8th Member (BTS)

If I Stay (Finale)

Mae still wasn't sure. She didn't quite know what was holding her back from making her decision but she didn't know what to do. Since she'd returned, Mae had stayed in the same place as she did before she left following Taehyung. She stared out at the city lights below her, thinking.

"Hey, you okay?" Jackson said, walking into the room. Mae nodded before returning to her thoughts.

"Are you sure?" Jackson asked. Mae just nodded again.

"I know you're lying what's holding you back?" Jackson asked, making Mae look at him.

Mae took a deep breath, "honestly, I don't know... I just... I don't know. I feel like it would be easier, I wouldn't burden anyone, I wouldn't have to worry about what my parents think of me, I wouldn't have to hear all the rumors about me. I feel like if I were to... leave, everything would be better..."

Jackson watched her as she spoke, his heart hurt to hear her say those words. She was too hard on herself, Mae over thought everything, Mae was worried about things she didn't need to be worried about.

"Mae, I know you may think all of that is true, but it isn't trust me. You're never going to be a burden to anyone, you don't need to worry about your parents what matters is what you think of yourself, and the people who make rumors about you are just people with sad lives. What matters most is what makes you happy, your family, music, art, reading, all of those are things you need to focus more on instead of what you just listed. You need to focus more on the positive instead of the negative, it isn't good for someone to always focus on the negative side," Jackson said.

Mae sat there, mulling over what Jackson said. She began to realize how often she did that and how it made her life miserable. Jackson noticed Mae in her thoughts and decided to add one more thing, "you also need to start thinking more about yourself, I know that sounds selfish but you need to. You're always worried about the seven guys that you never actually take time to think about you. Although it may seem selfish, you need to start to think more about yourself along with others. You care more about their health than yours that you get sick more than them because you're weaker, you always are there to cheer others up and when others want to help you, you just push them away. That isn't good, you need to talk with the people around you because they'll always support you no matter what. Now, I'll be back in a week, by then I need your answer, okay?"

Mae looked at him and nodded before watching him fade. It was a Saturday so she had time to do whatever but she mostly chose to stay in the room. There really wasn't anything exciting to do because she wasn't visable to anyone so she just stayed in the hospital room. She'd lost count of the days, weeks, and months she was there but something about just sitting and thinking made her calm, it put her at ease.

Few hours later, the seven people she loved the most came. They'd seemed to be better now that Yoongi and Namjoon had stopped their little moods and she smiled as she watched them talk amongst each other. They made sure to fill in Mae on all of the gossip and what was happening in the world. After a couple hours of laughing and talking and eating the room went silent, so silent you could only hear the beating of the heart monitor.

"Yoongi hyung?" Jimin said finally, breaking the silence. Yoongi just hummed, looking at the younger to continue his thought. Before Jimin continued, he took a deep breath, "what finally made you emerge from your room? I mean, I'm more then happy to see you up and moving around but the change was so sudden, almost like someone encouraged you... what changed?"

Yoongi just smiled, thinking back to the day, just weeks ago, that Mae had visited him, "you know, you're going to call me crazy but... it was Mae, she was the one who encouraged me. I wanted to live my life for Mae no matter what, that's what she wanted all of us to do," Yoongi said, knowing fully he sounded insane but he was being completely truthful. The day that Mae had talked to him was what changed him and wanted to live his life for her because he knew he was wasting time by just sitting there.

"You spoke to her too?" Taehyung said after a long silence. Yoongi nodded and waited for him to continue, "she didn't say much... but she told me she was okay, that she loves us, and we shouldn't worry too much."

The seven just sat there, in a comfortable silence.

Mae immediatly knew her answer, she called out for Jackson who appeared in seconds, "I'm guessing you have your answer Mae?" Mae just nodded and Jackson slowly closed his eyes.

"Wait Jackson," Mae said making the man reopen his eyes and look at her, "thank you, for everything. I can't tell you how much I appreciate all you have done."

"It's just my job, I'll be guarding over you Mae. Please stay safe," Jackson said with a smile before clothing his eyes once more.

Mae's vision suddenly clouded and she began to feel herself falling along with the sound of beeping and sudden shouts.

In the middle of the seven's comfortable silence, the heart monitor began to beep rapidly and loudly. They stood up abruptly, while Jin and Hoseok left to quicky find a nurse the rest were terrified. They had no idea what was going on, Yoongi was especially scared because Mae had promised him she'd return and he was pale at the thought of her leaving. Seconds later, nurses and doctors entered the room and they were asked to leave the room.

"What's happening?" Jungkook asked as he stared at the door.

"I don't know... it's been peaceful for months," Jin said as he sat down.

"Sh-she can't leave, she promised me," Yoongi said frantically.

"She promised what hyung?" Namjoon asked.

"She promised me she wouldn't leave us, that she'd return... she needs to come back," Yoongi said as he got more and more anxious.

"Sit down and take a deep breath hyung," Hoseok said as he placed both hands on the older's shoulders, "she's going to be okay, she's a fighter."

Taehyung just stared at the door, he was terrified, Mae had also promised him that she was okay and safe and he was scared of losing her. Finally, after what felt like hours, the door opened revealing the doctors and nurses.

"Alright, well I have some good news for you seven," the he began. They stood up immediately and looked at him expectantly, "she's alive and awake. Please be careful around her, she is sensitive to some things for the time being and she will have to attend physical therapy for a bit because of the lack of movement, she has been out for five months."

"Thank you doctor," each of them said as they entered the room. Mae was lying on the bed, she looked tired but she was awake and smiling.

"Mae! We missed you so much, where were you? How'd you talk to Yoongi hyung and Taehyung?" Jimin asked.

"That's a long story," Mae said with a smile.

Mae told them about everything she'd experienced in the time she wasn't able to fully contact them. There were times when she saw Jackson and he told her the reasoning behind that was because of how long she'd been there, she was able to see him and communicate with him. Mae also started physical therapy a few days after she awoke and with the help of her seven friends she was able to get up in moving in a matter of weeks. The guys had also made sure that Mae was okay and she was happy and healthy, they often scolded her for not taking care of herself as much as she needed to which made her chuckle. She was more than happy to have the seven dorks she'd known and love back in her life and she planned on never leaving them again.