supplies that are still scattered around. Then he and Kyungsoo wash their hands in the bathroom and I hear them muttering together.

Baekhyun opens Jongin’s closet and bends down.

“Ah he still has it,” He says, pulling out a guitar case.

“You can play?” I ask, interested. He shrugs,

“Just a little,”

He takes out the guitar, settles himself cross legged on the floor and strums a few golden notes.

Suho comes back, drying his hands on a towel.

“Right,” He claps his hands and both he and Kyungsoo kneel in front of me on the floor. “I suppose we should get started.

“Maybe we should do the less painful stuff first?” Kyungsoo nibbles his bottom lip.

“No,” I shake my head, “Get the painful stuff out of the way first.”

Suho opens the bottle of antiseptic and dabs it on to a cloth. Kyungsoo weaves his soft hand into mine and I squeeze it gratefully.

Suho begins to dab my cuts and scratches and I hiss in pain, automatically clenching Kyungsoo’s hand. It’s like his scraping raw alcohol or salt into each wound and I have to fight not to let the tears leave my eyes.

“You’re being really brave,” Kyungsoo whispers, patting my hand. His eyes are wide and watching Suho’s every move and then checking to see my reaction, offering words of comfort when I bit my lip hard.

Finally it’s over and Suho’s rubbing cool cold ointment, as refreshing as water, on to each wound. His eye brows have a constant crease of concentration and every once in a while his calm brown eyes meet mine and he smiles reassuringly.

Baekhyun begins to hum along to his guitar. The notes he is playing are long and drawn out and travel across the scales. He’s humming with his eyes closed and he has an expression that’s both sorrowful and soulful lighting up his features. His humming is truly beautiful. The sound is hesitant when it leaves his lips but gathers strength the longer the note goes on. It weaves a spell around me, undoing all the knots of tension inside of me.

“Hey,” Kyungsoo whispers, “Suho she’s crying. Is it hurting that bad?”

“This is just ointment,” Suho frowns holding up the bottle, “It shouldn’t be hurting that bad…” He looks up at me and his expression clears and he gets it. He gets that it’s not the wounds that are hurting. It’s not the cuts or the scratches or the bruises. It’s me that hurts. It’s inside me. I hurt all over. And there is no emotional ointment for that.

Suho sighs and puts down the bottle. Then he puts an arm around me and draws my face to his shoulder and allows me to cry. The aura of comfort that surrounds him is unreal. Kyungsoo continues to hold my hand and dabs at my face with the sleeve of his shirt so my tears don’t run into the wounds on my face. I cry on Suho’s shoulder and listen to his gentle reassurances while Baekhyun’s quiet voice soars up along the music scale.