NOTE: I listened to a song called 'How' by Daughter, on loop while I wrote this chapter, really sets the mood. 

   The whole castle was a dark place for the last two days. When Seokjin had carried Noni's body in, everyone stood there, heads down, not moving. When he set her body down on the table in the lab, Taehyung got chills, he had stared at her for a long while. She died so he could live, she sacrificed herself for him. How was he to process all that?

    Taehyung looked up at the ceiling, letting the tears roll down his face, he didn't bother to wipe them, he just closed his eyes and let them flow. He always appreciated Noni, but he felt like he took it for granted that she would always be there and kind of let her fade into the background too often. It's true what they say, you don't realize it until the person is gone and you never have the chance to tell them how special they were, how much of an impact they made in your life. Jacker took two important people from him, not to mention he was now undead himself. His mind wandered to Jimin, he didn't want to think about his brother, but the thoughts invaded his mind a little too easily. The quiet didn't help, or the pictures of him and Jimin that were displayed throughout their section of the castle, it made everything so much worse, he didn't even want to go home. He felt an immense sadness constricting his chest, like his heart was shriveling up and he couldn't shake it off, it was too much to handle all at once. 

     Yoongi walked in carrying a cup of tea and Taehyung sat upright, wiping his face with his sleeves, trying to muster up a smile for Yoongi.

     "You don't have to be brave for me," Yoongi handed him the cup and sat down.

     "Thanks."

     Yoongi glared over at Noni's corpse, "It really hit me today when I was pouring the tea, there were no smells in the kitchen. The room was always filled with some sort of aroma... this morning, it just smelled..."

     "Empty."  They both muttered out and silently agreed.

     Taehyung snorted, halfway between a laugh and another round of tears. He looked over at Yoongi, Thank the stars for Yoongi. Yoongi had been his rock for the last couple of days, not leaving him alone. Taehyung was grateful, alone meant he had dismal thoughts, unhealthy thoughts.

     He sipped at the tea, its bitterness made him pucker, "What is this?"

     "Brain tea, Hoseok's special blend." Yoongi made a disgusted face, "He said it would help you."

     Hoseok had decided to stay on at the castle, the new resident witch/doctor/pain in the . He'd already managed to piss off at least three pack members with his... eccentric tactics. Yoongi was sticking around too, seemed like mostly just to help Taehyung, which was uncharacteristic of the vampire everyone always remarked was a grumpy hermit.

     Yoongi wasn't sure how long he would be staying, though. He liked the solitude of his house away from everyone, but he also missed his pack... and Seokjin. Fighting alongside Seokjin felt like old times, he missed that. In the past, they had gone on many adventures together, got into a fair amount of trouble, even saved some lives. Maybe a few too many drunken nights spent in their favorite beach spot... Yoongi smiled.

     "What's so amusing?" Taehyung asked, setting the tea down.

     "Has anyone contacted Noni's son?" Yoongi shook away his thoughts, changing the subject, he was not ready to get into the whole 'I miss Seokjin' discussion.

     "No one can find him, which is a bit strange considering his job." Taehyung sighed, "Abram will be here later, I can't imagine how that's gonna go."

     Taehyung stood over Noni's casket, staring at her, tracing the outlines of her face in his mind. Hoseok had done an amazing job at making her look like the Noni they all remembered and not the version of her that was in the lab; the drained and wrinkly horrific reminder of what she had done for him. So many people had come to the castle today to pay their respects, she was well-loved. Everyone's 'mother'. Taehyung had overheard a few stories that some of the pack members reminisced about, he'd wished he knew the younger Noni, she seemed like quite the hellion.

     Seokjin followed Jungkook into the room, he had not left the younger's side since they came home. They spent the last couple of days in Jungkook's room, just talking (and cuddling) while they recuperated. The elder was noticeably more affectionate with Jungkook too, stealing kisses and back-hugging him, taking him in his arms for no other reason than just to have him close. Jungkook was loving it, it felt good, especially today. Jungkook missed Noni, she was the closest thing to a Mother he had here, watching Seokjin carry her through those doors, lifeless, really depressed him. It really depressed a lot of people.

     Jungkook stared at her in the casket as he stood next to Taehyung, shoulder to shoulder like telekinetic moral support. Seokjin wrapped his arms around him, pulling him into a warm back hug, Jungkook reached his hands up and rested them on Seokjin's arms, then leaned his head back against his chest, letting out a soft sigh.

     "Are you okay?" Seokjin whispered in his ear, all Jungkook could do was shake his head, he wasn't okay, but he wasn't going to fall to pieces here. He wanted, no.. he needed to be strong. "I'm here if you need to break down." 

     Jungkook was about to say something but was interrupted by the sound of Abram's voice coming down the hallway, he turned as Abram came bounding through the doors, casting his gaze upon Noni inside the casket.

     Abram let out a haunting wail that drifted throughout the castle, amplifying the sorrow and despair they all felt already. Namjoon walked over and put his arm around him, comforting the old man, his sobs vibrating their leader's shoulder. Abram weeping was the most heartbreaking sound Jungkook had ever heard. He needed to leave, now, he could not bear to be around that. He broke free from Seokjin's grip and hurried out of the room.

     Seokjin caught up to him at the graveyard, he grabbed Jungkook and pulled him into his arms, Jungkook couldn't stop the tears, he just wept into his shoulder, burying his head into the crook of Seokjin's neck. Seokjin peered up at the sky, the sun was beginning to set and the moon was already visible in the distance, it was gloomy and grey, mirroring the emotions that everybody was feeling today. He wished he could take Jungkook's pain away, he couldn't stand to see him in such anguish.

     "She deserves more than just a hole in the ground," Jungkook settled his eyes upon the hole that was dug off to the side of them, and the pile of dirt lying beside it, the eternal resting spot where Noni would be buried tomorrow morning.

      "They should erect a statue in her honor at the very least."    

      "I keep thinking it's all just a nightmare, that she'll be baking cookies in the kitchen in the morning, "Jungkook slipped out of Seokjin's arms and walked over to stand at the foot of the grave, standing there a few moments just staring into it.

     "I wish it were, I hate seeing you like this," Seokjin pouted.

     Jungkook had shed so many tears in the last day, he was afraid he'd float away on a river of them. He had to wonder how Seokjin had remained so unbothered, how he could hold his emotions in so easily.

     "Why haven't you cried?" He asked Seokjin, then turned his head to look at him, his face wet and puffy.

     Seokjin shrugged, "I did when I found out Jacker took you."

     Seokjin looked down, like admitting that meant he was feeble.

     "How do you not now? You knew Noni for a long time-"

     "I don't know," Seokjin thought about it, "I just don't get emotional."

      "Even Namjoon cried."

     Seokjin glanced over at him, "What is this about?"

     "How is it even possible to look at her in that coffin and not feel heartbroken?" Jungkook looked back down at the black hole below his feet, the bottom was dark and he was sure it led straight down into hell. 

     "You want me to apologize for not shedding tears?" Seokjin complained, "I