"Sorry, I got held up for a minute with someone," she said, entering the room slightly out of breath, purse hanging off her shoulder. "How are you feeling, Jungkook?"

"Like I broke my arm in the most idiotic way possible," Jungkook said, pouting slightly and looking down, and Jimin smiled, looking over at the latest visitor.

"Hi Mom," he said, grinning. Namjoon had been scheduled last-minute for the late shift, and when Jungkook had had his small accident (or, as one might say, a slip-up), Yoongi had instructed Jimin to call the next best person.

"Hi sweetie," she said breathlessly, shutting the door behind herself before going over to Jimin and pressing her lips gently against the crown of his head, rubbing a hand up and down his arm. Jungkook frowned, but Jimin just smiled, his eyes crinkling at the edges. She looked over at Jungkook and hesitated, sensing the invisible boundary he'd put up around himself and his heart. "The doctor recommends that you stay overnight since it's so late. And since Namjoon is working overnight..." she said before hurrying on. "Of course, you're welcome to come home with me and Jimin and spend the night at our house-"

"I'm good here," Jungkook said, and she bit her lip, before nodding, accepting Jungkook's wishes.

"Whatever makes you most comfortable," she said. She'd tried multiple times to reach out to her other children, but she knew that she risked pushing them farther away. She didn't want to pressure them or overwhelm them. They'd accept her on their own terms when they were ready, or they wouldn't. She would always give them the chance, but she would never force them to take it.

Jungkook nodded to himself, but it was Jimin's hand tugging at his shoulder - the shoulder connected to his good arm - that made him look up.

"P-Please?" Jimin asked, his eyes wide. "Everyone else is going to be s-sleeping at Dad's house after the d-dance."

Jungkook was silent for a moment.

"You don't want me to be lonely, d-do you?" Jimin tried, and Jungkook groaned as Jimin went on. "I'll be all by m-myself. Alone. Just me."

"Fine fine fine fine fine fine fine," Jungkook said, rolling his eyes. He wanted to cross his arms, but the action was a bit impossible at the moment. "This doesn't mean that I-" Jungkook cut himself, sending a quick glance at their mom, who was choosing to remain quiet on the matter.

"-that you love me the m-most or that I'm your favorite b-brother, but it's okay, I already know," Jimin finished for him, nodding firmly, and Jungkook just sputtered before giving in.

"Well, I'll go talk with the nurse and let her know that we're checking out early," their mom said, turning slightly toward the door and angling herself so she didn't have her back turned to them. "I'm sorry that you two had to miss the dance," she added sympathetically, and Jungkook just pursed his lips.

"I don't know. You saw the way that one nurse was looking at me, right?" he prompted Jimin.

Jimin just rolled his eyes and pushed their mom toward the door. "The sooner we get h-him home, the sooner he'll shut up."

She smiled and nodded, taking that as her cue to leave, and the room fell quiet.

"Home," Jungkook said, and Jimin blinked, looking over at him.

"Huh?"

"You called it home. Her house. You called it home." Jungkook stared at Jimin. "Is it your home?"

Jimin frowned, his eyes skirting along the edge of the bed, tracing the lines of the mattress and avoiding Jungkook's eyes. "It j-just slipped out, Kookie-"

"Is it your home?"

Jimin looked up at Jungkook. A lock of hair fell across his forehead, but Jimin didn't push it out of the way, just left it hanging there, obscuring a small portion of his vision. "I live there, K-Kookie. I sleep there. I have a b-bed there." He took a deep breath. "Mom is there."

"Dad isn't there," Jungkook said immediately. "It's like you guys have forgotten that he raised you, like you've forgotten all the sacrifices he's made and-"

"I didn't f-forget," Jimin said quietly, his eyes narrowed, brows furrowed unhappily. "It's just, the way the world is, you have t-to adapt to survive. I got tired of b-being miserable every day."

Jungkook really wanted to cross his arms now.

"Just because I care about M-Mom doesn't mean that I d-don't love Dad too," Jimin said, and Jungkook's lips twitched.

That's exactly what it seemed like to him. "It's a choice, isn't it? One or the other. Mom or Dad. There's always a choice. Leave our family, or stay and be our mom."

"Forget our family, or t-try to be part of it again," Jimin said, his voice soft in the room. The acoustics of his room deadened the sound of his voice, stopping the resonance of the pitches. There was no echo, only the statement itself, and then the words were gone, lost as sound waves into the walls, unable to be taken back or found again.

"What did she do to you?" Jungkook asked, his eyes narrowed in a glare. "What did she do to make you this way? To change you? You used to hate her too. And now you're best buds, like you've forgotten everything she did."

"Hatred makes the h-heart heavy," Jimin replied simply. "It's a chain that y-you can't take off. You can only unlock it with f-forgiveness."

"No!" Jungkook shouted abruptly. "I'm not going to forgive her! Not now, not ever! I'm never going to love her!"

Jimin paused before giving Jungkook a hug, and Jungkook stilled, not having expected the action in response to his harsh words.

"Hatred is a ch-choice," Jimin said. "Love is a choice. That's what you have to choose, only it's n-not only about her, it's about y-you, too. You're hurting yourself, Kookie." Jimin ruffled Jungkook's hair slowly.

"But I don't need a mom," Jungkook growled. "I grew up without one just fine. I don't need a mom now."

"But she needs y-you."

At that moment, the door opened, and their mom poked her head in with a small smile. "Okay, we're all ready to go. Jungkook, be careful with your arm, okay? Try not to hit the cast."

Jimin just nodded, standing up, not even looking at Jungkook because while he wanted Jungkook to dissolve the hatred in his heart, it was Jungkook's choice, not his.

***

She parked the car and opened the door on Jungkook's side. "Do you want any pain medication?" she asked as he stepped out. "I don't have anything prescription, but there's some over-the-counter pills in the cabinet if it still hurts."

"No thanks," Jungkook said, mainly because he considered himself too tough to have to rely on pain medication, as his arm actually did still hurt quite a bit.

"He's j-just being stubborn," Jimin said, coming around the other side of the car.

"I'm fine," Jungkook insisted.

"Whatever, your arm," Jimin replied, scanning the driveway before looking back at Jungkook with a smile. "We've got the house t-to ourselves."

"Come on in boys," their mother called from the doorstep, and Jimin hurried over, Jungkook trailing behind and trying to figure out why he'd agreed in the first place.

"Can I text T-Tae and invite him over too?" Jimin asked anxiously, and she smiled at Jimin, patting his back as he entered the house.

"Of course. I'd be happy to pick him up from the dance if you want to help Jungkook find some pajamas that will fit him. Yours might be a little small, but maybe try Hoseok's?" She picked her car keys up from the counter. "I'll go pick up Taehyung. Remember to lock the door after I go, okay? Just to be safe."

"Okay okay," Jimin said with a small chuckle as he texted Taehyung. He looked up several moments later. "Tae said it was good with him. He's g-going to let Jin know since Jin drove them to the d-dance."

"Perfect," she said. "All the triplets will finally be together for once," she said, and Jungkook saw a sad look come into her eyes before it disappeared. "I'll be back in twenty minutes, okay?"

"Bye Mom," Jimin called out, waiting for her to leave before locking the door. He turned to Jungkook, who was unusually quiet for his maknae self. "Let's go f-find you some clothes."

***

"So," their mom began, turning down the radio. The car windows were open, and soft noise poured in from the outside; crickets, wind blowing past the car, the dull hum of electricity. "How was the dance?"

Taehyung shrugged in the passenger seat. He'd never been alone with his mom before. The feeling was...strange. "It was all right. I think I was supposed to have a date - Jungkook made me pick one - but I never bothered to find her."

She smiled, her fingers tapping the steering wheel. "You've all grown up so quickly."

Because you missed the part where we grew up, Tae thought to himself but kept quiet.

"Even Yoongi had a date. Or at least, he told me he was going to ask a girl."

Tae looked over at her with wide eyes. "Hyung told you that?"

She chuckled. "I know, it's hard to believe, but don't tell him I told you, okay?"

Tae mumbled an agreement before looking out his window into the night.

Even Yoongi-hyung is that close to her?

Is he really stupid like Jungkook thought?

Or is he maybe...is Yoongi maybe right?

Tae had always looked up to Yoongi and found it hard to believe that Yoongi was mistaken, as Yoongi had always had a good sense of judgement about people.

Tae sent a discreet glance towards their mother. He wondered what Yoongi saw when he looked at her.

He wondered if he was seeing the same thing.

***

"Jimin? Jungkook?" their mom called out after she'd unlocked the door, Taehyung following behind her.

"In here," came Jimin's shout from their bedroom. She opened the door to find Jungkook wearing pajama pants that fell about ten centimeters short of his ankles.

"Did Hoseok's not fit?" she asked, trying not to smile at the bizarre sight, and Jungkook made a sour face.

"All of his pajamas have weird designs on them," Jungkook grumbled.

Jimin and their mom laughed, picturing Hobi's monkey pajamas in vivid detail.

The slamming of the front door echoed throughout the house, cutting off their laughter, and their mom stiffened before smiling. "Your step-dad is home. I'm going to go have a talk with him, all right? I'll put something on the stove for you boys to eat while I'm at it," she said before leaving the room.

Jimin's eyes followed her with concern. After a moment, he got up.

"You two stay here, okay? And d-don't let Toaster out," Jimin said, eyes still on the ajar door before he slipped through, shutting it behind him.

There was a long moment of silence.

"So. What'd the doctor say when you told him how you broke your arm?" Tae asked with a grin, and Jungkook glared at him.

"It could have happened to anyone," Jungkook insisted, and they argued back and forth for several minutes about the odds of slipping on shampoo until the raised voices from outside the door interrupted them.

"...a call about a hospital bill that I never authorized!" A man's voice. Maybe from the kitchen.

"Jungkook broke his arm! What was I supposed to do, put a band aid on it? He needed to go to the hospital!" Their mother.

"He's not one of them!"

Jungkook lowered his head. "Maybe we shouldn't be listening to this, Tae," he began, but Tae was already creeping towards the door, opening it silently and leaving it open just a crack so they could hear better.

"I'm not responsible for him! It's bad enough that your kids are always ending up in the hospital. Do you know how expensive that is? Of course you don't, it's not your money that you're spending, it's mine."

"Hoseok collapsed in school, and Yoongi had a seizure. They needed to see a doctor. They were emergencies-"

"Only because all of your kids are messed up!"

Tae sucked in a slight breath.

"You told me that we should take them in. You were the one who wanted them, and all they've brought us is trouble! Constantly causing problems at school, creating enormous medical bills, behaving improperly at business social events!"

"They're kids, dear, not adults, you can't expect them to-"

"I expect them to do exactly as I want them to! It's my roof over their heads, and it's my money that they're draining!"

The sound of footsteps.

"M-Mom, are you ok-kay?" Jimin's voice, as though he'd just entered the room.

"And this kid! He's an absolutely pathetic excuse of a son!"

Tae felt his hands clenching into fists, and Jungkook scowled. Despite their anger, they couldn't stop the fear from rising up in their stomachs, accompanied by the troublesome thought, Is it always like this for them here?

"I pay for speech lessons to fix him, but you tell him that he can stop going, and look how he turned out. Still as messed-up as the others. Not to mention this-"

"Ow!" Jimin's voice crying out. "L-Let go of my h-hair!"

Tae eased the door open a little wider, and he slipped through the door. Jungkook hesitated before following him, and they tip-toed to the kitchen, making sure to stay hidden behind a wall so nobody would see them, but so they could see what was going on.

Three backs were to them - their mother's, their step-father's, and Jimin's, his hair being yanked by their step-father.

"A disgrace," their step-father snapped, his voice louder now that the triplets were close. "Absolutely shameful. I take you in, give you food, clothing, pay for your education, your tutoring, your therapy, and you go out of your way to humiliate me."

Jimin glared back at him.

"This little-" their step-father began, raising a hand, but their mom grabbed his arm with both of her hands.

"Please, please don't, he's sorry, okay, just don't touch him-"

"Nothing about this sorry bitch son of yours is sorry! I ought to teach him some gratitude!" he yelled, pushing her aside so her back hit the wall, and he brought his arm back to slap Jimin, but once more, she grabbed his arm.

"Don't you dare lay a finger on my son!"

"Get off me, bitch!" He swept his arm, knocking her into the counter top, and she gasped as the air was forcibly expelled out of her lungs.

It was at this moment that, having shifted slightly, Jimin caught sight of Taehyung and Jungkook crouched behind the wall, their eyes wide with fear.

And Jimin knew what he had to do.

He whipped his head back and forth, gritting his teeth against the pain in his scalp before breaking free of his step-father's grip.

"Get Mom out of here!" Jimin yelled at the shadows behind the wall, and there was a moment of hesitance before Taehyung shot forward. He got a hand behind their mom's back and slipped a hand under her knees, as she'd slid down and collapsed onto the floor. He picked her up bridal style and quickly carried her out of the kitchen and into their bedroom, laying her down on Yoongi's bed.

Jungkook stayed where he was, jaw clenched. He'd wanted to carry her, but with his arm...

"What are you trying to do, piss me off?" their step-father yelled at Jimin. "You're a coward all your life and you pick tonight to change that?" he growled.

"The coward is the one who h-hits women," Jimin replied, his eyes cold with raw fury, and Jungkook found that even if he wanted to move, he couldn't. He was frozen in place, out of fear, out of something else - the not knowing. He'd never seen that look in Jimin's eyes, had never seen their step-father for more than ten minutes at a time, had never seen their mother put herself in harm's way to protect them.

I need to help Jimin, Jungkook told himself, trying to force his body to move, but a sharp glance from Jimin told him to stay still.

"You're going to tell me how to run my house?" their step-father asked, his voice rough. "You're not even my son. You're a dirty half-breed of hers."

Jimin didn't even flinch, but Jungkook became aware all of a sudden of a different look in Jimin's eyes. Behind the rage, fear.

Jimin was terrified.

Both parties in the kitchen were still for a moment before their step-father swiped out with a fist, but Jimin ducked just in time.

"Aren't your supposed to obey your parents?" their step-father asked tauntingly. "Isn't that what God tells you to do? And what's that other bit, spare the rod and spoil the child? I think you've gotten a bit too spoiled, hmm?"

Jimin bared his teeth. "I don't think t-twisting God to your side works like that."

"How about I send you to Heaven and you can ask him yourself?" their step-father suggested, taking a step toward Jimin, who took a step back but only realized his mistake a second late.

He'd given their step-father access to the kitchen knives.

Their step-father eyed them for a second before exhaling deeply, massaging his temples with his fingers as though he'd realized how angry he'd gotten and was making an attempt to control himself. "Go to your room. We'll deal with this tomorrow."

Jimin let out a short breath of relief, but then they heard it.

A soft meow.

And just like that, the tension escalated.

"What. Is. That?" Their step-father has not moved a step, but his eyes shot to Jimin's before scanning the room.

Jimin remained silent.

Jungkook felt goosebumps on his arms as something furry brushed past him.

Toaster, having escaped from the bedroom, was making a beeline for her owner, Jimin.

She curled around Jimin's ankle, purring and nestling her head against his foot, but Jimin remained absolutely still.

"Where did that thing come from?" came their step-father's quiet reply. Too quiet. Scary quiet. "I don't believe it was included in the custody battle. In fact, I thought I specifically told that bitch that I would not allow any sort of pet."

Jimin clenched his jaw. "She was going to d-die if we didn't-"

"I DIDN'T ASK YOU WHAT WAS GOING ON IN YOUR STUPID LITTLE BRAIN TO MAKE YOU BRING THAT THING INTO OUR HOME!"

Jungkook darted out from behind the wall to grab Toaster in his hands, one arm held stiff in a cast, before bringing Toaster, held in his arms close to his chest, back to the bedroom. He paused, slightly out of breath.

Tae was sitting on the bed, holding their mom's hand and talking in low tones. He looked up at Jungkook with fear-stricken eyes. "I think she cracked a rib, Jungkook, it's...it's bad, she's in a lot of pain, we need to-"

"WE SHOULD HAVE NEVER TAKEN YOU IN!" came a yell from the other room, accompanied by the sound of shattering glass.

"Shit," Tae whispered. He met Jungkook's eyes. Both of them were terrified and completely out of their league, and with Jungkook in a cast...it was looking pretty grim.

"You call Dad," Tae said, getting up from the bed and reluctantly letting go of their mom's hand. "I'm going to help get Jimin out of their safely. Get ready to lock the door after we get through, okay?" He paused, suddenly glancing at the window, the very window he'd used to sneak into their room on one prior occasion. "Mom, do you think you could make it out the window?"

A small moan from the bed, accompanied by a pain-laden nod.