(A/N: The writing style is going to change part way through - I thought it would make things a little more interesting. Let me know if anything confuses you. I know I like to make things complicated, but a lot is going to be explained here and even more later on, so it might actually get easier to understand as you read? Hopefully?)

Luhan's POV

"Luhan, it's okay."

It wasn't okay.

"Luhan, it was just a dream."

It wasn't just a dream. Even now in Tao's head with every image a construct of the mind, the world we stood in was not just a dream. I could feel this meeting of conscious souls to be much more than a measly dream, more vivid, more significant.

"Lu, don't cry. Please don't cry."

I didn't want my image to cry; the tears just wouldn't stop. I couldn't control the way they saw me, as the emotion my soul experienced could not be hidden behind a physical mask of a level smile and a steady nod.

The space around me quickly became claustrophobic as friends - friends I've only just gotten to know, but felt connected with on so many levels - surrounded me with light pats on the back, quick one-armed hugs at my shoulders, and worried hands wiping at my cheeks. This was ridiculous. I'd never felt so suffocated. Too many people's minds were crowding my own. At the same time, when a two-armed hug was offered to me by Xiumin, I fell into it gratefully. My frustrated, tired soul just wanted to rest it's burden on someone else's shoulders - just for a while.

It's funny how even in this dream-like world, Xiumin still felt soft and cool to the touch, a scent of frost clinging to his shirt. Was it my imagination that supplied these details? This boy had to be my soulmate then. Who else would take the time to love him from the sway of his grounded legs to the curl of the very tips of his eyelashes? Certainly not Chanyeol, who was off in his own dreamland probably pining over Baekhyun.

"Lu, that wasn't just a dream, was it?" asked this boy I'd never stop admiring. Xiumin knew me well. He must notice details about me too, but I've definitely got him beat because I was pretty sure the clarity with which I remembered him was nearing stalker-level. Worry came off him in waves from where I shrouded him in our close embrace, each underlied with something like somber certainty. So then he already knew what my answer would be?

"It was a memory." I admitted in a quiet, yet calm voice. These tears didn't detract from the voice I sent to them, and for that, I was glad. It was bad enough that everyone saw me crying - not manly at all. With great reluctance, I let go of Xiumin and took a step back, readying myself to tell a story-

"Tao, you're bleeding!"

Startled, we all turned to Kai, who was reaching for Tao's arm. Tao caught him with his good arm before the boy could even touch him. "What do you mean I'm bleeding? You're bleeding!" he exclaimed. Turning over the arm in his grasp, Tao revealed a red line of blood seeping through the fabric of a long shirt sleeve. "In the same place..." he continued in a mutter as he pulled up the sleeve as best as he could to see the wound directly. The long scratch in Jongin's arm mirrored that of Tao's perfectly.

"You got that when you were defending me." said Kai, garnering our attention once more with the shake to his voice. "In the dream, I was attacked and you held him back. He got you with the glass, but why hasn't it healed yet? Everything else healed."

"Maybe it's because this cut never happened in real life - it isn't a part of the memory, so it didn't fade when the dream did." Tao guessed.

It seemed like those two had much worse of a dream to deal with than I did, yet here I was, crying. It didn't feel right, and I tried harder to stop and clean myself up.

"Lay can heal you guys." Kris stepped in, sounding certain of his words. "Dream or not, Lay can fix everything once he gets here."

"Until then," Xiumin paused to pat my back, every touch of his soul against mine echoing deep within like the strings of an instument thrumming with pulses of a sound long ago plucked. "I think Luhan has a story to tell while we wait. and knowing Chanyeol and Baekhyun, we could end up waiting a long time."

I shook my head in disagreement. "I'll just end up having to start all over when the others get here."

"How about I fill them in later when we wake up?" he offered. "I really want to know the full story behind what I saw, Lu."

Looking from each soul to the next, I could tell the others wanted to know too. The weight of each person's sincere concerns piled up until I gave in with a resigned nod and a touched smile.

"Well, to start with, I live in a foster home."

*

I've lived in many homes, each alike in that my foster family always grew sick of me within the first month or so. In each home, I would endure the scowls directed my way and the obvious favoritism my foster parents would show to the other children as they showered them with gifts and bigger portions of food. My bed was always plain, every inch of the small corner that I owned lifeless and bare while the others had stuffed animals and colorful blankets and books and lots of clothes... I told myself not be jealous, because I wasn't put into these homes to be loved; I was put there to survive until adulthood and nothing more.

Trying to get on the good side of each foster family was difficult and it never worked no matter what I did, so I stopped trying by the time I was old enough for middle school. Before that, I always had good grades, cleaned up messes that weren't even mine, kept everything I owned in good condition, and remembered to smile and thank my family every day for taking care of me. How come it didn't work? Nothing I did changed their minds about me, nothing. Even after moving into the next home, the cycle would start up all over again.

But like I said, in middle school, I just gave up. Smiling and pretending like everything was okay felt worse and worse, so I stopped trying. Maybe I wanted to rebel and see what my family would do. I no longer cared to keep up my grades nor do any extra chores to gain favor. I spent as much time away from home as possible by playing games in internet cafes late into the night - with no money required. My power was developing at that time and I used it to hack into the systems and make them believe my student ID was really a credit card. Yeah, yeah, I'll take you all out for gaming one of these days, so no need to look at me like that, Kai.

This latest home I've been staying at is different from the others. In there, I have only one foster parent and he is perhaps the worst I've had; I'm stuck with him too! I'm not allowed to go living on my own until I either graduate from high school or reach my twenty-first birthday because of the stupid program I'm in. I can't even tell you how much I've come to regret passing up studying for video games. I just want out of that place, but I admit that I put it off when I could've tried harder to graduate a couple years ago.

You see, just like every other foster home I've been in, there are other children, but this time, the children are being treated like I was treated all my life.

I couldn't just sit still and watch while their needs were ignored-

*

"Will you get off of me?!" yelled a voice as two more souls appeared in Tao's mind with us. I stopped talking as the figures of Kyungsoo and Sehun joined our group.

"But you smell really good." Sehun protested, sticking his nose firmly into Kyungsoo's shirt collar. "So natural and earthy..."

The other boy was not amused. "Someone get this brat off me before I commit murder." he seethed.

"Did you always smell this nice?" Sehun continued, even as Kai came over to forcefully pull him away.

A few explanations and a quiet coaxing from Xiumin later, and I was ready to continue my story.

*

Right, so like I was saying, the foster kids were being treated like .

Yes, Kris, I'm sorry. I won't swear in front of Sehun again, I promise (though it's not like he hasn't said far worse).

Ow! Oh, come on, you know it's true! You don't have to hit me!

Anyways, our foster parent barely fed the kids anything and never bought them any clothes when theirs grew too small or got torn. And I couldn't just sit back and let it happen. They were miserable and half-starved. I couldn't- I just couldn't-

Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry, Xiumin. I can do this. I'm manly, remember?

I already knew how to survive that kind of treatment, but those kids had no idea. They're all too young to take up a job to pay for their own things, and they should spend their time studying anyways so they can be adopted or properly escape when they come of age. So I taught them what I know - how to get clothes from donation bins (those things are never locked properly), how to steal food, where the best places are to find money that people have dropped. You're right, Kai, no one ever looks under vending machines!

So... So in my dream...

I'm really alright. Just give me a minute.

In my dream... It wasn't really a dream, but in my dream, I tried to give them the money I saved up from working. This was actually a week ago, Xiumin, not what you saw today outside the house - I don't normally bring money to that man, but I didn't know how to get it to them otherwise. Usually the kids would take it without a word. No, not even with thanks. It was better that way anyways. That time however-

---

"We don't want your help, you girly-faced freak!"

"You think you can buy your way into our family?"

"Don't you get it yet? We don't to be babied by an adult who's still stuck in high school."

"How about you take care of yourself and get the hell out of our lives already."

"Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"

"Disgusting. How can you keep mooching off of our family?"

"I bet he takes the money meant for us, which is why we never see any of it!"

---

-it didn't turn out that good. They didn't know that our foster parent, the one who is supposed to feed them and take care of them, spends all the money on gambling, booze, and who knows what else (I swear some days he walks in the house smelling like women's perfume). They blame me for their problems, and I get it, it's alright. They can blame me all they want; it doesn't matter.

But what am I supposed to do if they don't accept my help? Let them waste away?

*

I looked to each face, hoping for an answer, but recieved none. "Minah is too pale. Her cheeks are sunken in. She needs to eat more, she doesn't listen to me, but she needs to eat more. Her body can't take the strain she puts on it - I know she fights just as hard as I do to keep the others alive and well. And Joonie, little Joonie, had the makings of a great scientist or neurosurgeon or astronaut or something like that, I ing swear- sorry Kris, but I ing swear he did! He's thirteen now, only thirteen, and I keep finding cigarette packs hidden in his things! Thirteen and he smokes-"

A cold hand wrapped around one of my own, chilly, but comforting all the same.

"I can't save them." I said in a much calmer voice, sending a grateful smile to Xiumin (or at least, I tried - tears were threatening to spill down my cheeks again). "They won't let me save them." I reiterated. "They won't let me come near them anymore. I just wish there was more I could do."

"So those were the kids I saw in your dream?" asked Xiumin. "The ones who kept shoving you away? They were terrible. I don't think they want to be saved."

"I don't think they deserve to be saved." agreed Kai, crossing his arms and forgetting to keep Sehun in check, who already made it past Kris' back and was now one person away from Kyungsoo. Fortunately, this one person was a very perceptive Tao and Sehun was stopped before reaching his prize.

"It doesn't matter what you think they deserve." I continued, despite the silent argument now taking place in the background. "They're just children."

Sighing, Kris intervened on the bickering between Tao and Sehun by taking the youngest by the back of the shirt and yanking him back into Kai's care. "So," he grunted as soon as that was done. "Let's call the police and let them deal with it."

"The twins might get separated into different homes, or they could all end up somewhere much worse-"

"Or they could all end up somewhere better." Kris countered. "Even if they do end up somewhere worse, just tell them to find a phone and call the police so they can try again. As for the twins, have them start up an email account so they can stay in touch or something, but Luhan, I think contacting the police is the best choice. Listen," He stepped forward and began to speak in a softer voice. "I know you want to watch and make sure yourself that they get the best that they can have, but if your efforts aren't helping, you need to trust that someone else's efforts might be better for them."

I opened my mouth to agree, but Kai did it for me. "You make a good point, Kris." he said, wrapping his arms around Sehun's shoulders in what looked to be an uncomfortably tight hug. "I think Sehunnie's parents are and their efforts to take care of him are also -"

"Stop cussing, Jongin. He picks up that habit from you."

Ignoring Kris, Kai continued, "Tao, instead of turning back time on your mom's ex, let's just adopt Sehunnie here."

"If it keeps him off my damn neck, you have my blessing."

"Kyungsoo, language!" Kris scowled at the boy who only shrugged in return. "What did I just say-"

"So, Tao, adopting Sehun - yes or no?" persisted Kai, seemingly getting excited at the idea, judging by the number of kisses he planted on poor Sehun's head (who was growing more and more annoyed in contrast).

I laughed. I couldn't help it. The image of Sehun being taken care of by two teenage boys was just too much to handle.

"You won't need to adopt Sehun, Jongin." said a new voice, one I've grown to like and trust. Behind me, another figure appeared, shortly followed by a second new figure. Suho and Chen.

"But, Suho, I want to adopt Sehunnie!" Kai whined, swinging his friend from left to right in his tight hug. Didn't his wounded arm hurt at all? He didn't seem bothered by it in the least.

Sehun himself was attempting to break their embrace by any means necessary, including biting. "You want me to be adopted by you and my past boyfriend? Are you ing stupid? Is this revenge or something?"

"Don't worry, Sehun, Kai is too young to adopt anyways." The image of Suho looked to Chen with something that didn't feel like the usual friendly glance and smile he would normally give to us all. "What do you think, Chen? Are you ready for children?"

"Am I?"

"Are you?"

"If you are." Chen smiled and kissed Suho on the lips. In front of everyone. No warning at all. I was not expecting that, wow.

I don't think Kai was expecting that either, as his arms had fallen limp (Sehun immediately scrambled away) and his mouth was hanging open. He cheered loudly then, startling everyone. "One down, one to go!"

"Joonma," said Tao with a warm chuckle. "What are you doing here? Did Lay's power reach you too?"

"No, we were still awake when you guys conked out, but he woke up and told me and Chen-" Suho directed a smile at the mentioned boy before continuing, "-that some big meeting was going to happen with the wolf and that he was sorry, but he had to knock us out too, so here we are."

"He's saving Baekhyun and Chanyeol for last then." Xiumin pointed out, and the spread of worry at his words was visible across everyone's faces.

"They're okay." I said. "And if they're not okay now, they will be, because we'll be there for them."

Of this I was certain. Something brought us together for a reason, I could feel that now. We were alike. We could understand each other. We could build each other up and keep each other safe. So quickly, every one of my fears and worries were put to rest because of these guys. Looking at these new friends of mine, I knew that there had to be a reason for not just our powers, but for the very connections that drew our lives together.

I didn't use to believe in fate, but beliefs can change and something told me that this fateful meeting with the wolf would explain everything.

"And yeah, Kris..." I added, just to make things clear. "I'll call the police when I wake up. Thank you."

***

Author Note:

So I would very much like to make like an emu and stuff my head in dirt, because holy cow is this update late.

August?! I haven't updated since August?! Why did I not notice this happening?!

If any of you still read this, I am so super sorry, like someone please dig my head out of the dirt and punch me in the face, because I deserve it.

I think I got intimidated by how much explaining was going to be done in this chapter and the next and I procrastinated like crazy and pretended it didn't exist and I as an author, I know.

I am so sorry.