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"Ahem." Andrew cleared his throat to make known his presence. Ji Hoon withdrew from Laura and wiped his lips discreetly. Laura gave him a faint smile.

"I er, a-hem, contacted the FBI and Interpol. A kidnapping case is definitely worth looking into so they'll be onto Vultaggio soon." Andrew said. Laura nodded.

"You should get some rest. You've had a long night." Andrew told her.

"After you've something to eat." Ji Hoon said, noting her pale tired face.

"Right, I'll whip up something. You two rest." Andrew said. Laura leaned on Ji Hoon's good shoulder. Ji Hoon threaded his fingers in her hand.

"Think he knows about us?" Laura asked in a quiet voice.

"He knows. I gotta remember to thank him for this later." Ji Hoon said, squeezing her hand. She gave him a little peck on the neck and closed her eyes.

It was late in the evening when Laura woke up. She was surprised to find herself in her old bedroom, surrounded by all her childhood memories – pictures on the walls, her old books, even a chest of her old toys. It felt like she had gone back in time – her stepfather had maintained her room exactly as she had left it.

She turned and found Ji Hoon on the other side, apparently fast asleep. She stirred slowly to get up without waking him but he spoke with his eyes closed.

"Getting up already?" he asked. She buried herself back in bed.

"I thought you were asleep." She said. He lifted his arm around her waist.

"I wasn't." he replied.

"Then what were you doing?" she asked.

"Listening to your heartbeat." He answered calmly. Laura looked at him with a tender look.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because it assures me you're safe and healthy." He said easily. Laura gave a soft laugh and tucked her head under his neck.

"How can I convince you?" she asked. His lips tugged up and he touched her neck.

"I already know," he said, feeling her pulse. She took his hand and brought it to her lips.

I'm glad you came into my life, even if you appeared as stealthily as a ninja." she said, kissing his knuckles.

"What?" he asked with a laugh.

"You fight like one, don't you?" she teased. "And you appeared out of nowhere. You came into my life one night and rather than waking up from a dream, I woke up to one instead." Laura said. "But sometimes I feel like this dream might slip away from me – and I can't hold onto it."

"You don't have to be afraid that I'll leave you Laura." Ji Hoon said. She smiled sadly.

"I know." She said.

"Then why don't you feel confident?"

"Because..." she halted and shook her head.

"No, never mind." She said. She didn't want to speak her uncertainty aloud for fear of it coming true; all she knew was that the present moment was too precious; she would savor every one of them with him – with her Ji Hoon.

"Laura, you know you can tell me anything." He said. She changed her countenance, brightening her smile.

"Anything? Like the fact that spending one night away from you was torture?" she asked. She felt him smile and snuggled closer to him. His hand came around her neck, cupping it tenderly.

"Wait, where's the necklace I gave you?" he asked, feeling her bare neck.

"Safe." She said. Her eyes flew open.

"That reminds me..." she got out of bed and went to her desk. An old Macintosh computer stood on it. She turned it on and sat down after pulling the necklace out of her pocket.

"Why did you keep it there?" Ji Hoon asked, getting up.

"When I knew the OIS were involved, I was afraid they'd find out about it. if they knew I had the evidence. So I hid it while I was up on the ledge. I meant to back it up later..."

"You planned all that while in mortal peril? Laura, you're braver than they give you credit for. And you'd make a seriously good spy." Ji Hoon said impressed. Laura looked satisfied as she opened the SD card files. She backed it up to two servers and a private folder on her computer.

"There. Now you don't have to worry about it anymore." She said. She turned to him.

"Why didn't you ever do this before?" she asked.

"I had to move around a lot; it's not like I could assure my own safety, let alone the backup's safety. Only Andrew knew about the necklace; that if anything happened to me..."

"He would finish the mission you started." Laura completed his sentence. "But why haven't you submitted the files yet?" Ji Hoon answered after a pause.

"Circumstances changed. Now the OIS are here, and they're after me again. And they're involved with Vultaggio which means they're after you too. I can't put you in danger by exposing them – not yet. They'll retaliate by coming after the people I love. It's how they work." Ji Hoon finished, clenching his fists. Laura placed a calming hand on them.

"When the time is right, we'll submit it. We will get justice for your father – for you." she said, assuring him. He gave her a wan smile.

"I didn't want to get you involved in my mess." He said.

"Well, I'm not gonna let you go through this alone. I'm with you all the way, Ji Hoon." She said. Their eyes met in a silent private moment. A loud exclamation from downstairs interrupted them.

"That was Andrew." Ji Hoon said, going out of the room.

"I wonder what's wrong." Laura asked, following him. Andrew was standing in the middle of the living room, phone in hand. His face registered worry and he clutched his hair in a frenzy.

"Look, you have to stabilize him! Surgery, life support, anything!" Andrew enunciated with urgency. The answer he got was apparently not reassuring because he flung his phone on the couch with a frustrated grunt.

"Andrew, what's wrong?" Laura asked. Andrew turned to her, starting visibly.

"L-Laura! You – heard that?" he asked.

"Tae Wook, what happened?" Ji Hoon demanded. Andrew wiped his forehead.

"That was the hospital. It's Mr. Talavera. He's critical..."

It is a strange phenomenon people go through when experiencing a storm. The lightning always flashes first, powerful, fast and dangerous. The thunder follows a little later, a ferocious roar that sends chills into the hearts of those who hear it. And yet, there is always a greater fear at the harmless noise than the wild streaks of fiery light which possessed more power to destroy..

Hearing bad news is like that. The first impact is usually the worst blow but it goes disregarded. It is as though the person was too numb to feel anything yet. And then the thunder sounds and the enormity of the situation hits hard, rattling what was calm.

Laura never thought that news like that could shake her. She felt numb as the words left Andrew's lips. And then it hit her; her stepfather, the man who cared so much about her and did everything he could for her, was dying. The breath caught in her chest and her legs felt weak and crumpled, bringing her to the floor. But a pair of strong arms caught her in time, holding fast.

"Laura, Laura! Get her some water!" Ji Hoon said to Andrew. He carried her to the couch. She stared blankly ahead, stunned in shock.

"Laura. Say something." Ji Hoon's face came into her focus, concern clearly etched in his expression. Laura stared at him before finally speaking in a hollow voice.

"I have to see him."

"What?" Ji Hoon asked.

"Before it's too late." Ji Hoon stared at her.

"Laura, I get that you're in shock. Just breathe for a moment and –"

"No! I have to see him!" her eyes shone with tears and her voice broke. "I can't just sit here – not when..." she trailed off sobbing. Ji Hoon massaged her shoulders.

"Laura, it's okay." He said softly.

"No it's not! He did everything he could to protect me, he's been nothing but nice to me my whole life! And I never treated him the way I should have... I'm such a callous daughter! And now I might lose him and I – I..."

"Laura! Listen to me. You are not callous. Get that straight. You might not have had a normal relationship with him, but I'm sure he knows you care. He wouldn't want you to beat yourself up. And neither do I." he added softly.

"But I have to see him! It's partly my fault he's in this condition! I owe him that much." Laura wept. Ji Hoon sighed. He knew how she felt; it was exactly how he felt when he lost her. But now that he got her back safe and sound, he was unwilling to let her out into the danger zone again. It was his job to protect her; and he wasn't gonna fail twice.

"Laura..." he began.

"It's not your fault Mr. Talavera is in the hospital." Andrew interrupted firmly. "Vultaggio has been plaguing Talavera Group ever since he started trying to clean up this city. People with good intentions are always attacked in their weak spots – and you were Mr. Talavera's."

"But I have to see him! Let's not waste anymore time, please!" she said getting up and heading for the door. Ji Hoon followed her, catching her arm.

"Laura, it's too dangerous. We just got you to safety. I can't risk putting you in danger again." He said hating himself for sounding so hard on her. She turned to him with a determined look.

"I don't care. I have to see him and nobody's gonna stop me." she said, wrenching her arm away. Ji Hoon swiftly stepped in front of her, his arms outstretched blocking her.

"Ji Hoon, don't make me regret this." She said clenching her fists. Ji Hoon stood unflinching, silently meeting her eyes.

"The hospital isn't far from here." Andrew interjected. They both turned to look at him. "if the two of us act as her escort we can keep her safe and take her there."

"With Vultaggio and the OIS and half of New York's criminals hunting for her? NOT A CHANCE." Ji Hoon said through gritted teeth.

"We can cause a diversion. And with the police currently guarding Mr. Talavera, it should be safe. Vultaggio won't know about him yet because we're keeping his condition secret from the press." Andrew reasoned. Ji Hoon pressed the sides of his temples with his thumb and forefinger.

"Ji Hoon, please. I have to go." Laura pleaded. He gazed at her face, desperate for a reason not to give in. He was torn between causing her pain and putting her in danger; and it looked like he'd have to concede to her wish.

"Fine." He said and walked away. He would protect her; no matter what happened, he would keep her safe. That's all he could do; he wouldn't lose her again.

Dusk had set, bringing a misty smog over the city when the black Buick belonging to Mr. Talavera sped out down the highway. Andrew said it would be foolish to take the Aston Martin which Vultaggio was sure to have his eyes open for. Ji Hoon drove and the tension that radiated from him could be felt in the jerks the car gave – he braked too fast, sped too often and made sharp turns. Laura turned to him, knowing how he felt. He hated this; he wanted to protect her, but this was something she had to do. But he had been so harsh earlier she was surprised at how unnerved he really was.

"Stay with me at all times, and if there's trouble, GET BEHIND ME." he had said before they got out. "You can't take matters into your own hands." Laura nodded.

"And you have to follow orders even if you don't want to, understood? If I tell you to run, you run. If I tell you to hide, you hide. No questions." Ji Hoon snapped. Laura swallowed but nodded resolutely. Ji Hoon had packed a variety of gadgets and weapons. She wondered if all of it was really needed; then she realized it was just his way of trying to increase the odds of keeping her safe.

"We have about an hour before Vultaggio realizes the trail I left was a red herring. Once the flight takes off and he finds out Laura wasn't on it, he'll be crawling through the city on all fours looking for her. And there's a good chance he'll start with the hospital." Andrew said.

"Where did you book my flight to?" Laura asked.

"Switzerland." Andrew replied. "The farther the better. Vultaggio will think you're trying to run away. He's got a team of hackers who are sure to chase that trail. That's how they infiltrated Talavera group."

"We're here." Ji Hoon stopped the car with a jerk, sending them forward. Ji Hoon got out without a word while Laura followed.

"No, stay here. I'll scout the place first and come back. Then we can go." He said to her. She got back in the car with Andrew, watching him sink into the shadows.

"Andrew?"

"Yes?"

"How long have you known Ji Hoon?" she asked.

"Six years." Andrew replied. He added after a pause, "And in all that time I've never seen him this worked up. He must really care about you." Laura pondered on his words.

"Has he always been alone?" she asked.

"After losing his parents, yeah. Did he tell you about the OIS?"

"Yes."

"Then you'll know how he's never had anyone get this close to him. He's pulled down all his walls for you. I should know – normally that guy's tougher than a wrecking ball to crack."

"So – he's been alone all this time?"

"When I met him he was just a lone kid doing his duty for his country. Tried damn hard to be friends with him. He was - let's say shy for convenience sake. Then he helped me out and afterwards we became good friends." Laura bit her lip. Things must've been so hard for Ji Hoon; and now he was breaking all his own rules for her – rules he had set to protect himself. Confessing his feelings for her can't have been easy; he had put his heart on the line. She had seen the truth in his eyes; he had finally opened himself to love in that moment. He had nothing and he opened himself up to everything.

"Laura, a word of advice if I may - Don't push him okay? He may seem all tough and invincible on the outside, but he's more sensitive than he lets on. Don't be fooled by the outer shell. He was downright shaken up when he lost you. He'd die to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Laura said, swallowing. "I can't lose him either. He means everything to me."

"I can see that. You're the only one who ever got this close to him. Just – take good care of him, okay? Because he's not a guy who does anything halfway. When he gives his all, he gives it all." Laura nodded.

"It's one of the reasons I love him." she said quietly. She spotted Ji Hoon coming back through the glass. He opened her door and leaned down to talk to her.

"All clear. Follow me." he said. Laura took his hand and followed him with Andrew a little ways behind. They split up as he would take the front door to make sure the room was clear to enter. Laura gripped Ji Hoon's hand tight as they made their way up. He led her to the freight elevator as it didn't have CCTV. Once inside, he raised their intertwined hands.

"Are you scared? You're holding kind of tight." He said.

"Oh, sorry." Laura said, pulling her hand away. But Ji Hoon took it back.

"I don't mind. I just don't want you to be afraid. You have me, after all." He said, a glimmer of his relaxed swagger surfacing. She turned to him with tender eyes.

"I know." She replied, leaning against him. Ji Hoon wrapped his arms around her.

"How are you holding up?" he asked. She knew what he was referring to and her shoulders stiffened.

"Does trying not to break down sound believable?" she asked in a small voice. Ji Hoon tightened his embrace.

"You don't have to try so hard with me. If you want to cry, cry. Don't ignore the pain."

"I have to. It's the only way I can be brave." She said looking up at his eyes. He sensed there was more to that than she let on – almost as if she was comparing herself to a higher standard.

"Laura... you are the bravest person I've ever known. You even destroyed the tracker which would have saved you." Laura looked at him in surprise wondering how he knew that.

"How –" she asked.

"The OIS wanted me to come after you. Letting me track you made things easy for them. But when I lost the signal, I knew something happened to the tracker. I suspected you would have discovered it and destroyed it." Laura remained silent at that.

"You were willing to risk your own life to protect me – and you even thought of protecting my evidence in the face of danger. If anyone's brave, it's you."

"I learned that from a sexy spy I met." She said with a little smile.

"I've been a bad influence on you." Ji Hoon said with a grim smile. "But you don't have to put yourself in danger to seem brave, Laura. The past couple of days have been a real toll on you. It's okay to let go once in a while."

"Even if I let go, it doesn't stop the problems from hounding me." Laura said in a withdrawn voice. Ji Hoon didn't reply to that but simply held her close.

"I know. it's hard." He said. Laura felt like she finally understood him. This is how it must have been for him for all these years – on the run for his life from the OIS, never able to live a normal life, settle down...

"I don't wanna run and hide anymore." She whispered into his shirt. He heard it and leaned his head against the elevator wall, silent in thought.

Neither do I, Laura.