Author's Note: Huge Chapter, beware. Thought it was time to publish this one. Warning: it is a little angsty.

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Mason and I ended up getting home at two in the morning (TOP took us home, and he walked me to the door. Mason had gone right inside, but it didn't matter. TOP didn't hug me or anything), and the lights were still on inside the house.

Mason and I slid off our shoes, and started up the stairs quietly, but we saw the living room lamp turn on.

"Stop right there." we heard our dad say. Mason and I froze, and walked back down the stairs slowly. Why was dad still up?

Turns out, Mom was up, too. They were both sitting on the loveseat across from the couch, in their pajamas. "H-hey, dad." Mason said nervously.

We never saw my dad unless he was home for dinner. He was tall, fit, and had short dark blonde hair and glasses.

"Where were you tonight?" Mom asked sternly.

"At the club..." I said slowly. "Why?"

"Why?! You guys just walked through the door at two thirty in the morning!" My dad boomed. "Do you realize you have a curfew?! Midnight is the curfew!"

"Mom never told us!" I exclaimed, taking off my jacket. "So we just stayed out!"

"Who brought you home?" Mom asked, glaring at me.

"Top brought both of us home because I fell asleep at the club." I sighed.

"Do you realize how worried we were?!" Dad exclaimed.

I couldn't help but scoff. "Oh, now you're worried? What changed? You finally decide to become a dad instead of a CEO?"

My dad's face got red. Mason gulped. "Em..." He muttered.

"YOU THINK I DON'T CARE ABOUT BEING A DAD?!?" Dad shouted. Mason jumped, but I stood my ground. "I work my off just so I can provide for you! So you can apparently buy clothes that make you look like a !!" he nodded to my outfit.

I gasped. "Well maybe if you were home more your daughter would learn not to dress like a !! You provide plenty for us! We don't care about money, Dad! We just want you home!!"

"We didn't move to Seoul so you can go out every freaking night of the week and be reckless!" mom shouted.

This definitely pissed me off. Mason stayed silent next to me, but I kept going. "Bull !! We never go out!! I'm lucky to go out once a week because you two put the responsibility on us of raising Alexa and Ayden!! We never go out! We're stuck with the kids all the time while you two go out on your dinners and business trips."

"We are their parents, Emma! We are yours too and I do not appreciate how you are talking to us." Dad growled.

"Then act like parents, because they're beginning to think Mason and I are! Especially Ayden!"

"What? No he isn't!" Mom shook her head.

"Yes he is." Mason nodded. "Last week Ayden was wailing screaming for his Mom. I was holding him, and trying to calm him down. As soon as Emma walked into the house, Ayden pointed at Emma screaming "Momma." When Emma took him from me, he stopped crying."

"Momma?" We heard Alexa say. We all turned around to see Alexa standing at the foot of the stairs, holding her favorite blanket and rubbing her eyes.

"Alexa, go back up to bed." Dad said.

"No." Alexa shook her head. "Why are you yelling at my brother and sister?"

"Lex, everything's fine." I sighed.

"Emmy." Alexa walked over to me and held of her arms. I picked her up and put her on my hip. I heard Ayden start to wail. I handed Mason Alexa. "I'll get him."

"No. I will." Mom said. We both walked upstairs to Ayden's room. Mom pushed me aside and picked Ayden out of bed. He was crying, and wouldn't stop. "Sshh sshh Ayden. Mommy's here." Mom said, rocking back and forth with Ayden.

I sighed. "He won't stop if you do that. You need to bounce up and down and rub his back."

"Oh, shut up, Emma. I know how to soothe my son." Ayden looked at me and reached for me, tears running down his little chubby cheeks.

My heart ached. "Mom, just let me. Come here Ayden." I took him from my mom. I bounced up and down softly and rubbed his back. He quieted down, and I saw his eyes drifting closed. He fell asleep, and I put him back in his crib.

Me and my mom both walked out of his room, and back downstairs. Mason didn't have Alexa, so I guess he took her back to bed. He and dad were in the living room.

"He's asleep." Mom said.

"Yeah, because of Emma." Mason scoffed.

"Watch the way you talk to your mother." Dad snapped. "You two need to get your acts together. You can't be out until two in the morning."

"It was one time!" I screeched. "One freaking time! And at least we're home most of the time! You guys are never home!"

"We are home plenty." Mom snapped.

I scoffed. "Yeah, once a week. And when we're all already asleep."

"What is wrong with you?!" Mom gasped. "Ever since we came to Korea you have been such a... Such a..."

"Such a ?! Yeah, there's a reason for that!! You guys acted like everything was okay that we were moving to Korea! You didn't ask how we felt about it! I had to leave some much back in Florida, Mason, too!!  I want my parents back! I don't want to have to act like parents to my little siblings! I do want to go out every night! But I can't! Because my parents aren't around." I felt my eyes begin to cloud up with tears.

"We are your parents, Emma!" Dad exclaimed.

I shook my head. "Right now, your just providers. You are not parents to any of us."

My parents faces went to stone. I was closest to my dad, and I regretted it.

In a snap, he reached out and slapped my across the face.  "

Emma!" Mason exclaimed. The slap had so much force, Mason caught me from falling back.

I took one look at my dad, and I was holding my cheek. It stung so bad. I immediately turned to the door and ran out, barefoot in my tights.

"Emma!" My mom called out to me. I took the car keys from my clutch. The Escalade was mine, anyway. It was in my name.

"Emma!" This time it was Mason, and he was right next to me.

"You need to stay here for the kids, okay? Go right up to your room. I don't want them to hit you too. Go. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?" I opened the door to the car.

Mason hugged me tightly.

I let go of him, and got into the car. I backed out and drove away, not even looking back at my parents on the porch and Mason in the driveway.

I needed to get away.

I didn't know many addresses, but I did know one.

When I got to the house, I was relieved to see his car in the driveway and lights were on in the house. He had to be awake.  I parked in the front of the house and grabbed my phone. It rang, and someone finally picked up. "Emma?" Daesung asked.

"Are you home?" I asked shakily.

"Yeah." 

"Okay, good." I got out of the car and to the porch. I rang the doorbell and hung up.

The door opened, and Daesung looked at me. "Emma..." he noticed my face. "Omo. Come in come in." he put his arm around me and pulled me in.

He shut the door, and I lost it. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know where else to go. I don't know where CL lives or Top and-"

"Top's here." Daesung told me. He looked at my face. "Emma, did someone hit you?!"

That made me cry more.

Daesung took my hand. "Come on." he led me down the hall and down to the basement, where his room was. TOP and Seungri were sitting on a couch and a blow up bed (TOP was on the bed, Seungri was on the couch). They were arguing about what video game to play.

Seungri was the first to say something. "Yah, Daesung, who was at the..." his voice drifted when he saw me. "Door. Holy , what happened?!"

TOP immediately turned around. He was in a black t shirt and black sweats. "Emma?! What happened to you?"

"Sit over here." Daesung pointed to a spot next to TOP. "I'll go get a washcloth and bandages."

I sat next to TOP on the bed, and wiped my eyes. TOP turned me to face him. "Who hit you, Emma?" He asked softly.

"I got into a fight with my parents." I sniffled. "My dad... I said the wrong thing. He... Slapped me."

Daesung came back over, and handed TOP a washcloth. TOP gently put the cloth on my face. It stung.

The washcloth was white, and I saw it stained with pink when TOP readjusted it. I guess my dad's nails got the best of my face.

"Your dad hit you?" Seungri asked.

I nodded. "I saw a half-empty bottle of scotch and a glass on the table, so I guess he was drinking."

"That's not an excuse." TOP shook his head. There was black on the washcloth too, from my makeup. TOP set the washcloth down and opened up a couple band aids. He put them on the cuts. "You aren't going back there. Not if I can help it."

"I'll go get you something to wear." Daesung said. He left.

"Why did you fight?" TOP asked me.

"We were home too late. They never gave us a curfew, but they were mad. So mad." I shook my head. "I said some mean things, and I guess I said too much."

Daesung came back. "They'll be big because they're mine, but the shorts have a drawstring you can tighten with. It'll be better than sleeping in that." he handed me a pair of black shorts and a grey t-shirt.

"Thank you so much Daesung." I got up. Daesung showed me where the bathroom was, so I walked into the bathroom and shut the door.

I changed before I looked in the mirror. Where my dad had hit, the left side of my face, was a little red and swollen. And the band aids didn't make it look any better. I walked back out, and my phone was ringing on the bed.

TOP picked it up. "It's your brother." He read.

I grabbed it, and answered it. "Mason."

"Where are you?" Mason asked. He sniffled.

"I'm at Daesung's house. Why?"

"When Mom and Dad are asleep, I'm taking the kids and getting out of here. It isn't safe. I'm going to Minho's, okay?"

"Mason, what happened?!"

"Dad was mad I didn't stop you. He... Hit me."

I gasped and covered my mouth. "Oh my God. Mason, I'm coming. Get the kids ready." 

"Emma, I don't know if they're asleep yet."

"I don't care." I grabbed my keys. "He hit you. He's not getting near Alexa or Ayden."

---

TOP came with me to my house. My knuckles were so white I was gripping the steering wheel so hard. This wasn't good. I was freaking out.

At my house, all the lights were out. That was a good sign.

I shut off the car lights and pulled into the driveway. "I need you to go into the kitchen and grab A few things, okay? Ayden's sippy cup, Alexa's sippy cup, and a few of Ayden's teething rings. Let's go." I told TOP.

We both got out of the car, and I didn't even care I was barefoot. Slowly and silently, I opened the door. I didn't bother to close it. "Go." I whispered to TOP.

"Be careful." TOP said back before I went upstairs.

I went to Mason's room first. I opened the door, and Mason jumped when he heard it open. He had two duffle bags by his bed, and he was packing a third. "Emma." 

I nodded, and walked in to look a his face quickly. I took his face in my hands. His nose was swollen, and he was gonna have a black eye. "Come on. Let's get the kids."

We both walked quietly out of the room. I went to Alexa's room first.  Mason picked her up without even waking her, thank God. "I already packed her some clothes." Mason whispered.

I nodded , and we went to Ayden's room. I grabbed some diapers and wipes, put them in his diaper bag, and took Ayden out of his crib. He stirred, but didn't wake up. I froze when I heard stirring in my parent's room. "Go go go!" I whispered to Mason frantically.

We hurried downstairs as silent as we could. We walked into the kitchen, and TOP put all that I asked him to grab in the baby bag slung on my shoulder.

Mason quickly put a note on the counter, and we ran out the door after sliding on some shoes. I shut the door behind me, and TOP sprinted to the car to open the doors, because we had heard my mom say groggily "Emma? Mason?" upstairs.

"Go!" I whispered loudly, running while holding Ayden. I tossed TOP my keys, and he got into the drivers seat. Mason put Alexa in her booster seat and hopped into the passenger seat. I quickly got into the car, holding Ayden, and shut the door. "Drive." I told TOP.

He drove away as I strapped Ayden in.

Alexa stirred, and woke up. I made sure I was the first she would see. "Emmy? Where are we going?" She asked sleepily.

"Just to my friend's house, okay? Everything is okay. You're fine." I smoothed her hair back. 

"We'll just go to my house. I'll call Daesung." TOP said, turning the corner.

"Top, you didn't have to come with me." I said.

TOP nodded and looked at my through the mirror. "I know. I wanted to. It seemed like you needed someone there, Emma."

We pulled up to his house, which was huge. Bigger than mine, even, and that was saying something.

We a got out, and I grabbed Ayden and Mason took Alexa. TOP took our bags. "I'll tell my parents you're here. I don't think anyone is awake."

"Minho is."Mason nodded. "I just texted him."

TOP nodded. "Well we'll get some ice for you guys, too. Our house looks bigger than it really is. We don't have any guest rooms, but we'll figure something out."

We walked into his house, and it was really nice. A lot nicer than I thought it would be.

Minho met us in the foyer. "I already told Umma and Appa. They said you can stay as long as you need." he looked at us, surprised. "Who-"

"Our dad." Mason sighed.

"I'll go get some ice." Minho said. He looked at TOP. "My room isn't that big, but I have bunk beds so Mason can sleep there. I set up an inflatable mattress in your room, hyung, since yours is the biggest. I thought Emma and the kids could sleep in there. The bed is pretty big."

"Thanks, Minho." TOP smiled slightly. Minho nodded, took one more look at me, and left for the kitchen. "Follow me. I'll take you to my room." TOP said quietly.

We walked up the winding staircase, and turned the corner. The first and second doors were shut, but the third wasn't. "Thats Siwon's room." TOP explained, pointing at the second door.

I nodded, totally remembering Siwon did live here.

TOP walked into his room. It was huge, had silver walls, and white carpet. There was a queen sized bed in the middle of the center wall, and another queen sized blow up mattress next to it. There was also a black dresser, floor-length mirror, and a wall covered in shelves that had some kind of robot bears on them.

"It's actually clean for Once." TOP chuckled. "You guys came at a good time."

I smiled softly. Mason and I walked over to the bed. Mason gently set Alexa down on it, and I did the same with Ayden. They were both fast asleep. "I'm so glad they don't understand." I sighed, smoothing back Ayden's short blonde hair.

"Yah, Seunghyun. What is going on? Cant you be a little--" I heard Siwon say. We all turned to look at him. Siwon looked groggy, and he was scratching the back of his head. He was wearing nothing but a pair of black Abercrombie and Fitch sweat pants, which hung low on his hips. Siwon put his hand down. "What's going on?" He asked, looking at all of us.

"It's a long story." Seunghyun sighed.

"Emma, are you okay? What happened to your face?" Siwon immediately woke up.

"I just got into a fight with my dad. He was drunk. I'm fine." I waved him off. "Since the kids are safe, everything is okay."

"Your father hit you?! Oh, Emma..." Siwon walked over to me. He inspected my face, tilting my chin up to get a better look. He looked at TOP. "Is someone getting ice?"

"Minho is." TOP sighed. "Siwon, they need to rest. You can talk in them in the morning. It's been a rough night."

"Where are you sleeping?" Siwon asked me. "There's plenty of room in my bed so if you need to--"

"She doesn't need your bed." TOP said sternly. I jumped, and Siwon immediately looked at TOP. "She's sleeping in here, okay? She needs to be with her siblings."

"Please, don't argue." I sighed, putting my hand up to stop Siwon. "I've had enough of that. Thanks for the offer, Siwon, but Top is right. The kids need to see me when they wake up so they know they're safe. I'll talk to you in the morning."

Siwon nodded, and hugged me lightly. "I want to know about what happened, okay? We can talk tomorrow."

I nodded, and he left.

Minho and Mason walked back in, and Mason had a bag of corn to his nose. Minho smiled and walked over, holding the bag of frozen peas. "The best thing to use after getting a soccer ball to the face. Thought it would be okay for you, too." He lightly put it on my cheek.

I took it from him, and nodded. "Thanks, Minho. I'll need to thank your parents tomorrow morning, too. You guys didn't have to do this."

"We wanted to." Minh nodded. He looked at Mason. "Let's go to bed." He looked back at me. "We're right next door."

I nodded, and Mason and Minho left. I sighed and lightly sat on the blow up mattress, careful not to disturb the kids.

"You don't look tired." TOP noted, sitting on his bed and facing.

I shook my head. "Too much has happened tonight. I couldn't possibly go to sleep."

"Wanna talk about it?" TOP asked quietly. He patted next to him on the bed.

I sighed and got up. I sat on his bed, and crossed my legs. "I just... I never thought he would do this again. I thought he stopped. But he didn't."

"Stop? You mean, he's done this before?"

I nodded. "Back in Florida. He did drink after work a lot. We thought it was normal. But one night.... I think I was fourteen? Mason was thirteen. Alexa was just a baby. My dad lost it. I was talking on the phone with one of my friends, and my dad told me to get off and let someone else use the phone. I just ignored him and kept talking. Then next thing I knew, he was behind me. He yanked my hair back, took the phone from, and pressed the end button. Then he pushed me forward. I hit the wall and broke my nose that time. Another time, Mason accidentally broke a vase because he was dribbling a basketball in the house. My dad punched him then, too. We just made up excuses for why we came to school bruised sometime, and it was easy to do because we were in sports."

"Oh my God... Emma... I had no idea. Your mom doesn't do anything about it?"

I shook my head. "She hasn't been hit, but she's too scared. Oh, there was this one time Mason refused to do the dishes. I was sixteen? My dad went to go throw a plate at him. I shielded Mason and," I lifted up my shirt to show him the scar on my stomach. "It's amazing how with enough force, a broken plate can actually stick pieces in your side." I put my shirt back down. "I just don't want it to happen to Alexa or Ayden. I got so sacred. Alexa came down tonight because she heard us talking, and my dad pretty much yelled at her to go back to her room. It was that look in his eyes that terrified me. She doesn't understand, though. She hasn't seen it. I don't want her to."

"I never thought this kind of thing happened to you. You seem so happy and upbeat at school. And you always look so good." TOP bit his lip.

"I don't want people to know." I shook my head. "None of my friends ever knew. I think Ethan was catching on, but he never truly found out. My dad was such a great guy when we were little. I remember going to baseball games, him teaching me how to play catch, and all this other fun stuff. But then everything changed." I wiped my eyes since I started crying. "I don't know what to do. I don't want Ayden or Alexa to be treated like that ever."

TOP put his arms around me. "Emma, right now, you're safe, okay? And as long as you're with me, I won't let anything hurt you or Mason or Alexa or Ayden. I can promise you that."