To be honest, V, was the only one who knew this story.
Every word of the news hit. How the scathing remarks from the news reporters cut. The reporters told about the Prime Minister's daughter liked to go to night clubs. How they figured she got pregnant from there. God forbid, that someone in their early 20's wanted to go out and have fun. Flipping through the channels, to finally land on the A! news network on her satellite radio. Even they were talking about it. although, they were a bit nicer to the Prime Minister's daughter than the news networks had been.
The car shook violently as it sped down the highway. It jerked forwarded as the transmission slipped out of place. Slowing the car down in the process. Making sure that there was no one behind her, Yeoja, switched the car into manual. Hopefully, then, it would go as fast as she needed it to without it slipping. It was roughly a 45-minute drive from school to the bunker. 45 minutes too long. She had to get there as fast as she could, and could not let a bad transmission get in her way.
Yeoja checked her phone to see if it had charged enough to turn on. The cell lit up and meowed as it loaded. There were no missed calls or texts from the twin hackers. Which either was a good thing or a bad thing. Right now, she chose it to be a good thing. No news is good news. If she was in any kind of danger one of them would have called her. Her thumb scrolled across the screen to one of the Choi's pictures, then press call. It was something that she could do without looking at her phone.
Ring
Ring
Ring
The person you have called, Saeran, is unable to answer the phone right now please leave….
She hung up, then called Saeyoung.
Ring
Ring
Ring
Hey, Hey, Hey, Saeyoung here. I am probably working or in outer space…
Hanging up, she placed the phone in the seat next to her. Yeoja drummed her fingers along her steering wheel. The beats almost in time with her heart rate and the rhythmic shakes of the car as she sped up. It was not out of the ordinary that they did not answer their phones if they were working. She hoped she was wrong about all this. That the current Prime Minister was not her future father in law. A man that threaten to kill two of the most important people in her life. Hopefully, this was the work of a very overactive imagination.
Cutting across three lanes of traffic to reach her exit, one of the talking heads on A! News said, "So, if I remember right, like about 20 years ago. Wasn't there something out about the then-senator Chon? That he had a love child or something?"
Whatever she was using to convince herself that this was all the work of her imagination went out the window. The other one agreed that there was a rumor but it was never proven.
She was 15 minutes from home.
Just 15 of the longest minutes of her life from her front door. It might as well have been years.
The A! news people had moved on to a new subject causing the station to be flipped again. The other station were not talking about the rumor from 20 years ago. This was a sigh of relief. Maybe there was still a chance this was all just a crazy coincidence. If there was something to worry about Saeyoung would have told her by now. He had never lied about her safety in the past, and she did not see him starting now. Saeran and Saeyoung would do everything in their power to keep her safe, and they would not lie to her. If nothing else in this world, those two facts would always be true.
Pulling into the drive sat Vanderwood's car, with the agent leaning against it smoking with an annoyed look on his face. Pushing off the black sedan to stand straight when he saw her. Tossing the cigarette into the yard then crossed his arms, he followed the car as it pulled into its spot in the garage.
"Hello, Ms. Vanderwood!" Yeoja cheered when she exited the car. A gloved hand came to rest on the hood of the car. The other tangled itself into his hair then moved over his face to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Is there something the matter?"
"They're not letting me in. Zero Seven's deadline is in a few hours, and he is dicking around." Vanderwood's jaw tightened as he spoke in a low hiss. "I was worried since you do not come home until late, that they would just leave me out here. Now that you're here." The agent broke into a smile, "You could let me in or I could hold you hostage. Whichever one works the quickest."
Yeoja raised her hands above her head. He must have liked her response because he smiled again and moved to the door. It was worrisome that they were not letting Vanderwood in, but it could be as he said, Saeyoung was just messing with him.
I'm sorry Miss Vanderwood but God Seven does not wish you. You entered the wrong password too many times.
Yeoja let out a small laugh, she hoped that this did not mean that her two were in the bunker upset about the news. Placing her phone over the keypad, the door unlocked.
Welcome home my Goddess. I hope your day was peaceful.
Vanderwood seethed behind her. Curses mutter under his breath as they entered.
Everything seemed to be in order. Music playing over the speakers in the living room and the rapid-fire typing proving everything was fine. The door to the computer room was open to let them listen to the music without their headphones. Even though the computer room had a glass wall, the room itself was sound proof. Saeran sat at his desk beside the open door. Lost in in his work, letting his fingers glide across the keyboard. Sitting forward to watch the screen before him. With one foot pulled under his body while the other bounced along with his thoughts. Saeyoung looked like he was taking up Yoga with the way he sat. Knees trapped between his chest and the desk. Long arms stretched to reach the keyboard. A chip dangling between his lips. Maybe it was all in her head after all. Their family was completely unknown to her. For all, she knew their mother was not even Korean. That would explain their red hair.
The hackers jumped as Vanderwood slammed his hand against the glass wall. Pulled from their trance, they looked at the older man. With their attention on the agent, Yeoja tiptoed into the kitchen. If Vanderwood was on a war path there would be no way for her to get a word in.
"Seven Zero Seven, I would like to know why I was trapped outside. IN. THE. COLD. For over an hour?" Saeyoung chuckled. Saeran returned to work with a shake of his head.
"You got in."
"With help from Yeoja. That brings up another point. Why can't I open the door with my phone? Do you like pissing me off." Saeran scanned the living room but did not see her. Saeyoung did the same.
"Yes." A playful smile crossed his face.
"If she hadn't come home when she did. I would've been out there until you felt like it."
"Well, you should learn Gaelic." The teasing voice was back with a shrug of his shoulders.
"I should not have to learn a new language every year to do my job. Yeoja!" Vanderwood's voice boomed through the bunker making her jump. It was not really the first time he had gotten mad at her. The other times it was just because she was preventing Saeyoung from doing his job. She made her reappearance from the kitchen.
"S-sir" She squeaked. The jacket flutter as he walked to her. Grasping her wrist, Vanderwood held her hand high.
"So, until you are done, Seven, I will be holding your woman hostage." Another sly smile came from the man's lips. There went talking to him about today and the news. Saeyoung spun in his chair. The playful smile faded into a devilish grin. Letting his feet hit the tile below with a thump. Setting to work again. The speed in which his hands moved was god like. Then Saeyoung spun to face them again.
"Done." Saeyoung grinned from ear to ear. Vanderwood let go of her arm and joined him at his computer. This caused another wave of curses to fall from the older agent's mouth.
"I swear you must like being hit with my taser." Vanderwood laid down a folder before Saeyoung then took the pin drive that held the work he was after. "As per your request, this one should be completed by next Thursday so you don't have to worry about work while you're getting hitched."
Saeran held up a pin drive for Vanderwood when the agent went to him. Like he did with Saeyoung, he laid a folder down beside the younger Choi. "Thank you Saeran, for not being a pain in my ass."
This got a grunt from the younger Choi as he flipped through the paperwork of his next assignment. Yeoja stood as Vanderwood passed her, ruffling her hair as he went. "You know you're welcome to come to the wedding."
"No, I am off since neither of them is working. I will be somewhere far away enjoying my time."
"Welp, enjoy your time off. If I don't see you between now and then." Vanderwood nodded and walked out the door. This time she turned her attention to the two in the computer room. Flipping through the pages of their next mission.
"Are you okay?" Saeran asked, still looking through the folder.
Was this a good time to bring it up? How would she bring it up? If they already knew then it did not seem to affect them. Maybe it was all in her head. That must have been it. It was all stress induced delusion.
"Yeah, I got sick at school and came home." This made Saeyoung walk to her. She forced a smile. He could read her like a book. While she was not lying about getting sick. It was a different kind of sickness than the one that she had been plagued with the last few weeks.
Saeyoung wrapped her in a hug. Nothing else mattered in that moment. If what was going on did affect them. They would get through it. Like they had in the past. There was nothing her and Saeyoung could not overcome. The clean smell of his body wash the sweetness from the honey buddha chips and PhD pepper. Everything that made that unique scent of the man she loved. His warmth was there as it shielded her from the cold world around. One word came to mind. Protected. In the living room of the concrete bunker. Half buried underground. Nothing could get to her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on the side of his. Pulling him closer to her. Letting her worries slip down her body to the ground.
There was no way the subject could be brought up now. It would come up later. If it would come up at all. She would ask and or tell them. That is unless one of them saw it first. There was no good way to start that conversation. It was all built on a hunch when she had met someone who looked like them. Maybe if it was wrong they would tell her the truth. At least Saeran would if she was wrong.
Saeyoung adjusted himself to place his mouth next to her ear, "Go lay down. I'll make you something to eat." He whispered, then placed a kiss on the side of her head. She nodded and went off into their bedroom to wait for her soup that was sure to come.
Saeyoung waited a minute to start on the soup. Open can. Dump can in a pot. Add water. Stir until boiling. It should be easy right. The skill of cooking had always evaded him. He could hack into any country and not be caught, but could not make rice without turning it into a lump of coal. Thankfully Saeran must have known what he was doing because the younger twin joined his brother in the kitchen.
"She's lying," Saeran said rolling a can of chicken noodle soup between his hands. "Something must have happened again at school again. You might want to check her car. Make sure it is in one piece."
"I just think it's stress." Saeyoung moved out of the way to let his brother do the cooking. "I trust Yoosung when he said stupid pranks happen all the time so does thief."
Saeran mumbled a comment about his brother. After that, there was no talking between them as Saeran cooked. It did not go by his notice that she had looked worried when she came home. It could have also been Vanderwood threating on using her as leverage like he did. While Vanderwood would never do anything to hurt her, it might still be scary. It could be one of her projects was not going well. Even though it had been a while since he stepped into a classroom. Saeyoung still remembered the stress of projects and tests could cause. Personally, he had no problem with school, everything came easily to him. It was Vanderwood trying to keep up with his schedule, who had the problem. But he did know that some of his classmates had a hard time starting around midterms that ended after finals. Or as she said and she got sick and came home.
Pressing his back to the stone countertop, Saeyoung looked to the ceiling. Glow in the dark stars filled the space. It made him smile, they were everywhere in the bunker. He had not formed them into constellations, just stuck them as he saw fit. There had not been enough light in the kitchen to let them glow. Saeran poured the soup into bowls and left to the living room with his own portion. Saeyoung doctored up the one he was going to take to Yeoja before taking it to her.
The room was dark with the glow from the lava lamp the only light source. Yeoja laid on her stomach reading on her phone. Propped up by most of the pillows on the bed. The checkered cover pushed off to the side. Saeyoung grimaced as he sat the food on her bedside table.
"Roll over," Saeyoung asked moving to his side of the bed. She made a groan as she complied with his request. While the doctor had said it was fine for her to lay on her stomach, he did not like it. Saeyoung did not want to take any chance on hurting the children.
"Thank you, love." Placing a kiss to his cheek before taking her bowl.
He laid there with his eyes closed as she ate. It could be written off as a break, but work had to be done. This time he could not screw around too much. Then a thought popped into his head. One of his latest jobs was sure to make the news. Saeyoung was proud of this one. It had been a child trafficking ring, and his work brought the sick bastards to justice. There were few jobs he did that he could speak about. This one was different, maybe it was the impending fatherhood that made this one more personal for him than it would have been before.
"So, one of my latest jobs will make the news!" Saeyoung sat up and faced her. Knowing that there might be a game of 20 questions. The reaction from her was not the one he thought he would. The other times he brought up his work she seemed happy. Questions about the job came one after another the point where he could not answer them. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at him. Should she not be questioning him, not looking like she was about to rip his face off? "I-it actually should ready be on the news. I would be surprised if this wasn't the only thing they talked about"
No questions came from her. Just that same hurt look. "Did I do something wrong?" Saeyoung finally asked after many long minutes of her giving him a death glare.
"I would depend." Yeoja said setting aside her bowl, "Was this job something you're… happy, about?"
"What's going on?" Warning lights and sirens were going off in his head. A very Jean-Luc Picard sounding captain in his brain was shouting to abort mission. This was not how she normally acted. He had not seen the news of the day since he was working. So, for all, he knew world war 3 was currently being waged. No, wait, he would have known if world war 3 was going on. He would have been called in to crack codes.
Yeoja turned and groped under the pillows she was laying on to find her phone. Scrolling a moment to find what she was looking for before showing him. It was a news article from A! News about Chaerin. The news had found out about her pregnancy. Saeyoung's right hand found the ring on his left as he read. Twisting it slowly as he reread each word. She was not in a relationship and had not released the name of the father. Further down the page, it did mention about a rumor from 20 years ago about Chon having a love child.
"I met Chaeyeong Chon during a lecture at school today. She is one of the Prime Minister's twins, right. So, it hit me what you said in the apartment. About your dad. About how he was running for office. And the way you two have been acting lately. I got really, really worried, right, so, um, yeah." Yeoja rambled before trailing off. The words she wanted to say were no longer there. Lost to the ethos of her mind. She had not planned on questioning him. She had not planned really this far ahead. "So, I saw her and she looks like you when you dress as a woman. You might think I'm, like, really, crazy right now."
Saeyoung heard her. Every. Word. That came from her mouth. The music of her voice that kept him grounded. Everything that was her sat in front of him. Cross-legged, finding anything for her not to look him in the eye. Picking at the threads of one of the checker print pillows on her lap. As if it was the most interesting thing in the world. Too scared to ask the question he knew she wanted to ask. His blood turned to ice water. Flowing through his through his body.
"The current Prime Minister is our Father." Saeran's voice made Saeyoung jump further than he would like to have admitted. "Neither my idiot brother or I have anything to do with what is going on with his other children."
