Baby Don't Stop

Chapter Seventeen

          Taeyong stood there clutching at her shirt with his good hand. His breathing was ragged and his heart beating fast to pump blood through his body, which only fueled his anger.
            She stood there glaring into his eyes with an intense fear.
            What was propelling this girl? What made her want to hurt him? Did Eunjin blackmail her? did she hate Taeyong?
            He shook her front. "Tell me." He said in a voice that was so low it was almost a growl.
            The silence pressed around Taeyong's head as he stared at her. She said something but it was too fast for Taeyong to try to make sense of it by trying to read her lips. He had better stick to yes or no questions if he wanted to get anywhere.
            "Is Ten in this building?" He spoke. His head was spinning but he had to ignore it. Taeyong shook his head. It wasn't important. Not as important as finding Ten was. The girl in front of him nodded her head.  
            Another question. "Is he upstairs?" Taeyong growled. There was another small nod from the girl.
            Taeyong looked up to the ceiling. How was he supposed to fight Eunjin and save Ten without the girl coming after him? He looked around him for anything to tie the girl up with but there was nothing but rubble.
            He would have to take her with him and risk having to fight both of them to find some rope. Taeyong looked down at the girl where he still had a fist full of her jacket. "Let's go." He started to pull her towards the stairs. Suprisingly she did not fight him but went along willingly.
            Taeyong didn't think anything of it as his mind was so focused on going up and going to the floor that held ten. He reached the stairs and started to climb. Up, up, he went. Taeyong turned back periodically to look at the girl. The question in his eyes asking if they were there yet.
            She finally wouldn't continue on the eighth floor. Taeyong knew that somewhere on this floor was Eunjin. Somewhere on this floor Ten was waiting for him.

                —————•••—————

            Ten sat there. Exhausted from the lack of food or water. Eunjin had tried to feed him but he wouldn't eat. He didn't care. He couldn't do anything other than waste away, waiting to be reunited with his lost love.
            Eunjin entered the room. She usually did this every so often. But she would soon leave once she realized she wasn't going to get anything out of Ten. But this time was different. Something was off with Eunjin this time. Her words were slow and her movements sloppy.
            She fumbled her way into the room and leaned back against the far wall. In her hands was a green glass bottle. Sliding down the wall Eunjin presse the bottle to her lips.
            Eunjin mumbled something softly before she spoke again, louder this time. He voice was defeated and low. "Why can't you love me back?" her voice reminded him of the day he had agreed to go on a date with her. It was small and full of tears that hadn't fallen yet. "I did everything. I changed everything. And still, Why can't you love me?"
            She takes another swing of the bottle in her hand. She sits there silently. She watches Ten as he sits there slumped over. His cheeks are shallow and his eyes dark.
            Eunjin sets the bottle on the floor next to the wall and crawls over to where Ten is sitting. She kneels at his feet, one hand on his knee and the other reaches up to softly touch his face.
            She lifts his face by his chin. His blank eyes stare back at her. Sitting forward on her knees, Eunjin starts to trace Ten's features softly with the tip of her finger. Her hand flutters all across his face. Once her hand reaches his lips her movement's slow. Her eyes stare at his lips.
            Slowly Eunjin can feel herself leaning in. Her lips getting closer to his.
            Almost there.
            Crash. Eunjin can hear a commotion from the other room. Jissu must be back. The clumsy girl had nowhere to go and no one to turn to. She was lucky Eunjin had taken her under her wing. But the girl didn't have it in her to do what it took. She was to weak. She only followed Eunjin's orders because she was endebted. And if she ever betrayed Eunjin, Eunjin had sworn to kill her.
            Jissu can wait. Eunjin's eyes focused back on Ten. She was so close. So near all of her dreams.
            But a yell broke the spell around her.
            "EUNJIN! COME OUT AND FACE ME! BRING ME TEN.
            The voice was one Eunjin hadn't expected to hear ever again.
            Taeyong.
            Hadn't she killed him? He was such a pain in her side. Eunjin looked back at Ten and was pleased to see that he hadn't registered Taeyong's voice. She let go of his head and it fell down.
            "I'll be back and we can continue this." She muttered as she stood up. She grabbed the glass bottle from the floor. Taking a quick swing she quickly exited the room.
            As she walked into the front room she saw that Taeyong was wearing a cap and had jissu by the scruff of her collar with one hand. The other hand was wrapped in a crude bandage, like someone had done it on the side of the road.
            "Hello, Taeyong." Eunjin leaned against the door frame as she spoke. "I asked Ten if he wanted to see you. He said no." She gives a shrill laugh and stares at Taeyong, trying to guage his reaction. Upon seeing nothing she continued, "He told me he loved me and we are going to get married. In fact when you arrived you had just interrupted us." But still there was no reaction from Taeyong other than mild confusion.
            Eunjin quickly looked over at Jissu. Jissu quickly lifted one hand and tapped her ear twice. Something was wrong with his hearing. Great, so she had just given that long shpeal for nothing. Better to get to business.
            "Eunjin if you have touched one hair on Ten's head I will make you wish you were dead." Upon seeing Eunjin, Taeyong could feel his blood start to boil and his fists clench. He had to refrain from crying out as his wrist protested. He couldn't let Eunjin know anything was wrong.
            Taeyong kept his face as blank as possible. But when Eunjin started spouting off he couldn't help the confusion that spread across his face at being unable to understand.
            He watched as slowly Eunjin turned behind her and grabbed something. Taeyong was going to have to let go of the girl so that he could defend himself. He was risking a lot but he had to do it.
            Before he knew it Eunjin had turned around and something green was flying through the air. Taeyong quickly ducked but there was no need as her shot went wide and the bottle that had been in her hand shattered against the wall behind him. He protected his head with the back of his arm. Trying to shield from any falling pieces. In his haste he had let go of the girl. She had shrunk against the wall and cowered there in a crouch.
            When Taeyong looked back up at Eunjin she was walking toward him, a crowbar held tight in both of her hands. Eunjin brings it above her head as she closes the distance. Her body is shaking with rage. She brings the crowbar down but it swings against empty air as Taeyong jumps to the side at the last moment.
            Eunjin turns around like an enraged bull that has missed the matador's cape. The crowbar is gripped so hard in her hands that her fingers have turned white. Her short red hair falling into her face and her back is hunched as she charges at Taeyong again.
            He barely manages to scramble on his knees away from her death blow.
            Now that he was on his knees, Taeyong felt much more steady. Beside the fact that his head was still spinning. He hurried once more away from Eunjin's wildly swinging crowbar.
            How was he supposed to get the upperhand and beat her? He couldn't even get to his feet at this rate. Taeyong looked back at Eunjin. Although she was almost steaming in rage, her movements seemed sloppy and fuddled.
            Eunjin paused for a moment. Her chest is heaving. She shouts something back to the girl crouched in the corner behind her. Taeyong looks back into the small eyes of the girl as she scrambles to her feet. She slides against the wall and past Taeyong and Eunjin. Once she got past them she hurried into the hallway behind Taeyong.
            That had to be where Ten was. Taeyong didn't even care about fighting Eunjin anymore. He just wanted to get down that hallway. 
            Eunjin had other plans. Taeyong turned his attention back toward her just as the crowbar cames sweeping a hares breath away from his face. She took another step forward and swung again.
            Taeyong had nowhere to go to escape. He reached forward his unbroken hand. His arm jolted as the crowbar hit his hand. Taeyong's fingers closed around the crowbar before Eunjin could pull it away.
            Eunjin stood there as she almost had a fit. Like a five year old who just had her favorite toy taken away. She let go of the crowbar and moved on to another weapon. Which was everything in reach.
            Using the crowbar, Taeyong tried to block the flying projectile. Soon Eunjin ran out of things to throw and came at Taeyong with her nails flashing.
            Eunjin's nails scrapped against Taeyong's arm as he twisted to grab her wrists. He got ahold of one hand but the other one reached back to scratch at him again. The look in Eunjin's eyes was pitiful and sad. She looked mad, absolutely insane, and Taeyong couldn't help but pity her.
            She was shouting something and trying to twist her hand out of his while trying to scratch him with the other arm.
            Taeyong looked around him for anything to hold her down, anything to tie her up with. His eyes fell on the crowbar he had dropped next to him. He hadn't wanted to resort to violence but he didn't think he had a choice.
            He was afraid if he started to hit Eunjin that his rage would take over and he wouldn't be able to stop.
            Eunjin's arms still scratched at him and he pulled his arm back to reach for the crowbar which was just out of his reach. Just a little further. He reached his arm as far as he could. He had to get the crowbar, he was doing this to save Ten.
             Taeyong reached out and held the crowbar in his broken hand. He ignored the stabbing pain as he lifted the crowbar and swung it round to Eunjin's head. 
            There was a hard thunk before Eunjin crumpled in front of him.
            Taeyong lay there on the floor for a moment trying to catch his breath. His broken hand was throbbing and Taeyong realized he was still clutching the crowbar. His hand released and the crowbar clattered to the ground.
            Eunjin's form lay in front of him. Taeyong quickly reached over and put his fingers in front of her nostrils. She was still breathing.
            Quickly he shoves her away from him.
            Taeyong struggled with his good hand to get to his feet. His arm is bleeding.
            Ten.
            He had to find Ten.
            Taeyong stumbled into the hallway. He reached out his arm and pulled himself forward. His only thought was getting to Ten. As he walked the hallway seemed to grow longer. There was no end. He was never going to reach Ten.
            He had to pause and shake his head. But something was up. He wasn't able to think as clearly now that all his adrenaline had drained away.
           "Ten." He whispered even though he couldn't hear. It was a gut reaction so say Ten's name with his own lips. He walked forward again and pushed open the door.
            Inside the room was bare except for a single chair. Pictures littered the walls and the floor. But Taeyong didn't care about anything other than the person sitting in the lonely chair. Taeyong shuffled his feet forward the last couple steps before he fell in a heap at Ten's feet. "Ten," he whispered again.
            Ten's hunched form didn't move. He didn't stir or acknowledge Taeyong at all. Taeyong started to worry.
            "Ten?!" he said louder. "Ten?! Please be okay, please be okay." Taeyong grabbed Ten's face in his hands. He couldn't believe he was actually here and that Ten's beautiful face was in his hands.
            Ten's face looks swallow and pale. His eyes are closed and his head is heavy in Taeyong's hands.
            Taeyong's heart starts to race again as Ten continues not to wake. He looked down at Ten's hands which are bound to the chair. Taeyong sets Ten's head down and starts to untie all the bonds. Please be okay, please be okay. The thought runs through Taeyong's head on loop.
            After he untied both Ten's hands and feet Ten slumped forward off the chair into Taeyong's arms.
            Taeyong grabbed him and held him in his arms. His hand is cupping Ten's face. Taeyong just sat there holding Ten. He was still breathing but Taeyong just needed him to open his eyes.
            Taeyong looked up and around himself. Sitting against the far wall was the girl who had attacked Taeyong earlier. Taeyong instinctively pulled Ten closer to him and reached out his hand. He didn't know how but he was going to protect Ten. He wasn't going to let anything come between them ever again.
            She just sat there staring at Taeyong, and he stared at her, waiting for her to make a move.
            Something moved below him and Taeyong tore his eyes from the sitting girl back down to Ten.
            He could see Ten shift and slowly open his eyes.
            Thank heavens he is okay, thought Taeyong. "Hey, you. Long time no see."
            Ten's eyes take a moment to focus before he whispers something and closes his eyes again.
            Taeyong shakes him softly till his eyes open once more and he stares up at Taeyong. Taeyong tries to talk again. He glances up at the girl before looking back down at Ten, "We need to get out of here. Can you walk?"
            Ten nods slowly. His eyes turning cloudy. He works to sit up and Taeyong tries to help him to his feet.
            Taeyong takes the ropes that had been around Ten and takes them to the living room where Eunjin is still passed out. He crouches down to tie her up. As Ten enters the room he stares between Taeyong and Eunjin with a confused look on his face.
            Taeyong turns his attention to tieing the knots when he feels a hand on his shoulder. As he looks up Ten says something to him. Taeyong tries hard to read his lips. He doesn't want to tell Ten that his hearing is gone, yet. "What?"
            Ten repeats himself and Taeyong almost thinks that he is asking 'you're alive?'.
            Taeyong nods. "Yes. I'm here." He stands up. Trying to keep his balance as best as possible he looks into Ten's eyes, he still can't believe that he is looking at Ten again. That Ten isn't hurt badly or dead. Taeyong searches Ten's eyes, waiting for him to say something more.
            Slowly a light starts to shine in Ten's eyes again. His lips turn up into a small smile. Ten reaches out and wraps his arms around Taeyong. Clutching Taeyong tightly as he holds him.
            Taeyong can't help but press his face into Ten's hair as he smells it, letting it finally settle in that Ten was in his arms and he was safe from Eunjin now.
            All to soon Taeyong made himself pull away. "Let's go."
            They step over Eunjin's unconscious form and out of the room.
            Slowly they made their way down the stairs and out of the large run down building.
            Taeyong tried to keep himself steady but the days were catching up to him and he no longer had the willpower to keep standing. The edges of his vision were fading out.
            Without realizing it Taeyong fell to the pavement. He looked up to the sky and the form that huddled over him. Ten. Ten was shouting something.
            There was nothing more he could do. His vision closed off and the world went black once more.