It’s been a while since Jennie Kim has felt like a normal human, if there really is such a thing. But standing here in the middle of the park, with the sun shining and the wind whistling melodically through the trees and brushes as she watches her son play, well, it might be the closest to human she’s felt in years. It’s her fault, all of it, and she knows it. She accepts it. Poor life choices had taken her down a road she never meant to travel, and now she is reaping the fruits of what she sowed.

She’d given up hope of reconnecting with Jungkook, of being a part of his life. If truth be told, she is very aware that she has no right to even hope for such things. So, to be standing here with Namjoon, Jin, and Jungkook has her close to tears. In the last few years, she’s wondered several times, if allowed to redo her past, would she have made a different choice? Would she have gone about things differently? The honest answer is that she doesn’t know. She’d love for the answer to be yes, but at that time in her life, she’d felt broken, alone, unwanted. Cast aside like dirty rags by someone she’d given her heart, soul, and body to.

“What are you thinking about so intensely?” Jin, Namjoon’s friend, asks, drawing her from her thoughts.

“About all my bad life choices,” she answers honestly. “Had I been smarter, stronger, less selfish, I wouldn’t have lost the one good thing I had in this world.”

“I get that,” Jin says sympathetically, and Jennie can’t help but believe he really does.

“You don’t have to be nice to me. I know what most people think about me, and they’re right to think it. My actions have cast a shadow that I will always live under,” she tells him candidly.

“I don’t know you, Jennie, but if people were to judge me by what others thought of me without giving me the chance to show them who I really am, then that would be on them, not me. Plus, most people just think I am outrageously handsome, and well, they’re right,” Jin informs her with such seriousness she does a double-take.

The man’s laughter, most likely at the look of confusion on her face, calms the fear she’s been feeling.

“Thank you,” she tells him gratefully.

“Look, I know you’re in an impossibly uncomfortable place. You’re probably dealing with a lot of guilt, and I am not here to judge you. But you’re being given a second chance to be in Jungkook’s life. Don’t waste that time dwelling on all that you’ve done wrong. You’ve already committed those crimes. You can’t erase them or pretend them away.” Jin pauses to take a breath, and Jennie wipes the tears threatening at the corner of her eyes. “All you can do now is do better, be better, for yourself and for Jungkook. Trust me, I know what I’m talking about. I’m a doctor.”

She smiles despite the tears.

“Namjoon is lucky to have you.”

“No,” Jin turns to look at Namjoon, a fond smile on his face. “I’m the lucky one. When my wife died, I thought that was the end of it for me, that my heart would forever have a hole in it that could never be filled. Yeah, I’m the lucky one.”

“You both are,” Jennie assures him.

“Okay, enough being sad-sacks. Jungkook is the happiest child on earth. Go play with him, talk to him, let him get to know you. That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?”

Jennie nods her answer, unable to speak. Her words are stockpiled, one on top the other stuck in .

“Aunty Jennie, Aunty Jennie, guess what, guess what?” Jungkook comes running over from the swing set. “I can climbed the monkey bars all by myself. Because I am stronged. Right, Appa?” the little boy asks, turning to Jin.

“Strong, bubby, not stronged,” Jin corrects him. “But yes, you are the strongest and the smartest. Hey, why don’t you take Aunty Jennie over to the monkey bars and show her what a great climber you are?”

Jennie’s eyes widen in fear, but it disappears the instant Jungkook’s tiny hand wraps itself in hers, pulling her toward the playground. She turns toward Jin, silently pleading for him to tell her what to say, what to do.

“Just go,” he encourages her. “It will come to you.”

Namjoon watches the interaction quietly, with hawk eyes, taking in Jennie’s every move, every action. He can see the fear and the worry she feels very clearly. She wears them like clothing. The old Namjoon would do have done anything in his power to ease her concerns. The person he is now has fears and worries of his own, ones she caused with her careless behavior.

“You’re looking at her like she’s about to rob a bank,” Jin’s voice comes from behind him.

“I-I can’t help it. I know I initiated this meeting. I even know it’s the right choice for me, for Jungkook. But it doesn’t mean I trust her,” Namjoon tells his boyfriend honestly.

“I get that, and no one is asking you to. But you opened this door for a reason, Joon, and sooner or later you’re going to have to talk to her.”

“When I called her, I felt in my soul like I was ready, you know, to open that door. To let her in. Not all the way but bit by bit. But being here, it feels so overwhelming watching her with my son. Mine.” Namjoon paused to take a breath.

There are no words to describe the anger he’s feeling or why it has appeared so suddenly, but it’s filling his insides and crawling along the surface of his skin like a million tiny spiders. He’s honest to god livid at her for what she’s done to his life, for how she abandoned Jungkook, and for a billion other things that may or may not be her fault.

“I’m ing pissed at her, hyung,” he chokes out. “What’s even more frustrating is that I want to hate her. I want to not feel pity for her. But damn it to hell, I can’t do it, not-not anymore. I can see how scared she is, and it hurts me to see. What the is wrong with me? Why can’t I direct this anger I feel at her?”

“Because that’s not the kind of person you are, Joonie. You have every right to be angry, to hate her even. But it’s just not who you are. If it were, you wouldn’t have let her within ten feet of Kookie,” Jin says matter-of-factly. “Giving Jennie a chance gives you a chance to let go of the hurt, pain, and anger that you’ve been holding on to for years. It’s not going to heal in a day.”

Namjoon sighs and walks into Jin’s arms, resting his head on the man’s broad shoulder.

“I’m glad you’re here, hyung. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without you. Thank you.”

“I’ll always be here for you, Namjoon, always,” Jin whispers in his ear, and Namjoon knows it’s true.

“Appa, Appa, come play with us,” Jungkook calls from the playground.

The words are like a knife to Namjoon’s heart. A war rages in his soul at Jungkook’s request. Namjoon’s never been one to say no to his son’s request. He’s tried to always give Jungkook the things he needs, and despite knowing that this, this, whether Jungkook is aware of it or not (Namjoon’s pretty sure he’s not), is something Jungkook needs.

“Hyung,” he whispers in Jin’s ear. “I-I’m not sure I can do this.” The tears burn at the corner of his eyes like hot lava bubbles in a volcano.

“I’m here, Joon.” Jin’s comforting voice is like a cooling salve to his aching heart. “You aren’t doing this alone. You never have to go through anything alone again. Walking over there is your choice, and I will support whatever you choose.”

The love he feels for Jin is something Namjoon can’t verbalize. The man is his rock, his place of hiding and refuge. When his life spun out of control, Namjoon never thought he’d love again. To him, love was pain, hurt, and deception. He buries his face further into Jin’s chest, inhaling his scent, clinging to it, letting it wash over him like rain falling from the heavens.

“I love you, hyung.” He needs to hear himself say the words, needs to remind himself that he is not facing this battle alone. Jin is his shield.

“I swear,” Jin kisses the top of his head, and Namjoon sighs in content. “You can say those words to me a million times a day, every day for the rest of our lives, and my heart will always skip a beat at hearing them.”

“Let’s go play with our son.” He leans up as and kisses Jin on the cheek before grabbing the man’s hand in his own. “Appa’s coming, Kookie.”

They walk to the monkey bars hand in hand, and Namjoon is still angry, still hurt. But he’s no longer afraid.

Batman Jimin is closing in on the Joker. The villain is crafty and sly, but he is no match for five-year-old soon-to-be six Batman.

“Gotcha!” Jimin declares, jumping from the back of the couch with a roar that sends Sushi the cat scrambling down the hall in terror. “Spiderman, come in,” Jimin talks into his wrist. “The Joker is getting away. We gotta stop him before he destroys Got’em City.”

“On it,” Spiderman Taehyung responds. Jumping into the hallway from an adjacent room and rolling on the ground military-style to block Joker Sushi, who effortlessly leaps over the little boy. “Oh no, Batman, the Joker’s escaped and is heading for Got’em City. Need backup.” Taehyung touches his imaginary ear-piece.

“On my way, Spiderman. We won’t let him get away this time.”

Jimin races down the hall and spies Sushi skidding along the hardwood floors. The cat makes a hard left turn, slipping into the bathroom through a tiny crack in the door.

“He’s heading for the Pigwin’s hideout,” Taehyung declares, turning his head slightly to look at Jimin running behind him.

Both boys converge on the bathroom door, stealthily tip-toeing before stopping suddenly to peek through the small opening. They see the cat perched on the sink, his paw, tail lying on Jimin’s Chimmy soap dispenser.

“We’ve got you cornered now, Joker. There’s no escape,” Jimin proclaims and reaches out his tiny hand, grabbing the gold-colored doorknob and pushing with all his might.

Only the door doesn’t budge, doesn’t move any further than when they first arrived in front of it.

“Huh?” Taehyung looks at Jimin in confusion and tries to help the boy open the door further.

“Oh no, Spiderman, he’s put up blockedaide.”

“Wow, Sushi’s smart,” Taehyung declares, breaking character.

“Shh, Spiderman, we can’t let the Joker know that we know his secret idenfity.”

“Oh, that’s right.” Taehyung quickly resumes his role.

The duo peers into the bathroom through the opening and realize that Sushi has somehow pushed open the drawer attached to the sink, blocking the door from opening further.

“What are we gonna do now, Batman?” Taehyung sticks a hand through the door, trying to reach the drawer, but his effort is unsuccessful.

“The only thing we can do, Spiderman, call Comissiter Gordon.”

Spiderman looks up at Batman with a nod of understanding.

“APPA!” Jimin shouts at the top of his lungs, voice vibrating off the walls. “Sushi is stuck in the bathroom, again.”

“I was jealous of you.” Jennie turns to him suddenly. They’re sitting at a picnic table several feet from where Jungkook and Jin are playing on the monkey bars, Jungkook’s giggles filling the spaces around them. Namjoon knows they need to talk. He has things he needs to say to get off his chest. He’s surprised when Jennie is the first to speak.

“Jealous?” Namjoon’s not sure how to respond.

“Mmm,” she takes a deep breath as though she is about to unleash the weight of the world. “That day when I came to get Jungkook—” she stops suddenly and looks up, eyes focused on Jungkook, a tiny smile on her face.

The smile isn’t one of joy or even happiness, as Namjoon’s stares at the mother of his son, looking at her child as though seeing him for the first time. It dawns on him that he understands the smile. It’s one of regret, one of wishing you had made different choices. But it’s also acceptance, understanding that what’s done is done, and it can’t be undone.

“I was hurt. Angry, selfish.” Jennie’s eyes are glued to Jungkook. “I fell in love with his dad, hard. I would hav