Ellie sat in the lobby of the court room, her leg bouncing nervously.

A million thoughts flooded her mind.

She wasn't sure what to think, or feel.

Once they came out, how should she react?

What if it was good news? or bad news? 

What would she even consider good or bad news at this point?

She silently scolded herself and stopped bouncing her leg.

She took a deep breath, and sighed, slowly letting it go.

If Daehyun was happy, then she would be too.

After all, that was what she wanted most. For him to be happy.

She glanced down at her watch.

2 hours.

They'd been in there nearly two hours.

That couldn't be a good sign...could it?

She stood and tossed her coffee cup into the trash, scolding herself again, this time for drinking so much coffee.

She turned and went down the hall toward the bathroom.

She'd already visited this bathroom 3 times today, thanks to the coffee.

She used the restroom and washed her hands, then headed back to the spot she'd been waiting at.

Only, as she turned the corner she found a group of men standing there.

Daehyun was in the middle.

They were talking, but she couldn't make anything out.

She continued moving toward them, unsure of what was going on, until Daehyun looked up and caught her eye.

And he smiled, one of his biggest, happiest smiles.

Her steps slowed and she held back, not wanting to distract as they finished up.

All 6 B.A.P members where there, along with a couple men in suits.

After a moment, the members shook hands with the men in suits and they departed.

The members and Daehyun remained, talking amongst themselves.

A couple of them glanced at their phones, all of them talking at the same time. 

Ellie wasn't sure how they could even understand anything as they were all speaking at once.

Dae's head popped up again and he called out to her.

"Ells!" he said excitedly as he broke away from the rest of the group.

As he moved toward her, she mentally reminded herself to be happy for him, whatever the result was.

He came to her quickly, his hands on her shoulders as he began talking.

"We settled, finally! They agreed to draw up a new contract, a better one. The judge ordered the company to pay us what we're owed, and our lawyer went over the new contract. As of today, we are officially back in business!"

It wasn't hard to be happy for him, seeing how happy and excited he was at this moment.

He threw his arms around her and hugged her tightly and she hugged him back.

"I'm so happy for you Dae!"

He pulled away and took her hand as he began walking back toward the guys.

"I think we're gonna go get lunch together, do you mind?"

She shook her head. "Not if you don't think they'll mind me tagging along."

They left and met up at a nearby burger place where they found themselves a table in the corner.

They ordered and as they waited, the boys began discussing their plans.

Ellie sat quietly, listening as they went on.

Several of them talked about the songs they'd been working on during the hiatus.

Yongguk talked about putting together an album which they decided would be the first thing they did as part of their return.

Slowly she let her thoughts drift.

Suddenly she felt so outside Dae's world.

He hadn't done anything wrong.

It just felt like the world she had with him, and the world he had as part of BAP were two completely different ones. 

And she felt awkward being here...like she didn't really fit in this world.

They made plans, deciding that everyone needed to be back in Seoul in two weeks to get back into rehearsing, and preparing for the new album.

This meant she had two weeks left with Daehyun before he moved back into the dorms.

Before his schedule got complicated and it got hard to see each other.

Before she became part of the background.

Seeming to notice her detachment, Himchan spoke to her.

"How have you been Ellie? It's been awhile."

The mention of her name brought her out of her thoughts.

She looked up at Himchan blankly, unsure of what he'd just said.

He chuckled and repeated the question.

"Ah, i'm fine." she smiled. "Really enjoyed having Daehyun home for the summer."

"How's your mother?" 

"She's good, been keeping herself busy."

He smiled.

She liked them, the members. They'd always been nice to her. And she was greatful that Daehyun had them to lean on when he wasn't home. She was especially grateful to Himchan for helping Dae when he was depressed and having a hard time after their situation.

"Worried?" Himchan asked suddenly.

Her eyes came up to his and she quit pretending.

"Yes." she admitted.

The rest of the table suddenly got quiet and she immediately got embarassed.

Yongguk looked to her and reached over, gently patting her hand. "It's going to be different this time. Don't worry too much."

She nodded and gave him a smile.

"Could you guys excuse us for a minute?" Dae said next to her as he slid out of the booth.

He reached for her hand and gestured with his head. "Come on."

He led her outside, the sun blinding them as they left the restaurant.

Ellie sighed, frustrated with herself for not being able to control her emotions.

"Are you okay Ells?"

Truth be told, she wasn't sure what she was.

"I...well...I mean...you know..." she stuttered and stammered, totally unsure of what she wanted to say.

She stared off in the distance over his shoulder.

All at once he pulled her against himself, wrapping his arms around her, holding her head to his chest.

"I'm sorry Ellie." he apologized.

Her brow furrowed. Her thoughts and feelings were a jumbled mess,...and he was apologizing.

"I got so caught up in this, with the lawsuit finally ending, and the planning and...I totally neglected you. I didn't even ask how you felt. I'm sorry."

She burst into tears.

"I'm such a horrible person. This is what you were waiting for, hoping for, for so long now, and it finally happened and I just keep thinking selfish things...I'm sorry Dae. I am happy for you, i am...but i'm also scared. I'm afraid of what this means for us, i'm afraid of how long it's going to be before I get to see you again. We have two weeks left together and i don't know what's going to happen after that. I've gotten so used to you being here...I won't know what to do with myself when you're gone." she half laughed at the last part. "Don't let me ruin this day for you. I was trying so hard to keep it together. I wasn't even sure what i was feeling. I'm so conflicted, and i hate myself for feeling that way. I should be happy for you regardless, because this is what you wanted. Why can't i just be happy?"

Daehyun released her from his grasp and brought his hands to her face, holding her as he brought his mouth to hers, kissing her fiercely. 

When he pulled away they were both breathless.

"Don't try to bury your feelings or change them because that's how you think you should feel. I understand your feelings i do. I've been struggling with the same thoughts and feelings. I'm happy and excited now that this lawsuit is over, but i'm not looking forward to leaving you either. I hope you know how much i've enjoyed my time with you these past several months. I couldn't have made it through this hiatus without you Ells. And i'm so grateful for the chance to reconnect and get to know you all over again. This isn't over Ellie. Things are changing yes, and it means less time together, but my love for you, my feelings for you, everything i've said to you over these past few months, none of that changes."

His eyes stared into hers as he spoke and she could see the concern on his face.

He gently brushed away a couple tears from her cheek with his thumb.

"Ellie..." he said softly. "Just as singing is an important part of my life...so are you. That's not going to change. We'll work this out Ells. It's going to require some sacrifice for both of us...but it'll be ok, I promise."

At those words, Ellie felt some of the turmoil in her chest subside.

"Do you trust me?" he asked.

Ellie's eyes returned to his and she nodded without hesitation.

He smiled. "It'll be ok."

"Ok." she said.

He leaned forward, placing his lips against her forehead.

"I love you so much. I couldn't do this without you Ellie. I need you at my side."

She threw her arms around him, her head thumping against his chest as she squeezed him. 

"I feel like i'm in a whole separate world from your music life."

"I'm sorry if i made you feel that way, but that's not the case. In order for me to do music, i need you. The two aren't separate."

She held onto him, her eyes closed, listening to his heart thump in his chest, her tears absorbing into his t-shirt.

"I need you Ells. I can't do this without you. Stay by my side. It'll be worth it I promise."

She laughed through her tears.

"Of course i'm gonna stay you idiot."

He smiled, kissing the top of her head.

"I'm missing you already. I wish it was easier. But that's ok. Its absolutely worth it. I love you Jung Daehyun, and I will be by your side the whole way. Cheering you on from home, or the concert venue, or wherever I may be. Just bring your home every so often alright?"

She cried into his shoulder and he held her tighter.

With one arm around her back, the other holding her head against his chest, he rocked her gently, and leaned close to her ear.

"I'm never letting go of you. You are everything to me. Everything."

He knew it was going to be hard being away from each other, but he would do whatever it took to make things work.