Oh man... chapter 17 already?! I need to get to the point soon. *sweats*

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“Jaejoong sshi. It's me.” A lady called out to the small cabin on the boat, sitting quietly alongside the bank of a scenic riverside, attached to land with a rope tied to a thick wooden stake driven deep into the semi solid ground. In her hand is her own child. Stepping onto the creaking wooden floorboard of the relatively small boat carefully, she made her way to the sheltered part.

“This little fella is already pining for you. Thank you for coming all the way out here.” A slim pale hand parted the straw cover at the entrance, inviting her in.

“Oh! Look at him!! He finally opened his eyes!! They are SO big and brown!” The lady gushed upon resting her eyes on the baby blinking at her from inside the warmth of his cradle. Pinching the infant's cheeks softly, the lady eyes sparkled as the little human reached up to clamp his tiny stub-like fingers around her own pinky.

“You handsome creature!! Who exactly do you look like?” The lady continued while Jaejoong watches her from a corner. The man beholds the lady with gratitude, feeling relieved that the slightly premature infant is finally looking healthier and chubbier as the days go by.

“Can I leave him with you? I need more supplies.” The healer said tiredly after getting up from the thin mat he is resting on. Jaejoong hadn't changed his bandage since that day, mostly because he didn't have the spare time to gather all the necessary items he needed for a wound dressing.

“Omo! Oppa! Are you alright? You look terrible.” The lady, a year younger than the healer had always adored him like her benefactor and older brother, since after he saved her husband's feet from possible necrosis. Seeing Jaejoong gradually more anemic and wan appearance, the lady is concerned.

“I will be fine.” The healer replied rather coldly, but then again, every of his acquaintance knows he is neither aloof nor means any hostility.

“Right. I always forget oppa is a physician.” The lady chuckled as she places her own month old son beside the crown prince and allowed them to mingle. “I can watch over them longer if you need more time.”

Nodding his head, the healer exited. Squinting his eyes from the invasion of bright sunlight, he pulled his hood over his face before hopping onto the solid ground beside the shaky ones of the boat. For a long moment, Jaejoong watched the boat rock gently on the slightly choppy water surface, checked the conditions of the ropes anchoring the boat to the stake, before left.

Jaejoong's injured arm is hurting him, and the increasing intensity is getting to him as well. A light brush against the staining bandages will cause him enough agony to tear up. He can only sleep in the right lateral position, and the fear of accidental prodding of the wound would keep him awake half the night. The lack of proper rest can also be attributed to the dread of Yunho finding him. The man is constantly on the lookout, and the smallest noise would rouse him from his peaceless slumber.

Maintaining his balance through the starting vertigo, the healer made his way into the nearby mountains. Gathering the leaves he need, the healer slumped down onto the grassy patches surrounding an old tree by a pond. Leaning on the dry bark of the tree trunk, Jaejoong opened his burlap sack and arranged the requisites onto the ground neatly before unwrapping the soiled dressing.

Grinding his teeth, the healer holds his breath as he unwinds the tight band around his arm. At last, peeling away the sodden mess beneath the bandage, Jaejoong cleansed the still gaping wound with the water from the pond, chewing on his lower lip as the water surface is dyed a dark red.

Crushing the cleaned leaves with his good hand as per routine, Jaejoong proceeded to fill up the gap between the torn skin with the fresh paste made from the foliage, sighing with relief since the inflammation does not seem to be worsening. Though unable to make full use of his injured arm, Jaejoong is thankful that his arm is still there. Noting that tendon damage is very likely, since his arm's range of motion is not returning, the healer allowed himself some time to think through his subsequent days with this disability.

“Bbbbrooommmm.” The booming sound of a storm approaching finally snaps the healer out of his trance. The single thunder clap brought forth a fast rolling of rain clouds as the sky turns grey, robbing the man of his sunlight and its warmth.

Cursing under his breath, Jaejoong quickly washed the second bunch of his plant collection and chewed on them raw, beautiful face still poker despite the bitter sap numbing his tongue and throat. Swallowing with much difficulty, the man made his way back to his vessel. He has to be in the boat before it rains, for shelter and also for the safety of the people on board.

Racing against time as the storm clouds lining the skies, looming threatening, Jaejoong hurriedly made his way back to the boat.

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Meanwhile... back on the boat.

“Good day milady.” A low voice addresses the shadow behind the partition of the boat. “I am coming on now.”

Then, with a gentle rocking off the boat, a tall figure boarded. Making his way over, the straw cover is lifted as he arcs his neck to fit inside the low lying shelter. “Is Jaejoong sshi in?” The man asks again as the lady inside watches him warily, fearful of his sudden appearance. The man simply strolled over casually to her side while she stiffens with his nearing footsteps.

“Oh! What cute little pups you have with you!” The man revealed his dashing face after stepping out from the shadow, settling down in front of the make shift cradle containing two babies. “Awwww! Which one is yours?” The man asked with his signature megawatt smile.

“Excuse me... but who are you?” The lady is alarmed by the man's shameless self helping attitude as he makes himself at home. He even laid his long sword to rest at his side as he plays with the babies. His metal plated get up and long purple cape suggests his high rank, sending chills down her spine, in spite of his attempts to be chummy.

“Yunho. That’s my name.” He introduces himself and reaches for the young crown prince, picking him out from among the two babies in cradle without difficulty, holding him under the armpits as he supports the infant's delicate neck with both thumbs. “Hi there buddy! I'm your uncle Yunho. Let’s get you home.” The baby cooed instead of cry.

“WAIT! You can't take him!” The lady is shocked by Yunho's conversation with the blinking baby. She is after all, responsible for the baby while Jaejoong is away. Yunho ignores her and wraps the baby up into a bundle before tying the knots to his back, allowing the baby space to move within his temporary pouch. Happy with the lack of reaction on the frightened lady's part, the advisor stood and made his way off the boat, hopping off the flotation device with ease becasue of his long legs.

“JUNG YUNHO!! YOU BASTARD!!” Just as the tall man's feet touches land, a loud airy voice pierced through the silent atmosphere, echoing into quarry like backdrop of the river, followed by a single hooded figure charging out from amongst the bushes. Seeing Yunho holding an obvious bulge in front of his chest, the healer is infuriated.

“Oppa! Stop him! He has Junnie!!” the lady who is finally scrambling after the big intruder spotted Jaejoong and alerted him. The healer is already making his way to the advisor's side.

“Junnie??” Yunho almost choked on his own tongue as he laughed, loud thunderous chortles creating more ripples on the already choppy water surface. “How can you give the crown prince such a tacky name?!” Yunho exclaimed between breaths, apparently, still amused instead of concerned with a fuming Jaejoong headed his way.

“Hand him over!” Jaejoong is not the least thrilled. With a stern expression, the healer drew his sword and tightened his grip on the handle while he watches the advisor with a murderous glint in his eyes. “Put him down.” The healer hissed.

“I see you are well.” Yunho wraps an arm protectively around the squirming bundle at his chest and drew his sword swiftly with the other. He is not exactly planning to cooperate with the other. “I will fight you with one arm too. Just to be fair.” The advisor steeled himself and cast all feelings and emotions aside, choosing to keep his eyes on Jaejoong's sword all the while.

With a loud clash of metal, the air is sliced through, whistling with the high velocity of the moving swords, as Jaejoong darts towards Yunho. More deafening clanging of swords filled the air as the two opponents engage in a fight to inflict maximum damage, or at least Jaejoong most ready to create bloody carnage.

With fluid blade movements, the healer transformed into a graceful yet deadly slayer. “Give him back or I will end you today!” Jaejoong vociferated and closed in on Yunho, almost decapitating the taller man in one swift motion. 

“WOAH!!” Yunho uttered as he dodges the other's lethal blows.

“What did you and that beast do right to have the heavens smile upon you two like that?!” “Insatiable greed for power! Insatiable greed for control! Insatiable greed to own everything that crawls, walks, runs and breathes!” Jaejoong continued as he advances menacingly at Yunho, swaying his merciless blade close to the advisor. Yunho is cornered, but instead of retaliating, all he did was back further down the bank, nearing the edge as he moves in retreat.

Jaejoong is appalled at himself for saying too much, but he just couldn't stop himself from ranting at the man. “You owe me an arm! I will have yours!” The healer finally concluded. The advisor would only fend off the attacks instead of issuing any. This made the healer even more eager to end him. He cannot stand the way Yunho would try to act all gentlemanly.

With his steel blade poised for the kill, Jaejoong the long weapon at Yunho, just to pull back immediately. Cursing at his own carelessness for almost hurting the baby, the healer is provoked even more. “Put him down and fight me like you mean it!!” Jaejoong is starting to allow his emotions guide his actions. The baby is in the way, and the two opponents are aware of that. None is willing to make a bigger move than necessary.

After a long 'fencing' session of continuously scraping swords, the healer found an opening at last, and with one swift move, he managed to hack the knot off the bundle, sending the bundle coursing through the air, into dark green water beside where Yunho stands. 

As if realising the dire consequences of his actions, and witnessing the bundle literally making its way through mid-air, headed for the depths, Jaejoong dropped the weapon in his hand and leapt for the baby. The only thing crossing his mind is that the safety of the baby has been compromised and he has to get a whole of the bundle before it hits the water. “Junnie!!!” A desperate motherly cry of desperation left his pretty lips as his beautiful widened eyes lit up with horror.

“PHSSSH!!” Jaejoong managed to catch the baby, but was thrown into the deep pool of water due of the lack of land under his feet. 

Everything happened so quickly that Yunho could not even move in time to catch the healer while he falls. Jaejoong’s reflexes are evidently more advanced than his, after all the years of being trained to save lives and fighting in self defense from thugs and erts. The advisor did not even notice that the bundle is missing from his chest until he saw Jaejoong running for it.

“JAEJOONG SSHI!!” Yunho shouted, casting aside his sword too, as he went after the pair while the lady witnesses the entire saga from where she is perched on the boat, shrieking as though she just saw the loch ness monster emerge.

Without hesitation, just as Jaejoong did not pause even for a second for the infant, Yunho leapt in after the man and baby, not considering the weight of the armour he is wearing, or if he could swim. Fortunately for him, he used to go into battles with Yoochun when they were younger, and swimming was a huge part of the strategy to get across to the other side.

Jaejoong on the other hand, cannot really thread water with an injured hand while the other holds the infant high above the water surface. Struggling to keep the infant as dry as possible, the man fought against the elements and ended up being transport further down the slow choppy river.

“OPPA!! GIVE JUNNIE TO ME!! GRAB MY HANDS!!” The lady was reaching out as far as she can, but fails to grab onto Jaejoong’s outstretched hands or the baby as the healer is washed further away with the current from the strong wind.

As if his life is not screwed up enough, the waters started to come to life with the brewing storm, and within a few short moments, the waves were attacking him, trying to drag the healer down and swallow him whole. With his head half submerged under water, Jaejoong was about to disappear into the depths when a pair of strong hands grabbed him by the waist and held him to the surface. The healer never let go of his tight grip on the baby as he fought to keep the baby floating on the surface.

"!!! !!! !!!" Yunho cussed as he tried to swim the trio back to safety, but weighed down by his own armour and also Jaejoong, the advisor could not make it back to safety of the land or the boat. Only barely staying afloat, with another fully clothed and grown person, as well as a traumatised infant in tow, the man has his hands full and could not latch on to whatever life line the lady is throwing to them. The water currents are building against him with every passing second, and he too, is washed further down towards the centre of the river, much to the dismay of everyone present.

TBC

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