The streets were blanketed with an early morning fog. The sun had yet to show its face, lazier than those who drifted through the moisture. The air clung to the skin, made sweat chill against the brow and oxygen almost burn in the trachea.

Amidst the peace, a war cry broke out. “I said 'do you want to catch U-Know and make him pay?'!”

I glared at Junsu who was jogging backwards. His voice was into the clouded air, barely echoing in the silent morning. My whole left leg was burning, atrophied in its weakened state of four months off. That's right; four months. Four months of no sugar or caffeine, fresh pineapple and raspberries, fish oil, supplements, acupuncture and whatever else Junsu decided to throw at me for the hell of it.

He'd turned into my coach, encouraging me every step of the way, pushing me to try harder and to do whatever it took to be top notch again as fast as possible. He pushed me through the pain the weakness.

“Of course I want to make him pay,” I responded, trying to keep my breathing even as I jogged. “I'm gonna put a bullet in that motherer's skull.”

“That's the spirit,” Junsu said, falling in step beside me. He'd redyed his hair and it was back to a light gold that suited him.

“Stop...” I gasped out after another block and we eased our steps. I doubled over, massaging at the muscles in my thigh and letting out a wince. “Damn, this thing cramps up like a .”

“You're doing good though,” said Junsu, wiping the sweat with his sleeve. “We keep gaining. Not only that, you're ahead of schedule.”

“I've always been a fast healer.”

He smirked and laid his hands on his hips, eyes traveling out across the fog while he waited. The need to bring Yunho down had been the thought to fuel me and empower me to heal as fast as possible. There was the slight issue that had been wondering. There hadn't been any sign of UKnow since the day he'd shot me. Since I had shot him. No murders, no unexpected phone calls, nothing. It was easy to believe that the was dead, but something inside me made me wonder.

“Alright,” I sighed, straightening, and we walked back to my apartment.

“So when are you going back to work?”

“A week,” I said. “I tried to persuade Chief that I could go back sooner, but he didn't believe me.”

“Best not to rush it. That leaves another week for your leg to get stronger.”

“Doctor says its about to eighty percent of what it was.”

“That's good,” Junsu smiled. “See? I told you I knew what to do when it came to these things!”

I smirked and punched him the arm. “I never doubted you for a second.” Junsu chuckled. “I'm ready to get back though. I hate to say it, but I miss Changmin and his consistent bickering.”

“When will he back?”

“About the same time as me. He's taken some time off to get back to his own self like me.”

“Then, you'll both be fresh and ready to be at each others throats again.”

I laughed. “Yeah, I suppose. Chief said Park might be staying at the precinct, which I don't mind. I kinda like the guy; don't tell him that.”

“Tell him what?”

“Exactly.”

We both snickered. Times like that were the ones I enjoyed with Junsu. When we could joke around like best friends and not be treading on egg shells, afraid that what we said would bring the other down. To release tension and actually enjoy ourselves. It was freeing, mood-lifting.

After Junsu left me at my apartment and I'd taken a hot shower, I slid the safe out from under my bed and began to rummage through its contents. Yunho had been inactive for four months, but I was still going over the case. Something in my gut told me he was still lurking though I wanted to think the er had bled to death in some dark alley.

The papers, the photos, the evidence was all scattered on my bedroom floor as I searched for an opening, a tell-tale sign to a weakness. Min was curled in my lap, purring contently and blinking back sleep. I went over our past conversations in my head. He killed and stole for money, was obsessed with me(why?), and had no mercy. He made his killings quick, there was never a sign of torture, but if someone were to walk in on his job—which had happened in the past—they were to become deceased like the original victim. A banker was to bare witness in a trial, but never made it. He'd been killed the night before the trial along with his wife who had just looked like she'd walked in the door, shot down in her tracks.

We had DNA, an advantage we hadn't before. DNA and a sketch could only go so far though. Still, no one on the force had seen his face, but I. There was so much we had, yet so many gaps. Why couldn't I get a grip on this guy long enough to take him down and lock him away forever?



That last week dragged by slower than the last months had. I was itching to get back on cases. To have Changmin by my side. I missed the lanky prick more than I liked to admit.

When I walked through those precinct doors, it felt like a weight had lifted, like I'd been released into my natural habitat again. The sight that Park was seated at Changmin's desk startled me slightly. Wasn't he supposed to be gone when Changmin got back? Honestly, I didn't mind him sticking around; he was a good ally, but where was Changmin? He should have gotten back by then.

The door to Chief's office creaked open and he gestured me inside without a word. The stern look on his face made my stomach knot. Park watched me curiously, turning in his seat as I approached the office. Stepping inside Chief's office, I found Changmin standing against one wall. He looked at me, then away. His Adam's apple bobbed with a heavy swallow.

“I'll leave you two to talk,” Chief said and shut the door behind him.

A beat of silence as I waited for my partner to speak. “Changmin, what's going on?” I questioned when he didn't offer an explanation.

His eyes still didn't reach me, only the window across the room from him. “I'm being transferred to another precinct.”

“What?” I snapped. “Why would Chief do that? He—”

“Chief didn't ask for the transfer. I did.”

I stopped short, staring at him in shock. “W—what? Why?”

Finally, he looked at me, serious and so ing proud. “I can't keep running after you and cleaning up your mess and babysitting you. Wondering when I'm going to have to stand above your grave because your luck finally ran out.” His words were like a slap to the face. For once, I couldn't speak. He sighed. “I'm sorry, Jin. But I think this is for the best.” He paused and scratched the back of his head. “I'm just...tired.”

I stood there, jaw clenching. It felt like he'd taken his gun and blasted it right through my heart. Never in my life had I felt so...betrayed. “Fine,” I muttered. “That's ing fine with me.” I wrenched open the door and slammed it behind me. Without a word, I stormed down the stairs and out of the precinct, getting out as fast as I could. Trying to save the last shreds of my pride.

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