"Early this morning, the police arrived at the Grass Flower Arboretum after receiving an anonymous tip about possible illegal activities taking place within the abandoned facility. I am here, live, with Chief of Police, Michael Johnson, to give us details on the situation..."

"We have already infiltrated the building and apprehended fifty people associated with the illegal activities. It was a hybrid smuggling facility. They sold illegal hybrids to the black market out of this place. We found over fifteen hostages, some of which were already trying to escape which, I assume, was where the anonymous tip came from.

"We are continuing to investigate the area for more information and how extensive this operation was. The leader of this ring has already been put into custody and will face severe criminal charges for human trafficking. The victims of this terrible act have already been transported to the nearest hospital to be provided with the best care.

"Many of the victims suffer from malnutrition, physical injuries due to abuse while in captivity, and intense mental trauma. Some of which were not in full control of themselves which made it difficult to move them. Hybrid trafficking is a serious crime, and me and my team will do everything in our power to put an end to it. That's all—"

"Turn it off."

The young nurse aide turns around in surprise, realizing I am fully awake. She is still holding the remote in her hand. She quickly turns off the holographic TV and stammers a quick apology.

I look away from her, not wanting to listen to her apologize profusely about being "insensitive". It was just too loud. It was giving me a headache. I inhale deeply, tasting the strange medicinal gas on the back of my tongue, and tilt my head back against the pillow.

I stare up at the white hospital room ceiling and give myself déjà vu.

I couldn't last one day out of the hospital.

"How are you feeling?" the nurse aide asks hesitantly. She approaches my bed slowly, her hands twitching nervously at her sides.

I reach up distractedly and trace the plastic tube from my nose down to the machine at the bed's side. I breathe slowly again. My eyes slowly glaze over with another wave of drug-induced exhaustion hits. "It feels like..." my lips feel numb, "like nothing is real."

The nurse aide stares worriedly at me.

I glance at her through the corner of my eye. "Where's Jimin?"

"Jimin?" Her eyes squint with confusion. "Who's that?"

I try not to feel irritated with this poor girl. She probably has no idea what happened. She's no mind reader either. Even so, I hate that I have to continue explaining to all these doctors and nurses that Jimin and I need to stay together.

I don't want to be away from him again.

"Miss Eden? Are you alright?"

I blink a couple of times and bring myself back into reality. I look at the nurse aide again to refocus. "Oh. Sorry. Jimin is my friend." I pause before adding, "He's my hybrid."

Her eyes widened with realization. "Oh, he is in the waiting room. The doctor wanted to make sure you were stable before allowing visitors."

I'll be stable if Jimin is with me.

A small voice in the back of my mind whispers, "How the turntables turn..."

It's as if we've switched places.

I guess the cycle hasn't ended yet.

"Is he alone?" I ask worriedly, "How long has it been? What—" I attempt to sit up but find my arms limp as a noodle. In an instant, memories of the morning come back to me at full force.

The greenhouse. The police coming towards us. Throwing up. Blacking out. Waking up in the ambulance with Jimin at my side...

"All I wanted was to keep you safe. Why didn't you listen to me? Why did you come after me?" His voice shakes with emotion as he holds me in his arms.

"I guess we're both idiots," I whisper, gripping the edges of his jacket. "It seems like we can't stay away from each other." I manage a weak grin despite the pain.

Jimin smiles sadly, "Maybe fate wants us to stick together."

"That's fine by me."

We reached the hospital in record time. Taehyung and Jungkook were in another ambulance but we saw them on the way in. I tried to comfort them as we passed each other but there was hardly any time for it.

The doctors were determined to stop my transformation into a hybrid. They quickly explained the process and the surgery to me, and I was too out of it to understand everything so I just agreed. That was when they separated us and put me under for the procedure.

"It's four in the afternoon. He isn't alone, there are a few others with him," the nurse aide continues explaining.

I feel around my ears and feel dizzy with relief. My ears are intact and fully attached to my head. "Good... do you know who they are?"

"No, sorry." The nurse aide grimaces in sympathy, "Um. Would you like me to get them for you?"

The door opens before I can respond. A new doctor walks in with a tablet in her hand. She glances between me and the nurse aide with a look of mild surprise. "When did you wake up?" she asked me.

"Just a few minutes ago."

The doctor casts the nurse aide a dirty look. "You didn't press the call light. You're supposed to let us know when she wakes up."

The nurse aide winces, "I'm sorry."

The doctor exhales sharply through her nose, clicking her tongue in disapproval. "This is the basic procedure. She's in critical care for a reason, Cameron. Imagine what could have happened if something had gone wrong. You're putting her at risk by not contacting us."

"I understand..."

"I know we're short-staffed, but you need to focus," the doctor scolds. "I'm telling this for your own good, the others won't be as forgiving. Now, can you please get Harold?"

Cameron's face flushes with shame. She nods quickly and hurries out of the room to find Harold.

The doctor turns to me with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. We are short-staffed today, she isn't used to this. She just started her clinicals last week." She checks the machine at the side of the bed and adjusts one of the dials. "However, in this line of work, thinking on your feet is the best quality to have."

I nod slowly at her. "I guess that's true."

"Now, let's get started, shall we?" The doctor pulls out her tablet again and looks over my profile. "Your name is Eden, correct? Alright. You came into the hospital with bruises, a major concussion, with an unknown substance in your body. You went through emergency surgery to reverse the effects of the substance and it was a success.

"You may experience hormonal imbalances but we will prescribe you medication to help ease the effects. We will also prescribe painkillers to help with the pain you will feel. Now, concerning your concussion, we also had to use a new procedure to heal the damage. Thankfully, it went well."

"What did you guys do?"

"Recently, a new drug was released with the ability to heal severe concussion wounds." She smiles encouragingly, "Its rate of success has always been high, so you have nothing to worry about. Basically, your concussion has been reduced to a minor one once again."

I stare at her in shock. "I didn't know that even existed..."

We have a medicine that can repair concussion damage yet there isn't a drug to force you to tell the truth. I guess I should be happy they are focusing their resources on helpful things, but I still find it funny.

She continues to explain my new course of treatment and tips on how to reduce the pain when I leave the hospital. She concludes her explanation with a kind smile and asks if I need anything.

My stomach growls loudly.

I smile awkwardly and pat my stomach, "Maybe some food... And could you let my friends into the room? I want to see them."

"I can give you one of the menus. As for your friends... Can you describe them to me?"

"One is a cat hybrid, his name is Jimin," I explain trying to fight my growing smile. "I'm not sure who else is with him, but let them in too."

Her mouth makes a small 'o' as she nods at me. "Oh... I saw them earlier. I can get them for you. But keep in mind, you must be careful with yourself as you recover. If they cause you any stress, I recommend taking breaks."

"I think it'll be fine," I assure her.

I feel better when Jimin is around than when he's away. Sitting in an empty hospital room is creating more anxiety than being around others.

With that, she leaves the room and quietly closes the door behind her.

Cautiously, I sit up from the bed and lean back against the headrest. I watch the door eagerly as I adjust the disinfectant-scented blankets over my legs. I am wearing the hospital pajamas again and I quickly check to make sure all the buttons have been fastened.

The door opens.

"Eden?"

My eyes light up when I see him. Jimin stands in the doorway with large eyes. His soft cat ears are pointed in the air. His long fluffy tail flicks slowly behind him. With the pale fluorescent lights at his back, he appears to be glowing. He is still wearing my clothes and his blond hair is still fluffy on one side as if he just woke up from a heavy sleep.

"Jimin," I breathe in relief.

Jimin's lip quivers and his ears flatten against his head. He sprints towards me and collapses at the bedside, grabbing ahold of my hand. "I'm so sorry!" he chokes out, bursting into tears.

I stiffened in surprise, "Oh, no no, don't cry! It's okay!"

Jimin shakes his head quickly and sniffles loudly. "It's not. I should have protected you better, Eden, I'm really sorry!"

"Sweetheart, sweetheart," I pleaded and turned his head up to face me. My eyes soften with sympathy, "Chim... you saved me. You came to rescue me. You already protected me."

Jimin's breaths tremble as he cries. "If I wasn't here, you wouldn't have been kidnapped or attacked."

Tenderly, I wipe a tear from his soft cheek. I gaze upon him with gratefulness and respect. "That doesn't matter. What matters is that in both of those situations, you came back. That was so noble of you..."

Jimin blinks away a few tears and reaches up to me. "You're too kind to me..." He cups his hand against my cheek and begins to stand up. He leans forward and kisses my forehead. "How are you even real?" he asks quietly.

"Me?" I question doubtfully. I raise an eyebrow at him, "You're the one who isn't real. If anybody is the angel here, it's definitely you."

Jimin purses his full lips and studies me dubiously. "Are you sure about that?"

I cup his face in my hands, feeling a surge of confidence, and nod. "You're the one who saves me when all hope is lost."

My angel in the snow.

Jimin's cheeks flush at my words, or maybe at our closeness. "I'm flattered... but I think you're giving me too much credit."

"I'm serious."

"Me too." Jimin sighs as he sits down on the edge of the bed. He watches me carefully and takes my hands again.

"Eden, I think you're the strongest girl I know. You endure so much pain for others. You are so understanding and compassionate... I feel like I don't deserve you. I'm not asking for you to reassure me or tell me that everything is fine, I just wanted to tell you this. I think you're amazing, and I promise to help you in any way I can. I owe this to you, and I will never ask for anything in return. I want to support you, I want to protect you when you want me to. I just ask that you don't sacrifice yourself so easily..."

I stare at him, awed by his words.

Jimin looks up from beneath his eyelashes. His slender-shaped eyes shine with the last of his tears. "I ask you this because you are too precious to be lost. You are too special to be sacrificed."

I open my mouth to respond but his gaze leaves me at a loss for words.

His eyes are dark with the shadows of embers. They are such a rich and beautiful color. The sincerity of his words rings clear in my mind like the sound of a bell.

Jimin leans close to me again, "You don't need to say anything," he assures me. "I think I understand... Don't strain yourself," he says gently, tracing his fingers up along my exposed forearm. "You should rest. You deserve to rest, love."

"Before we rest, can I tell you something?"

"What is it?"

"You deserve everything this world has to offer," I say wholeheartedly. "I want to support you too, I want to protect you as well. You're noble, and brave, you have such a big heart for others. I ask that you stay by my side. Don't leave again, let me help you when you are struggling or if you feel like everything is crashing down on you."

Memories of last night come to mind and leave a bitter taste in my mouth. He didn't let me help him look for his family. He shoved me away because he believed he was protecting me.

"Don't leave me. I hope you know I can help you too. I want to help. You are not a burden to me, and there's nothing I'd rather do than walk alongside you through life."

Jimin's eyes soften and he asks, "Do you really mean that?"

"I do."

He swallows quietly and lowers his gaze briefly. "That... might be difficult for me to do."

"I want to stay with you," I repeat earnestly.

"I want to stay with you too, I just can't stomach the idea of putting you in danger again..."

"Then let's not land ourselves in any more dangerous situations." I offer him a weak smile, in hopes of brightening the mood.

Thankfully, Jimin reciprocates the smile. "If only it was so simple."

"We can do this together," I encourage, "you don't have to be alone anymore."

I don't have to be alone anymore.

Jimin finally looks at me. His expression is fond as he looks over me. "We'll save each other," he promises, "we'll stay together."

I nod in agreement and gesture to the spot beside me. "Do you want to rest here?"

Jimin smiles affectionately and nods, "Of course. We can wait for the others to arrive."

The presence of the others completely slipped my mind during our conversation. When I'm with him, it doesn't feel like the rest of the world exists.

The reality of the world beyond the hospital and dark hallways has yet to come back to me. My mind struggles to comprehend the problems I used to have before the attack and the kidnapping.

Things like my parents coming this upcoming weekend, school, bills to pay, taking care of another person, all lost their meaning during my time at the arboretum.

Maybe they'll come back to me once my head is completely healed, but for now, I'm going to ignore that. I don't know when I'm going to have another nice moment with Jimin when we leave this place.

At this moment, all that matters is that we are together and finally safe. Everybody is safe from Sam and those horrible men.

Jimin slips his legs underneath the covers and presses against me. He checks his tail to make sure it isn't bunched up and lets it hang off the bedside. I sink low into the bed and curl up underneath his outstretched arm. I wrap my arms around his waist, breathing in the smell of him, and close my eyes.

He breathes slowly, totally at ease, and rests his arm on top of me. His hand traces a soft line over the side of my face and begins to play aimlessly with my hair.

I slow my breathing to match his. I focus on living in this single moment. This moment of absolute peace and warmth.

A/N: My poor heart needed a soft scene and I think you guys needed it too, especially after that rollercoaster ride of Part 2. We will be reentering the real world from here on out! Remember to drink lots of water, dehydration headaches are the WORST! Take care of yourselves! <3