Author's Note: This is the last chapter. I had fun writing. As usual give me some more ideas for the series if you want it to continue.

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Min Ho tugged nervously at the bow tie tied securely around his neck. How had he been brought along on this insane trip? He had been content to stay at home and read. But no, his friends weren't going to let him.

Yi Jeong and Woo Bin had kidnapped him that afternoon and had taken him shopping. He didn't shop and the two men expected him to pick out a suit for a party. He had never been to a function that required him to dress up. Even though his parents owned his own company and worked at a huge conglomerate, he had never gone to one of their company parties like they asked. After a while they had just quit asking.

They had shaken him up then taken him home with explicit instructions not to get anything on the suit and to be at the Juniper Hotel at seven with his invitation. Once again, he had argued that he didn't want to go, but the best friends weren't having it. Woo Bin had then threatened him that if he didn't shut up and just show up, he was going to imprison him in his house for a week. Min Ho hadn't thought that was too bad, but then he had remembered they had two kids living in the house. He would be babysitting.

So around six, he had gotten ready for the evening. Woo Bin was a little bit scarier than his wife simply because he was a second degree black belt in so many forms of martial arts. He could kick his butt any time he so desired. Thankful for a small head, he slipped the bow tie over his head then tucked it under his collar. He looked at himself in the mirror before grabbing his phone and leaving.

It was so hot outside he started sweating immediately. A sleek black car pulled up to the curb as he was about to make his way to the bus stop. He stopped for a moment as the driver rolled down the passenger window.

"Mr. Song requested you be picked up so you don't have to walk in this heat," he said.

Not one to argue when the words Mr. Song were uttered, he opened the back door and slid into the air conditioned backseat. Once the door was closed securely, the car pulled away from the curb and onto the street.

The Juniper Hotel was in the center Gangnam. It was rivaled by the hotel chains that had moved in when the city was expanding. It was one of the hotels Shinhwa Group owned so it made sense for them to have the party at the hotel. But it didn't mean Min Ho wanted to go. He was very uncomfortable in big group scenarios.

All too soon, the car pulled up under the awning and stopped. A bellhop opened his door and welcomed him. He took a deep breath as soon as he stepped out then took a brave step forward. He pulled out his invitation as he stepped up to security checking invitations. She looked for his name, marked it off and let him in.

Inside it looked much like he expected. The table decorations were tasteful with a flower arrangement and tea candles. It made the room look like it was from a fairy tale of some sort. It was warm and inviting, but he had nothing to compare it to so he just filed it away for later.

Everyone was dressed in their best. No one looked out of place except maybe him. He saw everyone paired off with their wives or fiancés or girlfriends. He was stag at the party. But amazingly he didn't care that he was alone. His friends had invited him out so it was fine that he didn't have a date.

A hand clapped him hard on the shoulder. Junsu's blond hair was the first thing he saw. The younger twin smiled at him then stepped aside for his brother. Just like his twin, Junho was dressed to the nines with his dark hair styled upwards. Junsu's was messy but it looked good on him.

"We were invited as well," Junsu stated the obvious as he looked around. "We haven't been to one of these events either."

"And your parents own a company," he muttered to which Junsu smiled cheekily. "Have you seen the hosts?"

"Woo Bin's parents are over there talking to the press, but I haven't seen Woo Bin or the rest of F4," Junho said.

They didn't have to wait very much longer. The double doors at the other end of the room opened as if in slow motion. Jun Pyo and Jan Di walked out first because it was their hotel. Jun Pyo was in his classic black tux with bow tie and expensive cufflinks. Jan Di was dressed in a light pink knee length chiffon dress. Her long hair had been pulled back from her face and curled gently.

Ji Hoo and Kyu Lee followed them. As usual Ji Hoo was dressed differently. The shining knight was in a gray almost silver suit with his auburn hair swept away from his face. Kyu Lee looked exquisite in a rose knee length cocktail dress. It was hard to tell she had just had a baby because the dress fit her so perfectly.

Yi Jeong and Ga Eul stepped out next. They weren't paying attention to those around them. Their attention was focused on each other. Yi Jeong had his classic tan tux on that matched Ga Eul's green dress. Obviously they had coordinated before they had even shown up.

But the killer couple was the couple of honor that stepped out last. Woo Bin could be seen over Yi Jeong's head and they knew he was dressed dashingly in his black suit. But it was his wife that killed it. Eri, always wearing pants, was dressed to kill in a floor length royal blue dress with beaded embroidery around the neck. That short hair was pulled back and pinned with pearl that caught the light and exploded. She was easily the most beautiful woman in the room.

The three men were so focused on their hostess that they never saw Jae Kyung come up beside them. When they finally noticed her, she smiled and took Min Ho's arm. The twins shared a knowing look then gracefully stepped back.

"I am your date for the evening," she said as she slipped her hand into his.

Heat flooded his body as she pressed her side into his. Without realizing it, he tightened his hand on hers and pulled her as close as she could. He didn't really drink but he grabbed a flute of champagne and passed it off to her. She took it with a smile then pulled him over to talk to some people she knew.

For the better part of an hour, she introduced him to people in the art world other than Yi Jeong. There were investors and other people who helped keep the gallery alive. He even met world renowned artist Lee Ki Long, the one and only person who had created "Oh My Heavens" that still hung in the gallery after twenty years.

F4 never showed themselves around him and he found that odd. Usually they were clustered together talking amongst themselves, but tonight they were separated. The twins eventually sidled back up to them but the others didn't show. Min Ho felt like he was an outsider already so for his friends not to be around made him feel even more self-conscience.

The four of them were standing by a table in the middle of the room talking when he felt a cold chill run up his spine. Only one person could ever make him feel that way. He turned around to see Min Hae and her husband Choi Tae Min stood behind him. Min Hae was looking Jae Kyung up and down. Knowing his date, Jae Kyung wasn't going to take this lightly.

Junsu puffed up immediately. "As you can see, he's not gay. This is Ha Jae Kyung, heiress to JK Company. They've been seeing each other for a little over a month now."

And once again Junsu spun his words to make it seem like Min Ho and Jae Kyung were an item. It looked like that outsiders, but it was the farthest thing from the truth. Well, was it? He didn't know anymore.

But Min Hae didn't believe it. She scowled as she looked the couple over. "How did you score an heiress when you're a lowly artist?"

Jae Kyung's claws came out. "What? You think simply because he's not an heir I wouldn't like him? That's the worst thing you can say about your brother. Believe it or not, he's a great artist who doesn't talk about what he's feeling because you've beat it out of him."

"I never touched my brother, except maybe in the womb. I have no time for that."

"What's going on?"

Min Ho cringed at the stern voice. His father Cho Kyu Min was a very strict man. Growing up he had made sure his kids had gotten into the best schools available. Of course Min Ho had never studied so he had always attracted his ire. His mother Choi Ji Oh had never taken her kids' sides so they were always at the mercy of their father. The older three were always the pride and joys but Min Ho had always lacked.

Like parasites his brothers Oh Rin and Cha Ohn were attached to his father. Beside Oh Rin was Sung Ji. She gave him a small smile and a wave, and that ripped at him just a little. Those two had never ostracized him, but in the presence of his father they didn't have a choice but to keep quiet. Luckily for him, he had two friends and a lady who were going to stand up for him.

"Hello, sir," Junho said, using his fake respectful voice. He was a master of it and could make anyone feel smile. "We were just discussing Min Ho's girlfriend."

Again with the word, but it drew Kyu Min's attention. He looked at Min Ho's and Jae Kyung's clasped hands and scowled. "You are dating my son? Miss, you can do so much better."

Min Ho felt as if he were two feet tall, the size of Ahn Na when she stood up. His parents knew the exact thing to say to break him down. He looked at Sung Ji, and the look on his face nearly broke him. He pulled his hand free from Jae Kyung's and turned around to leave the party.

But he came face to face with Eri and Woo Bin. The woman stared at him with a closed off expression and eyes of ice. He knew she was angry. She strode forward, leaving Woo Bin behind, and took his left hand. She never touched anyone without a meaning, and he felt her warmth spread through him for that brief moment. He looked at Woo Bin, and the host smiled cockily.

Eri pulled her hand from his and walked by him. She stepped between the twins and laid a hand on each shoulder. They split like the Red Sea but stayed close behind her. Min Ho had no idea what was going on, but the entire room had gotten quiet.

"What are you doing to my brother?" she asked, and those simple words had a huge impact on everyone assembled.

Kyu Min sputtered, his face turning red. "He is not a Song. His name is Cho Min Ho, not Song Min Ho. He is my son."

"Actually, if you think about it, his name is Cho Goo So Song Yoon Min Ho." The crowd split as Kyu Lee and Ji Hoo stepped forward. "He's a part of the F4 family and will always be as long as he chooses."

Min Hae scoffed. "You're really going to choose him when there are plenty of other people who would love to be part of your organization?"

"We're not an organization," Yi Jeong said as he and Ga Eul came in across from Ji Hoo and Kyu Lee. "We're a family, and Min Ho is a trusted member. He's also going to be a part of So Art Gallery when he graduates school as a curator and artist. I'm going to sell his work just like I do with Eri's."

"He's the permanent babysitter for my kids," Woo Bin added as he stepped behind his wife and wrapped his arms around her neck. "He's a trusted member of our family and the only other man that my precious daughter will go to. If I got rid of him, I'm sure my family would feel cold and lost."

Behind the Cho family, Jun Pyo and Jan Di closed in the southern point of their box. United, F4 made a huge impact. With Jae Kyung, Min Ho and the twins standing in the middle, they were publically claiming them in their family.

But the look on Eri's face said she wasn't done. Gently, she lowered Woo Bin's arms and stepped out of the protective box of the twins. She walked towards the Cho family then extended her hand. Ji Hoo handed her a huge canvas that she held up. Min Ho knew instantly what it was and felt a little embarrassed. She was lucky that she could hear the swear words that he said, but she turned and held out her hand for him. He took it instantly because she was going to drag him over anyway.

"I grew up without my parents caring for me. They thought I was a hindrance and an abomination for something they caused. Because I couldn't hear, they thought I wasn't worth anything. But luckily for me, my brother and grandparents took care of me. Grandpere taught me the value of art and how to express how I was feeling when I couldn't say it in words."

She looked over the canvas. "Min made this one of the first days he was working with me. I never asked what it was because I already knew. But as I looked at it, I realized it had nothing to do with how he was feeling. It was everything about how his family felt. His father and mother who thought money was power; his eldest brother who married the girl he loved; his middle brother who was kind but weak; and his twin he didn't care whether he lived or died. Amazingly there is no resentment in this piece."

Min Ho was near tears as she read exactly how he was feeling a piece of art he had worked on nearly a year ago. He thought he had tossed it on the recycle pile long ago, but Eri had kept it. He wiped at his eyes with his free hand.

"It takes a truly destroyed person to understand another. Emotions don't come easy for me. I don't understand them and I don't pretend to, but even I can become disastrously angry when my friends are abandoned."

She swept the circle with her hand, taking in everyone. "Jun Pyo, a man who was forced into things by his mother, leads this group of men and protects them with Jan Di at his side. Ji Hoo and Kyu Lee patch us up when we get cuts and bruises. Woo Bin defends us with everything he has and provides us with information, love and care when we need it. Yi Jeong and Ga Eul create in us things we never thought we could feel by just the stroke of a hand. Junsu and Junho keep us laughing with their quirky and freaky twin thing. And Min Ho," she held up their joined hands, "Min Ho shows us that no matter what happens, always keep a chipper disposition because you never know whose lap you're going to fall into."

"And Eri is our rock," Jae Kyung said, drawing everyone's attention. She stepped forward and tossed an arm around the woman who never took her stoic face off Min Ho's family. "Whenever something bothers us, we can always turn to her for our defense. She will never turn us away if we need her. We may never understand what she feels, but we know that she loves us enough to go to war for us. We're all grateful for that devotion."

Eri glanced at her then turned her attention. "Family doesn't end in blood. I learned that the second I came to Korea. Min Ho is my brother. I have claimed him and given him access to every ounce of my life. If you want to dispute that, bring it on. I will destroy you."

Electricity crackled between F4 and the Cho family. Once again united, no one was going to take on this powerhouse. Kyu Min opened his mouth and Jun Pyo stirred.

"If I'm correct, two of your biggest investors are Shinhwa Group and Song Construction. Do you really want to open your mouth and have all of that come crumbling down?" he asked.

Armed with information and determination, nothing was going to stop this family. So, Song, Yoon and Goo were united in every aspect from emotions to business. Anyone going against them was about to commit societal suicide. Kyu Min seemed to understand that because in the next moment he turned and led his family away.

Unable to hold it in anymore, Min Ho pulled Eri into a hug. She hugged him back then pulled away to hold his face.

"Did you really think we'd throw you to the wolves without a plan?" she asked. "You're part of this family. We defend and protect each other. Stop crying. And I'm keeping this." She held up the canvas.

Yi Jeong and Ji Hoo turned to the crowd gathered. "If anyone else has anything to say, say it now. If not, go back to your business."

The crowd dispersed at the command. Jae Kyung took Min Ho aside and handed him some tissues so he could clean up.

"You know, it takes guts to stand up to your family like that," she said. "I didn't think you were going to go through with it."

He snuffled then dabbed at his eyes before laughing. "Eri would have kicked my butt if I had walked away." He looked at her. "Thank you."

"It's what your girlfriend is for."

"Is that what we are?" She smiled at him. "Let's take it slow. I don't want to rush anything."

She nodded. "I'm okay with that, but you have to tell me if I'm acting too crazy."

He laughed again. "Deal."

She took his hand and led him back to the group, back to their family.

THE END.