As Chan and Rose walked into the JYP building, Changbin was waiting to greet them.

"Rosie-Noona!"

The rapper ran towards her and picked her up, spinning her around in excitement.

"Binnie!"

"You're back! I missed you so much!"

Rose laughed as he put her back down on her feet.

"If only everyone was so happy to see me."

"What are you talking about? Of course, they'll be happy."

Chan walked over and placed a hand on the rapper's shoulder.

"Changbin, can you take Rose to the dance studio? I've got... something to do first."

"Sure, no problem, Hyung."

Chan pulled the rapper aside and whispered in his ear.

"Don't let her out of your sight."

Changbin looked a little puzzled but nodded. Linking his arm through Rose's, he led her towards the elevator. He kept up mindless chatter as they travelled through the company building. When he held open a door, she walked in but was a little confused when she saw that the room was empty. She turned to the rapper to see an unusually serious expression on his face.

"Binnie?"

"The whole time you were gone, I haven't been able to stop thinking about that day. The day you left. And how I shouldn't have let you leave. I could've stopped you. Instead, that was almost the last time I saw you... Why? Why did you do it? And don't tell me it was to save our careers. Do you know what you leaving did to us?!"

He had just wanted to talk to her before they joined the others. He wanted to hear from her why she left so that he could understand better. He had a feeling she would need someone on her side to help defend her from the less forgiving members. However, he didn't mean to get so emotional, but it was hard to think of how they almost lost her.

"Do you think it was easy for me to leave?! That I wanted to go and leave the people I love in that way? I hate myself for doing that to you. I feel guilty every day and constantly question whether I made the right decision. But JYP said - I mean, I -"

Rose cut herself off. She didn't mean to bring up their boss. She hoped that the rapper didn't catch it, but she wasn't that lucky, and his eyes narrowed.

"What did JYP say?"

"Um, he, er -"

Changbin grabbed her arms, leaving no room for escape.

"Noona! Tell me. What did he say?"

Rose sighed but looked Changbin in the eye as she told him.

"He said Stray Kids would lose a member."

Suddenly it all made sense to him. Changbin knew there had to have been a bigger, more immediate threat to make Rose take such drastic actions. Although he wasn't sure if he believed that JYP's threat was real, he believed that Rose thought it was.

"He what?! He threatened to kick Chan-Hyung out of the group?! Stray Kids wouldn't exist if it wasn't for him!"

"Don't... Don't tell the others. I know how much you look up to him, especially Chan. I - I don't want to hurt him."

The rapper laughed bitterly, still angry from what Rose had just told me.

"A bit late for that. He told me what you said to him that day."

"I know I went too far. I hurt Chan. I used his own fears against him, and I'll never forgive myself for it, but I had to save him, all of you because I know that Stray Kids is going to do amazing things."

"Oh, Noona. You should've just talked to us. To Chan, or me, any of us, rather than do what you did."

"Do they all hate me?"

"No. They don't hate you. They might not be happy with you at the moment, but they could never hate you."

"And you?"

"I was shocked, confused, sad, but deep down I knew you must have had a reason for leaving. Most of all, I missed you."

"I missed you, too."

He gave her a hug.

"I'm never letting you leave again."

"Chan's already got me on a short leash. He barely lets me out of his sight."

"I don't blame him. He acted as if he was fine after you left, but when we first found him... I've never seen him like that."

Rose wiped away a tear that fell at the thought of what her soulmate must have felt that day.

"I don't know why he welcomed me back so easily. He should hate me."

"He loves you. Even if we don't agree with what you did, we know that you were trying to do what was best for us. For him."

"I don't deserve him."

"Chan-Hyung is the best of us. No one is as kind-hearted or as selfless as he is, but you're his perfect match. His soulmate. You deserve to be happy together and nothing is more important. We all agree on that."

"All of you?"

"Stray Kids is a family. Did you not believe us when we told you that you're a part of it?"

After a heartfelt reunion, Changbin took her to where the rest of the members were waiting. He paused outside the door.

"Ready?"

As she stood in front of the other members of Stray Kids, she saw their less-than-welcoming expressions. They had all known that she was coming. Even if Chan hadn't told them, the news was full of clips of their leader's and his soulmate's arrival at the airport.

"You made quite the entrance."

No one else spoke. Although Changbin stood next to her and Felix was smiling at her, Rose could tell that the other members would need more time before they welcomed her back happily.

Meeting Minho's stern gaze, Rose knew what she had to do. Lowering herself to the floor, she knelt down and bowed.

Seeing what she was doing Felix moved to stop her, but Minho held him back. When Changbin went to do the same, the older dancer gave him a look that stopped him in his tracks.

The other members felt uneasy at seeing their leader's soulmate bowing to them. Both Jisung and Jeongin were itching to help her up, Hyunjin was trying to stay mad at Rose but seeing her on the floor was too much that he had to look away. Seungmin was watching Minho.

When she made no signs of moving, it was Minho that approached Rose and got her to stand up. They stared at each other for a moment before the dancer wrapped his arms around her.

"Don't think this means that you're forgiven. I'm just glad you're back, for Chan-Hyung's sake."

"I missed you too, Minho."

"Did you miss me too, Noona?"

The only person brave enough to interrupt Minho's moment with Rose was Jisung. She pulled away from the dancer and held her arms open to the rapper who immediately stepped into them.

"Of course, I did, Sungie. How are you? I've been worried."

She stroked his hair as he pouted, mumbling into her shoulder.

"Nothing was the same without you. I didn't like it."

Rose squeezed her eyes shut to stop herself from tearing up again.

"I'm so sorry. I won't ever leave again. I promise."

"And we're supposed to trust that you won't abandon us again when things get tough."

Jisung felt Rose wince at Hyunjin's words and Felix rose up in her defence.

"Noona didn't abandon us! She planned to come back."

"And she told you that when she said goodbye, right? If Manager-nim hadn't given us those letters, we wouldn't have known that, and you would've stayed the angry, moody Felix that you've been since she left."

Felix looked down, upset at the reminder and he felt Rose's shocked gaze on him at the news of how her leaving had affected his behaviour. Changbin stepped forwards.

"Yah! That's enough, Hyun-"

Rose placed her hand on Changbin's arm.

"No. It's okay. Hyunjin's right."

"That doesn't mean he can say mean things."

"Who's saying mean things?"

The whole room went silent as Chan walked in. Walking to stand beside Rose, the leader wrapped his arm around his soulmate as he glanced around at the others waiting for an answer.

Seeing Hyunjin's nervous expression, Rose turned to Chan with a smile.

"No one. I was just telling everyone how much I missed them."

"You missed a lot, Noona. ISAC, STAY week, Seoul FESTA, KCON."

"She didn't miss it all."

Rose froze. Jeongin cocked his head in confusion.

"What do you mean, Minho-Hyung?"

Minho stared at Rose and just from the look in his eyes she knew that he somehow found out that she went to KCON. If he told the others, then she was sure that they would be more upset with her. Before the dancer could answer, Chan cleared his throat.

"She was with us in spirit. Now before we start our meeting about our next comeback which is being announced next week, I have another announcement to make, and I hope that none of you objects."

Everyone, including Rose, looked at Chan curiously. They were all wondering if it would have something to do with Rose's return.

"What is it, Chan-Hyung?"

"From now on, Rose will be living with us."

"What?!"

It was Rose that shouted as she stared at her soulmate with wide eyes.

"Is that a problem?"

"You - you didn't even ask me first!"

"You told me the lease on your apartment ended and all your stuff is in storage. Where were you planning on living?"

"I... Anna's. Until I found a new apartment."

"No need. You can stay with me."

"What about your roommates? Have you asked them?"

Chan turned to Changbin, Jisung, and Hyunjin.

"Do you guys mind if Rose lives with us?"

"Of course not! I think it's a great idea."

"Me too."

"Hyunjin?"

Everyone looked at the younger dancer waiting for his reply. Hyunjin pursed his lips, not looking particularly happy at the idea.

"Whatever our leader wants."