Like a Train Wreck - 21. Chapter 21: On The Line

Miracle laid in the bed, he hadn't been admitted to a hospital room but instead was placed in a room within the ER since he had remained somewhat concious and he looked at Cody who sat in the chair beside him, watching television. A sigh escaped as his vision started to clear.

"What happened?" Miracle asked.

Cody immediately turned his attention to Miracle when he heard the boys voice. "What do you last remember?"

"Being in Eric's room. We had champagne and then things got hazy, we did things." Miracle cringed at that part of the story. "Then it all went black."

Cody nodded. "Well he smuggled you out of the room. We were hoping you would come out with the envelope but Sarah noticed you were on the move with her GPS."

Miracle looked at the television. "So what happened?"

Cody looked down. "We all ended up at the marina, a guard closed the gate before we could get in. Melanie played off being the guys girlfriend, that is how we got in. Melanie and I found the room where he was, we're lucky he answered the door. Melanie had a drug on her that disarmed Eric but they had smuggled you out of the back door. It was okay though because Kevin saved you."

Miracle frowned and looked away. "I can't believe you guys went through all that, just for me." He shook his head. "You should of just let me go."

"We are your friends, don't say things like that. I really believe that you would do the same for us." Cody looked away. "Jasmine set the helicopter on fire. Sarah felt really guilty that she couldn't do a thing to rescue you because Melanie injured her earlier in the day and so she drove the guys car into the helicopter and it exploded. Sarah is dead and Eric and a number of his men escaped on a yacht."

"What?" Miracle jerked his head around to look at Cody. "Sarah died? She died? She...she died?" Miracle looked devastated and slowly pushed himself to sit up, his arms feeling as if they were lifeless and barely had the strength to even do that.

Cody looked at Miracle. "We had no idea. The cops were there, we were all getting back together, Kevin was getting you to EMS and there was so much commotion. Next thing we knew, she was driving this Eric guys car right out and straight for the helicopter. We know or at least assume why she did it. She had no reason to die, she was happy but the one thing that upset her was that she felt like she was powerless in doing anything to save you." Cody frowned. "I guess she thought it would help Jasmine destroy their getaway."

Miracle sat there, silent for several seconds and then he shook his head. "All I do is hurt people." His body shook as breaths became heavier and tears fell from that face that intensified in a look of devastation.

"That is not true." Cody shook his head and reached out, taking Miracle's hand. "Don't ever believe that." He almost wanted to cry for Miracle.

"Yes I do. I got Brad killed, I got Sarah killed, I got Sterling beat up..." He shook his head. "And I could of gotten you all killed this very night."

Cody grabbed Miracle's face, angrily and leaned forward. "Stop!" He spoke up in a louder tone. "You couldn't of helped those situations, you couldn't of known. And you can't stop people from caring for you. And that is exactly the reason for everything, you risk for the people that you care about, that is just what you do and I know in my heart that you would do the very same thing."

Miracle looked at Cody and then lifted his hands, grabbing at his shirt before leaning closer, pressing his face into Cody's chest. Cody sat beside Miracle, wrapping his arms around him and let him cry because he knew that the best thing in the world was to let it out. "You're safe, time will eventually make this all better." He rubbed Miracle's back.

Jaemin had took his turn driving and finally came upon the house, the address he had seen in the file. He pressed on the break and looked at the number and then at the picture of the street sign he had taken on his phone which laid on the console and then checked it with the file in his lap. It was all confirmed, he was in the right place.

"Sterling, wake up." He reached over and shook Sterling by the shoulder, his breathing picked up in a pitch. "This is it, we're here." He looked up at the house.

Sterling swatted at Jaemin's hand before he opened his eyes and looked around and then locked his gaze on the house. "Is that the place?" He looked over at Jaemin and for the very first time, he saw the look of fear in his eyes. "You're scared. Are you sure you can do this?"

Jaemin stared at the house. "I don't know." He said, his voice shaking up a little, Jaemin finally exhibiting his inner weakness. "I'm terrified, Sterling. I thought I wanted this. I thought I could handle it. I mean, I can handle anything."

Sterling shifted in his seat to fully face Jaemin, shaking his head. "No one is a super soldier, Jaemin. Not even you, no matter how hard you try to be." He looked down at Jaemin's hand, wondering if he should try to offer some sort of physical comfort but then decided against it, Jaemin was fighting and he was losing.

Jaemin shook his head. "I have to do this. I didn't come all this way for nothing." Black tears rolled down his face from where the eyeliner was messing up. "I have to see her." He took a deep breath and his hands tightened on the steering wheel and his foot lightly pressed on the gas and the car rolled forward, turning into the drive way and parked behind a black SUV. His hand moved and slowly shifted the gear into park and he turned the car off.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Sterling asked.

Jaemin shook his head. "You've been great for the ride but it's time that I finish this trip alone." Jaemin opened the door and closed the file, taking it with him as he got out of the old camaro and shut the door. Jaemin walked around it and moved down the little walk way, coming to a small flight of steps, he reached the porch and then the door. His eyes closed and then his hand lifted and he knocked on the door.

"Just a minute!" The sound of a woman's voice called out.

Jaemin's eyes opened. "In a minute I could run away." He whispered, more tears spilling from his eyes.

The door opened to reveal Paula in a white fluffy robe with a towel wrapped around her head. "I'm sorry, I just got out of the shower." She laughed but then noticed the black tears, who couldn't notice that right away? And just the appearance of Jaemin could be frightening, the spiked dog collar with the matching wrist cuffs and the all black clothes. "How...uh..could I help you?" Her smile faded into a look of worry.

Jaemin stared at Paula's face and his gaze never strayed, noticing how it changed into a look of fear. "I don't have a reason to hurt you and I'm not here to do anything bad." He looked over her shoulder. "Could I please come in? It's very important, I beg of you." His gaze returned to Paula.

Paula hesitated, holding her breath before releasing it with her words. "I guess." She remembered why she was in Ohio and so given that, she couldn't deny any opportunity. She stepped aside and allowed Jaemin to walk in, closing the door behind him.

"For once, someone made a stupid mistake." Jaemin turned around and lifted the folder as he held it out to her. "And I found this. Not a common name, and with the first, middle and last being exactly the same, well ... what are the chances?"

Paula's eyes widened as she took the folder and then opened it to see a picture of herself and then she looked at all the forged documents. "The picture is me but these documents are fake. I mean the documents are real but my signatures are forged, they are completely forged."

Jaemin looked down at the floor. "Then what happened?"

"You were taken, I gave birth to you and you disappeared from the hospital, someone took you. There is even a police report. Your Father didn't even believe me. He thought I had an adoption agency planned months before, I tried so hard to make him believe me but he wouldn't. And then he came to me, the man and he showed this very file to me, said there were copies and that if I did anything, I would go down with them."

"So you chose to be safe? That it?" Jaemin looked up at her, a sarcastic smile appeared. "Chose to hide out here?"

"No. The man was the Father, the ring leader of the whole organization. I had left it alone for quite a few years, I shouldn't have but I did. The man had a son, I thought if I were to trick him into falling for me that I could find you."

"And what happened?" Jaemin looked at her.

"A boy was in his room. For some reason, this man, his name was Eric, he wanted to go to Australia. We had returned from dinner and there was a boy in his room. I was so scared for him, deep down I really was. I didn't want him to get stolen and so I threw a fuss so he could get away, called the engagement off and left. It was all I knew to do."

Jaemin closed his eyes, quiet for several moments. "Australia? A boy in a room? Broken engagement?" He opened his eyes again and looked at her. "I don't know if I am right, I am probably stupid to assume but...is this the boy?" Jaemin pulled out his wallet and opened it to show her a picture that Miracle had given him.

Paula looked at the picture and her eyes widened. "That was him."

"You were the engagement he homewrecked." Jaemin closed his wallet and then paused as he spotted a picture on the wall. "Why is there a picture of Melanie there?"

"Melanie?" Paula looked at the picture and then towards Jaemin. "She is my daughter. She would be your sister."

"Oh my god...this is to much." Jaemin took several steps towards the door, shaking his head. "First you have met Miracle and you're Melanie's Mother too?"

Paula's eyes widened. "Jaemin? This is okay. Nothing is wrong." She held up a hand. "Just sit down, we can talk about this. I've waited so long for you."

"You don't get it, I know them both, I've known them both for so long, I've been tied to you for so long...Melanie could have lead me to you a long time ago. Don't you get it? I could have found you sooner than this." Jaemin shook his head.

Paula didn't understand. "What does it matter? You're here now."

"You knew the men that held me captive, you were engaged to him. You were so close." Jaemin grabbed the door knob. "How do I know he won't come here?! How do I know he won't find me? I won't go back!" Jaemin turned around and yanked the door open.

Paula moved around the couch. "He won't! He doesn't know where I am!"

"He has ways! The only reason he hasn't found me is that I'm a homeless rat roaming the streets. I'm sorry...this can't be." Jaemin ran outside and down the steps. "Sterling, drive, drive, drive!" He ran for the passenger seat, yanking the door open as Sterling slid over into the driver seat and Jaemin climbed into the passenger seat and slammed the door. He looked at his Mother and never stopped until Sterling pulled out and left, Jaemin's gaze remained until Paula was out of sight.

"Finally they let me go, I swear if they tried to hold me again I would wish for some kind of super power to blow that place up." Miracle stumbles outside, shaking his finger and pretty much looked like a drunk and would have fallen over without the help of Cody.

Cody laughed and smiled at Miracle. "I love that about you."

"What?" He looked at Cody.

"The way you don't get stuck on things."

Miracle looked down as they reached the van that was parked near by. "Well the way I see it is ... I could spend the whole night crying or I could just try to find some kind of happiness. Cody ... there has been way to much crying." Miracle shook his head. "I don't want to do it anymore, I don't want to do it right now."

Cody nodded in understanding. "I get that. I really do. I don't want to do any crying either. And I think it's okay if we don't do it right now, so long as we do it eventually, when the time is right."

Miracle nodded. "Yeah." He climbed into the van and looked over at Robin as Cody climbed into the back. "Robin, thanks for ... you know, risking it all for me. If I knew, if I could of found some way...I would of told you guys to let me go, if that meant it would of saved Sarah."

Robin looked at Miracle and nodded. "I really think you would have, I don't think Sarah did it entirely because she felt like she had failed you. She lost Brad, found out he had an affair, with a guy and that was outed in such a cruel way." Robin shook her head. "I think Sarah had a lot of reasons to want to go and I just think she saw a good opportunity to do just that and save people in the process."

Cody sat in the back seat. "Robin, I know you mean well but could you try to leave out the gay references..."

"I just meant that she didn't know that Brad would do something like that." Robin looked at Cody. "Look at it from Sarah's perspective, it was like a double whammy."

"She is right." Miracle said and leaned back in his seat. "Sarah was blind sided in the worst way."

Robin started the van and headed out of the parking lot of the ER and went off down the road. "Wait ... Miracle can't go home. I went by his house, it's on the way to Jasmine's and there was crime scene tape everywhere."

"What?" Miracle looked up in concern.

"It was on the television while you were asleep, I saw it. There had been a drive by, no one was killed or hurt. They are probably staying in a hotel." Cody said.

"Probably related to Eric." Miracle sighed.

"How do you know that guy anyway?" Robin asked.

"Did I tell you guys about the engagement that I homewrecked? Well if I didn't, I slept with a guy at this hotel on my last night in Australia and he just used me and ordered me out of the room in an hour. I stayed there until he returned with his fiance and basically broke their engagement up. They were arguing when I left." Miracle explained.

Cody slowly nodded. "Wow, weird how big this world can be, yet so small at the same time."

Miracle laughed for only a second. "You know, what are the chances that he stalked me here for revenge?"

"Hmm about twenty percent in a thousand." Robin tilted her head. "I honestly don't know but it's my guess."

"Sounds rather petty to me. I mean it's just an engagement." Cody looked between them.

"Yeah but people put alot into those relationships and to reach that engagement level. Then you have to wonder how much they put into their wedding planning...and how close they were to their wedding date. For all we know, they were going to have their wedding on the beach. Australia is a vacation getaway after all." Miracle said, staring out of the windshield.

"True. It just sounds like to many of those lifetime movies."

"Yeah but I'm not a woman. I have to be a woman." Miracle grins and then laughs. "It's the rule."

Robin shakes her head. "I sometimes wondered if that channel was an educational channel. Like women are supposed to watch those movies, like we are supposed to believe that it's teaching us what we should do if ever in a situation like that."

"For real? I wondered that too." Miracle looked at Robin.

She grinned and shook her head. "You should probably call someone, find out where they are at."

"I'll call Erica." Miracle pulled out his phone and started dialing Erica's number.

"That phone saved your life, you know." Cody said. "We wouldn't of found you without it."

"Thank god I charged it then." Miracle turned to smile at him and then placed the phone to his ear.

Erica picked up. "Hello?"

"Hey, Erica, uh...Mom, still trying to decide, I really like you. It's me, Miracle."

Erica smiled. "Take all the time you need. Where are you? Something awful happened."

"Yeah, I know, same here, you really wouldn't believe. Where are you?"

"A hotel, you wouldn't believe how much they charge for three rooms here, it's insane." Erica rolled her eyes.

Jaemin stared straight ahead, just watching the road ahead of him, not even having known that he had left the file with Paula. Did it even really matter? He wasn't sure, in fact he wasn't sure if he was really thinking which was a complex concept in it's self.

"What happened back there? It's been twenty minutes and you haven't said a word." Sterling took only a second to look at him before looking back at the road.

"She never really gave me away, it was all forged or so she says. She told me that someone stole me from the hospital and that my real Dad didn't believe her. She said that she got engaged to the man's son, the man who took me. How would she know who took me?"

Sterling looked confused. "I...don't know. Did she say?"

"They showed her the contract, said if she ever told that she would go down with them." Jaemin looked at Sterling. "The man's son, the guy she got engaged to? She did it to try and find me and that guy? He had a one nighter with Miracle before he moved here. That engagement that Miracle homewrecked? It was my Mothers and she said she used it as an excuse to save him from being taken."

Sterling's eyes widened. "Are you kidding me? America? New York? Australia? Ohio? This world is way to big..."

"Not if you know your destination." Jaemin frowned. "And this is the final shocker. She is Melanie's Mother too."

Sterling looked over at Jaemin. "My god..."

"Look at the road before we wreck."

Sterling looked at the road again and shook his head. "I can't believe it, the connections, the coincidences."

"That's why I had to leave in such a hurry. They can find her and if they find her, they find me." Jaemin looked at Sterling. "Want to know what I was taken for? I was raised in a sex ring. Want to know something more shocking? Martha raised the children until they were old enough to work. We would be traveled from location to location, human trafficking. I only remember Martha from when I was young, she took one of the children and she disappeared."

"What?! Martha? As in Miracle's adoptive Mother?"

"Bingo. Hunter isn't really her biological child, much less Craigs. And Miracle? He was in the same sex ring, sold to David on purpose because the guy offered high dollars for a kid. When he got caught by the police, Miracle got his lucky break when he was put in the legal system, though it's pure coincidence that Martha got him too. Of course, this is all assumption, I never remembered him, but how many sex rings could there be? And they all network if I am right. And why not possibly unite them?" Jaemin looked out the window, watching the fields.

Sterling looked thoughtful. "And Craigs mess? What does that mean?"

"Craig saved me, Eric knows what he did. That was why he was in Australia I assume. He took me and I belonged to him, I guess he wanted to take from Craig what Craig took from him. That would of been Hunter." Jaemin let out a fake laugh. "Of course the dumbass wouldn't know what Hunter looked like, much less Miracle who he had right in front of him, who he slept with and then ordered out of the fucking door."

"So Craig knows about Martha ... and her past?"

"I wouldn't know, I doubt it. The woman, from what I've seen, works way to hard to put on this show of the perfect house wife." Jaemin looked at Sterling. "Craig is working with the FBI and...some how, I don't think anyone else knows it."

"Do you think that is how he was able to find Erica?" Sterling asked.

"For the FBI?" Jaemin shrugged. "I imagine cracking adoption files would be a snap, especially if it was to please Martha, especially if they do know about her part in the whole scheme of things."

Sterling was quiet for several moments, looking as if he were trying to fit a puzzle together despite the shock which really wasn't hitting him anymore, at least not at the moment. "What about Miracle's real Dad?"

"Could it involve him? Possibly." Jaemin thought over it. "In fact ... they could of threatened to take his child, so they could of very well kidnapped the guy for all we know, they could of planned to kidnap Miracle but to their convenience, Erica gave him up."

"This is very ... conspiracy theory."

"I just know what I know, Sterling. I wish I could tell you more but most of what I said is just that, theory." Jaemin shook his head.

"I don't think I've ever understood more of you than I have on this trip, Jaemin." Sterling said, focusing on the road. "You've really unmasked yourself to me."

Jaemin smiled a little but only briefly. "Miracle wanted us to connect, he might of gotten more than what he bargained for. I have a feeling that happens to him alot."

Miracle laid in his bed and stared across at Hunter. "I feel drunk, I don't know if this is what that drug does but I feel so tired yet...I don't want to sleep."

"You're fighting it." Hunter said, eyes closed but he was facing Miracle.

"Maybe, but shouldn't I? Everyone has done so much..."

"To save you." Hunter opened his eyes. "Miracle...don't you get it? Think."

"I feel like Sarah right now." Miracle looked at Hunter.

"Exactly." Hunter pushed himself to sit up on an elbow. "Everyone is where they should be. Jaemin will be back soon, you need to be well rested for him. God knows what has happened for him in meeting his Mother. You need to let this go, let yourself go, let this night go so that you can be there for him."

"I'm surprised." Miracle smiled.

"Of what?" Hunter asked.

"That you're so supportive of me and Jaemin."

"He makes you happy." Hunter laid down again and closed his eyes. "Who ever makes you happy." Hunter sighed. "I just...I want you to open up to me. Ever since we moved here, it feels like our bond has been severed. Not that you didn't keep secrets before but now..."

"Now it's like I'm a stranger?"

"Yeah." Hunter nodded.

"You have to want to be one of us. I know you're older and you're in college, I'm thankful that you decided to go local but just because we're all just a bunch of high schoolers, it doesn't make us immature."

"That isn't it." Hunter sighed and shook his head. "It's just, I feel like I have to be the best for everyone."

"Yeah? And in doing that, you became the shadow. The one always quiet in the corner, face always smashed in a book." Miracle stared at Hunter. "That's not who you were. Be with me, give it one week, see how it is. Find the balance."

Hunter thought over it and then nodded. "Okay."

"I promise you that it will be cool, we're a whole group." Miracle smiled. "I've never had a whole group of friends before. It's amazing, it feels like you belong somewhere and it's so diverse and you feel like...you're the one that holds it all together and that makes you special."

"You are special and I am glad you can see that." Hunter rolled over and pulled the covers closer. "Lets sleep for now, okay?"

"Dream away." Miracle smiled and finally let the drugs take him as his eye lids grew heavy and finally shut.

Miracle opened his eyes and at first his vision was blurry, he could see light and there was a face above him and he could tell who's face it was, the only difference was is that the details were softer and blurred, it was almost heavenly despite those never changing dark, hypnotic eyes that gazed down at him, just watching as if he were the most interesting thing in the world, even asleep. And then like a camera, everything came into focus and the details were crisp and clear.

"Morning sunshine." Jaemin laughed. "And yes I dare be that cheesy, I get those rights." He ran his fingers through Miracle's hair, his thumb rubbing his forehead. "Because it feels like it's been forever."

Miracle smiled, silent for several moments, not wanting to move but then he just got this urge to laugh or go into what he could only describe as a giggle fit. He was just that happy in this moment.

"Only we could smile after a night of horrors, huh?" Jaemin continued to comfort Miracle with the loving touch that the strokes of his fingers provided on his head.

"You heard about mine? I heard about yours. Well, part of it. How did your trip go?" Miracle finally spoke.

"Yeah, I did." Jaemin's smile faded, it haunted him that it had been Eric who had encountered Miracle for a second time and this time actually attempted to capture him. "It means that I have to be more protective of you. I have to take things far more serious."

"Melanie was amazing, well it's what everyone said. Now Jasmine wants to rally a harassment group to get her into drama club." Miracle's smile faded along with Jaemin's. "Sarah...died. She..."

"I know." Jaemin put a finger to Miracle's lips. "Cody filled us in on everything when we got back." Jaemin looked towards the window, wondering if he should tell him anything about what he had discovered. It was one thing to tell Sterling but he wasn't sure about how Miracle would take in that kind of information, it would be more personal for him.

He let go of Jaemin's hand. "I'm to twisted and messed up." He said, his voice cracking up as if he were on the verge of crying.

"Why do you say that?" Jaemin asked.

"I slept with Eric, the man who kidnapped me." Miracle looked down. "He put something in my drink because I know everything started to get hazy but it was progressive. Fact is...I knew what I was doing when I first went into that room."

Jaemin's hand left Miracle's head and he looked away, not sure how to think or what to feel, he was silent and pretty much non responsive.

Miracle looked up at Jaemin. "It's fucked up, I know. I beg for love and then when I get it..well it just seems like I can't resist more love, even if it's just physical."

"So what do you want me to do? Hire you body guards? Find some way to always be with you?" Jaemin looked at Miracle. "I wish I could always be there." He took a deep breath and looked down. "You forgave me ... for assaulting Sterling so for that, I guess I owe you a bit of forgiveness and I'll go ahead and use that card."

"So that's it? You just...forgive me?" Miracle looked at Jaemin, seeming shocked at how simple he made it.

"Yeah." Jaemin looked up at him.

"So what do we do? He told me it was like a drug and that if I didn't take the high, I would regret it." Miracle asked.

"Like a drug?" He shook his head. "So it's an addiction? Sex addiction, love addiction, whatever you want to call it. We'll have to figure it out, together."

Miracle slowly nodded. "I didn't love him, I didn't want his love because I had yours. If I have love and still do it then it's only because of the physical part." He took Jaemin's hand. "There were no feelings, I swear to you."

Jaemin looked at their hands and then towards Miracle, looking into his eyes before leaning down to kiss him. "I trust you. Like I said, we'll figure it out, together. For now though, it's time to go to school." Jaemin grinned, wondering what Miracle would say about that.

Miracle looked at Jaemin. "For real? Our lives are the most unordinary lives in the world and we still have to go to school? I thought we could be like the television shows."

"Hey, even Buffy went to school and the charmed ones had to go to work and make money." Jaemin laughed and stood up from the bed. "So hop to it, I'll be waiting in Sterling's car. He's going to drop Hunter off on the way."

"Speaking of..." Miracle sat up. "That show had plot holes. There were so many times Piper froze people and didn't get back into position and no one ever questioned it and there was never any exposure." He stood up and noticed the duffle bag beside the bed that had been packed for him.

Jaemin thought about it. :"Like the time she wanted that bottle of wine for that dinner party and she froze that guy and just ran off and the guy unfroze, he acted like something weird happened but for him she would have seemingly just literally disappeared."

"Exactly." Miracle threw the duffle bag onto the bed and unzipped it, digging through the clothes that had been packed for him. "He should of been questioning her like crazy when he showed up at the house later in the episode with the bottle of wine, like how in the hell did you just disappear?" Miracle grinned, grabbing a yellow shirt with black eyes and a black line that formed a smile, it was a smilie face and then he pulled out a pair of faded blue jeans and some socks.

Jaemin shook his head. "Yeah, I totally get that. We should order the DVD's and just make a game of it and who ever spots a legit freeze fuck up with no possible explanation that could of been done off screen, well they get a point." Jaemin grinned and headed out of the room.

Melanie had been digging through her locker which was filled with pictures of friends and family, some decor to make it look interesting and some notes that had been written to her, all folded into squares and unreadable ofcourse unless she chose to take them down. She traded in one book for another as she was changing classes but really debating on if she just wanted to skip out on the next one. A sigh escaped as she closed the door and Jaemin was standing behind it. A gasp was taken in as she stumbled back a couple of feet.

"Damn, that is a classic movie move but it's really effective, shouldn't do it. Glad I don't have some kind of panic disorder." Melanie laughed and shook her head, pushing her locker shut, causing it to lock as she leaned her shoulder against it. "So what's up?"

Jaemin smiled and stared at her, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He stared at her. "I can't believe it...I am so thankful that we met that day at the hospital. And to think I almost blew you off. Would of been a tragedy."

Melanie stared at him and her head slightly turned to the side, causing one eye to aim at him more than the other, a strange expression appearing. "That's a little dramatic, Jae. What did this trip do to you?"

"I haven't told anyone. I figured this was something that was our business and that we shouldn't tell unless we were both ready and I am just scared that you might take it badly." Jaemin's smile slowly faded.

Melanie looked at him. "Okay ... now you're being creepy. If it's about Craig, you can just change your mind, throw away the bottles. I won't be mad, it wasn't much trouble."

"Melanie." Jaemin took a deep breath. "I'm your brother."

Melanie stared at him for several moments and then a slow smile appeared and then she burst out into laughter. "Oh my god! That's the funniest thing I have ever heard in my life! Have you guys seriously turned the group into an occult? How in the hell did you convince Robin into doing it? I mean...wow." She continued laughing."

"Please stop." Jaemin said, wanting to laugh at Melanie's misunderstanding but he knew that if he did, it would only confirm the misunderstanding. "I really mean it, I'm your brother. Call your Mom, ask her."

The laughing slowly subsided and her smile faded into a look of unpleasantry. "I'll humor you but this...well it's going to piss her off and then I'm going to be pissed at you and then you can be pissed at me because I'm bitching at you and la de da da." She grabbed her phone out of the pocket of those tight denim jeans and pulled up her contacts, pressing her mothers name.

Paula heard the phone ringing and she turned her attention away from the television and she grabbed the cordless and answered. "Hello?"

"Mother, it's me."

"Melanie, hi, uh..what is going on, what is happening?"

"A lot but thats the usual in my life, I could write a book and make a trilogy of movies probably." Melanie responded.

"Well I hope it is good stuff. So what is it? Why did you call?" Paula asked.

"Well my friends boyfriend, and my freaky friend by association and my friend which I know sounds very complex but it works, think of it as friends and business partners because he is useful to me and now he claims he is my brother and told me to call you to get the proof. Now I know you don't know what to say to me on the phone but I know you don't lie to me either."

"Melanie, it's true and he has physical proof, he has a file on me. The file is faked and my signature is forged but it was made to be used against me if I went to the police about my baby being stolen and his name is in it." Paula then stands up and turns around, noticing she had sat the file on the little table behind the couch. "Wait, no he doesn't because he accidently left it here."

"Oh my god. So you're telling me it's true but his so called evidence was left at your house?" Melanie looked up at the ceiling.

"I have a picture of the road sign so that when I went down the road I could compare the road name to the one on the file to make sure I was on the right road if I forgot what road name I was on." Jaemin said.

"That doesn't prove anything. There could be thousands of roads with that name on it! so unless you took a picture of her house!" She said to Jaemin and then turned around. "Mother how can you tell me this and then tell me he conveniently doesn't have the evidence?"

Paula sighed. "I can prove it. Ask me what he looks like, any detail, what car that were driving. How many people came here, ask me anything about the physical details if that is what you need."

Melanie frowned. "Just throw them at me."

"Okay, your brother had a spiked dog collar, matching wrist cuffs, all black clothes, spikes, eyeliner." Paula stopped, trying to think of other things. "He knew the name Miracle, showed me a picture of Miracle and I know that is a unisex name, this Miracle is a boy with short cropped hair. The car was a camaro, kinda run down, white in color. He even looked at one of your pictures and knew your name without me even mentioning it, asked why I had a picture of you, that is how he knows he is your brother. Need I say more?"

Melanie sighed and brought a hand up to her forehead. "No, I guess not. You wouldn't know those things unless he was there." She shook her head. "I'm hanging up now, bye." She hung up before Paula had a chance to say anything and turned around to look at Jaemin. "Well we're friends, so this isn't that ba...bad." A light bulb had went on inside of her head. "A sibling means that the inheritence..."

Jaemin listened as Melanie talked to their Mom and then seemed to be okay with the information until she changed subjects completely. "Inheritence?"

"I will have to talk to Daddy." There is no way, a brother means the inheritence would have to be split, the money, one would have to decide whether they took the house and the other would get the pharmacy, the entire estate would have to be split. That could not happen. "Jae...can we be slow about this?"

"Slow? What do you mean? I should meet my Dad." Jaemin said.

"Daddy...he is a very, I really don't know how to describe it. He doesn't know how to handle things. Blind siding him with news like this would send him into a really bad place, not just mentally but physically as well. He could go into a nervous breakdown, it could possibly cause seizures and the worse case scenario is a heart attack. When my Mom left him, he went into one of those episodes and luckily he was saved from a seizure. The reason that happened is because she just threw it at him and left."

Jaemin stared at Melanie. "So what are you saying? How can we tell him?"

"It has to be done with extreme caution and my Mother, our Mother won't help. She is careless, I don't get along with her at all. I think I may be the only one who could do this but it's like performing an operation, it has to be done with great care. I just have to figure out a strategy. You've got Mom and you've got me. Isn't that enough for right now?" Melanie tilted her head and a small smile appeared.

"Okay, but why did you bring up the inheritence?" Jaemin asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

"Because if he doesn't know about you, he couldn't have it changed and put you in it and if he were to get thrown into an episode, he could die and you would be left with nothing. Of course you could say that I could give it to you and I could, problem solved but then possibilities are endless, suppose I die first? Car wreck, murder? So many things could happen. Then the only way you could be signed into it would be to go to Daddy but then again you risk him going into an episode and then the estate doesn't get changed, it becomes useless and who knows where it goes. That is why I brought it up. I want to do this right, I always think. Why am I such a good plotter? Because I do this, I am careful and this is not some stupid joke, it's serious." Melanie sighed. "We should get to class, just please, listen to me?"

Jaemin nodded. "Okay, I guess I'll listen. I don't want us to fight like this. I finally find my family and I would rather enjoy my time with you."

"Same here." Melanie smiled. "And we'll do something fun tonight, get the group together, it'll be awesome." Melanie leaned up and gave Jaemin a quick hug before going off to class, her mind really disturbed and unsettled with how she might have to handle this situation.

Jaemin's thoughts were in the same place, he hated it, he hated the idea that money might seem more important to Melanie than him, her own brother. Thing is, he knew her and he knew how she was and what kind of person she was. If it became a game of survival, he would protect himself at all cost but he would hate that he had to do it. He turned and walked off into the other direction.

What would happen to this partnership turned siblings? Would money and self defense lead to a danger in the night or would time bring them closer? Anything could happen.