Joonmyeon was coming back from the communal closet with Tao when a wave of people suddenly entered the place. By reflex, he covered his face with his hood, children tend to get scared first hand upon seeing him and he didn't want to cause trouble.

"Welcome." Yifan spoke. Alfa Mi told the people that the man who welcomed them was a great leader and the ruler of this community. Yifan greeted everybody.

"I want to introduce someone to you all." He spoke and brought Joonmyeon to the front. "This is my mate, Joonmyeon. He must be respected as much as I am. Also, you may ask for his assistance in anything you need, starting from tomorrow."

"Hello and welcome." Joonmyeon said under the look of so many eyes that were, without a doubt, just looking at one thing. Joonmyeon didn't back away though, but he felt bad for whatever his image might do to his alfa's image.

And then just to deepen his insecurities even more, she made her entrance.

Yifan was holding Joonmyeon's hand when she walked in, a child in one arm and Mi's arm around the other.

"Yifan, Alfa, in the name of our people, I cannot thank you enough. We've gone through hell." She said and bowed.

Yifan's hand went cold in Joonmyeon's hold, his eyes as big as two suns, the words left his mouth and his brain. She was here, in front of him, for the first time in almost six years.

He had imagined this moment many times before. At first, he was sure that he was gonna burst into an argument, tell her what she needed to hear. Later, he thought that he would just cry and hold her. After some time passed, he thought that he was gonna fall on his knees and beg her to stay. At the end, his heart just went numb, no more feelings, hopes or fantasies. Life went on as an incredibly heavy task for him.

But now... now, she was here in front of him, in this moment of their lives, a present that they can't do anything about.

She is here with one child in one arm and a husband in the other; here looking at Yifan, who has a mate in his hand and child on the wait. They were not the same and yet...

"Fei noona... welcome back..." was all he could say.

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That night, for the first time since they mated, Yifan didn't hug Joonmyeon to sleep. The omega had the feeling that his dream was reaching its end.

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Maybe his mind was playing tricks or maybe things were really happening, he can't really tell. Anyhow, it feels real, it feels like Yifan was more distant this morning.

He shook the thoughts off. There were far more problems than taking care of one's mate, right?

------------

Yifan could feel it in his whole body. He wanted to go and see her, he wanted to talk to her, he wanted to be with her right now. Nobody would deny that they needed to have a talk, there was no harm in talking. There was no cheating nor betraying in talking. Just two old friends, having a long awaited talk.

It had to happen... and it did.

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She was near the river with her baby and her other child. It was one of those rare moments when she was found alone.

Her body langauge told him that she felt his presence.

"Hi." He said shyly.

"Hello, Alfa." He tsked.

"Don't call me that..."

"That's how I should call you." She smiled. Oh, that smile. A flashback went through Yifan's mind, images of those days when he was a pup and she was his sun.

"So... I can't be FanFan anymore?" He teased.

"Is that how your mate calls you?" She shot back. She knew it was low of her. He smirked anyway. Could it be that she was jealous?

"No, he calls me by my name." She nodded. His eyes were absorbing her; her perfect skin and her full lips. He felt guilty for thinking that this beauty was so much different from the one he was used to watching at home. "You look as beautiful as always... you haven't changed a bit..." He said, caressing her cheek with the back of his hand. She finally looked up at him and the world was shining again.

-----------------

Yifan was sleeping soundlessly at his side, a smile tugging up his lips. Peaceful. Handsome.

He is almost reaching his seventh month and it's getting harder to sleep.

He has been thinking about things; things about Fei, things like how Yifan would come and tell him about her when they weren't mates.

He sighs. He is going to wake up tomorrow and get to work. Yes, that would be useful and better than this.

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There's a small room at the back of the house, away from the noise of the children and the hectic mood of the mansion. There he is working, early in the morning. He hears voices, voices that are speaking Yifan's language, a language that he understands and voices that he knows.

"I still think it's crazy..." it's General Han.

"I don't see what's so hard to understand... it's what I... what any man should do..."

"She mated you after all..."

"And what choice did she have?"

"Well, our life... it is what it is, Alfa..."

"I'm not an animal. She already gave me three children. As an alfa, I can take another mate."

"And is that what you want?"

"What I want is your support. I want the pack to still respect her... later on, we can worry about a new mate..."

"Mi..." The general sounded stressed out.

"What? What would you do? If it was you... if it was Heechul married to you but never loving you? I know you love him as much as I do her... it is right to give Fei her freedom back. If I knew this before, I would've never taken her, Yifan was almost like a little brother to me." Behind the curtain, Joonmyeon saw Hangeng shake his head. He laid a hand on his alfa's shoulder.

"You have my support... in everything. I'll help you keep your people together and... if the time comes... I'll dry your tears too."

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But what about Joonmyeon's tears?