I’ve only been in this room five minutes and already I feel as though I have a head ache throbbing at my temples.

Baekhyun is glaring at me like he has some personal grudge against my very existence and in a way, I can sort of understand his thinking because by his standards he does indeed have one. Though I still can’t figure out why they all think that I left them, or at least the ones who are gathered here think that. Or so it seems. Still getting glared at whilst trying to work out anything is a pain in the neck and I’m pretty convinced that if it weren’t for Alex glaring right back at the little poodle then he would have been a trigger happy little sod with me by now.

Though Luhan wan nice enough to at least take his gun off him so that threat was eliminated for now, but Luhan still had a hold of it which did nothing to settle my nerves.

Thankfully Yixing just appeared to be his calm collected self, though true to form he still remains a little on the ditzy side and is quite happily staring out of the window right now. Though knowing him, he’ll be focused entirely on the conversation and know everything that is going on. For a moment, I’m distracted as I look at the dimply smiled boy because there is a small mark on his neck that is faintly green. I know that he has problems with bruises and the likes due to his hemophilia but this is a fairly distinctive shade of green that makes me think of something that I can’t quite point.

Something dangerous, something that should not be there and I’m almost up and across the floor to check on Yixing when a hand clips me upside my head to get me to focus.

“Back in the game, Nicks,” Xander says with a grin, though he appears to have also noticed the strange mark but he winks to give me a hint that we’ll talk later about it all.

“Sorry,” I say meekly and glance back at Baekhyun who has now stopped glaring at me and instead looks confused. Not much of a difference but it’s a start at least.

The poodle turns his head to the side, “Why do you call him Nicks? He’s Kris.”

Xander blinks, “He apparently has many names and I was first told that he was called Nicks. Got a problem with that?”

“No,” Baekhyun looks meek for a second before sighing, “Explains why we couldn’t find him elsewhere then.”

Now it’s my turn to sigh, “Beak, will you get it into your thick head that I did not leave you guys. I was hanging out with you all in the safe house and then the next thing I knew there was a fire and you were all gone.”

Thankfully Luhan steps in before Baekhyun can yell at me about sprouting lies or something like that, his hand raised a stop motion towards the other but his dark eyes boring into mine as if he could see into my very soul. Something which is not exactly pleasant and I don’t remember the girly boy having the ability to do that before either.

“How can we know for certain there was a fire?” Luhan asked, calm and level and accusatory in a fashion whilst not being at the same time.

“I pulled him out of it,” Xander comes in quickly, “Me and my team were investigating a smuggling group and we happened across it. We had to drag him out because he was looking for you guys, he nearly choked.”

Luhan looked on unimpressed, “How do I know that you’re not just telling the same pack of lies.”

“Nicks, show him the scar,” Xander says, turning to me ever so slightly and I shift uncomfortably because I really did not want to bring that up but it was inevitable really. Plus, it’ll swipe that angry look off of both of their faces and that will be a bloody relief and a half.

Standing up, I raise the left-hand corner of my shirt, allowing the bare skin to show that I usually keep hidden under two layers for this particular purpose. There’s a burn scar there, obviously, and it’s not pretty or cool. It’s an ugly mass of lines, pock-marks and something that vaguely looks like a hand – as one of the doctors described it – and it just makes me feel ill every time I look at it.

What’s worse is that I don’t know why either, it’s just a real horrible feeling that wells up in my heart and makes me almost want to black out without warning which is not a good thing in the slightest.

The looks that cross both of Baekhyun and Luhan’s faces are anything but what I expect them to be. They’re horrified naturally but there’s a hint of something else, a knowing look that fills them with dread and uncertainty to the point where Baekhyun turns his head away and has tears in his eyes.

I mean, just hold the phone for a second. Why would Baekhyun get all teary over my scar? It makes no sense in the slightest.

However, before I can even begin to process what is going on with that, I jolt when a body connects with mine in the most softest possible manner. Looking down I find an adorable looking Sehun, devoid of the girlish outfit and back to his regular appearance, and despite having aged a couple of years since I last saw him, honestly, I have to fight off the urge to coo.

The boy looks so young, innocent and reminds me very much of a kitten. One that’s been left out in the rain and is just so happy to be picked up and hugged. In fact, he looks more freaking adorable right in this second than the time when I caught him snuggled up to my old alpaca plushi in the dorms that one time. What makes that quite hard to believe was the fact that Sehun was only thirteen at the time, and small with a naturally happy smiling face rather than the one that everyone now knows and remembers.

Wait a minute; did I know Sehun at thirteen? I shouldn’t have...

Something stirs down my back and I freeze for a moment, feeling as though I’m in a different time and place but I cannot focus on anything other than the figure clinging to me and some instinct makes me carefully reach down to pet Sehun on the head. Then the next thing I know I’m kneeling next to him, holding the thankfully not taller than me youngster close to my chest and lightly humming a tune I don’t know.

“Whoa,” Baekhyun’s voice breaks me out of the odd moment and brings me back into the present with a bump, “This can’t be. It just can’t.”

“I did tell you that something like this would happen,” Yixing replies, stepping closer and looking just as calm, “You just didn’t believe me. Whatever illusion we’ve been under, has affected us all in different ways and now that we’re coming back together it’s starting to unravel.”

Baekhyun shakes his head, “But no... I know what happened. I saw it with my own eyes.”

“Well clearly you didn’t,” I say, not about to let this escalate, “I was in a safe house that was set on fire and if it hadn’t been for Cage and the others I would have been dead. Whatever happened to you guys to make you think you woke up and that I had left must have happened because we are all here but something is amiss?”

“Now you’re making it just all the more complicated,” Baekhyun pouted dramatically before shaking his head, “There can’t be two versions of the same event. It doesn’t work like that.”

Yixing cleared this throat, “There could be more than that actually.”

“What the heck do you mean, fluffy?” Baekhyun said, narrowing his eyes.

Instead of answering, Yixing just lightly indicates me with his head and for a few seconds Baekhyun doesn’t seem to get it but after a few more insistent nods and something that looks like a piece of sign language that Tao used to use – but it’s so quick I don’t follow it and at that precise moment the clinging little kitten boy decides to distract me more but nuzzling closer as if he’s about to fall asleep, just to freaking cute! – before a squeak of surprise fills the air and I’m forced to look back at the group.

Baekhyun is on his feet, looking as though he’s overly excited and downright murderous at the exact time which is a feat and a half, then without warning he points his finger accusingly towards me, “You set this up, didn’t you! You’re the one who separated us and made us all forget aren’t you? That’s why you’re playing dumb because you know the truth and you’re...”

“Whoa, hey!” I shout, trying to placate the yelling boy because he is really getting just a little bit too loud indeed and I would like to get my point in that I haven’t got the foggiest clue about what he is saying.

However, Baekhyun suddenly crumples to the floor when Xander’s girl just casually grips his neck and silence reigns, “Right, I think we need to get a few things straightened out before anyone starts accusing anyone of anything. Plus, Becky’s picked up something which you all may be interested in.”

Xander raised his eyebrows towards her, blinking which caused the girl to sigh, “Alright, she’s babbling a load of techno-stuff towards me and I’ve no idea what she’s saying but you best check it out.”

“Any specifics we should know in advance?” I ask, trying to get Sehun to let go of me but the little toe rag has fallen soundly asleep and is not budging an inch which is annoying but still too cute.

“She says, tell Nicks that this ‘will be his style’” is the reply and a tingle goes down the back of my head and neck at those words.

Oh boy, this is going to be a very long day.

authors babbling: so hi guys, I'm back after an unplanned break due to all hell breaking loose but hopefully I'll be able to keep an update on this fairly request though we shall see. Hope this chapter was worth the wait and catch you agains soon