And so here's another chapter :) 

Sorry if I have not updated for so long... been really busy... thanks for reading

Chapter Eighteen: The Morning
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He heard the footsteps before rushing to open the door, hushing them with a finger to his lips. Minjong watched as the anxiety and fear crossed the three youthful faces as they turned to him for answers. "They're sleeping it off."

"Did it work?" Jonghyun wanted to know immediately.

"We think so," he answered as he shut the door behind them. "The others are exhausted, took a lot of out them to get through it." He leaned against the door, having felt like he aged ten years in the last ten minutes. While the others had stood there for what seemed like a lifetime, it had in fact only been less than six minutes. But time was relative in the minds of those that must live through events that defy understanding. "Luna woke up just after then fell asleep again. She's been in and out since."

Sulli traded fearful looks with Krystal as they both rushed to the bedroom door. The four aliens were sprawled in as comfortable a position as they could in the cramp little room with Amber and Minho both on the ground, while Taemin was slumped against the wall at the head of the bed. Luna lay curled on her side as the foot of the bed, facing away from the door as well as Taemin.

Key sat on the ground near Luna's turned face with a damp towel, wearing a frown that was a cross of concern and irritation. Looking up as the door opened, he put his finger to his lips and patted Luna's forehead once more before getting up. Motioning for them to back out, he followed before pulling the door shut behind him. "Don't make noise, they're sleeping."

"We can see that," Krystal replied, eyes full of anxiety. "Is Minho all right?"

"He's tired... and probably confused," he answered honestly with a shrug.

Jonghyun nodded his head. If he had just gone through what he suspected they all had, he's be pretty mixed up too. "Can I see her?"

"Not yet," Key replied shaking his head and stretching his back. He hurt from being so tense. "She just got back to sleep, I don't want you waking her."

"I won't wake her," Jonghyun murmured softly, eyeing the door with some defiance.

"Don't do it," Minjong warned sternly. "She's been through too much already."

"What about the others?" Krystal asked, her voice small, frightened. "They all look so pale, so...dead."

"They'll be fine in a few hours," Minjong replied gently, rubbing his eyes slowly his knuckles stretching his back as he did so. "I think we could all settle in for a long night. First thing tomorrow, we figure out how to get Luna and Key back into Roswell without having the FBI and National Guards on full alien alert."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Key replied going to the corner where extra bedding had been piled. "I call under the dining room table."

"I get the armchair," Minjong said as he thanked Alex with a nod of his head as he reached for the thin blanket the boy had handed him. "You three planning on staying or going back to the hotel room?"

Jonghyun looked at Sulli. Sulli looked at Krystal. Krystal stared at the closed bedroom door where their friends and loved ones lay silently with their futures uncertain but brighter. "We'll stay."

 

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The murmuring voices woke her, gentle sounds that were unfamiliar but comforting. The door opened then shut, bringing in a whiff of sweet smelling cocoa and buttered toast. Someone was making breakfast, making everyone within smelling range drool with hunger.

Luna opened her eyes for a moment, assessing her body as she did every morning when she woke. But this time no pain or aches greeted her as she slowly shifted every limb at its most minimum so not to alert any of the others of her conscious state. Again, nothing jumped out at her.

For a blissful moment, she enjoyed the wonder of being healthy once more. She enjoyed the feel of her child, safe and protected, within her womb. And for a brief moment in her second life, she was completely content.

Then, "There better be some coffee along with all that health stuff," Minho warned crankily.Luna felt her heart skip a beat; memories of the evening before flooded her until she chocked on her own disbelief and grief.

All those months of planning, waiting, secrets, betrayals, pains... all that was for nothing. She was right back where she began only this time...her finger trailed to her belly where the small gentle swell was barely beginning. This time, she had an heir to contend with, another threat to Kris’ reign... and to Zan/Taemin's survival.

A gentle but firm hand slid over hers, startling Luna from her thoughts. "Shh..." Taemin whispered as he stretch himself fully alongside her and linked his fingers with hers, resting both hands over her stomach where their child laid. She stiffened noticeably against him. "Just relax and don't say anything."

He had been watching her for some time now, noting everything there was about her. It certainly wasn't the first time he's taken the opportunity to study that angelic face since... since she first arrived in Roswell. But it was the first time that he allowed himself to see without all of the fear, the anger, and the guilt ... without all the emotional baggage he's managed to build up in his short lifetime. And as he always suspected, she was beautiful.

He had only waken an hour before to find her curled as far away from him as physically possible on that narrow little bed, as if fear of touching any part of him had her clinging to the edge for dear life. He was aching from bone deep but ecstatically happy that the events of last evening weren't just some clever dream. He hadn't felt so very alive since the day the grandilth took off with Luna in it.

Now, with the lies out in the open, the baby saved, it was time to work on convincing Luna that she didn't need to carry the burdens of their past and future on her own. Well...that is if she'd even let him near her enough to do so.

"It's going to be okay," tightening his arm to bring her closer. As anticipated, she resisted. Wiggling madly, she only succeeded in helping him help her to relax in his embrace. "You're only going to tire yourself out even more. And if I didn't miss my guess, you're still pretty weak to put up much of a fight."

Wrinkling her nose, she tried to wrench her fingers from his. But Max had been right about one thing, she was pretty weak from all the mayhem. The last thing she needed was another fight on her hands. But it appears to be what she has now. "Let go of me."

"Not until you calm down enough to talk," he murmured against her ear, too intimate a touch for her. She smelled faintly of fabric softer and something unidentifiably sweet. And as exhausted as she was, she was still putting up one hell of a fight. "You're going to do yourself some damage if you keep this up."

"What do you care?" she huffed, gave one final attempt at pulling herself away from him before giving up all together with a defeated sigh. "I hate you."

Even knowing that she couldn't have possibly meant it, not after everything she had done, Taemin still felt a twinge of pain hearing the words. But he didn't blame her. Lord knows that if she really did hold a hatred for him now, he would probably deserve it. No, he wouldn't blame her at all. He tightened his arms, snuggling her closer. "This coming from a woman that was willing to die for me. Yeah, I really believe you there."

Luna felt her heart sank without a bubble. "What do you want?"

"How about just to talk?" he replied loosening his hold so not to hurt her. "How about to tell you that you're not alone in this battle? That Minho, Amber and I are here for you and the baby. How about to tell you that as of now, you are never leaving our sides again? We are going to be watch like a hawk so that you don't pull anything this stupid again."

"Stupid?" she asked indignantly.

"Yeah, stupid."

She gave a huff and rolled her eyes. So that plan hadn't worked. "Well, I never said I was smart. Loyal, yes. Smart, no."

Taemin smiled, glad that he was no longer fighting him tooth and nail on this one. To be honest, he probably couldn't have done a decent job of defending his own position. His body was still suffering from lack of energy after last evening. That last thing he needed right now was to thirty rounds with his wife.... His wife, did he really just think that and not realize it?

"Go to sleep, Taemin," Luna whispered softly as she felt his arms slack slightly more. The exhaustion was fairly pouring from him so tangibly that she could feel it. "We'll talk later."

"You promise?" he asked, eyes already drooping.

Luna yawned softly. "Yeah, I promise."

"And you always try to keep your promises, don't you?" he muttered before letting his face drop forward into her soft hair.

Nodding to herself, she admitted sadly. "Yes, I do."
 

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"It's quiet." Key said from his position near the front door facing that closed bedroom door.

"It's nice to have quiet," Jonghyun commented as he chewed on potato chips. "If you ask me, we've had too much excitement around here."

"You're telling me," Krystal added pouring soda into a glass. "What we all need is a nice long peaceful vacation in Hawaii."

"It's too quiet," Key said with a frown as she slowly began to get to his feet.

"How can it be too quiet?" Jonghyun asked with a frown as his father got to his feet, eyes watching the now alert Minho.

"Key?" Minho looked at him with a question.

Ignoring the inquiring looks. "It's way too quiet," before he began to cross the room. "LUNA!"

Minho felt his heart stop. "You don't think she'd skip out on us, do you?"

"I won't put it pass her," Key replied, long legs carrying him nearly half way there. "She can't trust me now. She may just bolt without any warning," then shouted. "LUNA!"

Minho got to the door two steps ahead of Key and was about to push it open when it was pulled wide from inside. Luna ran headlong into him and knocked herself silly on his collarbone. "Ouch!" and staggered back.

Taemin caught her under the arms just as she lost her footing. Setting her back on her feet, he glared at the two in the doorway as he pushed her hand away to examine the bump on her head. "No harm done."

"Still hurts though," she muttered as she continued to rub the offended area.

"What happened?" Taemin asked as he led Luna through the door by the elbow.

"Nothing," Minho answered glaring at a relieved Key.

"Then why were you yelling your head off for me?" Luna asked as she pulled her arm away from Taemin and went into the kitchen for food. She was suddenly starving. "I thought we were being attacked or something."

"Sorry, I overreacted. You have a tendency to do the unexpected and unpredictable," Key replied, taking the butter knife from her and grabbing the jar of mayo from the frig. "Sit down, I'll get it."

"I can make my own sandwich," she replied, getting the bread from the counter. "I think you've done more than enough these past couple of days."

Grinning at her, he pointed out, "I wasn't the one that got her picture in the paper."

Rolling her eyes, for she had meant his constant babysitting while she was ill, she answered, "Yeah, like I really planned that. Stupid reporters."

"To whom we all should be grateful for," Minjong commented as he took the bread from her and stacked thin slices of ham on it. "Without them, we'd still be the dark about this whole situation. And don't think you get off that easy, young lady. You are in major trouble for lying to us."

She was having a difficult time suppressing the warm and fuzzy feeling she was suddenly experiencing from the paternally stern look she was getting. "I don't even get bonus points for doing it for all the right reasons."

"Don't even get me started on the 'right' reasons." Jonghyun scolded, pouring tomato juice into a glass and adding a generous dose of Tabasco sauce into it. "And exactly how much of my stuff did you make me donate that day? Cause that suitcase felt pretty damn heavy."

"Not much. And I thought Buddhists were supposed to care about material goods anyways," picking up the shriveled up oranges on the counter and searching for a knife to cut them with. She wasn't quite up to using her powers yet, especially when she was still experiencing limp noodle legs.

Minho nudged her aside as he pulled out the small sparing knife Key has shown him earlier and began to slice the old oranges into neat slices, checking to make sure there weren't any molds or bad spots on them. "Just because Buddha-Boy here studies the beliefs of the Chinese, doesn't mean sixteen years of Western culture goes out the window overnight."

"Thank you, Minho, for being the voice of wisdom, shocking as that may be," Jonghyun replied while glaring at him. "And don't call me that. God, you sound just like her when you do that."

Throwing up her arms, she moved out of the way as a kitchen full of guys made her breakfast. They all look so happy and relaxed, shuffling around the little area, bantering back and forth... like a family. Trampling down the choked emotion that she sensed was joy, she crossed her arms and asked, "Are you guys going to be like this all the time if I stick around?"

The four answered unanimously in no uncertain terms, "YES!"