The boy looked up at the fimiliar parking lot, excited at what he thought he would find. The small boy beside him gripped his shirt and clung to him tightly.

"Are you certain he'll be here?" The tall boy nodded reassuringly and cupped the boys face, cheeks red from crying.

"Of course"

Jeno walked down the ramp in the lot. He didn't really know the way back but he figured he would find it eventually. Taeyong had dismissed him to tell his friends about everything and said to report back when they have made a desision. So that's why he was now aimlessly wandering the bottom floor, looking for anything fimiliar that would hint he was going the right way. He smiled fondly when he saw a fimiliar face. Without thought he called to him.

"Renjunie! You alright?.." He said noticing his friend was alone. Renjun nodded still lost in thought. He looked up and gave a small forced smile.

"I just needed some fresh air.." He said before looking off elsewhere again. Jeno aproached and put an arm around the older.

"I know something else is wrong.. You can tell me if you want..." Renjun looked up and met Jeno's eyes.

"It's... It's about all this empathy stuff.. When Haechan walked away I.. I felt something I haven't felt before... I've never felt it before.. It was as if I was in pain with Haechan. And it didn't stop until I comforted him.... Jeno, we have to stay. I have to know why I felt that way." Jeno looked at him and smiled.

"Then let's ask Jaemin.. Taeyong said we could..." Renjun's eyes lit up and he grabbed the youngers eyes, dragging him to the nearby staircase and bringing him to where Jaemin was.

Jaemin was in the "sleeping room" with Yuta. As Jaemin arranged things, a motherly air about him, Yuta was smiling and chatting about something.

"I really hope you get to stay! I think Haechan could use the company!" He looked up and noticed Renjun and Jeno. His smile widened a bit and Renjun spoke happily.

"Jaemin, we can stay!!" Jaemin stood and went to the both of them. Jeno was beside Renjun with an arm over the olders shoulder. Jaemin grabbed their hands and gave them each a short kiss on the forehead, his sweet smile not leaving for a second.

"That's great!" He said. He turned a bit, nit meeting anyone's gaze. "Renjun, can you leave for a bit.." Renjun's smile faded.

"Oh.. Sure...." He obeyed. Once he was gone Jaemin spoke.

"I can't stay.."

"What?! But, Renjun, the police, his father, we... We have to protect him!"

"And I have to protect my brother!"

"Your brother has Jisung! Renjun has no one!"

"And who's fault is that." Jaemin said. He met Jeno's gaze and realized he had crossed the line. Tears fell down Jeno's cheeks and he looked at his hands. He saw it again. The blood of Renjun's father. He looked at Jaemin.

"If you have to go then go... This is what he wants.. I'm going to help him...." Jeno said. He wiped tears from his face with his jacket sleeve and began to walk out of the room. He stopped when everything from the last few days came to him in flashes.

The murder.

Leaving.

Meeting Taeyong.

Everything.

A wave of tiredness surged over him like the currents at the bottom of a blck ocean, sleep pulling him further until he couldn't stand up straight. Still crying he leaned against the wall. He heard a loud wail from somewhere outside the room.

Renjun?

A voice that he knew all to well called his name, it was muffled and the syllables were off.

Jaemin?

Then, darkness.

Jaemin watched as Jeno fell against the wall. A loud cry could be heard outside the room.

Renjun?

He looked back at Jeno and ran forward.

"Jeno!" He yelled, holding his friend as he went limp in his arms. He felt tears in his eyes.

He had done this.

He heard another cry from outside and Haechan ran in, fear in his eyes.

"Something's wrong with Renjun! He needs you!" He said. Jaemin rested Jeno on one of the mattresses and ran out to Renjun. Yuta looked at Haechan with surprise.

"Haechan, did you-" he stopped when Haechan met his gaze, pure joy in his teary gaze.

"I felt it... I felt empathy." Yuta ran forward and embraced him in a tight hug.

Jaemin stared in horror at his friend on the ground who was holding his head and crying. His sobs were becoming lesser and Taeil watched from the doorway to the small room. Jaemin ran over and held the small boy delicately.

"Jaemin.. Jaemin it hurts.. S-so much.." Renjun cried. Jaemin didn't understand.

"What hurts? What happened?"Jaemin asked frantically. Taeil walked out from the doorway towards them.

"I warned you.. I told you it would hurt Renjun." The boy sniffed and sat up with determination in his eyes. His head was still spinning and his heart still ached with pain and giult, but at least he could raise his head properly.

"I know.. And I wanted this... I still want this." He stood shakily and used Jaemin's shoulder for support. Taeil sighed.

"You should go to bed.. All of you. You've had a long couple of days." Jaemin furrowed his brows.

"How did you know?" Taeil smiled and held a finger to his lips before turning back and going to the room. Jaemin sighed and led Renjun to the room where they would sleep. After getting Renjun settled he walked over to get Jeno. But damn, Jeno was heavy. And not for no reason. Jaemin gulped when he remembered that time he had accidentally walked in on Jeno changing and had seen the boys naked torso. He shook his head and focussed on trying to pick up Jeno. A tall and sturdy man walked in and yawned. He noticed Jaemin struggling and chuckled, walking over.

"Here, I can get him." The man said. His voice was unexpectedly deep and startled Jaemin. He looked up and recognized the man to be Jaehyun.

"Thanks." He said with a sigh. Jaehyun picked up Jeno with ease, making Jaemin notice his intense body build. He smiled a bit and gestured to the corner where Renjun layed. Jaehyun brought him over and set him gently on the small nest of blankets and pillows that Jaemin and Yuta had made. He then smiled at Jaemin and walked over, rubbing the young boys back in a comforting manner.

"You should get some sleep too. You guys seem like you have had a long last couple days..." He patted Jaemin's back and smiled when he noticed the boy staring at his friends. They had both unconsciously cuddled together in their sleep and Jaemin didn't even notice that a small smile had formed on his lips. Jaehyun left Jaemin who barely noticed as he unconsciously moved towards the two boys. He layed down with them and was welcomed by the sleeping boys into the huddle. He closed his eyes and allowed sleep to take hold of him, drowning out the voices outside the room.

Renjun woke in a fimiliar place. A tree in a barren field with a fimiliar figure sitting beneath it. He smiled a bit and bowed briefly.

"Moon." He said as a greeting. Moon smiled and nodded before gesturing for Renjun to sit beside him. Once he did, staring out at the blank horizon, Moon sighed.

"Tell me about earlier. When you were in pain.." Renjun felt relief wash over him. Maybe Moon could finnaly give him the answer he was looking for..

"I... I started to suddenly feel so sad and sorry but as if I needed to help someone and-" Moons eyes widened and he smiled.

"You did it Renjun..

You felt empathy."

Rnjun smiled and laughed. He looked at the horizon and noticed a small church was silhouetted now against the pale blue sky. It's grey stone stood out well against the golden field swaying around it in the calm breeze. Moon stood up and reached a hand out to help Renjun up. As Moon threw his hands in the pockets of his red jacket and walked peacefully toward the church, Renjun ran like a child toward it. Moon simply smiled at Renjun's childish actions, but in Renjun's mind, he was back to a certain neighborhood, running down a certain street, in the middle of fall. He smiled and felt an overwhelming sense of joy that he had never felt. Maybe it was empathy.. Or rather the doing of empathy.

Empathy.

A word Renjun had never heard that was now his favorite word.

As he stopped before the church and caught his breath he smiled once more and looked up at the building.

"Empathy.." He whispered to himself happily before walking into the church.

-

tbc-