Like a Train Wreck - 51. Chapter 51: Life Or Death

"Head low, stay still." Dayna whispered as the boat pulled up to the dock and she stood up and looked at Issac as another man walked up the ramp to board the boat.

"I will be your escort, however, I hope you don't mind a search? You understand." The man slightly grinned.

Dayna narrowed her eyes at the man's grin. "If I had a gun, I would shoot your grin off."

"Dayna..." Issac said in warning. "Understandable in this...industry." He smiled.

The man only laughed and then looked at Issac and nodded. "Follow me."

Dayna and Issac followed the man down the ramp and along the dock where two security guards stood and they followed him off the dock and along a cobblestone path that lead up two flights of steps that lead to an open tunnel and they followed after the man who was leading them off to find Eric.

Hunter heard the voices and soon the foot steps fade off, he walked up the steps and looked just over the edge, out of the cabin. He watched and waited until Dayna and Issac were out of sight before crawling onto the deck of the boat and then took aim on one of the guards, shooting a dart at him and then quickly did the same to the other as he started to react.

"It's clear." Brian said, his gaze moving along the landscape, yet he stood there like a stone. "Can I move now?"

"Man, Jasmine would of had more guts than you." Jaemin walked out of the cabin. "Yes you can move." He followed Hunter down the ramp and onto the dock, Brian soon behind them.

"Okay, I'll be our front..." Hunter rolled his eyes. "Brian get in the middle, Jaemin the back." Hunter said as he headed down the same path that Issac and Dayna had taken, followed in order by Brian and Jaemin. Eventually at the end of the tunnel, they came upon an elevator, the door being kept from fully shutting by a lipstick that Hunter assumed that Dayna had left behind.

"She must of figured it was like a front door, it would lock back." Jaemin said.

Hunter carefully stuck his fingers into the door but not to far and then pressed the button for the elevator to come down.

"Well that's why she stuck it in from the outside." Brian said. "See the angle? Most of it is outside, just enough in to keep the doors from fully closing."

Hunter pulled his fingers back a little more, ever so careful not to get injured but desperately trying to keep the doors from closing, once the elevator came down and he could see the room, he gave a slight push to the door and it automatically opened and he kicked the lipstick out of the way and walked in.

"Fingerprints." Jaemin grabbed the lipstick and followed the other two and shoved it into his pocket.

"Paranoid?" Hunter looked at Jaemin and then looked at the selection and pressed the B button, assuming that was the basement level.

"And for those that think I am useless. I can pick locks." Brian said.

Jaemin shared a look with Hunter. "I can too." They both said, almost at the same time.

"So, you have information for me?" Eric smiled and then waved the escort out.

"Sure do." Dayna walked to the couch and took a seat in front of the fire and smiled, Issac sitting beside her.

Eric took a seat in a chair near the couch. "And it's about Miracle? This is the first time anything...tangible has been sent to me."

"We weren't sent." Issac said.

Eric grinned. "So where is he?"

"It's not free." Dayna laughed.

"How much do you want?" Eric asked.

"How much is he worth?" Issac asked, curiously.

Eric laughed. "Ooo." He slowly shook his head. "If I wanted him to be happy, I'd have to say he was worth the world."

Issac and Dayna stared at Eric and both grinned.

Eric laughed. "So funny, I can't fit the world in a brief case, unfortunately."

Dayna nodded. "We were just kidding with you. I guess our humor runs the same lines."

Eric nodded. "So, how did you find him?"

"I met him, yahoo chats." Issac grinned. "He likes putting on a show."

"Really? Eric slightly nodded. "Go on."

"We eventually met, hooked up at this no where hotel and kept chatting after that, then one day he said he needed somewhere to stay." Issac said.

"So you have him with you?" Eric asked.

Dayna shook her head. "Oh no, we wouldn't bring the prize this close, after he told us this whole story, we knew he was worth a lot if we played our cards right. And that means not playing stupid with you." She smiled pleasantly.

"Why doesn't he want you, anyway? And why don't you just take no for an answer?" Issac asked.

"Because I...guess I never realized his true value after our first encounter. Maybe he holds a grudge? Now I realize it and I won't stop until I get him." Eric smiled. "So, how are we working this deal? I'm not just handing you money and hoping on your good faith."

Issac slowly nodded and looked over at Dayna.

The elevator doors opened and Hunter held the door open as they were welcomed to a long cobblestone corridor.

"Uh...this is an odd basement." Brian said.

"Probably a maze basement." Jaemin looked at Hunter. "Do you think this is worth searching?"

"Well, the next floor is the first floor, first floor in a house is usually the house." Hunter said.

"Yeah, but this isn't a house." Brian said.

"It's a fucked up mansion." Hunter shook his head and walked out of the elevator, the other two following as he started down the corridor.

"Should we scream for her?" Brian asked.

Hunter looked up, watching for cameras. "Probably not." He reached the end of the corridor where it turned and revealed another, seemingly pointless corridor.

"We can't keep Issac and Dayna hanging like this." Jaemin shook his head. "I don't think Faye is down here. This is probably just wasted space, house foundation or something."

Hunter stopped walking. "I'm starting to think the same thing."

"To bad Skylar didn't leave blue prints." Jaemin frowned.

Hunter frowned at the thought of Skylar. "Think there is signal down here? Maybe Martha knows something. You know, when she was brought here with Robin."

"There's a test, where ever Faye was, there was signal." Jaemin took out his phone. "Nope, no signal."

"Nada." Brian said.

"Lets go." Hunter shook his head and moved back for the elevator and pressed the button, thankfully the elevator hadn't been called on, they went in and he pushed the button for the first floor. A sigh escaped and he looked down at his phone, once reaching the first floor, he got signal. "Select Martha, it'll dial prison." He handed the phone off to Brian and stepped out.

"Wait." Jaemin looked up. "Camera." He pointed up.

"Crap." Hunter stepped back. "They are probably coming." He took out his pistol and aimed at it.

"You didn't bring a silencer?" Jaemin looked at Hunter.

"What am I? A specialist? This is what I got." Hunter fired a shot, taking out the camera.

Jaemin made a face, just waiting for them to come.

"Well...I suppose..." Issac looked at Eric until he heard the fire in the distance which immediately alerted Eric and then Issac stood up and swung around, going to punch Eric only for the man to grab him by the wrist and knee him in the stomach.

Issac gasped as he fell to the ground only to have his arm yanked behind him as he was pulled up by Eric. "Security breach!"

The escort came back inside and pointed a gun at Dayna. "Stand up."

Dayna's eyes widend and she stood up as the man walked over and wrapped his free arm around her and put the gun to her head.

"Don't hurt her!" Issac screamed.

"Looks like now we'll really have something to bargain for." Eric grinned and nodded at the escort.

"Let me go!" Dayna screamed and shut her eyes tight until she felt the man swing around with her and start forcing her to the other side of the room. "Issac!" She screamed as she was ushered through another door and down the hall, her screams echoed out and faded as the man took her away. "Issac!"

Issac yanked away from Eric and turned around, standing up. "Bring her back. You won't get what you want."

Eric sat down and leaned forward, pulling a gun out from under the coffee table. "I don't think you ever planned to give it to me. You both had a chance to kill me, you didn't." He leaned back and aimed the gun at Issac. "You're here for Faye, aren't you?"

"Where is she? I'd be willing to trade. I'm her nephew, she means a hell of a lot more to me than Miracle." Issac lied. "But you have to give Dayna back too."

"So sweet." Eric gestured with the gun. "Sit." He watched Issac sit down. "The sad thing is that, you, Dayna and Faye are evidence against me. How can I just...let you go?" He shook his head. "Are you stupid? You expect me to believe you are Faye's nephew, just happened to know that shes here, yet met Miracle on yahoo all out of a twist of fate?"

Issac frowned. "What does it matter? I have what you want, you know how to get it and you won't kill me. Miracle has hidden a long time from you, I've been your closest clue since he left West Virginia."

"True, I have this feeling though, I think he's in the city." Eric stood up and walked around, keeping the gun pointed at Issac. "I wonder, if I sent a letter...what would happen? Miracle's been known to sacrifice himself for those he loves..."

"Now are you stupid? Send a letter, that's a confession right to the mail box."

"Miracle wouldn't do that, not with two friends lives in the balance." Eric sat on the coffee table. "That's how well I know him. You see, he did it to save Jaemin, he almost went to prison, Miracle knew I could fix it and for a paid price, I did. Sadly for another paid price, I lost him."

"It's karma." Issac looked at Eric and then glanced at the fire place behind him.

Eric followed Issac's eyes and then laughed. "You want to push me into the fire?" He held up the gun. "Go ahead, try, it'll end with a bullet between your eyes."

Hunter looked up, hearing Dayna screaming. "They heard."

Jaemin heard Dayna's screams yet nothing from Issac. He looked down and his hand went to his pocket where that envelope was and yet there was a huge part of him praying that he wouldn't have to deliver it. "God, don't let nothing happen to them."

"Jaemin, take Brian and go up to the next level." Hunter said.

"Split up? Isn't that a bad idea? You should go up, you have more fire power." Jaemin shook his head.

Hunter gave Jaemin the dart gun. "Now you have a little bit more, go!"

Jaemin took the dart gun and grabbed Brian by the arm and yanked on him and took off running for the elevator.

Hunter ran off down the hall way. "Faye?!" He called out, knocking on various doors. "Faye?!" He kept running down the hall.

Jaemin looked up when the doors of the elevator opened and he saw a guard standing there and he shot him with a tranquilizer dart and the man fell over and quickly hopped over him, however he then saw another guard off to the side and slipped down to the ground. "Stay!" He screamed at Brian as a gun shot rang out.

Brian pulled himself back into the elevator and Jaemin looked up and shot a dart at that guard, knocking him out. Jaemin sighed and he stood up. "Come on." He nodded for Brian to come as he headed down the hallway.

Issac heard more gunfire and his eyes closed.

"I wonder if your friends are dead." Eric leaned forward. "Just tell me where Miracle is."

Issac sat there quietly. "He's..."

"Go on." Eric ran the gun along Issac's jaw. "It's to bad I want him so much, maybe I'll take advantage of the occasion anyway."

"Yeah..." His eyes opened and his hand slowly moved up and over Eric's hand. "Kind of is...to bad." His hand rested ontop of Eric's as the barrel of the gun ran over his lips and then down his chest.

"Where is he?" Eric asked. "If you tell me, I'll just let the girl go and then...so long as I have you, she won't talk and Miracle will be here, we can both have what we want."

"The bad thing is...he wanted to go to Hawaii for the weekend." His hand tightened on Erics and then he pushed the man's arm up and away before slamming a foot into Eric's chest, a round fired off towards the ceiling as the man fell back and into the fire place, enough to catch his back on fire.

Issac stood up and quickly grabbed the gun as the man rolled about on the floor, trying to put the fire out. "Think about the scars you'll have, then who will want to fuck you?" Issac threw off his shirt and tossed it ontop of Eric to put out the flames. He then shot the man in the leg and ran out through the door where Dayna was taken.

Jaemin bumped into Issac as he rounded the corner. "Woah!" Jaemin dived to the side and out of the way of the gun. "Did you kill Eric?"

"No, we might actually need him to find Dayna and Faye." Issac said.

"And you were just going to leave him?!" Jaemin rushed into the room, watching Eric roll on the floor in pain.

"I was worried about Dayna!" Issac walked back into the room and Brian stayed in the hall.

"This is our first chance...shoot him in the head." Jaemin said.

"No." Issac stared at Jaemin.

"Shoot him in the fucking head!" He screamed.

"I have to find Dayna!" Issac screamed as Jaemin tried to take the gun from him and the two fought for it.

Brian closed his eyes and then ran into the room. "Guys stop!"

And then the gun went off, Issac and Jaemin fell to the floor.

Brian's eyes widened and he looked down to see all the blood pouring around his stomach and then he fell to the floor.

"Oh no..." Jaemin looked at Brian.

Issac rushed over to Brian. "Shit!" He crawled over to him. "Jaemin, get something! We need to stop the bleeding!"

Jaemin grabbed the gun and stood up, aiming it at Eric. "I got to stop him." He said, getting ready to kill Eric until a dart hit him in the back of the neck and he reached back and grabbed at it and then fell over.

"Damn it." Issac dropped the dart gun and watched two guards come in from the door where he and Dayna had entered. He reached under Jaemin and grabbed the gun and aimed it at Eric. "Kill me, risk killing Eric or just save the guy and get out."

The two guards looked at Issac and stepped forward and grabbed Eric and then helped the man out to make an escape once again.

"Hunter!" Issac screamed, holding the gun in one hand and craddling Brian's head in his other arm.

"Hunter!" Dayna screamed from one of the rooms on the first floor.

"What do you think is happening?" Miracle asked, staring up at the sky.

"I don't even know." Jasmine said. "It's been peaceful for so long." She shook her head. "It's hard to really predict, I hate to say, the one thing I do remember, someone always dies."

Miracle frowned. "Then I'm glad I kept you here." He looked at Jasmine. "I'll hate it if..."

"Don't say." Jasmine shook her head. "You just lay here and wonder until everything comes back...and then..." She looked over at Miracle. "I just wait for the day that he pays."

"I feel like..I'm responsible for all of it." Miracle closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"You're not." She took Miracle's hand. "You're like the rest of us...caught in a mess that he made."

"A mess that I took away by leaving and brought back by coming here." Miracle opened his eyes. "I'm just so fucking sick of hiding." He sat up.

Jasmine sat up and pulled a knee close to her chest and wrapped her arms around her leg. "Whatever is going down, it's happening at his house, he might have others but the house is tied to him, he can't just fly away free and clear."

"Really?" Miracle looked at Jasmine. "He could easily make it look like they all broke in and started attacking him."

"Not if they're dumb enough to leave some of the cameras working." Jasmine grinned.

Miracle grinned and laughed. "For once something dumb would be something good."

Jasmine wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close. "Exactly!"

Hunter heard the two voices calling out to him but Dayna's sounded closer and so he ran towards it until he reached the end of the hall where he noticed a small gap in the wall. He moved towards it and slipped his fingers in and found that the piece of wall slid out and revealed a door. He stood back. "Get away from the door!"

Dayna stepped back from the door and heard a gun shot before Hunter busted in. "Shes here!" Dayna ran around the bed and grabbed Faye who was drugged and rather out of it.

"Take the gun." Hunter handed the gun to Dayna and grabbed Faye and picked her up. "I think your brother is in trouble." He then ran out, Dayna followed right after.

"Hunter!" Issac screamed and looked around, dropping the gun. "Brian, stay awake!" He laid his head down and crawled across the floor and grabbed his shirt and then moved back over to Brian and pulled him up and pressed the shirt over his stomach. "Try to hold it."

Brian placed his hand over the shirt and trembled in Issac's arms. "Issac..."

"What?" He looked up after pulling out his phone.

"T..thanks for caring..." Brian closed his eyes. "Tell Jasmine that...that it's okay. I..I don't want her to feel sad, tell her to not be sad."

"She won't have to be if you hold on." Issac looked up as Hunter and Dayna ran in.

"What happened?!" Hunter carefully gave Faye to Dayna, who carefully went to the floor with the drugged woman.

"Jaemin and I fought over the gun, I needed Eric alive to find Dayna, he wanted Eric dead, we fought and Brian...he got shot." Issac explained and looked up at Hunter. "I had to dart Jaemin, guards came, I had the gun, one guy knocked out, the other dying, I had to let them escape with Eric.."

Hunter sighed and grabbed the phone from Issac's trembling hand. "You chose life...it's okay." Hunter stood up and dialed for emergency services.

Issac looked down, knowing he failed Miracle when he had the chance. "Brian, just stay awake."

Brian looked up at Issac and then his eyes went lifeless as his last breath was pushed out and he fell motionless.

"He's gone..." Dayna looked up at Hunter. "Brian's gone."

"Yes we're on the island, we found a woman held prisoner, my friends sister, they tried to kidnap her." Hunter looked over at Brian and a painful sigh escaped. "And our friend is dead." He hung up and looked around. "They are coming." He said and then gave the phone back to Issac.

"So, did anything come of this? We saved Faye...but Eric escaped...I failed Miracle." Issac shook his head.

"Not necessarily." Dayna said. "Faye was kidnapped, this is Eric's house, she knows he had her here. I know he had a man take me, Brian..." She looked at his body. "Were all the cameras destroyed?"

Issac looked up. "No, there is one in the corner right there. Eric had a gun in my face." He looked at Hunter. "The bad thing about that is...Jaemin wanted to kill Eric while he was down, we fought over the gun, what kind of..."

Hunter looked at Issac. "None for you that I can think of, you tried to stop him." He looked over at Jaemin. "For him...it'll be questionable." Hunter looked at them. "We can't edit out the bad parts, Eric putting a gun to you is direct evidence to him but we can't give that part without the other, it all happened in this room."

"So we either go take the tape or we leave it." Issac looked at Jaemin. "For me not to want this to be a competition, it just became one and for all the wrong reasons."

Hunter looked at Issac. "It's all for Miracle, are you willing to destroy Jaemin for Miracle, the way Jaemin was willing to destroy Faye and Dayna for him? Although, while your mind had to have been racing, I would of found them."

"Which makes this all worse." Issac shook his head. "Jaemin could of had his revenge, ended it, saved the day for Miracle. Now it's either pin Eric or save Jaemin and still...Eric's not here to be arrested, he'll just be wanted."

Hunter kneeled down and looked at Issac. "That's right, he's not here to be arrested. You chose life, that's why the video isn't dangerous to you. Choose it again, once a smart choice, always a smart choice."

Issac nodded. "Okay, destroy the camera, get rid of the tape." He handed Hunter the gun.

Hunter stood up and then shot the camera out and ran off to search for the security room.

Dayna looked up at Issac. "You know, if we wake Jaemin up in time, we could say that Eric shot Brian. With no camera and no tape to prove otherwise. He had the gun in your face, Jaemin and Brian come in..."

Issac looked around. "He turns, shoots Brian, I shove him at the fire, Jaemin puts him out, guards come in, Jaemin gets darted, I get Eric's gun...they take off." He looked up at Dayna.

Dayna laid Faye down and then moved over and started shaking Jaemin. "Wake the hell up!" She slapped him. "Wake up!"

Hunter came back in, tucking the tape in the back waist band of his pants, his jacket covering it. "The hell is she doing?"

"Getting him up for our cover story." Issac said.

"Get up!" Dayna goes to slap Jaemin again only for him to grab her wrist.

"The hell?!" He pushed Dayna away and sat up, seeing Eric gone and he reached up, yanking the dart out and looked around. "You!" He looked at Issac and stood up. "You let him get away!"

"Shut up!" Dayna ran around in front of Jaemin. "The cops will be here anytime. Okay, he's not dead, can't be arrested but if you want him at least wanted, then listen to the story!" She looked around. "Okay everyone?! Listen..."

"Okay, Issac and I are brought up here, you guys did your thing, everything like it was. Eric had me kidnapped and locked away with Faye. Okay, well, Eric is putting a gun in Issac's face, Brian and Jaemin run in, Eric gets distracted, shoots Brian, Issac pushes Eric at the fire and Jaemin puts him out, then the guards come, dart Jaemin and Issac gets the gun and they take Eric and run, then Hunter comes with me and Faye, like it did." She looked around. "Does everyone understand their parts? Eric kidnapped Faye, had me kidnapped, threatened to kill Issac and murdered Brian right in front of Issac and Jaemin and everything was self defense." She took a deep breath.

Issac looked at Jaemin. "Are you good?"

Jaemin sighed. "If it gets him wanted."

"Jaemin, I hope that you understand that it was all actually on video." Hunter pointed at the camera. "Issac could of saved the tape for the cops, got Eric for threatening to kill him, destroyed Eric and saved the day for Miracle." Hunter explained.

"I wasn't willing to destroy you in the process, everything else that happened in this room was on it, we can't edit that out." Issac shook his head. "Hunter has the tape, he destroyed the camera.

Jaemin slowly nodded. "So you could of trumped me, put me away, had Miracle forever, you still could and you won't?"

"No." Issac shook his head.

"Okay, we give Dayna's version, our word will have to be good enough for now." Jaemin said.

Miracle stared out of the window of the empire state building. "She was right, someone would die."

"I'm sorry, it was more than we had expected." Issac frowned. "If I hadn't of..."

Miracle turned around and shook his head. "Don't do that, self blame." Miracle wrapped his arms around him. "I'm just so glad it wasn't you."

"It almost was." Issac said when he hugged Miracle.

"And you didn't put Jaemin away, you could of." Miracle looked up.

"I wouldn't do that." Issac stepped back. "I'd give anything to make Eric pay but I wouldn't take one more person away from you to do it." He looked up at Miracle. "Jaemin would kill for you though, with a passion."

Miracle slowly nodded. "Can I trust you with anything?"

"I would hope that you did."

"He already has." Miracle said.

"When?" Issac asked.

"This guy, Brad..." Miracle looked out the window.

"The one that hurt you." Issac said. "Aiden told me about that, it doesn't make sense though. Aiden told me, you said that Jaemin couldn't of done that because the weapon from that was planted at his sisters murder."

Miracle closed his eyes. "He did that one too. He thought that she'd kill him first and he'd planned long before to try and frame Sterling anyway. So it all rolled together."

"So you did cover." Issac nodded.

"I never knew about any of it before hand, I always found out after." He looked at Issac. "And Jaemin felt really horrible about Melanie and Sterling and..well, it worked out the best it could."

"I only judge what I see, if you can't keep it that simple, don't judge at all." Issac said and then looked over at the elevator when it chimed.

Miracle looked up and saw Jaemin step out of the elevator. "Oh...I'm sorry. I know this is...well our spot."

Jaemin shook his head, walking closer. "Don't apologize."

"Why not?" Miracle asked.

"Because it could be our spot." Jaemin looked between Miracle and Issac. "If you're game."

Issac looked at Jaemin, wondering if he was being serious at first. "I don't think he's joking."

"Huh?" Miracle gave Issac a crazy look.

Jaemin grinned. "Look, I fell in love with you, Miracle, I love you, that's no lie, won't ever go away." He glanced at Issac. "Thing is, he could too and tonight, I feel like, in the end, we really bonded. So if that feeling is mutual and all these feelings are mutual, you come to one conclusion."

"You really feel that way?" Issac questioned.

"Do you?" Jaemin asked.

"I guess, I mean...the whole thing was such an adrenaline rush..." Issac looked between the two.

"The question is, can Miracle handle the two of us? See, last time, I made up with Sterling after Sterling didn't love him anymore, at least not like that."

"Uh...I'm not sure if this..." Issac started to speak only for Jaemin to grab him by the back of the head and kiss him. His eyes shut and he eased into the kiss only to slowly pull away.

Miracle looked between the two.

"So?" Jaemin grinned. "Am I scaring you, tempting you? What?" He then looked at Issac. "And are you still scared?"

"It..felt natural after like...a nano second." Issac said and then he looked at Miracle and grinned.

Miracle looked at them and then started laughing.

"Intervention." Jaemin said and he stepped forward and grabbed one of Miracle's shoulders while Issac grabbed the other and they leaned down, trailing kisses along his neck until Jaemin moved up and kissed him and then eased back to let Issac kiss Miracle and then Issac and Jaemin shared a second kiss.

Miracle's eyes shut and he tensed up nervously, not even allowing himself to move. His eyes opened after the whole thing and he looked at them both. "I now announce us married?"

Issac started laughing. "Never ending humor!"

"It's how I deal." Miracle shook his head. "I've never...I'll have to get used to the idea, I'll slide into it. There's no jealousy, just..letting myself go and there really being no jealousy, like no where, that has never happened."

"Well it's happened now." Jaemin nodded. "You're stuck with us."

"This should of happened before I started fighting with Ashley!" Miracle lightly shoved both of them.

"Ashley?" Jaemin laughed.

"Oh yeah! You don't know! Ashley...Robin's older sister! So yeah, word is, the nun came skipping on home from bible school, whipped Sterling straight into bed, now theres a baby on the way while they plan on being wed!" Miracle smiled. "And it rhymes!"

Jaemin stared at Miracle like he just heard a horror story.

"And you're insanely happy!" Issac laughed.

"I'm going to go and knock him back down a stairwell again..." Jaemin said.

"Is that what he does to his competition?" Issac asked.

"You can't. Sterling went G.I. Joe at Fort Bragg." Miracle laughed and looked at Issac and nodded. "Yeah, he got admitted to the hospital, I was in the hospital too, on suicide watch. That's when Melanie was room hopping, plotting for everyones release."

June 2009

Miracle and Issac followed Jasmine out to the back of the parking lot where the silver lexus was, Jaemin sitting on the hood of it.

"Thanks for uh...sending me the live feed of everything." Jaemin said.

"Why couldn't you go in?" Jasmine asked.

"Well with me being the long lost son of Brad's Dad...I didn't want to stir things up." Jaemin looked at Issac and Miracle, knowing they knew the real reason.

"Didn't want to stir them up, definitely." Miracle mumbled to Issac and sat beside Jaemin on the hood of the car. "Are you going to be okay, Jas?"

"Well, he wouldn't want me to let it ruin my summer, didn't want me to be sad, his own words, right? I have time alone to be sad." Jasmine put on the best smile that she could. "Besides, I have the best trip lined up for us."

"Where?" Miracle asked.

"Going to see Ashley, cause a domestic dispute in her front yard for starters..." Jasmine said.

"That's if they don't live on the base." Jaemin said. "If they do, we won't have clearance to get in."

Miracle grinned. "I think I could get Sterling to give us the clearance." Miracle said.

"You little plotter." Issac laughed, sitting on the hood beside Miracle.

"Well all I have to do is tell Sterling that I want us to have real closure, in person." Miracle shrugged.

"Yeah, but he would arrange it to where Ashley is gone." Jasmine said.

"Wouldn't matter, so long as we have the clearance, we can show up anytime, right?" Miracle looked around.

Jaemin shrugged. "I'm not sure, I would think he would be alerted."

"Well then, you get the clearance, he trusts you, thinks you're mature." Miracle suggested.

"I think we would all have to have clearance and..he would know we were all coming and as far as smuggling us, they search." Issac said.

"But you can photoshop." Miracle said.

"I can photoshop, sure. But if we even found someone that could take it and make it into ID's or drivers liscence, he would wonder why Jaemin would be bringing a bunch of strangers." Issac shook his head.

Jasmine sighed. "Lets not debate ideas. We do that way to much, it was just a fun idea."

"Well they might live off base, it's at least worth checking out." Jaemin shrugged. "Debate ends there."

Miracle nodded. "Yeah, we kind of spend our lives coming up with ideas and then debating the faults and how to conquer them."

"Silent debating, we'll all think long and hard and when a suitable idea comes to mind, we'll toss it out." Issac nodded.

"Either way, it is on our way to Miami." Jasmine said.

"Long way to go for a vacation." Miracle's eyes widened. "I hope we're flying, my ass hurt way to much from driving...or rather, riding."

"His ass hurt from riding." Issac grinned.

"Shut up." Miracle laughed.

"We are flying." Jasmine said. "Though I hate to be the bearer of bad news, I won't be coming back."

Miracle's eyes widened. "Why?"

"I got accepted to college there. And after this, I'm sorry Miracle, while I think what Sterling did was fucked up, his idea of moving on makes sense. I'd rather just go ahead and move into my dorm. Don't worry though, I got you all round trip tickets back." Jasmine frowned.

"Jasmine, I just got back." Miracle looked at her. "When Melanie died, you became my best friend. You were the closest thing to what she was."

Jasmine looked at Miracle apologetically. "I know and I'm sorry I can't be that for you but it's going to be a nice little vacation and when you come back, you got your Mom's wedding to look forward to, you have people that love you. Two guys that really love you and I think it is so great that you guys worked it out like you did, not conventional for sure but I think it is amazing."

Miracle nodded. "Well, I guess I have to respect your decision." He sighed. "Aiden warned me, he asked me what would become of everything after graduation, he asked me did I expect everything to remain the same."

"It's a nice thought, Miracle. Sadly, it doesn't. But I do suggest that you visit Cody, see how he's doing, whats going on before we leave." Jasmine grasped his hand. "You have new friends and most importantly, you will always have Jaemin, I really believe that and you will always have your family."

"My bio Dad is in the city." Miracle said.

Jasmine looked up. "He is?"

"Yeah, Issac found out. I don't know where but if I run into him, I don't even know what to do with it." Miracle said.

"Well take this advice, you gave your Mom a chance to explain, give him that chance too, and then..judge for yourself." Jasmine looked back. "I think my Dad is ready to go." Jasmine smiled and kissed Miracle on the cheek and walked off.

"Well, I would like to know what he has to say." Miracle said.

"Are you sure?" Jaemin asked.

"Most definitely. How could you leave a beach paradise, have the opportunity to return in three months and not freakin take it?" Miracle looked at Jaemin. "Neither of you have the memories but I do, it was literally paradise, the closest to heaven on Earth as you could get. And I know, maybe I'm over idealizing my very young childhood but from what I remember, it was so beautiful."

Jaemin slowly nodded. "Yeah, but you only have few memories and of course they were good ones, they would be on their best behavior for you and maybe even they were really happy in those but..there might be a lot more to it than that. I mean your Mom did steal your Dad from another woman for starters."

Miracle looked down. "True, but if he didn't really love her, it wouldn't of worked."

"Or maybe it worked because the other woman caught them in bed together and he figured, well, instead of losing out completely, might aswell take the one that wants me." Jaemin said.

Issac frowned. "I'm sure that Jaemin is not trying to be negative, just realistic."

Miracle nodded. "I know, Issac." He looked between them both. "I watched home movies though, you wouldn't believe the life, Christmas, Fourth of July, my birthdays, the parties, it was like everyday was a celebration of just being happy."

Jaemin nodded. "I wish I could of just experienced a moment of that, if only to understand it more than anything."

"Well, if I ever see him, I'll get my answers, for me and for my Mom. Though she deserves to get to face him too." Miracle nodded.

"And there's Brad's parents.." Jaemin said.

Issac looked at the church. "Jaemin, I just want you to know, I understand." He looked at him. "As for your sister, I am so terribly sorry about that."

"Thanks for having my back." Jaemin said. "If Melanie had just let me meet him, none of it would of happened. Or if I had just not freaked out at Paula's, found out everything..."

"Well, I have your back, that is how it should be." Issac nodded.

"Yeah, well, we better bounce before they see me. The only thing that made them take back their confession of my confession was Eric and he could just as easily take that back."

"Well, I hope he was to out of it to realize you were there." Issac said and climbed off the lexus. "Lets go."

Jaemin climbed off and then headed into the back seat and scrunched low. "Issac, you drive, even Miracle might set them off."

Miracle got into the passenger seat and scrunched down as Issac got into the driver seat and started the car, driving off.