Utah, United States

Everyone seemed to be on board for the make overs, and though it did sound fun, the main objective was to be able to pass a completely different person. Everything seemed to be falling into place, Taemin even announced that he worked at a salon. It was almost too perfect. ”But...there’s a small problem” the taller Korean stated. Of course there had to be a problem. Their day wouldn’t be complete without it. ”They’re booked for weeks. Not only that but, they’re really expensive.” he explained apologetically. If he worked as a stylist he could just do it himself, but he was just the receptionist. He didn’t know the first thing about makeup or hair. Jae looked to have on his thinking face and Taemin did the same. There had to some way around this. He did have a set of keys to the place after all. ”I could...sneak you in tonight after closing. I’m friends with one of the stylist that used to work there, maybe she could help” he explained. He knew it was a risky plan, but he’d do anything to help at this point. Jae, on the other hand, wasn’t too convinced by the plan. ”But if we get caught, you’ll lose your job” he protested. After everything Tae had done for them, jeopardising his job wasn’t an option. He clearly stated he needed the money for his studies. Jae was not okay with the possibility of ruining his best friend’s career, even if that friend didn’t care. "First. We need to cut out the microchips." England’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. That’s right, the chips. WIth everything that had being going on in the last few days, Jae had completely forgotten they even had those. He watched, a bit horrified, as their fearless leader dug into his own skin to pull out the small black chip. Well that was one way to do it. After his was taken care of, it was Elani’s turn. Jae almost laughed at the immediate change in the color of her winds, but he also he bad for her. It was not to be scared of someone like England with a knife. Soon enough, hers was taken out, and now his name was called. The Korean’s eyes widened slightly. He knew his turn would come, he just didn’t think it would come so quickly. Regardless, he didn’t protest. Instead, he quietly walked over to his best friend and ran his hand over the wound. Because it wasn’t too deep, he was able to heal it within seconds. He then moved onto England’s, healing the wound before there was any room for protest.

Alex watched with a slightly worried expression on her face. She hadn’t even thought about the fact that they needed to take the tiny devices out. They were engraved in their skin, and each person had it in a different place. Honestly speaking, ALex didn’t even know where her own was, but England seemed to have that part covered. How he knew where they all were was beyond her. If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought Tatyana told him, but that was highly unlikely. They all seemed to be in relatively easy to reach places, at least. She hoped that was the case for her, because there was no way in hell she was going to let England dig more than a quarter of an inch into her skin. Her eyes flickered around the room a little nervously, in an attempt to push the thoughts aside, and they landed on a very astonished looking Taemin. He was staring at the place where Elani’s wound had been. ”How’d you do that?” he asked in awe, probably directed at Jae. This must all be so strange to him, meanwhile the rest were all so used to it they didn’t even bat an eyelash.

More talk about the makeovers was being tossed around, and Tatyana tuned most of it out. She wasn’t worried with the details. She would leave the planning up to their host and Korea, since Taemin worked at the salon and Korea seemed to be the only one really having anything to say about it. She didn’t care when or how they would do it, just as long as they did. She didn’t see the point in stressing about it though. If Taemin was offering to help and willing to risk his job, then so be it. If worst came to worst and he did get fired, Scotland could always step into help him out. “First. We need to cut out the microchips.” Tatyana almost laughed, but stopped when she saw their leader wasn’t kidding. She saw the small amount of blood dripping from his arm and then Africa, and then hinted at it being Korea’s turn. Tatyana shook her head and walked off to the kitchen. If England seriously thought he was going to cut into her, he had another thing coming. All of them did if they would think she’s that dumb to let him. She would rather let Sam remove it than England. She knew where she chip was. She saw it almost everyday, even if her shirt covered it. If she had let England cut the chip out, he would probably remove a kidney or two along with the chip. She grabbed the sharpest knife she could find and lifting up her shirt, cut out the chip in her abdomen. She threw the chip on the ground and stepped on it, making sure it was completely destroyed. She cleaned herself and the kitchen up before returning to the others, her shirt slightly up so Korea could heal her when he was free.

Sam felt the excitement drain from him when he was Crispin cut into his own arm. He had not been paying attention to the conversation before him, so such events drew him back to reality. All he knew was that the conversation had just been so positive and hopeful, and now there was blood. He didn’t understand why he was slicing skin and shedding blood until he pulled the little squares out of him and Elani. Sam nodded his head slightly, it finally dawning on him. The scientists must have put something in each of them. Tatyana disappeared and then Jae was healing the other two. At least no one had to worry about healing and infection since Jae could guarantee nothing bad would happen to them. Sam didn’t really want to be cut into, especially after the group had just escaped years of such torture. There were still scars in some areas of his body where the scientists had “observed.” They could be painful reminders, but Sam tried to think of them as nothing more than a symbol of how much he had survived and how much more he could endure. He waited patiently for his turn, noting when Tatyana came back. Only a few more before his turn.

Elani's wings were fading back to their natural blue color after Jae healed the cut on her back. It felt liberating to not have the chip anymore. It was harder to be tracked when they did not have something the scientist made implanted within them. But since they were taken out so late, they might have already been spotted. That was not good. She was trying to keep her worries to herself, but her wings were not mixing with a shade of grade intertwining with the blue. It's hard to hide how she feels when her wings feel the need to display every emotion she was feeling inside of her. ”How’d you do that?” The other Korean asked. It was clearly directed at Jae, but Africa decided to answer. "Jae can heal as well as read minds." She said to him. The reading minds part can get quite annoying in the way that Jae uses it sometimes. But she kept that too herself as well.

England was actually not looking forward to cutting Jae's chip out. The idea of touching him was bothering him so much. Not in a bad way, but in a 'they technically aren't on good terms' kind of way. But currently he was trying to subside how he was feeling since right now he was acting as leader. He watched as Ukraine got up to get her own knife. Crispin was never going to cut out her chip. He was just going to hand her the knife when he was done with everyone else, but she seemed to have a handle on it. He knew that the idea of him and a knife on her was not a pleasant idea. He may not like her, but he was not going to hurt her. It would be counterproductive, if he gutted her. His attention went back to the Korean that was standing before him. The leader cleared his throat and then dropped to one knee. He lifted up his shirt a tad and cut on his left side. He could only imagine that this hurt so he was trying to be quick. Reaching in he pulled the chip out and crushed it. He placed the napkin on the cut. Standing up he took a step back. "Alex." He said.

Elani looked over at Sam, who looked just as worried as Alex. The mother in her started to come back out. She walked over to Sam and knelt before him. "It's going to be okay. Crispin won't hurt you." she reassured. She could only imagine the last experience he had with a knife coming in contact with his skin. He has to be just as horrified as she was. "If you want, I will hold you hand and then sing to you afterwards." she said with a bright smile.

There was a short moment of silence. Something about England lifting up his shirt in front of everyone felt awkward. Any other time, Jae would have taken the opportunity to tease him, but not this time. They weren’t exactly on speaking term, much less teasing terms. The Korean bit his lip as the knife broke through his skin. It wasn’t a big cut, but it was painful none the less. Once it was out, he let out a sigh of relief. Placing one hand on the napkin, he turned to see Tatyana waiting on him. He smiled slightly. It did feel good to be needed every once in awhile. The blonde walked over to her, gently placing his hand over the cut. It was healed within seconds. ”Better?”. Despite everything he had gone through to get his ability, all the torture and experimenting, he was glad he had this. The ability to heal people’s pain brought a feeling that was indescribable, even if it was something as simple as a small cut. Jae heard Elani comforting Sam, whom he guessed was terrified at the sight of a knife cutting into skin, and the Korean nodded in agreement/ ”Don’t worry, we got you” he added with a reassuring smile. The korean took a seat beside his old best friend, wincing slightly from the movement. Taemin looked at him in confusion. ”Aren’t you going to heal yours?” Jae smiled slightly and shook his head. ”I can’t. I can only heal others” he explained. Taemin didn’t seem to like that. ”That’s dumb” he said bluntly. Jae chuckled. It was kind of inconvenient, but he had grown used to it.

”Alex” The redhead looked up. It was her turn, as expected. She took in a deep breath and made her way over to England. She didn’t mind him doing it, she didn’t really have anything against their leader like Ukraine did, but it was still a scary feeling. She flinched slightly when the knife cut through, but in was over just as quickly as it had started. The chip was out an Jae was already on standby, ready to heal. She watched him silently. They had seen him do this many times, but Alex had never had it done on her. It was such an odd yet good feeling, like her veins were being supplied with energy. ”Thanks” she muttered once he was done. He nodded with a smile and took a step back to wait for Sam. Alex took a seat and watched the scene play out. Sam was clearly terrified, more so than anyone else. He was so young an innocent, it wasn’t fair that he had to go through this. Then again, nothing about this was fair. Not a single one of them deserved this.

Taemin watched with a frown on his face. He couldn’t imagine what they had all gone through for the little guy to be so scared of the knife. He glanced at Jae out of the corner of his eyes, suddenly so grateful that he was even alive. WHo knows what would have happened to them if they hadn’t escaped. Finally, Sam’s chip was taken out and they could all breathe comfortably. The odds of being traced down were now significantly lower. Taemin took it upon himself to make the next move. Before Jae could protest any more, he dialed a number and put it on speaker. ”Hey Tae!” came a female’s voice from the other side of the phone. ”Hey Ali, are you busy?”. There was a short paused before she answered. ”Nope, not anymore. I just got home. What’s up?”. Taemin hesitated, not sure how he would explain all this to her. He couldn’t just tell her what Jae told him, it wasn’t his business to talk about. ”I have some clients for you. They need a big change, but they don’t exactly have a lot of money on them so…” he paused, wondering if this was even a good idea. ”Ah I get it...mmm...honestly I haven’t done this in a while Tae. I don’t have any of the equipment. All i have is scissors.” she said with a small laugh. Taemin smiled slightly. ”Don’t worry, we can use the salon” he said. ”They lent you the salon?” the shock in her voice was almost comical. ”Not exactly….” he said a bit cautiously. She laughed a little louder this time. ”Well you know how i feel about my former boss so...count me in”[/color]. Tae could feel the relief coming from the group, as well as himself. ”Thanks Ali, you’re awesome! Are you free tonight? Maybe an hour or so after closing?” he said, making sure they had plenty of time for everyone to be home. [b]”Done. See you there”.

Korea healed Tatyana faster than she expected. She had only watched him do it before, and it was interesting being on the other side of it. She watched as the wound closed and dropped her shirt, nodding at his question. “Yeah, thanks.” She offered a small smile before moving out of the way and towards the couch again. England was still removing chips from people, and based on the way things looked, only Scotland and Sam were left. Neither of the two looked thrilled to be going, especially Sam. Everyone else seemed to notice and all she could do was offer a small smile and thumbs up to the boy, to which the eleven year old returned the smile. The little procedure seemed to be shorter on Sam than everyone else, which was a good thing. Meanwhile, Taemin wasted no time contacting his friend about the makeovers. All seemed to be going well from what she could hear, and his last response before hanging up seemed to be a confirmation. “So, the details?”

Sam couldn’t help but grow more and more nervous as the others went. He just wanted it to be over with, but he wasn’t going to cause a scene. However, it seemed all the others could tell how nervous he was. Especially Elani, but that wasn’t entirely surprising. She was the first to try and comfort him, and offered to hold his hand. He nodded slowly and took the girl’s hand. It was comforting to him, but he had a feeling it also made her happy. The gesture definitely brought some relief and he nodded when it was his turn. Jae and even Tatyana encouraged him, and the little boy was suddenly feeling as though he could take on the world. He looked at Crispin and nodded once. “Give me your worst. I’m ready!” Sam closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath. He felt the knife dig into his calf and it was a little more painful than Sam anticipated, but nothing compared to past events. He could take it. He held his breath until everything was taken care of, even the healing, and then slowly released it. So it wasn’t too bad. But just like that, the group was already making plans for their next move. Apparently Taemin had connections and the makeovers were definitely going to happen. Sam still didn’t know what they could do with him, but he would love to find out.

Crispin got through everyone. The microchips were removed and their chances of being found, decreased significantly. The leader had wanted to do this much earlier, but he did not have the proper means to do so. And everyone was just so exhausted from running everyday and not have a proper meal. He wanted them all to get far away enough before cutting into them. They were lucky to run into Taemin for this to happen. England cleaned up any mess that the napkin did not catch and then he washed the knife. No evidence of blood anywhere and all the chips were broken and thrown away. Next on the agenda were the makeovers. The host seemed to have that handled. He made a phone call, who Crispin assumed was his connection, about giving out free makeovers. It seemed to have gone well since Taemin did not say that they were on their own. He was risking his job to help them and that was more than Crispin could ever ask from some civilian. Korea and Africa on the other hand did not seem so happy about it.

Elani did not want Taemin to get fired from his job for them. They were all on the run anyway. They could use Alex's power to get their makeover. There was no need for such a risks. She felt awful for this and it wasn't even our decision. No one else seemed like they were going to stop them. The korean ignored Jae's protest so there was no point in trying to say anything. Her wings turned a tad bit blue and sagged a bit. Africa had never let go of Sam's hand. He gave her such good feelings and she was trying to ignore the guilty feeling. The leader ran his fingers through his hair, not wanting to address the korean's risk. "Even though we are getting makeovers, he still need a change of clothes to match. I can run into town to get some and I can only carry one person with me." he said. The only person that he did not want to go with him was Ukraine. Other than that, it was free game. It would most likely be Jae, because of last time. But he was not going to force the Korean to come with him.

The chips were taken care of, which meant that the worst was over. The one to have the worst of it seemed to be same, but after all was said and done, the youngest immediately went back to his usual cheerful self. Jae was fairly happy himself, despite the circumstances. There was only one thing that was bothering him and that was Taemin and his job being put on the line. Jae couldn't be more thankful to his friend, but there was no need for him to risk his job, his only means of living, for the likes of them who were on the runaway. They could have somehow managed on their own. Luckily he wasn't the only one that felt this way. Elani looked to be just as concerned, and they had a right to be, but Taemin was taking zero excuses. In fact, this is the first time since the two boys had meet that Jae had ever seen him take charge this way. His friend didn't wait for more excuses nor did he wait for anyone to give him the okay, he just made the arrangements on his own. Though Jae was upset with the fact that his usually easily persuaded Taemin wasn't listening, he was also impressed by his resolved. He almost couldn't help but to feel proud. If he didn't know any better, he'd say it was to impress the girls, one in particular. But Taemin was usually motivated by much more than that.

"Even though we are getting makeovers, he still need a change of clothes to match. I can run into town to get some and I can only carry one person with me." Right, the clothes had almost been forgotten. Luckily England was on top of things, and though he was hot headed, he was the leader for a reason. "Jae could go with you! He's always had a good fashion sense" Taemin volunteered his friend cheerfully, only to receive an odd look in return. This was something Taemin wasn't used to seeing, but then again, six years could significantly change a person. Either that or there was something going on that the Korean was completely oblivious to. Tae was almost sure it was the second one, but despite his facial expression, Jae didn't make any excuses. "Sure" he answered simply with a faint smile. WHat else could he do? Throw a fit and saw he didn't want to go? There was no time for childish things such as that. They had a mission and they would get it done. The smaller Korean got to his feet with a stretch, wincing immediately as the small incision made by their leader reminded him it was there. What good was being able to heal when he couldn't even heal himself? "Hold on! Don't move" Taemin ordered him before disappearing into the kitchen.

Alex sat quietly watching the scene. Now they were back to the basics, looking for new clothes to keep them from being spotted within the crowd. Of course Jae was chosen to accompany their leader, though the Korean didn't seem as ecstatic about it as he had been last time. Whatever had happened between the two was clearly not going away any time soon. Alex almost dared to say it was England's fault, but that didn't make sense. He was a stubborn man, but there was no doubt in her mind, or anyone else's for that matter, that their leader had fallen hard. Jae on the other hand was ironically more of a mystery. Though he flirted constantly, it was a little unclear whether his feelings were real, or if it was all just for the fun of it. Jae didn't seem like the type of person to play with other's emotions, but then again, Alex wasn't the mind-reader. Love and crushes were such a complicated thing. Why anyone bothered with them was beyond her. The redhead was happy on her own, not having to worry about impressing or keeping another person happy. It all sounded like too much work.

"Left your shirt" was the first thing Taemin said when he walked back in. Jae's brow flew up into his hairline, until he distinguished what the other was holding in his hand. A first aid kit, clearly. "I'm fine Tae, don't-" once again, Taemin was hearing no excuses. Instead he took the liberty of lifting up the other's shirt on his own, taking a seat on the edge of the couch so the cut was at eye level. "Hold please" he instructed. Jae did as he was told, because protesting was clearly useless, and held his shirt up while the cut was cleaned and a bandaid large enough to cover it was placed. "Okay you're free to go" Tae said as he got to his feet. Jae returned the smile on his friend's face. "Thanks...for everything" it was never too soon or too late to say thank you.

Tatyana watched the scene unfold before her. Taemin seemed to be bossing Korea around and telling him to go with England to the clothes store. If the two had tried to conceal how they felt about that, they did a pretty poor job. There was still unnecessary tension between the two, so the journey to the clothing store ought to be interesting. If only she were going, even though she could watch them the whole time. It would be better to hear them, too. Her attention was then caught by Taemin yanking at Korea’s shirt, and Tatyana couldn’t help but smirk the slightest. It was a shame her earlier assumptions were wrong. The two boys were pretty comfortable around each other; at least she got that much right.

Sam watched as everyone transitioned from the microchips to getting clothing, and he became a little uninterested. He didn’t really mind what clothing he got, and it didn’t surprise him that Jae was going with Crispin again. Jae was one of the lighter ones, and probably had the best idea of what everyone liked. It just made sense he would go. As for the others, he didn’t know what they would all do until it was time for their makeovers. He glanced at Alex, who seemed to be lost in thought. Whatever she was thinking about seemed to be keeping her busy, and Sam smiled a little. He went over to the redhead and plopped himself down beside her. “What are you thinking about?” The eleven year old sang his question, kicking his legs slightly. He wanted to be just as lost in thought as the other girl had seemed to be.

England waited patiently as Taemin fixed the wound Jae had. The Korean is unable to heal himself, to reasons unknown, so his friend was taking it upon himself to fix him. Crispin did not mind all that much. He was just a tad concerned for their closeness, but he was sure that there was nothing else. At least he was telling himself that there was nothing else. Once they were done, England gestured for Korean to follow him. They moved out of the apartment door and England shut it behind him. Turning towards Jae, he easily picked him and placed him on his back. "Just hold tight." It would be counterproductive, if the korean flew off of Crispin's back. With that only warning, England took off running at his max speed. It was easy considering how light Jae was.

They made it too town and England gently placed Korea down. He looked over him to make sure that he was okay, but he seemed fine. Then the leader looked around trying to find a clothing store that served multiple genders and body types. Once he found one, he headed inside with Korea. There was no formal plan, except probably to follow the same one they had last time. Distract the cashier, grab the clothes, run out. Pretty simple.

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Elani watched Taemin fix Jae and the waved goodbye to her friend who was going to be along with his hot headed crush. It could end in a disaster or it could go great. Africa was really hoping that it did not end in the disaster like she was thinking it would. The whole group would just fall apart and there was no time for that. Elani wanted England and Ukraine to make up already, but that clearly was not happy. At least not today. Eventually they are going to realize they dislike each other for no reason. They are both stubborn and hot headed. Once they get over that, everything will be fine.

Elani looked over at Alex, who seemed to be in deep thought. Sam had a handle on that though. He has a way with reading facial expressions and taking it upon himself to deal with the situation. Africa smiled softly at him. Then she turned her attention to Ukraine. Elani could not read her facial expressions. Based on her current emotions, she seemed fine. There was no need to address her for any reason. Not that she did not want too, but she understands how much Ukraine likes her space. Elani looked to Taemin and was wondering how he was so happy. She could feel his happiness radiating off of him. Jae, Sam, and sometimes Alex always give off some form of happiness, but being locked up for so long can only allow someone so much happiness. But Taemin was giving off happiness levels that could not be explained. It was making the empath dizzy. Pulling her eyes away, she leaned back more in her chair and placed a hand on her head. Though she did not want too, she attempted to block out Tae's happiness. It was going to wear her out.

The two stubborn lovers left and Tatyana couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Finally. Anytime England left the room she felt more at ease. To be exact, she felt much less irritated. For someone she didn’t care about at all, the negative affect he had on her was still noticeable to everyone. As for Korea, she didn’t mind that he had left. In some sense, she almost wish he hadn’t. Almost. She wasn’t that close with the boy after all, much like how she was with the others. She wouldn’t call anyone a friend. She could still tolerate some more than others, but Korea had been bumped on her list a place or two. The blonde ran a hand through her hair and carried herself to an open seat a little away from Scotland and Sam. She closed her eyes, leaned her head back on the padded seat, and started scanning the house. It could be seen as an invasion of privacy, but no one could legitimately accuse her of visually raiding the hosts house. It was the most entertaining thing she could think of since she would rather not watch Korea and England alone, even if there was potential for drama and action.

Sam chose not to address the slight change in Alex’s facial expression. Whatever she was thinking about, she was not obliged to share with Sam. He chose to respect her privacy, even though the urge to ask was making him itch with curiosity. Sam smiled brightly at the girl’s question and gave a big thumbs up. “I feel great, actually!” The boy paused and tried to hold back a yawn, but he quickly lost that battle. “Actually, I think I may have had a little too much to eat. I’m a bit sleepy, but I am feeling more energetic than lethargic.” He over exaggerated a small stretch to make his point, and asked her the same question in return. “And how about you? How do you feel?”

The plan on how to get clothes was, established between them without saying a word. This is the second time they have done this. Jae distract and Crispin grab clothes. Simple enough. England had taken a backpack and ripped off the tags before they had been noticed by the cashier. There weren't any works wandering around, that needed to be avoided. England was thinking about the last outfits he had grabbed. He wanted to make sure that everyone was relatively satisfied and comfortable with the clothes. England grabbed shorts and shirt for Ukraine. He wandered around a bit more before getting Alex pants and a tank top. England had a disgusted look on his face to give off the idea that he did not like anything in the store. Sam has pants and shirt. He got Korea pants and flannel. Elani has a dress, and Crispin got shorts and a long sleeve for himself. Once everyone had clothes, England wandered around just a bit more. He checked a few more racks, keeping the backpack down at his side. Crispin wanted to give Korea enough time not to bring suspicion, but not too much that makes him commit to something he will not be attending. England neared Jae and placed a hand on his lower back. "Are we good to go?" He asked, with a smile on his face.


Elani felt her headache slowly disappear, as she blocked out Taemin's emotions. She released a contented sigh. Then out of no where Taemin took a seat next to Africa. It wsa much easier to block him out when he was across the room. Now he was sitting right next to her, offering her such a charming smile. "I know it's kind of none of my business but...did something happen between Jae and... mmm....Crispin?" Tae was right. It was none of his business. In fact it wasn't anyone's business besides Korea and England. They were dealing with this in their own way. Though Elani knows everything since neither of them are very good about hiding their emotions when it comes to each other. For a moment she was silent, not sure if she should tell him. Jae hasn't told him and they were supposed to be best friends. If Elani tells him, she could get in trouble. But at the same time he deserved to know. He was experiencing the awkward tension as well, he should at least know why. "Jae and Crispin like each other. Practically love. But Crispin is really stubborn and he hurt Jae's feelings really bad the other day. And they haven't really talked to each other since." She said, rather fast. It was the summed up version of what has happened. "Don't tell Jae I told you. I'm not really sure how he would react if he finds out I told." She said, looking down at her lap before making eye contact with him.

Distracting the cashier wasn't as tough as Jae imagined it would be. He was extremely friendly, in fact a little too friendly. The Korean was highly tempted to take a peak into his mind. Half of him said no. It was a clear invasion of privacy and whatever the man was thinking was none of his business. But on the other hand, what if the man was being so friendly because he was suspicious? He could possibly already know what they were up to and was only stalling to give time for the cops. Getting arrested was not part of the grand scheme today. Jae pushed past his judgement and carefully invaded the man's head, relieved to find that he had no idea what was going on. There was a reason as to why he was being so friendly, but Jae decided to ignore that part. "Ah, I see. That makes a lot more sense." he responded to the man's explanation with a friendly smile. Just as he was about to check in on England, someone placed a hand on his back. The sudden contact almost made him jump. "Are we good to go?" The sight of England smiling was almost scary. Their stoic leader usually only smiles when he's with Sam. Even if it wasn't a real smile, it was still a very shocking sight to see. "Yeah, I think so. Thanks for the help" he said, adding in a smile as an after thought and was rewarded with a genuinely smile from their "helper". Jae's first instinct when they stepped out of the store was to tease the leader about the whole situation, but they weren't exactly on teasing terms right now. In fact, they weren't on any sort of terms, so he kept quiet as they headed back.


Alex couldn't help but laugh a little at Sam's exaggeration. It felt good to laugh, even if she was exhausted, it seemed to take some weight off her shoulders. The young boy seemed to be really good at that. “And how about you? How do you feel?” The redhead seemed to think for a moment before shrugging. "Tired, but I'm okay" she said, thinking on what else to say to keep the boy's attention. "Actually i'm kind of craving some ice cream" she said after leaning in slightly, pretending to whisper it to him but clearly loud enough for everyone to hear. SHe didn't actually expect to get any ice cream, her only intention was to make the boy smile. They have all had one hell of a day and could use some light hearted conversation.

Elani quickly explained the situation and Taemin sat in silence, at a loss for words. He knew something was wrong between the two, but he never imagined that. Jae had never really liked another guy before, as far as he could remember. Maybe because Korean standards were much different. It was almost like an unspoken taboo, not that Taemin ever cared about that. He never really saw anything wrong with it, you love who you love regardless of age or gender. "Wow...I had no idea" he said, almost astonished. Have of him was happy for his best friend for finding someone he truly cared about, but the other half was worried. Taemin never liked to judge people based on appearance, but that Crispin fellow didn't appear to be very friendly. Of course if Jae liked him there had to be something good about him, but that still didn't make him feel any better about it. "I won't say anything" he said, holding his right hand up as if he were making an oath.

The house was pretty basic; not much that really caught her attention. There was nothing hidden in any drawers, no secret rooms in closets or a random stairwell behind a bookshelf. Nothing like that in this little house. Tatyana was hoping to find something the least bit entertaining or scandalous, but nothing. She spent a few minutes looking at the pictures he kept in his room of family and other people or things, but other than that she didn’t stop to look at anything. Maybe Taemin was as honest and straightforward as he seemed to be. That would be pretty disappointing if he was. A little mystery is always fun. After what seemed like a few more minutes, Tatyana shifted her sight to Korea and England. They were on their way back. Well, it took them long enough.

Alex seemed to be in more or less the same boat as Sam, and it made the boy a little happy. At least she was okay. She mentioned ice cream and Sam’s eyes lit up. Not because she mentioned ice cream, but because she had mentioned dessert. Sam loved dessert, but nothing more than brownies. It was his favorite. His oldest sister made the best ones and his mouth watered slightly at the thought of them. “You know,” he started to whisper back, “I’m not a huge fan of ice cream but you know what I love? Brownies.” Sam was still too full from dinner to actually eat a brownie, but even if there were brownies, he would definitely eat them. Sam didn’t expect Taemin to have all the food everyone wanted, and he hoped that the host couldn’t hear him and Alex. He didn’t want to ask for more out of someone who had already given the whole group so much.

The two of them left the store and Crispin put the backpack on his back. As they were walking, Crispin was thinking about how to carry Jae without everything being more awkward than it already was. He could carry him bridal style, but that was worse than a piggy back ride. He could not pick him up anyway, until they were out of the town. During the walk out of the center of the town, Crispin eyed him just a little. HIs crush on him did not diminish one bit. In fact it was probably worse now that they weren't talking and he seemed buddy buddy with Ukraine. And then Taemin was just way too close for comfort. The leader did not care much that they were close friends before the abduction, it did not help the jealousy. The Englishman did not want the two of them to be awkward anymore. It was practically killing him inside to not be teased or messed with by him. Though it was annoying, it was better than the silence and the awkwardness. And he knew what he had to do, but he was having a hard time trying to figure out how to do it. A sigh escaped him and he gently took hold of Jae's arm to stop him from walking. Once he caught his attention, Crispin shoved his hands into his own pockets. "I-uh.." England usually does not have problems with words, but it was apologies he was not good with. "I didn't mean to upset you in the hotel room.." He started. "I uh don't like the way it is between us and I want us to go back to normal.." He attempted to finish. He did not say 'I'm sorry' but that is what he is trying to say.


"I won't say anything" Elani smiled at his promise and giggled a little at his right hand gesture. Taemin was ridiculously sweet and adorable. It made sense why him and Jae were close friends. There personalities work rather well together. Well besides the stubbornness. Their arguments could probably be quite entertaining to watch. Africa ran her fingers through her hair, and looked down at her lap, before looking back up at Taemin. "Thank you. For everything. I know everyone is thanking you, but its been so long since we have seen someone that was so willing to help." She said. Being locked up by scientist who only have selfish interest makes finding someone that knows about their abilities and help a rare human being. They probably could not find another person like that, if they had tried.

The walk out of the town was silent, well, for the most part. Jae's tired eyes busied themselves looking around the town at all the people walking, shopping, eating and having fun. It must be nice to have that kind of freedom. The six of them could only be outside for a moment before having to duck into hiding again. That was really no way to live, but it was the only way to survive. Caught up in his thoughts of possibly freedom in the future, he was startled when he felt someone grab him. The Korean immediately stopped, almost expecting it to be someone from the facility that had somehow found them. Much to his relief, it was just England. Jae had almost forgotten they were walking together. There was a confused look on his face, which the blonde was going to comment on, but he didn't even have to. "I didn't mean to upset you in the hotel room.." This was a bit unexpected. Jae never thought they'd talk about it unless he brought it up himself. "I uh don't like the way it is between us and I want us to go back to normal.." Normal? Was that ever even a thing between them. For the first time in a while, Jae was at a loss for words. "I'm not upset" he said simply. It wasn't entirely a lie. What happened at the hotel was in the past, but he saw no point in carrying on like before if the recipient refused to face the facts. "There's only so much rejection someone can take, ya know?" he said almost playfully before waving it off. "We're fine, don't worry about it" he added before continuing their walk back. There was really nothing else he could say. If England wanted to be stubborn and be left alone then that is what Jae was going to do.


“I’m not a huge fan of ice cream but you know what I love? Brownies.” The redhead stared at the young boy for a moment before cracking a smile. Brownies did sound like a treat right now, despite how full she was. After all, they had to make up for all the years they were deprived of good food. "I love brownies" she whispered back, nudging him slightly. "You know, i'm actually really good at making them" at least she was, back when she still lived at home. Her family would always have her bake things for them. Alex was never a fan of cooking, because it took so much effort, work and cleaning up afterwards. BUt she loved sweets and desserts, so the mess after baking was always worth it. "Maybe Taemin has some brownie mix we can use". The redhead was tired, no, exhausted. Physical activity was not at the top of her list right now, but if baking brownies with Sam lifted up both their spirits then she didn't mind too much.

Taemin's mind was still processing everything he had learned in just a few short hours. So many things to think and worry about, like what will happen to this group now? Where will they go? Where will Jae go? Hiis family is still in Seoul. Surely he'll want to see them as soon as possibly. Maybe Tae could get some time off work and school to go with him. At least for a day or two. "Thank you. For everything. I know everyone is thanking you, but its been so long since we have seen someone that was so willing to help." His attention went back to the girl next to him and he smiled warmly. Everyone was thanking him constantly, but all he did was give them a place to stay, nothing fancy, just the necessities. "It's really nothing, I love having visitors" he said, which was true. Living on your won could get rather lonely. In between sentences, he could hear a conversation near by. Alex and Sam were talking about making brownies. Taemin was almost certain they would be too full for dessert, but if they wanted brownies then he would happily oblige. "I have some mix in the kitchen" he said, butting into their conversation just long enough to let them know. "i can show you where everything is".

Tatyana watched Korea and England long enough. She could see something was going on, but she wasn’t entirely interested. The conversation in the room was growing louder bit by bit, and Tatyana drew her attention from the guys to the others in the room. Sam and Scotland seemed to be talking about dessert. She didn’t know how the others could still want more food. The blonde couldn’t feel her own stomach and was about ready to blow. Taemin must have heard the ongoing conversation, and offered to show them where it was. “Second shelf in the kitchen cabinet to the right, next to the other cake mix.” Tatyana butt in, got up from her spot, and stretched her legs shortly before going and walking to the kitchen. If all they were going to do was wait for the two to get back, she could at least watch Sam and Scotland busy themselves.

Sam couldn’t help but smile when Alex declared her own love for brownies. He was glad there was another brownie lover amongst the group, and when she said that she was good at making them, Sam perked up even more. Taemin seemed to move away from his conversation with Elani and move towards the his own conversation. “I have some mix in the kitchen.” Sam looked at Taemin and then Alex, his view shifting from one to the other before smiling. Taemin offered to show them where it was, but Tatyana seemed to want to help them. Either that or she also liked the chocolatey squares they were about to make. Sam hopped up off the couch excitedly and pumped his fist in the air. “Who’s ready to make brownies!” He walked over to Elani and grabbed her one hand with his, “You can help too! Group effort!” He didn’t want anyone left behind. They could all work together to make dessert and even surprise Crispin and Jae when they got back.

"I'm not upset" England wanted to call him out on the lie, but there was no way the leader would know for sure if he was telling the truth. So he let Jae continue what he was saying. "There's only so much rejection someone can take, ya know?" Korea said they were fine, but England did not feel fine. Crispin felt far from fine. It was as if his apology did not actually do anything. The Englishman wanted to tell Korea that he returned the feelings, but he does not know how. The words form in his head, but refuse to leave his mouth. Korea started walking again. England trailed behind him, trying to figure out how to get his point across. He took hold of Korea's arm once more, stopping them from walking. "No I don't think you understand." He started. "I miss the teasing though it bothered me greatly. I was jealous when that dumb cashier flirted with you and when you and Tatyana seemed closer than we were." He started, not really enjoying the confession. He was only doing this because he wanted Jae to understand. "And I really wanted to kiss you when we were alone." He added, breaking eye contact for just a moment. "I'm just trying to say that I like you. A lot. It hurts." England finished. He was really hoping that Jae still liked him or this would be a waste.


Elani picked up on the brownie conversation. She kind of wanted to seem Sam and Alex attempt to make brownies. "I have some mix in the kitchen" Apparently, so did Tae. He was willing to show them where it was so that they could get started. “Second shelf in the kitchen cabinet to the right, next to the other cake mix.” Ukraine beat Tae to it. But that did not seem to matter. Sam was keen on everyone helping make these brownies. He even came and took hold of Elani's hand. Africa giggled, following after the child more than willing to help with the dessert. "Well let's get started." Elani started pulling out the basic necessities for coking.

Jae had just expected the Englishman to let it go and quietly walk back to the apartment, but much to his surprise, he didn't. He seemed intent on letting out whatever was on his mind, so Jae did his bes to just listen. They came to a stop again and were face to face. England began to confess, almost too quickly for the Korean to process everything. There was something about his teasing, and missing it. Jealousy having to do with the cashier, which Jae already knew. Something about the hotel room and what should have happened versus what did happen. Somehow even Tatyana was thrown into the mix. Jae just stared blankly as the taller man continued on, as if he had been holding too much in for too long and suddenly exploded. "I'm just trying to say that I like you. A lot. It hurts." Jae felt his eyebrows skyrocket. Out of all the things he expected him to say, that wasn't one of them. Not because he had no idea. He already knew, which is why they were in this situation in the first place. He just never imagined the Englishman to come out and say it so plainly. There was a long moment of silence before a smirk formed on Jae's face as he folded his arms. "Well it took you long enough".

just as Raemin was getting ready to explain where the ingredients were, the blonde spoke up. “Second shelf in the kitchen cabinet to the right, next to the other cake mix.” The Korean was speechless for a moment, unsure of just how she know that. It must have had something to do with her ability but it was slightly freaky. "Uhh, yeah what she said" he said shyly as he headed to the kitchen. Everyone else did the same. WHo knows when the other two would be back, they could at least have some fun baking. "WHat else do you need?" Taemin asked the redhead who had been the one to assure she was good at making these deserts. Tae knew how to make them, but he was no expert. He probably baked once of twice a year at most. ALex thought for a moment about what she would need. There was a recipe she had gotten from her grandmother that made the brownies extra soft and less flaky. SHe thought hard, trying to remember every detail. It had been several years since she had made any, but she used to make them constantly, so it shouldn't be too hard to remember. as the Ingredients started coming to her memory one by one she began to call them out and watched as Taemin brought out each one. Tatyana helped as well. She had clearly been peaking around the house. Once everything was layed out she smiled and looked at Sam, assistant are you ready?

Everyone filed into the kitchen relatively fast. Even Africa joined them, all because of Sam’s insistence. Tatyana entered the kitchen and sat on one of the counters. there wasn't much counter space to begin with, but she chose her seat to in the far corner, only due to the proximity of it to other ingredients and it was out of the way for Sam and Scotland. Taemin started helping take out the ingredients as Scotland called them out, and Tatyana placed whichever ingredients she was near to on the counter for the redhead and twelve year old. Scotland asked Sam if he was ready, and Sam seemed to get partially offended, which she thought was a little cute. She smirked and hopped off the counter, walking over to the table they ate at to get out of the two’s way.

ingredients started appearing left and right in front of him and he couldn't help but look at Alex. There were a lot of ingredients for something so simple. “Assistant, are you ready?” Sam placed his hands on his hips and faked a gasp. “Assistant?!” He waved a finger at her warning my, trying to act tough, but he couldn't hold back the slight smile on his face. “I am much more than just an assistant! Think of me as more like your….culinary second in command!” Sam snapped his fingers after the made up term flowed off his tongue and he nodded, obviously pleased with himself. He needed to make sure everyone knew he was serious. He took his craft--even though this was technically Alex’s craft--seriously. Anything he did had to be performed as best as it could be, just so it would please and help everyone else. Sam looked at Alex for the first order of directions, and once Alex started giving instructions, Sam obliged.

Crispin was starting to worry when the silence came between them. It was dead quiet. No one was saying anything and unlike the Korean, the Englishman could not read his mind. He had no idea what the other was thinking. All he knew is that Jae was surprised. But the only give away for that was the way he raised his eyebrows. Crispin still had no idea how Jae felt about him. Whether or not all the flirting was for fun or if it was serious. The leader desperately wanted the Korean to say something. The silence was driving him mad. "Well it took you long enough" It was the Englishman's turn to give a look of surprise. He was not expecting that. More of something like "It's too late" or "I like you too" or "I was just teasing." But Jae already knew. Which meant this whole situation was Crispin's fault. The leader did not want to think it was,but it was true. He pushed passed the sad thought of how he almost ruined this. A small smirk came to his face. "Clearly I wasn't discreet enough." he stated. Then he rubbed the back of his neck and rocked on his heels a tad. [color=#"80135C]"But you never actually said that words 'I like you back'. I can't read your mind, so you have to say it out loud."[/color]


Elani was not sure how to help with the brownies. She was never the greatest cook and she never had brownies from a box. So this whole thing was new to her. But she was patiently waiting in the kitchen for someone to use her. For now, Africa decided that she would be in charge of washing dishes afterward since everyone else was baking. She had too keep her laughter to herself when Sam upgraded his assistant status. Elani loved him dearly and this just made her love him more. Everything about him was pure, innocent, and cute. Especially when he was taking charge on stuff like this. It was even funnier because he was Crispin's technical second in command. Leaning against one of the cabinets, she just watched everyone get started.

Jae thought her had been perfectly clear about how he felt, but apparently that was not the case. "But you never actually said that words 'I like you back'. I can't read your mind, so you have to say it out loud." the Korean almost rolled his eyes. Who knew their tough, strong leader could be so cheesy. This was the kind of things you'd see in a drama or a movie, but never had this happened to Jae in real life. Of course this was the first time he had these kinds of feelings for another guy so who knows how these kinds of things worked. In that aspect, Crispin probably had lots more experience. The smaller boy thought for a minute on what to do next. Despite how straight forward he had been with his flirting, saying "I like you" seemed a lot harder. There had to be another way to say it without actually saying it. In a split second decision he took a step closer to the englishman, raising himself up slightly on his tip toes and grabbed hold of the man's collar. The kiss was short enough to not draw too much attention to themselves, but long enough to make sure Crispin understood. "I like you too, in case that wasn't clear enough" he said. It felt odd, but also like a big weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "We should probably go before that guy figures out we stole".

“I am much more than just an assistant! Think of me as more like your….culinary second in command!” Alex looked down at the small boy who had a very serious look on his face as he said this. SHe had to try her hardest not to laugh. She cleared her throat before speaking again. "You're right, I'm sorry" she said, playfully waving her hands. "Alright, second in command, let's make the best brownies this world has ever seen!" she said before he began giving him the first set of instructions. Alex loved spending time wit Sam. He made her feel light hearted, and that always felt nice. As the two began their task, Taemin watched from afar. He had never been good at making desserts, so he decided to just watch from the sidelines. Besides, the scene was so sweet, he couldn't intervene. Sam was surely like a breath of fresh air for this group despite everything they had been through. Taking a spot by the cabinets in between the two girls, he watched with a small smile on his face. Hopefully Jae would get back soon, he always loved these kinds of things. And suddenly he began to worry again, hoping everything was okay between him and the guy he had basically forced him to go with. If they came back upset it would be Taemin's fault for opening his big mouth. That always managed to get him into trouble.

Tatyana watched as Sam and Scotland started working on their culinary masterpiece. It was cute to see the two bonding. Looking around the kitchen, the scene almost seemed normal. It almost seemed like they did this once a week. It almost seemed like they were just a group of friends hanging out, who met in normal circumstances like just bumping into each other or meeting in school. It was a weird feeling, how calm the room felt given their reality. Tatyana brushed her hand through her hair. She knew she shouldn’t get too comfortable or too relaxed, but watching Sam and Scotland was pleasing. Sam was more than eager to help, and seeing Scotland become so focused on such a lighthearted task was almost cute., and the blonde couldn’t help but grin watching the sight.

Alex apologized for her mistake, and Sam almost felt bad. He didn’t mean to offend her or hurt her feelings, but then he saw her smile and he knew it was alright. Alex decided to play along in calling him her second in command and Sam saluted her before following the instructions as she gave them. He grabbed the bowl, eggs, butter, and whisk as she instructed, which was a simple task since Tatyana and Taemin had helped put all the ingredients out for them. Sam handed the ingredients over to Alex as she called for them, and watched as she started to make his favorite dessert. With the way Alex was working, and they way they functioned as a team, he was sure the brownies might actually be the best the world has ever seen. Hopefully Jae and Crispin would get here soon, because at this rate, the brownies may be done and all eaten before they get back!

During the silence, Crispin was thinking the worse. Thinking that he did not like him and that this whole apology and confession that a waste of time. He would beat himself up if that was true. There was no way he would be able to handle himself and his emotions if he was just rejected right now. But he also wasn't expecting what the Korean decided to do next. For a moment, Crispin was in too busy in shock to return the kiss. But a moment afterwards, it was returned. It did not last long, but it most definitely got the point across. "We should probably go before that guy figures out we stole". The leaded nodded. That would be good. And he does not want the group to think that they were captured or killed. "Alright let's go." The Englishman encouraged heading father out of the town. He wasn't going to be able to take off like he wants with people around. Once they were far away enough he took off the backpack full of clothes and gave it to Jae. Then he picked up the Korean and adjusted him onto his back. "Hold on tight." He warned. No more than a second later did Crispin take off at his maximum speed towards the apartment.

For it being the first time Jae had kissed another guy, he was relatively calm. For a moment it felt like this was it and all was right with the world, but that wasn't the case. Not in the slightest. Being realistic, there was really no point to this small confession. Soon enough Jae would be going back to his family in Seoul and Crispin would be returning to his, thousands of miles away. There's no way of knowing if they will ever see each other again, and on top of that, Jae's family would never get behind this. Bur right now wasn't the moment to think about any of that. Priorities were getting everyone home, safe and sound, and back to their families. The two reached the apartment in no time. Jae followed the Englishman inside. It sounded like they were all in the kitchen, and by the smell taking up the apartment, there was some kind of desert making going on. "We have come back from the great beyond with presents!" he announces happily and sets the bag on top of the table for everyone to have a go and find what was brought for them, meanwhile his attention was pulled from the clothing to whatever was inside the oven that smelled so good.

Alex and Sam worked smoothly, perfectly in harmony like a well oiled machine, and were able to have the batter finished and in the oven in a matter of minutes. The red head got a high five from the younger boy and looked down at the already inflating batter through the small glass window of the oven. "Good job my culinary partner!" she added with a smile. It was the most trivial thing she had done in a while, which is probably why it made her feel so happy and light hearted. Nothing to worry about except for the possibility of the brownies burning. "We have come back from the great beyond with presents!" the small Korean announced as he waltzed into the kitchen. It was about time they made it back.

Taemin was worried the second he saw his best friend walking in. WHat Elani had told him earlier replayed in his head and he really hoped his intruding hadn't made the situation worse. Though Jae looked happy, he had always been too good at hiding his feelings with a smile. Tae watched him for a moment, trying to decipher whether the smile was genuine or just an attempt to keep them from worrying. It's times like this when Jae's ability would come in handy. "Are those brownies?" he asks excitedly. Taemin nods with a smile and gestures towards Sam and Alex. "Made by professionals".