Soft beeping. The smell of antiseptic. The dim glow of hospital lights.

Ava groaned as she slowly blinked awake, her body aching like she had been hit by a truck.

Her arm was bandaged, the dull throb of pain reminding her of why she was here.

The gunshot. The blood. The way Jae’s face had twisted into something terrifying as he carried her into the hospital, barking orders at the doctors like he was about to burn the world down.

And now, here she was. Alive.

Her throat was dry, her lips chapped, but before she could even shift, a warm hand grabbed hers.

“Ava.”

She turned her head.

Jae.

Dark circles framed his eyes, his usually cocky smirk nowhere to be seen. Instead, his face was full of exhaustion, relief, and something deeper—something raw.

She swallowed. “Jae—”

“You scared the hell out of me.”

His voice was low, rough. Angry, but not at her.

Ava tried to smile. “I think I scared myself too.”

Jae exhaled sharply, running a hand through his already messy hair. “Damn right, you did.”

Ava squeezed his hand weakly. “Did you get them?”

Jae’s jaw clenched. “Yeah.” His voice was dark, edged with something dangerous. “We got them.”

Ava didn’t need the details. She knew Jae well enough to understand they didn’t just ‘get’ them. Section E wasn’t just a bunch of high school kids anymore. They were a force.

A family that protected their own.

Before she could say anything else, the door suddenly burst open.

“OH MY GOD, SHE’S AWAKE!”

Ava barely had a second to react before Lily tackled her into a hug, sobbing dramatically into her blanket.

“You almost died! Do you know how traumatized I am?!”

Ava winced. “Lily… my arm.”

“Oh—right, sorry!” Lily pulled back but continued to sniffle.

Behind her, the rest of Section E flooded in, each wearing different expressions of relief, anger, and exhaustion.

Kai was the first to speak. “You really don’t know how to sit still, huh?”

Eli crossed his arms. “She got shot, Kai.”

Kai shrugged. “And yet, somehow, I’m not even surprised. Trouble follows her like Jae follows her around like a lovesick puppy.”

Jae scoffed. “Shut up.”

Ava smirked, looking up at him. “Lovesick puppy?”

Jae rolled his eyes, but the tips of his ears turned red.

The teasing began instantly.

“Damn, Ava, taking bullets just to get Jae to confess his undying love?”

“She already did, idiot. They’re practically married at this point.”

“Oh my god, Mrs. Jae sounds so weird.”

Ava groaned. “I literally just woke up.”

Kai smirked. “And we’re making sure you wake up with quality entertainment.”

Despite the pain, despite the exhaustion, Ava laughed.

Because in this room, she was safe.

Because no matter what happened, she had them.