As soon as my head hit that pillow I was ready to succumb to my exhaustion. Even coming into my apartment I felt like a zombie; the undead. Never had I been this tired before. Maybe it was because of that damn migraine... I don't know but literally, I could have just collapsed right there. So that's exactly what I did.

A groan of pure comfort left my mouth as soon as I felt the warm duvet surround my body, a small smile appearing with closed eyes when I inhaled the fresh and homely scent. I hadn't even taken my uniform off but I was too comfy now to even try.

Soon I was slipping into unconsciousness, my head throbbing faintly, my eyes probably refusing to ever open again.

And that's when...I got a phone call.

"Noooo" I whined, knowing I would have to move those few inches to pick it up. I thought about leaving it to go through to the answer machine, surely if it was that important whoever it was would leave a message. However, when it finally did and I heard Bora's voice telling me as quoted "Pick up the ing phone", I did as I was told despite how painful it was to move from my perfect fetal position. As Bora kept throwing obscenities at me, my hand was blindly slamming itself down on my bedside table trying to locate the phone.

"Mm?" I answered when I finally found it.

"What took you so long you lazy ?" Was the reply, I was too weak to even care about her rudeness.

"Umm...how did you... get my number?" I yawned, most probably pissing her off in the process. I distinctly remember her giving me her card but I certainly didn't give her my number.

"I was tired of waiting for your call so I asked Yuri. Are you free to talk?" Oh wow, a complete 360 turn there in regards to her manners. I swear everyone I know is bipolar.

I nodded tiredly until I remembered that she couldn't see me. "Yes, yes...okay"

"Yuri told me you had a night shift, is the poor baby tired?" Her patronizing tone would have made me roll my eyes if they were open.

"Just get on with it" I muttered, eager to just get whatever this was about over with.

"Temper temper..." I heard her scoff and then silence. I waited a while only to then threaten that I would hang up if she took any longer.
"Okay okay. So I've been looking into the whole Taeyun thing"

"TaeYEON" I corrected her, though was eager to hear what she had to say, perking up as best I could.

"Whatever, anyway so I've been working it out. To get her released right now is impossible because we don't have any evidence to say that she wasn't aware of what she was doing. It's as if saying a murderer was drunk when he killed his victim...It just doesn't work"

A slight whine later and I was sat up, putting my whole attention on what Bora was saying. "So that's it? There's no way?"

"There is a way, but it's tricky. You said that Taeyeon was convicted of child abuse due to both the physical evidence of assault on the kid and what her friend said to testify against her, yes?"

"Yes..." Where was she going with this? Sure I studied law enforcement but I literally had no idea how this could work. Then again maybe it was because I was tired.

"Well, I'm afraid the only way we have hope of getting her out is to talk to her friend and her son. Try to persuade them to take back their statements, forgive her due to the tragic circumstances and get Taeyeon to send off a request form to re-open the trial."

That last part would be easy since Taeyeon had already agreed to do it, but the others? How on earth was I going to get her friend to forgive her just like that? It was damn near impossible.

"I know it's messy Tiff, but at least we can try? All I need is the address of the pair and maybe a handwritten note from Taeyeon herself to try and change their mind. It may not work so I need you to tell her to not get her hopes up, they may not want to go through the whole court process again. I'm sure it was just as tragic for them as it was for your....friend."

My heart was pounding, hearing that it was possible to get her out was making me tear up in joy, but then having it just out of reach from us due to the fact her friend was the only thing left that could save her...it scared me.

"Why are you doing this for me?" I asked suddenly, my voice breaking from the overflow of emotions within me right now. 
"We barely know each other, we just had a random one night stand that held no feelings. Why on earth would you be willing to go through all this just for me and some girl you've never met before?" I really wanted to know, ever since she gave me that card and told me she would do what she could...it had stumped me.

All I could hear was her breathing on the other line, her thinking of what to say. It stayed that way for a whole minute yet I strangely didn't feel the need to interrupt to ask again.

"I'm not stupid Tiffany."

"S-sorry?" I replied, unaware of where that had even come from.

"I said I'm not stupid. Do you think that with me working as a lawyer for four years, I can't tell when someone is lying?"

"....."

"I know about the relationship you and Taeyeon have together. I knew the second you started talking about her. I knew because of how Yuri reacted, I knew because your eyes show so much more than you would ever think possible."

"I...uh. It's not-" Oh my god, I stood up almost immediately beginning to pace back and forth while trying to think of a logical answer to throw her off the scent. As I ran my hand through my hair and bit my lip when nothing came to mind, Bora spoke again.

"Tiffany don't try to lie to me. I knew through the emotion you relayed when you told that story of hers, when your eyes twinkled at every mention of her name and how you tried to hold back a smile each time. You're in love with her."

I burst into tears as soon as I heard those words come from . While I was no longer afraid of being reported to the police by Bora... I was now afraid because even she could see how I felt about that girl. It was only a matter of time before others would find out and that scared me more than anything.

"Bora...please" I begged, I wasn't sure why but it just came out along with the seemingly endless amount of tears.

"I even saw it when we met that night at the bar, you may not have been as deep as you are now but you still felt something strongly towards that girl. And Tiffany, I'm not going to do anything rash alright? I-I just want to help you."

When her voice wavered, I wondered what she was thinking but was too overcome with emotions to even know what to ask. All that mattered right now though, was that I needed to do what she asked to give Taeyeon the best chance of freedom. And after that, I needed to seriously think about taking that job, getting myself arrested for an inmate right at the moment where I could change everything for Taeyeon would not help anyone and I was so stupid to take it this far.

"Get some sleep alright? Yuri said something about you working again tonight so get some rest and phone me as soon as possible with those details. I'll talk to you soon."

As I hung up the phone after sniffling a 'goodbye' and a 'thank you', I sat back down on the bed and found myself staring at that email on my cell phone albeit with blurry vision.

'We hope to hear from you shortly with your decision'

Everything Taeyeon and I had gone through during these many months could be described as nothing more than an adventure. A roller coaster of emotions that went to new highs, and new lows. The shouting, the smiling and the screaming and the crying. Each day held new problems but each day also gave me a chance to further pull down her wall that now was only inches high. I was almost there but at the same time...so very far.

When I closed my eyes, all I heard were the put-downs that I'd heard so many times before.

'Think about it, she has this hot CO trying to get to know her, showing interest in everything she does and has done....she feels you are an easy target. She wants , wants to get rid of some stress. Join up the dots'

Yuri's words rung in my ears as my migraine started to return full-force, pain shot through my head as my tears fell one by one. I grabbed a clump of my hair and squeezed while wincing at the pure torture inflicted by her words.

'Answer me this. Are you falling for her…or the way she s you?'

For her, I'm falling for her! My voice screamed back, trying to make her believe me. Taeyeon likes me too...she does, she-

'Has she told you that what she feels is more than just ?'

No...but-

'Has she told you she at least likes you?'

No she hasn't but it doesn't mean that she feels nothing for me!

'Think about it from her perspective'.

I was convinced I was going crazy, arguing within my own mind. It was like an echo...'she doesn't love you...she never will'... I was crying because I knew deep down it was true and I couldn't handle those thoughts spiraling around my head anymore.

All it took was me imagining the day when Taeyeon got out, all smiles but none of them were for me. She was free, and I watched as she walked straight past me to go and live her life. I was left standing in front of the prison staring at the car that drove her away and she didn't even give me a second glance.

I snapped. I'd had enough of everything telling me I wasn't good enough for her, how I couldn't be as good as Jessica and without thinking I grabbed the nearest object and threw it at the wall, watching it break into a hundred tiny pieces.
And then I did it again...and again and again, feeling my anger dissipate slightly each time.

It wasn't long before my bedroom was trashed, my bedside table on its side now sporting a huge crack which had happened once it had fallen, the lamp that had sat upon it shattered on the floor and the phone halfway across the room. Pieces of glass were scattered on the ground and the book I had bought because of her...the pages were ripped out and crumpled up.

After calming down but then seeing the trash heap that was now my room, I retreated until my back hit the nearest wall while my feet collapsed from under me. With my eyesight now completely blurred from the tears that refused to fall just yet, I brought my knees in to my chest and let out a shaky breath.

The feelings were too much, the misery of not being wanted was worse than anything I've experienced. The pain of my heart that beats for her shriveling up due to not being loved the same way back. It longed for someone to keep it, to treat it right and to tell it over and over how much they cared and appreciated everything it had done for them...but there was nothing like that in my life.

I could blame it on Taeyeon for making me feel this way, for turning my life upside down but in actual fact it was all my fault. I was the one who had pursued her, I was the one who had the choice to go into her room and start this whole one-sided love affair. She was just going along for the ride, she had done nothing wrong. It was all me. I was the one putting myself in danger, being careless and reckless and I knew if I didn't do something now, it could all come to a head before the trial even took place. If Yuri and Bora could see it, then it was only a matter of time until everyone could. We had been lucky up till now but, how long would it be until that luck ran out?

The last thing I remember before falling asleep was picking up my cellphone, dialing the number at the bottom of the email and....

"Hello, my name is Tiffany Hwang and I'm calling about the job offer I received two days ago via email?"

"Yes, I applied for the Sergeant position...that's right."

"Well, I'm calling to give you my answer, I’ve made my decision."

**************

It was all a blur but after signing a form, leaving Nichkhun's office and having an emotional chat with Yuri.....I was standing in front of that very familiar door. I wasn't sure why, but I felt the need to knock before I entered this time despite knowing I would have to unlock it myself. It was as if I knew that I may become a stranger after the conversation we needed to have tonight. I didn't want it to go the way I feared though, I really hoped for both of our sakes that she would give me what I needed. But right now, the ball was in her court and so with all of that in mind, knocking was the most respectful thing to do.

I couldn't hear anything through the door even as I set my ear against it. I guess that was a plus though, as things could become heated tonight.

As I stood there, I glanced at the room a few doors down. How loud must that couple have been to have their groans heard by us the other night? Yikes.

Anyway, soon I focused my attention back on the one in front of me and figured that it was best to get it over with as soon as possible. So I knocked a few times before grabbing my keys that unbeknownst to me had been a target of my nervousness on the walk up here.

All I heard at that moment was the click of the lock as I turned the key and then the draught blowing through my hair when I opened it.

"Taeyeon?" I whispered softly, taking a few steps inside and looking into what would be darkness if it wasn't for the lights in the corridor shining through. Again, not wanting to startle her or make her uncomfortable from the no doubt blinding light, I shut the door behind me and grabbed the flashlight from my belt.

"Taeyeon it's me, are you awake?"

No answer.

With a shaky exhale, I proceeded to walk over to where her bed was while shining the torch at the ground, narrowly missing the same damn object that had tripped me up last night. As I approached, I could see that she was fast asleep and looked almost peaceful, something that you wouldn't expect to see with surroundings like she had.

"Tae?" I whispered even quieter than before, although I wanted to wake her...I also wanted to cherish this moment where I could just look at her. Her baby face that reminded me of that photo that I find myself staring at quite often. It somehow also made me think of her family.

When I looked at those perfect features, I wondered if she has a mother that will her face lovingly and tell her "I missed you" when she's finally released and returned back home...
Or a dad that will pull her into his arms and break down in tears due to the fact his baby girl is now safe. Does she look like either of them?

She has never told me about her family, only Jessica and it made me wonder if she even has one, or whether in fact Jessica was her only family. If that was the case, how sad must that be to be so alone in this world, let alone in a place where hours upon hours... your thoughts are the only thing giving you company.

But her face showed no worries or concerns, no blemishes from stress and no frown lines from the aggression that appeared every now and then...And so I timidly reached out to her cheek with the backs of my fingers, wondering whether she would ever think of me as family.

"Mmmm" A raspy groan came from before I quickly whipped my hand away and stood up straight, I kept my eyes on the sleeping beauty however as she awoke from her slumber.

"Hey" I said softly, giving a small and almost sad smile. I was grateful she still had her eyes shut because she would probably have asked me what was wrong and I couldn't talk about that right now, it wasn't what I wanted.

What I wanted was to savor whatever moment this would bring without questions....So when she blinked and opened her eyes enough to squint, I held my finger against her lips and begged her with my expression to stay quiet. I was grateful to find she did.
She instead took my hand and pulled it away from before sitting up, her back against the wall and looking right at me.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you....again." I said with a shy chuckle while she tutted in a joking manner, giving me a slight smile soon after. "I had to see you before I...."When her eyes twinkled, looking nowhere but at my own I realized that this was going to be harder than I had thought. In the meantime, I positioned the flashlight on the bed just like I had the last night.

"Before you....?" Her warm and husky voice filled my ears and all I desired was to hear it say my name in the same way.

Closing my eyes while the shivers eased, I opened my mouth to say what I had planned but only a croak came out in its place. I found I was getting emotional despite not having made up my mind 100% yet. Deep down, I knew how this was going to go.

"Taeyeon I...I want you to know that I am so glad I met you, really I mean it. And whatever happens from here on out...I'll always be there fo