"but you said you won't send me back..."

jungkook glares at the girl, ignoring the tears glistening her eyes, his jaw clenches in anger, snatching the gun from her hand and leans down to match her height.

"what do you think you were going to do?" he growls, "you, little girl, are in my territory. dare hurt any of my brothers, and you'll be begging me to kill you."

"kill me" aera whispers, rubbing the tears away and looks up at him. "you wanted to see me hurting, so you used charley. y'know what? let's get over with this, kill him and kill me too. he doesn't like this world either, that's why so he's aggresive and protective of me."

jungkook raises his eyebrows, staring at the girl with mocking amusement, "you're right, let's get over with this, you're only going to hurt my family anyway. and i will not let that happen."

finally, aera sighs softly, glancing at charley who looks alert, growling at jungkook as he now holds his gun at aera. his eyes hold zero emotions, absolutely devoid of any feelings as his finger rests on the trigger.

the girl leans onto her dog, hugging him and looks away from jungkook, not wanting to see his face as the last thing before she dies. so instead, she places a kiss on charley's coat, earning an instant licking-kiss from him, making her smile.

jungkook stares at the interaction and the smile that depicts anything but fear. she's too tired to fear death. his hand shakes for the first time in the past ten years, as if he won't be able to fire. not today. not ever. a sigh lingers on his lips, fear slowly takes over as he remembers the day his sister left his hand. it's a similar feeling, his hand shakes just like that day and his eyes glisten with fear;

"jungkook!"

for split second there's motion and then there isn't.

aera looks up, seeing jimin standing in front of her. by the heavy breaths and movement of his shoulders, she concludes he's angry- raging. jungkook is a few steps back now, his eyes are staring down at the gun which is lying on the floor while his empty hand touches his right cheek.

"are you out of your mind?!" jimin yells, grasping the younger's collar, pushing him further away from aera and charley. "are you crazy for god's sake jungkook! how did you even dare to think of hurting her?!"

"get up," jin's soft voice makes it way to aera's ears. his large hands, hold her body, helping her getting up from the floor and charley follows, "are you okay?"

aera nods gradually, looking back at jimin glaring at his brother who looks lost between words, as if he just realised what he's become. his hands tremble, hanging loosely on his sides. he releases a breath, blinking a few times with eyes scanning around until he finds jimin in front of him.

"hyung... i- i'm sorry," his voice comes out as a whisper that probably isn't convincing enough for jimin is still glaring at him.

"are you?" the elder sneers, "i told you very clearly to leave her alone. she didn't do anything wrong to you, why are you so desperate to get her out of the way?"

jungkook lowers his gaze, silently shaking his head while jimin continues, "don't you blame yourself enough for losing aera? and now once again you were going to do it, after ten years, jungkook you're repeating the same thing. the only difference is that this time, you'll regret it more."

"wha-"

"yeah, she's your sister," jimin says, glaring at him, "my sister, our aera. and you, jungkook have been nothing but an asshole to her." he turns around, following jin who takes aera to the room she was given, leaving jungkook to contemplate on his actions on his own.

"no, she... hyung" the youngest male grumbles, turning to the nearest person who happens to be yoongi.

"yes jungkook, we came to know about it today too." he smiles softly, "she's our aera, the one we thought we lost that day."

how is that possible?

it can't be. jungkook has certainly been nothing but an asshole to her. how would he believe the girl he almost shot is his sister? how can he beleive the girl he despised and saw her as a threat to his family is actually a part of his family? how can he believe the girl he was so harsh to, is his sister, his aera? no, it can't be.

__

jimin's eyes hold tears, warm and happy, dropping to his knees, he pulls aera in his embrace, not even giving much thought about her perplexed state. she glances at him, not moving a muscle; not pushing him; not pulling herself away; just stays still. because jimin is crying on her shoulder. the man who was the first one to trust her, is crying.

"i- i'm sorry..." she mumbles, unsure of her own words.

jimin pulls away, staring at her face and closes his eyes for a moment as if saving this picture of his sister so close to him after years. his hand cups her face, and kisses her forehead, "my princess..." his lips murmur, "i missed you so much, my love."

aera frowns at his words, tilting her head at an angle as her eyes are hinting confusion, not getting what jimin just said, "what are you saying? i- i think you're misunderstanding me for someone else..."

"no," jimin shakes his head, "you- you're my aera, my sister, aera. you probably don't know- remember, i'll tell you everything okay? but you've to listen to me."

"i'm not your sister" she says, glancing at jin and yoongi, "how can i be her? my brother died, my- my dad told me he died... and i don't remember him."

the boys exchange sympathetic glances, before looking back at aera. jimin wipes his tears, and sits on the bed, holding her hand, "i'll tell you everything. it was ten years back, you were four when someone broke in our house. our parents, your real dad, jeon jaehyun and real mom, jeon eunmi, died that day and those people took you with them. it was just us left then, me and these six guys, my brothers, your oppas. we tried finding everywhere but nothing happened we had no idea where you were and after a few years we were starting lose hope.

"that was also the time jungkook started becoming like this, one of those people who don't think twice before killing anyone. you've seen it too. it was his way of dealing with the pain of separation from you, he was guilty and thought he could've saved you but he was pretty young at that time-"

"he's my brother?" aera asks in the middle, "and you too?"

"yes, we're family." he smiles, "lee kanghyun took you that day, it was his men who killed our parents and kidnapped you. the foster care where you lived was his. then park minjoon saw you when he was there for his business, and took you with him. after that you know how things have been."

the girl nods slowly, staring at her lap as she thinks about it deeply before looking up again, fixing her eyes on jimin, "how did you know it's me?"

"your locket," he says, "you gave it to jungkook right?"

"yeah, he said i have to pay him for killing that man. i had nothing else, so i gave it to him, but- but he threw it that day... how do you-"

"he still has it." jimin smiles, "he recognises it too. he and taehyung made it for you, just a day before you were kidnapped."

"he was lying..." she whispers, earning a confused look from jimin, "he said my brother died, but you're saying you're my brother... i don't know what- uh are you sure? i'm sorry, i don't know who to trust..."

"it's okay, i understand it must be really hard for you." he says, "but please aera, try to trust me, i'm not lying. we all have suffered these ten years in guilt and hatred for the world, you have no idea how much you mean to us kiddo. we missed you so much, and i have no words to explain how i'm feeling right now."

aera smiles softly, tears pooling her eyes, "you're nice," she says, "jungkook was mad at me because he thought i was going to hurt you with the gun. but i promise i wasn't going to hurt you or anyone... i was coming to return it to you. i thought i'd leave now, my wound is better and even jungkook was right, if my dad found out about you all helping me, he will kill all of you... so he's not wrong, i am a threat."

"no, you're not. please don't think like that. jungkook is just really possessive of us, y'know he lost his sister at a young age and blames himself for that. he doesn't wanna see us hurt, that's why he's too paranoid. i'm sorry for what he said to you, you're not a threat aera. you're our sister and a part of this family, and we won't let anybody hurt you."

"what about you?"

"nobody can hurt me either, don't worry about me." he assures, "we've found you after ten years, please don't leave us again. i promise you'll have no problem here, and nobody will hurt us."

"but jungkook doesn't like me..."

"let's give him some time, he'll understand eventually. he's had a hard time too."

aera sighs and stand up, facing him, "why do you wanna keep me, i don't understand this, i'll just bring more problems for you and your family. and i don't wanna create problems for you, you're the nicest person i've met."

"then please stay, don't leave this nice person." jimin says through glassy eyes, "i've waited for ten years, princess, to hold you again, hug you and play with you, live all those moments that got lost between time and circumstances. don't take them from me, please..."

the girl stares at him, feeling her eyes burning with an overwhelming wave of complex feels washing over her, as jimin holds her hand, pressing his lips to leave a soft kiss on her palm that she never had before from anyone else, "so... uhm, so can i call you ji- jimin oppa...?"

her voice makes jimin smile, blinking his tears away as he glances towards the elder guys who nibble on their lower lips, struggling to keep their tears in. "yes, whatever you like." jimin whispers, pulling the kid in a warm hug again, "you don't know how much you saying this means to me, kiddo. thank you... thank you so much."

aera smiles softly, wrapping her arms around his neck, hugging him properly this once, "i'm happy that you're my brother. thank you for finding me, i thought i was- i was alone here."

"it's alright, we have each other now." yoongi says, patting her head.

"yes, and remember this, no one is alone, there's always someone who loves you and stands with you, even if you don't realise it at the moment, but there's always someone who roots for you." jimin says, "and for you, my baby, it's us."

aera nods slowly, glancing at him after wiping her tears, "why do you call me baby and princess and what was the first one?"

"love?"

"yeah, that. why so many nicknames?"

he chuckles before answering, "because you are a baby to us, our princess, and we love you. you don't like it?"

"uh no, it's not like that. i'm just... not used to it, nobody called me that before."

"it's okay," he assures, rubbing her back, promising himself to make her feel loved and wanted the way she deserves until her wish to die and mistrust for the world get replaced by playfulness and a lot of smiles, that a kid her age should have.

_____________

a/n- anything you wanna say to me? ( ꈍᴗꈍ)