Jungkook panicked.

He looked back and forth between Shik dragging him away and his hyungs disappearing down the hall.

Yell. Yell for them. No, don't yell. Jungkook SCREAM for them! No, keep your mouth shut!

He was too busy panicking and before he knew it his hyungs were gone and Shik already had him around the corner in an empty hallway. Shik pushed him to the floor then picked him up again. He kept doing that, pushing him down and dragging him back up. Eventually he pushed him straight into an empty backstage rehearsal room. Jungkook ran to the other side of it. "I didn't mess up!" He screamed in defense.

"I know." Shik smiled. "That's why it's you in here and not one of them."

Jungkook gulped, he knew by now that a situation like this never ended in his favor.

Why didn't you scream for help? Stupid, stupid, stupid.

He was starting to feel like maybe he deserved all that was handed him. Every time he had the chance to seek help, he never took it. Shik always told him he was stupid, he was definitely starting to agree with the man. Shik made his way towards Jungkook and to both their surprise, Jungkook picked up a small plastic chair and threw it at Shik. He didn't know what else to do.

They both stared at the chair as it smacked Shik and landed on the ground. Jungkook felt his heart start to beat harder with each passing second. He instantly regretted what he'd done. This was the first time he'd actually attempted self defense.

"Well isn't that cute." Shik started laughing. He made his way closer to Jungkook and the boy started running towards the door, but Shik lifted his arm and knocked him backwards by his throat.

Jungkook frantically crawled backwards and started throwing random objects in front of him to try and trip the man to at least slow him down. Unfortunately nothing seemed to work. Jungkook wondered if the man had been trained in damn combat or something.

"Just stop! Please just stop!" Jungkook screamed, "I don't know what I ever did to you but whatever it is I'm sorry! Why can't you just leave me alone?! Just leave me alone or kill me already!" He was so sick of living this way.

"Kill you? Oh maknae, what fun is that? If I killed you I wouldn't have someone to play with anymore."

Okay, so he doesn't want to kill me?

Shik knelt down and grabbed Jungkook by the front of his shirt. "And I've been waiting a long time to play again, Jungkookie," he whispered harshly.

Jungkook tried prying Shik's hand off his shirt but he couldn't, he was so damn strong. Shik looked around the room before landing his eyes on a wooden chair. He dragged Jungkook over to it. Shik broke the chair and took the leg of it and held it in the air. Jungkook put his arms up to block the hits he knew were about to come.

"Please, don't..." he cried. Tears were flooding out of his eyes. This was going to hurt, and he knew that.

"Why shouldn't I?" Shik asked.

Jungkook was caught off guard, he didn't expect Shik to actually ask.

"It will hurt...and...and I don't know what I did."

Shik ignored the statement. He kicked Jungkook backwards onto the ground and hit him with the wooden chair leg in the ribs. He instantly let out a loud scream and curled up into a ball, clutching his ribs. Shik took the chair leg and hit Jungkook in the stomach with it, making him start gagging and gasping for breath.

He grabbed Jungkook by the wrist and forced him to sit up, then dragged him to the wall. "Sit here and don't move."

Jungkook looked up at him and scowled, where the fuck would I go? I can't move anyway. He started to hyperventilate when Shik forced both of his arms down so he couldn't hold his stomach anymore. "There's too many people around here right now. I'm going to text your hyungs and tell them you're having a panic attack, and you're going to go along with it. Leave your ribs alone. Nothing happened to you."

Jungkook watched as Shik called Namjoon telling him he found Jungkook in a rehearsal room having a panic attack. He heard some yelling on the other side of the phone and then Shik hung up. When the members could be heard running down the hall, Shik quickly grabbed Jungkook into a hug.

"Let go of me!" Jungkook tried to push Shik away but his manager gripped him tighter. "Play along, or else."

The members ran in and Shik looked up at them. "I don't know what happened, I saw him run in here and found him crying really hard." Shik pretended to be really concerned.

All the members knelt down next to their maknae and Namjoon gestured for Shik to give him up so he could hug him instead. Jungkook curled up into Namjoon and cried harder. He wasn't acting like he was having a panic attack. He was having a panic attack.

Namjoon ran his fingers through the youngers hair. "Hey what happened? We've been looking for you. You just disappeared on us."

Taehyung and Jimin were both rubbing his back.

"Bunny why are you so upset? You were just laughing and smiling about how you'd done a great job, what happened?" Yoongi was holding Jungkook's arm.

"I don't know," Jungkook whispered.

The members didn't want to pry any further. They only wanted to comfort him. Namjoon started rocking Jungkook back and forth as his youngest completely lost it and was a sobbing hyperventilating mess. Their hearts shattered. It was so painful for them to see their maknae like this. And they hadn't seen him like this in weeks.

Their first day back in weeks and everything started happening all over again. Jungkook was holding onto Namjoon for dear life. Shik hadn't gone anywhere, he was still way too close which was half the reason he couldn't get himself to calm down.

"Hey," Taehyung took Jungkook's cheeks in his hands and kissed his forehead, "You're alright, Kookie. There's nothing to be afraid of, okay?"

Jungkook wanted to believe that but he knew it wasn't true. There was something to be afraid of and that something was standing right next to them. Jungkook buried his face back into Namjoon's chest and stayed like that for a long time, even after Shik left. While looking around Hobi had noticed that Yoongi disappeared. Jimin offered to go look for him. He gave Jungkook a pat on the back before venturing off to find Yoongi, and he found him in the bathroom, crying.

"Hyung? What's wrong?" Jimin walked over and took a seat next to Yoongi on the bathroom floor.

"He needs help. I mean professional help. He can't live like this, and I can't live seeing him like this. It hurts too much."

" I know, but he didn't want help. What are we supposed to do?" Jimin asked.

"Maybe he shouldn't have a choice anymore." Yoongi wiped his tears.

Jimin paused for a moment. "Maybe. But who can really force him to seek help?"

"Maybe Namjoon or manager Shik can?" Yoongi suggested.

"Maybe." Jimin looked at Yoongi.

It wasn't often the rapper was caught crying, so when he was found crying it really hurt. Jimin's heart broke for Yoongi just as much as it broke for Jungkook.

A knock on the door made them go quiet when Hobi stepped in. "Are you two okay? Jungkook is doing better so we're going to head home. We're going to skip the after show VLIVE, we'll make it up to ARMY another time. Jungkook needs to go home," Hobi pouted.

They all headed back to the room the rest of the members were in and saw Jungkook was at least now standing up. Taehyung and Jin were holding both his hands the whole way back to the car and as soon as they got home Jungkook ran to his room and curled up in bed.

"This is my fault." Namjoon sighed throwing his bag on the floor.

"How is it your fault? You didn't do anything," Jimin said as he tried reassuring his hyung.

"He tried to tell me he didn't think he was ready to go back to work yet and I feel like I forced him to anyways. I should have listened." Namjoon felt like a failure of a leader and a hyung. Yoongi and

Jimin brought up what they had talked about earlier in the bathroom and how Jungkook needed help even if he didn't want it.

"We can't force him into therapy if he doesn't want to go," Taehyung lightly scolded. He didn't see a bright side to this. They discussed it more and eventually came up with a plan. Jungkook could either go to therapy or take an extended break from the band, everyone figured Jungkook would probably choose therapy over being told he can't participate in BTS for a while. Yes he said he wasn't ready to go back to work, but that was different than specifically being told he couldn't go back to work. They figured that would scare him into therapy.

Namjoon decided he wanted to have this discussion with their maknae right now as opposed to later before the boy found himself panicking or getting injured again.

"Jin, can you go get him?" Namjoon asked. He was a little nervous about it. The members gathered around the table and waited for the two to return together.

Jin entered Jungkook's room and found him curled up in his bed awake.

"We need to talk to you," Jin said.

"Not now hyung. I'm tired."

"I understand that but yes, now." Jin was never strict with Jungkook and he felt really weird even pretending to be.

"Why?"

"Because it's important." Jin walked over and grabbed Jungkook's hand. "So let's go. Now."

Jungkook obeyed and let his hyung drag him into the kitchen. He took a seat and looked around. "Really? Another intervention? What now?" 

The members were nervous and decided they were all going to let Namjoon take the lead on this one.

"We are giving you an ultimatum." Namjoon crossed his arms. "You either promise to go to therapy, or you're taking an extended break from this band."

"What?! Hyung that's not-you'd fire me if I don't go to therapy?!" Jungkook yelled.

"I didn't say that. I said an extended break," Namjoon pointed out.

Jungkook looked to the rest of his members. "Did you all agree to this too?" They all nodded their heads yes.

"I already told you I don't want to go to therapy and you were all okay with that." Jungkook choked back tears. "That's not fair."

"I'm sorry if that's not fair. You had gotten better these past few weeks and we assumed you really didn't need it. But you do, Jungkook. As soon as you got back to work you had a panic attack. You need help, whether you like it or not. If you're not willing to talk to us about what it is that's scaring you so badly, then you need to talk to a therapist. None of us want to see you continue to suffer like you did today and start getting hurt all over again. You need help." Jungkook tried to interrupt him but Namjoon kept going. "I'll be damned if we're at work one day and you've somehow managed to accidentally kill yourself. And like I said, if you are going to refuse therapy, then you're taking an extended break and not participating."

"Not participating? What am I, five?! You're telling me it's therapy or be fired, hyung!" Jungkook was getting more and more frustrated. He didn't know what to do. He didn't want therapy and he also didn't want to be fired.

"It doesn't mean you're fired!" Yoongi finally spoke up. "It means a break! Just so you have time to continue to heal from whatever the hell you're going through. The problem is you just had over a month off and you did heal, and as soon as you got back the problems started again. So honestly I don't think a break is even worth it. I vote therapy."

The rest of the members nodded in agreement that they also voted therapy. They didn't truly want to be at work without Jungkook. They didn't want him there panicking all the time either.

Jungkook stood up in frustration and finally released his built up tears. "That's not fair. I didn't do anything wrong!" He screamed at Namjoon.

"I didn't say you did anything wrong! We're not doing this to punish or hurt you! Jungkook you need fuckin help!" Namjoon yelled back.

The members had tensed up, they never fought like this. Especially not Namjoon and Jungkook. Namjoon wasn't trying to be mean or scary either, he was scared for his maknae and was at his breaking point. He already felt like he'd failed him multiple times today, he didn't want to fail him again. He needed Jungkook to agree to get help.

Jungkook crossed his arms. "What if I say no to both of those options? Then what?"

"Those are your two options. If you say no to therapy, then you don't participate for a little bit. And I'll make sure manager Shik knows you are not allowed to participate," Namjoon informed.

Jungkook was speechless after that. He thought about what Shik would do to him if the members told him he wasn't allowed to participate in the group. Maybe Shik will tell Namjoon he can't make that decision? Shik needed Jungkook at work for selfish reasons. But at the same time he understood his hyungs concern and why they were giving him these choices, but Jungkook didn't like feeling so pressured.

"Why are you all ganging up on me like this?" Jungkook cried.

"We're not. We're all trying to be here for you," Taehyung told him.

"I don't know what else to do with you Jungkook!" Namjoon was frustrated.

"So your options are force me into something I don't want, or get rid of me?!" He yelled back at Namjoon.

"We wouldn't be getting rid of you! You'd still live here, you can work from home even! But you won't be going to the studio or doing live events! I'm saying I don't know how else to help you! None of us do! We try to offer our support and guidance day in and day out and you still keep panicking and hurting yourself and you never want to talk to us about it! All you do is go in your room and sleep!" Namjoon was now also on the brink of tears. He hated fighting, but he was getting angry.

Jungkook completely broke down. "Don't know what else to do?! How about be there?! Why can't you ever just fucking be there?!" His face was streaked with tears. Every damn time Shik hurts me, none of you are ever there to stop him!

"What the hell are you talking about? We are here! We've been trying to tell you that for weeks!" Namjoon yelled.

The rest of the members continued to watch silently. They loved Jungkook and Namjoon but at this point they really didn't want to get involved anymore. Seeing the two actually screaming at each other was too scary and too painful. They all started to wonder if maybe this had been a bad idea.

"You're never there!" Jungkook yelled at Namjoon and then turned to the rest of the members. "None of you are ever there!" He screamed at them too as more tears spilled out of his eyes. He had a lot of pent up emotions and couldn't stop from letting them all out.

"That's a lie and you know it! How many times have we told you we are here for you, that you have us, that we'll help any way we can, huh?! You never come to us for help! You don't go to anybody and it's not healthy!" Jimin screamed back.

"There's nobody to go to!" Jungkook screamed. Every time Shik is hurting me there is nobody to go to!

"So do we just mean nothing? Are we just nobody, then?" Jin finally spoke up, he had tears in his eyes too.

"When it comes to helping me you're all nothing!" Jungkook yelled.

"What the fuck does that mean?!" Hobi yelled back.

"It means fuck all of you!" Jungkook screamed. He was yelling things without thinking.

"Hey!" Namjoon screamed to get Jungkook to stop yelling as he threw his arms up in frustration.

Jungkook watched him and cowered backwards putting his arm up to block the hit he thought was coming, just like he had done earlier when Shik beat him with a chair leg. It was muscle memory at this point. He stared at Namjoon and was confused when Namjoon didn't say or do anything except stare back.

Namjoon slowly lowered his hand and grabbed Jungkook's, gently bringing it down. "I wasn't about to-" Namjoon choked over his words. " I wouldn't-"

The rest of the members fell silent again.

"Jungkook-ah you know none of us would do something like that to you, right?" Hobi asked.
His anger had turned to concern.

Jungkook stared at Namjoon and pulled his hand away, he didn't say anything. He took in deep breaths and turned around and ran to his room, slamming the door behind him.

Namjoon turned to the rest of them. "Why would he think I'd-" he froze.

"I mean you guys were fighting and you threw your arm up so he probably just thought-" Jin started.

"But none of us has ever, or would ever, hit him. He knows that right?" Namjoon asked concerned.

"I thought he did." Jimin was also crying and holding Taehyung's hand. They all felt terrible.

"You don't think it's us he's afraid of, do you?" Yoongi asked.

"Of course not, we've never done anything mean or bad to him. And he was fine when he wasn't at work," Taehyung answered. They all looked towards the bedroom door.

"Hyung, I think you should still go talk to him," Taehyung added.

"I'm probably the last person he wants to talk to right now." Namjoon was wiping his tears with his shirt.

"Which is why you probably should. Don't let him go to bed like this," Jin suggested. "Go and finish talking to him, but nicely."

Namjoon glanced at the bedroom door and back at the members, he took a deep breath. "Okay."

Namjoon took deep breaths to calm down, he needed to be calm this time. Screaming at Jungkook hadn't done his maknae any favors. All getting angry with him did was scare the hell out of him. Namjoon gently knocked on the bedroom door and got no response, he let himself in. He turned the light on and Jungkook was curled up under his blanket crying into his pillow.

He went over and took a seat next to his maknae on the bed and felt him tense up when he placed his hand on his back. "It's okay," Namjoon whispered.

"I know you're mad at us, at me. And I'm sorry, but please tell me you know none of us would ever hurt you. I was throwing my hands up in frustration. I had no intention of laying a hand on you. You know that, right?"

All Jungkook did was shrug in response.

Namjoon started rubbing Jungkook's back and began crying again. "None of us would-we'd never-" now he was the one having trouble breathing.

"I know," Jungkook finally replied and looked up at him. He had tear streaks on his cheeks and his eyes were completely bloodshot from how angry and upset he had gotten. "I know," he repeated.

Namjoon continued to rub his back. "I know we have asked you this a million and half times but has someone else done that to you? Whether it was a long time ago or recent?"

"No," Jungkook whispered and dropped his face back into his pillow. He really didn't feel like talking right now.

Namjoon could see his maknae's shoulders move up and down as he cried into his pillow.

Namjoon lay down on the bed. "Hey, come here." He tried to pull Jungkook against him but

Jungkook resisted for a moment.

"It's okay, kook-ah."

Jungkook turned and let himself be held again by his leader. He buried his face into his leaders chest. They both had deja vu about earlier that day when Namjoon held him during his panic attack. Except this time Jungkook's panic was because of his hyung and it absolutely shattered the leader.

"I'm really sorry." Namjoon kissed the top of Jungkook's head.

"Me too, hyungie." Jungkook backed off a little and started playing with Namjoon's shirt.

"Listen, we aren't trying to be mean. We are doing this to protect you. We don't want to see you get hurt. There is nothing wrong with therapy, but hyungs understand that you don't want to go. How about you at least try it, just for a week? If after a week you decide it won't work, we will go from there. None of us will force you to continue to go."

"And the break thing?" Jungkook asked.

"And we won't force you to take a break either," Namjoon replied.

"Okay hyung."

"Okay?"

"I'll try therapy."

Namjoon smiled and ran his fingers through his maknae's hair. Why couldn't it have been that damn easy the first time?!

"Thanks, bunny." Namjoon pulled him into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry about what I said to you and hyungs."

"We'll worry about that later." Namjoon continued to cuddle and rub Jungkook's back. He was in a super protective mood right now. Seeing Jungkook think he was about to smack him made Namjoon feel even more protective. He needed Jungkook to know they all loved him way too much to ever do that, even if they were mad at each other.

They'd been in a band over ten years and it never happened, he couldn't figure out why now Jungkook had been scared. He suddenly felt his maknae go completely limp in his arms, he had fallen fast asleep.

Namjoon lay there awake when Taehyung came in and finally got into bed. "How'd it go?" he asked as he got under his blanket.

Before Namjoon answered Hobi also stopped in the doorway, followed by the rest of the group. "Are you guys okay?"

"Yeah, we're okay," Namjoon smiled. "He agreed to try therapy."

The members all smiled.

Maybe after therapy Jungkook really would be okay?