Author Notes: Hello again, everyone! The boys have been through a lot so here's a sappy, feel good chapter for them! Enjoy :)

Beta & Co-author: jeangirlmy

- Chapter Start -

Jiang ZiSuan startles awake at a sudden cheer, blinking and looking around. He's still in the Unredeemable Section, sitting in a corner with Jia KeZi and Li JiaLe, and half hidden from view by a few stacked crates. The heat from their bodies, so comforting earlier, feels almost too warm now.

Biting his lip, Jiang ZiSuan shifts and tries to straighten his sore lower back. Jia KeZi and Li JiaLe stir but continue sleeping and cuddle even closer to him. Their breaths are soft, almost ticklish, against the sides of his neck. It makes a not unpleasant shiver ripple up his spine and his face grows hot.

This closeness feels... strangely awkward.

"Hey, you guys awake?" Bai HaoTian's grinning face appears around the crates, making Jiang ZiSuan's heart skip a beat.

"... Director Bai."

He's hard pressed not to scowl when her eyes dart to Jia KeZi and Li JiaLe and she fights down an obvious giggle.

"Liu Sang says Xiao San-ye, Pang-ye and Xiao-ge are on their way back. They'll be here in two minutes!"

Li JiaLe and Jia KeZi awake with a start, jerking upright and then wincing and clapping their necks in unison. They blink at each other and then at Jiang ZiSuan, both turning red at the same time.

With a laugh, Bai HaoTian vanishes from sight.

"How... uh..." Li JiaLe clears his throat. "How long was I sleeping?"

"How long were we sleeping?" Jia KeZi corrects with a sheepish smile.

"Judging from how numb my butt is," Jiang ZiSuan says as dryly as he can, "about an hour."

"Oh." Li JiaLe turns even redder.

"Sorry," Jia KeZi mumbles as he rubs his eyes.

"I fell asleep too," Jiang ZiSuan admits.

He cranes his neck to peer out from behind the crates. A couple of fellow employees grin at him - one even offering a cheeky thumbs up - but the others are gathered at the edge of the ledge, presumably waiting for the Iron Triangle's appearance.

"I can hear Wu Xie, Pang Zi and Xiao-ge approaching," Jia KeZi remarks with a happy smile. "They sound alright."

"About time." Jiang ZiSuan gets up, wincing as his back protests. He reaches down to pull his friends to their feet. They take a few moments to stretch stiff muscles before going to join the others.

Bai HaoTian smiles at them before turning back to stare at the darkened section below. Hei XiaZi, Liu Sang and Kan Jian offer smiles as well. Jiang ZiSuan lifts a hand in greeting before realising that Huo DaoFu isn't with them.

Has he gone back to help at the medical ward?

Or has he left and gone back to frying bread sticks?

"Xiao San-ye!" Bai HaoTian yells suddenly, making Jiang ZiSuan jump a foot in the air.

"Simei, I'm here too! So is Xiao-ge!" Pang Zi's voice echoes back. "The Iron Triangle is back, safe and sound!"

A loud cheer rises when the trio appear at the foot of the stone steps.

"Whoa, is this for us? Good, good, you're all very welcome!" Pang Zi starts up the steps first, waving his arms and grinning.

As soon as they reach the top, Bai HaoTian flings her arms around Wu Xie. Liu Sang goes for Zhang QiLing only to stop just like he did back at Thunder City. Zhang QiLing claps him on the shoulder, also like he did before and Liu Sang beams.

Jiang ZiSuan hangs back while the others rush forward to welcome the trio. Then he gets a closer look and is very glad he's staying back. Wu Xie, Pang Zi and Xiao-ge's faces are smeared with something red that looks very much like blood. It would be alarming if not for the broad grins on their faces. Jiang ZiSuan doesn't care to know whose blood that is and how it got on their faces.

"And the heroes return," a dry voice says beside Jiang ZiSuan. He turns to see Huo DaoFu staring straight ahead, hands on hips.

"Where were you?"

"Resting like you were except in a proper bed." Huo DaoFu gives him an unreadable look. "Enjoyed your nap and cuddle time?"

"I - I wasn't-" Jiang ZiSuan sputters, heat washing into his face again.

"Where's Huo DaoFu?" Pang Zi demands, looking around. "Where's that prissy - huh, SuanSuan! You're alive?!"

Jiang ZiSuan raises an eyebrow.

"Still using that ridiculous nickname?" He snarks. "Of course I'm alive."

"It's not ridiculous, it lends a certain warmth to your face. But how?"

Jiang ZiSuan huffs and looks at Wu Xie who's staring at him in shock. Zhang QiLing is beside him, smiling that smug little smile of his.

"Jiang ZiSuan. I - we..." Wu Xie gulps. "We thought you'd died. What happened?"

"Xiao-ge saved me when I fell."

Wu Xie's eyes get even bigger as he swings to Zhang QiLing who shrugs.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Stopping Er Jing was more urgent," Zhang QiLing says solemnly.

"No, it wasn't!" Wu Xie protests. "Okay, it was but you could've told me afterward!"

"And me!" Pang Zi adds.

Without waiting for a reply, Wu Xie turns back to Jiang ZiSuan. He starts to say something, shakes his head, takes a step forward... and flings his arms around him instead.

Jiang ZiSuan freezes in shock. Never in a million years did he ever imagine that this would happen. He may have stopped his useless vendetta, he wouldn't deny being Wu Xie's friend - if forced - but this...!

And for all that Wu Xie is skinny and recovered from a terminal illness just over a month ago, his hug is strong and painfully tight.

"I'm fine," Jiang ZiSuan almost gasps out as his ribs protest. "Let go."

Wu Xie hugs him even tighter, causing Jiang ZiSuan's ribs to creak again.

"'Let go'?" Wu Xie huffs a wet sounding laugh. "You were the one who let go."

A shaky breath blows past Jiang ZiSuan's ear.

"I thought I was doomed to lose both sister and brother."

Jiang ZiSuan blinks at an unexpected sting in his eyes. Slowly, his arms come up.

"That's what you think." His voice isn't steady either. "You're not gonna lose me."

"I'll hold you to that." Wu Xie hugs him for a moment longer before releasing him and stepping back. His eyes are bright and his smile brighter still. Then, because he's still Wu Xie, he reaches out to ruffle Jiang ZiSuan's hair.

"Hey!"

"Welcome to the gang, SuanSuan!" Pang Zi comes up to them and claps him heartily on the shoulder, almost making him stumble.

"Oh, here. This is yours." Wu Xie pulls out something from his pocket, something long and very familiar.

His bracelet.

"Xiao Bai found it at the bottom of the cliff."

Jiang ZiSuan looks from it to Wu Xie and then Bai HaoTian who nods at him, smiling. Then his gaze goes to Jia KeZi and Li JiaLe and Huo DaoFu. He can't help recalling their emotional welcome when they saw him earlier. Turning back to Wu Xie, he tries to imagine the guilt and pain Wu Xie must've felt when he found the bracelet instead of a body. Jiang ZiSuan's chest squeezes tight.

"Thanks," he says gruffly and takes the bracelet, winding it around his wrist with unsteady fingers. "I'm glad you found it. I'm sure Jie is, too."

"Ah." Wu Xie's bright eyes dim a little. "About A-Ning, I'm so sorry-"

"No," Jiang ZiSuan interrupts him even before he realises he's speaking. "Jie said you're a good man and that it wasn't your fault she died."

Taking a deep breath, he soldiers on.

"She's right so stop it. She wants me to live and I will. You've been given a second chance so you do that too."

To his alarm, Wu Xie's eyes get even wetter.

Something heavy lands on Jiang ZiSuan's shoulder and a hearty laugh rings out, much too close to his ear.

"Hear that, Tianzhen? Good advice! SuanSuan's one of us!" Pang Zi crows.

"Yeah, yeah." Jiang ZiSuan shoves his hand away.

"I will," Wu Xie says. "Thanks."

Jiang ZiSuan nods. His chest still hurts, but the ache is softer now.

"Wu Xie, Pang Zi and... Zhang QiLing? Is that blood on your faces?!" Manager Tong bustles over, looking as horrified as he sounds.

Jiang ZiSuan is more than relieved to step away.

"You forgive faster than I thought you would," Huo DaoFu remarks beside him.

"Not as fast as Wu Xie," Jiang ZiSuan replies.

"Yeah. That's his thing."

Jiang ZiSuan doesn't know how to decipher the mirthless twist to Huo DaoFu's lips.

"Anyway, mission accomplished," he says. "We can go to that BBQ place nearby once Manager Tong releases us. My treat."

Huo DaoFu gives him a startled look which turns into a smile.

"We're included too, right?" Li JiaLe asks, coming up with Jia KeZi.

"I hear BBQ!" Bai HaoTian chimes in, towing along a reluctant Liu Sang and closely followed by Kan Jian.

"Did someone say BBQ?"

Jiang ZiSuan raises an eyebrow at Pang Zi.

"If it's on you," he counters.

"Hah! That prissy doctor should give us a treat!"

"Why should I when I haven't even been paid?"

"I vote we send the tab to Er-shu," Hei XiaZi suggests, flinging his arms around Liu Sang and Kan Jian's shoulders.

Everyone unanimously agrees.

- Chapter End -

A/N: Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment if you enjoyed it :)