"Hush now sweet baby, be still now don't cry. Sleeping soundly in my arms tonight," Seonghwa sings softly, rocking Aurora in the rocking chair as he watches her eyes dance under her eyelids. He smiles, gently brushing a fingertip down her chubby cheek and brushing a blonde curl behind her tiny ear. Aurora plump lips turn up at the corner a bit before it falls and she pouts adorably. He giggles softly, "Sleep and remember mama's lullaby," he continues to sing, "Slowly... so slowly... will you dream."

A sudden series of knocks interrupt Seonghwa and he nearly jumps out of his skin as he looks up from his daughter. Something in his gut was telling him not to answer the door, to hide himself and Aurora. But what if it was Teresa needing him? Or another mom in Utopia or dad who had a question for him? He stands, keeping his eye on the door with the single candle lit in the house, and lays Aurora in her bassinet on the far side of the room. She huffs in her sleep, nuzzling her face in her blanket before falling back asleep.

Seonghwa sighs in relief, the knocks became more and more persistent. He was now irritated, they were going to wake Aurora if they kept knocking any louder. She just fell asleep and it was nearly impossible to get her to fall back asleep if she woke up. He marches over to the door despite what his instincts were telling him, and throws it open, "Excuse me-"

A hand closes around his throat and he gasps, being pushed against the nearest wall hard as he stares into the eyes of his old pirate master. He clawed at the hand trapping his throat, choking and gasping for air. The master chuckles, leaning in close to Seonghwa's face, "Hello beauty, miss me?"

Seonghwa sneers, wadding up a spit ball before releasing it on the master's face. The master growls angrily, backhanding Seonghwa hard and he cries out as he falls to the ground. As he falls, he quickly catches himself on his hands and knees before he landed on his belly, placing a protective arm around his midsection.

Aurora was now crying in the other room as Seonghwa tried to crawl away from his master to get to her. However, a harsh kick was landed on his arm that protected his belly. He cries out, turning his back to the master's next kick and getting kicked right in the middle of his back. Another blow was landed on his lower back and he sobs, "Stop please!!"

"Ye think I'm just gon' let ye walk away from me like last time?" The master chuckles, grabbing Seonghwa's blonde hair by the roots and lifting him up. Seonghwa screams, an arm was still around his belly and the master tilts his face up to look him in the eye, "'M not lettin' ye get away this time pretty thing. Ye were suppose to die, and now 'm makin' sure ye do."

Seonghwa grabs the nearest object, not caring what it is and hits the master hard on the head with it, he immediately lets go of the blonde and holds his head. Seonghwa realizes he had a glass mug, that was now shattered all along his flood. The master stands and Seonghwa braces himself with the glass as a weapon, ready to stab the man in case he descended on him once more.

He turns and faces Seonghwa with a snarl, "Why-"

"Get. Out," Seonghwa snarls, the taste of blood was still prominent in his mouth from being back handed, "Get out of my home now."

The master chuckles, pulling out the same dagger he used a long time ago to carve his mark into Seonghwa's eye two years ago. Seonghwa's heart races, his heart beat rang loud in his ears as the master steps closer, "Is that a baby I hear?"

Seonghwa sneers, "Do not touch her."

"Ye slut," the master spits in Seonghwa's direction, "Havin' another man put his child in ye. Despicable. Nasty. Whore," he sneers, coming close and bracing himself as Seonghwa stabs the glass in his arm. He easily knocks it out of the way and before Seonghwa can brace himself, the master swings a fist and it connects with his right cheek.

Seonghwa flies to the floor from the force of the hit, holding his cheek as he felt it throb. He feels a weight on him and the master turns him over, Seonghwa thrashing and kicking wildly, "No!! No!!"

The master lands a couple more punches and strikes his face, Seonghwa sobbing and continuing to fight. He wasn't about to give up, not when his babies were in danger. He screams loudly when the master lands a hard hit right on his ribs, feeling a crack from the force, and suddenly he is hit again. Right in the stomach. Only one hit though, but it was a strong hit to his stomach and it nearly knocked the wind out of him.

He instantly wraps his arms around his belly, not caring that the master is trying to pry them away. Seonghwa claws at the master's face once more, a sense of deja vu running through him as he sees the master pick up the dagger. But before he can bring it down, a taller figure tackles the master to the ground and growls were heard as their bodies collide.

Seonghwa sobs at the pain in his body, he wraps his arms around his belly, curling around it in fear of what harm has come to his precious unborn baby. He hears Aurora's terrified shrills and crawls toward her, looking over his shoulder to see Mingi pinning the master down on the floor and landing punch after punch against his face. They struggle against one another. Master lands a punch. Then Mingi. Then Mingi is picking him up and dragging him outside the house.

Seonghwa kept one arm wrapped around his belly as he crawls weakly to Aurora who is standing in her bassinet, screaming and crying loudly. Her tear tracks shine in the candle light down her chubby cheeks as she gasps for air when she screams, "MAMA!!!!"

"I-I'm r-r-right here b-baby," he softly and weakly spoke to her, then he shushes her to try and calm her down. He advances towards her, only to cry out in pain when he reached for her. The pain in his back and his arms, his whole body in general was worse than any pain he has ever felt. Almost close to the pain of giving birth to Aurora. He sobs, feeling something in between his legs and not even daring to look at he wraps his other arm around his other baby and brings her to him.

He bites back the pain of holding Aurora close as they huddle in the corner of their home, Aurora screaming and crying still while Seonghwa was sobbing in pain and in fear. He reaches a hand down between his legs, feeling a warm wetness and brings his fingers up to reveal blood. His heart breaks as he sobs, burying his face in Aurora's hair as he rocks his baby girl close and holds her tight.

He hears yells and screams outside, he could've sworn he heard Hongjoong's loud, angry voice cutting through the commotion. But then a lone gunshot was heard and Seonghwa gasps. Aurora quiets at the loud noise, before another one rings out into the quiet night and she starts crying again. He was visibly shaking as he shushes her and holds her close, running his fingers through her blonde curls and rocking them back and forth.

Suddenly, he sees Hongjoong step into the doorway of their home and when the captain sees Seonghwa and his daughter and the state they were in, he falls to his knees with heartbroken tears streaming down his face. Seonghwa sobs, reaching for him and the captain gets to his feet in a hurry and rushes over to them. He falls to his knees once more and brings his family in his arms, cupping Seonghwa's face and his once sad face turned hard when he seen the blood rushing down Seonghwa's nose from the beatings, and his cheekbone on the right side busted open and bleeding a bit. His face was already starting to swell from the punches, and bruise up.

Hongjoong looks over Aurora, satisfied she's not harmed. But then, he looks down at the blood between Seonghwa's legs, and all air has left his body. Seonghwa cries harder in realization he may have lost his unborn child, and doesn't hear Hongjoong screaming orders to people. Aurora was taken from his arms. Hongjoong picks him up bridal style and carries him to their bed. Aurora screams for him once more.

And then, darkness consumed his vision.

~~~~

Written by @jinjin0309