Chapter Text
He never expected the call to come, Jackson has just finished recording. They were working on their new album. The blonde finally could take a breather, so he was laying lazily on his bed when his phone rang.
He looked at the caller ID, and rose in alarm, hitting his head against the ceiling.
“Oucch,” He groaned in pain, massaging the bump that was appearing in hi forehead. “Hello, Hannah?”
What met him was silence, which he didn’t expect, he called out to her again, but the kid didn’t answer. Something didn’t sit right, he looked over his phone, maybe she called by mistake?
“Hannah? You there?” Jackson pursed his lips in thought, maybe she called him by mistake.
“Oppa,” the childish voice broke through, Jackson gulped in fear. Her voice was empty, devoid of emotions even when it started cracking. “I-I-”
“Where are you?”
He knew deep in his guts that something was wrong, and it was time to uncover the truth.
…….
Jackson grabbed the snoring dog, shoved him in his hoodie pocket. Then ran out of the apartment.
Sadly, he crashed into Bambam as soon as he opened the door. He would have lost his footing, if not for the firm hand that kept him from head bumping the ground.
Jackson shook his head from the dizziness, he rose his head up, “Woah, sorry didn’t see you there,”
Not noticing Bambam was the one who broke his fall, “Hyung, why are you in a rush?”
Jinyoung appeared right next to Bam, looking concerned. Ok, that explains the empty apartment. The members trickled out of the elevator, gathering behind Bambam.
“Hyung, where you headed too? It’s late,” Bambam continued, would you look at that the sneaky brat was finally talking to him. Still holding him in place, he pried the hands gently off him.
“I’ll be gone for a few hours, no worries.” Jackson waved off the concerns coming from Bambam.
“Where are you going?” Jaebum asked, throwing his arm over the second youngest member. Jinyoung narrowed his eyes at the blonde, Jackson felt annoyance treading dangerously under his skin.
“Meeting a friend, anyway I need to go, see you later!” Jackson moved away, only to be held back by Jinyoung.
‘You must be kidding me, I don’t have the time for this,’
“Jinyoung, I’m in a hurry.” Jackson tried to move away, but the younger didn’t budge. Not making it easier for Jackson to mask his annoyance; which made the grip to tighten on him, “Jinyoung, you are hurting me. Leggo, I really need to go.”
Thankfully, the younger got the clue even though he was reluctant to let go, but he finally did.
…
He hurried to the location Hannah had told him, sheesh, what’s up with those siblings. Why would they choose to hide in such secluded areas. He found the object he was looking for, There he found payphone booth, it was placed under the only street lamp in the park. He knocked on the glass door.
Hannah, was huddled against the corners of the phone booth.
He knocked the on door, waiting for her to recognize his presence. The girl banged her head against the phone, Jackson apologetically smiled. The girl looked relieved, the blonde noticed the tear tracks on her petite face.
Hannah opened the door in hurry, which smacked the glass door directly to his face, Hannah didn’t notice what she had done as soon as she was out of the phone booth, she tackled Jackson who was groaning from the pain, and trying to stop the nosebleed.
The child bursted into tears as she shoved her head into the crook of Jackson’s neck.
The blonde sighed, as he gathered the child in his arms, somehow relieved, he expected to meet a bloody mess. Jackson blinked, he feels that there was something that he is forgetting.
A painful punch to his gut, refreshed his memory. Ah, it was that.
Jackson with shaky legs, headed towards the nearest bench, Yogi was not holding back at all. The little dog has been continuously punching his stomach. Jackson finally arrived to the bench, with not a thought in his mind he threw the wailing child on it, and grabbed the dog who was continuously moving his iffy little muppet hands, pulling out of his hoodie’s pocket.
Jackson’s eyes widened, the little mf was asleep and he was throwing punches unconsciously. What kind of sorcery is this? He felt a vein popping, with all his might he yeeted the dog out of the park, diving into the furthest bush.
“O-oppa, are you mad?” Hannah broken voice, it bought Jackson back to reality.
The man, shook his head, afraid to turn his head towards the kid who was bawling her eyes out. He kinda handled the girl carelessly, throwing her like piece of a rug.
“Oh, no,” He crouched to the eye level of the kid, wiping away the stray tears with end of his sleeve. “It is not you, there was a… bug, biting my skin” He ruffled the silky straight hair.
“Enough about that, what happened?” He grabbed her hands and squeezed them tightly, “do you want to talk about it?”
The block locks fall over her eyes, “I think it is better for me to die after all,”
Jackson was suddenly so happy that he arrived in time. “Oh, kid, what happened.”
“L-Last week, C-Chanie fainted,”
Jackson blinked stupidly, he did? Weird, he didn’t receive any news about it. “He is overworking himself, and, and…”
The child bit her lower lips, “and the money…”
Jackson frowned, yes, he knows that all of Chan’s money goes to the kids, “What about the money?”
“On a monthly basis, oppa is depositing money to the foster lady, and…and,” Her eyes started welling with tears.
“And what, Hannah speak!” Jackson stood up, he has a good idea what she is about to say.
“We never received it,”
That damn foster lady, “Is the foster stealing your money?”
“S-stealing, that?!” Hannah stood up, shaking her head, tremors shook her body. Now the bruises made sense, she was holding onto her body, shielding away her faces.
“Did they hit you too?”
Hannah broke down once again. Drowning in her own tears. Oh, god. Jackson gathered the child into his arms.
He needs to take an action, but what would be the right thing to do now. He thought for a minute before deciding on the next step.
“Hannah, dear, we need to tell your brother.”
….
Once the word sank in the child’s head, she closed off. Refusing to hear any single word coming from Jackson. Even knowing that what the Chinese man is telling her is the right decision. The raven head refused this approach.
She squeezed the fabric tightly, what was the point of telling her brother? That would only bring more pain to him.
“Hannah, c’mon we have to tell him.”
Keeping Chan safe was her safest priority, things has just turned around for lucas, her baby brother. Happiness rushed through her veins when she saw her baby brother getting along with the other kids, so it was fine; if she had to forsaken her own safety if it means that she was keeping her family safe and together.
Lucas was safe from the evil wrinkled hands, they may sometimes forsaken his dinners, but never strike him. That meant that at least he was favored, and it meant the world to her, that no tears were spilled from those big ebony orbs; even if her skin turned redder as the days passed.
“No, you can’t do that!” Hannah gripped Jackson’s shirt, and pushed herself up, denying every tired bone in her body that pushed her to dive into the warmth.
“Hannah…”
“I’ll curse you to death, if you inform my brother,” The raven head stared at him through her blurry vision; she didn’t know if it was the tears or the blinding headache.
Large hands rested on her shoulders, stopping the world from swaying, “I managed to keep both Lucas and Chan safe from her, it is nothing I can’t handle.”
The man opened his mouth before closing them momentarily, “And why-Why should you handle it?”
White anger blinded her vision, she shook off the hands that were the only source of warmth in this cruel night.
“Are you telling me to abandon them? How could you suggest something so selfish, I thought that you’d be able to understand me, but no you were… from the start you wer…”
Hannah hanged her head down in defeat, she slowly raised her eyes to meet with concerened ones.
“You were different…” She whispered, “Different from the caregiver, brother and lucas,”
She watched the older blinking at her with his mouth hanging open, a stupid expression if she could describe it; “Umm, in a bad way?”
“Bad..Bad,” the word rolled distastefully of her tongue; “Yes, you are a bad influence on me, you-you make me want to-”
Hannah’s words got stuck in her throat, she gagged against the dryness of her mouth, shaking her head, no longer wanting to be in the warm embrace of Jackson’s arms.
“Hannah, please,”
Big ebony eyes grew glassy as she stopped fighting the man infront of her; she tiredly slumped against Jackson’s chest.
“You make me want to continue living on; meeting you had made me think that maybe just maybe there was still hope for me to have happiness; alongside my loved ones; that me wanting to live on is not selfish at all.”