Jaejoong had made a packet of ramen, cleaned the dishes and then prepared a box of macaroni and cheese for whenever Changmin was going to return and cleaned the dishes again before he finally just sat down to stare at the snippets of paper he had.  He had no accurate way to determine time, though he could get a pretty good estimate of how much had passed based on the microwave clock, even if it was inaccurate.  Despite the fact that he knew Changmin could generally take care of himself, he was really starting to get worried.

                To distract himself, after approximately two hours had gone by since he’d returned, Jaejoong played with his theory.  The more he thought about it, the more it seemed to make sense.  Not necessarily that Changmin was the assassin he’d shot but that there had almost certainly been two of them.  The question now was had they been working together at the time and just decided to double cross each other or had it been two entirely separate contracts at the time?  Really, that would make a large difference in regards to how they would view each other at this point.

                It was really hard to say given their reactions the past few times he’d seen them together.  They were fairly passive aggressive at Sunny’s Diner, outright hostile in Changmin’s apartment the first time if he wasn’t mistaken and then completely at odds even after they’d tentatively ‘joined forces’ to help him.  Stupid Yunho.  Stupid B-Bomb too for that matter.  Obviously the latter was worse but he wasn’t inclined to favor either of them.  But what if Changmin was the one that had shot his parents?

                The very thought made his blood run cold and he froze in his seat, staring at nothing as he tried to process that.  If Changmin was their murderer… then…  What?  It wasn’t his place to actually kill the assassin that was responsible, though of course he wanted to.  He wouldn’t deny that, but if he actually had feelings for him?

                Didn’t matter.  Whoever had done it was still going to have to pay for their crime.  Plain and simple.  Wasn’t it?  “Ugh…” he groaned, letting his head fall forward to bump against the surface of the table as his hands clasped together under it.  That part was supposed to be easy.  “Stupid.”  Jaejoong held his breath when he heard a sound at the stairwell and picked his head up slowly, turning to look at the alcove with suspicion.  He let out a relieved sigh when he saw the figure who stepped into the room was Changmin.

                “Jae,” he murmured softly, offering a pained smile as he leaned against the wall and just looked at the other male as if memorizing every feature about him.

                Startled by the intensity of his gaze, Jaejoong’s breath caught in his throat and he blinked up at the taller male.  “You’re back.”

                “Neh,” he smiled with relief.

                “Oh my god you’re injured!” Jaejoong gasped, noticing the way he favored his left side and if he wasn’t mistaken, there was a blood stain seeping through his sleeve.  He jumped up so fast he knocked the chair over in his haste and nearly fell back himself as a result.

                “Easy!” Changmin urged, stepping forward to make sure he didn’t fall.

                “Don’t!” Jaejoong countered, trying to make sure he didn’t do anything to hurt himself further.  They ended up practically falling into each other, legs splayed awkwardly as they attempted to keep from placing too much weight on either party, hands resting lightly wherever they hoped would hurt the least.

                “I’m alright,” the younger male assured his companion as he relaxed marginally and shifted to hold him closer, savoring the feel of him against his body; warm and alive.

                “What happened?” Jaejoong asked, allowing himself to be embraced as he looked up to meet Changmin’s gaze, his eyes searching.

                Changmin closed his eyes and shook his head, resting his cheek against the side of Jaejoong’s hair gently.  He didn’t want to answer; it was still really raw and painful in his mind.

                “Talk to me, Minnie,” Jaejoong urged, Changmin’s back in long soothing motions.

                Reluctantly, Changmin hummed to himself and rested his mouth against his companion’s shoulder, taking one slow breath after another.  When he spoke, his voice was muffled but still understandable.  “I didn’t see you when I got back, so I went to look for you.  I didn’t know if you’d been taken or what had happened to you,” he admitted in a whisper.

                Guilt crashed down on Jaejoong like a tidal wave.  Minnie had gotten hurt because he’d left?  “Sorry,” he apologized, fighting the lead ball in the pit of his stomach.  And he’d even told Captain Jungsu about him…  He was a terrible friend…

                “It wasn’t your fault,” Changmin responded, twisting his fingers into the fabric of Jaejoong’s shirt, holding tight.  “Key called.  Said B was at his shop.”

                “What?  Why?” Jaejoong asked, trying to get a better look at Changmin’s face though all he could see was the side of his head.

                Changmin laughed bitterly.  “I escaped with you, remember?” he asked, knowing Jaejoong would be able to connect things from there.  “He hurt them, Jae.  Bad,” he admitted softly, swallowing loudly.  He’d almost been too late again.  It had been a damn near thing…

                “Did he get you too?” Jaejoong asked in concern, shifting this time to inspect the arm he kept favoring.

                “Barely,” the assassin muttered.  “But he won’t be a problem anymore though,” he explained in a monotone voice.  He’d been stupid; rushing in headlong because he didn’t pause to assess the situation.  He was thinking with his heart and not his head.  Emotions would be the death of him, he knew.  At least Key had agreed to call the hospital since they both were going to need treatment; Kevin more so than Key but neither had gotten off lightly.

                “What do you mean?” Jaejoong asked, confused until understanding set in of its own accord.  “Oh…” he trailed off, not sure what to say about that.  He wasn’t exactly sad to learn he was dead, but he just didn’t know how he’d fit into the larger scheme of things yet.  Not that it particularly mattered anymore…  “Let me see,” he urged, gently trying to push Changmin back so he could get a better look at his injury.  He could figure out what B-Bomb’s death meant to him and this case later.

                “It’s nothing,” Changmin assured him, putting distance between them to wave him off.  “I took care of it before I came back.”

                “But you’re bleeding through the bandage,” Jaejoong pointed out, stepping towards him again.

                “I can handle it, Jae,” he responded quickly, shifting back and pulling his left side out of range.

                Jaejoong set his mouth into a disappointed frown and promptly headed for the kitchen where the first aid kit was.  “Let me help,” he stated again, holding the kit close as he approached Changmin.  He could easily see the nervousness in the younger male’s gaze and could only imagine it was difficult to let his guard down; especially when he was actually wounded.

                It was with great reluctance that Changmin moved to sit on the bed as he carefully pried his shirt off, wincing when the cloth stuck to his wounded arm where it was indeed bleeding through.  “So stupid,” he grumbled to himself, shifting uneasily on the edge as he glanced at Jaejoong and then looked away, unable to maintain eye contact.

                Moving slowly, Jaejoong settled on the bed beside him and carefully unwrapped the bandage on his arm.  He hissed quietly when he saw the wound; a deep furrow in his flesh where the bullet had slipped right through his arm, biting to the bone which he could see vaguely.  “This should have stitches, Minnie,” he grimaced, placing his fingers gently on his arm.

                “No,” Changmin shook his head immediately, moving as if to shift away.

                “Wait!” Jaejoong urged, catching his wrist to hold him in place, cringing when the action jerked the wounded arm anyway.

                “Ergh…” the younger male groaned and sat back down, biting his bottom lip so as not to say anything.

                Mutely, Jaejoong turned to the first aid kit.  It wasn’t exactly ideal for wounds of his companion’s caliber but he would have to make do.  With as much care as he could manage, he cleansed the wound and dressed it again with clean bandage and gauze.  While he tended that one, he also made the younger male sit still long enough so he could take a look at his other wound as well; the one on his shoulder where Yunho had shot him.

                Unraveling the wrap showed a colorful expanse of bruising and inflammation around the injury but it didn’t look infected, fortunately.  During his inspection, he couldn’t help but notice a scar on the back of Changmin’s shoulder that looked mostly healed over but still relatively recent, all things considered.  It wasn’t inflamed but it was raised and the scar tissue looked as if it hadn’t had time to even out yet.  “What’s this?” he asked gently, tracing his fingertips over the older wound.

                Changmin jerked as if he’d been burned and hissed quietly, shifting to hide the wound from Jaejoong’s sight as he turned to look at him.  “An older injury that acts up from time to time,” he admitted in a tight voice before he took a breath and tried to relax against the tension that coiled itself in his belly.

                “It looks like a gunshot wound,” Jaejoong murmured, holding Changmin’s gaze.

                The younger male shrugged carefully and admitted, “I do get shot from time to time in my line of work.”  He glanced at his other wounds meaningfully to draw attention to the truth of that statement.

                “In the back?”

                “It would appear so.”

                Jaejoong bit his bottom lip and remained silent, reluctant to voice his suspicion.  He had shot an assassin in the back not that long ago.  Was it even remotely possible?

                “Thanks for the help,” Changmin commented, snagging the kit as he stood up and made his way to the bathroom.  “I’ll finish the rest.”  He held up his hand when Jaejoong stood up as if to follow him.  “It’s alright.  I can get it and I need to call Key anyway.  Make sure he’s doing okay,” he explained, dropping his gaze after a couple seconds.

                “Oh…  Okay,” Jaejoong murmured uncertainly, playing with his fingers for lack of anything better to do.  Feeling sorely out of place, he watched the other male disappear behind the barrier before he took a steadying breath and let himself fall back onto the bed again.  Should he ask him…?  What if he didn’t answer?  What if he said yes?  Oh god…  What if he did say yes?

                Jaejoong placed both fists against his forehead and wriggled on the bed, groaning as he did so.  He didn’t want to think about that as a possibility so… he wasn’t going to right now.  Taking a breath, he sat up quickly, cringing when it sent a spike of pain through his torso, and bee lined for the desk again.  Work.  He could focus on work and that would make everything better for the time being.

                “Come on, Sulli,” Yoochun urged, making one last round in the back room to confirm that he hadn’t forgotten anything.

                “Almost done, sir,” Sulli responded, fingers typing furiously over the keyboard at the front computer.

                Both were nervous and high strung after the phone call from Key around nine in the morning.  He had half expected it to happen but it was worse that it was from B-Bomb.  He’d anticipated a group of thugs or lackey’s but for the assassin to take an actual hand in it…  At least he’d been dealt with, though.  Under surveillance at the hospital, Key and Kevin would probably be fine from further interrogation but he was another matter entirely.  Quite frankly, he wouldn’t put it past any of the original contract dealers to come after him since no one else seemed to know where Jaejoong was and juding by the latest event, they were getting somewhat frantic.  Not that he knew where Jaejoong was either but they didn’t know that…

                Of course, it wasn’t like he’d say anything, he figured, but it was better to be safe than sorry.  He’d already sent Yunho a text telling him what had happened and to lay low.  Until things blew over, he was just going to relocate to somewhere a bit safer.  Things were hotter than he preferred and that was bad business for all of them in this line of work.  He was just as glad that Yunho didn’t have such deplorable qualities; not that he’d have ever gone after Key mind you.  Yunho and Yoochun both respected the other male too much for that and it had been stupid on B-Bomb’s part so he deserved what he’d gotten.

                Nodding to himself, he turned the lights off in the back and closed the door, locking it behind him.  There wasn’t a great deal of stuff here; some emergency supplies and files of information but none of it was particularly incriminating and the vast majority actually backed up his front job.  “Is it wiped?” he asked, approaching Sulli at the front desk.

                “Just finishing up now,” she smiled at him, glancing at the screen with a filling progress bar.

                He had physical backups of all his info in various secure places so wiping the computer here wasn’t particularly detrimental.  He didn’t prefer to but it was better safe than sorry.  “Good,” he grinned, slinging his arm over her shoulder.  “You set up the tickets and reservations, correct?”

                “Of course, sir,” she laughed lightly, flashing him a winning smile.

                “I know.  Just teasing,” he assured her, patting her back before he stepped away and paced around the front while he waited for the computer to finish.

                They both glanced up when they heard someone try the handle on the door.  It was locked, as they’d made sure as soon as they got Key’s call, but someone was determinedly trying to get in.

                “Sir?” Sulli asked, looking at him nervously and then back at the door.  Both jumped when gunshots fired and the handle broke, letting the door swing open.

                Yoochun didn’t wait to see who stepped through before he moved around behind the desk and pulled Sulli close with his left hand around her waist while his right edged under the desk.  The computer wasn’t done yet but it would be shortly and he needed to see who had come.  He held his breath as a small group of men stepped inside.

                There were only four of them but they were all his height or taller with fair hair and mostly light colored eyes.  Three of them had ponytails and the other shaved his head but all of them looked somewhat similar.  Based on their casual dress, intimidating build and frosty demeanor, Yoochun was willing to bet they were part of Sven’s crew.

                The one in the front smiled and stepped forward as the other three fanned out behind him, closing the door and blocking the entrance so they wouldn’t be able to escape.  “Well look what we have here,” he chuckled, clearly amused as he let his gun swing at his side loosely.

                 Tightening his hold on Sulli who edged as close to him as possible, Yoochun pursed his lips.  “And what exactly would that be?”  His right hand twitched under the desk but he didn’t do anything… yet.

                “Two chinks who are going to tell us exactly what we want to hear,” he promised them in a jaunty, eerily light-hearted tone.

                “And if not?” Yoochun asked, ignoring the insult as he glanced at the approaching trio who were edging closer from behind their respective leader.

                “Well then comes the fun part,” he grinned, his expression borderline manic.  “The boss said so long as we didn’t kill you before you sang, we could have as much play time as we wanted.”

                “Yeah…” Yoochun nodded and gave them a wry smile.  “I think we’re going to have to take a rain check on that one,” he assured them lightly.

                “Sir?” Sulli whispered, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye before she resumed her stare at the invaders.

                Yoochun grinned in return when he saw the computer finished its task and nodded at the quartet before him.  “Next time then,” he chuckled, pressing the switch under the desk.  He wrapped both arms around Sulli as she shrieked when the floor beneath them opened up and dropped them into a steep tunnel slide.  He heard the men above shout in outrage and then he counted to three and cringed as a small explosion went off above them.  “Hold on!” he cried out as the tunnel leveled out, marginally decreasing their speed.

                “Yah!” Sulli shrieked when they were unceremoniously spit out into a dank, smelly sewer tunnel after crashing through a flimsy mesh screen cover.

                Groaning stiffly, Yoochun picked himself up with a pained look around before he reached down to give Sulli a hand up.  “Are you alright?” he asked, putting a steadying arm around her waist to keep her upright.

                She coughed and covered her nose with the back of her hand.  “More or less, sir,” she answered after a pause.  Her eyes settled on the hole they’d been spit from and she jumped when a few pieces of smoking debris tumbled out after them.  “When did you have that done?” she asked, blinking at him with huge eyes.

                Yoochun chuckled and brushed himself off, taking a moment to thread a loose strand of her hair behind her ear so it was out of her face.  “When I first set the place up.  Gotta be ready for anything,” he reminded her with an easy wink.

                Sulli coughed again and nodded in a daze.  “So I noticed.”  She swallowed and then glanced up, clearly wondering.  “Those were Sven’s goons weren’t they?”

                “Likely,” Yoochun nodded.  “Looks like they were trying to cover as much ground as possible.”  It wasn’t like they weren’t exactly unknown in their profession but it was definitely bad taste to go after the informants when things weren’t going well with the assassins.

                Still somewhat dazed from what had just happened, Sulli nodded in agreement and then looked up and down the tunnels.  “So.  We got away from them, but… how do we get out of here?”

                Yoochun looked one way and then the other, blinking slowly.  “Well.  We should be going…  Umm…  You know.  I’m not actually sure,” he admitted with an embarrassed smile as he scratched his head.  He’d commissioned the escape route and a while back had known where it exited but he never really thought he’d have to use the damn thing.  “Let’s just pick a direction and go from there,” he shrugged, propelling her along to get her moving.

                “Seriously, sir?” she whined cutely though she offered no resistance to his guidance.

                “Hey.  I got us out of that pickle didn’t I?  I can get us out of this too,” he assured her with more confidence than he felt.  It was better than nothing.

                “If you say so,” she shrugged, holding his hand for comfort as much as support.  Heels and the sewers simply did not go hand in hand.

                “Atta girl,” Yoochun grinned, leading the way.

(a/n: Okay, so not as much happened as I intended but the first part ran long.  >.>  Go figure.  Yes, Jaejoong's going through a stage of denial and Changmin's feeling uneasy about various things right now.  Hopefully I'll be able to get some more insight shortly.  I'm trying to line everything up for the snowball effect I want but we'll see what happens.  Though in regards to Sven's boys making a move... remember a couple chapters ago when Yesung opted to pay him a visit at his restaurant.  Yeah... 

So anyway.  I'm going to stop presuming how much is going to happen in following chapters and will simply find out when you do.  haha  I'm terrible at prediction; especially in my own writing.  :/  But, I'm trying to get things aligned to finish up.  Fingers crossed things come together smoothly without running on and on.  If you feel it's dragging too much or taking too long to get somewhere, please feel free to let me know.  I won't be offended, I assure you.  ;)  But thanks so much for reading and please look forward to the next update.)