During the ride to the hospital, no one talked. Little Mi was driving while Han Shangyan was in the back of the car, never letting go of the fragile lady in his arms. She was not crying anymore, but her silence was enough for him to understand how hurt she was. Tong Nian, his usually bubbly girlfriend, now wife, always speaking in that sweet high-pitched voice, hadn't said anything since he found her in that room. Most of the time, she was staring into space, covering her small body with the large black jacket he gave her. Gun was not sure what had happened when he was gone. And he was too scared to ask. Actually, he was not scared to ask, he was afraid of what she would tell him. He couldn't imagine what she had been through, he couldn't imagine someone hurting her, worse, he didn't want to imagine a man touching her. He knew at one point that he would have to ask her, but he was not ready yet to hear what she had to say. 

But whatever she would tell him, whatever had happened to her, be it a random attack or his worst nightmare, he promised himself he would kill the one who did this. No one, absolutely no one, was allowed to hurt the love of his life. No one was allowed to make her cry. He never forgave himself for the few times he made her cry at the beginning of their relationship. No one - No one - was allowed to make her lose her perfect warming smile. Not even himself. 

Little Mi, Han Shangyan and Tong Nian arrived at the hospital fifteen minutes later, after a ride that felt like hours. Gun was still carrying his weak wife. She couldn't walk because of the large cut on her foot, but even if she could, he wouldn't have let her. He only had to let her go when a nurse arrived to take care of her. She asked Han Shangyan to drop the short girl on a bed, and told them to wait for a doctor. 

"I'll go now, letting you both alone",Little Mi said, knowing that his longtime friend needed to be alone with his wife. "Call me if you need anything, I'll grab a cab to go back home", he added.

The rest of the morning went in a heavy silence, Tong Nian still not talking and Han Shangyan, trying his best to hide his hatred and his desire to punch everyone. The only one to break their silence was the doctor, coming back after the few analysis the young girl had to do. He had a reassuring smile, not only for Tong Nian but also towards her husband who looked so worried. He entered the room, files in his hands, and started to explain the situation, with a soft and calm voice. 

"Tong Nian", he said, smiling politely at the non reacting lady. "We have sewn up your wound, we were concerned about your foot but fortunately, the cut is not that deep. Same goes for the one on your temple. There is no broken bone but you have a lot of bruises and you need to rest. Of course, considered the injury on your foot, you won't be allowed to walk for the next few days. You'll also have to change your bandage twice a day so that the wound does not get infected. We can ask for a nurse to come at your house if you need it, or you can do it yourself"

"I'll do it", immediately interrupted Han Shangyan, provoking a new soft smile from the doctor. 

"I see you'll be taken care of in the best way then", said the doctor, directly reacting at the young couple. "You'll be able to go home today, I just need to borrow your husband for a few minutes, to talk about the papers we need to discharge you, if you'll follow me". Han Shangyan executed, following the doctor to the long hospital corridor. 

"Is everything ok?", asked a concerned Han Shangyan, worried that the doctor hadn't said everything to his wife.

"Like I said, her cuts and bruises will heal. But your wife is clearly shocked. I've watched you, I believe that you are going to stay by her side, but you will have to be patient. We don't know how she will react when she decides to open up about what happened", he explained, his now reassuring face replaced by a more serious tone. "For now, she won't talk about what happened, maybe she will in a few hours, maybe tomorrow or in a week, you can't push her", he concluded, leaving Gun alone. 

Once he came back in the room, for the first time, her gaze crossed his, offering him a comforting but weak smile in her face. He knew she was not going to tell him for now what had happened to her, but he wanted to make sure that she was ok. 

"How are you feeling?" he asked, not sure that she would even be able to answer this simple question. 

It took her a few seconds to talk, for the first time since he had found her in the K and K headquarter. 

"I'm fine", she said in such a tiny voice he could barely hear her. Of course she was not, and he knew it. What a stupid question to ask, he told himself. 

"Hey", she said. 

It was his time now not to say anything. He was sitting next to her bed, his eyes looking at the floor, feeling guilty because he left her alone, and stupid because of that question he just asked. To be honest, he had no idea what to say, what to do and how to react to all of this. His biggest fear was to lose his loved ones, like he lost his parents. His stepmother had warned Tong Nian about this the first time they met. Han Shangyan was not good with feelings but he wanted to make everything possible to appease his wife's pain. He would give his life to save her. But right now, he was feeling useless. 

"Hey", she said again, grabbing his warm hands. "We'll be fine", she continued.

We'll be fine. Those words were once again for Han Shangyan the proof that his wife was an amazing human being. While she was going through what was probably the hardest time of her life, she took his pain as if it was hers. She didn't say "I'll be fine", she said "We'll be fine", knowing how much her husband was torturing himself. We'll be fine meant they were going to heal together, that she knew he'll be there for her, as much as she has always been for him. It meant that she trusted him to help her as much as he trusted her to enter his life. 

We'll be fine. Those words were also like a punch in his heart. How angry was it at himself, to make her worry about him when she was the one in a hospital bed, a few hours after being attacked by who knows who. Han Shangyan was holding back his tears at this exact moment, because he knew that it was not about him but about her. And she shouldn't have to think about comforting him.

"Gun". Tong Nian was trying to catch his eyes, but he was going through so many mixed emotions, she knew she needed to give him a few minutes to get it together. Once he finally let his eyes meet hers, she continued : "Can I ask you something?" 

"Anything", he immediately answered. 

"Can we go back home now?" 

"Sure", he smiled at her, helping her to get up from bed, ready to once again carry her to the car. 

"Gun", she said with a voice closer to the one he loved so much.

"What?"

"They gave me crutches. You don't have to carry me everywhere we go now", she joked, installing her armpits under the said crutches. 

"Oh ok", he said, half disappointed, half ashamed, like a little boy. "Let's go".

The HQ, usually full of life, with the boys training and joking all together was now deadly calm. When the couple arrived from the hospital, Demo, 97, Wu Bai, Grunt and the rest of the team was cleaning the place, picking up bits of broken computers on the floor. Trying their best not to remind their sister in law what she had gone through in this place.

"Hum... I prepared you something to eat, if you are hungry", timidly said Demo, approaching the lady he loved so much. When he met her, he was going through a family crisis, convinced his divorcing parents didn't want him anymore. In the young boy darkest days, Tong Nian had been a sunshine. He loved spending some time with her, like the big sister he never had. He couldn't bear the idea of her being sad. None of them could. 

"Thanks Demo", she smiled at him, sharing an understanding look with the teen. 

Han Shangyan was thankful for two things : the way his boys had always treated his girl, and the fact that her parents were not in the country for a few weeks. After their daughter got married, they decided to take well deserved vacation, travelling the world together. Gun wouldn't have to explain them why he couldn't keep his promise to always protect their daughter. The only thought of him, disappointing them and betraying their trust was making him sick. 

"What are you thinking about", asked Tong Nian, witnessing the blank stare of her husband and his angry expression. 

"Uh? Oh nothing", he answered while helping her go to their room, where she would be able to rest and sleep. He grabbed one of his large t-shirts, to replace her now cursed pajamas and waited for her to take a shower to give it to her. He installed pillows on their bed, so that she could elevate her injured foot, and placed a glass of water on the nightstand. He also put some extra blankets to be sure she wouldn't be cold when sleeping. 

In his large black shirt, she was even tinier than usual. The vision of her wearing his clothes would usually give him all sort of ideas, but that day, the only thing he could see were the bruises forming on her arms, her now blue wrists, the scratches on her face and her tired eyes. He couldn't hold back any longer, he hugged her, with all his strength, not able, this time, to keep his famous straight face. She responded to the hug by hugging him back, gently tapping his back, sniffing his comforting perfume inside his neck. They were so close they were almost sharing their heartbeats as if they were only one. The tension, the pain, but also the love they had for each other... they were letting go all their emotions with a simple hug. She was the first one to break it, letting go of his strong body against hers.

"I think I want to sleep now". From her tone, he could see how tired she was. Tired and broken. Whatever happened to her, Tong Nian was not used to such pain. Even in her most difficult times, she had been a ball of energy, a bubble of joy, an a source of happiness for everyone around her. But that day, she was the broken one, she was the one who would need people to be there for her. That's exactly what he was planning to do.

 "Sure". Gun helped her to settle on the bed, cautiously installed her foot on the pillows and covered her body with two blankets. Once she was comfortably laid down, he made sure she was able to rest, gently caressing her hair, listening to her breath to catch the moment she would fall asleep. He then decided to go take a shower, before joining her again in their bed. But he felt something preventing him from moving forward. It was her. Her tiny hand grabbing the back of his shirt. 

"Stay with me", she pleaded half asleep, her eyes not even open. 

Han Shangyan, turned around to face her, lying down next to her, grabbing her small silhouette in his large arms. Her face was completely engulfed inside his whole body. His heart was beating way too fast and loudly. 

"Always. I'll always stay with you", he whispered.