Emerald knew she should be happy. She was going to escape from her father's grasp for good and continue to go to college to get her degree. She was going to be able to move out and live her life the way she wanted. She was going to get to make friends and have fun, and she was going to find a boy she loved wholeheartedly and marry him on the beach with the waves echoing majestically in the background as they said their bows. Emerald knew she should be happy, but as she stared at her older sister standing in front of three or four mirrors with their father's tailors bustling around her, all she could feel was overwhelming guilt.

"It looks really nice." She said, offering her sister a weak smile.

Amy didn't reply and continued to play with a strand of her hair, which had recently been chopped shorter to get rid of the purple color in it since her father deemed it improper dress for the wedding. When one of the tailors accidentally poked her with one of her pins, she did not help or flinch; in fact, she did not acknowledge it at all and instead continued to stare gloomily at her reflection, her formerly vibrant eyes now dead and dull. It was obvious that her heart lay someplace far out of reach, leaving behind only an empty shell of her feisty, stubborn, brave, loving older sister, and it made Emerald's heart wrench painfully inside her chest.

"Sis...please smile. Please. Even if it's a fake one, please just smile. I want to see you smile again." she pleaded desperately, looking eyes with her sister through the mirror.

Amy held her sister's gaze for a moment then looked away. Clenching her fists, Emerald pushed the tailors aside and forcefully spun her sister around.

"Don't ignore me! If you don't smile then I won't be able to either. Why are you doing this if it hurts you so much?!" she demanded, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Somber silence fell over the room as Emma continued to blubber and sniffle, feverishly wiping at her eyes with the sleeve of her pastel green sweater in a vain attempt to dry her tears. Finally, a small, sad smile broke through Amethyst's stony mask as she gently lifted her sister's chin so she was looking her in the eyes.

"I'm doing this because I love you, Em. You're my little sister and closest friend, and I'm your big sister and your protector. It's my job to look out for you and to keep you out of harm's way, but I was a coward and left you behind when I ran away. I abandoned my duties and left you behind to deal with Father's wrath, and you nearly lost the little freedom you have because of it. I messed up once already; I won't do so again. I'm going to let Dad take your dreams away too. I'm going to finish this once and for all." she cooed lovingly as she tenderly brushed a stray strand of hair from her sibling's face.

"S-Stop talking like that! You're not some sacrificial lamb, Amethyst! I won't be happy unless you're happy! You don't belong with Jumin! You belong with someone who you love and who loves you! You deserve to be with someone like Zen!" Emerald exclaimed.

A dry chuckle escaped Amy's lips. "I thought you didn't approve of me and Zen..."

"That's because I was worried about how Dad would react but I was stupid! Cheesy or not, the things he sent you were so genuine that most people would choke. That's the type of guy you deserve to be with Amy!"

"Oh Em. Some dreams are meant to stay dreams. We may reach for the stars, but if we ever truly got close to one, we would burn-"

"No! Shut up! Don't say that! You're not supposed to talk like that! You're supposed to be brave and say you'll continue to reach for the stars no matter what logic and reason say! You're supposed to be stubborn and sassy and not listen to anyone who tells you what to do! This isn't you! You're not my sister!" Emma wailed before burying her face into her Amy's shoulder and wailing loudly.

Amy gently stroked her sister's hair as she shot the tailors an apologetic look.

"That will be all for today, ladies. I'll see you tomorrow for the final touches." she said softly, earning several humble bows from them.

After the tailors had left, Amy sat down on the floor and cradled her sister close in her arms.

"You're so dramatic, Emerald. It's not like I'm being put to death. Jumin and I have a mutual understanding of one another so we won't push one another. Plus, he earns enough to support us before which will enable me to finish my degree and write full time instead of having to get a job and write part time. I'll be fine as long as you're happy. Can you do that for me? Can you be happy for both of us?"

When she received no answer, Amy sighed and pulled away.

"I have to go change. Dad is going to take me to try some different cakes for the wedding, not that I'm going to get to eat much of anything anyways in this corset. Don't worry about me though, okay?" she cooed as she slowly as she rose to her feet. Again, only silence answer her, making the cracks on her heart grow larger and deeper than they already were.

"I love you, Em. Never forget that." she said before leaving the room, the door shutting behind her with a soft click.

Burying her face in her hands, Emerald sat alone in her sister's room for a few moments and just wailed, not caring who saw or heard her or that she was getting black mascara all over her expensive pastel sweater. Violent trembling seized her tiny frame as she huddled into a ball on the floor, biting her lip till it started to trick fresh blood.

"This isn't fair! She doesn't deserve this! Why is this happening to her?! Why can't she just be happy for once?!"

"Why can't my sister just be happy?! Why does she have to give up everything for my happiness?! Why can't we both be happy together?!" Emma screamed aloud, slamming her fist down on the floor with such force that she would likely be sporting a bruise later.

Shaken loose by Emerald's tantrum, the sparkly handbag Amy had used the night she and Zen met fell from her nightstand, its contents spilling everywhere. Cursing, Emerald hastily scrambled to pick up the mess but stopped when a piece of paper caught her eye. Picking it up, she curiously flipped it over and stared at the series of numbers scribbled down on it. After a moment, realization dawned on her, causing her eyes to go wide as her hands started to tremble.

"This is Zen's number. Amy still had it after all this time-"

Suddenly, an idea popped into Emma's head that made her adrenaline spike and her heart pound. Tucking the slip of paper into her pocket, she hurried over to the door and cautiously peeked out into the hallway. When she saw no one, she sprinted stealthily towards her father's office, weaving through various hallways just to make sure no one saw her. After rounding the final corner, Emerald timidly raised her hands to grasp the door handle and pushed the door open ever so slowly, holding her breath as she waited for some remark to come from inside the room. However, all remained quiet, and when Emerald peeked into the room, she was relieved to see that it was empty. Shutting the door behind her, she hastily tiptoed over to her father's desk and picked up the only landline phone in the house, fishing the note out of her pocket with her other hand. Setting the note next to the phone, she quickly dialed the correct number sequence and waited anxiously as the phone rang over and over.

"Please pick up. Please pick up." she quietly begged, her voice no louder than a faint whisper for fear that someone else would hear her.

-------------------------------------------------

He couldn't do it. No matter how much pain he felt and how much he desired even the temporary of reliefs, Zen could not bring himself to raise his hand and grab the box of unopened cigarettes sitting across from him on the table. All their former appeal had completely evaporated, leaving Zen with no desire for even one puff. His heart yearned for something else, something that could not be replaced with cigarettes, beer, or his fans. He wanted her; he needed her. He needed Amy.

Sighing loudly, Zen picked up the pack of cigarettes and bitterly hurled them into the trash can before stomping over to the couch and burying his face in his hands. Echos of Amy's voice rang in his ears, mocking him, taunting him as invisible hands buried themselves in his hair.

"Jumin promised to take good care of her. It's not like I won't ever see her again; we just won't be together is all. Why isn't that enough though? Why can I not stand to see her unless she is by my side, in my arms, with her eyes fixed on me alone? She's probably having a hard enough time already, so why can't I bring myself to put on a brave face for her? Why can't I be strong for her?"

Suddenly, Zen's phone gave a sharp chirp, causing him to jump. For a moment, he felt a flicker of hope that perhaps it was Amy, calling him from the telephone booth again like that night that seemed like it was yesterday and a century ago at the same time, pleading for him to steal her away once more. With trembling fingers, Zen picked up the phone and answered the call, pressing the device to his ear.

"Hello?" he whispered breathlessly, his heart hammering in his chest as he waited for an answer.

"Zen! Thank goodness! This is Emerald, Amy's sister."

Zen's heart immediately deflated, causing him to sink down further into the couch. "Oh. Hi. Why are you calling me?"

"Because I need your help! Amy's not herself anymore! She's extremely depressed and has pretty much resigned herself over to the preposterous idea that she can never be happy, and it's making me crazy. I thought it wasn't a good idea for you two to get involved with one another but I was wrong. You are exactly what Amy needs to be happy, so if you really care about her, I beg you to please find a way to stop this wedding!" Emma gushed, her voice quivering with such emotion that it would pull at the heartstrings of a stone statue.

Zen's frown deepened as he drank in Emma's words, and somewhere deep inside him, a fire started to burn. Rising to his feet, he headed into the hallway and grabbed his leather jacket.out of the closet before making his way towards the door. "Emerald, is there some place we could meet up? Some place that wouldn't make your father suspicious?"

Emma was quiet for a moment. "Go to Jumin's office. Call Mackenzie and anyone else you trust and think will be helpful. I'll let Jumin know you're coming."

"Alright. Is Amy there with you right now?"

"No, she left a little while ago to do some cake testing. Why?"

"I just wanted to hear her voice is all. I miss it." Zen whispered, a faint blush tinting his cheeks. He could practically see Emma rolling her eyes in his mind.

"Yep, you and Amy are definitely a corny, cliche match made in heaven." she muttered, making Zen smile.

"I'm glad to know you approve of me." he chuckled. "I'll be at Jumin's within the hour."

"Good. See you then."

-------------------------

When the door to Jumin's office swung open, all eyes looked up eagerly to see Jaehee entering the room with Emma in tow. A grave silence lingered in the air as Jaehee quickly shut and locked the door and Saeyoung turned on a sound machine to help protect the group's conversation from eavesdroppers. Once everything was set, everyone sat down around a large coffee table while Emma started fishing in her coat pocket for something.

"Here. You might still get stopped at the door but I figured I should still give you one just in case." she said, tossing a wedding invitation onto the table and sliding it over to Zen.

"Thanks." Zen replied, gingerly picking up the invite and tucking it into his coat.

"So what's the plan here, exactly? Do we even have a plan?" MC asked.

"No. That's what we're all here to discuss." Jumin stated plainly.

"Whatever we do, it needs to be timed exactly right for us to even hope for success." Saeyoung mumbled, his eyes narrowing as the gears in his head turned. "If it's security you're worried about, I could probably hack into the building's main network and set off some distractions so Zen can get through the building no problem."

"We should have someone waiting somewhere outside the chapel as well in case Zen needs some help, someone tough." MC said.

All eyes immediately turned to Jaehee, who squirmed uncomfortably under their gazed and started to blush.

"I guess I could do it. I might look a little suspicious just standing there though."

"Wait in the girls bathroom then. I'll hack into the camera feed too and text you when Zen is getting close to the chapel." Saeyoung answered. "You might want to doll yourself up a bit to make you even more distracting."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jaehee scowled.

"Nothing, nothing! Forget I said anything. Zen, you might want to bring a bag with a disguise in it so you can change once you're inside." Saeyoung continued as the pieces started to come together in his head.

Emma stared at Saeyoung in utter amazement. "Incredible. How did you think up something like that?"

"No task is too great and no puzzle to tricky for Genius 707 not to find a solution." MC giggled, giving her fiancé's hand a gentle squeeze.

"But what about me?! I want to do something too!" Yoosung protested, his cheeks puffing up in a childish pout.

Jumin let out a quiet chuckle, surprising everyone.

"You, Yoosung, are going to be my best man, and as such I need you to make as many mistakes as possible to give Zen more time. Emeral-Emma, that goes for you too since you're the maid of honor." he answered coolly, the faintest traces of a smile on his face.

"I understand. We won't let you down!" Emma answered confidently. When he glanced over at Emerald, MC could've sworn she saw Yoosung blush for a moment before he hurriedly looked away, his hair hiding his hot cheeks.

"Even if we do manage to pull this all off and Zen makes it to the wedding, there is still the problem of Mr. Hall. He will no doubt try to mentally and emotionally manipulate Amethyst into continuing with the ceremony." Jaehee stated, her chin resting thoughtfully between her thumb and pointer finger.

"Leave Amy's father to me. I know how to deal with him." Jumin declared firmly.

"This could still fail. We could do all this and still have nothing change." Zen mumbled quietly, his eyes fixed on the carpet beneath his feet.

Silence fell over the rest of the room as the others all shared a concerned glance. Rising, Emma crossed over to Zen and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You're right. We could fail. However, doesn't Amy mean enough to you that you're at least willing to try?" she purred softly.

"Of course! I would do anything for her! I'm just not sure my heart will be able to take it if we don't succeed." Zen mumbled, nervously wringing his hands.

"We will succeed; you're too stubborn to give up when you want something bad enough." Jumin stated.

Yoosung raised an eyebrow. "Was that supposed to be a complement or an insult?"

"Probably both." MC shrugged.

"What about Zen's reputation though? The media will most certainly be in uproar about this!" Jaehee suddenly interjected.

"That's a problem we'll have to worry about later. Right now, our focus needs to be on getting Zen from point A to point Amy." Seven stated. "Jumin, I'll need the name of the chapel you're going to so I can set everything up and email Zen a blueprint of the building."

"Jaehee, email that to Saeyoung within the hour." Jumin told his assistant curtly. Feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket, he pulled it out and glanced down at the screen, his expression souring as he read the text he had been sent. "I hate to cut this meeting short but Mr. Hall is asking for me to escort you home, Emerald. I suggest we don't keep him waiting."

Emerald's shoulders sagged as a sigh escaped her lips. Turning to Zen one last time, she bent down so they were eye to eye and said, "I'm counting on you. Don't let me down."

"I won't. Watch over your sister for me and make sure your dad doesn't get suspicious."

"Deal. Good luck to all of you."

"I'm the infamous 707! I don't need luck!" Saeyoung crowed smugly.

"Oh honey, don't say that. You'll jinx us all." MC groaned.