A steady beeping of a heart monitoring system pinged through my foggy brain. I shifted in the strange bed I was in and instantly groaned as pain lanced through my chest. Blinking reluctantly I looked around the hospital room and I jerked in surprise when running footsteps caught my attention. Whimpering slightly at the pain of the jerky motion I looked up into Shin Woo's relief-filled expression as he ran up to my hospital bed. Someone had bandaged his head and as he reached for my hand that didn't have an IV stuck in it I frowned deeply when I saw the gauze covering his knuckles.

"Thank goodness, I was so worried, Opal," Shin Woo said with a huge sigh. I flicked my eyes up to look at him and I gently squeezed his hand, not wanting to hurt his injuries.

"I'm sorry, Shin Woo. But, why did you come...?" I asked hesitantly, not wanting him to think I wasn't happy he had been there. Shin Woo gently sat on the edge of my bed so he was facing me and rubbed my hand tenderly.

"Yuki-chan called me on her way to work and asked me to go over and watch you. She was worried that you would try to do too much while she was at work," he explained softly. 

I chuckled lightly with chagrin and then winced as my ribs complained. Shin Woo frowned and looked at the pouch of liquid hanging from a stand that was connected to the needle in the back of my hand.

"The nurse said you shouldn't be feeling any pain. I'll call her," he said, moving to push the red button on the side of the bed. I squeezed his hand firmly and he looked back at me before pressing it.

"I'm okay, Shin Woo. The last time I was in a hospital the doctor said that since I've come in so often my body has built up a kind of immunity to pain medication. If I want the pain to go away then I have to get so much medicine that it normally knocks me out. I don't want to sleep yet," I mumbled. 

Shin Woo's eyes darkened visibly but he sat back down and returned my pressure as he squeezed my hand.

"I called Yuki-chan as soon as we got to the hospital. She didn't tell me everything but is it true that that man who was choking you... is he really your father?" Shin Woo asked. 

Slowly I bowed my head and nodded. Shin Woo muttered something in Korean under his breath and I looked up at him with tears threatening to spill from behind my eyes.

"I'm so sorry he hurt you, Shin Woo," I managed to say. Shin Woo frowned but then he quickly smiled and waved one of his hands dismissively.

"Don't worry about it. It gave me an excuse to bring out my Tae Kwon Do," he said with an easy grin. 

I tried to echo his smile but I couldn't quite manage it. Hesitantly I turned away from Shin Woo and looked around the room. I sighed in relief when I looked over to see that Castiel was lying in a hospital bed a few feet away from me.

"His nose was fractured, they stitched up the cut on his cheek, and he has a cracked rib. He tried to tell the doctors he didn't need to be admitted as a patient but they forced him to get an X-Ray then they gave him some pain medicine and he fell asleep almost instantly," Shin Woo said with a calming smile. 

I watched Castiel breathing rhythmically in his sleep and I felt my cheeks heat up slightly as I remembered telling him that I wanted to stay with him.

"Yuki told me a bit about what was going on with you two last night when they found you with hypothermia. Did you two figure it out?" Shin Woo asked with a slightly teasing glint in his eyes. 

I felt my cheeks heat up some more, wondering if he had seen the unexpected kiss Castiel gave me. I shrugged, feeling a small smile tug at the corners of my lips.

"I think so," I whispered.

Shin Woo chuckled and rubbed the back of my hand again. Suddenly a loud but faraway voice yelled out my name and I straightened, wincing painfully as my rib complained at the sudden movement. Shin Woo stood up, still holding my hand in his and we both watched as seconds passed and the hospital room door was flung open.

Auntie, looking more disheveled than I had ever seen her in my life, stood at the door and her eyes traveled from Shin Woo down to me. Without a word she ran in, throwing herself into my arms and I couldn't help but yelp in pain. She jumped away from me and apologized profusely as tears streamed down her face. 

Shin Woo dropped my hand and Auntie instantly picked it up, kissing my fingertips as she squeezed my hand and cried. Tears began spilling from my own eyes and I leaned forward, resting my head against her shoulder. She reached a hand around my shaking shoulders and began to rub my back soothingly.

Once we both stopped crying she sat down where Shin Woo had been sitting a few minutes before and then demanded the story be told. Reluctantly, I told her that I had gone outside to take a quick walk and ran into Castiel. She hadn't noticed Castiel in her haste to make sure I was okay and she was quick to go over and peak at his still sleeping form before coming back and letting me explain.

Shin Woo began to leave but to both of our surprise, Auntie grabbed his hand and asked him to stay. He settled into a chair next to my bed and I explained how Father found us, saying he was going to take me with him. Auntie cried silent tears as I summarized the fight between Father, Castiel, and I. Shin Woo explained things from when he had shown up and Auntie continued to hold his hand like a lifeline as she listened to him intently. After the story was finished Auntie's eyes were glittering dangerously and I flinched slightly when an angry growl rolled up her throat.

"I won't let him get away with this. I'm going to get a lawyer and put him behind bars where he can't hurt anyone else," Auntie hissed angrily.

My throat went dry and a myriad of emotions raced through me. Awkwardly I looked down at my lap, trying to make sense of everything that I was feeling. Shin Woo cleared his throat and from the corner of my eye, I saw Auntie look over at me. Instantly her anger disappeared and she bowed her head.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. We don't need to talk about that now. You're safe and that's what matters," Auntie said soothingly.

I forced a smile for Auntie and then the nurse came in. She explained to Auntie that I was going to need to set up physical therapy for my knee to strengthen the muscle since this was my second time dislocating the same knee cap. She also explained that I needed to be as careful as I could be for the next six weeks so that my broken rib could heal. 

Auntie listened carefully and promised to make the physical therapy appointments as soon as the office opened the next day. The nurse then said that they wanted to keep me in the hospital for one more day to monitor me. After she checked my vital signs she bid us goodnight and left the room.

When the nurse left I talked for a few minutes with Auntie and Shin Woo. They both seemed to be doing their best to keep the conversation light-hearted and away from any mention of my father, which I was grateful for. When Shin Woo made me laugh though I couldn't keep from wincing as my rib twinged painfully. Shin Woo stood up, saying that he was going to tell the nurse I needed a higher dose of pain medication. I didn't want him to go but I had to admit that I was losing my energy fast. To my surprise, though, as Shin Woo turned to leave the room Auntie once again reached out and grabbed his hand.

"Yuki-chan? What's up?" Shin Woo asked with obvious surprise. 

I watched with interest as Auntie kept her head bowed for several seconds and then suddenly leaped to her feet. Shin Woo took a step back in surprise and I was amazed to see that Auntie's cheeks had turned a deep red.

"Shin-kun, listen. This is probably not the time or place, but if I don't say this now I will never have the courage to do it," Auntie said in a rush. 

Shin Woo blinked in surprise, his eyes never wavering from Auntie's. Amazed excitement began to go through me as I watched Auntie take a deep breath.

"I want you to go on a date with me," she said quickly.

I pressed a hand against my mouth to keep from squealing in shocked delight. Shin Woo looked absolutely floored, his mouth going slack and his eyes registering shock and confusion. Before he could respond Auntie continued, speaking so quickly it was almost hard to keep track of what she was saying.

"I'm not saying this to thank you for saving Opal, not that I DON'T want to thank you for that. You obviously deserve to be thanked. But Opal and I were talking and I realized that I really never gave you a chance and Opal seems to think you still have feelings for me and being here with you and Opal just feels right and I just thought..." Suddenly Shin Woo stepped forward, cupping Auntie's cheeks in his hands and pressing a kiss to her lips to silence her endless stream of words.

I felt my cheeks warm up at the memory of Castiel doing that same thing to me just a few hours ago. Mentally pushing that memory away, for now, I watched with glee as Auntie's body tensed at the unexpected touch. After only a moment though her arms slowly wound around Shin Woo's neck and her eyes closed. 

Feeling both extremely happy and a little awkward I glanced down at my lap, smiling like crazy as they had their moment. A small gasp of breath alerted me that they had broken apart so I glanced back up to see Auntie blushing like crazy while Shin Woo was smiling with his arms looped around her waist casually.

"I've been waiting for that for twelve years," he said with a cheeky grin. Auntie blinked up at him and then poked him in the side, causing him to jerk away from her with a surprised grunt.

"Don't get ahead of yourself. We haven't even gone on a proper date," she said with a shake of her head, causing her shoulder-length hair to be tossed over her shoulder. Shin Woo grinned with delight and leaned down towards her.

"I'm pretty sure you kissed me back," he pointed out cheekily and I couldn't keep myself from chuckling. Auntie glanced over at me with a look of obvious embarrassment and I smiled happily at her.

"Weren't you telling the nurse that Opal needs more pain medicine?" she muttered. I had never seen Auntie look so uncomfortable and cute and from Shin Woo's wide grin I thought he might agree.

"Don't miss me too much," he said with another cheeky grin. 

Auntie folded her arms and pouted grumpily but that only made Shin Woo laugh and he swiftly leaned down and kissed her cheek before leaving the room. Auntie instantly came over and collapsed onto my hospital bed, leaning her elbows on her knees and burying her face in her hands.

Being careful of my IV, I scooted closer and gently wrapped her in a loose hug, leaning my cheek against the back of her shoulder. Auntie chuckled and patted my arm gently, sitting straight and looking over at me.

"I'm sorry about that," she apologized with obvious embarrassment. I grinned and squeezed her hand.

"I'm really happy for you, Auntie. Are you going to tell him about Ian?" I asked quietly, just in case he came back in. Auntie smiled quietly and nodded slowly.

"Yah. When the time is right," she said quietly. I smiled and looked over at Castiel's sleeping face.

"Did you get a chance to talk to Castiel at all?" she asked hesitantly. 

I smiled softly as I looked at him. Even with a slightly swollen nose, a dark bruise ringing one of his eyes, and a white patch on the cheek that was stitched, he was still handsome. I felt a thrill of excitement and happiness go through me as I thought of what the future might hold for us.

"A little bit. I told him that I wanted to stay with him and he asked if it was okay if he teased me every day," I recounted and I couldn't keep a silly grin from spreading across my mouth.

Auntie chuckled quietly and squeezed my hand. Shin Woo came back with a nurse right behind him and after making a few adjustments within ten minutes the pain in my chest had faded and my brain began to get foggy. I soon fell asleep to the soft whispers of Auntie and Shin Woo close by me.

A/N Sorry this is a short chapter, but what do you think of Shin Woo and Auntie becoming a couple? I adore them together, personally, but that could just be me :P