A/N Jake belongs to Boris Yeltsin. Auntie Celeste belongs to Celrock. Just a warning there will be some animal death in this chapter and a little adult talk, but nothing to bad. The talk that the sisters have is inspired by various episodes of Grey's Anatomy. This chapter is rated T.
Mi Sun sat in the cafeteria after taking her test. The nurses strike didn't last as long and their complaints were taken into consideration. Soon enough everything went back to normal.
"How do you think you did?" Miju asked sitting down next to her sister.
"I don't know." Mi Sun answered running her fingers through her hair.
"Don't worry so much. you'll be fine." Miju assured her."When I took her my boards the guy asking me the questions was literally alive when they still used candles to light the OR. You had it easy. All you had to do was write on a piece of paper."
"That is true." Mi Sun pointed out as she picked at her salad.
"You seem distracted, and don't say it's about the test because I know it's not." Miju stated noticing how her sister was still picking at her food.
"Ji Yeon wants a dad." Mi Sun told her.
"Are you seeing anybody?" Miju asked.
"No, but I think I'd like to start." Mi Sun answered.
"Does this somebody work here, because trust me you do not want to get mixed up with someone that works here. You might end up with somebody that'll make you change who you are and then leave you at the alter, or you could end up dating someone only to find out he's already married." Miju listed a few reasons why dating at work could be a bad idea.
"You're speaking from experience?" Mi Sun asked with wide eyes.
"Maybe a little, but mostly gossip." Miju answered."But maybe Ji Yeon is right. You need to start dating again. So tell me who is this guy you're thinking about?"
"My neighbor who has that little boy that Ji Yeon plays with sometimes." Mi Sun answered and then sighed."But he might be married. The only thing is I've never seen his wife."
"Well then I suggest you find out because you do not want to be a slutty mistress." Miju warned her sister."This happened to my friend and while it ended well, it was rough for awhile and you have a kid who doesn't need to be put through that."
Mi Sun sat thinking about all that her sister had said. She didn't want to right out ask Jin if he was married. She would have to wait and find out somehow.
Mi Sun got her opportunity about two months later. She was busy adjusting to work and didn't have much free time. The only time she really talked to or saw Jin was when their kids were together. She was returning home from work when she noticed Jin coming out of his aprartment carrying a large box.
"Need some help?" Mi Sun asked coming over.
"Thanks." Jin nodded handing the leash that was attatched to Dim for her to hold while he had the one attatched to Sum. They walked to the car, which wasn't very easy for Mi Sun since Dim was being difficult and pulling the whole time. They got all the dogs in the backseat of the car.
"Thank you." Jin said as Mi Sun stepped away from the car.
"No problem." Mi Sun replied."Where are you taking them?"
"The vet for thier shots. It's almost time for the puppies to get new homes. Min Jun thinks we're keeping all of them." Jin explained.
"Where is he by the way?" Mi Sun asked as she hand't seen the little boy in a few days.
"He's with his mom for thanksgiving." Jin answered.
Mi Sun noticed that Jin wasn't wearing a wedding band. She was curious, but didn't ask.
"Do you mind helping again or will your husband be upset?' Jin asked noticing the ring on Mi Sun's finger. He hadn't seen her husband, but just thought he worked nights.
" Uh, Sure, and my husband died three years ago." Mi Sun explained as she played with the ring on her finger."What about your wife?"
"Oh. I'm sorry." Jin apologized as he came over and opened the door for Mi Sun.
"Thanks. It was a long time ago and it's time to move on." Mi Sun said sitting down in the passenger seat. Jin got in soon after and they made their way to the vet.
"As for my wife, I never had one." Jin started to explain as they continued towards the vet."Her parents didn't approve, but she wanted to keep Min Jun. Unfortunatly for her she had to give me custody, but I let her see whenever she wants. It's usually when one of has some time off from work, so they don't get to see each other much."
"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that." Mi Sun said. She was secretly happy that Jin's ex wasn't really in the picture, not that she wanted Min Jun to miss out on seeing his mother. She knew if roles were reversed she would hate being from Ji Yeon for so long.
They arrived at the vet and got the puppies their vaccines and the other dogs up to date on thier shots.
"Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?" Mi Sun asked once they had left the vet."If not, it's ok. I just thought since we're both kid free tonight."
"Dinner sounds good." JIn told her as they reached the apartment complex.
"What sounds good for dinner?" Mi Sun asked when they reached her door.
"Surprise me. I'll be over at 7." Jin told her.
They went their seperate ways and Mi Sun got to work preparing dinner.
Jin arrived at 7 and the two sat down and enjoyed a meal of bulgogi and rice, along with some whine.
"That was really good." JIn said standing and helping clear the table.
"Thank you. It was nice to cook for someone other then me and my daughter." Mi Sun replied taking the rest of the dishes to the sink.
"You cooked. I'll clean." Jin offered.
"You're a guest." Mi Sun protested.
"Go enjoy your night off and relax." Jin told her.
"Didn't you work all day?" Mi Sun asked still not feeling comfortable with the idea of someone else cleaning up.
"i got off early and it was an easy day." Jin insisted."You're a nurse aren't you?" Mi Sun nodded."I'm sure you had a harder day then me. Go relax and I'll clean up in here."
Mi Sun did as she was told and sat down on the couch. Her feet really did hurt, but that was something she had to get used to again.
"Do you have to go or do you want to watch a movie with me?" Mi Sun asked as Jin reappeared in the living room a little while later.
"No I can stay if you really want me to." Jin answered as he sat down on the couch a few feet from Mi Sun."What are we watching?'
"Anything but Moana." Mi Sun replied with a smile. She loved her daughter more then anything, but she could only take so much island adventure musical.
"I agree." Jin chuckled as Mi Sun turned the tv on and began searching for a movie."I have a movie in mind. Do you speak Korean?"
"Ye {yes}." Mi Sun answered in Korean.
"Good. I was just checking because your English is so good." Jin said.
"Thank you." Mi Sun remarked in English."So what movie did you have in mind?" She passed the remote to Jin and he quickly found what he was looking for.
"From the previews this looked good." Jin remarked as the production logos played on screen.
Twenty minutes into the movie Mi Sun was crying. A boy lost his little sister and then his father in a war.
"We can switch movies if you want." Jin offered as he paused the movie.
Mi Sun shook her head wiping away tears."it's ok. Do you want some pop corn?"
"Sure." Jin answered. They both got up and went to the kitchen.
"Help yourself." Mi Sun told Jin as they waited for the pop corn to sinish popping. He grabbed two waters out of the fridge ."Chocolate?'
Jin nodded and watched Mi Sun pour an entire container of carmel covered chocolate into the pop corn.
"This si Ji Yeon's favorite thing to have when we go to the movies." Mi Sun explained placing the bowel of pop corn in between them while Jin put the water bottles on the coffee table and played the movie. They watched until the movie was over.
"Well what did you think?" Jin asked when the movie began rolling the credits.
"It was good. I like how it made you cry and then five minutes later laugh." Mi Sun answered as she wiped away a few tears.
"Well I should probably get going." Jin announced as he stood up. As he was about to leave the wind began howling rattleing the windows as it blew through the trees. A few seconds later thunder boomed and lightning flashed knocking the power out.
"You could stay if you want." Mi Sun offered. She really didn't want to be alone and the storm was getting worse.
"Alright." Jin said grabbing a hold of Mi Sun's hand as lightning flashed lighting up the room.
"Will the dogs be ok if your not there?" Mi Sun asked forgettign her own feelings for a second.
"They'll be fine. They're in crates." Jin explained.
With the power out there was nothing else to do but go to bed, but with the storm raging on outside sleep was hard to come by, so Mi Sun and Jin decided to do something besides sleeping.
Mi Sun woke up the next morning with the white sheet wrapped around the lower half of her body. She then realized what had happened and regretted her decision from the night before. She had never done anything with anyone except for her husband. She looked over to see Jin staring at her.
"I'm sorry. We shouldn't have done that so soon." Mi Sun said covering herself more with the sheet.
"I'm not sorry, but if you want to take it slow then that's fine." Jin told her.
"I think it's to late for that." Mi Sun said staring at Jin's lean toned muscular upper body. They both leaned in for a kiss. They pulled away before it could go any further even though both of them wanted it to. They both got out of bed and began getting ready for work.
"So how did things go last night?" Miju asked catching her sister off gaurd as she filled out charts at the nurses station.
"You saw us?" Mi Sun gasped grabbing her sister by the arm and leading her away to a more secluded erea.
"yes." Miju answered."Don't worry, your mini me didn't see anything. I had Mun Hee take her out for ice cream before you even got home and then they went to a movie."
"Good. I don't want her getting ideas just yet." Mi Sun said.
Thanksgiving day had arrived and Mi Sun's small family, along with Jin gathered around the table in their apartment. Mi Sun invited Jin over so he wouldn't be alone on the holiday. They had a similar holiday in Korea, so it was easy to incorperate this one into their lives.
They all had plates of food both American and Korean. They sat around talking and eating.
"Are you going to be my new daddy?' Ji Yeon suddenly asked making Mi Sun choke on her drink. Miju patted her back.
When Mi Sun recovered a short silence fell over the small gathering. Jin and Mi Sun looked at each other.
"Well this intersting." Miju commented looking back and forth between her sister and possible boyfriend. She wasn't sure what he was yet.
Ji Yeon looked between the two adults who could answer her question waiting for an answer.
"Well." Jin started at the same time Mi Sun started to speak."Go ahead. She's your daughter."
Mi Sun sighed before answering."Right now he's just a friend."
"Ok." Ji Yeon answered simply and went back to eating her food.
"Really?" MIju asked."That's it." She then looked toward her own daughter and asked."Why couldn't you except answers like that?"
Mun Hee just shrugged."I wanted to know more I guess."
Thanksgiving came and went and everyone returned to work the following day. They got through the long work day and went home. Mi Sun was making dinner when she recieved a text from Jin asking if she wanted to go out this weekend. She quickly typed a reply saying yes. Jin texted back saying he'd pick her up at four o clock.
It was the day befor their schedueled date and Mi Sun was looking for a babysitter. So far no one could watch Ji Yeon. Miju was working which was no surprise and Mun Hee already plans. She was about to give up and tell Jin she couldn't come when she noticed one of her neighbors walking along the sidewalk. She had only spoken to the brown haired blind woman a few times, but knew she had a nephew close to Ji Yeon's age.
"Excuse me." Mi Sun said walking up to the woman, who stopped and turned toward her.
"How can I help you?" Celeste asked.
"I know we don't know each other that well, but I was wondering if you could watch my daughter for a couple of hours on Saturday." Mi Sun explained.
"I'd be happy to." Celeste replied."I have a few other kids coming over anyway. What's one more?"
"Thank you so much." Mi Sun said heppily.
The following day Mi Sun packed some snacks and toys for Ji Yeon and they walked around the corner to Celeste's apartment.
"Be good and I'll pick you up in a couple of hours." Mi Sun told Ji Yeon as they waited for somebody to answer the door.
"I'll get it auntie." Was heard from inside and a few seconds later a boy with blond hair answered the door."Hi. You're the kid my auntie is watching today. Come on in."
Ji Yeon gaver her mother a hug and followed the blond boy inside.
"I remenber you." Ji Yeon said as she followed Zack to the living room."Zack right?"
"That's right." Zack answered."Why don't you go to school anymore?"
"I get sick a lot and my medicine makes me feel yucky sometimes. I'll go to school later when it's portant." Ji Yeon explained.
"Ok well this is my auntie and this is Jake." Zack gestered towards the two people sitting in the chairs at the dining room table. Ji Yeon recognized the lady but didn't know who the blond boy was."My auntie is teaching him braile."
"What's that?" Ji Yeon asked taking a seat on the couch like Zack did.
"It's raised bumps that let me read." The blond boy explained."I'm blind which means I can't see. I'm jake by the way."
Ji Yeon went over and shook the boys outstretched hand and then went back to Zack to let them finsih their lesson.
"Ji Yeon!" Dil exclaimed as he tackled Ji Yeon in a hug squishing her against the couch cushions.
"It's good to see you again Dil, but can you get off please. You're squishing me." Ji Yeon protested.
"Oh sorry." Dil said letting go.
"You remind me of Min Jun's dog Dim only you don't lick me." Ji Yeon pointed out making Dil laugh. He got on all fours and began acting like a dog.
"Fetch Dil." Zack cried throwing a small blue ball with Reptar on it. Dil chased the ball which rolled in front of the tv. He picked it up with his mouth and dropped it in Zack's lap.
"Ew. You didn't have to sue your mouth." Zack cringed pushing the ball of his lap and back onto the floor.
"Dogs don't have hands." Dil pointed out."What else was I supposed to get the ball with?"
"What's that smell?" Jake asked as he joined the kids since his braile lesson was finished for the day.
"I don't know but it smells like fish food." Zack commented holding his nose.
"It doesn't smell that bad." Dil added crawling closer to Ji Yeon to see what she had since the smell was coming from her backpack.
"Oh." Ji Yeon cried reaching into her backpack and pulling out a small baggie of shrimp chips.
"They look like crinkle cut fries." Zack commented admiring the strange smelling snack.
"They're shrimp chips." Ji Yeon told them giving each of them one to try.
Jake popped the small hrd lumpy thing in his mouth and chewed. It was unlike anything he ahd ever tasted before and while he didn't like the taste much he wanted to be polite so he hurried and chewed and swallowed.
"That was interesting." Jake commented as Zack made a b line for the trash can.
"I'm sorry but that was discusting. How can you eat those?" Zack cried taking a drink of water to rid his mouth of the taste.
"I think they're good." Dil stated."Can I have more?" Dil got back on his knees and began to beg like a dog. Ji Yeon threw him a few which he attempted to catch in his mouth. He caught one. The rest ended up on the floor, but Dil ate those too still pretending to be a dog.
"I smell something funny." Ji Yeon commented sometime later while the kids were playing outside.
"It looks like smoke." Zack commented looking up at the sky.
"It smells like it too." Jake added.
"We better go tell my auntie there's a fire somewhere near here." Zack said leading everybody back inside.
Meanwhile Jin and Mi Sun were enjoying their date. It was a nice day in November. It wasn't hot, but not cold either. They were at the park having a picnic just like the couple in the movie they had watched. They even acted out the scene with Mi Sun hitting Jin's cup so he spilled some of his drink. Mi Sun got up and started running only to be pulled back slightly by Jin pulling her ponytail. They then went for ice cream only unlike in the movie they both got some in cups instead of the guy dropping one of the cones.
"That was fun." Mi Sun told Jin as they were finishing their ice cream.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it." Jin told her. They walked back to Jin's car holding hands.
Meanwhile back at the apartment complex smoke billowed high into the air and flames were shooting out of several units. Everyone was gathered outside watching as the firemen got to work to put out the fire. Suddenly Ji Yeon thought of something.
"I gotta go check on something." Ji Yeon yelled above the noise to Zack.
"I'm coming too." Dil added and raced after Ji Yeon down the sidewalk.
By the time they had reached their destination the smoke was so thick the kids could barely see let alone breath.
"I gotta get inside." Ji Yeon begged Dil desperatly looking for a way into Jin's apartment.
"Will this work?" Dil asked moving a plant aside and lifting a small silver key out from under it.
"Can you unlock the door?" Ji Yeon asked desperatly. Dil did as she asked and unlocked the door only for thick smoke to come pouring out making the kids cough.
Ji Yeon was about to go in when she was once again knocked down by Dim. He didn't greet her like he usually would. Instead he lay down in her lap not letting her move
Ji Yeon struggled to get free of the dog but it was no use. He wouldn't move."Dil there's another dog like this and puppies in there."
Dil didn't need to be told twice. He wanted to to be brave like his big brother and recue those trapped dogs. There was only smoke, no flames. Dil charged into the building with his shirt over his nose and mouth so he could breath better, it didn't help much. He looked around but couldn't see any sigh of the dogs.
He pulled out his Goober flashlight and shone it around the room, hoping to penetrate the smoke. He saw an open door and went in that room first, hoping the dogs were in ther since it was getting harder to breathe and the heat from the fire was starting to make it's way into the unit.
The smoke was getting thicker so Dil crouched down and crawled into the room. He spotted the dog and her five puppies under the bed. They were all against the wall and hard for him to reach. He blindly grabbed two and ran out as the flames began to creep into the doorway. Dil made his way out with a puppy tucked under each arm. He dropped to the ground panting just as two firefighters ran into the now burning unit.
"I couldn't get all of them." Dil panted dropping the puppies to the ground. They made little noises as they hit the ground.
Ji Yeon was relieved that they were alive so Min Jun didn't have to come home to all of his pets gone.
An oxygen mask was placed over Dil's mouth as the firefighters came out carrying Sum, who had some burns on her skin, and her three still puppies. The firefighters worked on the puppies, but sadly couldn't get them back. They gave Sum oxygen and took her to the vet to get treated for her burns. Dil was taken to the hospital to get his throat cleared of the smoke.
Jin and Mi Sun arroved home as the firefighters were leaving. They got out of the car as fast as they could when they saw Ji Yeon sitting alone on the sidewalk with Dim and the two puppies by her side.
"Are you ok?" Mi Sun asked picking up her daughter and giving her a hug.
"Yeah, but some of the puppies went to sleep forever like my daddy and Sum got hurt." Ji Yeon explained.
Everyone went to a nearby hotel while the mess was cleaned up. Mi Sun's apartment wasn't damged, neither was Zack and his aunt's.
"You and Min Jun can move in with us if you want." Mi Sun offered as she lay with her daughter, who was asleep in bed while Jin sat on the couch.
"Thanks. Min Jun comes home tomorrw and I don't know what to tell him." Jin muttered.
"Just tell him what happened." Mi Sun advised him.
A/N The movie Mi Sun and Jin watched is called Ode to my Father. It's my favorite Korean movie.