Irene woke about an hour later, her tired eyes remaining sad as she looked around, knowing her husband was no longer by her side, she sighed turning over. She was so goddamn frustrated, at him. At everything, yet somewhere beneath that she couldn't pinpoint as to why. She huffed. He was right, she was being reckless again, to the point where she was risking her life for trivial matters that in the grand scheme of things did not concern her. She hated how right he was about her; she could no longer deny the fact that he didn't know her, he did, and that scared her because she knew that now he could see the cracks shine through, the past that she was adamant in burying was resurfacing simply because of the fact that she was becoming emotionally unstable.
Weak.
Vulnerable.
She shed the the blanket from her form, her feet dangling on the side of the bed as her hand tangled with her curls. She couldn't let him in, she had to push him away, he would get tainted with her impurity yet as she sat in the isolated room formulating the plan to step back, she couldn't. She had become accustomed to him, to his presence even if he wasn't actually there. She had relied on him for companionship, for acceptance and she had found it with him yet why was she so goddamn adamant to self sabotage the progress they had made. She knew the answer. One word that had haunted her from the day her mother died. Depression. It was a veil that seemed to fall on her being with no warning. It consumed her to the point where she no longer knew who she was. To the point she was begging to be left alone. Years of constant trauma made things worse, but the difference was she had a grasp on it back then. But now she didn't. She didn't know who she was, she had lost herself under the pretence of being more, of being better and no one could save her. She was drowning silently, her screams, her cries compressed as the world looked on, turning blind to her pain. Yet she was partly to blame. She shut everyone out. She pushed them all away to the point they gave up and yet she still hoped he wouldn't give up, that he would try and continue to fight for her despite the way she was pushing away. Her feet finally touched the floor her body pushing itself up. This was irene. A warrior by heart and spirt, she would fight until her last breath, it's what she did and now she had made up her mind. If Jackson couldn't handle it, he wasn't the right one. If her wounds scared him, he wasn't the one. And she had to live with that. She had to accept it, and she would, even if her heart had to be ripped out in the process. So be it.

Jackson sighed, his head resting against the back of the seat as he closed his eyes to catch a couple moments of peace. Mark looked at him, his eyes flashing in concern at his brother. "Jack..." he called out, hearing Jackson exhale a long deep breath that he had suppressed. "I've never been that fucking scared Mark." He paused, his hand shielding his face as Mark's eyes flashed to his concerned. "She looked at me like the fire in her eyes has been dowsed with ice water,  I'm not used to it, it unnerves me. I want her to live freely like she always deserves but she won't. It's like she just crawled right back inside some invisible shell and no matter how hard I try she's unreachable. She moves her eyes more slowly, like they're heavy, an effort to move, and she's taking so many unnecessary risks with her life and I'm not there to do anything to stop her." Mark caught the liquid deep from his eyes. "Jack...she's always been like this. Her demons are far more scary than anybody would have predicted her to have. Yes she looked peaceful but inside there is a constant storm that rips her apart. Her past is a burden, a burden that she choses to share only with those who she thinks can handle the weight of it. No one knows her full story. Not me, not Wendy, not Suelgi, hell her own family don't know, but we have all seen her drown, we try not to remain silent, yet she binds our hands and we are forced to look the other way. Her past is haunting Jackson, and if you truly care about her like you say you do just be aware about this because it will hurt her more having to watch you walk away if you can't handle it." Mark took a deep breath his eyes fixating back onto the busy road in front. Jackson rested his head to the side, his mind taking the time to process his words. Her past? What was it? What was so fucked up that she took every opportunity to run, to be better. He looked down at his phone, his lock screen illuminating the now switched on phone, a beautiful picture of them both on their wedding day staring back at him. He stroked her picture lovingly, the blaring sound of his ringtone cutting the thoughts he had off in an instant. "Jin's been found. He's settled near our base fully knowing that we are here, he's planning something Jackson." Said Bambam. "God help us all." He heard Youngjae utter in the back. Things had just gone from bad to absolutely the worst.

Irene walked back to the counter rubbing her eyes as doctors walked up to her speaking fondly and highly of her and for the risk she took. Here she was a hero, a protector, a force to be reckoned with but not in his eyes. She laughed mentally, why was she trying to gain his favour, his acceptance when she knew he belonged to another, her mind cackled, she had truly lost the plot thinking she had somewhat of a chance with him. "Irene!" A voice boomed, the chief coming to her, eyeing her up and down as if she was the prey he had been waiting to feast on. "Meet me today for dinner. 6 PM no later Ms Bae." She nodded bowing slightly as he passed her. She rubbed her neck, trying to piece together what this old man now wanted. She sighed collecting herself and heading back to work.

When 6 PM finally arrived she attempted to leave in the most inconspicuous way which ultimately failed as the chief seemed to wait for her at the entrance. She had avoided this dinner for three months and now she saw the consequences of her employers apparent anger for her causal disregard. They chatted over dinner, Irene becoming extremely uncomfortable with every passing second, she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, her mind mentally exhausted from such a tiring day. He led her back to his apartment for drinks as he had so formally addressed it, she had refused multiple times but was still led back up to his penthouse. She rolled her eyes listening to his egotistical boasts, he opened the door, his hand finding hers as she pushed it away. "Well I had a lovely evening Ms Bae I must say. Now what I wanted to talk to you about was that position we gave to Tiffany. I'd be willing to give it you." Her heart stopped, the lost dream now suddenly within her grips. She looked up at her boss as he continued shuffling closer to her, "On the pretence that I spend a night  ravishing that body of yours." Irene's eyes widened as he leaned in his hand moving to a region where it shouldn't be. She grabbed his hand twisting it back with ease as he let out a blood curdling scream. She grabbed her bag whacking him over the head with it multiple times until she huffed and moved her bangs out of her face. She didn't care if she didn't have a job tomorrow morning, this was the price he was going to pay for insulting her. She stabbed his toe with her heels and kicked him where it hurt before finally running off. She sighed, her heart light despite knowing she probably wouldn't have a job tomorrow.

And boy was she wrong. He had chosen to punish her in a more harsher way. She stood out in the heat, a scarf wrapped around her head, as her girls and a few other doctors and nurses huddled around in the middle of nowhere. This was her punishment. Being the lead doctor for the army corps in jeju-do, the heat was unbearable yet her features remained calmed and composed as she looked at her watch. Her phone going of moments later with a phone call from the chief, she declined quickly the others watching in confusion as a senior doctors phone went off. "Ahh chief thank god, please get me out of here-" he was cut off, gulping slightly as the phone was handed to Irene. She rolled her eyes taking the damn phone, uttering a few words before hanging up. In the distance they spotted the army crafts flying towards them, the sheer force causing Irene's scarf to fly of her head, she moved forward to pick the material up but it rolled away from her to the point she stopped her movements to watch the planes landing metres away from where they were standing. Soldiers piled out, their silhouettes captivating the doctors and nurses who looked at them in awe. They noticed what seemed to be the Captain walk out in front in the middle of the other seven that accompanied him. He walked straight past Irene standing and addressing them, dishing out orders as Irene's mind comprehended that it was him, the girls eyes flashing to hers in concern. Her scarf landed at his feet, as the others began to prepare their belongings, Irene standing in pure shock as her mind went into a frenzy. Jackson bent down picking up the scarf, turning. His jaw line highlighted by the suns rays and his sunglasses shading the eyes she could of drowned in. His eyes caught hers widening as he walked up to her. He stretched out his hand passing the scarf back to her, her eyes remaining locked onto his as she accepted it. She tensed, her eyes moving as she walked past him straight to the girls who were waiting to receive her open armed, they hugged her slightly under Jackson's watchful gaze his eyebrows furrowed in confusion as to why the hell his wife was here.

TBC

Authors note:
Hey guys, hope you enjoy this one, let me know what your thoughts are about this chapter. Lots of love and best wishes to you all. Stay safe xx